“Oh, hi, Mrs. Turner,” Kepler answered with an embarrassed smile. “It’s really nothing. Galileo and I—”

“I say that Governor Wakefield is already dead,” Galileo interrupted forcefully. “One of the boys at the center told me, and he should know. His daddy is a policeman.”

For a moment Ellie was taken aback. Then she realized that the twins had not made the connection between Nicole and her. “Do you remember that Governor Wakefield is my mother, and little Nicole’s grandmother?” Ellie said softly. “You and Kepler met her several times before she went to prison.”

Galileo wrinkled his brow and then shook his head.

“I remember her… I think,” Kepler said solemnly. “Is she dead, Mrs. Turner?” the ingenuous youngster then added after a brief pause.

“We don’t know for certain, but we hope not,” Ellie replied. She had almost slipped. It would have been so easy to tell these children. But it would only take one mistake. There was probably a biot within earshot.

As Ellie picked up Kepler and gave him a hug, she

remembered her chance encounter with Max Puckett at the, electronic supermarket three days earlier, in the middle of their ordinary conversation, Max had suddenly said, “Oh, by the way, Joan and Eleanor are fine and asked me to give you their regards.”

Without thinking, Ellie had asked Max a leading question about the two little robots. He had ignored it completely. A few seconds later, just as Ellie was about to repeat her question, she noticed that the Garcia biot who was in charge of the market had moved over closer to them and was probably listening to their conversation.

“Hello, Ellie. Hello, Robert,” Nai said now from the doorway of her house. She extended her arms and took Nicole from her father. “And how are you, my little beauty? I haven’t seen you since your birthday party last week.”