time enough for love-时间足够你爱(英文版)-第41部分

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and　error　and　many　bruises　over　the　centuries：　never　bed　a　female　dependent　on　me　unless　I　am　married　to　her　or　willing　to　marry　her。　This　is　an　amoral　rule　of　thumb；　subject　to　change　according　to　circumstances　and　not　applying　to　females　not　dependent　on　me…another　negotiation　entirely。　But　this　rule　is　a　safety　precaution　applicable　most　times　and　places　with　widely　varying　customs…a　safety　measure　for　me　。　。　because；　unlike　tha？　lady　from　Boston　I　told　you　about；　many　females　tend　to　regard　copulation　as　a　formal　proposal　of　contract。
　　
　　I　had　let　impulse　lure　me　into　a　predicament　in　which　Llita　was　temporarily　my　dependent；　I　had　no　intention　of　making　matters　worse　by　marrying　her；　I　didn't　owe　her　that。　Minerva；　long…lifers　should　never　marry　ephemerals；　it　is　not　fair　to　the　ephemeral　or　to　the　long…lifer。
　　
　　Nevertheless；　once　you　pick　up　a　stray　cat　and　feed　it；　you　cannot　abandon　it。　Self…love　forbids　it。　The　cat's　welfare　bees　essential　to　your　own　peace　of　mind…even　when　it's　a　bloody　nuisance　not　to　break　faith　with　the　cat。　Having　bought　these　kids　I　could　not　shuck　them　off　by　manumission；　I　had　to　plan　their　future…because　they　did　not　know　how。　They　were　stray　cats。
　　
　　Early　next　〃morning〃　（by　ship's　routine）　Captain　Sheffield　got　up；　unlocked　the　freedwoman's　stateroom；　found　her　asleep。　He　called　her　and　told　her　to　get　up；　wash　quickly；　then　get　breakfast　for　three。　He　left　to　wake　her　brother；　found　his　stateroom　empty；　found　him　in　the　galley。　〃Good　morning；　Joe。〃
　　
　　The　freedman　jumped。　〃Oh！　Good　morning；　Master。〃　He　ducked　and　bent　his　knee。
　　
　　〃Joe；　the　correct　answer　is：　'Good　morning；　Captain。'　It　amounts　to　the　same　thing　at　present；　for　I　am　indeed　master　of　this　ship　and　everyone　in　it。　But　when　you　leave　my　ship　on　Valhalla；　you　will　have　no　master　of　any　sort。　None；　as　I　explained　yesterday。　Meanwhile；　call　me　'Captain。'〃
　　
　　〃Yes　。　。　Captain。〃　The　young　man　repeated　obeisance。
　　
　　〃Don't　bow！　When　you　speak　to　me；　stand　tall　and　straight　and　proud；　and　look　me　in　the　eye。　The　correct　answer　to　an　order　is　'Aye　aye；　Captain。'　What　are　you　doing　there？〃
　　
　　〃Uh；　I　don't　know…Captain's
　　
　　〃I　don't　think　you　do；　either。　That's　enough　coffee　for　a　dozen　people。〃　Sheffield　elbowed　Joe　aside；　salvaged　most　of　the　coffee　crystals　the　lad　had　poured　into　a　bowl；　measured　enough　for　nine　cups；　made　note　to　teach　the　girl　how　if　she　did　not　know；　then　have　her　keep　coffee　ready　during　working　hours。
　　
　　As　he　sat　down　with　his　first　cup　of　coffee；　she　appeared。　Her　eyes　were　red　and　had　circles　under　them；　he　suspected　that　she　had　wept　some　more　that　morning。　But　he　made　no　ment　other　than　a　morning　greeting　and　let　her　cope　with　the　galley　unassisted；　she　having　seen　what　he　had　done　the　morning　before。
　　
　　Shortly　he　was　recalling　fondly　the　scratch　lunch　and　supper…sandwiches　he　had　made　himself　the　day　before。　But　he　said　nothing　other　than　to　order　them　to　sit　down　and　eat　with　him；　rather　than　hovering　over　him。　Breakfast　was　mostly　coffee；　cold　ship's　bread；　tinned　butter。　Reconstituted　accra　eggs　with　mushrooms　were　an　nedible　mess；　and　she　had　managed　to　do　something　to　heavenfruit　juice。　To　spoil　that　took　talent；　all　it　needed　was　eight　parts　of　cold　water　for　each　part　of　concentrate；　and　the　instructions　were　on　the　container。
　　
　　〃Llita；　can　you　read？〃
　　
　　〃No；　Master。〃
　　
　　〃Make　that　'Captain；'　instead。　How　about　you；　Joe？〃
　　
　　〃No；　Captain。〃
　　
　　〃Arithmetic？　Numbers？〃
　　
　　〃Oh；　yes；　Captain；　I　know　numbers。　Two　and　two　is　four；　two　and　three　makes　five；　and　three　and　five　is　nine…〃
　　
　　His　sister　corrected　him。　〃Seven；　Josie…not　nine。〃
　　
　　〃That's　enough；〃　Sheffield　said。　〃I　can　see　we'll　be　busy。〃　He　thought；　while　he　hummed：　〃So　it's　well　to　。　。　Have　a　sister　。　。　Or　even　an　old　captain…〃　He　added　aloud：　〃When　you　have　finished　breakfast；　take　care　of　your　pessonal　needs；　then　tidy　your　rooms…shipshape　and　neatly；　I'll　inspect　later…and　make　the　bed　in　my　cabin；　but　don't　touch　anything　else　there；　especially　my　desk。　Then　each　of　you　take　a　bath。　Yes；　that's　what　I　said：　Bathe。　Aboard　ship　everyone　bathes　every　day；　oftener　if　you　wish。　There　is　plenty　of　pure　water；　we　recycle　it　and　we'll　finish　the　voyage　with　thousands　of　liters　more　than　we　started　with。　Don't　ask　why；　that's　the　way　it　works　and　I'll　explain　later。〃　（Several　months　later；　at　least…to　youngsters　unsure　about　three　plus　five。）　〃When　you're　through；　say；　an　hour　and　a　half　from　now…Joe；　can　you　read　a　clock？〃
　　
　　Joe　stared　at　the　old…fashioned　ship's　clock　m？unted　on　a　bulkhead。　〃I'm　not　sure；　Captain。　That　one　has　too　many　numbers。〃
　　
　　〃Oh；　yes；　of　course；　Blessed　is　on　another　system。　Try　to　be　back　here　when　the　little　hand　is　straight　out　to　the　left　and　the　big　hand　is　straight　up。　But　this　time　it　doesn't　matter　if　you　are　late；　it　takes　awhile　to　shake　down。　Don't　neglect　your　baths　to　be　on　time。　Joe；　shampoo　your　head。　Llita；　lean　toward　me；　dear；　let　me　sniff　your　hair。　Yes；　you　shampoo；　too。〃　（Were　there　hair　s　aboard？　If　he　cut　the　pseudogravity　and　let　them　go　free…fall；　they　would　need　hair　s…or　haircuts。　A　haircut　would　not　hurt　Joe；　but　his　sister's　long　black　hair　was　her　best　feature…would　help　her　catch　a　husband　on　Valhalla。　Oh；　well；　if　there　were　no　hair　s…he　didn't　think　there　were；　as　he　kept　his　own　hair；　free…fall　short…the　girl　could　braid　her　hair　and　tie　something　around　it。　Could　he　spare　power　to　maintain　an　eighth　gee　all　the　way？　People　not　used~to　free…fall　got　flabby；　could　even　damage　their　bodies。
　　
　　（Don't　worry　about　it　now。）　〃Get　our　quarters　tidy；　get　clean　yourselves；　e　back　here。　Git。〃
　　
　　He　made　a　list：　Set　up　a　schedule　of　duties…N。B。：　Teach　them　to　cook！
　　
　　Start　school：　What　subjects？
　　
　　Basic　arithmetic；　obviously…but　don't　bother　to　teach　them　to　read　that　jargon　spoken　on　Blessed；　they　were　never　going　back　there…never！　But　that　jargon　would　have　to　be　ship's　language　until　he　had　them　speaking　Galacta；　and　they　must　learn　to　read　and　write　in　it…and　English；　too：　Many　books　he　would　have　to　use　for　their　hurry…up　education　were　in　English。　Did　he　have　tapes　for　the　variation　of　Galacta　spoken　on　Valhalla？　Well；　kids　their　age　quickly　picked　up　local　accent　and　idiom　and　vocabulary。
　　
　　What　was　far　more　important　was　how　to　heal　their　stunted；　uh；　〃souls。〃　Their　personalities…how　could　he　take　full…grown　domestic　animals　and　turn　them　into　able；　happy　human　beings；　educated　in　every　needful　way　and　capable　of　peting　in　a　free　society？　Willing　to　pete；　undismayed　by　it…He　was　just　beginning　to　see　the　size　of　the　〃stray　cat〃　problem　he　had　taken　on。　Was　he　going　to　have　to　keep　them　as　pets　for　fifty　or　sixty　years　or　whatever；　until　they　died　naturally？
　　
　　Long；　long　before　that；　the　boy　Woodie　Smith　had　found　a　half…dead　fox　kit　in　the　woods；　apparently　lost　by　its　mother；　or　perhaps　the　vixen　was　dead。　He　took　it　home；　nursed　it　with　a　bottle；　raised　it　in　a　cage　through　one　winter。　In　the　spring　he　took　it　back　where　he　had　found　it；　left　it　there　in　the　cage　with　the　door　latched　open。
　　
　　He　checked　a　few　days　later；　intending　to　salvage　the　cage。
　　
　　He　found　the　creature　cowering　in　the　cage；　half　starved　and　horribly　dehydrated…with　the　door　still　latched　open。　He　took　it　home；　again　nursed　it　back　to　health；　built　a　chickenwire　run　for　it；　and　never　again　tried　to　turn　it　loose。　In　the　words　of　his　grandfather；　〃The　poor　critter　had　never　had　a　chance　to　learn　how　to　be　a　fox。〃
　　
　　第23节
　　
　　Could　he　teach　these　cowed　and　ignorant　animals　how　to　be　human？
　　
　　They　returned　to　his　wardroom　when　〃the　little　hand　was　straight　out　and　the　big　hand　was　straight　up〃…they　waited　outside　the　door　until　this　was　so；　and　Captain　Sheffield　pretended　not　to　notice。
　　
　　But　when　they　came　in；　he　glanced　at　the　clock　and　said；　〃Right　on　time…good！　You've　certainly　shampooed；　but　remind　me　to　find　bs　for　you。〃　（What　other　toilet　articles　did　they　need？　Would　he　have　to　teach　them　how　to　use　them？　And…oh；　damn　it！…was　there　anything　in　the　ship　for　a　woman's　menstrual　needs？　What　could　be　improvised？　Well；　with　luck　that　problem　would　hold　off　a　few　days。　No　point　in　asking　her；　she　couldn't　add。　Tarnation；　the　ship　was　not　equipped　for　passengers。）
　　
　　〃Sit　down。　No；　wait　a　moment。　e　here；　dear。〃　It　seemed　to　the　Captain　that　the　garment　she　wore　was　clinging　suspiciously；　he　felt　it；　it　was　wet。　〃Did　you　leave　that　on　when　you　bathed？〃
　　
　　〃No；　Mas…　No；　Captain；　I　washed　it。〃
　　
　　〃I　see。〃　He　recalled　that　its　gaudy　pattern　had　been　enhanced　by　coffee　and　other　things　while　the　girl　was　botching　breakfast。　〃Take　it　off　and　hang　it　somewhere；　don't　let　it　dry　on　your　body。〃
　　
　　She　started　slowly　to　ply。　Her　chin　quivered…and　he　recalled　how　she　had　admired　herself　in　a　tall　mirror　when　he　bought　it　for　her。　〃Wait　a　moment；　Llita。　Joe；　take　off　your　breechclout。　And　sandals。〃
　　
　　The　lad　plied　at　once。
　　
　　〃Thank　you；　Joe。　Don't　put　that　clout　back　on　without　washing　it；　by　now　it's　dirty　even　though　it　looks　clean。　Don　wear　it　under　way　unless　it　suits　you。　You　sit　down。　Uh；　were　you　wearing　anything　when　I　***bosight***　you？〃
　　
　　〃No　。　。　Captain。〃〃Am　I　wearing　anything　now？〃　〃No；　Captain。〃
　　
　　〃There　are　times　and　places　to　wear　clothes…and　othe　times　and　places　when　clothes　are　silly。　If　this　were　a　passenger　ship；　we　would　all　wear　clothes　and　I　would　wear　fancy　uniform。　But　it　is　not；　and　there　is　nobody　here　but　m　and　your　brother。　See　that　instrument　there？　That's　a　thermic　humidostat　which　tells　the　ship's　puter　to　hold　the　temperature　at　twenty…seven　Celsius　and　forty　percent　humidity　with　random　variation　to　stimulate　us…which　may　not　mean　anything　to　you　but　is　my　notion　of　fort　in　bare　skin。　For　an　hour　each　afternoon　it　drops　that　temperature　to　encourage　exercise；　as　flab　is　the　curse　of　shipboard　life。
　　
　　〃If　that　cycle　doesn't　suit　you　two；　we'll　reach　a　promise。　But　first　we'll　try　it　my　way。　Now　about　that　wet　rag　plastered　to　your　hips…If　you　are　stupid；　you'll　let　i