time enough for love-时间足够你爱(英文版)-第24章

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d　me　to　Washington；　and　what　I　did　then　was　hush…hush　and　you　wouldn't　believe　it　if　I　told　you。　None　of　your　lip；　boy；　I　was　telling　you　what　David　did。
　　
　　0！'　David　was　an　authentic　hero。　He　was　cited　for　gallantry　and　awarded　a　decoration；　one　that　figures　into　the　rest　of　his　story。
　　
　　Dave　had　resigned　himself　to…or　looked　forward　to；　as　ma~
　　
　　be…retiring　at　the　rank　of　lieutenant　mander；　as　there　weren't　many　billets　higher　than　that　in　the　flying　boats。　But　the　war　jumped　him　to　lieutenant　mander　in　a　matter　of　weeks；　then　to　mander　a　year　later；　and　finally　to　captain；　four　wide　gold　stripes；　without　facing　a　selection　board；　taking　a　promotion　examination；　or　manding　a　vessel。　The　war　was　using　them　up　fast；　and　anyone　not　killed　was　promoted　as　long　as　he　kept　his　nose　clean。
　　
　　Dave's　nose　was　clean。　He　spent　part　of　the　war　patrolling　his　country's　coasts　for　enemy　underwater　vessels…〃cornbat　duty〃　by　definition　but　hardly　more　dangerous　than　peacetline　practice。　He　also　spent　a　tour　turning　clerks　and　salesmen　into　fliers。　He　had　one　assignment　into　a　zone　where　actual　fighting　was　going　on；　and　there　he　won　his　medal。　I　don't　know　the　details；　but　〃heroism〃　often　consists　in　keeping　your　head　in　an　emergency　and　doing　the　best　you　can　with　what　you　have　instead　of　panicking　and　being　shot　in　the　tail。　People　who　fight　this　way　win　more　battles　than　do　intentional　heroes；　a　glory　hound　often　throws　away　the　lives　of　his　mates　as　well　as　his　own。
　　
　　But　to　be　officially　a　hero　requires　luck；　too。　It　is　not　enough　to　do　your　job　under　fire　exceptionally　well；　it　is　necessary　that　someone…as　senior　as　possible…see　what　you　do　and　write　it　up。　Dave　had　that　bit　of　luck　and　got　his　medal。
　　
　　He　finished　the　war　in　his　nation's　capital；　in　the　Naval　Bureau　of　Aeronautics；　in　charge　of　development　of　patrol　planes。　Perhaps　he　did　more　good　there　than　he　did　in　bat；　since　he　knew　those　multiple…engine　craft　as　well　as　any　man　alive；　and　this　job　put　him　in　position　to　cut　out　obsolete　nonsense　and　push　through　some　improvements。　As　may　be；　he　finished　the　war　at　a　desk；　shuffling　papers　and　sleeping　at　home。
　　
　　Then　the　war　ended。
　　
　　Dave　looked　around　and　sized　up　the　prospects。　There　were　hundreds　of　Navy　captains　who；　like　himself；　had　been　lieutenants　only　three　years　earlier。　Since　the　peace　was　〃forever；〃　as　politicians　always　insist；　few　would　ever　be　promoted。　Dave　could　see　that　he　would　not　be　promoted；　he　had　neither　the　seniority；　the　traditionally　approved　pattern　of　service；　nor　the　right　connections；　political　and　social。
　　
　　What　he　did　have　was　almost　twenty　years'　service；　the　minimum　on　which　to　retire　at　half　pay。　Or　he　could　hang　on　until　he　was　forced　to　retire　through　failure　to　be　selected　for　admiral。
　　
　　There　was　no　need　to　decide　at　once；　twenty…year　retirement　was　a　year　or　two　off。
　　
　　But　he　did　retire　almost　at　once…for　medical　reasons。　The　diagnosis　was　〃psychosis　situational；〃　meaning　that　he　went　crazy　on　the　job。
　　
　　Ira；　I　don't　know　how　to　evaluate　this。　Dave　impressed　me　as　one　of　the　few　pletely　sane　men　I　ever　knew。　But　I　wasn't　there　when　he　retired；　and　〃psychosis　situational〃　was　the　second　monest　cause　for　medical　retirement　of　n？…va！　officers　in　thoSe　days　but…how　could　they　tell？　Being　crazy　was　no　handicap　to　a　naval　officer；　any　more　than　it　was　to　an　author；　a　schoolteacher；　a　preacher；　or　several　other　esteemed　occupations。　As　long　as　Dave　showed　up　on　time　and　signed　paper　work　some　clerk　prepared　and　never　talked　back　to　his　seniors；　it　would　never　show。　I　recall　one　naval　officer　who　had　an　amazing　collection　of　ladies'　garters；　he　used　to　lock　himself　into　his　stateroom　and　examine　them…and　another　one　who　did　exactly　the　same　with　a　collection　of　paper　stickers　used　for　postage。　Which　one　was　crazy？　Or　both？　Or　neither？
　　
　　Another　aspect　of　Dave's　retirement　requires　knowledge　of　the　laws　of　the　time。　Retiring　on　twenty　years'　service　paid　half　pay…subject　to　ine　tax　which　was　heavy。　Retiring　for　medical　disability　paid　three…quarters　pay　and　was　not　subject　to　ine　tax。
　　
　　I　don't　know；　I　just　don't　know。　But　the　whole　matter　fits　Dave's　talent　for　maximum　results　with　minimum　effort。　Let's　stipulate　that　he　was　crazy…but　was　he　crazy　like　a　fox？
　　
　　There　were　other　features　of　his　retirement。　He　judged　correctly　that　he　had　no　chance　of　being　selected　for　admiral…but　that　citation　for　gallantry　carried　with　it　an　honorary　promotion　on　retirement…so　Dave　wound　up　the　first　man　in　his　class　to　bee　admiral；　without　ever　manding　a　ship　much　less　a　fleet…one　of　the　youngest　admirals　in　history；　by　his　true　age。　I　conjecture　that　this　amused　the　farm　boy　who　hated　to　plow　behind　a　mule。
　　
　　For　at　heart　he　was　still　a　farm　boy。　There　was　another　law　for　the　benefit　of　veterans　of　that　war；　one　intended　to　pensate　lads　who　had　had　their　educations　interrupted　by　having　to　leave　home　to　fight：　subsidized　education；　one　month　for　every　month　of　wartime　service。
　　
　　This　was　intended　for　young　conscripts；　but　there　was　nothing　to　keep　a　career　officer　from　taking　advantage　of　it；　Dave　could　claim　it　and　did。　With　three…quarters　pay　not　subject　to　taxation；　with　the　subsidy…also　not　taxable…of　a　married
　　
　　veteran　going　to　school；　Dave　had　about　the　ine　he　had　had　on　active　duty。　More；　really；　as　he　no　longer　had　to　buy　pretty　uniforms　or　keep　up　expensive　social　obligations。　He　could　loaf　and　read　books；　dress　as　he　pleased；　and　not　worry　about　appearances。　Sometimes　he　would　stay　up　late　and　prove　that　there　were　more　optimists　playing　poker　than　mathematicians。　Then　sleep　late。　For　he　never；　never　got　up　early。
　　
　　Nor　did　he　ever　again　go　up　in　an　aeroplane。　Dave　had　never　trusted　flying…machines；　they　were　much　too　high　in　case　they　stalled。　They　had　never　been　anything　to　him　but　a　means　to　avoid　something　worse；　once　they　had　served　his　purpose；　he　put　them　aside　as　firmly　as　he　had　put　aside　fencing　foils…and　with　no　regrets　in　either　case。
　　
　　Soon　he　had　another　diploma；　one　which　stated　that　he　was　a　Bachelor…　of　Science　in　agronomy…a　〃scientific〃　farmer。
　　
　　This　certificate；　with　the　special　preference　extended　to　veterans；　coUld　have　obtained　him　a　civil　service　job；　telling　other　people　how　to　farm。　Instead；　he　took　some　of　the　money　that　had　piled　up　in　the　bank　while　he　loafed　in　school　and　went　way　back　into　those　hills　he　had　left　a　quarter　of　a　century　earlier…and　bought　a　farth。　That　is；　he　made　a　down　payment；　with　mortgage　on　the　balance　through　a　government　Joan　at　a……subsidized；　of　course…very　low　rate　of　interest。
　　
　　Did　he　work　the　farm？　Let's　not　be　silly；　Dave　never　took　his　hands　out　of　his　pockets~　He　made　one　crop　with　hired　labor　while　he　negotiated　still　another　deal。
　　
　　Ira；　the　pletion　of　Dave's　grand　plan　involves　one　factor　so　unbelievable　that　I　must　ask　you　to　take　it　on　faith
　　
　　…it　is　too　much　to　ask　any　rational　man　to　understand　it。
　　
　　At　that　pause　between　wars；　Earth　held　over　two　billion　people…at　least　half　on　the　verge　of　starvation~　Nevertheless
　　
　　…and　here　is　where　I　must　ask　you　to　believe　that　I　was　there　and　would　not　lie　to　you…despite　this　shortage　of　food　which　never　got　better　other　than　temporarily　and　locally　in　all　the　years　that　followed；　and　could　not；　for　reasons　we　need　not　go　i？to…in　spite　of　this　disastrous　shortage；　the　government　of　David's　country　paid　farmers　not　to　grow　food。
　　
　　Don't　shake　your　head；　the　ways　of　God　and　government　and　girls　are　all　mysterious；　and　it　is　not　given　to~　mortal　man　to　understand　them。　Never　mind　that　you　yourself　are　a　government；　go　home　tonight　and　think　about　it…ask　yourself　if　you　know　why　you　do　what　you　do…and　e　back　tomorrow　and　tell　me。
　　
　　As　may　be…　David　never　made　but　one　crop。　The　following　year　his　acreage　was　〃soil…banked；〃　and　he　received　a　fat　check　for　not　working　it；　which　suited　him　just　fine。　Dave　loved　those　hills；　he　had　always　been　homesick　for　them；　he　had　left　them　simply　to　avoid　work。　Now　he　was　being　paid　not　to　work　in　them…which　suited　him；