"Sick of heart, Inspector. He came to me for advice. I couldn't give
him any. He told me the story--about this Peony. I came to have a look
at her, if I may."
Norris said nothing for a moment. O'Reilley had better keep his mouth
shut, he thought, especially around clergymen. Most of them took a dim
view of the whole mutant business.
"I didn't think you'd associate with O'Reilley," he said. "I thought
you people excommunicated everybody that owns a neutroid. O'Reilley
owns a whole shopful."
"That's true. But who knows? He might get rid of his shop. May I see
this neutroid?"
"Why?"
"O'Reilley said it could talk. Is that true or is O'Reilley suffering
delusions? That's what I came to find out."
"Neutroids don't talk."
The priest stared at him for a time, then nodded slowly, as if
approving something. "You can rest assured," he said quietly, "that
I'll say nothing of this visit, that I'll speak to no one about this
creature."
Norris looked up to see his wife watching them from the doorway.
"Get Peony," he said.
"It's true then?" Paulson asked.
"I'll let you see for yourself."
Anne brought the small child-thing into the room and set her on the
floor. Peony saw the visitor, chattered with fright, and bounded upon
the back of the sofa to sit and scold. She was playing her game well,
Norris thought.