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！
〃Program running； Mr。 Chairman。〃 Galahad lifted his eyebrows； left abruptly。
〃Chief Archivist； is the situation in New Rome being critical？〃
I answered carefully； 〃Mr。 Chairman； in my opinion it is； although I'm no more than a dilettante in social 'dynamics。 But 。 。 I did not； e here to deliver a silly message from Madam Chairman Pro Tern。 I came here hoping to talk with you about it。〃
Lazarus looked at me long and thoughtfully…and I caught a glimpse of part of what makes him unique。 He has the quality of giving full attention to whatever he does； be it a matter of life and death； or something as trivial as dancing to amuse a guest。 I recognized it because Tamara has the same quality； she displays it by giving total attention to the person she is with。
She does not have exceptional beauty； nor； I suppose； is she more skillful in technique than any of several other professionals…or even some amateurs。 No matter。 It is this q~uality of total concentration that sets her apart from other fine women of her merciful calling。
I think the Senior extends it to everything。 Now he had suddenly 〃picked up the gavel；〃 and his puter knew it at once； and Galahad spotted it almost as quickly…and I stopped worrying。
〃I never assumed；〃 he said； 〃that the Families' Chief of Records would play messenger with a useless message。 So tell me your reason。〃
Elaborate it？ No； explanations could follow。 〃Mr。 Chairman； the Archives should be replicated off Secundus。 I came here to see if it could be done on Tertius。〃
〃Go on。〃
〃I've never seen civil disorder。 I'm not sure of the symptoms nor how long it takes them to grow into open violence。 But the people of Secundus aren't used to arbitrary laws and rules that change overnight。 I think there will be trouble。 r would feel that I had carried out the duties …of my office if I insured that destruction of the Archives could not mean that our records are lost。 The vaults are underground…but not inAflA
第58节
vulnerable。 I have figured out eleven ways that some or all of the Archives could be destroyed。〃
〃If there are eleven ways； then there is a twelfth； and a thirteenth； and so on。 have you discussed this with anyone？'
〃N'o〃 I added mOre quietly； 〃I didn't want to put ideas into anyone's head。〃
〃Sound。 Sometimes the best one can do about a weak point is not to call attention to it。〃
〃It seemed so to me； sir。〃 I added； 〃But when I started worrying I started trying to do something to protect the records。 I instituted a policy of making dead…storage duplicates of all processed data at the point they enter the Archives。 I had in mind copying the entire Archives； then shipping them somewhere。 But I had no funding； or enough money of my own； to pay for the memory cubes。 They should be Welton Fine…Grains； or they would be too bulky to ship。〃
〃When did you start copying new accessions？〃
〃Shortly after the Trustees' Meeting。 I had expected Susan Barstow to be elected。 When Arabelle Foote…Hedrick got it… well； it disturbed me。 Because of an incident years back when we were both on campus。 I thought about resigning。 But I had started work on your memoirs。〃
〃Justin； I think you kidded yourself about your reason for staying。 You suspected that Arabelle might make an ad…interim appointment other than your deputy。〃
〃That's possible； sir。〃
〃But irrelevant。 You used Weltons for this copying？〃
〃Oh； yes。 I could squeeze funds for that much。〃
〃Where are they？ Still in the 'Homing Pigeon'？〃
I suppose I looked startled。 The Senior said； 〃e； e！ They were important to you…do you expect me to think that you left them light…years away？〃
〃Mr。 Chairman； the cubes ire in my baggage 。 … still in Colony Leader Weatheral's office。〃
〃Pallas Athene？〃
〃Back of the visitors' couch； Mr。 Chairman。 The Colony Leader told me to remind him to fetch home Mr。 Foote's luggage。〃
〃Perhaps we can do better。 Chief Archivist； if you will permit Pallas Athene to have the code to your bags； she has extensionals in Ira's office to copy those cubes at once。 Then you can quit worrying； Pallas Athene already has the Archives in her； up to the day I let Arabelle have the gavel back。〃
I know my face showed it。 The Senior chuckled and said；
〃Why and how？ 'Why' because you aren't the only one who feels that the Families' records should be safeguarded。 'How？' We stole them； Son； we stole them。 I had control of the execu…' tive puter and used it to copy the whole works…genealogies； history； minutes of the Families' Meetings； everything…with an override program to keep your boss puter from knowing what I was doing。
〃Right under your nose； Chief Archivist…but I kept it from 'you for your protection； I did not want Arabelle to get wind of it and quiz you。 It would have given her ideas； and she had too many already。 The only' problem was to scrounge enough Welton cubes。 But you are sitting on them right now； about twenty meters under your arse…and when Pallas Athene reads the ones in your luggage； the duplicate Archives will be plete to the date you left Secundus。 Feel better？〃
I sighed。 〃Much better； Mr。 Chairman。 I can stay with a clear conscience。 I now feel free to resign。〃
〃Don't。〃
〃Sir？〃
〃Stay here； yes。 But 'don't resign。 Your deputy is carrying on and you trust her。 Arabelle can't legally put in her own boy by ad…interim appointment unless you do resign； since your appointment es from the Trustees。 Not that legality would bother her…but again let's not put ideas into her head。 How many Trustees on Secundus？〃
〃'On' Secundus； sir？ Or resident on Secundus？〃
〃Don't quibble； Son。〃
〃Mr。 Chairman； I am not quibbling。 There are two hundred eighty…two Senior Trustees。 Of that number one hundred niy…five are resident on Secundus； the other eighty…seven representing Howards on other plas。 I put it as I did because it requires a two…thirds majority to pass a policy motion
…t at a decennial meeting； or twothirds of the total number； or one hundred eighty…eight； at an emergency meeting unless every trustee everywhere has been notified…which can take years。 I mention this because； were you to call an emergency meeting； it might be impossible to muster one hundred eighty…eight votes necessary to recall Madam Chairman Pro Tern。〃
The Senior blinked at me。 〃Mr。 Archivist； what in Ned gave you the notion that I would call a Trustees' meeting？ Or would attempt to recall our dear Sister Arabelle？〃
〃Your question seemed to be leading toward that； sir…
and I remember an occasion on which' you took back the gavel。〃
〃Entirely different。 My motives then were selfish。 The old biddy was about to spoil my plans by grabbing Ira。 The circumstances eaning I could get away with it…which I can't today。 Son； despite what the records show； Arabelle didn't give up that gavel willingly； I grabbed it from her。 Then the short time it took us to finish up and leave； I kept her prisoner。〃
〃Really； Mr。 Chairman？ She doesn't seem to harbor resentment。 She speaks of you in the highest terms。〃
The Senior grinned his l？zy； cynical grin。 〃That's because we're both pragmatists。 I was careful to save her face and made sure she knew it； and now she has nothing to gain by running me down…and something to lose； because I've acquired a semisacred status。 Her status depends in part on mine and she knows it。 Just the same… Well； if I ever find myself on the same pla with her…unlikely； I'm no fool…I shall be very careful going through doors and such。
〃I'll tell you how it worked； and you'll see why I can't do it twice。 Once Ira handed her the gavel he moved out of the Palace…proper。 But until we left I continued to live in the penthouse on top of the Palace…also proper； the Palace is my official residence。 Because I was still there； Minerva was still hooked in。 In consequence she was able to warn me when Arabelle's busies grabbed Ira。 I came out of a sound sleep and grabbed the gavel。〃
Lazarus frowned。 〃A plawide executive puter is a menace； Justin。 When it was Minerva with Ira giving orders； it worked fine。 But see what I did with it and extrapolate what someone else might do with one。 Arabelle； for instance。 Uh… Teena； give Justin a sample of Arabelle's voice。〃
〃Yes； Mr。 Chairman。 'Chief Archivist Foote； this is the Chairwoman Pro Tern。 I have the honor to announce that I have been able to persuade our distinguished Ancestor； Lazarus Long； Permanent Chairman of the Howard Families； to assume for us the titular leadership；of the Families during the regrettably short period remaining until he again embarks for a new worid。 Please give this announcement full distribution among your subordinates。 I will continue to handle routine details but' the Chairman wants you to feel free to consult him at any time。 Speaking for the Trustees and for the Chairman； this is Arabelle Foote…Hedrick； Chairtvoman Pro Tem。~ pore of the Howard Families。'〃
〃Why； that's exactly what she said to me。〃
〃Yup。 Minerva did a good job。 She got just the right pomposity into the' phrasing； as well as getting Arabelle's voice down pat； even to that sniff she uses for punctuation。〃
〃That wasn'r Arabelle？ I had no slightest suspicion。〃
〃Justin； when that message went to you…and one like it to everyone important enough to rate it…Arabelle was in the biggest； fanciest apartment in the Palace…and very annoyed that doors wouldn't open and transport wouldn't e and none of the munication arrangements would work…except when I syanted to talk to her。 Shucks； I didn~t even let her have a cup of coffee until she got her feathers down and conceded that I was Chairman and running things。
〃After that we got along pretty well； even became somewhat chummy。 I did everything for her but turn her loose。 She took over the routine…I didn't want to be bothered… which was safe as Minerva would have chopped her off if she got out of line and she knew it。 She and I even appeared together on a newscast the morning I left； and Arabelle spoke her piece like a lady； and my public thanks to her were just as sincerely insincere。〃
Lazarus Long continued； 〃But now she has the executive puter and if I went back； I'd throw my hat in first。 No； Justin； I was not asking about the Trustees on Secundus with any。 intention of calling a meeting； instead I was thinking that any twenty Trustees can call an emergency meeting and hoping that they would see it as you do…futile……and not try。 She might grab them and ship them to Felicity。 Or； if she has the nerve…I think she has…she might let them hold their meeting； then if it went against her； ship all the Trustees who show up off to Felicity。 But I guarantee she won't quit without a fight。 I caught her with her pants down； she won't be caught twice。〃
〃Then it means a bloodbath。〃
〃That may be the only way out。 But you and I can't help the situation。 In all matters of