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           Underthosecircumstancesnoonewouldbeangryatyou.ButIamtryingtofindoutsomethingelse.Couldyoumakejustthegungoaway,withoutmakingthemanwhoispointingitgoaway?"

           Smithconsideredit."Savethefood?"

           "Uh,thatisn’tquitewhatImean.Couldyoucausetheguntogoawaywithouthurtingtheman?"

           "Jubal,hewouldnothurtatall.Iwouldmakethegungoaway,butthemanIwouldjuststop.Hewouldfeelnopain.Hewouldsimplybediscorporate.Thefoodheleavesafterhimwouldnotdamageatall."

           Harshawsighed."Yes,I’msurethat’sthewayitwouldbe.Butcouldyoucausetogoawayjustthegun?Notdoanythingelse?Not‘stop’theman,notkillhim,justlethimgoonliving?"

           Smithconsideredit."Thatwouldbemucheasierthandoingbothatonce.But,Jubal,ifIlefthimstillcorporate,hemightstillhurtJill.OrsoIgrokit."

           Harshawstoppedlongenoughtoremindhimselfthatthisbabyinnocentwasneitherbabyishnorinnocent–wasinfactsophisticatedinaculturewhichhewasbeginningtorealize,howeverdimly,wasfarinadvanceofhumancultureinsomeverymysteriousways?andthatthesenaiveremarkscamefromasuperman–orwhatwoulddoinplaceofa"superman"forthetimebeing.ThenheansweredSmith,choosinghiswordsmostcarefullyashehadinmindadangerousexperimentanddidnotwantdisastertofollowfromsemanticmishap.

           "Mike?ifyoureacha–‘cusp’–whereyoumustdosomethinginordertoprotectJill,youdoit."

           "Yes,Jubal.Iwill."