As I had been an athlete earlier and I still had a strong need for exercise, we furnished the basement with fitness machines and I used them frequentl.... Sometimes I did jogging with my sons. My husband used other "gyms" instead of ours. Sometimes my sons used the fitness machines with me. I did not smoke or drink much and I slept enough, so my body was in good shape. I could deny ten years from my age easily. The problem was the collection of the mate candidates. There were few good mate. "But she is not gone, Bill," she said, noticing his look of dismay. "She is merely subsumed. She did not die. When we need her, she will give me her strength. And when we need Grandmother's wisdom, it will be there for us."If it makes you easier, think of us as three women sharing one body, two of whom are in deep slumber, but who may be roused if need demands it." And what should I call you?" Bill said, laying his hand over hers. "Snow Maid seems a little awkward." I am Polina," she said. Broad flat feet left splotches of glistening mud on the trampled ground as they crowded about the food cart."How goes the planting?" On some hot afternoon a bored field-foreman had called a worker from her tasks to relieve his tedium. Jarvon was the result, a mind of at least moderate power housed in the body of a small worker-woman. Idly Darveel reached out a compulsion to bring her closer."It goes well. The plants are setting in as rapidly as might be expected. These brutes are but poor. I hoped she wasn't regretting giving me a show last night. "Hey, I was thinking about you last night while I was up in the stand and realized I hadn't got you a birthday present yet," I said. "It's not my birthday," she advised me with a sheepish grin. "Oh . . . well when was it?" I asked. "About three months ago," she said. "Yeah, and I forgot to give you your present", I explained as I picked a brown bag up from the table and handed it to her. "You turned . . . what . . . fifteen?" "Uh, huh",.