time enough for love-时间足够你爱(英文版)-第126章

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　　〃…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　two　aspects　to　this；　one　is　geic；　the　other　is　emotional。　Geic…　We　three　are　a　weird　case；　male　and　female；…　yet　quasi…identicals。　More　than　quasi…forty…five　forty…sixths　to　be　exact。　Which　makes　the　probability　of　bad　reinforcement　far　greater　than　it　is　for　ordinary　siblings。　But　besides　that；　we　are　Howards　only　by　courtesy；　as　our　genes　have　not　undergone　some　twenty…four　centuries　of　systematic　culling。　I'm　so　close　to　the　head　of　the　column　that　there　was　no　culling　at　all；　my　four　grandparents　were　among　the　first　selectees；　so　when　I　was　born　in　Gregorian　1912；　I　had　behind　me　no　inbreeding；　no　culling　out；　no　cleaning　of　the　gene　pooi。　And　you　dears　are　in　the　same　predicament　as　even　that　forty…sixth
　　
　　445chromosome　〃es　from　me；　since　it　replicates　my　forty…fifth　Yet　you　two　seem　willing　to　accept　this　high　risk　of　re　inforcement。〃
　　
　　He　paused。　There　was　ilo　ment。　He…　shrugged　and　wen　on：　〃The　emotional　objection　es　only　from　me；　you　twc　don't　seem　to　have　it　。　。　reasonable；　I　suppose；　since　…th　concept　it　is　based　on…from　the　Old　Testament…has　beer　~replaced　by　the　concept　of　following　the　advice　of　Families　geicists。　I'm　not　arguing　with　th？wisdom　of　that；　I　agre　with　it…since　they　say　No　to　a　couple　of　unrelated　strangen　just　as　readily　as　to　siblings　if　the　gene　charts　give　'No'　a~　the　answer。　But　I　was　talking　about　feelings；　not　science。　I　don't　suppose　any　but　scholars　read　the　Old　Testament　anymore；　but　the　culture　I　was　brought　up　in　was　soaked　in　it~　attitudes…'Bible　Bult；'　you've　heard　me　call　it　that。　Girls；　i：
　　
　　is　hard　to　shake　off　any　taboos　a　child　is　indoctrinated　witi　in　his　earliest　years。　Even　if　he　learns　later　that　they　ar~　nonsense。
　　
　　〃I　tried　to　do　better　with　you　two。　I've　had　time　enougi　to　sort　out　my　taboos　and　my　prejudices　from　what　I　reall）　know；　and　I　tried…I　tried　very　hard！…not　to　inflict　on　yo~　two　any　of　the　irrational　nonsense　that　was　fed　to　me　undei　the　pretext　of　'educating'　me。　〃Apparently　I　succeeded；　or　w　would　never　have　reached　this　impasse。　But　9~ere　it　is…　You　two　are　modern　young　women　。　。　but；　thotigh　we　shan　the　same　genes；　I　am　an　old　savage　from　a　very　murky　time。'　He　sighed。　〃I'm　sorry。〃　…
　　
　　Lorelei　looked　at　her　sister；　they　bo~h　stood　up。　〃Sir；　ma~　we　be　excused？〃
　　
　　〃Huh？　No　rebuttal？〃
　　
　　〃Sir；　an　emotional　argument　permits　no　refutation。　As　foi　the　rest；　why　should　we　weary　you　with　arguments　when　youi　mind　is　made　up？〃
　　
　　〃Well　。　perhaps　you're　right。　But　you　listened　courteousl）　to　me。　I　want　to　pay　you　the　same　respect。〃　…
　　
　　〃It　is　not　necessary；　sir。〃　Her　eyes　and　those　of　her　sistei　were　welling　with　tears；　they　ignored　them。　〃We　are　sure　01　your　respect；　and…in　your　way…of　your　love。　May　we
　　
　　Before　Lazarus　could　answer；　the　puter　spoke　up：
　　
　　〃Hey！　I　want　a　piece　of　this！〃
　　
　　〃Dora！〃　Lorelei　rebuked。
　　
　　〃Don't　give　me　that；　Lor。　I'm　not　going　to　stay　politel）　quiet　while　my　family　make　fools　of　themselves。　Buddy　Boy
　　
　　Lor　didn't　tell　you　about　the　whammy　they　considered　pulling　on　you…and　that　1　still　can。　And　will！〃
　　
　　〃Dora；　we。　don't　want　that　sort　of　help。　Laz　and　I　agreed　on　that。〃
　　
　　〃So　you　did。　But　…you　didn't　ask　me　to　vote　on　it。　And　I'm　no　lady　and　never　was。　Buddy　01'　Boy；　you　know　it　makes　no　difference　to　me　who　does　what　to　whom；　I　couldn't　care　less…except　that　it's　so　funny　to　hear　'em　squeal　and　grunt。　BUt　you're　being　mean　to　my　sisters。　Lor　and　Laz　talked　over　the　fact　that　you　can't　make　this　trip　without　their　help
　　
　　and　…　they　rejected　that　gambit　as　being　beneath　their　dignity　or　some　such　twaddle。　But　I　don't　have　any　dignity。　Without　my　help　nobody　makes　a　time　trip。　Shucks；　if　I　go　on　strike；　you　can't　even　get　back　to　Tertius。　Now　can　you？〃　…
　　
　　Lazarus　looked　wryly　surprised；　then　grinned。　〃Mutiny　again。　Dorable；　I　concede　your　point；　you　can　keep　us　out　here…wherever　'here'　is…until　we　starve。　I　suspected　centuries　back　that　a　flesh…and…blood　might　someday　find　himself　in　just　such　a　helpless　position。　But；　dear；　I　won't　let　your　threats　affect　my　decision。　You　can　keep　me　from　time…tripping
　　
　　…but　I　doubt　if　you　will　let　Lor　and　Laz　starve。…　You'll　take　them　home。〃
　　
　　〃Oh；　hell；　Pappy…you're　being　mean　again。　You're　a　real　whirling　son　of　bitch！　Do　you　know　it？〃
　　
　　〃Guilty　on　both　counts；　Dora；〃　Lazarus　admitted。
　　
　　〃And　Lor　and　Laz　are　being　stupidly　bullheaded。　Lor；　he　politely　offered　you　a　chance　to　speak　your。piece　。　。　and　you　turned　him　down。　Stubborn　bitch。〃
　　
　　〃Dora；　behave　yourself。〃
　　
　　〃Whuffor？　When　you　three　don't。　Blow　your　noses　and　sit　down　and　give　Buddy　the　straight　tell。　He's　entitled　to　it。〃
　　
　　〃Perhaps　you　had　better；〃　Lazarus　said　gently。　〃Sit　down；　girls；　and　talk　with　me。　Dora？　Keep　her　steady　between　the　hawsepipes；　baby　girl…and　we'll　get　her　into　port　yet。〃
　　
　　〃Aye；　aye；　modore！　But　you　get　those　two　silly　bitches
　　
　　straightened　out。　Huh？…
　　
　　〃I'll　try。　Who's　the　spokesman　this　time？　Laz？〃
　　
　　〃It　doesn't　matter；〃　answered　Lapis　Lazuli。　〃I'll　talk　for　us。　Don't　worry　about　Dora。　When　she　realizes　that　we　are　con
　　
　　…tent　to　accept　your　decision；　she'll　stop　being　difficult。〃
　　
　　〃Oh；　you　think　so；　do　you？　Shape　up；　Laz…or　we'll　be　back　in　Boondock　faster　than　you　can　say　'Libby　pseudoinfinities。'　〃
　　
　　〃Please；　Dora；　let　me　tell　Brother。〃
　　
　　446　…
　　
　　〃Just　be　sure　you　tell　him　everything　。　。　or　I'll　tell　him　about　things　that　went　on　in　here　a　full　year　before　he　said…
　　
　　you　were　old　enough。〃
　　
　　Lazarus　blinked　and　looked　interested。　〃Well；　well！　Did　you　kids　steal　a　march　on　me？〃
　　
　　〃Well；　Mama　Ishtar　told？us　we　were　old　enough。　You　were　the　one　being　stuffy　about　it。〃
　　
　　〃Mmm　。　。　stipulated。　Someday　I　must　tell　you　about　something　that　happened　to　me　at　an　early　age　in　a　church　belfry。〃
　　
　　〃I'm　sure　we'd　like　to　hear　it；　Brother…but　do　you　want　to　hear　us　now？〃
　　
　　〃Yes。　Dora　and　I　will　。keep　quiet。〃
　　
　　〃Let　me　say　in　preface　that　we　are　not　going　to　ask　Ishtar　to　thwart　your　wishes　by　using　the　sperm　bank。　But　there　are　other　possibilities　to　which　you　can　hardly　object。　Consider　how　we　were　born~　I　could　easily　bear　an　implanted　clone　from　my　own　tissue；　and　so　could　Lor…although　we　might　swap　clones　。　。　for　reasons　purely　sentimental　since　we　have　identical　genes。　Do　you　see　anything　wrong　with　that？　Geically；　or　emotionally？　Or　otherwise？〃
　　
　　〃Mmm　。　。　no。　Unusual…but　your　business。〃
　　
　　…〃Just　as　easy…since　Ishtar　still　has　living　tissue　of　yours　in　vitro…is　to　clone　you　。　。　and　Lorelei　and　I　would　bear　identical　twins…both　of　them　'Lazarus　Long'　in　every　gene
　　
　　lacking　only　your　long　experience。　Would　you　find　that　offensive？〃
　　
　　〃Eh？　Now　wait　a　minute！　Let　me　…think。〃
　　
　　〃Let　me　add　that　we　regard　this　as　a　last　resort　。　。　if　you　are　dead。　If　you　don't　e　back。〃
　　
　　〃Don't　start　sniffling　again！　U