“I really like both of you,” I said. “I’d be thrilled to be married to either one of you, and both of you is better, because you’ve developed complementary virtues, and dividing you wouldn’t work so well. I’m not sure how pods are supposed to work, and the Saeli have three genders anyway. But I look forward to finding out, and finding out more about all of you. Hilfa’s already like a brother, and no family with Sokrates in it could ever be dull.”

“Oh, Jason, you know I’m completely helpless before your beauty, but I’m an old man, and I have to live up to the reputation Plato gave me for chastity and moderation,” Sokrates said, batting his eyelids coquettishly. “And don’t think you can get around me because you called your boat after my mother.”

“You had three sons,” Marsilia said to him. “If the space human autodoc can make you young again, don’t think you can get away with that. And don’t say you’re helpless before my beauty, because I know I look like a philosopher.”

“You look like my friend, your grandmother Simmea. She used to say that the interesting part of her head was on the inside.”

Marsilia laughed. “It’s true for me too.”

“But the inside is very interesting,” I said, and Thetis nodded.

Hilfa was looking happy. It’s hard to say how I knew, because his face hardly moves, and he doesn’t convey his emotions in his expressions. His shoulders and knees seemed looser than normal, his head seemed more firmly seated on his neck, and his pink markings were standing out clear and distinct.

“How are you doing, Hilfa?” I asked.

“I am doing what I am supposed to be doing. Or do you mean how am I feeling? I am feeling safe.”

Marsilia took a big sip of her wine, and looked at me over the rim of the cup. “I know how you feel about Thetis. But I’ve always really liked you.”

“My pulse beats faster when I look at Thetis,” I said, looking at Thee and feeling it doing exactly that. “I don’t know why. It always has. Plato says acting on that kind of feeling is wrong, and I thought it didn’t do any harm if I kept it to myself. And you always seemed to have lots of admirers.”

“Lots of admirers, yes, and I like to flirt with them, but I’m mostly interested in my babies,” she said. “But sooner or later I need to become acquainted with Aphrodite. Look what happened to Hippolytos. And I do like you. I’ve always liked you. I like talking to you. And I’ll like having babies of my own, I think.”