time enough for love-时间足够你爱(英文版)-第41章

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　　〃Uh　。　。　he　bedded　all　of　them？〃
　　
　　〃Wouldn't　be　surprised；　Ira。　I　never　tried　to　find　out。　Irrelevant　in　any　case。〃
　　
　　Hamadryad　said　to　her　father；　〃Ira；　'mother　love'　can't　be　what　we're　trying　to　define；　it　is　often　only　a　sense　of　duty。　Two　of　my　brats　I　was　tempted　to　drown；　as　you　may　have　guessed　seeing　what　little　demons　they　were。〃
　　
　　〃Daughter；　all　your　offspring　were　charming　children。〃
　　
　　〃Oh；　fuff。　One　has　to　give　a　baby　mothering　no　matter　what；　or　it　will　grow　up　to　be　a　still　worse　monster。　What　did　you　think　of　my　son　Gordon　as　a　baby？〃
　　
　　〃A　delightful　child。〃
　　
　　〃Really？　I'll　tell　him　that…if　I　ever　have　a　male　child　I　name　'Gordon。'　Sorry；　old　darling；　I　shouldn't　have　trapped　you。　Lazarus；　Ira　is　a　perfect　grandfather；　one　who　never　forgets　a　birthday。　But　I've　suspected　that　Minerva　kept　track　of　such　things　for　him　and　now　I　know　it。　Right；　Minerva？〃
　　
　　Minerva　did　not　answer。　Lazarus　said；　〃She's　not　working　for　you；　Hamadryad。〃
　　
　　Ira　said　sharply；　〃Of　course　Minerva　keeps　track　of　such　things　for　me！　Minerva；　how　many　grandchildren　do　I　have？〃
　　
　　〃One　hundred　and　twenty…seven；　Ira；　counting　the　boy　child　to　be　born　next　week。〃
　　
　　〃How　many　great…grandchildren？　And　who　is　having　the　boy？〃
　　
　　〃Four　hundred　and　three；　sir。　Your　son　Gordon's　current　wife　Marian。〃　。
　　
　　〃Keep　me　posted　on　it。　That　was　the　baby　Gordon　I　was　thinking　of；　Miss　Smarty；　Gordon's　son　Gordon　。　。　uh；　by　Evelyn　Hedrick；　I　think。　Lazarus；　I　deceived　you。　The　truth　is　that　I　am　migrating　because　my　descendants　are　crowding　me　off　this　globe。〃
　　
　　〃Father；　are　you　really　going　to？　Not　just　talking？〃
　　
　　〃Still　top　secret　until　after　the　decennial　Trustees　Meeting；　dear。　But　I　am。　Want　to　e　along？　Galahad　and　Ishtar　have　decided　to　go；　they'll　set　up　a　rejuve　shop'　for　the　colony。　You'll　have　five　to　ten　years　in　which　to　learn　something　useful？'
　　
　　〃Grandfather；　are　you　going？〃
　　
　　〃Unlikely　to　the　nth　degree；　my　dear。　I've　seen　a　colony。〃
　　
　　〃You　may　change　your　mind。〃　Hamadryad　stood　up；　faced　Lazarus。　〃I　propose　to　you；　in　the　presence　of　three　witnesses…four；　Minerva　is　the　best　possible　witness…a　contract　for　cohabitation　and　progeny；　term　to　be　elected　by　you。〃
　　
　　Ishtar　looked　startled；　then　wiped　all　expression　from　her　face；　the　others　said　nothing。
　　
　　Lazarus　answered；　〃Granddaughter；　if　I　weren't　so　old　and　tired；　I　would　spank　you。〃
　　
　　〃Lazarus；　I　am　your　granddaughter　only　by　courtesy；　you　are　less　than　eight　percent　of　my　total　ancestry。　Less　than　that　in　terms　of　dominant　genes；　with　a　vanishingly　small　probability　of　unfavorable　reinforcement；　the　bad　recessives　have　been　weeded。　I'll　send　my　geic　pattern　over　for　your　inspection。〃
　　
　　〃That's　not　the　point；　dear。〃
　　
　　〃Lazarus；　I'm　certain　you've　married　your　descendants　in　the　past；　is　there　some　reason　to　discriminate　against　me？　If　you'll　tell　me；　perhaps　I　can　correct　it。　I　must　add　that　this　submittal　is　not　contingent　on　your　migrating。〃　Hamadryad　added；　〃Or　it　could　be　for　progeny　only；　although　I　would　be　proud　and　happy　to　be　permitted　to　live　with　…you。〃
　　
　　〃Why；　Hamadryad？〃
　　
　　She　hesitated。　〃I　am　at　loss　to　answer；　sir。　I　had　thought　that　I　could　say；　'I　'love　you'…but　apparently　I　do　not　know　what　that　word　means。　So　I　have　no　word　in　either　language　to　describe　my　need　。　。　and　went　ahead　without　one。〃
　　
　　Lazarus　said　gently；　〃I　love　you；　dear…〃　Hamadryad's　face　lit　up。
　　
　　He　continued：　〃…and　for　that　very　reason　I　must　refuse　you。〃　Lazarus　looked　around　him。　〃I　love　all　of　you。　lshtar；　Galahad　。　。　even　that　ugly；　surly　father　of　yours；　dear；　sitting　there　and　looking　worried。　Now　smile；　dear；　for　I'm　certain　that　there　are　endless　young　bucks　anxious　to　marry　you。　You　smile；…tod；　Ishtar…but　not　you；　Ira；　it　would　crack　your　face。　Ishtar；　who　is　relieving　you　and　Galahad？　No；　I　don't　care　who　is　scheduled。　May　I　be　alone　the　rest　of　today？〃
　　
　　She　hesitated。　〃Grandfather；　may　I　keep　the　observation　station　manned？〃
　　
　　〃You　will　anyhow。　But　will　you　limit　them　to　dials　and　gauges　or　whatever　it　is　you　use？　No　eye　or　ear　on　me？　Minerva　will　tell　you　if　I　misbehave…I'm　certain　of　that。〃
　　
　　〃There　will　be　neither　eye　nor　ear　on　you；　sir。〃　Ishtar　stood　up。　〃e　along；　Galahad。　Hamadryad？〃
　　
　　〃J~ist　a　moment；　Ish。　Lazarus…have　I　offended　you？〃
　　
　　〃What？　Not　at　all；　my　dear。〃
　　
　　〃I　thought　you　were　angry　with　me　over　。　。　what　I　proposed。〃
　　
　　〃Oh；　nonsense。　Hamadarling；　that　sort　of　proposal　never　offends　anyone；　it　is　the　highest　pliment　one　human　can　pay　another。　But　it　did　confuse　me。　Now　smile　and　kiss　me　good…night；　then　e　see　me　tomorrow　if　you　wish。　All　you　kids　kiss　me　good…night；　there's　nobody'　sore；　at　anybody。　Ira；　you　might　stick　around　a　bit　if　you　will。〃
　　
　　Like　docile　children　they　did　so；　then　went　into　Lazarus'　penthouse　and　took　transport　down。　Lazarus　said；　〃A　drink；　Ira？〃
　　
　　〃Only　if　you　are　having　one。〃
　　
　　〃We'll　skip　it　then。　Ira；　did　you　put　her　up　to　it？'
　　
　　〃You　know　what　I　mean。　Hamadryad。　First　Ishtar；　flow　Hamadryad。　You've　manipulated　this　whole　deal　from　the　moment　you　snatched　me　out　of　that　flophouse；　where　I　was　dyi？g　decently　and　quietly。　Have　you　again　been　trying　to　tie　me　down　to　whatever　scheme　you　have　in　the　back　of　your　mind　by　waving　pretty　tails　under　my　nose？　It　won't　work；　man。〃
　　
　　The　Chafrman　Pro　Tern　answered　quietly；　〃I　could　deny　that…and　for　the　hundredth　time　have　you　call　me　a　liar。　I　suggest　that　you　ask　Minerva。〃
　　
　　〃I　wonder　if　that　would　be　any　assurance。　Minerva！〃
　　
　　〃Yes；　Lazarus？〃
　　
　　Did　Ira　rig　this？　With　either　of　the　girls？'
　　
　　〃Not　to　my　knowledge；　Lazarus？'
　　
　　〃Is　that　an　evasion；　dear？〃
　　
　　〃Lazarus；　I　cannot'Iie　to　you。〃
　　
　　〃Well　。　。　I　think　you　could　if　Ira　wanted　you　to；　but　there　is　no　point　in　my　inquiring　into　it。　Give　us　privacy　for　a　few　moments；　dear…recording　mode　only。〃
　　
　　〃Yes；　Lazarus。〃
　　
　　Lazarus　went　on；　〃Ira；　I　wish　you　had　answered　Yes。　Because　the　only　other　explantation　is　one　I　do　not　like。　I　ain't　pretty　and　my　manners　are　not　such　as　to　endear　me　to　women…so　what　do　we　have　left？　The　fact　that　I　am　the　oldest　man　alive。　Women　sell　themselves　for　odd　reasons　and　not　always　for　money。　Ira；　I　do　not　choose　to　stand　at　stud　for　pretty　young　things　who　would　not　waste　a　moment　on　me　save　for　the　prestige　of　having　a　child　by；　quote；　The　Senior；　end　of　quote。〃　He　glared。　〃Right？〃
　　
　　〃Lazarus；　you　are　being　unjust　to　both　women。　As　well　as　unusually　obtuse。〃
　　
　　〃How？〃
　　
　　〃I've　watched　them。　I　think　they　both　love　you…and　don't　give　me　any　double…talk　about　what　that　verb　means；　I　am　not　Galahad。〃
　　
　　〃But…　Oh；　crap！〃
　　
　　〃I　won't　argue　on　that　basis；　'crap'　is　a　subject　in　which　you　are　the　Galaxy's　top　authority。　Women　do　not　always　sell　themselves　and　they　do　fall　in　love　。　。　often　for　the　oddest　reasons…if　'reason'　is　a　word　that　can　apply。　Granted　that　you　are　ugly；　selfish；　self…centered；　surly…〃
　　
　　〃I'm　aware　of　it！〃
　　
　　〃…to　me。　Nevertheless　women　don't　seem　to　care　much　how　a　man　looks　。　。　and　you　are　surprisingly　gentle　with　women。　I've　noticed。　You　say　those　little　whores　on　Mars　all　loved　that　blind　man。〃…
　　
　　〃Some　of　them　weren't　little。　Big　Anna　was　taller　than　I　am　and　weighed　more。〃
　　
　　〃Don't　try　to　change　the　subject。　Why　did　they　love　him？　Don't　bother　to　answer；　why　a　woman　loves　a　man…or　a　man　loves　a　woman…can　be　rationalized　only　in　survival　terms；　and　the　answer　has　no　flavor；　unsatisfying。　But　Lazarus；　when　you've　pleted　rejuvenation　and　you　and　I　have　finished　our　Scheherazade　bet；　however　we　finish　it…　are　you　going　away　again？〃
　　
　　Lazarus　brooded　before　answering：　〃I　suppose　so。　Ira；　this　cottage…and　garden　and　stream…that　you've　lent　me　are　very　nice；　the　times　I've　gone　down　to　the　city　I've　hurried　back；　glad　to　be　home。　But　it's　just　a　resting　place；　I　won't　stay　here。　When　the　wild　goose　cries；　I　go。〃　Lazarus　looke