time enough for love-时间足够你爱(英文版)-第108章

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ace~　as　safe　as　this　one。〃
　　
　　〃By　the　way；　where　is　Athene？　'The　main　puter　itself；　…　I　mean。〃
　　
　　〃Here。　She　was　still　in　the　'Dora'　when　she　built　this；　now　she's　under　the　house…she　built　her　underground　home　first；　then　built　ou？　house　on　top　of　it。〃
　　
　　Minerva　said　simply；　〃A　puter　prefers　to　feel　safe；　and　close　to　her　own　people。　Lazarus…forgive　me；　dear；　but　you　have　reversed　a　tim？sequence；　that　was　more　than　three　years　ago。〃
　　
　　〃Oh；　so　I　have。　Minerva；　when　you~　have　lived　as　long　as　I　have…and　you　will…you'll　find　yourself　inverting　time　sequences　endlessly；　a　flesh…and…blood　shorting　you　had　to　accept　when　you　took　the　plunge。　Correction；　Justin…　'Minerva；'　not　'Athene。'〃
　　
　　第53节
　　
　　〃Yet　it　is　Athene　who　built　it…now；〃　Minerva　added；　〃since　engineering　and　the　details　of　this　construction　and　others　are　things　I　left　behind　in　Athene；　where　they　belong；　and　abstracted　only　a　simplified　memory　of　having　built　it…I　wanted　to　remember　that　much。〃
　　
　　I　said；　〃Whoever　built　it；　it's　beautiful。〃　I　was　suddenly　upset。　It　is　one　thing　to　accept　intellectually　the　startling　idea　that　a　young　woman　has　had　a　former　life　as　a　puter…　and　even　to　accept　that　one　had　worked　with　that　puter　years　back　'and　light…years　away。　But　this　discussion　suddenly　brought　home　to　me　emotional　belief　that　this　lovely　girl　with　her　arm　warm　in　mine　had　in　sober　fact　been　a　puter　so　short　a　time　ago　that　she　had　built　this　new　house…　while　a　puter。　It　shook　me…even　though　I　am　a　historiographer；　old；　and　my　sense　of　wonder　was　dulled　even　before　my　first　rejuvenation。
　　
　　*
　　
　　We　went　in；　and　my　upset　was　swept　away　by　greetings。　We　were　kissed　all　around…two　beautiful　young　women；　one　of　；whom　I　recognized　when　I　heard　her　name；　Ira's　daughter　Hamadryad　and　she　looks　like　one；　the　other　a　statuesque　blonde　whose　name；　Ishtar；　was　familiar　to　me
　　
　　through　talk；　and　a　young　man　as　beautiful　as　the　women　and　who　seemed　familiar　though　I　could　not　place　him。　Even　the　twin　flam鑤ops　insisted　on　kissing　me　since　they　had　not　greeted　me　that　way　earlier。
　　
　　In　Boondock　a　kiss　of　greeting　is　not　the　ritual　peck　it　usually　is　in　New　Rome；　e~en　the　twins　bussed　me　in　a　fashion　that　made　me　certain　of　their　sex…I've　had　poorer　kisses　from　grown　women　whose　intentions　were　direct　and　immediate。　But　the　young　man；　introduced　as　〃Galahad；〃　startled　me。　He　hugged　me；　with　kisses　on　my　cheeks　followed　by　a　~iss　on　my　mouth　worthy　of　a　Ganymede…　which　surprised　me；　but　I　tried　to　return　as　good　as　I　got。
　　
　　Instead　of　letting　me　go；　he　pounded　my　back　and　said；　〃Justin；　it　tickles　my　root　to　see　you　again！　Oh；　this　is　wonderful！〃
　　
　　I　pulled　my　face　back　to　look　at　his。　I　must　have　looked　puzzled　for　he　blinked；　then　said　mournfully：　〃Ish；　I　boasted　too　soon！　Hamadear；　get　me　a　towel；　I'm　weeping。　He's　forgotten　me　。　。　after　all　the　things　he　said。〃
　　
　　I　said；　〃Obadiah　Jones；　What　are　you　doing　here？〃
　　
　　〃Weeping。　Being　humiliated　in　front　of　my　family。〃
　　
　　I　don't　know　how　long　it　had　been　since　I　had　seen　him。~　It　may　have　been　more　than　a　century　since　it　has　been　that　long　since　I　left　the　Howard　campus。　Brilliant　young　specialist　in　ancient　cultures　he　was　then；　with　an　impish　sense　of　humor。　I　recalled；　dredging　it　up　out　of　memory；　having　shared　a　Seven…Hours　with　him　and　two　other　savants；　both　female　and　happily　so…but　I　could　not　recall　their　faces　nor　who　they　were；　what　I　remembered　was　his　playful；　joyous；　boisterous　good　pany。　〃Obadiah；〃　I　said　sternly；　〃why　are　you　calling　yourself　'Galahad'？　Hiding　from　the　police　again？　Lazarus；　I'm　shocked　to　find　this；　uh；　macho　in　your　house…　lock　up　your　daughters！〃
　　
　　〃Oh；　that　name！〃　he　said　brokenly。　〃Don't　repeat　it；　Justin。　They　don't　know　it。　When　I　reformed；　I　changed　my　n~me。　You　won't　give　me　away？　Promise　me；　dear！〃　Suddenly　he　grinned　and　said　in　a　cheerful　voice；　〃e　on　into　'the　atrium　and　let's　get　a　skinful　of　rum　into　you。　Lazi；　who　has　the　duty？〃
　　
　　〃Lori　does。　Even…numbered　day。　But　I'll　help。　Straight　rum？〃
　　
　　〃Better　flavor　it。　I　want　to　add　a　wele　the　Borgias　used　on'old　friends。〃
　　
　　〃Sure　thing；　Uncle　Cuddly。　Who　are　the　Borgias？〃
　　
　　〃A　family　from　the　greatest　days　of　Old　Earth's　rise　and　fall；　sugar　lump。　The　Howards　of　their　time。　Very　suave　in　han；dling　guests。　I'm　descended　from　them；　and　their　secrets　were　passed　down　to　me　by　word　of　mouth。〃
　　
　　〃Laz；〃　said　Lazarus；　〃ask　Athene　for　a　rundown　on　the　Borgias　before　you　mix　a　drink　for　Justin。〃
　　
　　〃I　see；　he's　at　it　again…〃　〃…so　we'll　tickle　him…　〃…and　blow　in　his　ears…　〃…until　he　cries　Pax…　〃…and　promises　Veritas…　〃…he's　no　problem。　e　on；　Lazi。〃
　　
　　I　had　found　the　village　of　Boondock　pleasantly　unimpressive；　more　pleasant　and　less　impressive　than　I　had　expected。　Ira　and　Lazarus　had　accepted　only　seven　thousand　for　their　first　wave　from　applicants　numbering　more　than　niy　thou'sand；　therefore　the　present　population　of　Tertius　could　not　be　much　over　ten　thousand　and　was　in　fact　slightly　less。
　　
　　Boondock　seemed　to　have　only　a　few　hundred　people　and　was　centered　on　a'　few　small　buildings　for　public　and　semipublic　purposes；　most　colonists　being　scattered　around　the　countryside。　The　home　of　Lazarus　Long　was　by　far　the　most　impressive　structure　I　had　seen…not　counting　the　large　flat　cone　of　the　Senior's　yacht　and　the　much　larger　bulk　of　one　robot　space　freighter　on　the　skyfield　where　my　packet　had　grounded。　（The　skyfleld　was　a　level　place　a　few　kilometers　across；　one　could　not　call　it　a　port。　There　was　not　one　godown。　It　must　have　an　autobeacon　since　I　grounded　safely；　I　did　not　see　it。）
　　
　　This　rudimentary　settlement　had　not　prepared　me　for　the　Senior's　house。　Its　lines　and　plan　were　simple；　that　long…dead　Roman　had　picked　a　good　designer。　It　was　a　walled　garden；　the　house　itself　being　its　four　walls。　But　it　had　two　stories；　and　each　level　could　have　been　divided；　it　seemed　to　me；　into　twelve　to　sixteen　large　rooms　plus　the　usual　ancillary　spaces。　Twenty…four　or　more　rooms　for　a　household　of　eight？　The~　more　blatantly　rich　in　New　Rome　might　display　ego　in　so　much　space；　but　it　seemed　inappropriate　in　a　new　colony；　as　well　as　out　of　tune　with　what　I　had　learned　in　my　long　research　of　the　Senior's　lives。
　　
　　Simple…　Half　the　building　was　given　over　to　a　rejuvenation　clinic；　a　therapy　clinic；　an　infirmary；　these　could　be　reached　from　the　foyer　without　entering　the　private　part　of　the　house。
　　
　　…The　number　of　family　rooms　remaining　was'　indefinite；　most　interior　wall~　were　movable。　The　Howard　Clinic　and　the　medical　facilities　would　be　moved　to　a　nearby　site　when　the　colony　needed　larger　facilities；　when　size　of　the　Senior's　family　made　more　home　space　desirable。
　　
　　（I　was　lucky　in　that；　when　I　arrived；　no　client　was　being　rejuvenated；　no　patient　was　in　the　infirmary…or　most　of　the　adults　would　have　been　busy。）
　　
　　The　size　of　his　family　seemed　as　hazy　as　the　number　of　rooms。　I　had　thought　there　were　eight…three　men；　the　Senior；　Ira；　and　Galahad；　three　women；　Ishtar；　Hamadryad；　and　Minerva；　two　youngsters；　Lorelei　Lee　and　Lapis　Lazuli…but　I　was　not　aware　of　two　girl　toddlers　and　a　small　boy。　Besides　that；　I　was　neither　the　first　nor　the　last　to　be　urged　to　move　in　and　stay　as　long　as　one　wished。　Whether　such　stay　was　as　a　guest　or　as　a　member　of　th？Senior's　family　might　also　be　ut1~鑜ear　to　an　outsider。
　　
　　Relationships　inside　his　family　also　were　vague。　Colonists　are　always　families；　a　single　'colonist　is　a　contradiction　in　terms。　But　all　of　Tertius　…Colony　were　Howards；　and　we　Howards　have　used　every　sort　of　marriage；　I　think；　except　lifetime　monogamy。
　　
　　But　Tertius　has　no　laws　about　marriage；　the　Senior　had　not　thought　them　necessary。　The　few　laws　it　has　are　in　the　migration　contract；　written　by　Ira　and　Lazarus　jointly。　It　contains　the　usual　covenants　about　homesteading；　with　the　colony　leader　absolute　arbitrator　until　such　time　as　he　resigns。　But　it　says　not　one　word　about　marriage　and　family　relationships。　The　colonists　register　their　babies；　Howards　always　do
　　
　　…in　this　case　with　the