time enough for love-时间足够你爱(英文版)-第45章

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fact；　we'll　hear　no　more　talk　of　tennination…option　switches；　or　leaving　us；　or　anything…at　least　until　she's　woman　tall！〃
　　
　　〃Ishtar？〃
　　
　　〃Yes；　Hamadryad？〃
　　
　　〃If　we　both　show　normal　fetuses　a　month　from　now…〃
　　
　　〃Then　you　can　abort；　dear；　you　know　that。〃
　　
　　〃No；　no；　no！　I　shan't！　What's　wrong　with　twins？〃
　　
　　Galahad　blinked　at　her。　〃Don't　bother　to　answer；　Ish。　Let　me　give　you　the　male　angle。　'The　man　who　can　resist　raising　identical　twin　girls　hasn't　been　born。　And　his　name　isn't　Lazarus　Long。　Look；　dears；　is　there　anything；　anything　at　all；　that　can　improve　both　your　chances？　Now？〃
　　
　　〃No。〃　Ishtar　repeated　softly；　〃No。　…　We　both　test　pregnant　that's　all　we　can　say　or　do　now。　Except　pray。　And　I　don'　know　how　to　pray。〃
　　
　　〃Then　it's　time　we　learned！〃
　　
　　VARIATIONS　ON　A　THEME
　　
　　Voices　in　the　Dark
　　
　　After　Miierva　ordered　his　evening　meal　for　Lazarus；　then　supervised　its　service；　the　puter　said；　〃is　there　anything　else；　sir？〃
　　
　　〃I　guess　not。　Yes。　Will　you　have　dinner　with　me；　Minerva？〃
　　
　　〃Thank　you；　Lazarus。　I　accept。〃
　　
　　〃Don't　thank　me；　you　aredoing　me　a　favor；　milady。　I'm　moody　tonight。　Sit　down；　dear；　and　cheer　me　up。〃
　　
　　The　puter's　voice　repositioned　so　that　it　appeared　to　e　from　the　other　side…　of　the　table　where　Lazarus　sat；　as　if　a　flesh~and…blood　were　seated　there。　〃Shall　I　construct　an　image；　Lazarus？〃
　　
　　〃Don't　put　yourself　to　the　trouble；　dear。〃
　　
　　〃It's　no　trouble；　Lazarus；　I　have　ample　spare　capacity。〃
　　
　　〃No；　Minerva。　That　hold　you　made　for　me　one　night…　perfect；　realistic；　moved　just　like　a　flesh…and…blood。　But　it　wasn't　you。　I　know　what　you　look　like。　Umm　。　。　lower　the　lights　and　spot　enough　light　on　my　plate　to　let　me　eat。　Then　I'll　see　you　in　the　gloom　without　a　bob。〃
　　
　　The　lighting　readjusted　so　that　the　room　was　almost　dark　save　for　a　pool　of　light　on　chastely　perfect　tableware　and　napery　in　front　of　Lazarus。　The　contrast　dazzled　his　eyes　enough　that　he　could　not　see　across　the　table　without　peering…he　did　not　peer。　Minerva　said；　〃What　is　my　appearance；　Lazarus？〃
　　
　　〃Eh？'　He　stopped　to　think。　〃It　fits　yout　voice。　Hmm；　it's　a　picture　that　has　grown　up　in　my　mind　without　thinking　about　it；　during　the　time　we　have　been　together。　Dear；　do　you　realize　that　we　have　been　living　together　more　intimately　than　husband　and　wife　usually　manage？〃
　　
　　〃Perhaps　I　don't；　Lazarus；　since　I　cannot　experience　being　a　wife。　But　I　am　happy　to　be　close　to　you。〃
　　
　　〃Being　a　wife　doesn't　have　too　much　to　do　with　cop~Ulation；　my　dear。　You've　been　a　mother　to　my　baby；　Dora：　Oh；　I　know　that　Ira　stands　first　wiib　you　。　。　but　you　are　like　that　girl　Olga　I　spoke　of；　you　have　so　much　to　give　that　you　can
　　
　　enrich　more　than　one　man。　But　I　honor　your　loyalty　to　Ira；　Your　love　for　him；　dear。〃
　　
　　〃Thank'you；　Lazarus。　But…if　I　know　what　the　word　means…I　lov？　you；　too。　And　Dora。〃
　　
　　〃I　know　you　do。　Both。　You　and　I　have　no　need　to　worry　over　words；　we'll　leave　that　to　Hamadryad。　Mmm；　your　appearance…you　are　taB；　about　as　tall　as　Ishtar。　But　slender。　Not　skinny；　just　slender…strong　…　and　well　muscled　without　being　bulgy。　You　are　not　as　broad　in　the　hips　as　she　is。　But　broad　enough。　Womanly。　You're　young；　but　a　mature　young　woman；　not　a　girl。　Breasts　much　smaller　than　Ishtar's；　more　like　Haniadryad's。　You　are　handsome　rather　than　pretty；　and　you　are　rather　solemn；　except　when　one　of　your　rare　smiler　lights　up　your　face。　Your　hair　is　brown　and　straight；　and　you　wear　it　long。　But　you　don't　fuss　with　it　other　than　to　keep　it　clean　and　neat。　YoUr　eyes　are　brown　and　match　your　hair。　You　usually　don't　wear　cosmetics；　but　you　almost　always　wear　some　sort　of　clothing…simple　clothing；　you　are　not　a　clothes…horse；　dress　does　…　not　interest　you　that　much。　But　you　go　naked　only　with　persons　you　fully　trust…a　short　list。
　　
　　〃That's　all；　I　guess。　I　haven't　tried　to　imagine　details；　this　is　just　what　grew；　in　my　mind。　Oh；　yes！…you　keep　your　nails；　both　hands　and　'feet；'　short　and　clean。　But　you　aren't　fussy　about　it；　or　about　anything。　Neither　dirt　nor　sweat　bothers　you；　and　you　don't　flinch　at　blood；　even　though　you　don't　like　it。〃
　　
　　〃I　am　very　pleased　to　know　how　I　look；　Lazarus。〃
　　
　　〃Huh？　Oh；　fiddle；　girl…that's　my　imagination　living　its　own　life。〃
　　
　　〃That　is　how　I　look；〃　Minerva　said　firmly；　〃and　I　like　it。〃
　　
　　〃All　right。　Although　you　can　be　as　dazzingly　beautiful　as　Hamadryad　if　you　want　to　be。〃
　　
　　〃No；　I　look　just　as　you　described　me。　I　am　a　'Martha；'　Lazarus；　not　her　sister　Mary。〃
　　
　　Lazarus　said；　〃You　surprised　me。　Yes；　you　are。　You've　read　the　Bible？〃
　　
　　〃I　have　read　everything　in　the　Great　Library。　In　one　sense　I　am　the　Library；　Lazarus。〃
　　
　　〃Mmm；　yes；　should've　realized　it。　How　is　the　twinning　process　ing　along？　Going　to　be　ready？　Say　if　Ira　getta　burr　under　his　saddle　and　takes　off　in　a　hurry。〃
　　
　　〃It　is　essentially　plete；　Lazarus。　All　my　permanents；　programs　and　memories　and　logics；　are　twinned　in　Dora's　number…four　hold；　and　I　run　routine　checks　and　exercise　by　running　the　twinned　parts　parallel　with　the　me　here　under　the　Palace…~a　'Tell　me　six　times'　instead　of　my　normal　'Tell　me　three　times'　method。　I　have　found　and　corrected　some　open　circuits　that　way…minor　factory　defects；　nothing　I　could　not　handle　at　once。　You　see；　Lazarus；　I　treated　it　as　a　crash　program　and　did　not　depend　on　Turing　processes　to　build　most　of　my　new　me；　as　I　would　have　had　to　build　extensionals　in　Dora　for　that　sole　purpose；　then　remove　them　save　for　maintenance　extensionals。
　　
　　〃That　would　have　taken　much　time；　of　course；　since　I　can't　use　puter　speeds　in　manipulating　mass。　So　instead　I　ordered　all　new　blank　memories　and　logic　circuitry　and　had　them　installed　in　Dora　by　factory　technicians。　Much　faster。　Then　I　filled　them　and　checked　them。〃
　　
　　〃Any　trouble；　dear？〃
　　
　　〃No；　Lazarus。　Oh；　Dora　grumbled　about　dirty　feet　in　her　clean　partments。　But　it　was　just　grumbling；　as　they　worked　'clean…room'　style；　lint…free　coveralls　and　masks　and　gloves；　and　I　required　them　to　change　in　the　air　lock；　not　just　before　they　entered　her　number…four。〃　He　felt　her　quick　smile。　〃Temporary　sanitary　facilities　outside　the　ship…which　caused　the　project　engineer　to　grumble；　as　well　as　the　shop　steward。〃
　　
　　〃Should　think　so。　Wouldn't　have　hurt　Dora　to　activate　a　head。〃
　　
　　〃Lazarus；　as　you　pointed　out；　I　will　be…I　hope…a　passenger　in　Dora　someday。　So　I　have　tried　to　bee　her　friend…and　we　are　friends；　and　I　love　her；　and　she　is　the　only　friend　I　have　who　is　a　puter。　I　don't　want　to　jeopardize　that　by　making　a　mess；　or　permitting　one　to　be　made；　in　my　moving　into　her　ship。　She　is；　as　you　said；　a　neat　housekeeper；　I　am　trying　to　be　just　as　neat　and　show　thereby　that　I　respect　her　and　appreciate　the　privilege　of　being　a　passenger　in　her。　The　engineer　in　charge　and　that　talky　shop　steward　had　no　reason　to　grumble；　I　specified　all　this　in　the　contract…change　clothes　at　the　lock；　leg　urinals　for　all　personnel　inside；　no　eating？　expectorating；　or　smoking　in　the　ship；　go　by　the　shortest　route　to　number…four；　no　snooping　elsewhere　in　the　ship…which　they　could　not；　anyhow；　as　I　asked　Dora　to　keep　all　doors　locked　save　that　direct　route…and　I　paid　to　have　it　done　this　way。〃
　　
　　〃A　pretty　penny；　I'm　certain。　Did　Ira　ment？〃　…
　　
　　〃Ira　does　not　bother　with　such　…matters。　But　I　did　not　report　costs　to　him；　I　charged　it　all　to　you；　Lazarus。〃
　　
　　〃Whee！　Am　I　bankrupt？〃
　　
　　〃No；　sir；　I　paid　it　from'　the　Senior's　unlimited　drawing　account。　That　seemed　best　to　me；　Lazarus；　as　the　work　was　done　in　your　ship。　Perhaps　they　wonder　why　the　Senior　wants　a　second　puter；　of　high　capacity；　installed　in　his　ship。　I　know　the　project　engineer　wondered；　I　snubbed　him　firmly。　But　wonder　is　all　they　can　do；　the　Senior　is　not　accountable　to　anyone。　1　hinted　quite　broadly　that　Mr。　Chairman　Pro　Tern　would　be　annoyed　if　anyone　attempted　to　snoop　into　your　affairs。　Not　that　anyone　can　tell　what　a　puter　really；　is；　just　from　looking　at　it…even　the　manufacturer。〃
　　
　　〃This　manufacturer…　Low　b