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！
〃Look for you again both places at eleven years and eleven and a half。 years。〃
〃Then what？〃 ……
Lorelei glanced at her sister。 〃Brother； this part we don't go along with…〃
〃…and that goes for Dora； too…〃…
…〃It sure does！〃
…〃…because we won't assume that you're dead…〃
〃…no matter how many times you miss rendezvous…〃
〃…so we start checking both spots day after day…〃
〃…and night after night…〃
〃…and over nine hours' local time difference means some weird partial orbits to check sunrise and sundown in Arizona and still check midnights in Egypt…〃
〃…but Dora can do it…〃
〃You bet I can！〃
〃…and we'll keep looking for you day after day…〃
~…and year after year…〃
〃…until ypu do show up。 Sir。〃
〃Captain Lorelei； if I miss four rendezvous dates； I'm dead。 You must assume that。 Shall I put it in writing？〃
〃modore Long； if you're dead； you can't give orders。 That's logical。〃
〃If you assume that I am not dead； then my orders still apply。 。 and you must give up the search。 By the same logic。〃
〃Sir； if ~7ou are out of the ship and out of touch； then you are hardly in a position to give any orders。 But if you want to be picked up； there will be daily service from drop time plus eleven…and…one…half T…years on…〃
〃…and on and on and on； because that's what we promised the family…〃
〃…even though we'll have to run home occasionally for rejuvenation…〃
〃…and to have babies； but neither of those will take any time in that time framework 。 。 as you pointed out in another connection。〃
〃Mutiny。〃…
The twins glanced at each other。 〃I'll take it； Laz； I have to…odd…numbered day。 modore； as you taught us before you ever let either of us take mand in space； a modore is actually a passenger …because a ship's master cannot give up even a little bit of her total responsibility。 So 'mutiny' is not a word that can apply。〃
Lazarus sighed。 〃I've raised a couple of blinkin' space lawyers。〃
〃Brother； that's what you taught us。 You did。〃
… 〃Okay； I did。 You win the argument。 But it's silly to talk about checking every day for year after year indefinitely。 I've never seen the prison I couldn't escape from in less than a year
…and I've been in quite a number。 Maybe I should cancel the whole caper…no； no； I won't argue it！ Now about time markers； if something forces you to recalibrate： Simple enough to ground and find out the exact Gregorian date 。
but that's exactly what I don'： want you to do 。 。 because neither of you has any experience in coping …with strange cultures…and you would get in trouble and I wouldn't be around to get you out。〃
AAfl
441〃Brother； do you think we are that stupid？〃
〃No； Laz； I do not think you are stupid。 You each have exactly the brain potential J started with…and I'm not stupid or I would not have lived so long。 Furthermore； you each have enormously better educations than I had at your age。 But； darlings； these are the Dark Ages w&re talking about。 You two have been brought up to expect rational treatment
which you wouldn't receive。 I don't dare let you put foot to ground in that era； even with me at your side； until after I have coached you endlessly in how to be consistently irrational in what you do and say。 Truly。〃
Lazarus continued； 〃Never mind； you have two ways to read the clock from space。 One is the Libby method； tedious but workable； by reading positions of the Solar System's plas。 The trouble with that one is that； unless you spend one devilish long time on difficult observations； you can mistake a configuration for one almost like it…but several thousand years earlier or later。
〃So we use what time marks we can find on the surface of Terra herself。 The radioactive dating of that impact crater is probabl？ close…but in any case； if the crater is missing； you're too early by some centuries。 The dates for the building of the Great e for the Egyptian pyramids。 The dates for the Suez Canal and the Pan…ama Canal are exact…so； unfortunately； is the date of the destruction of
？Europe…but don't try to watch it！ Keep your screens up and get out fast； that is a year when a strange spaceship would be shot out of the sky if you were careless enough to be vulnerable。 In fact； if any time marker on this list shows that you are later than 1940 Gregorian； get out at once！…and shoot for an earlier date。
〃That's enough for now； it's getting toward bedtime by my sort of time； irrelevant though it may be to anything outside this ship。 I want you to study all this stuff until you can recite it in your sleep； dates and what you look for and how to find it…even if you don't have a Terra globe to look at。 Anybody think she can beat me at crib？ Don't all speak at once。〃
〃I can；〃 said Dora； 〃if you promise not to cheat on the shuffle。〃
〃Later； Dora；〃 said Captain Lorelei。 〃Now we tell him。〃
〃Oh！ All right； I'll be very quiet。〃
〃Tell me what？〃 demanded Lazarus。
〃That it's time for you to impregnate us 。 。 Lazarus。〃
I …~
〃Both of us；〃 agreed Lapis Lazuli。…
Lazarus counted ten chimpanzees in his mind…then ten more。 〃Absplutely out of the question！'~
They glanced at each other。 Lorelei said：
〃We knew you would say that…〃
〃…bud the only question is whether you do it sweet and friendlyilke…〃
〃…or we tell Ish you said No and she does it for us…your sperm…from the sperm bank…〃
〃…but we'd be much happier if our beloved brother； who
？has always been good to us…〃
〃…but is now going to go get his ass shot off in the Dark Ages…〃
〃…were to drop his silly prejudices just once…〃
〃…and treat us as biologically mature females…〃
〃…instead of the children we used to be…〃
〃…Ira and Galahad and Justin don't treat us as children…〃
〃…but you do and it's not just humiliating； it's downright heartbreaking when we may never see you again…〃
〃…when you didn't make any real fuss about knocking up Minerva…〃
〃…not to mention Tammy and Hamadarling and Ish…〃
〃Stop it！〃
… They stopped。
〃I concede a remote possibility with respect to three of them； although mathematically most unlikely。〃
Lorelei said quietly； 〃Mathematically extremely likely； Lazarus； because we were all in on it。 Justin and Ira and Galahad hung back at the right times just the way they insured that Minerva's first baby was Ira's and Tammy's first was Justin's。 But if ~t did not work out…for any one of four； not 'three'…then Ishtar will correct it from the sperm bank。〃
〃I'm not in the sperm bank！〃
The girls exchanged glances。 Lapis Lazuli said； 〃Want to bet？〃
The puter said； 〃It's a sucker bet； Buddy。〃
Lazarus looked thoughtful。 〃Unless Ishtar tricked me almost twenty years back。 When I was her rejuve client。〃
Lorelei said quietly； 〃I suppose she could have； Lazarus。 But she did not； that I know of…and this is fresh sperm。 Frozen not more than a year ago； any of it。 After the day you announced a date for this trip。〃
〃Impossible。〃
…442
443〃Better not say 'Impossible。' What is the perfect container for keeping … sperm fresh and alive until a technician can bank it？'
Lazarus looked very thoughtful。 〃Well 。 。 I'll 。 …。 be
damned！〃
〃Correct； I~rother。 Place a woman around it。 You were being oh so careful to pick your bedmates by their cycles so that you wouldn't leave any babies behind 。 。 and they were being oh。 so careful to see Ish or Galahad as soon as you fell asleep 。 。 as well as fudging calendars； too。 The point is；
beloved brother of ours； you don't own your genes…nobody does。 We've heard you say so； in discussing how Minerva was constructed。 Genes belong to the race； they're simply lent to the individual for his…her lifetime。 And all of us…knowing you were going to try this reckless thing…decided that； while you were free to throw away your life； you weren't free to waste a unique gene pattern。〃
？azarus changed the subject。 〃Why do you say 'four'？〃
Lorelei answered；… 〃Brother； are you ashamed of Minerva？ I do not believe it。 Nor does Laz。〃
〃Uh… No； I'm not ashamed of her； Fm proud of her！ Damn it； you two have always been able to get me mixed up。 I simply did not know that she had told anyone。 I have not。〃 The other twin said； 〃Who would she turn to but us？〃
〃You mean 'To whom would she turn。〃
〃Damn it； Brother； this is a hell of a time to be correcting our grammar！ Minerva turned to us for advice…and fort！
…because we're in the same difficult position with respect to you that she is。 That she was； I mean； for she came out of the bushes looking as smug as a cat。 You made her happy…〃
〃…when she had been crying her eyes out…〃〃…and she'll stay happy now； even if she missed catching…〃
〃…because once is enough for a symbol and if she missed…〃 …
〃Lsh will fix it…〃
〃…and of cowse we knew about it when you finally quit dithering and did what you should have done for her years ago…〃
〃…because we helped rig it so that she could get you alone and twist your arm…〃
〃…and told her that if tears weren't enough； to chuck in some chin quivering…〃
444〃…and it worked and she's happy…〃…
〃…but we're not so damned happy； not at all； but we won't cry at you…i…〃
〃…or quiver our chins； that's childish。 If you won't do it simply because you love us…〃
〃…then the hell with it and we probably won't even fall back on the sperm bank； Instead…〃
〃…it …might be better to have Ish sterilize us…〃
〃…permanently…not just offset fertility temporarily…〃
〃…and quit being females； since we're failures at it…〃
〃STOP IT！ If you're not going to cry at me； what are all those tears' for？〃
第61节
Lapis Lazuli said with quiet dignity； 〃Those aren't weeping tears； Brother； they e from sheer exasperation。 e on； Lor； we've swung and we've missed…let's go to bed。〃
〃ing； Sister。〃
〃If the modore will excuse us？〃…
〃He damn well won't！ Sit back down。 Girls； can we talk about this quietly without you two whipsawing me？〃
The two young women sat back down。 Captain Lorelei glanced at her sister and said； 〃Laz agrees that I will speak for us both。 No whipsawing。〃
Lazarus said thoughtfully； 〃Do you two run your brains in tandem or in parallel？〃 …
〃We 。 。 do not think that is relevant to the discussion。〃
〃Just scientific interest。 If you could teach me how to do it； 。〃
〃That can be only conjectural； Lazarus 。 。 since you reject Us。〃
〃Damn it； girls…I have not rejected you； I will never reject you。〃 …
They said nothing； he went on； unfortably： 〃There are tw