time enough for love-时间足够你爱(英文版)-第5部分

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man　who　had　survived　…more　than　two　millennia　would　not　let　himself　be　killed　in　some　dark　alley。
　　
　　〃So　I　…　assumed　that　you　were　alive；　then　asked…　myself；。　'If　I　were　Lazarus　Long；　how　would　I　go　about　hiding？'　I　went　into　deep　meditation　and　thought　about　it。　Then　I　tried　to　retrace　your　steps；　so　far　as　we　knew　them。　By　the　way…〃
　　
　　The　Chairman　Pro　Tern　threw　back　his　shoulder　cloak；　took　out　a　large　sealed　envelope；　handed　it　to　Lazarus。…　〃Here　is　the　item　you　left　in　a　lockbox　at　Harriman　Trust。〃
　　
　　Lazarus　accepted　it。　〃It's　been　opened。〃
　　
　　〃By　me。　Prematurely；　I　admit…but　you　addressed　it　…&　me。　I　have　read　it　but　no　one　else　has。　And　now　I　will　forget　it。　Except　to　say　…　this：　I　am　unsurprised　that　you　left　your　wealth　…　to　the　Families　…　。　but　I　was　touched　that　you　assigned　your　yacht　to　the　personal　use　of　the　Chairman。　That's　a　…sweet　craft；　Lazarus；　I　lust　after　it　a　bit。　But　not　so　much　that　I　am　anxious　to　inherit　so　quickly。　But　I　undertook　to　explain　why　we　need　you…and　let　myself　get　sidetracked。？'
　　
　　…〃I'm　in　no　rush；　Ira。　Are　you？〃
　　
　　…　〃Me？　Sir；　1　have　no　duties　more　important　than　talking　with　the　Senior。　Besides；　my　staff…　runs　this　pla　more　efficiently　if　I　don't　supervise　them　too　closely。〃
　　
　　Lazarus　nodded　agreement。　〃That　was　always　my　system。　the　…　times　I　let　myself　get　involved。　Accept　the　whole　load；　then　shove　the　work　off　on　other　people　as　…fast　as　1　could　pick　'em。　Having　any　trouble　with　democrats　these　days？〃
　　
　　〃'Democrats'？　Oh…you　must　mean　'equllitarians。'　I　thought　at　first　you　meant　the　Church　of　the　Holy　Democrat~
　　
　　…We　leave　that　church　alone；　they　don't　meddle。　…　There　is　an　equalitarian　movement　every　few　years；　certainly；　under　various　names。　The　Freedom　Party；　the　League　of　the　Oppressed
　　
　　…names　don't　matter　as　they　all　want　to　turn　the　rascals　out；　starting　with　me；　and　put　their　own　rascals　in。　We　never　bother　them；　…we　simply　inifitrate；　then　some　night　we　round　up　the　ringleaders　and　their　families；　and　by　daylight　they　are　headed　out　as　involuntary　migrants。　Transportees。　'Living　on　Secundus　is　a　privilege；　not　a　right。'〃
　　
　　〃You're　quoting　me。〃
　　
　　〃Of　course。　Your　exact　words　from　the　contract　undet　which　you　deeded　Secundus　to　the　Foundation。　That　there　was…　to　be　no　government　on　this　pla　other　than　such　rules　as　the　current　chairman　found　necessary　to　maintain　order。　We've　stuck　to　our　agreement　with　you；　Senior；　I　am　sole　boss　until　the　Trustees　see　fit　to　replace　me。〃
　　
　　〃That's　what　I　intended；〃　Lazarus　agreed。　〃But…　Son；　it's　your　pidgin　and　I'll　never　touch　that　gavel　again…but　I　have　doubts　about　the　wisdom　of　getting　rid　of　troublemakers。　Every　loaf　needs　yeast。　A　society　that　gets　rid　of　all　its　troublemakers　goes　downhill。　Sheep。　Pyramid　builders　at　best；　decadent　savages　at　worst。　You　may　be　eliminating　your　creative　one…tenth　of　one　percent。　Your　yeast。〃
　　
　　〃I'm　afraid　we　are；　Senior；　and　that's　one　reason　why　we　need　you…〃
　　
　　〃I　said　I　won't　touch　that　gavel！〃　…
　　
　　〃Will　you　hear　me　out；　sir？　You　won't　be　asked　to；　even　thOugh　it　is　yours　by　ancient　custom　if　you　care　to　pick　it　up。　But　I　could　use　advice…〃
　　
　　〃I　don't　give　advice；　people　never　take　it。〃
　　
　　〃Sorry。　Perhajs　just　a　chance　to　talk　over　my　problems　with　a　person　more　experienced　than　I　am。　About　these　troublemakers…　We　haven't　eliminated　them　in　the　old　sense；　they're　still　alive；　or　most　of　them。　Ostracizing　a　man　to　another　pla　is　more　satisfactory　than　killing　him　for　the　technical　crime　…of　treason；　it　gets　rid　of…　him　without　making　his　neighbors　too　indignant。　Nor　have　we　wasted　him…them
　　
　　…as　we　are　using　them　to　conduct　an　experiment：　All　transportees　are　shipped　to　the　same　pla；　Felicity。　Do　you　happen　to　know　it？〃　…　…
　　
　　…　〃Not　by　that　name。〃
　　
　　〃I　think　you　would　have　stumbled　on　it　only　by　accident；　sir；　we　have　kept　it　out　of　public　records　in　order　to　use　it　as　a　Botany　Bay。　It　is　not　as　good　a　pla　as　the　name　suggests；　but　it　is　a　good　one；　roughly　equivalent　to　Old　Home　Terra
　　
　　…Earth；　I　should　say…before　it　was　ruined；　or　much　…like　Secundus　when　we　settled　here。　It's　rough　enough　to　test　a　man　and　eliminate　weaklings；　gentle　enough　to　let　a　man　raise　a　family　if　he　has　the　gutsto　dig　in　and　sweat。〃
　　
　　…　〃Sounds　like　a　good　place；　perhaps　you　should　have　hung　onto　it。　Natives？〃
　　
　　〃The　proto…dominant　race　are　quite　fierce　savages　。　。　if　any　are　still　alive。　We　don't　know；　we　don't　even　maintain　a　liaison　office　there。　This　native　race　is　neither　intelligent
　　
　　0
　　
　　enough　to　be　civilized　nOr　tractable　enough　to　be　enslaved。　Perhaps　they　would　have　evolved　and　made　it　on　their　own；　but　they　had　the　misfortune　to　encounter　H。　sapiens　before
　　
　　…　they　were　ready　for　him。　But　that　is　not　the　experiment；　the　transportees　are　certain　to　win　out　over　that　petition；　we　do　not　send　them　empty…handed。　But；　Lazarus；　these　people　believe　that　they　can　create　ideal　government　by　majority　rule。〃
　　
　　Lazarus　snorted。
　　
　　〃Perhaps　they　can；　sir；〃　Weatheral　persisted。　〃I　don't　know　that　they　cannot。　That　is　the　experiment。〃
　　
　　〃Son；　are　you　a　fool？　Oh；　you　can't　be；　the　Trustees　wouldn't　keep　you　in　office。　But…　How　old　did　you　say　you　are？〃　…
　　
　　　nieen　centur？es　your　junior；　sir；　I　will　not　dispute　your　opinion　on　anything。　But　I　do　not　know　through　my　own　experience　that　this　experiment　will　not　work；　I　have　never　seen　a　government　of　the　democratic　type；　even　in　the　numerous　times　I　have　been　off　pla。　I've　simply　read　about　them。　From　what　I　have　read　not　one　has　ever　been　formed　from　a　population　all　of　whom　believed　in　the　democratic　theory。　So　I　don't　know。〃
　　
　　〃Hnim。〃　Lazarus　looked　frustrated。　〃Ira；　1　was　about　to　shove　my　own　experience　with　such　governments　down　your　throat。　But　you're　right；　this　is　a　brand…new　situation…and　we　don't　know。　Oh；　I　have　strong　opinions；　but　a　thousand　reasoned　opinions　are　never　equal　to　one　case　of　diving　in　and　finding　out。　Galileo　proved　that　and　it　may　be　the　only　certainty　we　have。　Mmm　。　。　all　the　so…called　democracies　I've　ever　seen　or　heard　of　were　either　forced　on　the　majority　from　above　or　grew　up　slowly　from　the　plebs　discovering　that　they　could　vote　themselves　bread…and…circuses…for　a　while；　until　the　system　broke　down。　I'm　sorry　I　won't　see　the　oute　of　your　experiment。　I　suspect　it　will　be　the　harshest　tyranny　imaginable；　majority　rule　gives　the　ruthless　strong　man　plenty　of　elbow　room　to　oppress　his　fellows。　But　I　don't　know。　What's　your　opinion？〃
　　
　　〃The　puters　say…〃
　　
　　第3节
　　
　　〃Never　mind　puters。　Ira；　the　most　sophisticated　machine　the　human　mind　can　build　has　in　it　the　limitations　…of　the　。human　mind。　Anyone　who　thinks　otherwise　does　not　understa~鏸　the　Second　Law　of　Thermodynamics。　I　asked　for　your　opinion。〃
　　
　　〃Sir；　I　refuse　to　form　an　opinion；　I　lack　sufficient　data。〃
　　
　　〃Hrrumph：　You're　getting　old；　Son。　To　get　anywhere；　or　even　to　live　a　long　time；　a　man　has　to　guess；　and　guess　right；　over　and　over　again；　without　enough　data　for　a　logical　answer。　You　were　telling　me　how　you　found　me。〃
　　
　　〃Yes；　sir。　That　document；　your　will；　made　it　clear　that　you　expected　to　die…　soon。　Then〃…Weatheral　paused　and　smiled　wryly…〃I　had　to　'guess　right　without　enough　data。'　It　took　us　two　days　to　find　the　shop　where　you　bought　clothes　…to　lower　your　apparent　status…and　to　conform　to　local　styles；　I　think。　I　suspect　that　you　bought　your　false　ID's　right　after
　　
　　that。〃…
　　
　　He　paused；　Lazarus　made　no　ment；。　Weatheral　conlanued：　〃Another　half　day　to　find　the　shop　where　you　lowered
　　
　　…　your　apparent　status　much　farther；　close　to　bottom…too　far　perhaps；　as　the　shopkeeper　remembered　you；　both　because　you　paid　…　cash　…　and　because　you　were　buyrng　secondhand　clothes　that　were　not　as　good　even　when　new　as　the　ones　you　were　wearing。　Oh；　he　pretended　to　accept　your　story　about　a　'costume　party'　and　kept　his　mouth　shut；　his　shop　is　a　fence　for　stolen　goods。〃
　　
　　〃Of　course；〃　agreed　Lazarus。　〃I　made　sure　he　was　on　the　crook　before　I　bought　from　him。　But　you　said　he　stayed　zipped？〃
　　
　　〃Until　we　stimulated　his　memory。　A　fence　is　in　a　difficult　position；　Lazarus；　he　has　to　have　a　permanent　address。　This　can　sometimes　force　him　to　be　honest。〃
　　
　　〃Oh；　I　wasn't　blaming　dear　old　Uncle。　The　fault　was　mine；　I　let　myself　be　conspicuous。　I　was　tired；　Ira；　and　feeling　my　years　and　let　it　rush　me　into　doing　a　sloppy　…job。　Even　a　hundred　years　back　I　would　have　done　a　more　artistic　job…　I've　always　known　that　it　is　more　difficult　to　lower　your　status　convincingly　than　to　raise　it。〃
　　
　　〃I　don't　think　you　need　feel　ashamed　of　the　job　as　a　work　of　art；　Senior；　you　had　us　baffled　for　almost　three　months。〃
　　
　　〃Son；　the　world　doesn't　pay　off　on　a　'good　try。'　Go　ahead~'
　　
　　〃Brute　force　then；　Lazarus：　That　shop　is　in　the　worst　part　of　the　city；　we　put　a　cordon　around　the　area　and　saturated　it；　thousands　of　men。　But　not　for　long；　you　were　in　the　third　fleabag　we　…checked。　I　spotted　you　myself；　I　was　with　one　of　the　…raiding　p