Scholar Norman Ross smiled at his host's statement. "Yes, indeed, Mr.
Harrison! Arranging these things so that we can maintain the Norm is
often a delicate and arduous task. There are restrictions, and there
are many variables involved, the most sensitive of which are the
feelings of the people involved."
"Your job must call for the ultimate in diplomacy," said Mrs. Harrison.
To his host's wife, Scholar Ross nodded. "Yet," he said as an
afterthought, "of even greater value is a high regard for the perfect
truth. This includes the self-discipline of admitting it when one has
been wrong, and being able to state precisely how, where, why, and,
most important, to what degree."
"I don't understand," said his hostess.
"Mrs. Harrison, let's consider Bertram."
She cast a glance at her son. In an earlier age, he would have been
called "indolent." During dinner, Bertram had employed the correct
fork, plied his knife properly, conversed with his partners on both
sides--yet she knew something was wrong.
"Bertram," she said, "haven't you been forgetting your pills?"
"Sorry, Mother," replied the young man tonelessly.
Bertram arose and left, and Scholar Ross said, "This is what I mean,
Mrs. Harrison. Genetics is not a precise science; it is statistical. We
can consider highly favorable the mating of two well-balanced people,
and we can predict that this union will produce well-balanced children.
Unfortunately we cannot guarantee the desired results. Hence we have
anomalies such as Bertram, whose problem is simply a lack of drive. Now
this is no fault of yours, Mrs. Harrison, nor of yours, Mr. Harrison.
It may be the fault of Genetics, but if it is our 'fault,' then the
fault lies in the lack of total knowledge; but not in the misuse, or
lack of use, of what knowledge we do already have."
"I see what you mean, Scholar Ross."
"You'll also see the opposite when the Hanfords arrive. Here we have
parents as stable as you two. You'll pardon me if I say that if all
four of your characteristic cards were dropped at once and I had been
expected to render a considered opinion as to their most favorable
mating combination, I could render no preference, so equal are you.
However, your union has produced Bertram. Conversely, their mating has
produced a girl who is wild, headstrong, willful."
* * * * *
Bertram returned, seated himself quietly, and when Scholar Ross stopped
talking, Bertram said apologetically, "I took a double dose, Mother."
"Is that all right?" she asked Scholar Ross.
"Probably won't do any harm," he said.
Mr. Harrison cleared his throat. "I'm not sure that I approve of
Bertram marrying a headstrong girl, Scholar Ross."