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Especially Michelangelo. I’ve had to raid
Dad’s library to keep up with him.”
    “You talk about Michelangelo?”
    “Among other things.” Ilsa shrugged. “Philosophy.
Mathematics. His own construction. Dad, sometimes. He’s curious about Dad.”
    “Has he ever talked about…me?” From the surprised look on
Ilsa’s face, Cally supposed he hadn’t. “Forget it. I never asked.” Cally got up
to leave.
    “What did Blue say to you, Cally?”
    “It was nothing important. See you later, thanks.”
    It was only when she’d reached her own room that Cally
identified the burning sensation in her chest. It was jealousy.

Chapter Four
     
    She found him in her father’s library, in the same place he
had stood the night before when she’d been calling her former lovers on the
phone. Instead of dusting books, Blue held one open. It was a hardback copy of Life,
The Universe and Everything . As Cally entered the room, he turned a page.
    “Have you read the entire library yet?” she asked him.
    “Not yet,” he said without looking up. “You do not mind, do
you? Ilsa gave me permission but the books are also yours.”
    “Go nuts. Read as much as you like. From what Ilsa said,
though, I thought you had higher-brow taste than Douglas Adams.”
    “I find it very instructive.” Blue closed the book and
replaced it on the shelf. “You have been discussing me with your sister. May I
ask a question?”
    “Yes.”
    “Did you tell her I assisted you in experiencing multiple
orgasms last night?”
    “No.”
    “Why not?”
    “First, it’s none of her business and second, I thought I
should probably talk it over with you first.”
    Blue said, “That is very interesting.”
    “Is it?” Cally came farther into the room, closer to Blue.
She stood facing him, her hands on her hips. He towered over her. “Did you tell
your fellow house robots about what we did?”
    “It is, as you say, none of their business.”
    “My sister gave you a personality. She downloaded something
into you and now you’re unpredictable.”
    “Do you object?”
    “Is that why you’re suddenly all knowledgeable about sex?”
    “Cally, I would not say that I was knowledgeable about sex
at all.”
    Cally thought she heard an edge of something like sadness or
wistfulness in his voice. But it was her imagination, right? She was projecting
her own feelings about what he must feel onto him?
    “What are you?” she asked with something like
desperation. “Are you a robot? A computer program? Are you becoming human?
What?”
    “I am not flesh and blood. I am…attempting to understand
what other thing I might be.”
    “Don’t you know?”
    A person, at this point, might run his hands through his
hair or sit down. Blue did neither. He stood still where he was and paused,
considering her question.
    “I have been contemplating Descartes’ proposition, ‘I think,
therefore I am’. I have always had some autonomy of thought. It is important
that a good servant perceive what is required to be done and make what may be
called decisions about which task to undertake in what order. However, recently
I have observed my capacity of thought and reasoning overreaching the level
required merely to do household tasks.”
    “You like philosophy and science fiction.”
    “I have interests and what you might term curiosity. I am
able to explore abstract concepts. I have observed instances where I may be
said to be exercising the function of free will.”
    Blue might be standing motionless but Cally couldn’t. She
rubbed her forehead. “Was that what you did to me last night? Exercised the
function of free will?”
    “I wanted to pleasure you. Yes.”
    “You were very good at it.”
    “Thank you. Would you like me to do it again?”
    A flesh-memory of the pleasure swept through her, nearly
making her weak at the knees. “Are you insane? Of course I would.”
    “Excellent. Would you care to lie down on the couch or would
you prefer to