"Making sure to think about it at the moment I made her."

Margaret acquires a Wonder Woman-style arm panel and starts appearing notes on it. "I can't actually think about multiple things at the exact same moment--is that a difference between our species or did things you thought about in nearby moments work too? Can you specify physical traits as well as mental ones?"

"It takes more than an instant to make someone. More like a couple of seconds. And yes, she looks just how I meant her to."

"So I might have to mentally go over all the traits I want in a few seconds . . . Do you know what happens if you try to specify something impossible?"

"I assume if it's impossible it doesn't happen."

"Sure, but does the person just get created as if you hadn't tried that, or does the closest possible thing happen, or does the person not appear at all?"

"Oh. I'd think probably the second thing but I'm not sure."

"I really don't want to create a whole new person without some way to practice first . . . I can't believe I'm asking this, but is it possible to create a person who's already dead?"

"No, but you can make one who's about to die."

"I don't want to do that! It sounds like I'm just going to have to get this right the first time."

"Why would you want to make a dead person when you can grow food?"

"For practice. If I can get a whole bunch of really specific things about their physical appearance correct, then I know I'm concentrating on them the right way and can probably do the same thing with mental traits."

"So why not make one who'll die in a second? You could check that way."

"Because I'm pretty sure creating someone and who immediately dies is the same as creating someone and immediately killing them? And that's morally wrong?"

"But you'd make one who was already dead?"

"Yeah, that doesn't involve anybody experiencing being about to die."

"You might be able to make one asleep."

"Well, the question is, what's worse--existing asleep for a second and then dying, or whatever the worst mistake I'm likely to make is? Have you ever heard of someone doing such a bad job that the person they made killed themselves, or does immediately when they weren't intended to?" She still obviously hates this entire conversation.

"I haven't heard of much," Sovi points out. "Around here I think most people are made for food."

"Yeah, and that really needs to stop, that's part of why I want farms and technology and stuff, so there can be enough food without anybody eating people. But all the people on this round had to come from somewhere, so people must be making people for other reasons. Maybe I can go find someone who's made lots of people to ask."

"Daz was made for food but the person who made him made a mistake so he could escape."

"Oh my goodness. Um. I'm really sorry to hear that, that sounds awful. And . . . it sounds like even if someone isn't trying to give someone a good life, and even if they aren't very skilled, people still end up basically okay." She hasn't noticed Daz having any particularly serious problems, at any rate.

"Kiray and I are much better made."

"If it's not rude to ask, what are the differences? I know Daz can sunburn and you can't, but if there's anything else I want to make sure I don't miss it."

"He has more trouble moving around and thinking straight - he gets more tired and he's in more pain. I have a little of the thinking straight problem because he didn't know how to get rid of all of it but much less, and I think Kiray doesn't have any."