Chapter Three: Raphaela and the Kierkegard Part 2

A pedabot who deigned to take over a human role, and a human who aspired to take over a botian one were thus joined on this sunny Athenian day in September in a special kind of friendship, one which was to bring to each a special fame (or infamy, depending on whose perspective) at a future date. The important thing now was the friendship. How did it grow? What were its constituents—what indeed could they be between bot and human? Why was it a friendship fated to flourish and not bring, as one might think, given the mores of the time, shame to both? It flourished because, as the poet says, it was not a tale of shame or fame or blame, but rather one wrought of innocent ambition, humanity, and love. Such tales must flourish; it is their nature.

The Kierkegaard introduced her the next afternoon, after her class with the Nietsche, to two boys her own age or a little younger, other students she thought at first; and indeed they were introduced to her as such. Raphaela was like any other twenty-year old being introduced, shy when meeting someone new. Marriage, if not parenthood, was a happy potential prospective regardless of profession, or as some said, regardless of art, these terms now being practicably interchangeable. Parenthood, of course, was more a matter of luck, and best not thought about until one was “ready” to be a gambler in a major way, for it was only the fortunate few who were allowed to reproduce, and one had no way of knowing if they were going to be lucky or not. Of course relationships of all kinds existed for those not keen on formal ends, such as they were: like all human affairs, it was a private matter, and not anything anyone was likely to discuss at large.

The boys, Sancho and Reynaldo (whose tunics were a bit shabby it occurred to Raphaela, though she normally didn't think of such things), immediately struck it off with her. Sancho, who was tall and muscular, broad-shouldered and blond, contrasted sharply with Reynaldo, who was just slightly taller than herself, dark and wiry, with bright eyes. Both greeted her enthusiastically and, she was pleased to see, with formalily.