Thetis sighed, and I thought she was going to accuse me of knowing too much law and not enough about people, the way she always used to. “It’s really only that it’s so unexpected,” she said. “Jason said Hilfa needed me, and then suddenly that.”

“He did need you,” I said.

“Yes, I saw. Jathery was so menacing. But a pod!” Thetis took a step backwards on the black and white tiled floor, and almost fell into the drain recess. She caught herself with a hand to the wall, laughing.

“It’s a most interesting experiment,” Sokrates said. “The practical details may take a little working out. This is my house. Pytheas said I could have it back. I know Hilfa has a house.”

“Maybe it would make more sense if we looked for a house down near the harbor,” Jason said, sounding the way he did on the boat when he was laying out what needed doing. “And there’s also Camilla and little Di. I have a responsibility to them.” He looked at Sokrates. “Their parents were killed at sea five years ago. They were friends of mine, we grew up together. I think I should ask Camilla and Di if they would like to live with our new family, or if they’d prefer to stay where they are in the sleeping houses. Would we get an allocation if we gave up our places and asked for a house, do you think, Marsilia?”

“I expect so,” I said. “There’s not much precedent.” This was moving very fast. I hadn’t thought at all about practical arrangements. Indeed, I hadn’t thought it through at all. There would be political repercussions, too—I didn’t know whether they’d be good or bad, but they’d certainly exist. A consul cannot marry without drawing attention, and this really was a kind of marriage. No humans had ever formed part of a pod before, so that was sure to cause comment. I couldn’t even hope everyone would be so focused on the gods and the space humans that they’d take no notice, because Sokrates was involved. Well, it would never be boring, having Sokrates in the family. And Alkippe would love having somebody around to answer all her questions with more questions. And she’d be delighted to live in the same house as Camilla.

“Does forming a pod with citizens give me the right to stay in the Republic?” Sokrates asked.

He was looking at me questioningly. “Not inherently, no. But you have that right. You’re already a citizen here,” I said, surprised.

“Am I?”