Panfilo liked to think of himself as a “Martian” rather than “Anthros,” however human reformers and noisier Anthros wanted him to see himself. Didn’t Sandy live part-time on Mars? Didn’t Gerry in Demographics live on the station? Anthros could live in space.
Still, Pan had to admit, he felt relaxed in Sandy’s set-up.
Hey, everybody finds way to balance the different sides of their lives.
Allec settled beside him and stared up through the skylight, hands folded over his chest.
He said, “Are you really so different from other Anthros?”
Quin would chide Allec for tactlessness. But Allec, even if he looked in his late twenties, arrived in the universe as an adult clone about five years ago. Nurture-wise, Allec hadn't been sat on for years for speaking his mind. And Quin's rebukes were never serious.
Of course, Allec might be as blunt if he had been born as a baby.
Panfilo didn’t mind Allec’s questions. He said, “I guess. I’ve looked up pictures. Most Anthros look human with animal bits, sort of like that Xavier chap.”
“What do you think?”
“I think he can do whatever he wants. He’s cat-like, right?”
“Yeah. And I’m supposedly wolf-like but I’ve got a cat’s tail, only longer than usual. And there are other things—the rings on my tails and the gold tips on my forehead. Stuff like that. I’ve been told I have deer eyes since they can actually slide sideways—lots of peripheral vision—but they are the wrong color, I guess.”
“Wrong according to people who want everything in boxes. But you feel like flotsam and jetsam, huh?”
“You’ve been hanging out with Siphons,” Pan said.
Allec’s nautical analogies always increased after he spent time with the mer-like people who had legs on land and tails in the ocean.
Allec grinned but he shifted to look at Pan squarely.
“If it is so important for Anthros to look like particular animals, why do they insist they didn’t originate on Earth?”
“I think the idea is that all planets everywhere are occupied by similar beings, only on the original Anthros planet, the animal beings were the ruling sentient ones. Anthros showed up to save their maligned cousins on Earth. Not all Anthros believe that, you know.”
“Gerry thinks its codswallop.”
Allec liked to experiment with human slang. Pan shrugged.
“What about you?” Allec said. “What do you believe?”
“When are you and Quin going back to Earth?”
 |
| Quin |
Quin had entered the apartment. He slung his backpack onto the standard couch and glanced around the two linked rooms. “Where’s Sandy?”
“Holding a mid-week Mass with Father Hadaka. Father Hadaka left Rhys to attend the Council Meeting.”
Quin nodded. “I stopped by. Rhys and Lider are holding forth on why people shouldn’t jump to conclusions until the investigation is finished. Damn news reports.”
“Political wrangles are the waters Rhys swims in,” Allec said and cocked a brow at Panfilo, who snorted.
“Shouldn’t you use religious analogies when talking about Rhys?”
Before Allec could start spouting off about the symbolism of the holy spirit, Quin said, “I gave the Council an update. I said you were okay.” There was the faintest query in Quin’s voice. He sat beside the futon and studied Panfilo.
“I am,” Pan said.
Quin added, “Lider mentioned something about banning Anthros newcomers. Rhys was surprised. Lider pointed out that Cubi already submit to Detection machines. Why draw the line and pretend the station isn’t a paternalistic demarchy?”
 |
| Allec |
“Yes, well.” Quinn reached over and pulled Allec partly out of the “cave” so he sprawled across Quin’s lap. “Touch is a hard thing to give up, even temporarily.”
Allec relaxed in the jellyfish way he had and quieted, which Pan suspected was partly Quin’s objective. Allec in questioning mood was a lot to take. Pan was fairly passive or centered or calm or naturally composed—whatever people liked to believe about Anthros—but he needed to mull before he made up his mind on important issues, like whether he should return to Earth.
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