He entered the doorway, and the screen was hidden beneath the paint. The androids, sweating, were just finishing up his bedroom. He had not told them to paint every room, since there were several into which he would not go. That is, unless he wished to see his past, and he knew that there would be many times when he would not be able to resist the temptation. He could, however, now view it only when he wished to.

He swore and snapped his fingers.

Perhaps not.

He went to the console of the auxiliary computer, which had not been painted over. Activating it, he stared at the screen. He smiled. The Computer was not displaying the loathed pictures there. Apparently it had been ordered only to use the walls for the memory projections.

The Outram android reported that they were through. Burton told them to store the ladders and the unused cans in a bedroom and to put the used cans in a converter. He disintegrated the cans, then ordered the androids into the converter. They walked into the huge cabinet; he secured the door; energy flashed; not even a speck of ash was left.

It had to be his imagination that made him think that their eyes looked pleading. They had neither self-consciousness nor instinct for self-preservation.

The walls, floor and ceilings were an appalling egg-white, but he would paint murals over these.

Frigate called him via the console screen.

"I've been exploring the little worlds on that second level down from the top," he said. "I found out that the Computer doesn't show the past there. I don't know why, but I think that the Ethicals had some limitations there that the Snark couldn't override. Anyway, besides that, there are other reasons why we should move into them. They give the illusion of the great outdoors; I felt much freer than I do in my apartment. I'm going to suggest that we move into them, and that .anyone who wishes to do so remodel them. I'm going to do it whether or not anyone else does, but it would be nice if everybody did it. We'd be close together and could use the central area for social meetings or whatever."

They met in the central area of the "pie-in-the-sky" level that evening to talk about Frigate's proposal.

"You'll have to see those places for yourselves," Frigate said. "They're fabulous."

The American reminded them that the circular section was divided into segments of thirty degrees each. The points of these twelve segments ended in the huge circular central area.

"It occurred to me that, from a bird's-eye view, the circle looks like a zodiac chart. It's divided into twelve parts, twelve houses, Aquarius, Aries, Taurus, Gemini, and so forth—if you want to look at it that way. I was thinking that maybe each of us could pick the area that corresponds to his or her birth date."

"Why?" de Marbot said.

"It's a conceit of mine. However, since the birth date could determine the particular area in which to live, it'll avoid argument if we use the zodiacal method. Of course, there's no reason for disagreement, since they'll all look alike once the original paraphernalia is cleared out. It's just an idea."

The others said that it seemed as good a way of choosing the areas as any.

"But you don't believe in that astrological crap, do you?" Turpin said.

"No. Not really. However, I do know something about it. Now, Po, you were born, according to the Western calendar, on April 19, a.d. 701. That makes you Aries the Ram, the first house, the principle of which is energy. You certainly are energetic."

"And much more!" the Chinese said.

"Yes. The first house also pioneers, and you were a pioneer. Your positive qualities are outgoing, original and dynamic."

"Very true! I must learn more about this Occidental astrology."

"Your negative qualities," Frigate said, smiling, "are that you're foolhardy, have low self-sufficiency, and are deceitful."

"What? I? Perhaps I might be foolhardy, though I would prefer to call it absolutely courageous. But how could you say that I have low self-sufficiency, you who know me so well?"

"I'm just telling you what astrology says about your sign. Anyway, negative qualities are to be overcome, and evidently you conquered yours, if you ever had them."

"One might say that he overcompensated in his conquest," Burton said drily.

"The house of Aries is OK with you?" Frigate said.

"Why not! It is the first!"

Frigate spoke to Alice. "You were born May 4, 1852. That makes you Taurus the Bull. Ruled by Venus, the emotions."

"Hah!" Burton said. Alice glared at him.

"Taurus builds. Your positive qualities make you loyal, dependable and patient. But you have to battle against excessive pride, self-indulgence and greediness."

"Not to my knowledge," Alice said quietly.

"The second house OK with you?"

"Of course."

Frigate spoke to Thomas Million Turpin, who was smoking a panatela and holding a glass of bourbon.

"You were born on May 21, 1873, under the sign of Gemini, the Twins. You're ruled by Mercury, and you're strong on communication. You're versatile, genial and creative."

"Keep talking, man!"

"But your negative qualities ... uh ... you're two-faced, superficial and unstable."

"That's a damn lie! I never been two-faced, I always been straightforward. Where'd you get that shit?"

"Nobody said that you were," Frigate said. "What that indicates is that you have had to overcome those tendencies."

"I ain't two-faced. I'm just discreet and polite. No use hurting someone's feelings if you don't have to. It don't pay."

"The third house agreeable with you?"

"One's good as another and maybe better."

"We don't have anybody born under Cancer," Frigate said. "Not yet, anyway. The fifth house is Leo the Lion, representing vitality and ruled by the sun. Leo dramatizes. That's you, Marcelin. Born August 18, 1782."

"So far, excellent," de Marbot said. "I am all those."

"A Leo is regal ..."

"True!"

"... entertaining ..."

"Doubly true!"

"... and commanding."

"Triply true."

"The bad qualities, alas, are that Leo is pompous, domineering and conceited."

The Frenchman reddened and scowled; the others burst out laughing.

"He got you there!" Turpin said.

"Leo, the fifth house, OK?" Frigate said.

"If it is understood that we are merely amusing ourselves with this parlor game of astrology and that, though I may be a leader, I am not domineering, and though I have much to boast about but do not, I am not conceited, and that never, never am I pompous!"

"Nobody'11 argue with you," Frigate said ambiguously. "Now we come to the sixth house, Virgo, the virgin. Ruled also by Mercury, the communicator. Virgo analyzes. That's you, Aphra, born September 22, 1640. Virgo is practical, analytical, intellectual."

"I've never been any of those," Aphra said.

"Virgo is also critical, hypochondriacal and prim."

She laughed uproariously.

"I, with my reputation and my bawdy dramas?"

"The sixth house OK?"

"Why not?"

"Why not?" dc Marbot said. "I ask, why not? We have been living together, my little cabbage, and I am delighted and content. Now ... sacrebleu ... -we will no longer share a bed and a roof. Have you not thought of that? If not, why not? Are you tired of me?"

She patted him on the arm. "Not at all, my bantam cock, not at all. But... well... we are always with each other, never out of each other's sight. It's possible, only possible, I say, after all, we're human, that such close and continuous intimacy may pall after a while. Besides ... I like the idea of having my own world. We can build our own, each to our own desire, and still be with each other whenever we wish. I will stay one night in your world. You, the next night, in mine. We can pretend that we are a king and a queen making state visits to each other's monarchy."