him. "They don't -- well, marry, do they?" Sandam smiled. "No. Though their sexuality is intact. They might find someone to sleep with occasionally." "But not get pregnant?" Portafack moistened his lips. "No. They're sterile. We own the copyright, after all." "So they don't mind sex," Portafack murmured. Sandam let the statement rest for a second. "No. We didn't see any reason to take that away. It can enhance their quality of life. You have to remember that they are dominantly human. You have to have some sensitivity, because they do." "Oh, I'm kind," Portafack said. "No one has ever said I wasn't. They do prepare food, I see?" He was watching as the girls made sandwiches. "Meals are really pretty simple. They don't have much of an attention span so we've given up on using a stove. They forget about it and walk away. You might as well tell me exactly what your requirements are. Cleaning, simple meals?" "Laundry, ironing. Can they do shopping?" "Simple things only, I'm afraid. They don't read." "Oh?" Portafack considered this. "I'm surprised. Is that deliberate?" "No, we've tried teaching them. Their intellectual capacity varies from one to the other, but the best comprehends about as much as a six year old. They can be extremely sensitive, and unable to express it well." "She looks . . . " Portafack began. "Her name is Tercepia, right? She looks like a normal girl. A normal young girl." His voice was soothing. He was looking at