time enough for love-时间足够你爱(英文版)-第121章

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！


　　〃When　did　you　start　copying　new　accessions？〃
　　
　　〃Shortly　after　the　Trustees'　Meeting。　I　had　expected　Susan　Barstow　to　be　elected。　When　Arabelle　Foote…Hedrick　got　it…　well；　it　disturbed　me。　Because　of　an　incident　years　back　when　we　were　both　on　campus。　I　thought　about　resigning。　But　I　had　started　work　on　your　memoirs。〃
　　
　　〃Justin；　I　think　you　kidded　yourself　about　your　reason　for　staying。　You　suspected　that　Arabelle　might　make　an　ad…interim　appointment　other　than　your　deputy。〃
　　
　　〃That's　possible；　sir。〃
　　
　　〃But　irrelevant。　You　used　Weltons　for　this　copying？〃
　　
　　〃Oh；　yes。　I　could　squeeze　funds　for　that　much。〃
　　
　　〃Where　are　they？　Still　in　the　'Homing　Pigeon'？〃
　　
　　I　suppose　I　looked　startled。　The　Senior　said；　〃e；　e！　They　were　important　to　you…do　you　expect　me　to　think　that　you　left　them　light…years　away？〃
　　
　　〃Mr。　Chairman；　the　cubes　ire　in　my　baggage　。　…　still　in　Colony　Leader　Weatheral's　office。〃
　　
　　〃Pallas　Athene？〃
　　
　　〃Back　of　the　visitors'　couch；　Mr。　Chairman。　The　Colony　Leader　told　me　to　remind　him　to　fetch　home　Mr。　Foote's　luggage。〃
　　
　　〃Perhaps　we　can　do　better。　Chief　Archivist；　if　you　will　permit　Pallas　Athene　to　have　the　code　to　your　bags；　she　has　extensionals　in　Ira's　office　to　copy　those　cubes　at　once。　Then　you　can　quit　worrying；　Pallas　Athene　already　has　the　Archives　in　her；　up　to　the　day　I　let　Arabelle　have　the　gavel　back。〃
　　
　　I　know　my　face　showed　it。　The　Senior　chuckled　and　said；
　　
　　〃Why　and　how？　'Why'　because　you　aren't　the　only　one　who　feels　that　the　Families'　records　should　be　safeguarded。　'How？'　We　stole　them；　Son；　we　stole　them。　I　had　control　of　the　execu…'　tive　puter　and　used　it　to　copy　the　whole　works…genealogies；　history；　minutes　of　the　Families'　Meetings；　everything…with　an　override　program　to　keep　your　boss　puter　from　knowing　what　I　was　doing。
　　
　　〃Right　under　your　nose；　Chief　Archivist…but　I　kept　it　from　'you　for　your　protection；　I　did　not　want　Arabelle　to　get　wind　of　it　and　quiz　you。　It　would　have　given　her　ideas；　and　she　had　too　many　already。　The　only'　problem　was　to　scrounge　enough　Welton　cubes。　But　you　are　sitting　on　them　right　now；　about　twenty　meters　under　your　arse…and　when　Pallas　Athene　reads　the　ones　in　your　luggage；　the　duplicate　Archives　will　be　plete　to　the　date　you　left　Secundus。　Feel　better？〃
　　
　　I　sighed。　〃Much　better；　Mr。　Chairman。　I　can　stay　with　a　clear　conscience。　I　now　feel　free　to　resign。〃
　　
　　〃Don't。〃
　　
　　〃Sir？〃
　　
　　〃Stay　here；　yes。　But　'don't　resign。　Your　deputy　is　carrying　on　and　you　trust　her。　Arabelle　can't　legally　put　in　her　own　boy　by　ad…interim　appointment　unless　you　do　resign；　since　your　appointment　es　from　the　Trustees。　Not　that　legality　would　bother　her…but　again　let's　not　put　ideas　into　her　head。　How　many　Trustees　on　Secundus？〃
　　
　　〃'On'　Secundus；　sir？　Or　resident　on　Secundus？〃
　　
　　〃Don't　quibble；　Son。〃
　　
　　〃Mr。　Chairman；　I　am　not　quibbling。　There　are　two　hundred　eighty…two　Senior　Trustees。　Of　that　number　one　hundred　niy…five　are　resident　on　Secundus；　the　other　eighty…seven　representing　Howards　on　other　plas。　I　put　it　as　I　did　because　it　requires　a　two…thirds　majority　to　pass　a　policy　motion
　　
　　…t　at　a　decennial　meeting；　or　twothirds　of　the　total　number；　or　one　hundred　eighty…eight；　at　an　emergency　meeting　unless　every　trustee　everywhere　has　been　notified…which　can　take　years。　I　mention　this　because；　were　you　to　call　an　emergency　meeting；　it　might　be　impossible　to　muster　one　hundred　eighty…eight　votes　necessary　to　recall　Madam　Chairman　Pro　Tern。〃
　　
　　The　Senior　blinked　at　me。　〃Mr。　Archivist；　what　in　Ned　gave　you　the　notion　that　I　would　call　a　Trustees'　meeting？　Or　would　attempt　to　recall　our　dear　Sister　Arabelle？〃
　　
　　〃Your　question　seemed　to　be　leading　toward　that；　sir…
　　
　　and　I　remember　an　occasion　on　which'　you　took　back　the　gavel。〃
　　
　　〃Entirely　different。　My　motives　then　were　selfish。　The　old　biddy　was　about　to　spoil　my　plans　by　grabbing　Ira。　The　circumstances　eaning　I　could　get　away　with　it…which　I　can't　today。　Son；　despite　what　the　records　show；　Arabelle　didn't　give　up　that　gavel　willingly；　I　grabbed　it　from　her。　Then　the　short　time　it　took　us　to　finish　up　and　leave；　I　kept　her　prisoner。〃
　　
　　〃Really；　Mr。　Chairman？　She　doesn't　seem　to　harbor　resentment。　She　speaks　of　you　in　the　highest　terms。〃
　　
　　The　Senior　grinned　his　l？zy；　cynical　grin。　〃That's　because　we're　both　pragmatists。　I　was　careful　to　save　her　face　and　made　sure　she　knew　it；　and　now　she　has　nothing　to　gain　by　running　me　down…and　something　to　lose；　because　I've　acquired　a　semisacred　status。　Her　status　depends　in　part　on　mine　and　she　knows　it。　Just　the　same…　Well；　if　I　ever　find　myself　on　the　same　pla　with　her…unlikely；　I'm　no　fool…I　shall　be　very　careful　going　through　doors　and　such。
　　
　　〃I'll　tell　you　how　it　worked；　and　you'll　see　why　I　can't　do　it　twice。　Once　Ira　handed　her　the　gavel　he　moved　out　of　the　Palace…proper。　But　until　we　left　I　continued　to　live　in　the　penthouse　on　top　of　the　Palace…also　proper；　the　Palace　is　my　official　residence。　Because　I　was　still　there；　Minerva　was　still　hooked　in。　In　consequence　she　was　able　to　warn　me　when　Arabelle's　busies　grabbed　Ira。　I　came　out　of　a　sound　sleep　and　grabbed　the　gavel。〃
　　
　　Lazarus　frowned。　〃A　plawide　executive　puter　is　a　menace；　Justin。　When　it　was　Minerva　with　Ira　giving　orders；　it　worked　fine。　But　see　what　I　did　with　it　and　extrapolate　what　someone　else　might　do　with　one。　Arabelle；　for　instance。　Uh…　Teena；　give　Justin　a　sample　of　Arabelle's　voice。〃
　　
　　〃Yes；　Mr。　Chairman。　'Chief　Archivist　Foote；　this　is　the　Chairwoman　Pro　Tern。　I　have　the　honor　to　announce　that　I　have　been　able　to　persuade　our　distinguished　Ancestor；　Lazarus　Long；　Permanent　Chairman　of　the　Howard　Families；　to　assume　for　us　the　titular　leadership；of　the　Families　during　the　regrettably　short　period　remaining　until　he　again　embarks　for　a　new　worid。　Please　give　this　announcement　full　distribution　among　your　subordinates。　I　will　continue　to　handle　routine　details　but'　the　Chairman　wants　you　to　feel　free　to　consult　him　at　any　time。　Speaking　for　the　Trustees　and　for　the　Chairman；　this　is　Arabelle　Foote…Hedrick；　Chairtvoman　Pro　Tem。~　pore　of　the　Howard　Families。'〃
　　
　　〃Why；　that's　exactly　what　she　said　to　me。〃
　　
　　〃Yup。　Minerva　did　a　good　job。　She　got　just　the　right　pomposity　into　the'　phrasing；　as　well　as　getting　Arabelle's　voice　down　pat；　even　to　that　sniff　she　uses　for　punctuation。〃
　　
　　〃That　wasn'r　Arabelle？　I　had　no　slightest　suspicion。〃
　　
　　〃Justin；　when　that　message　went　to　you…and　one　like　it　to　everyone　important　enough　to　rate　it…Arabelle　was　in　the　biggest；　fanciest　apartment　in　the　Palace…and　very　annoyed　that　doors　wouldn't　open　and　transport　wouldn't　e　and　none　of　the　munication　arrangements　would　work…except　when　I　syanted　to　talk　to　her。　Shucks；　I　didn~t　even　let　her　have　a　cup　of　coffee　until　she　got　her　feathers　down　and　conceded　that　I　was　Chairman　and　running　things。
　　
　　〃After　that　we　got　along　pretty　well；　even　became　somewhat　chummy。　I　did　everything　for　her　but　turn　her　loose。　She　took　over　the　routine…I　didn't　want　to　be　bothered…　which　was　safe　as　Minerva　would　have　chopped　her　off　if　she　got　out　of　line　and　she　knew　it。　She　and　I　even　appeared　together　on　a　newscast　the　morning　I　left；　and　Arabelle　spoke　her　piece　like　a　lady；　and　my　public　thanks　to　her　were　just　as　sincerely　insincere。〃
　　
　　Lazarus　Long　continued；　〃But　now　she　has　the　executive　puter　and　if　I　went　back；　I'd　throw　my　hat　in　first。　No；　Justin；　I　was　not　asking　about　the　Trustees　on　Secundus　with　any。　intention　of　calling　a　meeting；　instead　I　was　thinking　that　any　twenty　Trustees　can　call　an　emergency　meeting　and　hoping　that　they　would　see　it　as　you　do…futile……and　not　try。　She　might　grab　them　and　ship　them　to　Felicity。　Or；　if　she　has　the　nerve…I　think　she　has…she　might　let　them　hold　their　meeting；　then　if　it　went　against　her；　ship　all　the　Trustees　who　show　up　off　to　Felicity。　But　I　guarantee　she　won't　quit　without　a　fight。　I　caught　her　with　her　pants　down；　she　won't　be　caught　twice。〃
　　
　　〃Then　it　means　a　bloodbath。〃
　　
　　〃T