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Page 173
reproduction depends upon it. This sex is called an Emotional or mid. There are two other sexes: a Rational or left-ling, and a Parental or right-ling. When a triad is formed, the Emotional helps the Rational and the Parental to melt together, a state in which they lose consciousness and which may last for ecstatic hours or days. During the melting, if the conditions are right, a seed may be passed from the Rational to the Parental by the Emotional. In the Parental the seed incubates into a new para-child.
Para-children are born in sequence: first a Rational, then a Parental, and finally an Emotional. The creation of an Emotional requires a great deal more energy than the others and is thus more difficult. The Parental not only gives birth to the para-children but cares for them until they are mature. Parentals customarily are concerned with procreation and family and are largely motivated by instinct. Emotionals usually are concerned with eating since they are more tenuous, they require more time to absorb the sun's energy and with melting. As a consequence, Emotionals usually are flirtatious, social, and foolish. Rationals spend their time learning and thinking. After three children have been born (infrequently after a second three) the Rational determines that the time is right and the triad "passes on."
A second group of alien creatures lives somewhat apart within the para-Universe. They are called Hard Ones because they cannot melt. Indeed, contact with the Soft Ones, those who can melt, causes the Hard Ones pain. The Hard Ones are more rational than the Rationals; they have their own scientific concerns but act as tutors to the Rationals and mentors to the others.
Part II is about a triad that differs in significant ways from the others. Odeen, the Rational, is more intellectual than other Rationals and is the favorite pupil of a Hard One named Losten. Tritt, the Parental, is moved almost entirely by his sense of the fitness of things, but he exercises more initiative than the usual Parental: he pesters Odeen to get them an Emotional so that they can melt properly and is even bold enough to ask Losten. Losten produces Dua, the Emotional, who is relatively unconcerned with eating and thus has difficulty helping the triad produce a baby Emotional. Dua also is overly concerned with thought, so that other Emotionals taunt her with the dirty name of "Left-Em," which refers to an Emotional who behaves like a Rational. Odeen enjoys talking to Dua about his ideas, however, and all three enjoy the melting, which Dua does so much better than the others, perhaps because she is different.
Dua is unhappy, and this provides much of the structure of the story.

 
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