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ssful。 Instead let me tell you about my family。 Your family； too； we all are descended from you by one line or another。 Two of my wives and one of my co…husbands are descended both from Nancy and from Woodie。〃
〃'Wives？ Co…husband？'〃
〃Sweetheart； marriage takes many forms。 Where I live yo don't need a divorce or a death to gather in someone yo love。 I have four wives and three co…husbands……and my si~ ters； Laz and Lor 。 。 and they may marry out of the famil or they may stay…and don't look startled； you said you didn fret when you thought I was your half brother…and don worry about harm to babies； they know far more about suc~ things at that when…&…where than they do in the here…&…non We don't risk harm to babies。
〃Of which we have plenty。 And cats and dogs and anythin； a child can pet and take care of。 It's a real family in a hous to fit a big family。
〃I can't tell you about each one； we've got to get our stow away borne。 But I want to tell you about one…because you'v been insisting that you don't look eighteen…merely becaus you've been using your breasts to feed babies。 Tamara。 De scended from you through Nancy and her Jonathan… Wan to hear about Nancy's umpty…ump granddaughter？ Tamara i about two hundred and fifty years old； I think…〃
〃Two hundred and fifty！〃
〃Yes。 One of my co…husbands； Ira Weatheral； also fron Nancy and Jonathan but from Woodie； too…and named fo your father； not for Ira Howard…is over four hundred year：
old。 Maureen； Ira Howard's experiment worked； we hav~ longer life…spans…inherited from you and all our Howard an cestors…btit also in that when…&…where they know how to re jiivenate a person。 Tamara has had two rejuvenations…om recently and looks as young as you do。 Real rejuvenation… Tam ara was pregnant when I left。
〃But how she looks is not important； Tamara is a healer… and I suspect she gets it from you。〃 …
〃Theodore…Lazarus…again I don't understand。 A heaIer~ Like a faith healer？〃
〃No。 If Tamara has a religious faith； she has never men tioned it。 Tamara is calm and happy and serene； and anyont around her feels it so strongly…just as with you； darling！… that he or she is happy； too。 If people are ill； they get well faster if Tamara touches them； or talks to them； or sleep5 with them。
〃But Tamara was not young when I met her。 She was quite old and thinking about letting it？go at that； dying of old age。 But I was ill； very ill； sick in my soul…and Ishtar； later my wife and the topnotch rejuvenator in all the Milky Way； went
… out and fetched Tamara。 Tamara。 Little round potbelly； breasts
that were really baggy； sags under her eyes； and her chin； all
… the old…age things。 …
〃Tamara healed the sickness in my soul； just by being with me 。 。 and somehow this renewed her own interest in life； and she took another rejuvenation and is young again and has already added another baby to the Maureen…Nancy line and is pregnant still again。 You and Tamara are so much alike； Maureen； she's just love with some skin around it…and so are you。 But…〃 Lazarus paused and frowned。
〃Maureen； I don't know how to convince you that I'm telling the truth。 ；You'll know it when Woodie's sixth birthday es'around and they blow every whistle and ring every bell and the newsboys shout： 'Extra！ Extra！ Germany surrenders！' But that'll be too late to help you。 I want to stop your worries now！〃
〃I've stopped worrying； dear one。 It sounds wonderful and impossible 。 … and I believe you。〃
〃Do you？ I've offered no proof； I've told you a tale impossible on the face of it。〃
〃Nevertheless； I believe it。 When Woodrow is six on the seventh of November…〃
〃No； the eleventh！〃
第79节
〃Yes； Lazarus。 But how did you know that his birthday is the eleventh？〃
…〃Why； you told me yourself。〃
〃Dear； I said he was born in November； I did not say what day。 Then I deliberately misstated it…and you corrected me at once。〃
〃Well； maybe Ira told me。 Or one of the children。 Most likely Woodie himself。〃 … …
〃Woodrow does not know the date of his birthday。 Wake him and ask him。〃
〃I'd rather not wake him until we get home。〃
〃What is my birthday； dear one？〃
〃The Fourth of July； 1882。〃
〃What is Marie's birthday？〃 …
〃I think she is nine。 I don't know the date。〃
〃The othe…r children？〃
〃I'm not sure。〃
〃My father's birthday？〃
〃Maureen； is there some point to this？ August second；…
1852。〃
〃Beloved Lazarus who calls himself 'Theodore；' I have a
firm rule with my children。 I l。eep each one from knowing the date of his birth as long as possible so that he won't advertise it and thereby blackmail people for presents。 When one is old enough for school and needs to know the date； he is old enough to be told why； and I make it bluntly plain that if he drops hints ahead of time…no birthday cake； no
… birthday party。 I haven't had to use that penalty； they are allintelligent。
〃Last year Woodrow was too young for it to be a problem； his birthday came as a surprise to him。 He still does not know the exact date…so I strongly believe。 Lazarus； you know the birthdays of your direct ancestors 。 。 because you looked them up in the Foundation records。 Since you can't tell me the birthdays of my other children； I assume that I've found that proof。〃
〃You know I have had access to the records。 I could have looked up any birthday last year。〃
〃Pooh。 Why did you bother with the birth date of one child and skip the other seven？ How would you know my father's birthday if he had not been of special interest to you？ It won't wash； Beloved。 You intended to seek out your ancestors； and you came prepared for it。 I no longer think that you showed up at our church by accident； you went there to find me… and I'm flattered。 You probably did the same with Father… at his pool…hall 'chess club。' How did you do it？ Private detectives？ I doubt that our church or that pool hall can be looked up in the Foundation records。〃
〃Something like that。 Yes； gentle ancestress； I looked for an acceptable way to meet you。 I would have spent years on it had it been necessary 。 。 because I couldn't twist your doorbell and say； 'Hi there！ I'm descended from you。 May I e in？' You would have called the police。〃
〃I hope I would not have； darling…but thank you for finding a gentler way。 Oh； Lazarus； I love you so！…and believe every word and I'm no longer worried about Brian； I know he'll e back to me！ Uh 。 。 I'm feeling very brazen again and more passionate than ever and I want to know something。 About your family。〃
〃I'm delighted to talk about them。 I love them；〃
〃I was most flattered to be pared with your wife Tamara。 Darling； you don't… have to tell me this： Does it ever happen that two husbands sleep with one wife？〃 …
〃Oh； certainly。 But it's more likely to be one husband…
Galahad…another of your descendants； Grandmother…Galahad an& twp of our wives； 'Galahad is the original tireless tomcat。〃 …
〃That sounds 1…ike fun； but it's the other bination that intrigued me。 Beloved； my idea of heaven would be to take both you and Brian to bed at once…and do my best to make you both happy。 Not that I ever can。 But I can dream about it 。 。 and will。〃
〃Why not out in the woods and strip down for both of us； just to your 'French postcard' costume？ As long as you're dreaming。〃'
〃Ooooh！ Yes； I'll put that into my dream…and now rm
about to go off like a firecracker！〃…
〃I'd better take you home。〃…
〃I think you ~had better。 I'm terribly happy and quite unworried…and will stay so…and very passionate。 For you。 For Brian。 For … being a French postcard in the woods。 In daylight。〃
〃Maureen； if you can sell the idea to Brian 。 … well； I'll be around until the second of August； 1926。〃
〃Well 。 。 we'll see。 I want to！〃 She added； 〃Am I permitted to tell him？ Who you are and where you're from…the future…and your prediction that he won't be hurt？〃
〃Maureen； tell anyone you wish。 But you won't be believed。〃
She sighed。 〃I suppose so。 Besides； if Brian did believe it and thereby believed that he had a charmed life…it might make him careless。 I'm proud that he is going to fight for us
but I don't want him to take unnecessary risks。〃
〃I think you're right； Maureen。〃
〃Theodore 。 。 my mind has been so busy with all these strange things that I missed something。 Now that I know who you are… This isn't your country； and it's nOt your war…so why did you volunteer？〃
Lazarus hesitated； then told the truth：
〃I wanted you to be proud of me。〃…
〃Oh！〃
〃No； I don't belong here and it's not my war。 But it's your war； Maureen。 Others are fighting for other reasons…I'll be fighting for Maureen。 Not 'to make the world safe for democracy'…this war won't acplish that； even though the Allies are going to win。 For Maureen。〃
… 〃Oh！ Oh！ I'm crying again…I can't help it。〃
〃Stop it at once。〃
〃Yes； my warrior。 Lazarus？ You … will e back？ You must have some way to know。〃
〃Huh？ Dear； don't worry about me。 People have tried to kill me in all sorts of ways…I've outlived them all。 I'm the wary old cat who always has a tree within reach。〃
〃You didn't answer me。〃
He sighed。 〃Maureen； I know Brian will e home； it's In the Foundation's records。 He will live to a ripe old age and don't ask how long as I won't answer。 And so will you； and I won't answer that either； it is not good to know too much about the future。 But me？ I can't know my future。 It is not in the records。 How could it be？ I haven't finished it yet。 But I can tell you this： This is not my first war； but about the fifteenth。 They didn't get me in the others； and they'll have to … move fast to kill me in this one。 Beloved； I am your warrior…but to kill Hues for you； not for them to kill me。 I'll do my duty； but I'm not going to try some crazy 。stulit to win a medal… not old Lazarus。〃
〃Then…you don't know。〃
〃No； I don't But I promise you this： I won't stick my head up when I don't need to。 I won't go into a German dugout without tossing a grenade in ahead of me。 I won't assume that a German is dead because he appears to be…I'll make sure he's dead； I don't mind wasting a bullet on a corpse。 Especially one who is playing 'possutn。 I'm an old soldier； and that's how one gets to be an old soldier…by being a pessimist。 I know all the tricks。 Darling； having quieted your worries about Brian； it would be silly to get you worried about me。 Don't！〃
She sighed。 〃I'll try not to。 If you turn down this street； we can pick up Prospect； then across Linwood to Benton。〃
〃I'll get you home。 Let's talk about ？ove； not war。 Our girl Nancy…Is the Foundation now using a pregnancy rule？ For first marriages？〃 …
〃Goodness！ You do know all about it〃
〃No ne