time enough for love-时间足够你爱(英文版)-第90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！


　　
　　Secundus　was　colonized　that　permits　requisition　of　private　property　by　the　state。　Correct；　Ira？〃
　　
　　〃Technically　correct；　Lazarus。　Although　there　is　long　precedent　for　eminent　domain　in　land。〃
　　
　　〃Ira；　I'd　argue　even　that。　But　have　you　ever　heard　of　it　being　applied　to　spaceships？〃
　　
　　〃Never。　Unless　you　count　the　'New　Frontiers。'〃
　　
　　〃Ouch！　Ira；　I　didn't　requisition　the　'New　Frontiers'；　I　stole　it　to　save　our　skins。〃
　　
　　〃I　was　thinking　of　Slayton　Ford's　part　in　it；　not　yours。　Constructive　requisitioning；　perhaps？〃
　　
　　〃Mmm…　It's　pretty　small　of　you　to　bring　it　up　a　couple　of　thousand　years　after　his　death。　Furthermore；　had　Slayton　not　done　what　he　did；　I　wouldn't　be　here　and　you　wouldn't　be　here。　Nor　any　of　us。　Damn　you；　Ira。〃
　　
　　〃Get　your　feathers　down；　Grandfather。　I　was　just　pointing　out　that　a　head　of　state　sometimes　has　to　do　things　he　would　never　do　as　a　private　individual。　But　if　Arabelle　can　requisition　the　'Homing　Pigeon'　when　it　sits　on　Secundus；　then　you　can　do　the　same　on　Tertius。　You　are　each　head　of　state　of　an　autonomous　pla。　Teach　her　a　lesson。〃
　　
　　〃Uh　。　。　Ira；　don't　tempt　me。　It　happened　to　me　once。　If　it　got　to　be　a　habit；　it　would　put　a　stop　to　interstellar　travel。　I　won't　touch　that　bucket　under　any　such　flimsy　legality。　But　I　do　own　it；　indirectly；　and　if　Justin　wants　to　stay；　he　can　turn　it　over　to　me；　and　I'll　return　it　to　Transport　Enterprises。　Let's　get　back　to　that　list。　See　what　the　old　bat　wants？　The　times　and　places　she　wants　me　to　report　on？〃
　　
　　〃Looks　like　an　interesting　itinerary。〃
　　
　　〃It　does；　eh？　Then　you　do　it。　'Battle　of　Hastings…First；　Third；　and　Fourth　Crusades…Battle　of　Orleans…Fall　of　Constantinople…French　Revolution…Battle　of　Waterloo。'　Thermopylae　and　nieen　other　encounters　between　rough　strangers。　I'm　surprised　she　didn't　ask　me　to　referee　the　bout　between　David　and　Goliath。　I'm　chicken；　Ira。　I　fight　when　I　can't　run…how　does　she　think　I　managed　to　live　so　long？　Bloodshed　is　not　a　spectator　sport。　If　history　says　that　a　battle　took　place　at　a　given　location　on　a　particular　day；　then　I'll　be　somewhere…or　somewhen…far　away；　sitting　in　a　tavern；　drinking　beer　and　pinching　the　barmaids。　Not　dodging　mortar　fire　to　feed　Arabelle's　ghoulish　curiosity。〃
　　
　　〃I　tried　to　suggest　that；〃　said　Justin。　〃But　she　said　that　this　was　an　official　Families'　project。〃
　　
　　〃The　hell　it　is。　I　told　her　about　it　simply　to　be　sure　of　the
　　
　　Delay　Mail　setup。　I'm　a　coward　by　trade　。　。　and　not　working　for　her。　I'll　go　where　and　when　I　please；　see　What　I　want　to…　and　try　not　to　antagonize　local　yokels。　Especially　those　fighting　each　other；　it　makes　'em　trigger…happy。〃
　　
　　〃Lazarus；〃　said　Ira　Weatheral；　〃you　never　have　said　what　you　do　plan　to　see。〃
　　
　　〃Well…　No　battles。　Battles　are　well　enough　reported~　for　my　taste。　But　there　are　lots　of　interesting　things　in　Terran　history…peaceful　things　not　well　reported　because　they　were　peaceful。　I　want　to　see　the　Parthenon　at　the　peak　of　its　glory。　Cruise　down　the　Mississippi　with　Sam　Clemens　as　pilot。　Go　to　Palestine　in　the　first　three　decades　of　the　Christian　Era　and　try　to　locate　a　certain　carpenter　turned　rabbi…settle　whether　there　ever　was　such　a　man。〃
　　
　　Justin　Foote　looked　surprised。　〃You　mean　the　Christian　Messiah？　Admittedly　many　stories　about　him　are　myths；　but…〃
　　
　　〃How　do　you　know　they　are　myths？　But　that　he　ever　lived　is　the　point　that　has　never　been　established。　Take　Socrates；　four　centuries　earlier…his　historicity　is　as　firmly　established　as　that　of　Napoleon。　Not　so　with　the　Carpenter　of　Nazareth。　Despite　the　care　with　which　the　Romans　kept　records　and　the　equal　care　with　which　the　Jews　kept　theirs；　none　of　the　events　that　should　be　on　record　can　be　found　in　contemporary　records。
　　
　　〃But　if　I　devoted　thirty　years　to　it；　I　could　find　out。　I　know　Latin　and　Greek　of　that　time~　and　I'm　almost　as　conversant　with　classic　Hebrew；　all　I　would　have　to　add　is　Aramaic。　If　I　found　him；　I　could　follow　him　around。　Take　down　his　words　with　a　microrecorder；　see　if　they　match　what　he　is　alleged　to　have　said。
　　
　　〃But　I　won't　take　any　bets。　The　historicity　of　Jesus　is　the　slipperiest　question　in　all　history　because　for　centuries　the　question　couldn't　be　raised。　They　would　hang　you　for　asking
　　
　　…or　burn　you　at　the　stake。〃
　　
　　〃I'm　amazed；〃　said　Ira。　〃My　knowledge　of　Earth's　history　isn't　as　thorough　as　I　thought　it　was。　However；　I　concentrated　on　the　period　from　Ira　Howard's　death　to　the　founding　of　New　Rome。〃
　　
　　〃Son；　you　didn't　even　sample　it。　But　aside　from　this　one　weird　story…'weird'　because　most　major　religious　leaders　ar？　heavily　documented　whereas　this　one　remains　as　elusive　as　the　King　Arthur　legends…I'm　not　going　after　great　events。　I'd　rather　meet　Galileo；　get　a　look　at　Michelangelo　at　work；
　　
　　attend　。a　first　performance　of　one　of　old　Bill's　plays　at　the　Globe　Theater；　things　like　that。　I'd　particularly　like　to　go　back　to　my　own　childhood；　see　if　things　look　as　I　recall　them。'~
　　
　　Ira　blinked。　〃Run　a　chance　of　running　into　yourself？〃
　　
　　〃Why　not？〃
　　
　　〃Well　。　。　there　are　paradoxes；　are　there　not？〃
　　
　　〃How？　If　I'm　going　to；　then　I　did。　That　old　clich？about　shooting　your　grandfather　before　he　sires　your　father；　then　going　luff！　like　a　soap　bubble…and　all　descendants；　too；　meaning　both　of　you　among　others…is　nonsense。　The　fact　that　Fm　here　and　you're　here　means　that　I　didn't　do　it…or　won't　do　it；　the　tenses　of　grammar　aren't　built　for　time　travel…but　it　does　not　mean　that　I　never　went　back　and　poked　around。　I　haven't　any　yen　to　look　at　myself　when　I　was　a　snot…nose；　it's　the　era　that　interests　me。　If　I　ran　across　myself　as　a　young　kid；　he…I…wouldn't　recognize　me；　I　would　be　a　stranger　to　that　brat。　He　wouldn't　give　me　a　passing　glance；　I　know；　I　was　he。〃
　　
　　〃Lazarus；〃　put　in　Justin　Foote；　〃if　you　intend　to　visit　that
　　
　　era；　I'd　like　to　invite　your　attention　to　one　thing　Madam
　　
　　Chairman　Pro　Tern　is　interested　in…because　I　am　interested。
　　
　　A　recording　of　exactly　what　was　said　and　done　at　the　Families'
　　
　　Meeting　in　2012　A。D。〃
　　
　　〃Impossible。〃
　　
　　〃Just　a　moment；　Justin；〃　Ira　put　in。　〃Lazarus；　you　have　refused　to　talk　about　that　meetii~g　on　the　grounds　that　the　others　who　were　there　can't　dispute　your　version。　But　a　recording　would　be　fair　to　everyone。〃
　　
　　〃Ira；　I　didn't　say　that　I　would　not；　I　said　it　was　impossible。〃
　　
　　〃I　don't　follow　you。〃
　　
　　〃I　can't　make　a　recording　of　that　meeting　because　I　was　not　there。〃
　　
　　〃You　lost　me　again。　All　the　records…and　your　own　statements…show　that　you　were　there。〃
　　
　　〃Again　we　don't　have　language　adequate　for　time　travel。　Surely；　I　was　there　as　Woodrow　Wilson　Smith。　I　was　there　and　made　a　hairy　nuisance　of　myself　and　offended　~　lot　of　people。　But　I　did　not　have　a　recorder　on　me。　Let's　say　that　Dora　and　the　twins　drop　me　back　there…me；　Lazarus　Long；　not　that　younger　fellow…and　that　Ishtar　has　equipped　me　with　a　recorder　implanted　behind　my　right　kidney；　with　its　minimike　surfacing　inside　my　right　ear。　Okay；　let's　assume　that　ent　I　won't　be　noticed　making　a　record。
　　
　　〃But；　Ira；　what　you　don't　understand；　despite　having
　　
　　chaired　many　Families'　Meetings；　is　that　I　would　not　get　inside　the　hail。　In　those　days　an　executive　meeting　of　the　Families　was　harder　to　get　into　than　an　esbat　of　witches。　The　guards　were　armed　and　eager；　it　was　a　rough　period。　What　identity　could　I　use？　Not　Woodrow　Wilson　Smith；　he　was　there。　Lazarus　Long？　There　was　no　'Lazarus　Long'　on　the　Families'　rolls。　Try　to　fake　it　as　someone　eligible　but　not　able　to　attend？　Impossible。　There　were　only　a　few　thousand　of　us　then；　and　every　member　was　known　to　a　large　percentage　of　the　rest；　a　man　who　couldn't　be　vouched　for　ran　a　nasty　chance　of　being　buried　in　the　basement。　No　unidentified　person　ever　did　get　in；　we　had　too　much　at　stake。　Hi；　Minerva！　e　in；　honey。〃
　　
　　〃Hi；　Lazarus。　Ira；　am　I　intruding？〃
　　
　　〃Not　at　all；　dear。〃
　　
　　〃Thank　you。　Hello；　Athene。〃
　　
　　〃Hello；　my　sister。〃
　　
　　Minerva　waited　to　be　introduced。　Ira　said；　〃Minerva；　you　remember　Justin　Foote；　Chief　Archivist。〃
　　
　　〃Certainly；　I've　worked　with　him　many　times。　Wele　to　Tertius；　Mr。　Foote。〃
　　
　　〃Thank　you；　Miss　Minerva。〃　Justin　Foote　liked　what　he　saw…a　tall；　slender　young　woman　with　an　erect　carriage；　a　small；　firm　bust；　long　chestnut　hair　worn　in　a　part　and　brushed　straight　down；　a　sober；　intelligent　face；　handsome　rather　than　pretty；　but　which　blossomed　into　beauty　each　time　she　gave　one　of　her　quick　smiles。　〃But；　Ira；　I　must　hurry　back　to　Secundus　and　apply　for　rejuvenation。　This　young　lady　has　worked　with　me　~many　times'…yet　I've　grown　so　senile　I　can't　place　the　occasions。　Forgive　me；　dear　lady。〃
　　
　　Minerva　flashed　him　another　of　her　smiles；　then　instantly　was　sober。　〃My　fault；　s？r；　I　should　have　explained　at　once。　When　I　worked　with　you；　I　was　a　puter。　Executive　puter　of　Secundus；　serving　Mr。　Weatheral；　then　Chairman　Pro　Tem。　But　now　I'm　a　flesh…and…blood；　and　have　been　for　the　past　three　years。〃
　　
　　Justin　Foote　blink