time enough for love-时间足够你爱(英文版)-第96章

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accept　the　price？　Expect　at　least　one　defective　grandchild　out　of　ten？　I　had　no　data　on　which　to　estimate　the　cost　any　closer　than　that；　as　Dora　knew　nothing　about　her　ancestry　and；　while　I　did　know　a　little
　　
　　ab鴘t　mine；　I　did　not　know　enough。　All　I　had　was　that　old　and　extremely　rough　thumb　rule。
　　
　　So　we　stalled。
　　
　　We　fell　back　on　another　sound　old　thumb　rule：　Never　do　today　what　you　can　put　off　till　tomorrow　if　tomorrow　might
　　
　　…　improve　the　odds。
　　
　　So　we　moved　into　our　new　house　while　it　was　still　not　finished…but　finished　enough　that　we　then　had　a　girls'　dormitory；　a　boys'　dormitory；　a　bedroom　for　Dora　and　me；　with　adjacent　nursery。
　　
　　But　we　dtd　not　kid　ourselves　that　we　had　solved　the　problem。　Instead　we　hauled　it　out　into　the　open；　made　sure　that　the　three　oldest　knew　what　the　problem　was　and　what　the　risks　were　and　why　it　would　be　smart　to　hold　off。　Nor　were　the　younger　kids　shut　out　of　this　schooling；　they　simply　were　not　required　even　to　audit　the　course　when　they　found　themselves　bored　with　technicalities　they　were　too　young　to　be　interested　…
　　
　　in。…；…
　　
　　Dora　chucked　in　a　frill；　one　based　on　something　Helen　Mayberry　had　done　for　her　some　twenty　years　earlier。　She　announced　that　when　little　Helen　achieved　menarche；　we　would　declare　a　~holiday　and　have　a　party；　with　…Helen　as'　guest　of　honor。　From　then　on；　every　year；　that　day　would　be　known　as　〃Helen's　Day〃　and　so　on　for　Iseult　and　Undine　and　on　down　the　line　until　there　was　an　annual　holiday　named　for　each　girl。
　　
　　Helen　could　hardly　wait　to　pass　from　childhood　into　girlhood…and　when　she　did；　a　few　months　later；　she　was　unbearably　smug。　Woke　us　all　up　shouting　about　it。　〃Mania！　Papa！　Look；　it's　happened！　Zack！　Andy！　Wake　up！　e　see！〃
　　
　　If　she　hurt；　she　did　not　mention　it。　Probably　she　did　not；　Dora　wasn't　subject　to　menstrual　cramps；　and　neither　of　us　told　the　girls　to　expect　them。　Being　myself　convex　instead　of　concave；　I　refrain　from　menting　on　the　theory　that　such　pains　are　a　conditioned　reflex；　I　don't　think　I'm　entitled　to　an　opinion
　　
　　…you　might　ask　Ishtar。
　　
　　It　also　resulted　in　me　being　called　on　by　a　delegation…of　two；　Zack　and　Andy　with　Zack　as　spokesman：　〃LoOk；　Papa…we　think　it　splendid；　meet；　and　fit　our　sister　Helen's　day　to　mark　with　joyful　sounds　and　jollity　acclaiming　this　our　sibling's　rightful　heritage。　But　soothly；　sire；　methinks…〃
　　
　　〃Chop　it　off　and　say　it。〃…
　　
　　〃Well；　how　about　boys！〃
　　
　　By　gum；　I　reinstituted　chivalry！…
　　
　　Not　as　a　sudden　inspiration。　Zack　had　asked　a　tough　one；　I
　　
　　had　to　dance　around　it　a　bit　before　I　reacbed~　a　workable　answer。　Sure；　there　are　rites　of　passage　for　males　as　well　as
　　
　　…fem~les；　every　culture　has　them；　even　those　that　aren't　aware　of　it。　When　I　was　a　boy；　it　was　your　first　suit　with　long　pants。　Then　there　are　ones　such　as　circumcision　at　puberty；　ordeal　by　pain；　killing　some　dread　beast…endless。
　　
　　None　of　these　fitted　our　boys。　Some　I　disapproved　of；　some　were　impossible…circumcision　for　example。　I　have　this　unimportant　mutation；　no　foreskin。　But　it　is　a　Y…linked　dominant；　and　I　pass　it　on　to　all　my　male　offspring。　The　boys　knew　this；　but　I　stalled　by　mentioning　it　again；　discussed　it　in　connection　with　the　endless　ways　in　which　a　male's　transition　into　beginning　manhood　was　sometimes　celebrated…while　trying　to　think　of　an　answer　to　the　main　question。
　　
　　Finally　I　said；　〃Look；　boys；　you　both　know　all　about　reproduction　and　geics　that　I　have　been　able　to　teach　you。　You　both　know　what　'Helen's　Day'　means。　Don't　you？　Andy？〃
　　
　　Andy　did　not　answer；　his　older　brother　said；　〃Sure　he　knows；　Papa。　It　means　Helen　can　have　babies　now；　just　like　Mama。　You　know　that；　Andy。〃　Andy　nodded　agreement；　round…eyed。　〃We　all　know；　Papa；　even　the　kids。　Well；　I'm　not　sure　about　Ivar；　he's　so　little。　But　Iseult　and　Undine　know　it
　　
　　…Helen's　been　telling　them　that　she's　going　to　catch　up　with　Mama…have　her　first　baby　right　away。〃
　　
　　I　controlled　the　cold　chills　I　felt。　Let　me　cut　this　short：　I　did　not　tell　them　that　this　was　a　bad　idea；　instead　I　took　a　long　time　drawing　answers　from　them；　things　they　both　knew　but　had　not　yet　thought　of　quite　so　personally…how　Helen　could　not　have　a　baby　unless　one　or　the　other　of　them　put　it　into　her；　how　Helen　was　still　too　little　for　the　strain　of　baking　a　baby　even　though　〃Helen's　Day〃　marked　the　fact　that　she　was　now　vulnerable；　how　and　why；　even　when　Helen　was　big　enough　in　a　few　years；　a　baby　out　of　Helen　by　one　of　her　brothers　could　be　a　tragedy　instead　of　the　fine　babies　Mama　made　every　time。　They　told　me；　Andy's　eyes　getting　bigger　all　the　time…I　simply　supplied　leading　questions。
　　
　　I　was　helped　in　this　by　the　fact　that　a　little　mule　mare；　Dancing　Girl；　had　e　into　her　first　estrus　when　I　thought　she　was　not　grown…up　enough　for　a　colt。　So　I　had　had　Zack　and　Andy　fence　her　off…and　she　kicked　a　hole　in　the　fence　and
　　
　　…　got　what　she　wanted；　Buckaroo　covered　her。　Sure　enough；　the　colt　had　been　too　big　for　her　and　I　had　to　go　in　and　cut　it　up　and　take　it　out　in　chunks…a　routine　job　of　emergency　veterinary　surgery　but　an　impressive　and　bloody　sight　for　two
　　
　　stripling　boys　who　had　helped　their　father　by　controlling　the　mare　while　le　operated。
　　
　　No；　indeed；　they　did　not　want　anything　even　a　little　bit　like　that　to　happen　to　He！　en　~No；　sir！
　　
　　Minerva；　I　cheated　a　little。　I　did　not　tell　them　that　the　way　Helen　was　spreading　in　the　butt　and　the　measurements　she　already　had　made　it　appear　to　her　family　doctor…me…that　she　was　even　more　of　a　natural　baby　factory　than　her　mother
　　
　　…and　would　be　big　enough　for　~ier　first　one　much　younger　than　Dora　had　had　Zaccur；　I　did　not　tell　them　that　the　chances　of　a　healthy　baby　from　a　brother…sister　mating　were　higher　than　the　chances　of　a　defective。　I　certainly　did　not！
　　
　　Instead；　I　waxed　lyrical　about　'what　wonderful　creatures　girls　are；　what　a　miracle　it　is　that　they　'could　make　babies；　how　precious　thcy　are　and　how　it　is　a　man's　proud　privilege　to　love　and　cherish　and　protect　them…protect　them　even　from　their　follies　because　Helen　might　behave　just　like　Dancing　Girl；　impatient　and　foolish。　So　don't　let　her　tempt　you；　boys…jerk　off　instead；　just　like　you've　been　doing。　They　promised；　tears　in　their　eyes。　…
　　
　　I　didn't　ask　them　to　promise　that　or　anything…but　it　gave　me　the　idea：　Have　〃Princess〃　Helen　knight　them。
　　
　　The　kids　grabbed　that　idea　and　ran　with　it；　Tales　of　King　Arthur's　Court　was　one　of　the　books　Dora　had　fetched　along　because　Helen　Mayberry　had　given　it　to　her。　So　we　had　Sir　Zaccur　the　Strong　and　Sir　Andrew　the　Valiant　and　two　ladiesin…waiting…waiting　rather　eagerly；　Iseult　and　Undine　knew　that　they；　too；　would…　be　〃princesses〃　as　each　reached　menarche。　Ivar　was　squire　to　both　knights　and　would　be　dubbed　himself　when　his　voice　changed。　Only　Elf　was　too　small　as　yet　to　play　the　game。　…
　　
　　It　worked；　a　stopgap。　I　suppose　〃Princess〃　Helen　was　protected　more　than　she　wanted　to　be　protected。　But　if　she　could　not　lure　her　faithful　knights　into　the　cornfields；　they　did　place　her　stool　for　her　at　meals；　they　bowed　to　her　rather　often；　and　usually　addressed　her　as　〃Fair？Princess〃…considerably　more　than　I　ever　did　for　my　sisters。　…
　　
　　Before　the　first　anniversary　of　〃Helen's　Day〃　those　three　new　families　dropped　down　the　rise　and　the　crisis　was　over。　It　was　Sammy　Roberts；　not　one　of　her　brothers；　who　first　spread　〃Princess〃　Helen's　thighs…certain；　as　she　told　her　mother　about　it　at　once　（more　of　Helen　Mayberry's　influence）　and　Dora　kissed　her　and　told　her　that　she　was　a　good　girl　and　now　go　find　Papa　and　ask　him　to　examine　you…and　I
　　
　　did　and　she　hadn't　been　hurt；　not　to　mention。　But　it　gave　Dora　some　control　over　the　matter；　just　as　Helen　Mayberry　had　guided　Dora　at　about　the　same　age…so　Dora　had　told　me；　long　before　that。　In　consequence　our　oldest　daughter　did　not　get　pregnant　until　she　was　almost　as　old　as　and　quite　a　bit　more　filled　out　than　Dora　had　been　when　I　married　her。　Ole　Hanson　married　her；　and　Sven　Hanson　and　I；　and　Dora　and　Ingrid；　helped　the　youngsters　star