She goosed him. "Pig grunts. I'm dyeing my hair now and you know it. Who's your fat friend? Hi, Jubal! Tak for siest. Drag up a chair." She put two fingers to her lips, whistled, breaking glasses. "Waiter!"

"I note that you're heeled," said Lazarus, as both men joined the table.

"When did I fail to pack a gun? I'm a Free Citizen. Does everybody know everybody? If not, get your tags in sight; damn'f I'll stop for introductions. While I was waiting for you, I was joined by friends-some old, some new."

"Some I know-hi, Jake; hi, everybody. I mentioned your gun with approval, Hazel; Here There Be Tygers. But I note also that you are staying in a hilton; after one drink-well, two-three at the outside-I'm going to be mortally offended. Your suite awaits you and you know it. Why?"

"Two reasons. Well, three. I never like to be beholden-"

"Why, damn your beautiful bloodshot eyes!"

"-but I'm perfectly willing to sponge off you. That's why I bought the first round; the party never gets smaller. This round is yours. Where's that misbegotten waiter?"

"Here, Madam."

"The same all around and don't call me 'Madam.' Jubal, your usual? Lafe?"

"I know what the gentlemen take. Thank you, Madam." The waiter disappeared.

"Uppity." Hazel made a fast draw. "Should have made him dance." She twirled and reholstered. "Hilda, where have I seen that sneaky face before?"

"Jacob and I were discussing that. He reminds me of a fake forest ranger- but that was in a far country and besides the beast is dead."

"Could be a family resemblance. But, Hillbilly, I mean today. Got it! The ticket taker. Identical twins, maybe." Hazel went on, "Other identical twins are my first two reasons, Lazarus. My grandsons. I won't shoot holes in your

mirrors or carve my initials in Tamara's furniture, but I make no guarantees about Cas and Pol. In a hilton they put the damage on the tab; I pay it and make my grandsons wish they had never been born. But you would not let me pay. And we're going to be here quite a piece; my daughter-in-law Doctor Edith has decided that she needs a couple of years under Doctor Ishtar. Has anyone seen a pair of twin boys-man-size but boys-redheaded-not the color of mine; mine's out of a bottle-the color mine used to be?"

"Hazel, here twins and red hair are as common as magicians in Atlantis; Gilgamesh must have stayed overnight."

"I saw them talking to Caleb Catlum," said Maureen.

"Well, he should be a match for them-but don't bet on it. Lazarus, is Atlantis represented?"

"From thirteen universes. They are having a jurisdictional dispute. Suits me-if any get sore and leave, they won't get a refund."

"Your grandsons may have been with Caleb but I know where-no, with whom-I know with whom they are now," put in Professor Burroughs. "Laz and Lor."

"Oho! Hazel, I'll tell Athene to settle your bill and move your luggage. We have an antidote for Cas and Pol."

"Optimist. Deal 'em, waiter, and give him the chit. What antidote?" The waiter started to hand the check to Lazarus before he looked at him-stopped abruptly, and left, still with the tab.

"Would Cas and Pol be interested in becoming pirates?"

"Lazarus, they are pirates. I was hoping they would tone down as they grew up... but now they're eighteen, Terran reckoning, and each one is two yards of deceit and chicanery. The 'J.D.' after my name means that I studied law at a school that handed out that degree in place of 'LL.B.'-but my rapscallions are 'J.D.'s' too. But not lawyers. Well... 'space lawyers."

"Hazel, you won your first J.D. long before you studied law. No?"

"The accused stood mute and the court ordered a plea of nux vomica entered in the record."

"My twins are more than twice as old as your boys but it doesn't show; they look a year or two younger... and they are permanent juvenile delinquents. They want to take a fling at piracy... which I deplore, having sampled the trade. Your boys-do they respect good machinery? Can they take care of it? Make nonshipyard repairs?"

"Lazarus, they can repair anything that ticks or doesn't tick. Worried me a mite, as they were a little slow in noticing girls. But they outgrew that symptom without outgrowing machinery."

"You might tell them that my clone-sisters own a spaceship faster and more powerful than any of your home period and analog, one that could be outfitted as a privateer. It might result in all four dying happily. But I do not interfere in other people's lives."

Hilda put her palms together, closed her eyes, and said, "Dear Lord, do not strike him dead; he didn't mean it. Yours truly, Hilda Burroughs Long." Lazarus ignored her.

"Nor do I, Lazarus. Other than occasionally, with a horse whip. Forgot to mention- They aren't gelded."

"Hazel, Laz-Lor are vaccinated and would have to come back here to see Ishtar to get it reversed. As for rasslin' matches, any male who tried to rape one of my clones would be gelded. Informally. At once. No instruments. No anesthesia. I trained 'em myself. Forget it. Apparently they've already met; they'll settle their own affairs, if any, their own way. Leave Cas and Pol in that hilton if you wish-by the way, I own it-but you're coming home or I'll tell Tamara."

"Bully. I don't bully worth a hoot, Lazarus."

"I'm out of it. Tamara never bullies. She merely gets her own way. What was this third reason?"

"Well... don't tell on me. Ishtar is a fine girl but I have no wish to stay where she could corner me and try to sell me rejuvenation."

Lazarus looked horrified. "Who has been feeding you nonsense?"

"Well? It's a commercial enterprise, is it not?"

"Certainly. Tanstaafl. All the traffic will bear. But we aren't ghouls; we'll accept a lien against a client's future earnings with no security and only the going rate of interest... then let him take as long as he likes to figure out that it doesn't pay to cheat us. But, Hazel, Ishtar never solicits; the clinic doesn't even have a flack. But if you asked her, you would go to the top of the list as my friend. However, she will supply painless suicide just as readily. You can have that later today. No charge. Compliments of the House."

"Lafe, I don't see how your wives put up with you."

"They don't; they make me toe the line. Something they learned from the Stone Gang, I believe."

"Well, I'm not trying to suicide. I'm less than two hundred Terran years old

with a Luna background to stretch it. This is the first time I've been on a

heavy planet since the last time I saw you; I'll last a while. But, Lazarus, I

have no wish to be a young girl."

"Hazel-"

"Huh? Jubal, keep out of this. Say, did you ever see anything of that young man again? Did he resurrect the way some claim he did?"

"Not to my knowledge. Although I saw something a while ago that made me wonder. Hazel, I'm going to take rejuvenation....nd hang onto my present appearance. Red nose and all."

Hazel turned abruptly to face Lazarus. "Is this true? Can this be done?"

Maureen answered. "Hazel, I work at the clinic at the bedpan level... with the expectation of becoming a junior rejuvenation technician in upteen years. I see what goes on. A client states in writing what apparent age she prefers. That's skin deep, easy to do, easy to maintain. But, unless it is an unusual contract, we turn out a biologically mature young adult. Call it eighteen standard years."

"Page Ponce de Leon! You mean I can still be me... but get rid of the morning aches and the arthritic twinges and the forty-leven other things that are the real trouble with living too long?"

"Exactly."

"Uh... what about what I'm sitting on? Haven't used it much lately. Or wanted to."

Lazarus fielded this. "You'll want to. Unless you contract for an abnormal endocrine balance. But, Hazel, there are many men who prefer to deal with an old, established, reliable firm. Ask Tamara."