time enough for love-时间足够你爱(英文版)-第141部分

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t　his　pool…hall　'chess　club。'　How　did　you　do　it？　Private　detectives？　I　doubt　that　our　church　or　that　pool　hall　can　be　looked　up　in　the　Foundation　records。〃
　　
　　〃Something　like　that。　Yes；　gentle　ancestress；　I　looked　for　an　acceptable　way　to　meet　you。　I　would　have　spent　years　on　it　had　it　been　necessary　。　。　because　I　couldn't　twist　your　doorbell　and　say；　'Hi　there！　I'm　descended　from　you。　May　I　e　in？'　You　would　have　called　the　police。〃
　　
　　〃I　hope　I　would　not　have；　darling…but　thank　you　for　finding　a　gentler　way。　Oh；　Lazarus；　I　love　you　so！…and　believe　every　word　and　I'm　no　longer　worried　about　Brian；　I　know　he'll　e　back　to　me！　Uh　。　。　I'm　feeling　very　brazen　again　and　more　passionate　than　ever　and　I　want　to　know　something。　About　your　family。〃
　　
　　〃I'm　delighted　to　talk　about　them。　I　love　them；〃
　　
　　〃I　was　most　flattered　to　be　pared　with　your　wife　Tamara。　Darling；　you　don't…　have　to　tell　me　this：　Does　it　ever　happen　that　two　husbands　sleep　with　one　wife？〃　…
　　
　　〃Oh；　certainly。　But　it's　more　likely　to　be　one　husband…
　　
　　Galahad…another　of　your　descendants；　Grandmother…Galahad　an&　twp　of　our　wives；　'Galahad　is　the　original　tireless　tomcat。〃　…
　　
　　〃That　sounds　1…ike　fun；　but　it's　the　other　bination　that　intrigued　me。　Beloved；　my　idea　of　heaven　would　be　to　take　both　you　and　Brian　to　bed　at　once…and　do　my　best　to　make　you　both　happy。　Not　that　I　ever　can。　But　I　can　dream　about　it　。　。　and　will。〃
　　
　　〃Why　not　out　in　the　woods　and　strip　down　for　both　of　us；　just　to　your　'French　postcard'　costume？　As　long　as　you're　dreaming。〃'
　　
　　〃Ooooh！　Yes；　I'll　put　that　into　my　dream…and　now　rm
　　
　　about　to　go　off　like　a　firecracker！〃…
　　
　　〃I'd　better　take　you　home。〃…
　　
　　〃I　think　you　~had　better。　I'm　terribly　happy　and　quite　unworried…and　will　stay　so…and　very　passionate。　For　you。　For　Brian。　For　…　being　a　French　postcard　in　the　woods。　In　daylight。〃
　　
　　〃Maureen；　if　you　can　sell　the　idea　to　Brian　。　…　well；　I'll　be　around　until　the　second　of　August；　1926。〃
　　
　　〃Well　。　。　we'll　see。　I　want　to！〃　She　added；　〃Am　I　permitted　to　tell　him？　Who　you　are　and　where　you're　from…the　future…and　your　prediction　that　he　won't　be　hurt？〃
　　
　　〃Maureen；　tell　anyone　you　wish。　But　you　won't　be　believed。〃
　　
　　She　sighed。　〃I　suppose　so。　Besides；　if　Brian　did　believe　it　and　thereby　believed　that　he　had　a　charmed　life…it　might　make　him　careless。　I'm　proud　that　he　is　going　to　fight　for　us
　　
　　but　I　don't　want　him　to　take　unnecessary　risks。〃
　　
　　〃I　think　you're　right；　Maureen。〃
　　
　　〃Theodore　。　。　my　mind　has　been　so　busy　with　all　these　strange　things　that　I　missed　something。　Now　that　I　know　who　you　are…　This　isn't　your　country；　and　it's　nOt　your　war…so　why　did　you　volunteer？〃
　　
　　Lazarus　hesitated；　then　told　the　truth：
　　
　　〃I　wanted　you　to　be　proud　of　me。〃…
　　
　　〃Oh！〃
　　
　　〃No；　I　don't　belong　here　and　it's　not　my　war。　But　it's　your　war；　Maureen。　Others　are　fighting　for　other　reasons…I'll　be　fighting　for　Maureen。　Not　'to　make　the　world　safe　for　democracy'…this　war　won't　acplish　that；　even　though　the　Allies　are　going　to　win。　For　Maureen。〃
　　
　　…　〃Oh！　Oh！　I'm　crying　again…I　can't　help　it。〃
　　
　　〃Stop　it　at　once。〃
　　
　　〃Yes；　my　warrior。　Lazarus？　You　…　will　e　back？　You　must　have　some　way　to　know。〃
　　
　　〃Huh？　Dear；　don't　worry　about　me。　People　have　tried　to　kill　me　in　all　sorts　of　ways…I've　outlived　them　all。　I'm　the　wary　old　cat　who　always　has　a　tree　within　reach。〃
　　
　　〃You　didn't　answer　me。〃
　　
　　He　sighed。　〃Maureen；　I　know　Brian　will　e　home；　it's　In　the　Foundation's　records。　He　will　live　to　a　ripe　old　age　and　don't　ask　how　long　as　I　won't　answer。　And　so　will　you；　and　I　won't　answer　that　either；　it　is　not　good　to　know　too　much　about　the　future。　But　me？　I　can't　know　my　future。　It　is　not　in　the　records。　How　could　it　be？　I　haven't　finished　it　yet。　But　I　can　tell　you　this：　This　is　not　my　first　war；　but　about　the　fifteenth。　They　didn't　get　me　in　the　others；　and　they'll　have　to　…　move　fast　to　kill　me　in　this　one。　Beloved；　I　am　your　warrior…but　to　kill　Hues　for　you；　not　for　them　to　kill　me。　I'll　do　my　duty；　but　I'm　not　going　to　try　some　crazy　。stulit　to　win　a　medal…　not　old　Lazarus。〃
　　
　　〃Then…you　don't　know。〃
　　
　　〃No；　I　don't　But　I　promise　you　this：　I　won't　stick　my　head　up　when　I　don't　need　to。　I　won't　go　into　a　German　dugout　without　tossing　a　grenade　in　ahead　of　me。　I　won't　assume　that　a　German　is　dead　because　he　appears　to　be…I'll　make　sure　he's　dead；　I　don't　mind　wasting　a　bullet　on　a　corpse。　Especially　one　who　is　playing　'possutn。　I'm　an　old　soldier；　and　that's　how　one　gets　to　be　an　old　soldier…by　being　a　pessimist。　I　know　all　the　tricks。　Darling；　having　quieted　your　worries　about　Brian；　it　would　be　silly　to　get　you　worried　about　me。　Don't！〃
　　
　　She　sighed。　〃I'll　try　not　to。　If　you　turn　down　this　street；　we　can　pick　up　Prospect；　then　across　Linwood　to　Benton。〃
　　
　　〃I'll　get　you　home。　Let's　talk　about　？ove；　not　war。　Our　girl　Nancy…Is　the　Foundation　now　using　a　pregnancy　rule？　For　first　marriages？〃　…
　　
　　〃Goodness！　You　do　know　all　about　it〃
　　
　　〃No　need　to　tell　me。　Nancy's　business。　If　Jonathan　does　go　to　war…I　don't　know…I　can　assure　you　that　he　won't　get　his　balls　shot　off；　even　if　he　loses　an　arm　or　a　leg。　I　did　look　up　the　breeding　records　on　all　your　children　even　though　I　didn't　bother　with　their　birthdays。　Jonathan　and　Nancy　are　going　to　have　many　babies。　Which　means　he　es　back…or　maybe　gets　turned　down　and　won't　go。〃
　　
　　〃That's　forting。　How　many　babies？〃
　　
　　〃Nosy　little　girl。　You're　going　to　have　quite　a　number　yet
　　
　　c~　I
　　
　　yourself；　Grandmother；　and　I　won't　answer　that；　…　either。　I　withdraw　the。question　about　the　pregnancy　rule。〃　…
　　
　　〃Secret；　Lazarus…〃…
　　
　　〃Better　start　calling　me　'Theodore。'　We'll　be　home　soon。〃　…
　　
　　〃Yes；　sir；　Staff　Sergeant　Theodore　Bronson；　your　lecherous　old　great…great…great…grandmother　will　be　careful。　How　many　'greats'　should　there　be　in　that？〃
　　
　　〃Sweetheart；　do　you　want　that　answered？　If　it　had　not　been　necessary　to　calm　your　fears　about　Brian；　I　would　have　stayed　'Ted　Bronson。'　I　like　being　your　'Theodore。'　Fm　not　sure　that　being　a　mysterious　man　from　the　future　is　going　to　be　as　fortable。　Especially　if　you　think　of　me　as　some　remote　descendant　I'm　here　beside　you；　not　in　some　far　future。〃
　　
　　〃Beside　me。　Touching　me。　And　yet　you're　not　even　born　yet…are　you？　And…　in　your　time　…　…　I'm　long　dead。　You　even　know　when　I　will　die。　You　said　so。　You　just　won't　tell　me　when。〃
　　
　　〃Oh；　confound　it；　Maureen；　that's　wrong　all　the　way　through！　That's　what　es　of　admittmg　that　I've　time…traveled。　But　I　had　to。　For　you。〃　…
　　
　　〃I'm　sorry；　Laz…　Theodore　my　warrior。　I　won't　ask　any　more…　questions。〃
　　
　　〃Sweetheart；　the　fact　that　I　am　here　means　that　you're　no：
　　
　　dead。　And　I　certainly　was　born；　pinch　me　and　find　out。　All　'flows'　are　equal；　that　is　the　basic　theorem　of　time　travel。　They　don't　disappear；　both　'past'　and　'future'　are　mathematical　abstractions；　the　'now'　is　always　all　there　is。　As　for　knowing　the　day　you　died…or　will　die；　it's　the　same　thing…I　don't。　I　just　know　that　you　had…have……will　have…many　children；　and　you　live　a　long　time。　。　and　your　hair　never　gets　gray。　But　the　Foundation　lost　track　of　you…will　lose　track　of　you…and　your　date　of　death　never　got　into　the　records。　Maybe　you　moved　and　didn't　tell　the　Foundation。　Shucks；　maybe　I　came　back…will　e　back…and　picked　you　up　in　your　old　age；　and　took　you　to
　　
　　Tertius。〃…　…　…
　　
　　〃Where？〃　〃My　home。　I　think　you　would　like　it　there。　You　could　run　around　all　day；　dressed…undressed…as　a　French　postcard。〃
　　
　　〃I'm　sure　I　would　like　that　now。　But　I　don't　think　I　would；　as　an　old　woman。〃
　　
　　〃All　you　would　have　to　do　is　to　…ask　Ishtar　for　rejuvenation。　I　told　you　what　she　did　for　Tamara　…　。　when　her　breasts　hung　down　to　her　waist　and　were　empty　sacks。　But　look　at
　　
　　Tamara　now…that　'now'…pregnant　again；　just　like　a　kid；　But　forget　it…if　it　did　happen；　it　will　happen。　Mama　Maureen…　I'm　durned　if　I'll　call　you　'Grandmother'　again…all　Fm　sure　of　is　that　I'm　not…sure　of　the　date　of　your　death；　and　I'm　glad　I'm　not；　and　you　should　be。　Nor　of　my　death；　and　I'm　glad　of　that；　too。　Carpe　diem！　We're　almost　home　and　you　started　to　say　something　and　I　said　to　call　me　'Theodore'　and　we　got　off　the　track。　Was　it　about　Tamara？〃
　　
　　〃Oh；　yes！　Theodore？　When　you　go　home　to　wherever　your　home　is；　can　you　take　anything　with　you？　Or　does　it　have　to　be　just　you？〃
　　
　　〃Why；　no。　I　arrived　with　clothes　and　money。〃
　　
　　〃I'd　like　to　send　a　little　present　to　Tamara。　But　I　can't　guess　what　she　would　want。　。　from　this　time　to　that　wonderful　age　of　yours。　Can　you　suggest　something？〃
　　
　　〃Mmm　…　。　Tamara　would　treasure　anything　from　you。　She　knows　she's　descended　from　you；　and　she's　the　most　warmly　sentimental　of　all　my　family。　It　should　be　something　small　enough　to　carry　on　my　person；　even　in　the　trenches；　as　I'm　always　ready　to　abandon　anything　I'm　not　carrying…　have　to　be。　Not　jewelry。　Tamara　would　not　value　a　diamond　bracelet　…　one　whit　more　than　a　hairp