time enough for love-时间足够你爱(英文版)-第50部分

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e　here　a　bunch　of　nonsense　from　a　lawyer；　along　with　a　ridiculous　draft。　If　I　could　reach　you；　dear；　I　would　paddle　you。　Better
　　
　　let　me　talk　with　Joe。〃
　　
　　She　smiled　happily　and　told　me　that　I　was　wele　to　paddle　her　any　time　and　that　I　could　talk　to　Joe　in　a　moment　but　that　he　was　locking　tip。　Then　she　stopped　smiling　and　said　with　sober　dignity；　〃Aaron；　our　oldest　and　dearest　friend；　that　draft　is　not　ridiculous。　Some　debts　cannot　be　paid。　So　you　taught　me；　years　ago。　But　the　money　part　of　a　debt　can　be　paid。　This　we　are　doing；　as　closely　as　we　have　been　able　to　figure　it。〃
　　
　　I　said；　〃God　damn　it；　you　stupid　little　bitch；　you　kids　don't　owe　me　a　bloody　penny！〃…or　words　to　that　effect。
　　
　　She　answered；　〃Aaron；　our　beloved　master…〃
　　
　　At　the　word　〃master〃　I　blew　my　overloads；　Minerva。　I　used　language　guaranteed　to　scorch　the　hide　of　the　lead　mules　in　a　team　of　six。
　　
　　She　let　me　run　down；　then　said　softly；　〃Our　master　until　you　free　us　by　letting　us　pay　this…Captain。〃
　　
　　Dear；　I　skidded　to　a　halt。
　　
　　She　added；　〃But　e？en　then　you　will　still　be　our　master　in　my　heart；　Captain。　And　in　Joe's　heart；　I　know。　Even　though　we　stand　free　and　proud；　as　you　taught　us。　Even　though…thanks　always　to　you…our　children；　and　the　children　I　still　will　bear；　will　never　know　that　we　were　ever　anything　but　free　。　。　and　proud。〃
　　
　　I　said；　〃Dear；　you're　making　me　cry。〃
　　
　　She　said；　〃No；　no！　The　Captain　never　cries。〃
　　
　　I　said；　〃A　lot　you　know　about　it；　wench。　I　weep。　But　in　my　cabin…with　the　door　locked。　Dear；　I　won't　argue。　If　this　is　what　it　takes　to　make　you　kids　feel　free；　I'll　take　it。　But　just　the　base　sum；　no　interest。　Not　from　friends。〃
　　
　　〃We　are　more　than　friends；　Captain。　And　less。　Interest　on　a　debt　is　always　paid…you　taught　me。　But　I　knew　that　in　my　heart　when　I　was　only　an　ignorant　slave；　freshly　manumitted。　Joseph　knew　it；　too。　I　tried　to　pay　interest；　sir。　But　you　would　not　have　me。〃
　　
　　I　changed　the　subject。　〃What　is　this　blinking　foundation　that　gets　the　bucks　if　I　refuse　them？〃
　　
　　She　hesitated。　〃We　planned　to　leave　that　up　to　you；　Aaron。　But　we　thought　it　might　go　to　orphans　of　spacemen。　Perhaps　the　Harriman　Memorial　Refuge。〃
　　
　　〃You're　both　crazy。　That　fund　is　bulging；　and　I　know　it。　Look；　if　I　go　to　town　tomorrow；　can　you　shut　down　that　***ptomaine***　trap　for　a　day？　Or　perhaps　NeilsdayT'
　　
　　〃Any　day　and　as　many　days　as　you　wish；　dear　Aaron〃…　so　I　said　I　would　call　back。
　　
　　Minerva~I　needed　time　to　think。　Joe　was　no　problem；　he　never　was。　But　Llita　was　stubborn。　I　had　offered　to　promise；　she　had　not　budged　a　millimeter。　It　was　the　interest　that　made　it　such　a　horrid　sum；　for　them…two　strivers　who　had　started　with　a　couple　of　thousand　bucks　thirteen　years　back　and　were　raising　three　kids　by　then。
　　
　　pound　interest　is　murder。　The　sum　she　claimed　they　owed　me…the　amount　of　that　draft…was　more　than　two　and　a　half　times　the　base　sum　。　。　。　and　I　couldn't　see　how　they　had　saved　even　that。　But；　had　I　been　able　to　get　her　to　agree　on　the　base　amount　and　forget　pound　interest；　they　would　still　have　a　nice　chunk　of　capital　to　expand　again…and　if　it　took　giving　the　smaller　sum　to　orphaned　spacemen　or　spacemen's　orphans　or　indignant　cats　to　make　them　feel　proud；　I　could　understand　how　it　would　be　a　bargain　in　their　eyes。　I　had　taught　them　myself；　hadn't　I？　I　once　dropped　ten　times　that　amount　rather　than　argue　over　whether　cards　had　been　cut…then　slept　that　night　in　a　graveyard。
　　
　　I　wondered　if；　in　her　sweetly　devious　mind；　she　was　paying　me　back　for　having　dragged　her　out　of　my　bed　one　night　fourteen　years　earlier。　I　wondered　what　she　would　do　if　I　made　a　counteroffer　to　accept　the　base　sum　and　let　her　〃pay　the　interest〃　…her　own　way。　Shucks；　she　would　probably　be　on　ber　back　before　you　could　say　〃Contraception。〃
　　
　　Which　would　solve　nothing。
　　
　　Since　she　had　turned　down　my　promise；　we　were　back　where　we　had　started。　She　was　determined　to　pay　it　all…or　give　it　away　pointlessly…and　I　was　not　going　to　let　her　do　either　one；　I　can　be　stubborn；　too。
　　
　　There　had　to　be　a　way　to　do　both。
　　
　　At　dinner　that　night；　after　the　servants　withdrew；　I　told　Laura　I　was　going　to　town　on　business…would　she　like　to　e　along？　Shop　while　I　was　busy；　then　dine　wherever　she　liked；　then　any　fun　that　appealed　to　her。　Laura　was　pregnant　again；　I　thought　she　might　enjoy　a　day　wasting　money　on　clothes。
　　
　　Not　that　I　planned　to　have　her　along　at　the　ing　row　with　Llita；　officially　Joseph　and　Estelle　Long　and　their　oldest　child　had　been　born　on　Valhalla；　we　had　bee　friends　when　they　had　taken　passage　in　my　ship。　I　had　fleshed　out　that　story　and　coached　the　kids　in　it　on　the　leg　to　Landfall；　and　had　them　study　sound…sight　tapes　from　Torheim…ones　which　turned　them　into　synthetic　Vaihallans　unless　questioned　too　closely　by　real　Vaihallans。
　　
　　This　fakery　was　not　utterly　necessary　as　Landfall　had　an　open…door　policy；　an　immigrant　did　not　even　have　to　register…he　could　sink　or　swim。　No　landing　fee；　no　head　tax；　not　much　taxation　of　any　sort；　or　much　government；　and　New　Canaveral；　the　third　biggest　city；　was　only　a　hundred　thousand…Landfall　was　a　good　place　to　be　in　those　day？。
　　
　　But　I　had　Joe　and　Llita　do　it　that　way　both　for　them　and　for　their　kids。　I　wanted　them　to　forget　that　they　had　ever　been　slaves；　never　talk　about　it；　never　let　their　kids　know　it…and　at　the　same　time；　bury　the　fact　that　they　had　been；　in　some　odd　fashion；　brother　and　sister。　There　is　nothing　shameful　in　being　born　a　slave　（not　for　the　slave！）；　nor　was　there　any　reason　why　diploid　plements　should　not　marry。　But　forget　it…~start　over。　Joseph　Long　had　married　Stjerne　Svensdatter　（name　Anglicized　to　〃Estelle；〃　with　the　nickname　Yeetah　from　babyhood）；　they　had　married　when　he　finished　apprenticeship　to　a　chef；　they　had　migrated　after　their　first　child。　The　story　was　simple　and　unassailable；　and　put　the　polish　on　my　only　attempt　at　playing　Pygmalion。　I　had　seen　no　reason　to　give　my　new　wife　any　but　the　official　version。　Laura　knew　they　were　my　friends；　she　was　gracious　to　them　on　my　account；　then　had　e　to　like　them　on　their　own　account。
　　
　　Laura　was　a　good　gal；　Minerva；　good　pany　in　bed　and　out；　and　she　had　the　Howard　virtue；　even　on　her　first　marriage；　of　not　trying　to　smother　her　spouse…most　Howards　need　at　least　one　marriage　to　learn　it。　She　knew　who　I　was…the　Senior…as　our　marriage　and　later　our　kids　were　registered　with　the　Archives；　just　as　had　been　my　marriage　to　her　grandmother；　and　the　offspring　from　that。　But　she　did　not　treat　me　as　a　thousand　years　older　than　she　y　past　lives…simply　listened　if　I　felt　like　talking。
　　
　　I　don't　blame　her　for　that　lawsuit；　Roger　Sperling　cooked　that　up；　the　greedy　son　of　a　sow。
　　
　　Laura　said；　〃If　you　don't　mind；　dear；　I'll　stay　home。　I　would　rather　splurge　on　clothes　after　I　slim　down。　As　for　dinner；　there　isn't　a　restaurant　in　New　Canaveral　that　can　match　what　Thomas　does　for　us　here。　Well；　Estelle's　Kitchen　perhaps；　but　that's　a　lunchroom；　not　a　restaurant。　Will　you　see　them　this　trip？　Estelle　and　Joe；　I　mean。〃
　　
　　〃Possibly。〃
　　
　　〃Find　time；　dear；　they　are　nice　people。　Besides；　I　want　to　send　some　knickknack　to　my　goddaughter。　Aaron；　if　you　want　to　treat　me　to　a　fancy　restaurant　when　we　go　to　town；　you　should　encourage　Joe　to　open　one。　Joe　can　cook；　equal　to　Thomas。〃
　　
　　（Better　than　Thomas；　I　said　to　myself…and　Joe　doesn't　scoinerva；　the　trouble　with　servants　is　that　you　serve　them　quite　as　much　as　they　serve　you。）　〃I'll　make　a　point　of　seeing　them；　at　least　long　enough　to　deliver　your　present　to　Libby。〃
　　
　　〃And　kiss　them　all　for　me　and　I'd　better　send　something　to　each　of　their　kids　and　be　sure　to　tell　Estelle　that　I'm　pregnant　again　and　find　out　if　she　is；　too；　and　remember　to　tell　me；　and　what　time　are　you　leaving；　dear？…！　must　check　your　shirts。〃
　　
　　Laura　was　serenely　certain　that　I　could　not　pack　an　overnight　bag　no　matter　how　many　centuries　of　experience　I　had　had。　Her　ability　to　see　the　world　as　she　wanted　to　see　it　enabled　her　to　put　up　with　my　cranky　ways　for　forty　years；　I　do　appreciate　her。　Love？　Certainly；　Minerva。　She　looked　out　for　my　welfare；　always；　and　I　did　for　hers；　and　we　enjoyed　being　together。　Just　not　love　so　intense　that　it　is　a　great　ache　in　your　belly。
　　
　　Next　day　I　took　my　jumpbuggy　over　to　New　Canaveral。
　　
　　（Omitted）
　　
　　…planned　Maison　Long。　Llita　had　meant　to　blitz　me。　I'm　sentimental；　and　she　knew　it　and　had　set　the　stage。　When　I　got　there；　the　shutters　were　closed；　early…and　their　two　older　kids　were　farmed　out　for　the　night　and　baby　Laura　was　asleep。　Joe　let　me　in；　told　me　to　go　on　back；　he　had　our　dinner　on　the　range　and　would　be　along　in　a　minute。　So　I　went　back　to　their　living　quarters　to　find　Llita。
　　
　　I　found　her…dressed　in　sarong　and　sandals　I　had　given　her　not　an　hour　after　I　had　bought　her。　Instead　of　the　sophisticated　face…do　she　now　used　so　well；　she　was　wearing　no　makeup　at　all　and　had　her　hair　simply　parted　and　hanging　straight　down；　to　her　waist　or　longer；　and　brushed　till　it　shone。　But　this　was　not　the　frightened；　ignorant　slave　who　had　to　be　taught　how　to　bathe；　this　serenely　beautiful　young　lady　was　clean　as　a　sterilized　scalpel；　and　was　scented　with　some　perfume　which　may　have？been　named　Spring　Breezes。　but　should　have　been　called　Justifiable　Rape　and　sold　only　under　doctor's　prescription。
　　
　　She　posed　just　long　enough　for　me　to　take　this　in；　the　swarmed　over　me；　hit　me　with　a　kiss　that　matched　her　perfume。
　　
　　By　the　time　she　let　me　go；　Joe　had　joined　us…dressed　in　breech　clout　and　sandals。
　　
　　But　I　did　not　let　it　go　sentimental；　I　riposted　sharply；　stopping　only　to　accept　one…tenth　that　much　kiss　from　Joe；　said　nothing　about　their　costumes；　and　at　once　started　explaining　that　business　deal。　When　Llita　caught　what　I　was　talking　aboul　she　shifted　from　sexy　siren　to　sharp　businesswoman；　listened　intently；　ignored　her　stage　setting　and　costuming；　and　asked　the　right　questions。
　　
　　Once　she　said；　〃Aaron；　I　sniff　a　mouse。　You　told　us　to　be　free；　and　we've　tried　to　be…and　that's　why　we　sent　you　that　draft。