《A.N.G.E.L.-M》 Chapter 1 Mason had spent the last three days behind the controls of a locomotive. He worked for the Milenar Railway and was stationed in a small rail yard along a spur line in the far flung town of Madison. The line was not very busy, but when they did have work he and his conductor could be gone for days on end. He had just completed a run that took him to one of Milenar¡¯s larger cities. The railroad liked sending Mason on the run because he could talk to the men¡¯s coequals that mainly dwelled in the larger cities. Many wondered where he had developed the talent, but Mason kept them wondering and speculating. The weather on the previous day had been cloudy and gray, but the sun had returned. The sky was a bright blue and the air carried with it the scents of food being cooked at the local cafes. On occasion a breeze when carry in the scent of the old growth forest that surrounded Madison. On occasion. Men would pass with their compandroids at their side. As was his habit he treated the feminine androids with the respect and deference due to a lady. The act made him stand out as eccentric. The shallow compandroids would murmur a vacant thank you when a door was held or compliment received, but it was the thought that counted to Mason. Mason stopped in front of a brick building that dominated most of the block. The building was built in a brick art deco style with a green awning over the entrance. The style was a throw back to the old world and an escape from the utilitarian bare outpost look that had formerly dominated Madison. After a moment¡¯s contimplation he decided to step inside and see what was new. Every once in a while Francisco was overpowered with a spirit of generosity and would announce a one time only sale that only shoppers in the store at the moment could enjoy. It was his way of drawing people in. Cantor¡¯s department store was small compared to the stores in the city, and smaller still if you compared it to the stores back on Earth. It was however the first department store to open on Milenar and they were located throughout the country. Mason had ventured into Cantor¡¯s to more or less browse. He¡¯d had no special reason to be there. That was until he saw her. Standing in the sewing and cloth section was a compandroid with wavy blue hair that hung down just below her shoulders. She was dressed in a brown cardigan, gray turtleneck sweater, long skirt, and had a beret sitting atop her head. If she had been human the compandroid would have been a vision. She had an elegant well turned figure that was not as lush as her sister bots and was dressed quite modestly. She dressed with such purely unbridled feminine taste that he opened the bot skimmer app to make certain she was not a human in disguise. Mason¡¯s jaw almost dropped when she turned to face him. The compandroid had a fair complexion, high soft cheeks, a delicate chin, and big blue eyes that were crowned with long lashes. The eyes seemed to glisten as if she were alive. She met his gaze and smiled. It was not a calculated come hither smile. It was just a friendly smile. The bot skimmer indicated that the woman before him was purely synthetic, but his eyes told him that she was alive. ¡°Forgive me for staring.¡± Mason began. ¡°No harm has been done. Tell me, is this store short staffed?¡± she asked. ¡°I have been trying to buy this machine and have it delivered to my home.¡± she added with a graceful motion toward the Singer sewing machine that was on display. ¡°They are usually quite attentive. Too much so sometimes,¡± Mason confessed. He glanced around and found that there was no staff present, but there were plenty of other men gawking at the blue haired compandroid that he was talking to. ¡°If you¡¯d like I can try and find someone,¡± he offered. ¡°I¡¯d like that.¡± she replied. After stepping into the next isle Mason found Francisco, the manager who looked as if he were a nervous wreck. Upon site of Mason he appeared to relax somewhat. ¡°Mason, I am so glad you are here. I need someone with your talents!¡± the short manager exhaled after stepping closer to Mason. ¡°Is it something railroad related?¡± Mason asked in surprise. ¡°No, it is something compandroid related. Mason, you have that quirk err I mean talent of treating compandroids more or less like people. There is even a rumor that you can speak with coequals. I¡¯m not asking questions, but I need you to deal with that THING!¡± he pointed at the blue haired compandroid by the sewing machine display. ¡°Is she causing trouble? She wants your help actually.¡± Mason replied. ¡°It¡¯s uncanny! It does not talk or behave like a regular compandroid. I checked her RF code and it is a machine. There is no remote signal, so I don¡¯t think that some deviant is trying to relive the time before the coequal divide.¡± Francisco fretted and mopped his brow with a handkerchief. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. ¡°She wants to buy things.¡± Mason said. ¡°But¡­ it¡¯s a machine¡­.¡± the manger protested. Mason knew that after pausing, taking a few deep breaths, and considering store profit margins he would find it in his heart to brave an encounter with the strange compandroid,. Mason did however have to take the lead and almost guide Francisco by the hand. ¡°Oh! Thank you for finding someone! I was beginning to worry that no one would help me.¡± the compandroid smiled at Mason when he returned with the manager in tow. ¡°Errr hmmm¡­ How can I help you?¡± Francisco managed. ¡°I would like to buy this sewing machine and have it delivered to my apartment.¡± she explained. ¡°Who will this be charged to?¡± Francisco ventured. ¡°Me.¡± ¡°You?¡± the manager sputtered. ¡°I am buying it outright. I have cash.¡± Mason and Francisco watched as the compandroid opened her clutch, removed her wallet, and could see that it contained a sizable amount of cash. ¡°Well¡­ I think that we can handle that.¡± Francsico¡¯s spirits lifted at the sight of money. ¡°You can deliver it to this address.¡± she handed a card to the manager. ¡°Marina is it?¡± Francisco began. ¡°Once we ring up the sale you will be the proud owner of a sewing machine.¡± he continued after she nodded. ¡°May I call you Marina?¡± Mason ventured. ¡°Please do,¡± ¡°I am Mason. Mason Barrister.¡± ¡°I am simply Marina.¡± ¡°Marina, it is nice to meet you.¡± Francisco had one of the cashiers ring up Marina¡¯s order. Like the manager and most of the customers in the store, the clerk was mystified and unnerved by the compandroid that seemed to be human. If Marina noticed she did not let it bother her. Mason himself was fascinated by her. He was also worried about her too. A crowd of onlookers had surrounded them and were watching with rapt attention. Marina behaved as if she were human and not a mere automaton modeled after the beauty and femininity that existed before the genders entered the coequal revolution. Not only was Marina pretty, but she had cash and wore a gold heart shaped necklace around her neck. Those that were not enamored by her charm, could surely fall victim to their greed. There were few laws protecting companroids from being robbed. No one had ever thought of them as having property so any laws related to theft might not protect her. ¡°Marina, would you like to get a cup of coffee?¡± he ventured as he walked with her to the magazine rack. ¡°That sounds nice.¡± she replied after picking up an issue of Charm magazine, glancing at it, and putting it back on the rack. Mason and Marina exited the store together and walked down the sidewalk to the town coffee shop. The cafe was modeled after an old world coffee shop and had a large outdoor covered dining area. Since the weather was pleasant the couple chose to sit outside. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about the confusion,¡± Mason began after returning with a mocha in one hand and a black coffee in the other. ¡°For you¡± he continued after placing the Mocha on the table in front of Marina. ¡°It was worth the wait,¡± she replied after picking the cup up, sipping it, and placing it back on the table. ¡°People here are not rude as a rule. It¡¯s just that you are so different from other compandroids,¡± Mason explained after taking a seat across from her. ¡°I suppose I am,¡± she conceded. ¡°Is it bad?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. But the laws of Milenar created a coequal division between the genders. Men and women who desire the old ways are seen as something like deviants.¡± Mason began. ¡° There are rumors that people have hacked into compandroids in order to have experiences. Others have pretended to be compandroids. I just don¡¯t want you to get in trouble. Those that are caught have to flee society. I would not be an honorable man if I did not warn you.¡± he continued after leaning closer to Marina. Marina looked thoughtful for a moment. ¡°You ARE a good man. I am a compandroid and am quite safe from the coequality rules,¡± she answered. ¡°I just wanted to make sure.¡± ¡°Mason, you don¡¯t seem to react to me the way that the others do. Why is that?¡± Marina ventured. ¡°It¡¯s just how I am.¡± he shrugged. ¡°Are you new to town?¡± ¡°You could say that. I found myself here and decided that this is the place that I needed to be. From what I know your town is much more accommodating than the larger cities. You have vidcart rentals and more.¡± ¡°Do you have a companion?¡± Mason asked in spite of himself. ¡°No. I am single. Perhaps a boyfriend will be in my future. Time will tell. What about you? Are you single?¡± she replied. ¡°If single is the word for having no girlfriend, then I am indeed single.¡± ¡°No compandroid at home counting her cpu cycles until your return?¡± her gaze never wavered. ¡°No companion.¡± he shook his head. ¡°So¡­ why were you in the market for a sewing machine?¡± Mason shifted the subject. ¡°I make my own clothes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a real talent you have. Is that why you were looking at Charm magazine?¡± ¡°I like my clothes cute and suited to my taste and sense of style. Most compandroid clothing is tailored toward other people¡¯s tastes.¡± she explained. Mason had noticed the difference in fashion between Marina and many compandroids when they had entered the coffee shop. The other compandroid was dressed in a far more revelaing clothing than Marina. She dressed in a way that was feminine and cute without looking like she was attempting to compete with the scandalous courtisan model compandroids who worked the infamous bawdy district near the city. ¡°My choices are buy what is in the ¡®doll catalog¡¯, dress in the hideous Hillunn style of the captial, or make my own clothing.¡± her nose wrinkled at the very mention of the drab office authoritarian style that had taken over the fashion industry. ¡°I¡¯m very good with patterns, cloth, needle, thread, and a sewing machine.¡± Marina added. As they talked over coffee Mason found himself growing more and more at ease with Marina. Most compandroids based their ¡°conversation¡± on pre written scripts and other material that their primitive AI¡¯s had been trained on. Marina talked and thought like a human and her words were not the sing song prattle of a companroid. That was what caused people to feel self conscious when they were out with a companroid. This was like stepping back in time and talking to a woman before the co equalizing of the genders did not allow them to be recognized as women. ¡°Oh!¡± Marina exclaimed when she realized the time. ¡°I have been having so much fun talking with you that I forgot about the time. I need to make certain that my packages were delivered.¡± ¡°Marina, would you like to exchange numbers? Maybe we could meet together and talk more,¡± Mason asked. Once finding such a delightful companion he did not want to risk never seeing her again. ¡°I would like that,¡± she replied and then retrieved her phone. ¡°Don¡¯t hesitate to call.¡± he said after giving her his number. ¡°Please stay safe he added.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad we met. You stay safe as well.¡± she replied. Mason watched Marina glide away carried by graceful steps. Moments later the enchantment faded and he turned to find the other men at the cafe staring at him. They appeared to be just as amazed by the presence of Marina as he had been. Some who had brought their compandroids to the cafe had asked Mason what software upgrades his compandroid had. Others wanted to know what model she was. The ones that asked in front of their compandroids made Mason feel ill. Without another word he left the cafe and went home. Chapter 2 The following day Mason awoke, showered shaved, and reported to work at the rail yard. His world had changed over night. He¡¯d found a text message from Marina thinking him for the coffee and conversation. She even used a winky face emoji. Mason did not even know that people used that emoji. Many emojis were relics of a more social age. With a sigh he put his smart phone back into his pocket and turned his attention toward the day ahead of him. Locomotive #296 was a licensed copy of a GE- U36 locomotive that had been built locally after the license had been secured on Earth. It had been modernized and was now powered by a amonia powered diesel style engine and now sat burbling away awaiting her crew. The yard hands had cleaned the locomotive and her bright orange paint glowed in the sun. ¡°She does look good when she¡¯s cleaned up.¡± a voice called out. Mason turned and spotted Teddy, his coworker and the only conductor that was assigned to their yard. It was a good thing that he got along with the lank blond headed conductor, because they shared the cab of the locomotive on long runs. The two men were friends. ¡°Mason, I have heard such rumors,¡± Teddy began as he examined the days roster on his tablet. ¡°Have you?¡± Mason replied. ¡°All of Madison is talking about you and some super compandroid.¡± Teddy continued. ¡°People do like to talk,¡± Mason shrugged. ¡°The rumors are scandalous,¡± Teddy pressed as they walked around the locomotive and inspected it before going to work. ¡°What kind of scandal?¡± ¡°Guys think that the compandroid had been hacked by a regressive. Or that a deviant had cast aside coequality and is pretending to be a compandroid.¡± Teddy finished the last safety check. ¡°So which is it?¡± he continued after they were in the cab of the locomotive. ¡°Marina is Marina. That is all I know.¡± Mason sat down behind the control stack. After being cleared to leave the yard they ran west down the line, retrieved a consist of cars that had been prepared for transport to the city, and started east to deliver them. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°I wish your friend luck,¡± Teddy replied when he was certain that the radio was not keyed to broadcast. ¡°Let me know if she has a sister,¡± he added with a smile. As the train moved closer to the city more signs of coequal influence appeared. From their cab both men could spot the ¡°counselors¡± as they stood on the passenger platform. Dressed in one sleeved pants suits and mandarin collared shirts the ¡°counselors¡± were easy to spot. They were not often seen out in public, but they traveled in coequal pairs. They investigated and made judgements from coequal points of view. They seemed to be the select few true believers in what they called coequality. The counselors were rumored to haunt the bawdy district in order to ensure that biologic couples did not prosper. The train continued on to the freight yard outside of the city of Redo. There Mason slowly rolled onto a siding, Teddy hopped to the ground, disconnected the cars and set the brakes, and both men reported to the main office. The office in the rail yard was square, made of cement, small, and nowhere near as nice as the passenger stations along the line. It made both men long for the shared passenger station in Madison. Adding to the gloom was the presence of two counselors who were talking to the elderly station manager. ¡°Barrister, I¡¯m told that you stayed on schedule. Excellent work! We have a shipment that needs to leave town NOW.¡± the older woman stated. ¡°Vital supplies?¡± Mason ventured. ¡°No. A shipment of pre coequality literature. The shipment has been under guard ever since it arrived here.¡± the manager answered. ¡°That sort of entertainment may be allowed in the sticks. Science only knows what you men see in that trash. Perhaps you read it to your companion dolls. We don¡¯t need that type of influence in Redo.¡± one of the counselors sneered. ¡°We will need our tanks topped off.¡± Teddy stated. ¡°It¡¯s being done now.¡± the manager replied. Mason and Teddy were quckly hustled back out to the rail yard where they found that their locomotive had been hooked up to three box cars. The box cars had locks on their doors and the whole train was surrounded by a platoon of counselors. None of the officials appeared to enjoy trudging through the deep gravel in the yard, but they stayed at their posts. The crew was shadowed by the station manager and counselors as they performed their pre trip inspection. One of the counselors demanded that the crew immediately remove the objectionable material from Redo immediately and threatened Mason with crimes against coequality when he told them that the inspection had to be done. The threat of detainment only vanished when Teddy pointed out that if they derailed the objectionable material could spill out all over the track side. In a fright the counselors ordered their subordinates to illuminate the entire train with their flashlights in order to aid with the inspection. The engineer and conductor eagerly climbed aboard the locomotive and were soon rolling westward. While they were within the city limits of Redo patrol vehicles shadowed the train. Once they were out of the city Mason and Teddy found themselves on their own. ¡°What are we carrying that has them so upset? They told us not to stop until Madison.¡± Mason grumbled. ¡°According to the manifest we have several a case of video carts that include You¡¯ve got mail, Stardust, Splash, and Casablanca to name a few. In the other crates we have Barbara Cartland, and various other romance author¡¯s books. Hey! We even have a shipment of comic and manga reprints from Earth.¡± Teddy read off the manifest. ¡°It¡¯s amazing this stuff made it through customs ¡®officially¡¯.¡± Mason stated after emitting a sharp whistle. ¡°I guess they view us all as deviants or potential deviants. I bet the stuff we are hauling is way better than the books the counselors approve of.¡± The counselors recommended books that celebrated self and solitude. They were utterly depressing. They wrote volumes to attempted to hide the incompleteness that people felt. Mason found his thoughts wandering back to how much he enjoyed talking with Marina. When he got off work he would call her. Chapter 3 Mason awoke the next morning with a renewed sense of optimism. He had called Marina after returning home the night before. She had been happy to hear from him and asked him how his day had gone. From there they moved into small talk. Mason knew of the way interactions between men and women used to be. He had just held out little hope for anything other than the shallow AI based conversation of a compandroid. Most of the population had been warned that the genders had been seperated and made ¡°coequal¡± because in the presence of each other they became bestial primitives enthralled to their hormones. Mason knew that this was mostly propaganda, but there was no denying the attraction of the fairer sex when they were in their glory. By the end of the conversation Mason had invited Marina on a date. After the invitation had been offered and happily accepted. He realized he had little to no idea how a date worked. Most of what he knew about dating came from the old stories and movies. He¡¯d played off his naivety by attempting to be mysterious. Now that morning had arrived Mason was faced with planning said date. When it came to history there were the more wholesome depictions in the films from the 1950s. Then there were the sex and hook up filled movies from the 90¡¯s and 2000¡¯s. ¡°I think it starts as friends who are attracted to each other,¡± he thought to himself as he showered. He followed that train of thought as he shaved and selected a polo shirt and a pair of slacks. It was while he was dressing that he saw his copy of the Caracassone board game. He often joined friends for a game night. Why not surprise her? At the decided upon time Mason arrived at the fountain in the center of town and found Marina waiting. She was dressed in a gray pinafore dress and blouse with long flowing sleeves. Her hair had been styled into large soft curls, and the effect left Mason speechless. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± she asked when she noticed his momentary silence. ¡°Not at all,¡± he began. ¡°You look beautiful.¡± he added. ¡°Thank you,¡± she began with a blush. ¡°I made the dress myself.¡± she stated after twirling about. ¡°You have a real gift.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± she glided up to Mason. ¡°You look quite dashing,¡± she looked up at him with a smile. The new couple started by strolling down Main Street. They window shopped, visited stores, and left awed onlookers in their wake. They paused at the cafe for parfaits and ventured into the Founding Park. The Founding Park was gifted to Madison by the government in honor of their successful founding. It featured acres of lush flower beds. ¡°So fragrant.¡± Marina sighed. ¡°I know that I could never create a garden like this. But I do like a nice garden stroll.¡± she added. ¡°Some guys have won prizes for their plants. I do well to remember to water the neighbors plants when they go on vacation.¡± Mason admitted. ¡°Your too busy playing cupid.¡± she Marina giggled. ¡°What do you mean?¡± he paused. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°Delivering box car loads of movies and books. I shall treasure my copy of ¡®An Unexpected Bride¡¯. Such delights!¡± Marina told Mason about one of the treasures she had found At the morning market. The period romance novels from the old world were barely protected by cultural history laws and the city elders did their best to stamp out curiosity into what life might have been like before they formed the colony. ¡°The way the counselors wanted to get rid of those box cars and us was truly a sight to behold.¡± Mason chuckled. ¡°At least I know that we made one person happy.¡± he added. ¡°Those poor creatures in the city. Denied such treats.¡± Marina clucked. They continued on until they reached a large building that looked as if it were a pioneer lodge. The building was made out of logs, had a metal peaked roof, and tall windows and doors. It also had a historic marker plate on it and a sign in front of it. ¡°What is this?¡± Marina asked. ¡°This is Founder¡¯s House. It was the first building built when the settlers arrived. It¡¯s now a place for retreat and reprieve. I think that¡¯s why they built the gardens around it.¡± Mason explained. ¡°I thought maybe we could sit and talk over a game of Carcassone in the game room.¡± he continued. ¡°That sounds charming.¡± Mason was certain that the attendant at the desk gasped when he held open the door for his date and even more surprised by Marina. He recovered and after signing the guest book they entered the game room. The game room featured reproductions of contemporary 20th century furniture and featured several round and square tables with cushioned chairs. Along the walls were shelves that housed various board and card games. The walls featured pennants from tournaments that had been held in the past. After retrieving a copy of Carcassone from the shelf Mason guided Marina, to a table, pulled the chair out for her, and then sat down across from her after she was seated. ¡°I have never played this game. Will you teach me?¡± Marina swept a stray curl back allowing it to momentarily wrap around her finger. Mason happily explained the rules and before long the game had began. Marina had been disappointed that there were no pink meeple game pieces but had settled on red. Mason had selected blue. In deference to his companion, Mason chose to be player two. Marina placed the starting tile and the game began. While they played the talked. ¡°This is a good game.¡± she observed after placing a city tile and placing one of her meeple in it. ¡°I¡¯m glad you like it.¡± he placed a tile nearby in hope of slowing her progress. ¡°Some people are really good and compete.¡± he added. Marina picked up the next tile, looked at it, and then looked at the tiles that had already been placed. She then placed the tile between Mason¡¯s city tile and her own creating one whole city that contained both of their meeples in the same city. ¡°Cooperation can be more beneficial than going it alone.¡± she replied. ¡°Points for both of us and no hard feelings.¡± she added. A gasp could be heard from the doorway. The couple looked in the sounds direction and found the doorway empty. ¡°What do you suppose that was?¡± Marina pondered. ¡°Uh.. I don¡¯t think that anyone has ever seen a compandroid like you.¡± ¡°Am I that shocking?¡± she pouted. ¡°A little, but not in a bad way.¡± Marina seemed more contemplative as the game continued. When the game ended with a tie the couple put the game away and walked back through the garden. Mason felt the difference in his companion¡¯s mood. Mason knew that women thought differently than men, so he was not exactly certain the best way to lift Marina¡¯s spirits. He was used to talking to guys. Being with Marina was a wondrous experience that placed him in long forgotten waters. He did not want to lose the opportunity to see what could be in the future. ¡°Uh... I hope that I did not say something that upset you earlier,¡± he ventured. ¡°You? Upset me?¡± she stopped. ¡°The mood kind of changed earlier. I have no experience with this sort of thing,¡± Mason admitted. ¡°This was my first date too. You have done nothing wrong. Whoever it was in the doorway got me to thinking. Mason, you are different than the others. A good kind of different,¡± ¡°I hope the others will come around. I don¡¯t think the coequality revolution and its extremes are sitting well with the population,¡± he confided in a hushed tone. ¡°You are definitely good boyfriend material.¡± she teased with a light hearted laugh. The couple then continued back through the park. It was after dark when they exited the gardens and Mason insisted on walking Marina to her door. He did not like the idea of her being out alone. She was a rare jewel and he was determined that she was going to be safe. Chivalry was officially frowned upon, but Marina appeared to delight in the gesture. To his surprise he found that Marina lived in the building one block away from where he lived. ¡°Thank you for a delightful evening.¡± Marina said as she retrieved her key. ¡°I had a great time. We should go out again. That is if you would like to.¡± he ventured. ¡°I would like that.¡± she began. ¡°Mason, do you know what would make this evening perfect?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°A hug.¡± Chapter 4 Mason awoke the next day ready for work. As he prepared for work he still was not sure if the previous day had been a dream. Had he gone on a date? One did not date a compandroid, but he was certain that he had been out on a date with Marina. It had been wholesome, innocent, and pure. They had hugged, he had waited to make certain that she got in the house safely and had then made his way home. The whole experience had been exhilarating and fun. Mason noticed that he was under close scrutiny as he walked to his 2CV. The scent of mint brought back memories of the perfume that Marina wore. The neighbor¡¯s mint garden was no substitute for Marina, but he appreciated the reminder. He was acutely aware of his neighbors as he climbed into his car. They no doubt expected the encounter with a seemingly perfectly replicated female to have caused him to change into the primordial cave dweller of lore. ¡°Let them keep watching.¡± he thought as he backed the French car out of its space. With a quick shift of gears he was on his way. He was going to meet Teddy at the Cafe for coffee and from there they would commute in. To his surprise, Mason found that the cafe was crowded. Thankfully Teddy had secured a table and soon after arrival Mason found himself seated and waiting to place his order. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°I do not think that I have ever seen this place so busy.¡± he observed. ¡°I am told they have a new hire.¡± Teddy replied. ¡°People are this excited over a new hire?¡± Before Teddy could answer Marina emerged from the kitchen in a waitress dress and apron. She carried a tray with coffee cups and breakfast pastries. She glided up to the table and placed the coffee and pastries on the table. ¡°Marina! I didn¡¯t expect to see you here!¡± Mason stated happily. ¡°I learned that they needed help. I also helped the owner¡¯s compandroid tweak the recipes. Please try them and tell me what you think.¡± she replied. Mason picked the pastry up, bit into it, and found that it tasted radically different. Normally the ¡°fresh baked¡± pastries tasted very bland and commercial. Now they tasted rich and almost home baked. ¡°This is really good.¡± he proclaimed. ¡°Thank you! The recipe only needed a little tweaking. It¡¯s the personal touch that makes the difference.¡± ¡°I think it is the Marina touch that makes the difference.¡± Mason replied. Marina blushed. ¡°I did not know that compandroids could blush.¡± Teddy began. ¡°If we get a steady diet of this kind of cooking the whole down will go deviant.¡± he added witch a chuckle after tasting the pastry.