time enough for love-时间足够你爱(英文版)-第21部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ost　every　remedy　was　tried…and　none　worked。　That　depression　continued　until　the　country　blundered　into　a　war…which　didn't　cure　what　was　wrong；　it　just　masked　the　symptoms　with　a　high　fever。〃
　　
　　〃Well　。　。　what　was　wrong；　Grandfather？〃　I　persisted。
　　
　　〃Do　I　look　smart　enough　to　…　answer　that；　Ira？　I've　gone　broke　many　times。　Sometimes　financially；　sometimes　through　abandoning　my　baggage　to　save　my　skin。　Urn。　Be　durned　if　I'll　offer　any　fancy　explanations　but…what　happens　when　you　control　machinery　by　positive　feedback？〃　…
　　
　　I　was　startled。　〃Fm　not　sure　I　understand　you；　Lazarus；　One　doesn't　control　machinery　by　positive　feedback…at　least'　I　can't　think　of　a　case。　Positive　feedback　will　cause　any　system　to　oscillate　out　of　control。〃
　　
　　〃Go　to　the　head　of　the　class。　Ira；　I'm　suspicious　of　arguments　by　analogy…but　from　what　I've　seen　over　the　centuries；　there　doesn't　seem　to　be　anything　that　a　government　can　do　to　an　economy　that　does　not　act　as　positive　feedback；　or　as　a　brake。　Or　both。　Maybe　someday；　somewhere；　someone　smart　as　Andy　Libby　will　figure　out　a　way　to　tinker　with　the　Law　of　Supply　and　Demand　to　make　it　work　better；　instead　of　letting　it　go　'its　own　cruel　way。　Maybe。　But　I've　never　seen　it。　Though　God　knows　everybody　has　tried。　Always　with　the　best　of　intentions。
　　
　　〃Good　intentions　are　no　substitute　for　knowing　how　a　buzz　saw　works；　Ira；　the　worst　criminals　in　history　have　been　loaded　with　good　intentions。　But　you　got　me　sidetracked　into　making　a　speech　when　I　was　telling　you　hcw　I　happened　not　to　get　married。〃
　　
　　〃Sorry；　Grandfather。〃
　　
　　〃Hummpht　Can't　you　be　rude　occasionally？　rm　a　garrulous　old　man　who　has　crowded　you　into　wasting　time　listening　to　trivia。　You　ought　to　resent　it。〃
　　
　　I　grinned　at　him。　〃So　I　resent　it。　You　are　a　garrulous　old　man　who　demands　that　I　cater　to　your　every　whim　。　。　and　I　am　a　very　busy　man　with　serious　matters　worrying　me　and　you've　wasted　half　a　aay　of　my　time　telling　me　a　yarn…　pure　fiction；　I　feel　certain…about　a　man　who　was　so　lazy　he　always　succeeded。　Intended　to　irritate　me；　I　think。　When　you　implied　that　this　fictional　character　was　a　long…lifer；　you　evaded　a　simple　question　about　it　and　started　talking　about　your　grandfather。　This…Admiral　Ram；　you　~said？…was　he　redheaded？〃
　　
　　〃'Lamb；'　Ira…'Donald　Lamb。'　Or　was　that　his　brother？　It's　been　a　long　time。　Odd　that　you　should　ask　about　his　hair
　　
　　…as　that　reminds　me　of　another　naval　officer　in　that　same　war　who　was　just　the　opposite　of…Donald？　No；　'David。'　Just　the　opposite　of　David　in　every　respect　save　that　tIe　had　hair　so　red　that　Loki　would　have　been　proud　of　it。　Tried　to　choke　a　Kodiak　bear　to　death。　Didn't　work　of　course。　It　doesn't　seem　possible　that　you've　ever　seen　a　Kodiak　bear；　Ira。
　　
　　〃The　fiercest　carnivore　that　~im　ever　spawned；　and　Outweighed　a　man　ten　to　one。　Claws'　like　scimitars；　long　yellow　teeth；　bad　breath…and　a　worse　disposition。　Yet　Lafe　tackled
　　
　　him　with　bare　hands。。。；　and　mind　you；　when　he　had　no　need
　　
　　…to。　I　would　have　faded　over　the　horizon。　Want'to　hear　about　Lafe　and　the　bear　and　the　Alaskan　salmon？〃
　　
　　〃Not　now。　It　sounds　like　another　whopper。。。You　were　telling
　　
　　…me　why　you　didn't　get　married。〃
　　
　　〃So　I　was。　Gramp　had　just　asked　me；　'Well；　Woodie；　how　long　has　she　been　pregnant？'〃
　　
　　〃No；　he　was　explaining　that　you　couldn't　support　a　wife。〃
　　
　　〃Son；…　if　you　know　this　story；　you　tell　it　to　me。　I　emphatically　denied　any　such　thing…to　which　Gramp　replied　that　I　lied　in　my　teeth…　because　that　was　the　only　reason　a　seventeenyear…old　boy　ever　wanted　to　get　married。　His　answer　i~iade　me　especially　angry　because　I　had　a　note　in　my　pocket　reading：
　　
　　〃'Woodsie　dearest…　You　have　knocked　me　up　and　all　is　Chaos。'
　　
　　〃Gramp　persisted；　and　I　deni？d　it　three　times；　getting　angrier　and　angrier；　se骾ng　as　how　it　was　true。　Finally　he　'says；　'Okay；　you've　just　been　holding　hands。　Has　she　shown　you　~　pregnancy　test　report；　signed　by　a　doctor？　…　…　…
　　
　　〃Ira；　I　accidentally　…　told　the　truth。　'Why；　no；'　I　admitted。
　　
　　〃'All　right；'　he　said。　'I'll　take　care　of　it。　But　only　this　oti鑕。　From　here　on　always　use　Merry　Widows；　even　if　a　sweet　little　darling　tells　you　not　to　bother。　Or　haven't　you　found　a　drugstore　that'll　sell　them　to　you？'　Then；　after　swearing　me　to　secrecy；　he　told　me　about　the　Howard　Foundation　and　what　it　would　pay　if　I　married　a　girl　on　their　approved　list。
　　
　　〃And　'that　was　that；　as　I　got　this　letter　from　a　lawyer　on　my　eighteenth　birthday；　just　as　Gramp　had　predicted；　and　it　turned　out　that　I　fell　madly　in　love　with　a　girl　on　their　list。　We　got　married　and　had　a　slough　of　kids；　before　she　turned　me　in　on　another　model。　Your　ancestress；　no　doubt。〃
　　
　　〃No；　sir。　I'm　descended　from　your　fourth　wife；　Grandfather。〃
　　
　　〃My　fourth；　eh？　Let　me　see…Meg　Hardy？〃
　　
　　'~I　think　she　was　your　…third；　Lazarus。　Evelyn　Foote。〃
　　
　　〃Oh；　yes！　A　fine　girl；　Evelyn。　Plump；　and　pretty；　and　sweetnatured；　and　fertile　as　a　turtle。　A　good　cook　and　never　a　harsh　word。　They　don't　hardly　make　'em　anymore。　Maybe　fifty　years　younger　than　I　was；　but　it　barely　showed；　my　hair　didn't
　　
　　…　start　to　gray　until　I　was　a　hundred　and　fifty。　No　secret　about　my　age；　since　birth　date；　and　Lrack　record；　and　so　forth　were　on　file　for　each　of　us。　Son；　thank　you　for　…　reminding　me　of　Evelyn；　she　restored　my　faith　in　matrimony　when　I　was　getting
　　
　　a　little　sour　on　it。　Do　the　Archives　show　anything　else　about　her？'
　　
　　〃Just　that　you　were　her　second　husband　and　that　she　had　seven　children　by　you。〃
　　
　　〃I　was　hoping　that　there　was　a　photograph。　Such　a　pretty　thing；　always　smiling。　She　was　married　to　one　of　my　cousins；　a　Johnson；　when　I　met　her；　and　I　was　in　business　with　him　a　while。　He　and…I；　Meg　and　Evvie；　used　to　get　together　Saturday　nights　for　pinochle　and　beer；　or　such…and　after　a　while　we　traded；　legal　and　proper　and　through　the　courts；　when　Meg　decided　that　she…llked…Jack？…yes；　Jack；…　that　well；　and　Evelyn　wasn't　avei％e。　Didn't　affect　our　business　relations；　didn't　even　break　up　our　pinochle　game。　Son；　one　of　the　best　things　about　the　Howard　Families　is　that　we　got　cured　of　the　poisonous　vice　of　jealousy　generations　ahead　of　the　rest　of　the　race。　Had　to…things　being　the　way　they　were。　Sure　there　ain't　a　stereopic　of　her　around？　Or　a　hologram？　The　Foundation　…started　taking　record　pictures　for　marriage　physical　exams　somewhere　around　then。〃
　　
　　〃I'll　look　into…　it；〃　I　told　him。　Then　I　had　what　seemed　a
　　
　　…　brilliant　idea。　〃Lazarus；　as　we　all　know；　the　same　physical　types　show　up　time　and　slain　in　the　Families。　I'll　ask　Archives　for　a　list　of　…　Evelyn　Foot~'s　female　descendants　living　on　Secundus。　It　is　highly　probable　that　one　of　them　will　seem　like　her　identical　twin…even　to　the　happy　smile　and　the　sweet　disposition。　Then…if…　you　consent　to　full　rejuvenation…I'm　sure　she　would　be　as　willing　as　Ishtar　to　dissolve　any　present　contractual…〃　…
　　
　　The　Senior　chopped　me　off。　〃I　said　something　new；　Ira。　There's　no　going　back；　ever。　Sure；　you　might　find　such　a　girl；　one　who　would　match　my　memory　of　Evelyn　to　ten　significant　figures。　But　it　would　lack　an　important　factor。　My　youth。〃
　　
　　〃But　if　you　finish　rejuvenation…〃
　　
　　〃Oh；　hush　up！　You　can　give　me　new　kidneys　and　a　new　liver　and　a　new　heart。。　You　can　wash　the　brown　stains　of　age　out　of　my　brain　and　add　tissue　from　my　clone　to　make　up　for　what　I've　lost…you　can　give　me　a　whole　new　clone　body。　But　it　won't　make　me　that　young　fellow　who　took　innocent　pleasure　in　beer　and　pinochle　and　a　pretty　plump　wife。　All　I　have　in　mon　with　him　is　continuity　of　memory…and　not　much　of　that。　Forget　it。〃
　　
　　I　said　quietly；　〃Ancestor；　whether　you　wish　to　be　married　to　Evelyn　Foote　again　or　not；　you　know　and　I　know…for　I've　been　through　it；　too；　twice…we　both　know　that　the　full　routine
　　
　　restores　youthful　zest　In　life　as　well　as　restoring　the　body　a　a　machine。〃　…
　　
　　Lazarus　Long　looked　gloomy。　〃Yeah；　sure。　It　cures　every　thing　but　boredom。　Damn　it；　boy；　you　had　no　right　to　interfen　with　my　…karma。〃　He　sighed；　〃But　I　can't　hang　in　limbo　either　So　tell　'em　to　get　on　with　it。　The　works。〃
　　
　　I　was　taken　by　surprise。　〃May　I　record　that；　sir？〃
　　
　　〃You　heard　me　say　it。　But　that　doesn't　get　you　off　the　hook　You　still　have　to　show　up　and　listen　to　my　maunderings　unti　I'm　so　rejuvenated　that　I'm　cured　of　such　childish　behavior…　and　you　still　have　to　go　on　with　that　research。　To　find　something　new；　I　mean。〃
　　
　　〃Agreed　on　both　points；　sir；　you　had　my　promise。　Now　oiu　moment　while　I　tell　my　puter…〃
　　
　　〃She's　already　heard　me。　Hasn't　she？〃　Lazarus　added　〃Doesn't　she　have　a　name？　Haven't　you　given　her　one？〃
　　
　　〃Oh；　certainly。　I　could　not　deal　with　her　all　these　yeasr　without　animism；　fallacy　though　it　is…〃
　　
　　〃Not　a　fallacy；　Ira；　machines　are　human　because　they　an　made　in　our　image。　They　share　both　our　virtues　and　oui　faults…magnified。〃
　　
　　〃I've　never　tried　to　rationalize　it；　Lazarus；　but　Minerva…　that's　her　formal　name；　she's　'Little　Nag'　in　private　becaust　one　of　her　duties　is　to　remind　me　of　obligations　I　would　rathei　forget。　Minerva　…does　feel　human　to　me…she's　closer　to　me　than　any　of　my　wives　have　been。　No；　she　has　not　registerni　your　decision；　she's　simply　placed　it　in　her　temporaries　Minerva！〃　…
　　
　　〃Si；　Ira。〃
　　
　　〃Speak　English；　please。　Retrieve　the　Senior's　decision　tc　undergo　full　antigeria；　file　it　in　your　permanents；　transmit　ii　to　Archives　and　to　the　Howard　Rejuvenation　Clinic　for　ac？tion。〃
　　
　　〃pleted；　Mr。　Weatheral。　Congratulations。　And　felicitations　to　you；　Senior。　'May　you　live　as　long　as　you　wish　and　love　as　long　as　you　live。'〃
　　
　　Lazarus　looked　suddenly　interested…which　did　not　surprise
　　
　　…　me　because　Minerva　surprises　me　quite　frequently　even　aftes　a　century　of　being　〃married〃　to　her　in　all　but　fact。　〃Why；　thank　yot~；　Minerva。　But　you　startled　me；　girl。　Nobody　talks　about　love　anymore；　that's　a　major　thing　wrong　with　this　century。　How　did　you　happen　to　offer　me　that　ancient…senti
　　
　　ment？〃…
　　
　　〃It　seemed　appropriate；　Seni