time enough for love-时间足够你爱(英文版)-第31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！


e　understood　by　anyone　who　has　not　experienced　it。　It's　like　the　ancient　dilemma　of　explaining　a　rainbow　to　a　person　blind　from　birth。　Yes；　Ishtar；　I　know　that　you　can　fit　such　a　person　with　cloned　…eyes　today…but　that　dilemma　was　inescapable　in　my　youth。　In　those　days　one　could　teach　such　an　unfortunate　all　the　physical　theory　of　the　electromagic　spectrum；　tell　him　precisely　an　eye　can　pick　up；　define　colors　to　him　in　terms　of　those　frequencies；　explain　exactly　how　the　mechanisms　of　refraction　and　reflection　produce　a　rainbow　ima~and　what　its　shape　is　and　how　the　frequencies　are　distributed　until　he　knew　all　about　rainbows　in　the　scientific　sense　。　…　but　you　still　couldn't　make　him　feel　the　breathless　wonder　that　the　sight　of　a　rainbow　inspires　in　a　man。　Minerva　is　better　off　than　that　man；　because　she　can　see。　Minerva　dear；　do　you　ever　look　at　rainbows？〃　…
　　
　　〃Whenever　possible；　Lazarus。　Whenever　one　of　my　sensor　extensionals　can　see　one。　Fascinating！〃
　　
　　〃That's　it。　Minerva　can　see　a　rainbow；　a　blind　man　can't。　Electromagic　Theory　is　irrelevant　to　the　experience。〃
　　
　　〃Lazarus；〃　Minerva　added；　〃it　may　be　that　I　can　see　a　rainbow　better　than　a　flesh…and…blood　can。　My　visual　range　is　three　…octaves；　fifteen　hundred　to　twelve　thousand　angstroms。〃
　　
　　Lazarus　whistled。　〃Whereas　I　chop　off　just　short　of　one　octave。　Tell　me；　girl；　do　you　see　chords　in　those　colors？〃
　　
　　〃Oh；　certainly！〃
　　
　　〃Hmm！　Don't　try　to　explain　to　me　those　othe'P　colors；　I'll　have　to　go　on　being　half　blind。〃　…
　　
　　Lazarus　added；　〃Puts　me　in　mind　of　a　blind　man　I　knew　on　Mars；　Ira；　when　I　was　managing　that；　uh；　recreation　center。　He…〃
　　
　　〃Gramp；〃　the　Chainnan　Pro　Tem　interrupted　in　a　tired　voice；　〃don't　treat　us　as　children。　Surely；　you're　the　oldest
　　
　　man　alive　…。　。　but　the　youngest　person　…　here…that　offspring　of　mine　sitting　there；　making　cow…eyes　at　you…is　as　old　as　Gramp　Johnson　was　when　you　last　saw　him；　Hamadryad　will　be　~eighty　her　next　birthday。　Ham；　my　darling；　how　many　paramours　have　you　had？〃
　　
　　〃Goodness；　Ira…who　counts？〃…
　　
　　〃Ever　taken　money　for　it？〃
　　
　　〃None　of　your　business；　Father。　Or　were　you　about　to　offer　me　some？〃　…　…
　　
　　〃Don't　be　flip；　dear；　I'm　still　your　father。　Lazarus；　do　you　think　you　can　shock　Hamadryad　by　plain　talk？　Prostitution　isn't　big　business　here；　there　are　too　many　amateurs　as　willin…g　as　she　is。　Nevertheless；　the　few　bordellos　we　have　in　New　Rome　are　members　of　the　Chamber　of　merce。　But　you　should　try　one　of　our　better　holiday　houses…say；　the　Elysium。　After　you　are　fully　rejuvenated。〃
　　
　　〃Good　idea；〃　agreed　Galahad。　〃To　celebrate。　As　soon　as　Ishtar　gives　you　your　final　physical　check。　As　my　guest；　Grandfather；　I'd　be　honored。　The　Elysium　has　everything；　from　massage　and　hypnotic　conditioning　to　the　be；sI~　gourmet　food　and　best　shows。　Or　name　it　and　they'll　supply　it。〃　；　…。
　　
　　〃Wait　a　moment；〃　protested　Hamadryad。　〃Don't　be~selfish　arsfardel；　Galahad。　We'll　make　it　a　foursome　celebration
　　
　　Ishtar？〃……
　　
　　〃Certainly；　dear。　Fun。〃…；。
　　
　　〃Or　a　sixsome；　with　a　'panion　for　Ira~　Father？〃
　　
　　〃I　could　be　tempted；　dear；　for　Lazarus'　birthday　party…　although　you　know　I　usually　avoid　public　places。　How　manyrejuvenations；　Lazarus？　That's　how…　we　count　this　sort　of　birthday　party。〃
　　
　　〃Don't　be　nosy；　Bub。　As　your　daughter　says：　'Who　counts？'　Wouldn't　mind　a　birthday　cake；　such　as　I　used　to　have　a~　a　child。　But　just　one　ca~4le　in　the　middle　is　enough。〃
　　
　　〃A　phallic　symbol；〃　agreed　Galahad。　〃An　ancient　fertility　sign…appropriate　for　a　rejuvenation。　And　its　flame　is　an　equally　ancient　symbol　of　life。　It　should　be　a　working　candle；　not　a　fake。　If　we　can　fled　one。〃　…
　　
　　lshtar　looked　happy。　〃Of　course！　There　must　be　a　candlemaker　somewhere。　If　not；　I'll　learn　how　and　make　it　myself。　I'll　design　it；　too…semirealistic　but　somewhat　stylized。　Although　I　could　make　it　true　portraiture；　Grandfather；　I'm　a　fair　amateur　sculptor；　I　learned　it　when　I　studied　cosmetic　surgery。〃
　　
　　〃Wait　a　minute！〃　Lazarus　protested。　〃All　I　want　is　a　plain
　　
　　wax　candle…then　blow　it　out　and　make　a　wish。　Thank　you；　Ishtar；　but　don't　botber。　And　thanks；　Galahad；　but　I'll　pick　up　the　tab…although　it　may　be　a　family　party　right　here；　where　Ira　won't　feel　like　a　duck　in　a　shooting　gallery。　Look；　kids；　I've　seen　every　possible　type　of　joy　house　and　pleasure　dome。　Happiness　is　in　the　heart；　not　in　that　stuff。〃
　　
　　〃L？zarus；　can't　you　see　that　the　kids　want　to　treat　you　to　a　fancy　party？　They　like　you…though　Prime　Cause　alone　knows　why~〃
　　
　　〃Well…〃…
　　
　　〃But　there　might　be　no　tab。　I　think　I　recall　something　'from　that　list　appended　to　your　will。　Minerva…who　owns　the
　　
　　Elysiuxn？〃　……
　　
　　〃It　is　a　daughter　corporation　of　Service　Enterprises　of　New　Rome；　Limited；　which　in　turn　is　owned　by　Sheffield…Libby　Associates。　In　short；　Lazarus　owns　it。〃
　　
　　…　〃Be　damned！　Who　invested　my　money　in　that？　Andy　Libby；　bless　his　sweet　shy　soul；　would　be　spinning　in　his　grave…if　I　hadn't　placed　him　spinning　in　orbit　around　the　last　pla　we　discovered　together；　where　he　was　killed。〃
　　
　　〃Lazarus；　that's　not　in　your　memoirs。〃
　　
　　〃lEa；　I　keep　telling　you；　lots　of　things　not　in　my　memoirs。　Poor　little　guy　got　to　thinking　one　of　his　deep　thoughts　and　didn't　stay　alert。　I　put　him　in　orbit　because　I　promised　him；　when　he　was　dying；　to　take　him　back　to　his　native　Ozarks。　Tried　to；　about　a　hundred　years　later；　but　couldn't　find　him。　Beacon　dead；　I　suppose。　All　right；　kids；　we'll　have　a　party　at　my　happy　house　and　you　can　sample　anything　the　place　has　to　offer。　Where　were　we？　Ira；　you　were　about　to　define　'love。'〃
　　
　　〃No；　you　were　about　to　tell　us　about　a　blind　man　on　Mars；　when　you　were　managing　that　whorehouse。〃
　　
　　〃Ira；　you're　as　crude　as　Gramp　Johnson　was。　This　guy　'Noisy'…don't　recall　his　right　name；　if　he　had　one…Noisy　was　one　of　those　people　like　yourself　who　just　will　work；　regardless。　A　blind　man　could　get　by　in　those　days　quite　well　by　begging；　and　nobody　thought　the　less　of　him；　since　there　was　no　way　then　to　restore　a　man's　sight。
　　
　　〃But　Noisy　wasn't　content　to　live　off　other　people；　he
　　
　　…　worked　at　what　he　could　do。　Played　a　squeeze　box　and　sang。　That　was　an　instrument　operated　by　bellows　which　forced　air　over　reeds　as　you　touched　keys　on　it…quite　pretty　music。　They　were　popular　until　electronics　pushed　most　mechamcal　music　makers　off　the　market。
　　
　　〃Noisy　showed　up　one　night；　skinned　out　of　his　pressure　suit　at　the　lock　dressing　room；　and　was　playing　and　singing　before　I　knew　he　was　inside。
　　
　　。〃My　policy　was　'Trade；　Treat；　or　Travel'…except　that　the　house　might　buy　a　beer　for　an　old　customer　who　temporarily　wasn't　holding。　But　Noisy　was　not　…a　customer；　he　was　a　bum
　　
　　…looked　and　smelled　like　a　bum；　and　I　was　about　to　give　him　the　…　bum's　rush。　Then　I　saw　this　rag　around　his　eyes　and　skidded　to　a　stop。
　　
　　〃Nobody　throws　out　a　blind　man。　'Nobody　makes…　any　trouble　for　him。　I　kept　an　eye　on　him　but　left　him　alone。　He　didn't　even　sit　down。　Just　played　this　broken…down　stomachSteinway　and　sang；　neither　very　well；　and　I　laid　off　the　piate　not　to　interrupt　him。　One　of　…the　girls　started　passing　the　hat　for　him。
　　
　　〃When　he　reached　my　table；　I　invited　him　to　sit　and　bought　him　a　beer…and　regretted　it；　he　was　pretty　whiff。　He　thanked　me　and　told　me　about　himself。　Ues；　mostly。〃
　　
　　〃Like　yours；　Gramp？〃　…
　　
　　〃Thanks；　Ira。　Said　he　had　been　chief　engineer　in　one　of　the　big　Harriman　liners；　until　his　accident。…　Maybe　he　had　been　a　spaceman；　I　never　caught　him　out　in　the　lingo。　Not　that　I　tried。　If　a　blind　man　wanted　to　claim　he　was　the　right…
　　
　　…　ful　heir　to　the　Holy　Roman　Empire；　I　would　go　along　with　the　gag…anybody　would。…　Perhaps…　he　was　some　sort　of　spacegoing　mechanic；　shipfltter　or　something。　More　likely　he　was　a　transported　miner　who　had　been　nareless　using　powder。
　　
　　〃When　I　checked　the　place　at　closing　time；　I　found　him　sleeping　in　the　kitchen。　Couldn't　have　that；　we　ran　a　sanitary　mess。　So　I　led　him　to　a　vacant　room　and　put　him　to　bed；　intending　to　give　him　breakfast　and　ease　him　gently　on　his　way…。…I　wasn't　running　a　flophouse。
　　
　　〃A　lot　I　had　to　say　about　it。　I　saw　him　at　breakfast　all　right。　But　I　hardly　recognized　him。　A　couple　of　the　girls　had　given　him　a　bath；　trimmed　his　hair；　and　shaved　him；　and　had　dressed　him　in　clean　…　clothes…mine…and　had　thrown　away　the　dirty　rag　he　had　worn　over　his　ruined　eyes　and　had　replaced　it　with　a　clean　white　bandage。
　　
　　〃Kinfolk；　I　do　not　fight　the　weather。　The　girls　were　free　to　keep　pets；　I　knew　what　fetched　the　customers；　…and？it　wasn't　my　piate　playing。　If　that　pet　stood　on　two　legs　and　ate　more　than　I　did；　I　still　did　not　argue。　Hormone　Hall　was　Noisy's　home　as　long　as　the　girls　wanted　to　keep　him。
　　
　　〃But　it　took　me　a　while　to　realize　that　Noisy　was　not　just
　　
　　a　parasite　enjoying　free　room　and　board；　and　probably　our　stock…in…trade　as　well；　while　siphoning　off　cash　from　our　customers…no；　he　was　pulling　his　weight　in　the　boat。　My　books　at　the　end　of　the　first　month　he　was　with　us　showed　the　gross　profit　up　and　the　　way　up。〃
　　
　　〃How　do　you　account　for　that；　Lazarus？　Inasmuch　as　he　was　peting　for　your　customers'　cash。〃
　　
　　〃Ira；　must　I　do　all　your　thinking　for　you？　No；　Minerva　does　most　of　it。　But　it　is　possible　that　you　have　never　thought　about　the　economics　of　that　sort　of　joint。　There　are　three　sources　of　gross；　the　bar；　the　kitchen；　and　the　girls　themselves。　No　drugs…drugs　spoil　the　three　main　sources。　If　a　customer　was　on　drugs　and　showed　it；　or　even　broke　out　a　stick　of　kish；　I　eased　him　out　quickly　and　sent　him　down　the　line　to　the　Chinaman's。
　　
　　〃The　kitchen　was　to　supply　meals　to　the　girls…who　were　assessed　room　and　board　on　a　break…even　or　lose…a…little　basis。　But　it　also　served　food　all　night　to　anyone　who　ordered　it；　and　showed　a　　since　we　had　its　overhead　covered　anyhow　to　board　the　girls。　The　bar　also　showed　a　　after　I　fired　one　barkeep　with　three　hands。　The　girls　kept　their　gross；　all　the　traffic　would　bear；　but　they　paid　the　house　a　flat　fee　for　e