time enough for love-时间足够你爱(英文版)-第55部分

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　days　a　week　until　they　were　free　and　clear。　Joe　cooked　and　Llita　handled　the　cashbox　and　smiled　at　customers　and　helped　at　the　counter；　and　J。A。　lived　in　a　basket　at　his　mother's　elbow　until　he　was　old　enough　to　toddle。
　　
　　Until　I　married　Laura　and　left　New　Canaveral　to　be　a　country　gentleman；　I　stopped　in　their　joint　fairly　often…not　too　often；　as　Llita　would　not　let　me　pay；　and　that　was　proper；　part　of　standing　tall　and　proud；　they　had　eaten　my　food；　now　I　ate　theirs。　So　I　usually　stopped　just　for　a　cup　of　coffee　and　checked　on　my　godson…while　checking　on　them。　I　steered　custom　their　way；　too；　Joe　was　a　good　cook　and　got　steadily　better；　and　word　got　around　that　Estelle's　Kitchen　was　the　place　if　you　appreciated　good　food。　Word　of　mouth　is　the　best　advertising；　people　tend　to　be　smug　about　having　〃discovered〃　that　sort　of　eatery。
　　
　　It　did　no　harm　with　customers；　male　especially；　that　Estelle　herself　pres？ded　over　the　cashbox；　young　and　pretty。　and　with　a　baby　in　her　arm。　If　she　was　nursing　him　as　she　made　change…as　was　often　the　case　at　first…it　practically　guaranteed　a　lavish　tip。
　　
　　J。A。　gave　up　the　dairy　business　presently；　but　when　he　was　about　two　his　job　was　taken　over　by　a　baby　girl；　Libby　Long。　Didn't　deliver　that　one；　and　her　red　hair　had　nothing　to　do　with　me。　Joe　was　blond；　and　I　assume　that　Llita　carried　the
　　
　　gene　as　a　recessive…doubt　if　she　had　time　to　branch　out。　Libby　was　a　number…one　tip…inducer；　and　I　credit　her　with　helping　lay　off　the　mortgage　early。
　　
　　A　few　years　later　Estelle's　Kitchen　moved　uptown　to　the　financial　district；　was　somewhat　larger　and　LLita　hired　a　waitress；　a　pretty　one　of　course。
　　
　　（Omitted）　…
　　
　　…Maison　Long　was　swank；　but　it　had　a　corner　in　it；　a　coffee　shop；　named　〃Estelle's　Kitchen〃　and　Estelle　was　hostess　there　as　well　as　in　the　main　dining　room…smiling；　dressed　fit　to　kill　in　clothes　that　showed　her　superb　figure；　calling　regulars　by　name　and　getting　the　names　of　their　guests　and　remembering　them。　Joe　had　three　chefs　and　a　number　of　helpers；　and　they　met　his　high　standards　or　he　fired　them。　But　before　they　opened　Maison　Long；　something　happened　that　showed　that　my　kids　were　even　smarter　than　I　thought　they　were…or　at　least　remembered　everything　~and　figured　things　out　later。　Mind　you；　when　I　bought　them；　they　were　too　ignorant　to　pound　sand　and　I　don't　think　either　one　had　ever　touched　money　at　any　time。
　　
　　Letter　from　a　lawyer…Inside　was　a　bank　draft；　with　it　was　an　accounting：　Two　passages；　Blessed　to　Valhalla　to　Landfall；　second　leg　taken　from　tariffs　of　Transtellar　Migration　Corporation；　Ltd。　（New　Canaveral）　and　first　leg　arbitrarily　equated　to　second　leg；　certain　monies　accruing　from　share　in　sale　of　cargo；　five　thousand　blessings　expressed　as　bucks　at　an　estimated　exchange　rate　based　on　assumptions　as　to　equivalent　buying　power；　see　enclosure；　total　of　above　gross　sums；　interest　on　gross　pounded　semiannually　for　thirteen　years　at　the　going　mercial　rate　for　each　year　for　unsecured　loans…and　grand　total　same　as　the　bank　draft；　a　sum　I'm　not　sure　I　remember；　Minerva；　but　it　would　not　mean　anything　in　Secundus　crowns　anyhow。　It　was　a　sizable　sum。
　　
　　There　was　no　mention　of　Llita　or　Joe；　and　the　draft　was　signed　by　this　lawyer。　So　I　called　him。
　　
　　He　turned　out　to　be　stuffy；　which　did　not　impress　me　as　I　was　a　lawyer　there　myself；　although　not　practicing。　All　he　would　say　was　that　be　was　acting　for　an　undisclosed　client。
　　
　　So　I　fired　legalese　at　him；　and　he　loosened　up　to　the　extent　of　informing　me　that　he　had　instructions　to　cover　the　contingency　that　I　might　refuse　the　draft：　He　was　then　to　pay　the　draft　sum　to　a　designated　foundation　and　so　inform　me　after　it　was　paid。　But　he　declined　to　tell　me　what　foundation。
　　
　　I　signed　off　and　called　Estelle's　Kitchen。　Llita　answered；　then　cut　in　video　and　smiled　her　best。　〃Aaron！　We　haven't　seen　you　in　much　too　long。〃
　　
　　I　agreed　and　added　that　apparently　they　had　gone　out　of　their　silly　minds　while　I　wasn't　watching。　〃I　have　here　a　bunch　of　nonsense　from　a　lawyer；　along　with　a　ridiculous　draft。　If　I　could　reach　you；　dear；　I　would　paddle　you。　Better
　　
　　let　me　talk　with　Joe。〃
　　
　　She　smiled　happily　and　told　me　that　I　was　wele　to　paddle　her　any　time　and　that　I　could　talk　to　Joe　in　a　moment　but　that　he　was　locking　tip。　Then　she　stopped　smiling　and　said　with　sober　dignity；　〃Aaron；　our　oldest　and　dearest　friend；　that　draft　is　not　ridiculous。　Some　debts　cannot　be　paid。　So　you　taught　me；　years　ago。　But　the　money　part　of　a　debt　can　be　paid。　This　we　are　doing；　as　closely　as　we　have　been　able　to　figure　it。〃
　　
　　I　said；　〃God　damn　it；　you　stupid　little　bitch；　you　kids　don't　owe　me　a　bloody　penny！〃…or　words　to　that　effect。
　　
　　She　answered；　〃Aaron；　our　beloved　master…〃
　　
　　At　the　word　〃master〃　I　blew　my　overloads；　Minerva。　I　used　language　guaranteed　to　scorch　the　hide　of　the　lead　mules　in　a　team　of　six。
　　
　　She　let　me　run　down；　then　said　softly；　〃Our　master　until　you　free　us　by　letting　us　pay　this…Captain。〃
　　
　　Dear；　I　skidded　to　a　halt。
　　
　　She　added；　〃But　e？en　then　you　will　still　be　our　master　in　my　heart；　Captain。　And　in　Joe's　heart；　I　know。　Even　though　we　stand　free　and　proud；　as　you　taught　us。　Even　though…thanks　always　to　you…our　children；　and　the　children　I　still　will　bear；　will　never　know　that　we　were　ever　anything　but　free　。　。　and　proud。〃
　　
　　I　said；　〃Dear；　you're　making　me　cry。〃
　　
　　She　said；　〃No；　no！　The　Captain　never　cries。〃
　　
　　I　said；　〃A　lot　you　know　about　it；　wench。　I　weep。　But　in　my　cabin…with　the　door　locked。　Dear；　I　won't　argue。　If　this　is　what　it　takes　to　make　you　kids　feel　free；　I'll　take　it。　But　just　the　base　sum；　no　interest。　Not　from　friends。〃
　　
　　〃We　are　more　than　friends；　Captain。　And　less。　Interest　on　a　debt　is　always　paid…you　taught　me。　But　I　knew　that　in　my　heart　when　I　was　only　an　ignorant　slave；　freshly　manumitted。　Joseph　knew　it；　too。　I　tried　to　pay　interest；　sir。　But　you　would　not　have　me。〃
　　
　　I　changed　the　subject。　〃What　is　this　blinking　foundation　that　gets　the　bucks　if　I　refuse　them？〃
　　
　　She　hesitated。　〃We　planned　to　leave　that　up　to　you；　Aaron。　But　we　thought　it　might　go　to　orphans　of　spacemen。　Perhaps　the　Harriman　Memorial　Refuge。〃
　　
　　〃You're　both　crazy。　That　fund　is　bulging；　and　I　know　it。　Look；　if　I　go　to　town　tomorrow；　can　you　shut　down　that　***ptomaine***　trap　for　a　day？　Or　perhaps　NeilsdayT'
　　
　　〃Any　day　and　as　many　days　as　you　wish；　dear　Aaron〃…　so　I　said　I　would　call　back。
　　
　　Minerva~I　needed　time　to　think。　Joe　was　no　problem；　he　never　was。　But　Llita　was　stubborn。　I　had　offered　to　promise；　she　had　not　budged　a　millimeter。　It　was　the　interest　that　made　it　such　a　horrid　sum；　for　them…two　strivers　who　had　started　with　a　couple　of　thousand　bucks　thirteen　years　back　and　were　raising　three　kids　by　then。
　　
　　pound　interest　is　murder。　The　sum　she　claimed　they　owed　me…the　amount　of　that　draft…was　more　than　two　and　a　half　times　the　base　sum　。　。　。　and　I　couldn't　see　how　they　had　saved　even　that。　But；　had　I　been　able　to　get　her　to　agree　on　the　base　amount　and　forget　pound　interest；　they　would　still　have　a　nice　chunk　of　capital　to　expand　again…and　if　it　took　giving　the　smaller　sum　to　orphaned　spacemen　or　spacemen's　orphans　or　indignant　cats　to　make　them　feel　proud；　I　could　understand　how　it　would　be　a　bargain　in　their　eyes。　I　had　taught　them　myself；　hadn't　I？　I　once　dropped　ten　times　that　amount　rather　than　argue　over　whether　cards　had　been　cut…then　slept　that　night　in　a　graveyard。
　　
　　I　wondered　if；　in　her　sweetly　devious　mind；　she　was　paying　me　back　for　having　dragged　her　out　of　my　bed　one　night　fourteen　years　earlier。　I　wondered　what　she　would　do　if　I　made　a　counteroffer　to　accept　the　base　sum　and　let　her　〃pay　the　interest〃　…her　own　way。　Shucks；　she　would　probably　be　on　ber　back　before　you　could　say　〃Contraception。〃
　　
　　Which　would　solve　nothing。
　　
　　Since　she　had　turned　down　my　promise；　we　were　back　where　we　had　started。　She　was　determined　to　pay　it　all…or　give　it　away　pointlessly…and　I　was　not　going　to　let　her　do　either　one；　I　can　be　stubborn；　too。
　　
　　There　had　to　be　a　way　to　do　both。
　　
　　At　dinner　that　night；　after　the　servants　withdrew；　I　told　Laura　I　was　going　to　town　on　business…would　she　like　to　e　along？　Shop　while　I　was　busy；　then　dine　wherever　she　liked；　then　any　fun　that　appealed　to　her。　Laura　was　pregnant　again；　I　thought　she　might　enjoy　a　day　wasting　money　on　clothes。
　　
　　Not　that　I　planned　to　have　her　along　at　the　ing　row　with　Llita；　officially　Joseph　and　Estelle　Long　and　their　oldest　child　had　been　born　on　Valhalla；　we　had　bee　friends　when　they　had　taken　passage　in　my　ship。　I　had　fleshed　out　that　story　and　coached　the　kids　in　it　on　the　leg　to　Landfall；　and　had　them　study　sound…sight　tapes　from　Torheim…ones　which　turned　them　into　synthetic　Vaihallans　unless　questioned　too　closely　by　real　Vaihallans。
　　
　　This　fakery　was　not　utterly　necessary　as　Landfall　had　an　open…door　policy；　an　immigrant　did　not　even　have　to　register…he　could　sink　or　swim。　No　landing　fee；　no　head　tax；　not　much　taxation　of　any　sort；　or　much　government；　and　New　Cana