time enough for love-时间足够你爱(英文版)-第86部分

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　libation　or；　six。　Not　those　two；　they're　potential。。alcoholics。〃
　　
　　〃Slanderous…〃
　　
　　〃…though　regrettably　true…〃　；〃…but　we　did　it　only　once…〃　〃…and　won't　do　it　again！〃
　　
　　〃Don't　mit　yourself　too　far；　kids；　a　brannigan　might　sneak　up　on　you。　Better　to　know　your　resistance　than　to　be　tripped　through　ignorance。　Grow　up；　put　on　some　mass；　and　you'll　be　able　to　cope　with　it。　Or　Ishtar　mixed　up　your　genes；　which　she　didn't。　Now　about　this　other　matter；　Justin。　Yes；　you're　one　of　Minerva's　parents　。　。　and　that's　a　very　high　pliment；　because　those　twenty…three　chromosome　pairs　were　picked　from　tissues　of　thousands　of　superior　people；　using　fearsome　mathematics　to　handle　the　multiplicity　of　variables；　plus　Ishtar's　knowledge　of　geics；　and　some　unnecessary　advice　from　me；　before　this　little　darling　got　the　precise　mix　she　wanted　to　be。〃
　　
　　I　started　to　set　up　the　type　problem　in　my　head…yes；　that　would　be　some　problem；　extremely　more　difficult　than　the　ordinary　geics　problem　of　advising　one　male　and　one　female…then　dropped　it；　as　I　had　its　delightful　answer　by　her　left　hand。'　Lazarus　was　still　speaking：
　　
　　〃Minerva　could　have　been　male；　two　meters　tall；　massing　a　hundred　kilos；　built　like　Joe　Colossus；　and　hung　like　a　'stallion　mule。　Instead　she　elected　to　be　what　she　is：　slender；　female；　shy…　I'm　not　sure　she　selected　for　that　last。　Did　you；　dear？〃
　　
　　〃No；　Lazarus；　no　one　knows　which　genes　control　that。　I　think　I　get　it　from　Hamadryad。〃
　　
　　〃I　think　you　got　it　from　a　puter　I　used　to　know…and　took　along　all　of　it　as　Athene　certainly　is　not　shy。　Never　mind。　Some　of　Minerva's　donor…parents　are　dead；　some　are　alive　but　unaware　that　a　bit　of　tissue　from　a'　clone　in　stasis　pr　from　the　live…tissue　bank　was　borrowed…as　in　your　case。　Some　know　that　they　are　donor…parents…me；　for　example；　and　you　heard　Hamadryad　mentioned。　You'll　meet　others；　some　be…fl　ing　on　Tertius；　where　it's　no　secret。　But　consanguinity　is　not　close　for　anyone。　One　twenty…third？　The　geic　advisers　wouldn't　run　that　through　a　puter；　it's　an　acceptable　risk。　Plus　the　fact　that　none　of　us　dono？…parents　of　Minerva　have　any　known　skeletons　hanging　on　our　family　trees。　You　could　safely　have　progeny　by　her；　so　could　I。〃
　　
　　〃But　you　refused　me！〃　Minerva　startled　me　with　the　vehemence　with　which　she　accused　Lazarus　of　this。　For　a　moment~　she　was　not　shy；　her　eyes　flashed。
　　
　　〃Now；　now；　dear。　You　were　only　a　year　out　of　vitro　and　not　fully　grown　even　though　Ishtar　forced　you　past　menarche　still　in　vitro。　Ask　me　on　another　occasion；　I　might　startle　you。〃
　　
　　〃'Startle'　me；　or　surprise　me？〃
　　
　　〃Never　mind　that　old　joke。　Justin；　I　simply　wanted　to　make　clear　that　your　relationship　to　Minerva；　while　close　enough　that　it　makes　Minerva　feel　sentimental；　is　in　fact　so　small　that　you　barely　qualify　as　a　'kissing　cousin。'〃
　　
　　〃I　feel　very　sentimental　about　it；〃　I　told　the　Senior。　〃Most　；pleased　and　deeply　honored…although　I　can't　guess　why　I　was　picked。〃
　　
　　〃If　you　want　to　know　which　chromosome　pair　was　swiped　from　you；　and　why；　you　had　best　ask　Ishtar　and　get　her　to　consult　Athene；　I　doubt　if　Minerva　still　knows。〃
　　
　　〃But　I　do　know；　I　saved　those　memories。　Justin；　I　wanted　to　retain　some　ability　in　mathematics。　It　was　a　choice　between
　　
　　you　and　Libby　Professor　Owens…so　I　chose　you；　you　are　my　friend。〃
　　
　　（Well！　I　respect　Jake　Hardy…Owens；　I'm　merely　an　applied　mathematician；　he　is　a　brilliant　theoretician。）　〃Whatever　your　reasons；　dear　kissing　cousin；　I　am　delighted　that　you　chose　me　as　one　of　your　donor…fathers。〃
　　
　　〃Grounded；　modore！〃　announced　one　of　the　duplicate　redheads…Lapis　Lazuli…as　the　little　nuliboat　clumped　to　a　stop。　（It　appeared　to　be　a　Corson　Farmsled　and　I　was　surprised　to　see　it　in　a　new　Colony。）　Lazarus　answered；　〃Thank　yoi~1；　Captain。〃
　　
　　The　twins　bounced　out；　the　Senior　and　I　handed　Minerva　out…unnecessary　help　that　she　accepted　with　gracious　dignity；　that　being　another　aspect　of　colonial　life　that　surprised　me；　New　Rome　being　rather　short　on　such'　archaic　ceremony。　（Over　and　again　I　found　the　Boondockers　to　be　both　more　formally　polite；　and　more　casually　relaxed　about　it；　than　are　Secundians。　I　support　my　notions　of　frontier　life　had　been　fed　on　too　many　romances：　rough；　bearded　men　fighting　'off　dangerous　animals；　mules　hauling　covered　wagons　toward　distant　horizons。）
　　
　　〃Captain〃　Lazuli　said；　〃Humpty　Dumpty…　go　to　bed！〃　The　nullboat　waddled　away；　the　little　girls　joined　us；　one　taking　my　free　hand；　the　other　taking　the　Senior's　free　hand；　with　Minerva　between　us。　These　freckled　flametops　would　have　had　my　whole　attention　had　not　Minerva　been　there。　I　am　not　pulsively　fond　of　children；　some　youngsters　seem　to　me　rather　poisonous；　especially　precocious　ones。　But　in　their　case　I　found　their　solemn　precocity　charming　rather　than　irritating　。　。　and　to　see　the　Senior's　features；　rugged　rather　than　handsome　and　with　that　too…large　nose；　unmistakably　reproduced　but　transformed　into　piquant　girlish　features…well；　had　I　been　alone；　I　would　have　chuckled　with
　　
　　delight。　；*
　　
　　I　said　〃Just　a　moment；〃　and　held　onto　Lorelei's　hand　and　thereby　caused　all'　to　pause　while　I　took　a　second　look。　〃Lazarus；　who　is　the　architect？〃
　　
　　〃I　don't　know；〃　he　said。　〃Dead　more　than　four　thousand　years。　The　original　belonged　to　the　political　boss　of　Ppmpeii；　a　city　destroyed　about　that　long　ago。　I　saw　a　model　of　it；　restored；　in　a　museum　in　a　place　called　Denver；　and　took　pictures；　it　pleased　me。　Those　pictures　are　long　gone；　but　it　turned　out　that；　when　I　tried　to　describe　it　to　Athene；　she
　　
　　；；　on
　　
　　had　a　solly　in　the　historical　section　of　her　gizzards　of　the　ruins　of　that　same　house…and　from　that　and　my　description；　she　designed　this　version。　Some　minor　mods；　nothing　that　changed　its　sweet　proportions。　Then　Athene　built　it；　using　extensionals　and　radio　links。　It's　practical　for　this　climate；　the　weather　here　is　much　like　that　of　Pompeii…and　I　prefer　a　house　that　looks　inward；　on　a　court。　Safer；　even　in　a　place~　as　safe　as　this　one。〃
　　
　　〃By　the　way；　where　is　Athene？　'The　main　puter　itself；　…　I　mean。〃
　　
　　〃Here。　She　was　still　in　the　'Dora'　when　she　built　this；　now　she's　under　the　house…she　built　her　underground　home　first；　then　built　ou？　house　on　top　of　it。〃
　　
　　Minerva　said　simply；　〃A　puter　prefers　to　feel　safe；　and　close　to　her　own　people。　Lazarus…forgive　me；　dear；　but　you　have　reversed　a　tim？sequence；　that　was　more　than　three　years　ago。〃
　　
　　〃Oh；　so　I　have。　Minerva；　when　you~　have　lived　as　long　as　I　have…and　you　will…you'll　find　yourself　inverting　time　sequences　endlessly；　a　flesh…and…blood　shorting　you　had　to　accept　when　you　took　the　plunge。　Correction；　Justin…　'Minerva；'　not　'Athene。'〃
　　
　　第53节
　　
　　〃Yet　it　is　Athene　who　built　it…now；〃　Minerva　added；　〃since　engineering　and　the　details　of　this　construction　and　others　are　things　I　left　behind　in　Athene；　where　they　belong；　and　abstracted　only　a　simplified　memory　of　having　built　it…I　wanted　to　remember　that　much。〃
　　
　　I　said；　〃Whoever　built　it；　it's　beautiful。〃　I　was　suddenly　upset。　It　is　one　thing　to　accept　intellectually　the　startling　idea　that　a　young　woman　has　had　a　former　life　as　a　puter…　and　even　to　accept　that　one　had　worked　with　that　puter　years　back　'and　light…years　away。　But　this　discussion　suddenly　brought　home　to　me　emotional　belief　that　this　lovely　girl　with　her　arm　warm　in　mine　had　in　sober　fact　been　a　puter　so　short　a　time　ago　that　she　had　built　this　new　house…　while　a　puter。　It　shook　me…even　though　I　am　a　historiographer；　old；　and　my　sense　of　wonder　was　dulled　even　before　my　first　rejuvenation。
　　
　　*
　　
　　We　went　in；　and　my　upset　was　swept　away　by　greetings。　We　were　kissed　all　around…two　beautiful　young　women；　one　of　；whom　I　recognized　when　I　heard　her　name；　Ira's　daughter　Hamadryad　and　she　looks　like　one；　the　other　a　statuesque　blonde　whose　name；　Ishtar；　was　familiar　to　me
　　
　　through　talk；　and　a　young　man　as　beautiful　as　the　women　and　who　seemed　familiar　though　I　could　not　place　him。　Even　the　twin　flam鑤ops　insisted　on　kissing　me　since　they　had　not　greeted　me　that　way　earlier。
　　
　　In　Boondock　a　kiss　of　greeting　is　not　the　ritual　peck　it　usually　is　in　New　Rome；　e~en　the　twins　bussed　me　in　a　fashion　that　made　me　certain　of　their　sex…I've　had　poorer　kisses　from　grown　women　whose　intentions　were　direct　and　immediate。　But　the　young　man；　introduced　as　〃Galahad；〃　startled　me。　He　hugged　me；　with　kisses　on　my　cheeks　followed　by　a　~iss　on　my　mouth　worthy　of　a　Ganymede…　which　surprised　me；　but　I　tried　to　return　as　good　as　I　got。
　　
　　Instead　of　letting　me　go；　he　pounded　my　back　and　said；　〃Justin；　it　tickles　my　root　to　see　you　again！　Oh；　this　is　wonderful！〃
　　
　　I　pulled　my　face　back　to　look　at　his。　I　must　have　looked　puzzled　for　he　blinked；　then　said　mournfully：　〃Ish；　I　boasted　too　soon！　Hamadear；　get　me　a　towel；　I'm　weeping。　He's　forgotten　me　。　。　after　all　the　things　he　said。〃
　　
　　I　said；　〃Obadiah　Jones；　What　are　you　doing　here？〃
　　
　　〃Weeping。　Being　humiliated　in　front　of　my　family。〃
　　
　　I　don't　know　how　long　it　had　been　since　I　had　seen　him。~　It　may　have　been　more　than　a　century　since　it　has　been　that　long　since　I　left　the　Howard　campus。　Brilliant　young　specialist　in　ancient　cultures　he　was　then；　with　an　impish　sense　of　humor。　I　recalled；　dredging　it　up　out　of　memory；　having　shared　a　Seven…Hours　with　him　and　two　other　savants；　both　female　and　happily　so…but　I　could　not　recall　their　faces　nor　who　they　were；　what　I　remembered　was　his　playful；　joyous；　boisterous　good　pany。　〃Obadiah；〃　I　said　sternly；　〃why　are　you　calling　yourself　'Galahad'？　Hiding　from　the　police　again？　Lazarus；　I'm　shocked　to　find　this；　uh；　macho　in　your　house…　lock　up　your　daughters！〃
　　
　　〃Oh；　that　name！〃　he　said　brokenly。　〃Don't　repeat　it；　Justin。　They　don't　know　it。　When　I　reformed；　I　changed　my　n~me。　You　won't　give　me　away？　Promise　me；　dear！〃　Suddenly　he　grinned　and　said　in　a　cheerful　voice；　〃e　on　into　'the　atrium　and　let's　get　a　skinful　of　rum　into　you。　Lazi；　who　has　the　duty？〃
　　
　　〃Lori　does。　Even…numbered　day。　But　I'll　help。　Straight　rum？〃
　　
　　〃Better　flavor　it。