and he wants one; he must have one; and somehow I can't disappoint Tritt, not even for Dua."
"If Dua had some rational cause for not wanting to initiate an Emotional, would that make a difference with you?"
"With me, certainly, but not with Tritt. He doesn't understand such things."
"But would you labor to keep him patient?"
"Yes, I would, for as long as I could."
Losten said, "Has it occurred to you that hardly any Soft Ones" - here he hesitated as though searching for a word and then he used the customary Soft-One phrase - "ever pass on before the children are born - all three, with the baby-Emotional last."
"Yes, I know." Odeen wondered how Losten could possibly think him ignorant of so elementary a bit of knowledge.
"Then the birth of a baby-Emotional is equivalent to the coming of time to pass on."
"Usually, not till the Emotional is old enough - "
"But the time for passing on will be coming. Might it not be that Dua does not want to pass on?"
"How can that be, Losten? When the time comes to pass on, it is as when the time comes to melt. How can you not want to?" (Hard Ones didn't melt; perhaps they didn't understand.)
"Suppose Dua simply wants never to pass on? What would you then say?"
"Why, that we must pass on eventually. If Dua merely wants to delay the last baby, I might humor her and even persuade Tritt to, perhaps. If she wants never to have it - that simply cannot be allowed."
"Why so?"
Odeen paused to think it out. "I can't say, Losten-sir, but I know we must pass on. I know it more and feel it more with each cycle, and sometimes I almost think I understand why."
"You are a philosopher, I sometimes think, Odeen," said Losten dryly. "Let's consider. By the time the third baby comes and grows, Tritt will have had all his children and can look forward to passing on after a fulfilled life. You yourself will have had the satisfaction of much learning and you, too, can pass on after a fulfilled life. But Dua?"
"I don't know" said Odeen, wretchedly. "Other Emotionals cling together all lifelong and seem to get some pleasure out of chattering with each other. Dua, however, will not do that."
"Well, she is unusual. Is there nothing she likes?"
"She likes to listen to me talk about my work," mumbled Odeen.
Losten said, "Well, don't be ashamed of that, Odeen. Every Rational talks about his work to his right and his mid. You all pretend you don't, but you all do."
Odeen said, "But Dua listens, Losten-sir."
"I'm quite sure she does. Not like other Emotionals. And does it ever seem to you that she understands rather better after a melt?"
"Yes, I have noticed that at times. I didn't particularly pay any attention, though - "
"Because you are sure Emotionals can't really understand these things. But there seems to be considerable of the Rational in Dua."
(Odeen looked up at Losten with sudden consternation. Once Dua had told him of her childhood unhappiness; only once; of the shrill calls of the other Emotionals; of the filthy name they had called her - Left-Em. Had Losten heard of that, somehow? . . . But he was only looking calmly at Odeen.)
Odeen said, "I have sometimes thought that, too." Then he burst out, "I am proud of her for that,"
"Nothing wrong with that," said Losten. "Why not tell her so? And if she likes to pamper the Rationalness in herself, why not let her? Teach her what you know more intensively. Answer her questions. Will it disgrace your triad to do that?"
"I don't care if it does. . . . And why should it, anyway? Tritt will think it a waste of time, but I'll handle him."
"Explain to him that if Dua gets more out of life and a truer sense of fulfillment, she might not have the fear of passing on that she now has and might be more ready to have a baby-Emotional."
It was as though an enormous feeling of impending disaster had been lifted from Odeen. He said, hurriedly, "You're right. I feel you're right. Losten-sir, you understand so much. With you leading the Hard Ones, how can we fail to continue succeeding in the other-Universe project?"
"With me?" Losten was amused. "You forget it is Estwald who is guiding us now. He is the real hero of the project. It would be nowhere without him."
"Oh, yes," said Odeen, momentarily discomfited. He had never yet seen