time enough for love-时间足够你爱(英文版)-第75部分

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　　She　paused　with　a　foot　on　the　step　of　the　wagon。　〃My。　rubies；　dear？　Out　here　on　the　prairie？〃
　　
　　〃Rangy　Lil；　I　bought　those　rubies　for　you　to　wear　and　for　me　to　admire　you　wearing　them。〃　…
　　
　　She　flashed　a'　smile　that　turned　her　normally　serious　expression　into　sunshine；　swung　on　up　into　the　wagon　and　disappeared。　She　was　back　quickly　wearing　weapons　belt　and　rubies；　but　had　taken　a　few　seconds　to　b　her　hair；　long　and　chestnut　brown　and　shining。　That　she　had　not　been　able　to　bathe　for　more　than　two　weeks　did　not　show；　did　not　detract　from　her　enchanting；　youthful　beauty。　She　paused　on　the　step　and　smiled　at　him。
　　
　　〃Hold　it！〃　he　said。　〃Perfect！　Dora；　you　are　the　most　beautiful　thing　I　have　ever　seen　in　all　my　born　days〃
　　
　　She　flashed　him　another　smile。　〃I　don't　believe　that；　my　husband…but　I　hope　you　will　goon　saying　it。〃
　　
　　〃Madam；　I　cannot　…　tell　a　lie'。　I　say　it　only　because　it　is　the　simple　trutl~。　Now　what　were　you　saying　about　the　little　rooster？〃　…　…
　　
　　…〃Oh！　That　perverted　little　monster！　I　said　he　had　been　breaking　eggs　on　purpose！　This　time　I　caught　him。　Pecking　them。　Two　freshly　laid　broken　eggs！〃　…　…
　　
　　〃Royal　prerogative；　dear。　Afraid　one　of　them　would　hatch　Out　a　rooster。〃
　　
　　〃I'll　wring　his　neck！　If　we　had　a　fire；　I'd　do　it　right　now。　Darling；　I　was　trying　to　see　what　we　could　eat　cold　without　opening　anything　not　already　open；　and　it　occurred　to　me　that　salt　crackers　crumbled　into　raw　eggs　would　almost　make　a　meal。　But　there　were　only　three　eggs　today　and　he　broke　the　two　laid　by　his　hens。　I'd　put　plenty　of　grass　in　；both　cages；　the'　one　egg　on　the'　other　side　wasn't　even　cracked。　Danus　him。　Woodrow；　why　do　we　have　to　have　two　roosters？〃
　　
　　〃For　the　same　reason　I　carry　two　throwing　knives。　Sweetheart；　after　we　arrive　and　hatch　our　first　chicks；　once　they're　big　enough　that　I'm　certain　of　a　spare　rooster；　we　can　have　rooster　and　dumplings　with　him　as　guest　of　honor。　Not　before。〃
　　
　　'But　we　can't　have　him　breaking　eggs。　Tonight's　supper　will　be　mostly　cheese　and　hardtack…unless　you　want　me　to
　　
　　…　open　something。〃…
　　
　　〃Let's　not　rush　it。　Fritz　and　Lady　Mac　are　trying　to　spot　game　right　now。　Prairie　goat；　I　hope。　Loper　if　not。〃　…
　　
　　〃But　I　can't　cook　meat。　You　said。　You　did　say。〃
　　
　　〃Raw；　my　dear。　Haunch　of　prairie　goat；　chopped　fine　and　spread　on　'hard　crackers。　Beef　Tartare　a　la　New　Beginnings。　Tasty。　Tastes　almost　as　good　as　girl。〃　He　smacked　his　lips。
　　
　　〃Well　。　。　if　you　can　eat　it；　I　can　eat　it。　But　half　the　time；　Woodrow；　I　don't　know　whether　you　are　joking　or　not。〃
　　
　　〃I　never　joke　about　food　or　women；　Dorable；　those　are　sacred　subjects。〃　He　looked　her　up　and　down　again。　〃Speaking　of　women；　woman；　dressing　you　in　rubies　is　just　right。　But　why　a　bracelet　around　your　ankle？〃
　　
　　〃Because　you　gave　me　~three…　bracelets；　sir。　As　well　as　rings　and　a　pendant。　And　you　said　to　wear　'all　of　them。'〃　…
　　
　　〃So　I　did。　Where　did　this　one　e　from？〃　〃Hey！　That's　not　a　ruby；　that's　me！〃
　　
　　…〃Looks　like　a　ruby。　Here's　another　just　like　it。〃
　　
　　〃Unh！　Maybe　I'd　better　take　my　rubies　off？　So　we　won't　lose　them。　Or　should　we　water　the　mules　first？〃
　　
　　〃You　mean　before　we　eat？〃
　　
　　〃Ub　。　。　yes；　'I　guess　that's　what　I　mean；　Tease。〃　…
　　
　　〃You're　not　speaking　very　plainly；　little　Dora。　Tell　Uncle　Gil~bie　what　you　want。〃
　　
　　〃I'm　not　'little　Dora。'　I'm　Rangy　Lil；　the　horniest　girl　south　of　Separation…you　said　so　yourself。　I　cuss　and　I　swear　and　I　spit　between　my　teeth　and　I'm　concubine　to　Lazarus　Long；　Super　Stud　of　the　Stars　and　better　than　any　six　men…　and　you　know　damn　well　what　I　want；　and　if　you　pinch　my　nipples　again；　I'm　likely　to　trip　you　and　take　it。　But　I　guess　we　ought　to　water　the　mules。〃
　　
　　Minerva；　Dora　was　just　plain　nice'　to　be　around；　always。　It　wasn't　her　physical　beauty　。　。　which　wasn't　that　outstanding　by　the　usual　criteria　in　any　case…although　she　was　utterly　beautiful　to　me。　Nor　was　it　her　enthusiastic　interest　in…　sharing　〃Eros〃…although　she　was　indeed　enthusiastic；　ready　~any　time；　and　always　on　a　short　fuse。　And　skilled　at　it　and　got　more　so。　Sex　is　a　learned　art；　…as　much　so　as　ice　skating　or　tightwire　walking　or　fancy　diving；　it　is　not　instinct。　Oh；　two　animals　couple　by　instinct；　but　it　takes　intelligence　and　patient　willingness　to　turn　copulation　into　a　high　and　lively　art。　Dora　was　good　at　it　and　got　better　and　better；　always　eager　to　learn；　free　of　fetishes　or　silly　preconceptions；　patiently　willing　to　practice　anything　she　learned　or　was　taught…and　with　it　that　spiritual　quality　that　turns　sweaty　exercise　into　a　living　sacrament。
　　
　　But　Minerva；　love　is　what　still　goes　on　when　you　are　not　horny。
　　
　　Dora　was　good　pany　at　any　time；　but　the　tougher　things　were；　the　better　panion　she　was。　Oh；　she　fretted　about　broken　eggs　because　chickens　were　her　responsibility；　she'　did　not　plain　that　she　was　thirsty。　Instead　of　nagging　me　to　do　something　about　that　rooste？；　she　figured　out　what　had　to　be　done　and　did　it…shoved　all　the　hens　in　with　the　other　rooster；　tied　the　feet　of　the　egg　breaker　and　laid　him　aside　while　she　moved　the　partition　between　the　cages；　then　the　smaller　rooster　was　in　solitary　confinement　and　we　lost　no　more　eggs。
　　
　　But　the　truly　tough　parts　lay　ahead　of　us；　she　did　not　fret
　　
　　…at　all　during　those；　or　ever　turn　balky　when　I　did　not　have　time　to　explain。　Minerva；　much　of　the　trek　was　slow　death；　other　parts　were　sudden　dangers　that　could　have　been　quick　death。　She　was　endlessly　patient　in　the　former；　always　kept　her　head　and　helped　in　the　latter。　Dear；　you　are　awesomely
　　
　　learned…but　you　are　a　city　girl　and　you've　always　been　on　a　civilized　pla；　perhaps　I　had　'better　explain　some　things。
　　
　　Maybe　you　have　been　asking　yourself：　〃Is　this　trip　necessary？〃…and；　if　it　is；　why　do　it　the　hardway？
　　
　　〃Necessary…〃　Having　done　something　a　Howard　should　never　do；　namely；　marry　an　ephemeral；　I　had　three　choices：
　　
　　Take　her　to　live　among　Howards。　Doin　rejected　that
　　
　　al…though　I　would　have　tried　to　talk　her　out　of　it　if　she　had　said　Yes。　A　short…timer　alone　in　a　munity　of　the　longlived　is　almost　certain　to　go　into　suicidal　depression；　I　had　seen　it　first~　in　my　friend　Slayton　Ford　and　I've　seen　it　many　times　since　then。　I　did　not　want　this　to　happen　to　Dora。　Whether　the　number　of　her　years　was　ten　or　a　thousand；　I　wanted　her　to　enjoy　them。
　　
　　Or　we　could　stay　in　Top　Dollar　or…the　same　thing…near　one　of　the　villages　of　that　small　piece　of　the　pla　that　was　settled　then。　I　almost　chose　this；　as　the　〃Bill　Smith〃　dodge　would　work　for　that…for　a　time。　…
　　
　　But　only　for　a　short…　time。　The　few　Howards　on　New　Beginnings…the　Magees　and　three　Other　families　as　I　recall…　had　all　arrived　incognito…〃masquerade〃　in　Howard　jargon…　and　by　simple　dodges　they　could　shuffle　things　around　and　never　be　caught　at　it。　…　Grandmother　Magee　could　〃die；〃　then　show　up　as　〃Deborah　Simpson〃　on　another　Howard　homestead。　The　more　people　there…　were　on　the　pla；　the　easier　it　was　to　pull　this…especially　after　the　fourth　wave　arrived；　all　of　them　cold…sleep　cargo　and　thereby　never　having　gotteil　acquainted　with　each　other。
　　
　　But　〃Bill　Smith〃　was　married　to　an　ephemeral。　If　I　stayed　around　the　settled　parts；　I　would　have　to　be　most　careful　to　keep　my　hair　dyed…not　just　on　my　head　but　all　over　my　body　lest　some　accident　give　me　away…and　then　be　careful　to　〃age〃　as　fast　as　my　wife　did。　Worse；　I　would　have　to　avoid　people　who　had　known　〃Ernest。　Gibbons〃　well…　most　of　Top　Dollar；　that　is　to　say…or　someone　would　see　my　profile　and　hear　my　voice　and　start　wondering；　as　I　had　had　no　chance　for　plastic　surgery　or　anything　of　that　sort。　At　other　times；　when　it　was　needful　to　change　name　and　identity；　I　had　always　changed　location　as　well；　that　being　the　only　foolproof　way　to　do　it。　Even　plastic　surgery　won't　disguise　me　very　long；　I　regenerate　too　easily。　I　once　had　my　nose　bobbed　（the　alternative　seemed　to　involve　having　my　neck　bobbed）；　ten　years　later　it　was　just　as　it　is　now；　big　and　ugly。
　　
　　Not　that　I　was　too　jumpy　about　being　disclosed　as　a　Howard。　But　if　I　was　going　to　have　to　live　in　masquerade；　the　more　carefully　I　used　these　cosmetic　tricks；　…　the　more　Dora's　nose　would　be　rubbed　in　the　fact　that　I　was　different　from　her…different　in　the　saddest　way　of　all；　a　husband　and　a　wife　who　ran　on　very　different　time　rates。
　　
　　Minerva；　it　seemed　to　me　that　the　only　way　I　could　give　my　pretty　new　wife　a　square　shake　was　by　taking　her　far　away　from　both　sorts　of　people；　long…lived　and　short；　where　I　could　quit　pretending　and　we　could　ignore　the　difference；　forget　it　and　be　happy。　So　I　decided　to　take　her　clear　out　of　reach　of　other　people；　decided　this　before　we　got　back　to　town　the　very　day　I　married　her。
　　
　　It　seemed　the　best　answer　to　an　otherwise　impossible　situation；　but　one　not　as　irreversible　as　a　parachute　jump。　If　she　got　too　lonely；　if　she　grew　to　hate　the　sight　of　my　ugly　mug；　I　could　bring　her　out　to　the　settlements　again；　still　young　enough　to　hook　another　husband。　I　had　this　in　mind；　Mmerva；　as　some？of　my　wives　have　grown