mc.prey-第12章

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　Amanda　had　abandoned　Cookie　Monster；　and　was　standing　in　the　crib；　holding　on　to　the　railing　with　one　hand　and　reaching　for　me　with　the　other；　her　little　fingers　clutching　air。　I　picked　her　up…and　in　an　instant　she　had　my　glasses　off。　I　grabbed　for　them　as　she　squealed　with　pleasure。　〃Amanda　。。。〃　But　too　late；　she　threw　them　on　the　floor。　I　blinked。
　I　don't　see　well　without　my　glasses。　These　were　wire…frames；　hard　to　see　now。　I　got　down　on　my　hands　and　knees；　still　holding　the　baby；　and　swept　my　hand　across　the　floor　in　circles；　hoping　to　touch　glass。　I　didn't。　I　squinted；　edged　forward；　swept　my　hand　again。　Still　nothing。　Then　I　saw　a　glint　of　light　underneath　the　crib。　I　set　the　baby　down　and　crawled　under　the　crib；　retrieved　the　glasses；　and　put　them　on。　In　the　process　I　banged　my　head　on　the　crib；　dropped　down　low　again。
　And　I　found　myself　staring　at　the　electrical　outlet　on　the　wall　underneath　the　crib。　A　small　plastic　box　was　plugged　into　the　outlet。　I　pulled　it　out　and　looked　at　it。　It　was　a　two…inch　cube；　a　surge　suppressor　by　the　look　of　it；　an　ordinary　mercial　product；　made　in　Thailand。　The　input/output　voltages　were　molded　into　the　plastic。　A　white　label　ran　across　the　bottom；　reading　PROP。　SSVT；　with　a　bar　code。　It　was　one　of　those　stickers　that　panies　put　on　their　inventory。　I　turned　the　cube　over　in　my　hand。　Where　had　this　e　from？　I'd　been　in　charge　of　the　house　for　the　last　six　months。　I　knew　what　was　where。　And　certainly　Amanda　didn't　need　a　surge　suppressor　in　her　room。　You　only　needed　that　for　sensitive　electronic　equipment；　like　puters。
　I　got　to　my　feet；　and　looked　around　the　room　to　see　what　else　was　different。　To　my　surprise；　I　realized　that　everything　was　different…but　just　slightly　different。　Amanda's　night…light　had　Winnie…the…Pooh　characters　printed　on　the　shade。　I　always　kept　Tigger　facing　toward　her　crib；　because　Tigger　was　her　favorite。　Now；　Eeyore　faced　the　crib。　Amanda's　changing　pad　was　stained　in　one　corner；　I　always　kept　the　stain　bottom　left。　Now　it　was　top　right。　I　kept　her　diaper…rash　ointments　on　the　counter　to　the　left；　just　out　of　her　reach。　Now　they　were　too　close；　she　could　grab　them。　And　there　was　more…
　The　maid　came　in　behind　me。　〃Maria；〃　I　said；　〃did　you　clean　this　room？〃
　〃No；　Mr。　Forman。〃
　〃But　the　room　is　different；〃　I　said。
　She　looked　around；　and　shrugged。　〃No；　Mr。　Forman。　The　same。〃
　〃No；　no；〃　I　insisted。　〃It's　different。　Look。〃　I　pointed　to　the　lampshade；　the　changing　cloth。　〃Different。〃
　She　shrugged　again。　〃Okay；　Mr。　Forman。〃　I　read　confusion　in　her　face。　Either　she　didn't　follow　what　I　was　saying；　or　she　thought　I　was　crazy。　And　I　probably　did　look　a　little　crazy；　a　grown　man　obsessing　about　a　Winnie…the…Pooh　lampshade。
　I　showed　her　the　cube　in　my　hand。　〃Have　you　seen　this　before？〃
　She　shook　her　head。　〃No。〃
　〃It　was　under　the　crib。〃
　〃I　don't　know；　Mr。　Forman。〃　She　inspected　it；　turning　it　in　her　hand。　She　shrugged；　and　gave　it　back　to　me。　She　acted　casual；　but　her　eyes　were　watchful。　I　began　to　feel　unfortable。　〃Okay；　Maria；〃　I　said。　〃Never　mind。〃
　She　bent　over　to　scoop　up　the　baby。　〃I　feed　her　now。〃
　〃Yes；　okay。〃
　I　left　the　room；　feeling　odd。
　Just　for　the　hell　of　it；　I　looked　up　〃SSVT〃　on　the　Net。　I　got　links　to　the　Sri　Siva　Vishnu　Temple；　the　Waffen…SS　Training　School　at　Konitz；　Nazi　Regalia　for　sale；　Subsystems　Sample　Display　Technology；　South　Shore　Vocational…Technical　School；　Optical　VariTemp　Cryostat　Systems；　Solid　Surfacing　Veneer　Tiles　for　home　floors；　a　band　called　SlingshotVenus；　the　Swiss　Shooting　Federation…and　it　went　downhill　from　there。
　I　turned　away　from　the　puter。
　I　stared　out　the　window。
　Maria　had　given　me　a　shopping　list；　the　items　scrawled　in　her　difficult　hand。　I　really　should　get　the　shopping　done　before　I　picked　up　the　kids。　But　I　didn't　move。　There　were　times　when　the　relentless　pace　of　life　at　home　seemed　to　defeat　me；　to　leave　me　feeling　washed　out　and　hollow。　At　those　times　I　just　had　to　sit　for　a　few　hours。
　I　didn't　want　to　move。　Not　right　now。
　I　wondered　if　Julia　was　going　to　call　me　tonight；　and　I　wondered　if　she　would　have　a　different　excuse。　I　wondered　what　I　would　do　if　she　walked　in　one　of　these　days；　and　announced　she　was　in　love　with　someone　else。　I　wondered　what　I　would　do　if　I　still　didn't　have　a　job　by　then。　I　wondered　when　I　would　get　a　job　again。　I　turned　the　little　surge　suppressor　over　in　my　hand　idly；　as　my　mind　drifted。
　Right　outside　my　window　was　a　large　coral　tree；　with　thick　leaves　and　a　green　trunk。　We　had　planted　it　as　a　much　smaller　tree　not　long　after　we　moved　into　the　house。　Of　course　the　tree　guys　did　it；　but　we　were　all　out　there。　Nicole　had　her　plastic　shovel　and　bucket。　Eric　was　crawling　around　on　the　lawn　in　his　diapers。　Julia　had　charmed　the　workmen　into　staying　late　to　finish　the　job。　After　they　had　all　gone　I　kissed　her；　and　brushed　dirt　from　her　nose。　She　said；　〃One　day　it'll　cover　our　whole　house。〃
　But　as　it　turned　out；　it　didn't。　One　of　the　branches　had　broken　off　in　a　storm；　so　it　grew　a　little　lopsided。　Coral　is　soft　wood；　the　branches　break　easily。　It　never　grew　to　cover　the　house。　But　my　memory　was　vivid；　staring　out　the　window；　I　saw　all　of　us　again；　out　on　the　lawn。　But　it　was　just　a　memory。　And　I　was　very　afraid　it　didn't　fit　anymore。　After　working　for　years　with　multi…agent　systems；　you　begin　to　see　life　in　terms　of　those　programs。
　Basically；　you　can　think　of　a　multi…agent　environment　as　something　like　a　chessboard；　and　the　agents　like　chess　pieces。　The　agents　interact　on　the　board　to　attain　a　goal；　just　the　way　the　chess　pieces　move　to　win　a　game。　The　difference　is　that　nobody　is　moving　the　agents。　They　interact　on　their　own　to　produce　the　oute。
　If　you　design　the　agents　to　have　memory；　they　can　know　things　about　their　environment。　They　remember　where　they've　been　on　the　board；　and　what　happened　there。　They　can　go　back　to　certain　places；　with　certain　expectations。　Eventually；　programmers　say　the　agents　have　beliefs　about　their　environment；　and　that　they　are　acting　on　those　beliefs。　That's　not　literally　true；　of　course；　but　it　might　as　well　be　true。　It　looks　that　way。
　But　what's　interesting　is　that　over　time；　some　agents　develop　mistaken　beliefs。　Whether　from　a　motivation　conflict；　or　some　other　reason；　they　start　acting　inappropriately。　The　environment　has　changed　but　they　don't　seem　to　know　it。　They　repeat　outmoded　patterns。　Their　behavior　no　longer　reflects　the　reality　of　the　chessboard。　It's　as　if　they're　stuck　in　the　past。　In　evolutionary　programs；　those　agents　get　killed　off。　They　have　no　children。　In　other　multi…agent　programs；　they　just　get　bypassed；　pushed　to　the　periphery　while　the　main　thrust　of　agents　moves　on。　Some　programs　have　a　〃grim　reaper〃　module　that　sifts　them　out　from　time　to　time；　and　pulls　them　off　the　board。
　But　the　point　is；　they're　stuck　in　their　own　past。　Sometimes　they　pull　themselves　together；　and　get　back　on　track。　Sometimes　they　don't。
　Thoughts　like　these　made　me　very　uneasy。　I　shifted　in　my　chair；　glanced　at　the　clock。　With　a　sense　of　relief；　I　saw　it　was　time　to　go　pick　up　the　kids。
　Eric　did　his　homework　in　the　car　while　we　waited　for　Nicole　to　finish　her　play　rehearsal。　She　came　out　in　a　bad　mood；　she　had　thought　she　was　in　line　for　a　lead　role；　but　instead　the　drama　teacher　had　cast　her　in　the　chorus。　〃Only　two　lines！〃　she　said；　slamming　the　car　door。　〃You　want　to　know　what　I　say？　I　say；　'Look；　here　es　John　now。'　And　in　the　second　act；　I　say；　'That　sounds　pretty　serious。'　Two　lines！〃　She　sat　back　and　closed　her　eyes。　〃I　don't　understand　what　Mr。　Blakey's　problem　is！〃
　〃Maybe　he　thinks　you　suck；〃　Eric　said。
　〃Rat　turd！〃　She　smacked　him　on　the　head。　〃Monkey　butt！〃
　〃That's　enough；〃　I　said；　as　I　started　the　car。　〃Seat　belts。〃
　〃Little　stink…brain　dimrod；　he　doesn't　know　anything；〃　Nicole　said；　buckling　her　belt。
　〃I　said；　that's　enough。〃
　〃I　know　that　you　stink；〃　Eric　said。　〃Pee…yew。〃
　〃That's　enough；　Eric。〃
　〃Yeah；　Eric；　listen　to　your　father；　and　shut　up。〃
　〃Nicole　。。。〃　I　shot　her　a　glance　in　the　rearview　mirror。
　〃Sor…ry。〃
　She　looked　on　the　verge　of　tears。　I　said　to　her；　〃Honey；　I'm　really　sorry　you　didn't　get　the　part　you　wanted。　I　know　you　wanted　it　badly；　and