time enough for love-时间足够你爱(英文版)-第86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！


　　
　　…　got　what　she　wanted；　Buckaroo　covered　her。　Sure　enough；　the　colt　had　been　too　big　for　her　and　I　had　to　go　in　and　cut　it　up　and　take　it　out　in　chunks…a　routine　job　of　emergency　veterinary　surgery　but　an　impressive　and　bloody　sight　for　two
　　
　　stripling　boys　who　had　helped　their　father　by　controlling　the　mare　while　le　operated。
　　
　　No；　indeed；　they　did　not　want　anything　even　a　little　bit　like　that　to　happen　to　He！　en　~No；　sir！
　　
　　Minerva；　I　cheated　a　little。　I　did　not　tell　them　that　the　way　Helen　was　spreading　in　the　butt　and　the　measurements　she　already　had　made　it　appear　to　her　family　doctor…me…that　she　was　even　more　of　a　natural　baby　factory　than　her　mother
　　
　　…and　would　be　big　enough　for　~ier　first　one　much　younger　than　Dora　had　had　Zaccur；　I　did　not　tell　them　that　the　chances　of　a　healthy　baby　from　a　brother…sister　mating　were　higher　than　the　chances　of　a　defective。　I　certainly　did　not！
　　
　　Instead；　I　waxed　lyrical　about　'what　wonderful　creatures　girls　are；　what　a　miracle　it　is　that　they　'could　make　babies；　how　precious　thcy　are　and　how　it　is　a　man's　proud　privilege　to　love　and　cherish　and　protect　them…protect　them　even　from　their　follies　because　Helen　might　behave　just　like　Dancing　Girl；　impatient　and　foolish。　So　don't　let　her　tempt　you；　boys…jerk　off　instead；　just　like　you've　been　doing。　They　promised；　tears　in　their　eyes。　…
　　
　　I　didn't　ask　them　to　promise　that　or　anything…but　it　gave　me　the　idea：　Have　〃Princess〃　Helen　knight　them。
　　
　　The　kids　grabbed　that　idea　and　ran　with　it；　Tales　of　King　Arthur's　Court　was　one　of　the　books　Dora　had　fetched　along　because　Helen　Mayberry　had　given　it　to　her。　So　we　had　Sir　Zaccur　the　Strong　and　Sir　Andrew　the　Valiant　and　two　ladiesin…waiting…waiting　rather　eagerly；　Iseult　and　Undine　knew　that　they；　too；　would…　be　〃princesses〃　as　each　reached　menarche。　Ivar　was　squire　to　both　knights　and　would　be　dubbed　himself　when　his　voice　changed。　Only　Elf　was　too　small　as　yet　to　play　the　game。　…
　　
　　It　worked；　a　stopgap。　I　suppose　〃Princess〃　Helen　was　protected　more　than　she　wanted　to　be　protected。　But　if　she　could　not　lure　her　faithful　knights　into　the　cornfields；　they　did　place　her　stool　for　her　at　meals；　they　bowed　to　her　rather　often；　and　usually　addressed　her　as　〃Fair？Princess〃…considerably　more　than　I　ever　did　for　my　sisters。　…
　　
　　Before　the　first　anniversary　of　〃Helen's　Day〃　those　three　new　families　dropped　down　the　rise　and　the　crisis　was　over。　It　was　Sammy　Roberts；　not　one　of　her　brothers；　who　first　spread　〃Princess〃　Helen's　thighs…certain；　as　she　told　her　mother　about　it　at　once　（more　of　Helen　Mayberry's　influence）　and　Dora　kissed　her　and　told　her　that　she　was　a　good　girl　and　now　go　find　Papa　and　ask　him　to　examine　you…and　I
　　
　　did　and　she　hadn't　been　hurt；　not　to　mention。　But　it　gave　Dora　some　control　over　the　matter；　just　as　Helen　Mayberry　had　guided　Dora　at　about　the　same　age…so　Dora　had　told　me；　long　before　that。　In　consequence　our　oldest　daughter　did　not　get　pregnant　until　she　was　almost　as　old　as　and　quite　a　bit　more　filled　out　than　Dora　had　been　when　I　married　her。　Ole　Hanson　married　her；　and　Sven　Hanson　and　I；　and　Dora　and　Ingrid；　helped　the　youngsters　start　their　homestead。　Helen　thought　the　baby　was　Ole's；　and　for　all　I　know　she　was　right。　No　fuss。　No　fuss　when　Zack　married　Hilda　Hanson；　either。　In　Happy　Valley　pregnancy　was　equivalent　to　betrothal；　。1　can't　recall　any　girl　who　married　without　that　proof　of　eligibility。　Certaintly　none　of　our　daughters。　…
　　
　　Having　neighbors　Was　grand。
　　
　　~　tOmitted）…
　　
　　…not　only　'~tched　his　fiddle　over　the　Rampart　but　could　call。　I…could　call　some　and；　while　I　hadn't　touched　a　violin　for　fifty　years　or　so；　I　found　it　came　back　to　me；　so　we　spelled　each　other　as　Pop　like　to　dance；　too。　Like　so：
　　
　　〃Square　'em　up！
　　
　　〃Salute　your　lady！　Opposite　lady！　Corner　gal！　Right…hand　gal！　Salute　your　own　and　make　'er　a　throne。　All　stand　up　and　don't　let　'er　fall；　swing　your　ladies　one　and　all！
　　
　　〃'Moses　lived　a　long　time　ago。
　　
　　'King　said　Yes；　Moses　said　No！…f　arm　hands；　circle　right。　'Phar'ah　was　dat　king's　first　na~ne；　…
　　
　　'Made　'em　live　a　life　of　shame！…allemande　left！…with　a　dosey…doh！　Then　home　you　go　and　swing！
　　
　　said　Yes　and　th'　waves　did　part。　First　couple　through　the　Red　Sea！　Now　corner　gal　and　right…hand　man！
　　
　　Corner　boy；　right…hand　gal…on　around　and　keep　it　ing
　　
　　…right　and　left！
　　
　　〃'A　happy　band　on　th'　opp'site　shore；　'So　all　form　up　and　swing　once　more！　'King　weeps　alone　on　Egypt's　shore；　'Chosen　People　slaves　no　more！
　　
　　'So　kiss　your　lady　and　whisper　in　her　ear；
　　
　　'Then　sit　'er　down　and　get　'er　a　beer。'　Intermission！〃
　　
　　Oh；　we　had　fun！　Dora　learned　to　dance　when　she　was　a　new　grandmother…and　was　still　dancing　when　she　was　a　great…
　　
　　great…grandmother。　Early　years　the　parties　were　oftenest　at　our　place　because　we　had　the　biggest　house　and　a　pound
　　
　　…large　enough'　for　a　big　party。　Start　dancing　late　afternoon；　dance　till　you　couldn't　see　your　partner；　then　a　potluck　buffet　supper　to　candlelight　and　moonlight；　then　sing　a　while；　and　beddown　all　over　the　place…all　the　rooms；　the　roof；　shakedowns　in　the　pound；　some　in　wagons…and　if　anybody　ever　slept　alone；　I　never　heard　about　it。　Nor　any　trouble　worth　mentioning　if　things　got　a　little　loose　around　the　edges。
　　
　　Next　morning　there　was　likely　to　be　a　double　performance　by　the　Merm~id　Tavern　Players；　one　edy；　one　tragedy；　then　it　would　be　time　for　those　who　lived　farthest　away　to　round　up　their　kids；　hitch　up　their　mules；　and　roll；　while　those　who　lived　closer　helped　clean　up　before　doing　the　same　thing。
　　
　　Oh；　I　remember　one　spot　of　trouble：　A　man　gave　his　wife　a　black　eye　over　nothing　much；　whereupon　six　men　nearest　him　tossed　him　out　the　gate　and　barred　it。　Made　him　so　mad　he　hitched　up　and　left　。　。　and　headed　back　up　the　Great　Gorge　toward　Hopeless　Pass…a　fa髏　that　wasn't　noticed　for　a　while；　as　his　wife　and　baby　moved　in　with　her　sister　and　her　husband　and　their　kids；　and　stayed　on；　a　polygamy…though　not　…the　only　one。　No　laws　about　marriage　or　sex…no　laws　about　anything　for　many　years…except　that　incurring　the　disapproval　of　your　neighbors；　such　as　by　giving　your　wife　a　bl~ck　eye；　meant　risking　Coventry；　about　the　worst　thing　that　can　happen　to　a　pioneer　short　of　being　lynched。
　　
　　But　migrants　tend　to　be　both　horny　and　easy　about　it。　Superior　intelligence　always　includes　strong　sexual　drive；　and　the　pioneers　in　Happy　Valley　had　been　through　a　double　screening；　first　in　a　decision　to　leave　Earth　and　then　in　deciding　to　tackle　Hopeless　Pass。　So　we　had　real　survivors　in　Happy　Valley；　smart；　cooperative；　industrious；　tolerant…　willing　to　fight　when　necessary　but　not　likely　to　fight　aver　trivial　matters。　Sex　is　not　trivial；　but　fighting　over　it　is　usually　pretty　silly。　It's　characteristic　only　of　a　man　who　isn't　sure　of　his　manhood；　which　didn't　describe　any　of　these　men；　they　were　sure　of　themselves；　no　need　to　prove　it。　No　cowards；　no　thieves；　no　weaklings；　no　bullies…the　rare　exception　didn't　last　long　enough　to　count。　Either　dead　like　that　first　three…；　or
　　
　　…　ran　away　from　us　like　that　idiot　who　took　a　poke　at　his　wife。　These　rare　purgings　al。　For
　　
　　many　years　the　only　law　we　had　was　the　Golden　Rule；　nowritten　but　closely　followed。
　　
　　In　such　a　munity　functionless　taboos　about　sex　couldn't
　　
　　last；　they　didn't　tend　to　be…　brought　into　…　our…　valley　in　the　first　place。　Oh；　close　inbreeding　wasn't　well　thought　of；　these　pioneers　were　not　ignorant　of　geics；…　nor　of　conception　control。　But　the　attitude　was　pragmatic；　I　don't　think　I　ever　heard　anyone　speak　out　against　incest　that　was　just　a　jolly　romp　with　no　oute。　But　I　recall　one　girl　who　married　her　half　brother　openly　and　had　several　children　by　him…I　assume　that　they　were　his。　There　may　have　been　gossip；　but　it　did　not　get　them　ostracized。　Any　marriage　pattern　was　treated　as　the　private　business　of　the　partners　in　it；　not　something　to　be　licensed　by　the　munity。　I　recall　two　young　couples　who　decided　to　bine　their　farms；　then　built　a　house　big　enough　by　adding　to　the　larger　of　their　two　houses　and　making　the　other　into　a　barn。　Nobody　asked　who　slept　with　whom；　it　was　taken　for　granted　that　it　was　then　a　four…cornered　marriage；　and　no　doubt　had　been　one　before　they　enlarged　that　house　and　pooled　their　goods。　Nobody's　business　but　theirs。　…
　　
　　Among　such　people…　the　plural　of　〃spouse〃　is　〃spice。〃　…　A　pioneer　munity；　poor　in　everything　else；　always　makes　its　own　recreations…with　sex　at　the　top　of　the　list。　We　had　no　professional　entertainers；　no　theaters　'（unless　you　count　the　amateur　theatricals　started　by　our　kids）；　no　cabarets；　no　diversions　dependent　on　sophisticated　electronics；　no　periodicals；　few　books。　Certainly　those　meetings　of　the　Happy　Valley　Dance　Club　continued　ai~　gentle　orgies　after　it　was　too　…dark　to　dance　and　the　younger　children　were　bedded　down　for　the　night…how　else？　But　it　was　all　quite　gentle；　a　couple　could　always　go　sleep　in　their　own　wagon　and　ignore　the　quiet　luau　elsewhere。　No　pulsion　either　way…shucks；　they　didn't　even　have　to　attend