«Oh. I should check my facts more thoroughly. Sorry.»

«Hell, Harvey, you frightened me. Don't do things like that.»

I managed a weak smile. «See, people would be afraid if the chimps developed intelligence. There's a healthy xenophobic streak running through all of us.»

«No, you don't. That wasn't xenophobia. Shock, maybe. Once the initial surprise wore off, people would welcome another sentient species. And only someone with a nasty suspicious mind like yours would immediately assume that the chimps would resort to vengeance and murder. You judge too much by your own standards, Harvey.»

«Probably.»

«You know you're completely shattering my illusions about policemen. I thought you were all humourless and unimaginative. God, sentient chimps!»

«It's my job to explore every avenue of possibility.»

«I take it this means you don't have a human suspect yet?»

«I have a lot of people hotly protesting their innocence. Although the way everyone keeps claiming they overlooked Penny Maowkavitz's infamous Attitude because of who she was is beginning to ring hollow. Several individuals had some quite serious altercations with her.»

Corrine's face brightened in anticipation. «Like who?»

«Now, Doctor, the medical profession has its confidentiality; we humble police have our sub judice.»

«You mean you don't have a clue.»

«Correct.»

• • •

I wasn't back in the house thirty seconds when the twins cornered me.

«We need you to authorize our implants,» Nicolette said. She held up a hospital administration bubble cube. Her face was guileless and expectant. Nathaniel wasn't much different.

Fathers have very little defence against their children, especially when they expect you to be a combination knight hero and Santa Claus.

I glanced nervously at the kitchen, where I could hear Jocelyn moving about. «I said, next week,» I told Nicolette in a low voice. «This is too soon.»

«You had one,» Nathaniel said.

«I had to have one, it's my job.»

«We need them,» Nicolette insisted. «For school, for talking with our friends. We'll be ostracized again if we're not affinity-capable. Is that what you want?»

«No, of course not.»

«It's Mum, isn't it?» she asked, sorrowfully.

«No. Your mother and I both agree on this.»

«That's not fair,» Nathaniel blurted hotly. «We didn't want to come here. OK, we were wrong. Bringing us to Eden was the greatest thing you've ever done for us. People live here, really live, not like in the arcologies. Now we want to belong, we want to be a part of what's going on here, and you won't let us. Well, just what do you want us to do, Dad? What do you want from us?»

«I simply want you to take a little time to think it through, that's all.»

«What's to think? Affinity isn't a drug, we're not dropping out of school, the Pope's an idiot. So why can't we have the symbiont implants? Just give us one logical reason.»

«Because I don't know if we're staying here,» I bellowed. «I don't know if we're going to be allowed to stay here. Got that?»