time enough for love-时间足够你爱(英文版)-第14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！


I　will　smile　and　not　plain~〃
　　
　　〃I　don't　want　to　leave；　I　said　so。　As　long　as　I　don't　kee　you　from　your　sleep…〃
　　
　　〃~~；won't。〃…~　…
　　
　　〃…and　allow　an　hour　to　pick　up　a　fresh　pack　of　disposables；　robe　in；　and　go　through　decontam。　I　wish　I　had　fetched　a　pack；　but　I　hadn't　planned　on　this。〃
　　
　　〃Oh。　We'll　make　that　an　hour　and　a　half。　My　phone　had　a　message　waiting　in　it。　The　Senior　does　not　like　the　way　we　look　in　isolation　gear；　he　wants　to　be　able　to　see　anyone　around　him。　So　we　must　plan　time　to　go　through　body　dccontam'instead；　then　attend　him　in　ordinary　clothes。〃
　　
　　〃Uh　。　。　Ishtar；　is　this　wise？　We　might　sneeze　on　him。〃
　　
　　〃Do　you　think　I　set　this　policy？　Dear；　this　message　was　straight　from　the　Palace。　Besides　that；　females　are　specifically　ordered　to　look　as　pretty　and　be　as　attractively　dressed　as　possible…so　I　must　think　about　what　I　can　wear　that　can　go　through　sterilization。　Nudity　is　not　acceptable；　that　was　specified；　too。　But　don't　worry　about　sneezing。　Have　you　never　taken　full　body　decontamination？　When　that　crew　gets　through　with　you；　you　can't　sneeze；　no　matter　how　much　you　need　to。　But　don't　tell　the　Senior　that　you've　had　decontarn；　the　assumption　is　that　we　simply　walk　in　off　the　street…no　special　pre
　　
　　cautions。〃…
　　
　　〃How　can　I　tell　him　when　I　don't　speak　his　language？　Does　he　have　some　fetish　against　nudity？〃
　　
　　〃I　don't　know；　I　am　just　conveying　the　order；　one　that　went
　　
　　out　to　everyone　on　the　watch　list。〃
　　
　　He　looked　thoughtful。　〃It's　probably　not　a　fetish。　All　fetishes
　　
　　are　contra…survival；　that's　elementary。　You　told　me　that　the　principal　problem　was　to　break　him　out　of　his　apathy。　You　were　pleased　that　he　was　bad…tempered；　even　though　you　said
　　
　　it　was　a　hyperreaction。〃…
　　
　　〃Certainly　I　was　pleased；　it　showed　that　he　was　responding。　Galahad；　never　mind　that　now；　I　don't　have　a　thing　to　wear；　you'll　have　to　help　me。〃
　　
　　〃I'm　talking　about　what　you　should　wear。　I　think　it　was　the　Chairman　Pro　Tem's　idea；　not　the　Senior's。〃
　　
　　〃Dear　man；　I　don't　try　to　read　his　mind；　I　just　carry　out　his　orders。　I　don't　have　any　taste　in　clothes；　never　did　have。　Do　you　think　a　lab　assistant's　coverall　would　be　suitable？　It　will　take　sterilization　and　never　show　it…and　hook　quite　neat　in　one。〃
　　
　　〃I　am　trying　to　read　the　mind　of　the　Chairman　Pro　Tern；　Ishtar…guess　his　intentions；　at　least。　No；　I　don't　think　a　lab　uniform　would　do；　you　would　not　look　as　if　you　had　'simply　walked　in　off　the　street。'　If　we　stipulate　that　a　fetish　syndrome　is　not　involved；　then　the　only　advantage　of　clothing　over
　　
　　nudity　in　this　situation　is　to　lend　variety。　Contrast。　Change。　Help　shake　him　loose　from　that…　apathy？'
　　
　　She　stared　at　him　with　thoughtful　interest。　〃Galahad；　up　to　now；　based　on　my　own　experience；　I've　always　thought　that　a　man's　only　interest　in　a　woman's　clothes　was　to　get　them　off　her。　I　may　have　to　put　you　in　for　promotipn。〃
　　
　　〃I'm　not　ready　to　be　promoted；　I've　been　in　the　Vocation　less　than　ten　years。　As　I'm　sure　you　know。　Let's　take　a　look　at　your　wardrobe。〃　…
　　
　　〃What　are　you　going　to　wear；　dear？〃
　　
　　〃Doesn't　matter　what　I　wear；　the　Senior　is　male　and　all　the　stories　and　myths　about　him　indicate　that　be　has　remained　canalized　by　the　primitive　culture　he　was　born　in。　Not　sensually　polymorphous。〃
　　
　　〃How　can　you　be　sure？　Myths；　dear。〃
　　
　　〃Ishtar；　all　myths　tell　the　truth　if　you　know　how　to　read　them。　I'm　guessing；　but　it　is　a　reasoned　guess；　as　this　is　something　I　used　to　be　somewhat　expert　in。　Until　I　was　rejuvenated
　　
　　…until　you　rejuvenated　me…then　I　went　into　something　more　active。〃
　　
　　…　〃What；　dear？〃
　　
　　〃Some　other　time。　I　was　simply　saying　that　I　don't　think　it　matters　what…I　wear。　A　chiton。　Shorts　and　singlet。　Kilt。　Even　the　underwear　I　had　on　under　isolation　gear。　Oh；　I~ll　wear
　　
　　…lively　colors　and　something　different　each　watch…but　he　won't　look　at　me；　he'll　look　at　you。　So　let's　pick　out　something　he　would　like　to　see　you　in。〃
　　
　　〃How　will　you　know；　Galahad？〃
　　
　　〃Very　simple。　I'll　choose　something　I　would　like　to　see　a　long…legged　beautiful　blonde　wear。〃
　　
　　He　was　surprised　to　see　how　little　Ishtar　had　in　her　wardrobe。　In　all　his　varied　experience　with　women　she　was　the　only　one　he　could　remember　who　seemed　to　lack　the　vanity　needed　to　buy　unnecessary　clothes。　As　he　searched；　mind　preoccupied；　he　hummed　and　then　sang　a　snatch　of　doggerel。
　　
　　Ishtar　said；　〃You　speak　his　milk　language！〃
　　
　　〃Eh？　What？　Whose？　The　Senior's？　I　certainly　don't。　But　I　must　learn　it；　I　suppose。〃
　　
　　〃But　you　were　singing　in　it。　A　little　song　he　always　sings　when　he's　busy　with　something。〃
　　
　　〃You　mean　this？　'Therza　poolyawl　。　。　Bytha　paunshot…'　I　have　a　phonographic　ear；　that's　all；　I　don't　understand　the　words。　What　do　they　mean？〃
　　
　　〃I'm　not　sure　they　mean　anything。　Most　of　them　are　not　in　the　vocabulary　I've　learned　so　far。　I　suspect　that　it　is　just　amphigoric　rhythm；　a　self…tranquilizer。　Semantically　null。〃
　　
　　〃On　the　other　hand；　it　might　be　a　key　to　understanding　him。　Have　you　tried　asking　a　puter？〃
　　
　　〃Galahad；　I　haven't　been　given　access　to　the　puter　that　records　what　goes　on　in　his　suite。　But　I　doubt　if　anyone　can　understand　him；　in　depth。　He's　a　primitive；　dear…a　living　fossil。〃　…
　　
　　〃I　would　certainly　like　to　try　to　understand　him。　This　language　he　uses…　Is　it　difficult？〃
　　
　　〃Very。　I'rrational；　plicated　syntax；　and　so　loaded　with　idioms　and　multivalues　that　I　trip　even　on　words　I　think　I　know。　I　wish　I　had　your　recording　ear。〃
　　
　　〃The　Chairman　Pro　Tern　seemed　to　have　no　difficulty。〃
　　
　　〃I　think　he　has　'a　special　talent　for　languages。　But　if　you　want　to　try；　dear；　I　have　the　instructional　programs　here。〃
　　
　　〃Accepted！　What　is　this？　A　party　dress？〃
　　
　　〃That？　That's　not　clothing。　I　bought　it　as　a　throw　cover　for　a　couch…then　got　it。　home　and　saw　that　it　did　not　fit　my　lounging　room。〃
　　
　　〃It's　a　dress。　Stand　there　and　hold　still。〃
　　
　　〃Don't　tickle！〃
　　
　　VARIATIONS　ON　A　THEME
　　
　　…I
　　
　　Affairs　of　State
　　
　　Despite　what　I　told　the　Senior；　my　ancestor　Grandfather　Lazarus；　I　work　hard　in　governing　Secundus。　But　only　in　thinking　about　policy　and　in　judging　the　work　of　others。　I　don't　do　donkey　work；　I　leave　that　to　professional　administrators。　Even　so；　the　problems　of　a　pla　with　more　than　a　billion　people　can　keep　a　man　busy；　especially　if　his　intention　is　to　govern　as　little　as　possible…as　that　means　he　must　keep　a　sharp　eye　out　and　his　ear　tuned　for　signs　that　subordinates　are　doing　unnecessary　governing。　Half　my　time　is　used　in　the　negative　work　of　plucking　such　officious　officials　and　ordering　that　they　never　again　serve　in　any　public　capacity。
　　
　　第8节
　　
　　Then　I　usually　abolish　their　jobs；　and　all　jobs　subordinate　te　them。
　　
　　I　have　never　noticed　any　harm　from　such　pruning　save　thai　parasites　whose　jobs　are　eliminated　must　find　some　other　way　to　avoid　~tarvation。　（They　are　wele　to　starve…better　ii　they　do。　But　they　don't。）　…
　　
　　The　important　thing　is　to　spot　these　malignant　growths　'and　remove　them　while　they　are　small。　The　more　skill　a　Chairman　Pro　Tern　acquires　in　this；　the　more　emerging　ones　he　finds；　which　keeps　him　busier　than　ever。　Anyone　can　see　a　forest　fire；　skill　lies　in　sniffing　the　first　smoke。
　　
　　This　leaves　me　too　little　time　for　my　prime　work：　thinking　about　policy。　The　purpose　of　my　government　is　never　to　do　good；　but　simply　to　refrain　from　doing　eviL　This　sounds　simple　but　is　not。　For　example；　although　prevention　of　armed　revolution　is　obviously　part　of　my　main　duty；　i。e。；　to　keep　order；　I　began　to　have　doubts　about　the　wisdom　of　transporting　potential　revolutionary　leaders　years　before　Grandfather　Lazarus　called　my　attention　to　it。　But　the　symptom　that　roused　my　worry　was　so　null　that　it　took　ten　years　for　me　to　notice　it：
　　
　　During　those　ten　years　there　was　not　one　attempt　to　assassinate　me。
　　
　　By　the　time　Lazarus　Long　returned　to　Secundus　for　the
　　
　　Al
　　
　　purpose　of　dying　this　disturbing　symptom　had　continued　twenty　years。
　　
　　This　was　ominous；　and　I　realized　it。　A　population　of　one　billion…plus　so　contented；　so　uniform；　so　smug　that　not　one　determined　assassin　shows　up　in　a　double　decade　is　seriously　ill　no　matter　how　healthy　it　looks。　In　the　ten　years　that　elapsed　after　I　noticed　this　lack　I　worried　about　it　every　hour　I　could　spare…and　found　myself　asking　myself　over　and　over　again：
　　
　　What　would　Lazarus　Long　do？
　　
　　I　knew　in　broad　outline　what　he　had　done…and　that　was　why　I　decided　to　migrate…either　lead　my　people　off　pla　or　go　alone　if　none　would　follow。
　　
　　（In　rereading　this；　it　sounds　as　if　I　sought　to　be　assassinated　in　some　mystic　The　King　Must　Die　sense。　Not　at　all！　I　am　surrounded　at　all　times　by　powerful　and　subtle　safeguards　the　nature　of　which　I　will　not　divulge。　But　there　is　no　harm　in　mentioning　three　negative　precautions；　my　facial　appearance　is　not　known　to　the　public；　I　almost　never　appear　in　public　anyhow；