THE CATERPILLARS QUESTION

Jack saw nothing to be gained by politeness. "You wouldn't have control, you quisling, if the Imago had matured in time."

"We are assuming that the Imago has matured," Malva said.

"Didn't the androids tell you its nature?"

"No." Surely the AI knew, but somehow in the rush of other things he had never thought to ask them directly, so of course they had not told him.

"It is a creature of extreme empathy. Any living entity with whom it associates closely becomes similarly empathic, and transfers this quality in turn to others, though the effect diminishes with each transfer. In due course it damps out, but the presence of the Imago continually renews it. If it lives free, the Imago will in due course conquer the galaxy. This is of course Ahy the Gaol oppose it."

"Empathy?" Jack was bewildered. "How can that hurt the Gaol?"

"It does not hurt any creatures, directly. It merely changes them.

Empire becomes impossible."

Candy continued to work on Tappy, who was listening; evidently she had not known this either.

"I must be really dense," Jack said. "As I understand empathy, it is merely a matter of identifying so closely with something else that you seem to feel its nature yourself. You seem to project your personality into it. You feel its feelings as your own. That's nice for understanding, but not much for blowing up enemy spaceships."

Malva smiled. "You are indeed somewhat obtuse about this, but this can be attributed to your primitive background. Do you mistreat, oppress, or exploit a person or creature for whom you feel empathy? Tappy, for example?"

"No, of course not!" Then Jack began to understand. "You mean the Imago causes others to feel empathy for it? So they won't hurt it?"

"No one can hurt the Imago, because it has no tangible essence.

It is eternal and invulnerable. However, it is true that others soon lose their inclination to mistreat whatever host the Imago occupies. But this is only part of it; they develop general empathy for all living things, and that changes their lives."

"And it affects the Gaol, too!" Jack exclaimed. "So they don't feel like exploiting other species!"

"Precisely. Therefore the Gaol take steps to prevent exposure of any other creatures to the Imago. It will be isolated for the lifetime of its current host."

"But I'm with the Imago!" Jack said. "And Candy, and you.

We've all been exposed."

"You have been exposed, true. The android is of course immune, being without living tissue. That is why the Agents of the Imago are able to kill its host, if left to their own initiative. They serve the Imago in part by being unaffected by it. I have not been exposed."

"Sure you have! You're standing right here. Unless its range is pretty limited-and from what you say, it isn't. You probably have to be a mile away to be clear of it. And you aren't."

"Gaol policy is to allow no other creatures within the stellar system of the host of the Imago, though probably a light-hour's distance is sufficient. I am five light-hours distant."

"Like fun you are!" Jack strode toward her.

She did not move. She merely watched him with a condescending smile. He reached her and grabbed her arm-and his hand passed through it without resistance.

Amazed, he grabbed for her with both arms, finding nothing but air. She simply wasn't there.

"You are addressing my hologram," Malva said after a moment.

At the moment her face was right next to his, and his arms were lost in the image of her body. Her voice seemed to come from her mouth. "Your culture is too backward to be familiar with such things. It is a projection in three dimensions, with sound. It is a convenience of communication when direct personal contact Is not desired, as in this case."

Jack had to accept the fact that she was not where she seemed to be. He swept one hand through her apparent midsection, one finger extended in a final gesture of contempt and backed off. "But the light-speed limit-how can you be five light-hours away?"

"To primitives, the speed of light is an absolute I'm' ion.

The Gaol are not primitive. Thus when the AI city traveled fifty thousand light-years instantly, the Gaol's pursuit was limited by the speed of the search pattern, not the speed of light. Our present dialogue is similarly unlimited."

Jack realized that she had no reason to lie to him. But still he hoped for some way out. could he provoke her into providing it? "Why are you wasting time talking to me?" he demanded. "If you have such power over us, why don't you just put me out the airlock and seal up Tappy?"

"No!" Tappy exclaimed. Candy had finished bandaging her, and now she walked across to Join him.

"We have no intention of mistreating you in any way, Jack," Malva said. "It is true that we shall confine the host of the Imago, but you will be allowed to remain near her for your lifetime. We shall if you wish conform the android to Tappy's likeness so that you will have suitable company, and you will have all your aterial and intellectual needs met."

"But you're going to put Tappy in a coffin!"

"This is necessary, yes. The Imago must not be allowed the freedom of even the ship. But you are harmless."

"If a ship will confine me, why won't it confine her? If it has to be, why not confine us together?"

"Because in past mille

m not going to cooperate in the incarceration of Tappy!

I'll tea apart your ship, piece by piece, until I free her."

Malva shrugged. "I think not."

Suddenly there were bars in front of him. Jack turned, and discovered that he was caged. The chamber had been halved by a palisade of bars from ceiling to floor. He was walled off from Malva's image and from Tappy and Candy.

He grabbed the nearest bar-and received a formidable shock.

They were electrified!

But he still had his voice. "Don't let them put you ' the' coffin, Tappy!" he cried.

Tappy looked at him. "I will try to resist. They don't want to hurt me, because that might shorten my life span. But the android is very strong."

Jack had discovered that. "Maybe that's the key! Tell them you'll hurt yourself if they try to put you away. You can do that, before-"

"Tappy," Malva said, "if you resist, we will torture and kill Jack."

Tappy looked at Jack. Then she spread her hands. "I will not resist."

"But you must resist!" Jack cried. "You can't let them salt the Imago away for a lifetime!"

Tappy merely looked at him, her tears flowing. "I love you, Jack."

"And I love you!" he cried without thinking. "That's why they must not put you away!"

She approached the bars and put her hands on them. They did not shock her. She put her face close to his and kissed him when he matched her on the other side. "These past five years with you have been so wonderful, Jack. They will serve for a lifetime's memories. Go with Candy; I don't mind what form she takes so long as you are well treated." She kissed him again and withdrew.

"I am ready."

Jack knew it would be useless to protest further. Tappy did love him and would not do anything to hurt him. And that was why Malva had talked to him: to develop that leverage on Tappy.

They were taking no chances at all with the confinement of the Imago.

Candy brought out what did indeed look like a coffin, except that it was surrounded by equipment that surely was designed to preserve the life of the person within. Tappy climbed in and lay down. The nightgown did not seem to matter. Candy swung the lid down. It was not a simple thing; it was spiked inside like an iron maiden.