time enough for love-时间足够你爱(英文版)-第106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！


o　I　thought　of　asking　Mary　Sperling…〃
　　
　　I　said；　〃Hold　it　a　moment！　Lazarus；　in　all　the　Archives　there　is；　I　am　certain；　only　one　Mary　Sperling。　I'm　descended　from　her；　Tamara　is　descended　from　her…〃　…
　　
　　〃Lots　of　Howards　descended　from　her；　Son；　Mary　had　over　thirty　children…quite　a　record　for　those　days。〃
　　
　　〃Then　you　do　mean　Elder　Mary　Sperling；　born　in　1953　Gregorian；　died　in…〃
　　
　　〃She　did　not　die；　Justin；　that's　the　point。　So　I　went；　back　there　and　talked　with　her。〃
　　
　　My　head　felt　fuzzy。　〃Lazarus；　I'm　confused。　Are　you　telling　me　that　you've　already　made　one　time　trip？　Nearly　two　thousand　years？　No；　I　mean　'over　two　thousand　years'…〃
　　
　　〃Justin；　if　you'll　keep　quiet；　I'll　tell　you　what　I　mean。〃
　　
　　〃Sorry；　sir。〃
　　
　　〃Call　me　'sir'　and　I'll　get　the　twins　to　tickle　you。　I　mean　I　went；　in　present　time；　to　star　PK3722　and　the　Pla　of　the　Little　People。　That　designation　is　obsolete；　and　the　new　catalogings　don't　hook　it　in　with　that　pla　because　Libby　and　I　d~cided　to　toss　in　a　joker；　we　felt　that　it　was　a　place　for　humans　to　stay　away　from。
　　
　　〃But　the　Little　People　are　the　source　of　the　concepts　that　Andy　Libby　worked　out　as　field　theory　that　anyone　can　use；　and　all　space　pilots；　puter　and　human；　do　use。　But　I　had　never　gone　back　there　because…well；　Mary　and　I　had　been　close。　So　close　that　it　was　a　blow　to　me　when　she　'went　over。'　More　disturbing　than　a　death；　some　ways~
　　
　　〃But　the　years　do　mellow　a　memory　and　I　did　want　to　consult。　So　the　twins　and　I　set　out　in　the　'Dora'　to　try　to　find　that　pla；　from　a　set　of　coordinates　and　a　ballistic　Andy　had　assigned　a　long　time　back。　The　ballistic　was　slightly　off；　but　a　star　doesn't　move　far　in　only　two　thousand　years；　we　found　it。
　　
　　〃No　trouble　then；　I　had　warned　Lor　and　Laz　most　solemnly　of　the　subtle　danger　of　the　place。　They　listened；　and　that　made　them　as　immune　to　the　place　as　I　am…not　tempted　to　swap　their　individual　personalities　for　a　pseudo…immortality。　In　fact；　they　had　a　wonderful　time；　the　place　is　charming；　and　safe　in　all　other　ways。　Hadn't　changed　much；　one　huge　park。
　　
　　〃I　orbited　first…it's　their　pla；　and　they　have　powers　we　don't　ken。　Same　as　last　time；　a　Doppelg鋘ger　of　a　Little　Per…
　　
　　son　showed　up　in　the　'Dora'　and　invited　us　down　to　visit；。　only　this　time　it　called　me　by　name…in　my　head；　they　don't　use　oral　speech…and　admitted　to　being　Mary　Sperling。　That　shook　me　but　it　was　good　news。　She…'it；'　I　mean…it　seemed　mildly　pleased　to　see　me　but　not　especially　intereste4；　it　was　not　like　meeting　a　beloved　old　friend　but　more　like　meeting　a　stranger　who　nevertheless　remembered　what　that　old　friend　remembered。〃
　　
　　〃I　understand　it；〃　the　puter　said。　〃Something　like　Minerva　and　me；　huh？〃
　　
　　〃Yes；　dear　。　。　except　that　you　had　a　more　positive　personality　your　very　first　day　than　this　creature　who　used　the　name　of　my　old　friend　。　。　and　you've　been　getting　positiver　and　positiver　for　the　past　three　years。〃
　　
　　〃01'　Buddy　Boy；　I'll　bet　you　tell　that　to　all　the　girls。〃
　　
　　〃Could　be。　Please　keep　quiet；　dear。　Nothing　more　to　tell；　Justin；　save　that　we　grounded　and　stayed　a　few　days；　and　Dora　and　I　consulted　with　the　Little　People　about　space…time　field　theory　while　the　twins　listened　and　enjoyed　playing　tourist。　But；　Justin；　when　the　Families　left　there；　returning　to　Earth　in　the　'New　Frontiers；'　you　will　recall　that　we　left　some　ten　thousand　behind。〃
　　
　　〃Eleven　thousand；　one　hundred；　and　eighty…three；〃　I　answered；　〃according　to　log　of　the　'New　Frontiers。'〃
　　
　　〃Is　that　what　we　logged？　Should　have　been　more；　maybe；　as　the　logged　figure　was　reconstructed　by　seeing　who　couldn't　be　mustered；　so　almost　certainly　there　were　unregistered　children　among　those　who　elected　to　stay　behind；　we　were　there　quite　a　piece。　But　the　exact　number　doesn't　matter。　Justin；　call　it　an　even　ten　thousand。　Given　…a　favorable　environment；　how　many　would　you　expect　to　find　there　after　two　thousand　years？〃
　　
　　I　used　the　arbitrary　expansion。　〃Approximately　ten　to　the　twenty…second…which　is　ridiculous。　I　would　expect　either　a　stabilized　optimax…call　it　ten　to　the　tenth…or　a　Malthusian　catastrophe；　in　not　over　seven　to　eight　centuries。〃
　　
　　〃Justin；　there　were　none。　Nor　any　sign　that　men　had　ever　been　there。〃
　　
　　〃What　happened　to　them？〃
　　
　　〃What　happened　to　Neanderthal　Man？　What　happens　to　any　champion　when　he's　defeated？　Justin；　what's　the　point　in　striying　when　you're　so　outclassed　that　it's　no　contest？　The　Little　People　have　the　perfect　Utopia…no　strife；　no　petition；　no　population　problem；　no　poverty；　perfect　harmony
　　
　　A　~1'~
　　
　　with　their　beautiful　pla。　Paradise；　〃Justin！　The'　Little　People　are　all　the　things　that　philosophers　and　religious　leaders　throughout　history　have　been　urging　the　human　race　to　bee。
　　
　　〃Maybe　they　are　perfect；　Justin。　Maybe　they　are　what　the　human　race　can　bee　。　。　in　another　million　years。　Or　ten　million。
　　
　　〃But　when　I　say　that　their　Utopia　frightens　me；　that　I　think　it　is　deadly　to　human　beings；　and　that　they　themselves　look　like　a　dead　end　to　me；　I　am　not　running　them　down。　Oh；　no！　They　know　far　more　about　mathematics　and　science　than　I　do…or　I　wouldn't　have　gone　there　to　'consult　them。　I　can't　imagine　fighting　them　because　it　wouldn't　be　a　fight；　they　would　already　have　won　against　anything　we　could　attempt。　If　we　became　obnoxious　to　them；　I　can't　guess　what　would　happen…and　don't　want　to　find　out。　But　I　don't　see　any　danger　as　long　as　we　leave　them　alone　as　we　don't　have　anything　they　want。　So　it　appears　to　me…but　what's　the　opinion　of　one　old　Neanderthal？　I　understand　them　as　little　as　that　kitten　over　there　understands　astrogation。
　　
　　〃I　don't　know　what　happened　to　the　Howards　who　stayed　behind。　Some　may　have　gone　over　and　been　assimilated；　as　Mary　Sperling　did。　I　didn't　ask；　I　didn't　want　to　know。　Some　may　have　lapsed　into　lotus…eaters'　apathy　and　died。　I　doubt　if　many　reproduced…although　it　is　possible　that　there　were　subhumans　around　being　kept　as　pets。　If　so；　I　most　especially　did　not　want　to　know　it。　I　got　what　I　wanted：　a　corroborating　opinion　on　a　mathematical　oddity　in　field　physics…then　gathered　up　my　girls　and　left。
　　
　　〃We　did　one　thing　before　we　left　that　neighborhood：　We　made　a　ball…of…twine　photographic　survey　of　their　pla；　then　had　Athene　exami~e　it　when　we　got　back。　Teena？〃
　　
　　〃Sure；　Buddy　Boy。　Justin；　if　there　is　a　humanartifact　on　the　surface　of　that　pla；　it　is　less　than　a　half　meter　in　diameter。〃
　　
　　〃So　I　assume　that　they　are　all　dead；〃　'　Lazarus　said　grimly；　〃and　I　shan't　go　back。　No；　the　trip　to　PK3722　was　not　a　trialrun　time　trip；　but　just　a；co~tion　star　hop。　The　test　run　will　be　about　as　simple　and'　quite〃~safe；　as　it　will　not　involve　put。　ting　down　on　a　pla？et。　Want　to　e　along？　Or　shall　we　take　Galahad？〃
　　
　　〃Pappy；〃　Galahad　said　earnestly；　〃I　am　young；　beautiful；　healthy；　and　happy；　and　plan　to　stay　that　way；　you　are　not　volunteering　me　for　any　such　harebrained　junket。　I'm　not　making　any　more　star'　hops　of　any　sort；　I'm　the　home…loving
　　
　　type。　I've　made　one　landing　with　Hot　Pilot　Lorelei　at　the　overrides。　That's　enough；　I'm　convinced。〃
　　
　　〃Now；　boy；　be　reasonable；〃　Lazarus　said　gently。　〃When　we　do　this；　my　girls　will　be　old　enough　to　want　active　male　attention…which　I　am　not　going　to　supply；　I　would　lose　all　control　over　them。　Think　of　it　as　your　duty。〃
　　
　　〃When　you　start　talking　about　'duty；'　I　break　out　with　hives。　The　trouble　is；　Pappy；　you're　a　sissy；　afraid　of　two　little　girls。〃
　　
　　〃Could　be。　Because　they　won't　be　little　girls　much　longer。
　　
　　Justinr'
　　
　　I　thoug1~t　furiously。　To　be　invited　by　the　Senjor　to　take　a　star　trip　with　him　is　not　an　honor　to　turn　down。　That　it　included　an　attempt　to　travel　in　time　did　not　bother　me；　the　idea　seemed　unreal。　But　it　couldn't　be　dangerous　or　he　wouldn't　be　taking　his　sister…daughters　along…and；　besides；　I　felt　that　Lazarus　was　unkillable；　a　passenger　with　him　should　be　safe。　Gigolo　for　his　girls？…Lazarus　was　farcing　Galahad；　I　was　sure　。　。　as　I　was　certain　；that　Lazi　and　Lori　would　settle　such　matters　to　suit　themselves。　〃Lazarus；　I　will　go　anywhere　you　ask　me　to　go。〃
　　
　　〃Hold　it！〃　objected　Galahad。　〃Pappy；　Tamara　isn't　going　to　like　this。〃
　　
　　〃No　trouble；　Son。　Tamara　is　wele；　'　and　I　think　she　would　enjoy　it。　She's　not　chicken　like　some　people　we　won't　mention。〃
　　
　　〃What？〃　Galahad　sat　up　straight。　〃Take　away　Tamara
　　
　　and　Justin　。　。　and　our　twins　。　。　and　you　yourself？　Half　the　family？　And　leave　the　rest　of　us　here　to　mourn？〃　Galahad　took　a　deep　breath；　sighed　it　out。　〃All　right；　I　give　up。　I　volunteer。　But　leave　Justin　and　Tamara　at　home。　And　the　twins；　we　can't　risk　them。　You　pilot；　I'll　cook。　As　long　as　we　last；　that　is。〃
　　
　　〃Galahad　shows　unexpected　streaks　of　nobility；〃　Lazarus　said　to　no　one　in　particular。　〃It'll　get　him　killed　yet。　Forget　it；　Son；　I　don't　need　a　cook；　Dora　is　a　better　cook　than　either　of　us~　The　twins　will　insist　on　going；　and　I　need　to　supervise　them　through　a　couple　of　time　jumps；　later　they　will　have　to　do　it　alone。〃
　　
　　Lazarus　turned　to　me。　〃Justin