I said, “And even partial autism makes that impossible? Because you can’t model anyone well enough to really know them at all?”

Rourke didn’t believe in yes-or-no answers. “Again, we’re not all identical. Sometimes the modeling is accurate enough – as accurate as anyone’s – but it’s not rewarded: the parts of Lamont’s area which make most people feel good about intimacy, and actively seek it out, are missing. Those people are considered to be ‘cold’, ‘aloof.’ And sometimes the reverse is true: people are driven to seek intimacy, but their modeling is so poor that they can never hope to find it. They might lack the social skills to form lasting sexual relationships – or even if they’re intelligent and resourceful enough to circumvent the social problems, the brain itself might judge the model to be faulty, and refuse to reward it. So the drive is never satisfied – because it’s physically impossible for it to be satisfied.”

I said, “Sexual relationships are difficult for everyone. It has been suggested that you’ve merely invented a neurological syndrome which allows you to abdicate responsibility for problems which everyone faces, as a matter of course.”

Rourke stared down at the floor and smiled indulgently. “And we should just pull ourselves together, and try harder?”

“Either that, or have autografts to correct the damage.” A small number of neurons and glial cells could be removed from the brain without harm, regressed to an embryonic state, multiplied in tissue culture, then reinjected into the damaged region. Artificially maintained gradients of embryonic marker hormones could fool the cells into thinking that they were back in the developing brain, and guide them through a fresh attempt to build the necessary synaptic connections. The success rate was unimpressive for the fully autistic – but for people with relatively small lesions, it was close to forty per cent.

“The Voluntary Autists don’t oppose that option. All we’re campaigning for is the legalization of the alternative.”

“Enlargement of the lesion?”

“Yes. Up to and including the complete excision of Lamont’s area.”

“ Why? ”

“Again, that’s a complicated question. Everyone has a different reason. For a start, I’d say that as a matter of principle, we should have the widest possible range of choices. Like transsexuals.”