time enough for love-时间足够你爱(英文版)-第4部分

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　　〃Humph！〃　said　Lazarus。　〃Ira；　you　old　scoundrel；　you　have　me　convinced　that　you　reIlly　are　my　kin。　You　figured　that　I　would　not　suicide　without　hearing　…what　you　have　on　your　mind…once　I　knew　you　had　bothered　to　learn　a　dead　language　just　to　make　palaver。　All　right；　talk。　You　can　start　by　telling　me　what　I'm　doing　here。　I　know…I　know…that　I　didn't　apply　for　rejuvenation。　But　I　woke　up　here　with　the　job　already　half　over。　So　I　screamed　for　the　Chairman。　Okay；　why　am　I　here？〃
　　
　　〃May　we　start　further　back？　~ou　tell　me　what　you　were　doing　in　a　flophouse　in　the　worst　part　of　Old　Town。〃
　　
　　〃What　was　I　doing？　I　was　dying。　Quietly　and　decently；　like　a　worn…out　horse。　That　is；　I　was；　until　your　busybodies　grabbed　me。　Can　you　think　of　a　better　place　than　a　fiophouse　for　a　man　who　doesn't　want　to　be　disturbed　while　he's　busy　with　it？　If　his　cot　is　paid　for　in　advance；　they　leave　a　man　be。　Oh；　they　stole　what　little　I　had；　even　my　shoes。　But　I　expected　that…would　have　done　the　same　myself　under　the　same　circumstances。　And　the　sort　of　people　who　live　in　flophouses
　　
　　are　almost　always　kind　to　…those　……worse　。off　than　they　are…　any　of　'em…　will　fetch　a　drink　of　water　to　a　sick　man。　That　was　the　most　I　wanted…that　and　to　be　left　alone　to　close　out　my　account　in　my　own　way。　Until　your　busies　showed　up。　Tell　me；　bow　did　they　find　me…？'　…
　　
　　〃How…　we　found　you　is　not　the　surprising　part；　Lazarus；　but　the　fact　that　SecFor…the…　cops？…Yes；　'cops'…that　my　cops　took　so　long　to　identify　you；　then　find　you；　and　pick　you　up。　A　section　chief　lost　his　job　over　that。　I　don't　tolerate　inef
　　
　　ficiency。〃…
　　
　　〃So　you　busted　him。　Your　business。　But　why？　I　reached　Secundus　from　Out…Far；　and　I　didn't　think　I　had　left　any　back　trail。　Different　everything　since　the　last　time　I　was　in　touch　with　the　Families　。　。　as　I　bought　my　last　rejuvenation　on　Supreme。　Are　the　Families　swapping　data　with　Supreme　these　days？〃
　　
　　〃Heavens；　no；　Lazarus；　we　won't　even　give　them　a　polite　word。　There　is　a　strong　minority　among　the　Trustees　who　favor　rubbing　out　Supreme；　instead　of　simply　maintaining　embargo。〃
　　
　　〃Well　。　。　if　a　nova　bomb　hit　Supreme；　I　wouldn't　mourn　more　than　thirty　seconds。　But　I　did　have　a　reason　for　having　the　job　done　there；　even　though　I　had　to　pay　high　for　forced　cloning。　But　that's　another　story。　Son；　how　did　you　pick　me　up？〃
　　
　　〃Sir；　for　the　past　seventy　years　there　has　been　a　general　order　out　to　try　to　find　you；　not　just　here　but　on　every　pla　where　the　Families　maintain　offices。　As　to　how…do　you　recall　a　forced　inoculation　for　Reiber's　fever　at　Immigration？〃
　　
　　〃Yes。　I　was　annoyed；　but　it　didn't　seem　worthwhile　to　make　a　fuss；　I　knew　I　was　headed　for　that　fiophouse~　Ira；　I've　known　that　Ie。　That　was　okay；　I　was　ready　for　it。　But　I　didn't　want　to　do　it　alone；　out　in　space。　Wanted　human　voices　around　me；　and　body　odors。　Childish　of　me。　But　I　was　pretty　far　gone　by　the　time　I　grounded。〃
　　
　　〃Lazarus；　there　is　no　such　thing　as　Reiber's　fever。　When　a　man　grounds　on　Secundus　and　all　？outine　identifications　show　null；　'Reiber's　fever'　or　some　other　nonexistent　plague　is　used　as　an　excuse　to　get　a　little　tissue　from　him　while　injecting　him　with　sterile　neutral　saline。　You　should　never　have　been　allowed　to　leave　the　skyport　until　your　geic　pattern　was　identified。〃
　　
　　〃So？　What　do…you　do　when　ten　thousand　immigrants　arrive　in　one　ship？〃
　　
　　〃Herd　them　into　detention　barracks　until　we've　checked　them　out。　But　that　doesn't　happen　often　today　with　Old　Home　Terra　in　the　sorry　state　it's　in。　But　you；　Lazarus；　arriving　alone　in　a　private　yacht　worth　fifteen　to…　twenty　；million
　　
　　crowns…〃　…　…　……　…。~　…
　　
　　…　〃Make　that　'thirty。'〃…
　　
　　〃…worth　thirty　million　crowns。　How　many　men　in　the　Galaxy　can　do　that？　Of　those　who　can　afford　i~；　how　many　would　choose　to　travel　alone？　The　pattern　should　have　set　alarm　bells'ringing　in　the　…　minds　of　all　of　them。　Instead　they　took　your　tissue　and　accepted　your　statement　that　you　would　be　staying　at　the　Romulus　hilton　and　let　you　go~…~……and　no
　　
　　doubt　you　had　another　identity　before　dark。〃……
　　
　　〃Na　doubt　at　all；〃　…　Lazarus　agreed。　〃But　your　cops　b~ye　run　up　the　price　on　a　good　phony　set　of　ID's。　If　I　hadnt　beett　too　tired　to　bother；　I　would　have　forged　my　owl。　Safer。　Was　that　how　I　was　caught？　Did　you　squeeze　it　out　of　the
　　
　　paper　merchant？〃　…　…　…
　　
　　…　…　〃No；　we　never　found　him。　By　the　way；　…　you　might　let　me
　　
　　…　know　who　he　is；　SQ　that…〃…　…
　　
　　〃And　I　might　not；〃　Lazarus　said　sharply。　〃Not　ratting　on　him　…was　implicit　in　the　bargain。　It's　nothing　to　me　how　many　of　your　rul~s　he　breaks。　And…who　knows？…l　might　need　him　again。'　Certainly　someone　will　need　his　services；　some…　body　just　as　anxious　to　avoid　your　busies　as　I　was。　Ira；　no　doubt　you　mean　well　but　I　don't　like　setups　where　ID~s　are　necessary。　I　told　myself　centuries　back　to　stay　away　from。　places　croostly　I've　followed　that　rule。　Should　have　followed　it　this　time。　But　I　didn't　expect　to　need　any　identification　very　long。　Confoundit；　two　more　days　and　I　would　have　been　dead。　I　think。　How　did　you　catch　me？〃
　　
　　'~The　hard　way。　Once　I　knew　you　were　on　pla　I　stirred　things　up；　that　section　閔ief　wasn't　the　onlyj~nhappy　駘an~　But　you　disappeared　in　so　simple　a　tashion　that　you　baffled　the　entire　force。　My　security　chief　expressed　the　opinion　that　you　had　been　killed　and　your　body　disposed　of。　I　told　him　if
　　
　　…that　were　the　case；　he　had　better　start　thinking　about　oilpla　migration。〃　…　…
　　
　　…　〃Make　it　march！　1　want　to　know　how　I　goofed。〃
　　
　　…　〃I　would　not　say　that　you　goofed。　Lazarus；　since　you　managed　to　stay　hidden　with　every　cop　and　stoolie　on　this　globe
　　
　　looking　…　for　you。　But　I　felt　certain　that　you　had　not　been　killed。　Oh；　we　do　have　murders　on　Secundus；　especially　here　in　New…　Rome。　But　most　are　the　monplace　husband…wife　sort：　We　don't　have　many　for　gain　since　I　instituted　a　policy　of　making　the　punishment　fit　the　crime　and　holding　executions　in…　the　Colosseum。　ln　any　case　I　felt　certain　that　a　man　who　had　survived　…more　than　two　millennia　would　not　let　himself　be　killed　in　some　dark　alley。
　　
　　〃So　I　…　assumed　that　you　were　alive；　then　asked…　myself；。　'If　I　were　Lazarus　Long；　how　would　I　go　about　hiding？'　I　went　into　deep　meditation　and　thought　about　it。　Then　I　tried　to　retrace　your　steps；　so　far　as　we　knew　them。　By　the　way…〃
　　
　　The　Chairman　Pro　Tern　threw　back　his　shoulder　cloak；　took　out　a　large　sealed　envelope；　handed　it　to　Lazarus。…　〃Here　is　the　item　you　left　in　a　lockbox　at　Harriman　Trust。〃
　　
　　Lazarus　accepted　it。　〃It's　been　opened。〃
　　
　　〃By　me。　Prematurely；　I　admit…but　you　addressed　it　…&　me。　I　have　read　it　but　no　one　else　has。　And　now　I　will　forget　it。　Except　to　say　…　this：　I　am　unsurprised　that　you　left　your　wealth　…　to　the　Families　…　。　but　I　was　touched　that　you　assigned　your　yacht　to　the　personal　use　of　the　Chairman。　That's　a　…sweet　craft；　Lazarus；　I　lust　after　it　a　bit。　But　not　so　much　that　I　am　anxious　to　inherit　so　quickly。　But　I　undertook　to　explain　why　we　need　you…and　let　myself　get　sidetracked。？'
　　
　　…〃I'm　in　no　rush；　Ira。　Are　you？〃
　　
　　…　〃Me？　Sir；　1　have　no　duties　more　important　than　talking　with　the　Senior。　Besides；　my　staff…　runs　this　pla　more　efficiently　if　I　don't　supervise　them　too　closely。〃
　　
　　Lazarus　nodded　agreement。　〃That　was　always　my　system。　the　…　times　I　let　myself　get　involved。　Accept　the　whole　load；　then　shove　the　work　off　on　other　people　as　…fast　as　1　could　pick　'em。　Having　any　trouble　with　democrats　these　days？〃
　　
　　〃'Democrats'？　Oh…you　must　mean　'equllitarians。'　I　thought　at　first　you　meant　the　Church　of　the　Holy　Democrat~
　　
　　…We　leave　that　church　alone；　they　don't　meddle。　…　There　is　an　equalitarian　movement　every　few　years；　certainly；　under　various　names。　The　Freedom　Party；　the　League　of　the　Oppressed
　　
　　…names　don't　matter　as　they　all　want　to　turn　the　rascals　out；　starting　with　me；　and　put　their　own　rascals　in。　We　never　bother　them；　…we　simply　inifitrate；　then　some　night　we　round　up　the　ringleaders　and　their　families；　and　by　daylight　they　are　headed　out　as　involuntary　migrants。　Transportees。　'Living　on　Secundus　is　a　privilege；　not　a　right。'〃
　　
　　〃You're　quoting　me。〃
　　
　　〃Of　course。　Your　exact　words　from　the　contract　undet　which　you　deeded　Secundus　to　the　Foundation。　That　there　was…　to　be　no　government　on　this　pla　other　than　such　rules　as　the　current　chairman　found　necessary　to　maintain　order。　We've　stuck　to　our　agreement　with　you；　Senior；　I　am　sole　boss　until　the　Trustees　see　fit　to　replace　me。〃
　　
　　〃That's　what　I　intended；〃　Lazarus　agreed。　〃But…　Son；　it's　your　pidgin　and　I'll　never　touch　that　gavel　again…but　I　have　doubts　about　the　wisdom　of　getting　rid　of　troublemakers。　Every　loaf　needs　yeast。　A　society　that　gets　rid　of　all　its　troublemakers　goes　downhill。　Sheep。　Pyramid　builders　at　best；　decadent　savages　at　worst。　You　may　be　eliminating　your　creative　one…tenth　of　one　percent。　Your　yeast。〃
　　
　　〃I'm　afraid　we　are；　Senior；　and　that's　one　reason　why　we　need　you…〃
　　
　　〃I　said　I　won't　touch　that　gavel！〃　…
　　
　　〃Will　you　hear　me　out；　sir？　You　won't　be　asked　to；　even　thOugh　it　is　yours　by　ancient　custom　if　you　care　to　pick　it　up。　But　I　could　use　advice…〃
　　
　　〃I　don't　give　advice；　people　never　take　it。〃
　　
　　〃Sorry。　Perhajs　just　a　chance　to　talk　over　my　problems　with　a　person　more　experienced　than　I　am。　About　these　troublemakers…　We　haven't　eliminated　them　in　the　old　sense；　they're　still　alive；　or　most　of　them。　Ostracizing　a　man　to　another　pla　is　more　satisfactory　than　killing　him　for　the　technical　crime　…of　treason；　it　gets　rid　of…　him　without　making　his　neighbors　too　indignant。　Nor　have　we　wasted　him…them
　　
　　…as　we　are　using　them　to　conduct　an　experiment：　All　transportees　are　shipped　to　the　same　pla；　Felicity。　Do　you　happen　to　know　it？〃　…　…
　　
　　…　〃Not　by　that　name。〃
　　
　　〃I　think　you　would　have　stumbled　on　it　only　by　accident；　sir；　we　have　kept　it　out　of　public　records　in　order　to　use　it　as　a　Botany　Bay。　It　is　not　as　good　a　pla　as　the　name　suggests；　but　it　is　a　good　one；　roughly　equivalent　to　Old