time enough for love-时间足够你爱(英文版)-第29部分

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ning　him　that　his　stars　were　in　bad　shape。　And　so　they　were。　That　system　is　one　of　the　few　I　know　of　with　two　usable　plas　around　the　same　star；　both　colonized　and　with　trade　between　them。　Artifacts　and　slaves…〃
　　
　　〃Slaves；'　Lazarus？　While　I　am　aware　of　such　a　practice　on　Si~preme；　I　didn't　think　that　vice　was　very　mon。　Not　economic。〃
　　
　　The　old　man　closed　his　eyes；　kept　them　closed　so　long　I　thought　he　had　fallen　asleep　（he　often　did　during　the　early　days　of　these　talks）。　Then　he　opened　them　and　spoke　very　grimly：
　　
　　〃Ira；　this　vice　is　far　more　mon　than　historians　usually　mention。　Uneconomic；　yes…a　slave　society　can't　pete　with　a　free　one。　But　with　the　Galaxy　as　wide　as　it　is；　there　is　usually　no　such　petition。　Slavery　can　and　does　exist　many　times　and　places；　…　whenever　the　laws　are　rigged　to　permit　it。
　　
　　〃I　said　that　I　would　do　almost　anything　to　support　my　wives　and　kids…and　I　have；　I　have　shoveled　human　excrement　for　a　pittance；　standing　in　it　up　to　my　knees；　rather　than　let　a　child　go　hungry。　But　this　I　will　not　touch。　Nor　is　it　because　I　was　once　a　slave　myself；　I　have　always　felt　this　way。　Call　it　a　'belief'　or　dignify　it　as　a　deep　moral　conviction。　Whatever　it　is；　for　me　it　is　beyond　argument。　If　the　human　animal　has　any　value　at　all；　he　is　too　valuable　to　be　property。　If　he　has　any　inner　dignity；　he　is　much　too　proud　to　own　other　men。　I　don't　give　a　damn　how　scrubbed　and　perfumed　he　may　be；　a　slaveowner　is　subhuman。
　　
　　〃But　this　does　i~t　mean　that　I'll　cut　my　throat　when　I　run　into　it；　or　I　would　not　have　lived　through　my　first　century。　For　there　is　another　bad　thing　about　slavery；　ha；　it　is　impossible　to　free　slaves；　they　have　to　free　themselves。〃
　　
　　Lazarus　scowled。　〃You've　got　me　preaching　again　and　about　matters　I　can't　possibly　prove。　Once　I　got　my　hands　on　my　ship；　I　had　it　fumigated　and　checked　it　over　myself　and　had　it　loaded　with　items　I　thought　I　could　sell　and　had　food　and　water　taken　on　for　the　human　cargo　it　had　been　refitted　for；　and　sent　th　captain　and　crew　on　a　…week's　leave；　and　notified　the　Protector　of　Servants…the　state　slave　factor；　that　is…that　we　would　load　as　soon　as　the　skipper　and　purser　were　back。
　　
　　〃Then　I　took　my　family　on　a　holiday　inspection　of　the　ship。　Somehow　the　Protector　of　Servants　was　suspicious；　be　insisted　on　touring　the　ship　with　us。　So　we　had　to　take　him　along　when　we　took　off　from　there；　very　suddenly；　shortly　after　my　family　was　aboard。　Right　out　of　that　system　and　never　went　back。　But　before　we　put　down　on　a　civilized
　　
　　pla；　me　and　my　boys…two　almost　grown　by　then…re…
　　
　　moved　any　sign　that　she　had　ever…　been　a　slaver；　even　though　it　mean　jettisoning　stuff　I　could　have　sold。〃
　　
　　〃What　about　the　Protector　of　Servants？〃　I　asked。　〃Wasn't　he　some　trouble　to　you？〃
　　
　　〃Wondered　if　you　would　notice　that。　I　spaced　the　bastardt　Alive。　He　went　thataway；　eyes　popped　out　and　peeing　blood。　What　did　you　expect　me　to　do？　Kiss　him？〃
　　
　　COUNTERPOINT　III
　　
　　第16节
　　
　　Once　they　reached　the　privacy　of　a　transport　Galahad　said　to　Ishtar；　〃Were　you　serious　in　your　proposal　to　the　Senior？　To　have　progeny　by　him？〃
　　
　　〃How　could　I　be　joking？…in　the　presence　of　two　witnesses；　one　of　them　the　Chairman　Pro　Tem　himself。〃
　　
　　〃I　didn't　see　how　you　could　be。　But　why；　Ishtai？'
　　
　　〃Because　I'm　a　sentimental　atavist！〃
　　
　　〃Do　you　have　to　snap　at　me？〃
　　
　　She　put　an　arm　around　his　shoulders；　took　his　hand　with　her　free　hand。　〃I'm　sorry；　dear。　It　has　been　a　long　day　…。　and　not　much　sleep　last　night；　sweet　as　it　was。　I'm　worried　about　several　things…and　the　subject　you　brought　up　is　not　one　I　can　be　unemotional　about。〃
　　
　　〃I　should　not　have　asked。　An　invasion　of　privacy…I　don't　know　what's　got　into　me。　Shall　we　wipe　the　matter？　Please？〃
　　
　　〃Dear；　dear！　I　do　know　what　got　into　me　。　。　and　that's　part　of　why　I　am　so　unprofessionally　emotional。　Let　me　put　it　…　this　way：　If　you　were　female；　wouldn't　you　jump　at　a　chance　to　make　such　a　proposal？　To　him？〃
　　
　　~~In　not　female。〃
　　
　　〃1　know　you're　not；　you're　delightfully　male。　But　try　for　a　moment　to　be　as　logical　as　a　female。　Try！〃
　　
　　~Males　are　not　necessarily　illogical；　that's　a　female　myth。〃
　　
　　〃Sorry。　…　I　must　take　a　tran4uilizer　the　minute　we　are　home
　　
　　…something　I　haven't　needed　in　years。　But　do　try　to　think　about　it　as　if　you　were　female。　Please？　Twenty　seconds。〃
　　
　　〃I　don't　need　twenty　seconds。〃　He　lifted　her　hand；　kissed　it。　〃If　I　were　female；　I　would　jump　at　the　chance；　too。　The　best　proved　geic　pattern　one　can　offer　a　child？　Of　course。〃
　　
　　〃Not　that　at　all！〃
　　
　　He　blinked。　〃Perhaps　I　don't　know　what　you　mean　by　logic。〃
　　
　　〃Ub　…　。　does　it　matter？　Since　we　arrived　at　the　same　anI　I~
　　
　　swer？'　1…c　car　swerved　…　and　stopped　in　a　loading　pocket；　sh~　stood　up。　〃So　let's　wipe　it。　We're　home；　dear。〃
　　
　　〃You　are。　I'm　not。　I　think…〃
　　
　　〃Men　don't　think。〃…
　　
　　〃I　think　you　need　a　night's　rest；　Ishtar。〃
　　
　　〃You　sealed　this　onto　me；　now　you'll　have　to　undress　me。1　〃So？　Then　you'll　insist　on　feeding　me　and　you　won't　ge
　　
　　that　long　night　of　sleep　after　all。　Besides；　you　can　peel　it　ove~　your　head；　just　the　way　I　did　it　for　you　at　decontam。〃
　　
　　She　sighed。　〃Galahad…if　I　picked　the　right　name　for　yoi
　　
　　…do　I　have　to　offer　you　a　cohabitation　contract　merely　be　cause　I　might　invite　you　to　stay　overnight　again？　It's　lik閘：
　　
　　that　neither　of　us　will　get　any　sleep　tonight。〃
　　
　　…　〃That's　what　I　was　saying。〃
　　
　　〃Not　quite。　Because　we　may　work　all　night。　Even　if　yoi　choose　to　spend　three　minutes　to　our　mutual　pleasure。〃
　　
　　…　〃'Three　minutes'？　I　wasn't　that　hasty　even　the　first　time。
　　
　　〃Well…　Five　minutes？〃
　　
　　〃Am　I　offered　twenty　minutes　。　。　plus　an　apology？〃
　　
　　〃Men！　Thirty　minutes；　darling；　and　no　apology…。〃
　　
　　〃Accepted。〃　He　stood　up。
　　
　　〃Fiv？of　which　you've　wasted　arguing　about　it。　So　corn　along…exasperating　darling。〃
　　
　　He　followed　her　out　into　her　foyer。　〃What's　this　abou　'work　all　night'？〃
　　
　　〃And　tomorrow；　too。　I'll　know　when　I　check　what's　in　m：
　　
　　phone。　If　there's　nothing；　I'll　have　to　call　the　Chairman　Pn　Tern；　much　as　I　hate　to。　I've　got　to　look　over　this　roofto＇　cabin　or　whatever　it　is；　and　see　what　arrangements　…　can　P~　made　to　take　care　of　him　there。　Then　both　of　us　will　rn~w　him；　I　can't　delegate　that。　Then…〃　…；　…~
　　
　　〃Ishtar！　Are　you　going　to　agree　to　that？　Nonsterile
　　
　　noemergency　equipment；　and　so　forth？〃　〃Darling　。　。　you　are　impressed　by　my　rank；　Mr。　Weathera
　　
　　is　not。　And　the　Senior…　isn't　even　impressed　by　Mr。　Weatb~al'：
　　
　　authority；　the　Senior　is　the　Senior。　I　kept　hoping　that　Mr　Chairman　Pro　Tern　would　find　some　way　to　wheedle　him　int　postponing　such　a　move。　But　he　did　not。　So　now　I　have　tw　choices：　Do　it　his　way…or　withdraw　pletely。　As　the　Di　rector　did。　Which　I　won't　do。　Which　leaves　me　no　choice。　S　tonight　I'll　inspect　his　new　quarters　and　see　what　can　be　don~　between　now　and　tomorrow　midmorning。　Even　though　it'：
　　
　　hopeless　to　make　such　a　place　sterile；　perhaps　it　can　be　madi　more　nearly　suitable　before　he　sees　it。〃
　　
　　〃And　emergency　equipment；　don't　forget　that；　Ishtar。〃
　　
　　〃As　if　I　would；　stupid　darling。　Now　help　me　out　of　this　damned　thing…I　mean　'this　pretty　dress　you　designed　for　me　and　which　the　Senior　clearly　liked。'　Please？〃
　　
　　〃So　stand　still　and　hold　still　and　shut　up。〃
　　
　　〃Don't　tickle！　Oh；　drat；　there's　the　phone　signal！　Get　it　off　me；　dear…hurry！〃　…
　　
　　VARIATIONS　ON　A　THEME
　　
　　IV
　　
　　Love
　　
　　…　Lazarus　lounged　in　his　hammock　and　scratched　his　ches　〃Hamadryad；〃　he　said；　〃that's　not　an　easy　question。　At　sever　teen　I　was　certain　I　was　in　love。　But　it　was　merely　excess　hoi　mones　and　self…delusion。　It　was　most　of　a　thousand　years　late　before　I　experienced　the　real　thing…and　didn't　recognize　th　condition　for　years；　as　I　had。　quit　using　that　word。〃
　　
　　Ira　Weatheral's　〃pretty　daughter〃　looked　puzzled；　whil~　Lazarus　thought　again　that　Ira　had　been　wrong：　Hamadrya　was　not　pretty；　she　was　so　startling　beautiful　that　she　wouk　have　fetched　top　premium　prices　at　auction　on　Fatima；　with　hard…eyed　Iskandrian　factors　outbidding　each　other　in　the　be　hief　that　she　was　a　sound　speculation。　If　the　Protector　of　th~　Faith　had　not　preempted　her　for　himself…　Hamadryad　did　not　seem　to　know　that　her　appearance　ww
　　
　　exceptional。　But　Ishtar　did。　The　first　ten　days　that　Ira's　dadgh　ter　bad　been　part　of　Lazarus'　〃family〃　（so　he　thought　ol　them…a　good　enough　term　as　Ira；　Hamadryad；　Ishtar；　asic　Galahad　were　all　his　descendants　and　now　privileged　fo　cal　him　〃Grandfather〃　as…　long　as　they　did　not　overdo　it）…thos~　first　days　Ishtar　had　shown　a　childish　…tendency　to　try　to　placc　herself　between　Hamadryad　and　Lazarus；　and　…also　betweer　Hamadryad　and　Galahad；　even　when　this　required　being　twc
　　
　　places　at　once。……　…。
　　
　　Lazarus　had　watched　this　barnyard　danqe　with　amus閙eni　and　had　wondered　if　Ishtar　knew　that　she　was　doii~g　it。　Proba。　bly　not；　he　decided。　His　rejuvenation　supervisor　was　all　dut）　and　no　sense　of　humor　and　would　have　been　shocked　had　she　known　that　she　had　reverted　to　adolescence。
　　
　　But　it　did　not　last。　It　was　impossi~le　not　to　like　Hamadryad　because　she　remained　quietly　friendl~'…no　matter　what。　Lazarus　wonuered　if　it　was　a　behavior　pattern　consciously　developed　to　prot郼t　herself　against　her　less…endowed　sisters…or　was　it　simply　her　nature？　He　had　not　tried　to　find　out。　But　Ishtar　now　tended　to　sit　by　Hamadryad；　or　even　to　make　room　be…
　　
　　tween　herself　and　Galahad　for　Ham醖ryad；　and　let　her　help　in　serving　meats　and　such…assistant　〃housewife〃　de　facto。
　　
　　〃If　I　must　wait　a　thousand　years　to　understand　that　word；〃　Hamadryad　replied；　〃then　I　probably　never　will。　Minerva　says　that　it　cannot　be　defined　in　Galacta　and　even　when　I　speak　Classic　English；　I　find　that　I　think　in　Galacta；　which　means　that　I　do　not　really　grasp　English。　Since　the　word　'love'　occurs　so　frequently　in　ancient　English　literature；　I　thought　my　failure