按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
〃Fiv？of which you've wasted arguing about it。 So corn along…exasperating darling。〃
He followed her out into her foyer。 〃What's this abou 'work all night'？〃
〃And tomorrow； too。 I'll know when I check what's in m：
phone。 If there's nothing； I'll have to call the Chairman Pn Tern； much as I hate to。 I've got to look over this roofto＇ cabin or whatever it is； and see what arrangements … can P~ made to take care of him there。 Then both of us will rn~w him； I can't delegate that。 Then…〃 …； …~
〃Ishtar！ Are you going to agree to that？ Nonsterile
noemergency equipment； and so forth？〃 〃Darling 。 。 you are impressed by my rank； Mr。 Weathera
is not。 And the Senior… isn't even impressed by Mr。 Weatb~al'：
authority； the Senior is the Senior。 I kept hoping that Mr Chairman Pro Tern would find some way to wheedle him int postponing such a move。 But he did not。 So now I have tw choices： Do it his way…or withdraw pletely。 As the Di rector did。 Which I won't do。 Which leaves me no choice。 S tonight I'll inspect his new quarters and see what can be don~ between now and tomorrow midmorning。 Even though it'：
hopeless to make such a place sterile； perhaps it can be madi more nearly suitable before he sees it。〃
〃And emergency equipment； don't forget that； Ishtar。〃
〃As if I would； stupid darling。 Now help me out of this damned thing…I mean 'this pretty dress you designed for me and which the Senior clearly liked。' Please？〃
〃So stand still and hold still and shut up。〃
〃Don't tickle！ Oh； drat； there's the phone signal！ Get it off me； dear…hurry！〃 …
VARIATIONS ON A THEME
IV
Love
… Lazarus lounged in his hammock and scratched his ches 〃Hamadryad；〃 he said； 〃that's not an easy question。 At sever teen I was certain I was in love。 But it was merely excess hoi mones and self…delusion。 It was most of a thousand years late before I experienced the real thing…and didn't recognize th condition for years； as I had。 quit using that word。〃
Ira Weatheral's 〃pretty daughter〃 looked puzzled； whil~ Lazarus thought again that Ira had been wrong： Hamadrya was not pretty； she was so startling beautiful that she wouk have fetched top premium prices at auction on Fatima； with hard…eyed Iskandrian factors outbidding each other in the be hief that she was a sound speculation。 If the Protector of th~ Faith had not preempted her for himself… Hamadryad did not seem to know that her appearance ww
exceptional。 But Ishtar did。 The first ten days that Ira's dadgh ter bad been part of Lazarus' 〃family〃 （so he thought ol them…a good enough term as Ira； Hamadryad； Ishtar； asic Galahad were all his descendants and now privileged fo cal him 〃Grandfather〃 as… long as they did not overdo it）…thos~ first days Ishtar had shown a childish …tendency to try to placc herself between Hamadryad and Lazarus； and …also betweer Hamadryad and Galahad； even when this required being twc
places at once。…… …。
Lazarus had watched this barnyard danqe with amus閙eni and had wondered if Ishtar knew that she was doii~g it。 Proba。 bly not； he decided。 His rejuvenation supervisor was all dut） and no sense of humor and would have been shocked had she known that she had reverted to adolescence。
But it did not last。 It was impossi~le not to like Hamadryad because she remained quietly friendl~'…no matter what。 Lazarus wonuered if it was a behavior pattern consciously developed to prot郼t herself against her less…endowed sisters…or was it simply her nature？ He had not tried to find out。 But Ishtar now tended to sit by Hamadryad； or even to make room be…
tween herself and Galahad for Ham醖ryad； and let her help in serving meats and such…assistant 〃housewife〃 de facto。
〃If I must wait a thousand years to understand that word；〃 Hamadryad replied； 〃then I probably never will。 Minerva says that it cannot be defined in Galacta and even when I speak Classic English； I find that I think in Galacta； which means that I do not really grasp English。 Since the word 'love' occurs so frequently in ancient English literature； I thought my failure to understand that word might be the block that keeps me from thinking in English。〃 …
〃Well； let's shift to Galacta and take a swing at it。 In the first place； very little thinking was ever done in English； it is not a language suited to logical thought。 Instead； it's an emotive lingo …beautifully adapted to concealing fallacies。 A rationalizing language； not a rational one。 But most people who spoke English had no more idea of the meaning of the word 'love' than you have； even though they used it all the time。〃
Lazarus added； 〃Minerva！ We're going to take another hack at the word 'love。' Want to join in？ If so； shift to your personal mode。〃 …
〃Thank you； Lazarus。 Hello； Ira…Ishtar…Hamadryad…Galahad；〃 the disembodied contralto voice answered。 〃I am and have been in personal mode； and usually am； now that you have given me permission to use my judgment。 You're looking well； Lazarus…younger every day。〃
〃I feel younger。 But； dear； when you go to personal mode； you should tell us。〃
〃I'm sorry； Grandfather！〃… …
〃Don't sound so humble。 Just say； 'Howdy； I'm …here；' that's all。 If you could manage to tell me； …or Ira； just once； to go tc bell； it 'ud be good for you。 Clean your circuits。〃
〃But I have no wish to say that to either of you。〃
〃That's what's wrong。 If you hang around Dora； you'll learn to。 Have you spoken to her today？〃
〃I'm speaking； with Dora now； Lazarus。 We're playing fairy chess in five dimensions； and she's teaching me songs you taught her。 She teaches me a song； then I sing a tenor lead while… she harmonizes in soprano。 We're doing this in real time because we're outing through the speakers in your controt room and listening to ourselves。 Right now we're… singing the story of One…Ball Riley。 Would you care to hear us？〃 … … … ……
Lazarus flinched。 〃No； no； not that one。〃……
〃We've practiced several others。 'Rangy Lil' and 'The Bal
lad …of Yukon Jake' and … 'Barnacle Bill'…I sing the story on that one while Dora does soprano and bass。 …Or perhaps 'Four Whores Came Down from Canada'…that one is fun。〃
〃Nb； Minerva。 I'm sorry； Ira； … my puter is corrupting your puter。〃 Lazarus sighed。 〃I didn't plan it that way； I just wanted Minerva to baby…sit for me。 Since I've got the only retarded ship in this sector。〃
〃Lazarus；〃 Minerva said reproachfully； 〃I don't think it is correct to say that Dora is retarded'。 She's quite intelligent； I think。 I do not understand why you say that she is corrupting me。〃
Ira had been lying on the grass； sunbathing with a kerchief over his eyes。 He rolled to one elbow。 〃Nor I； Lazarus。 That last one I'd like to hear。 I recall where Canada is…was。 North of the country you were born in。〃 …
Lazarus counted silently； then said； 〃Ira； I know I have prejudices ridiculous to a civilized modern man such as yourself。 I can't help it； I'm canalized …by early childhood； liii… printed like a baby duckling。 If you want to hear bawdy songs from a barbaric era； please listen to them in your apartments…not up here。 Minerva； Dora doesn't understand those songs； to her they are nursery rhymes。〃
〃Nor do I understand them； sir； other than theoretically。 But they arc jolly； and I have enjoyed being taught to sing。〃
〃Well… All right。 Has Dora been； behaving herself otherwise？〃
〃She's been a good girl； Grandfather Lazarus； and I think she is contented with my pany。 She pouted a little at not having her bedtime story last night。 But I told her that you。 were very tired and already asleep； and told her a story myself。〃
〃But… Ishtar！ Did I miss a day？〃
〃Yes； sir。〃
〃Surgery？ I didn't notice any new heated places。〃
The Master Chief Technician hesitated。 〃Grandfather； I will discuss procedures only if you insist。 It does a client no good to be reminded of such things。 I hope that you will not insist。 I do hope so； sir。〃 …
〃Urn。 All right； all right。 But next time you chop out a day…or a week； or whatever…warn me。 So that I can leave a bedtime story on file with Minerva。 No； that won't do； you don't want me to know。 Okay； I'll keep stories on file with Minerva and you warn her； instead。〃
〃I will； Grandfather。 It does help when the client cooper…
ates； especially by paying as little …attention …to what we do as possible。〃 Ishtar smiled briefly。 〃The client we dread is another rejuvenator。 Worries and tries to run things。〃
〃Small wonder。 I know； dear； I have that horrid habit of trying to run things。 myself。 The only way I can keep from It is by staying out of the control room。 So when I get too nosy； tell me to shut up。 But how are we doing？ How much longer do I have to go？〃
Ishtar answered hesitantly； 〃Perhaps this is a time when I should tell you to 。 。 'shut up。〃
〃That's it！ But firmer； dear。 'Get out of my control room； you custardtheaded dolt； and stay out！' Make him realize that； if he doesn't jump； you'll toss him into the brig。 Now try it again。〃
Ishtar grinned widely。 〃Grandfather； you're an old fraud。〃
〃So I've long suspected。 I was hoping it didn't show。 All right； the subject is 'love。' Minerva； the Hamadarling says you told her that it can't be defined in Galacta。 Got anything to add to that？〃
〃Tei~t~ely yes； Lazarus。 May I reserve my answer until the others speak？〃
〃Suit yourself。 Galahad； you talk less and… listen more than anybody else in the family。 Want to try it？〃
'~Well； sir； I hadn't realized that there was any mystery
… about 'love' until I heard Hamadryad ask about it。 But I'm still learning English。 By the naturalistic method the way a child learns his milk language。 No grammar； no syntax； no dictionary…just listen and talk and read it。 Acquire new words by context。 By that method I acquired a~ f~ling that 'love' means the shared ecstasy that can be attained through sex。 Is that right？〃 … … 。 …
〃Son； I hate to say this…because； if you've been reading a lo？ of English； I see how you reached that opinion…but you are one hundred percent wrong。〃
Ishtar looked startled。 Galahad simply looked thoughtful。 〃Then I must go back and read some more。〃
〃Don't bother； Galahad。 Most of those writers 1ou've been reading misuse the word just that way。 Shucks； F misused it for years myself； it's a prime example of the slipperiness of the English tongue。 But； whatever 'love' is1 it's not sex。 I'm not running down sex。 If there is a purpose in life more important than two people cooperating in making a baby； all the philosophers in history haven't been able to find it。 And between babies； the practice runs keep up our zest m hfe and
make tolerable the …fact that raising S … baby is …one hell of a lot of work。 But that's not love。 Love is something that still goes on when you are not sexually excited。 It being so stipulated； who w