would be imprinted with the crowded failure that was the Solar System.
She was entirely on Pitt's side by this time.
Fisher seemed fascinated by Marlene, to Insigna's great relief. She had not thought that he would make much of a father. Yet he hovered over Marlene and took on his share of the duties involved in bringing her up. He seemed actually to grow cheerful as a result.
During the time Marlene was approaching her first birthday, rumors grew throughout the Solar System that Rotor intended to leave. It produced what was almost a system-wide crisis, and Pitt, who was now clearly in line for Commissionerhood, was grimly amused.
'Well, what can they do?' he said. 'There's no way they can stop us, and all the outcries of disloyalty, together with their own display of Solar System chauvinism, will only serve to inhibit their investigations into hyper-assistance, which will serve us well.'
Insigna said, 'But how did it get out, I wonder, Janus?'
'I saw to it that it did.' He smiled. 'At this point, I don't any longer object to their learning the fact of our leaving, as long as they don't know our destination. It would, after all, be impossible to hide our leaving for much longer. We must take a vote on the matter, you know, and once all Rotorians know of our leaving, all the rest of the system will know, in any case.'
'A vote?'
'Why, of course. Think it through. We can't take off with a Settlement-load of people who are too fearful or too homesick for their own Sun. We'd never make it. We want only those with us who are willing, even eager.'
He was completely right. The campaign to win approval for leaving the Solar System began almost at once and the fact that the news had already leaked out served as a cushion to ease the reaction outside Rotor - and within it as well.
Some Rotorians were excited at the prospect; some were afraid.
Fisher reacted with thunderous brow, and one day he said, 'This is crazy.'
'It's inevitable,' said Insigna with careful neutrality.
'Why? There's no reason to start wandering among the stars. Where would we go? There's nothing out there.'
'There are billions of stars out there.'
'How many planets? We don't know of any habitable planets anywhere, and very few of any other kind. Our Solar System is the only home we know.'
'Exploration is in the blood of humanity.' It was one of Pitt's phrases.
'That's romantic nonsense. Does anyone think that people are actually going to vote to separate themselves from humanity and vanish into space?'
Insigna said, 'My understanding, Crile, is that sentiment on Rotor is rather in favor of it.'
'That's just Council propaganda. You think people will vote to leave the Earth? Leave the Sun? Never. If it comes to that, we'll be going to Earth.'
She felt something clutch at her heart. She said, 'Oh no. Do you want one of those simoons, or blizzards, or mistrals, or whatever you call them? Do you want lumps of ice and falling water and blowing, whistling air?'
He lifted his eyebrows at her. 'It's not that bad. There are storms occasionally, but they can be predicted. Actually, they're interesting - when they're not too bad. It's fascinating - a little cold, a little heat, a little precipitation. It makes for variation. It keeps you alive. And then, think of the variety of cuisines.'
'Cuisines? How can you say that? Most people on Earth are starving. We're always collecting food shipments to send to Earth.'
'Some people go hungry. It's not universal.'
'Well, you certainly can't expect Marlene to live under such conditions.'
'Billions of children do.'
'And mine won't be one of them,' said Insigna fiercely.
All her hopes lay in Marlene now. She was going on ten months of age, had two small teeth in the upper gum, two in the lower, could shamble about holding on to the rods of her playpen, and looked at the world with those wondering intelligent eyes.
Fisher was still clearly fond of his unpretty daughter; more fond than ever, in fact. When he wasn't dandling her, he was staring at her and remarking fondly on her beautiful eyes. He stressed her one lovely feature and it seemed to make up to him for everything else that was lacking.
Surely Fisher would not go back to Earth if it meant leaving Marlene for ever. Insigna, somehow, lacked any confidence that he would choose her, the woman he had loved and married, over Earth, but surely Marlene would be the sticking point.