time enough for love-时间足够你爱(英文版)-第48章

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　　I　was　taking　a　shortcut　through　the　slave　market；　it　not　being　an　auction　day；　on　my　way　to　the　jewelers'　lane；　when　I　saw　that　a　sale　was　being　offered　and　slowed　down…a　man　who　has　been　sold　himself　can't　walk　past；　indifferent　to　the　plight　of　chattels。　Nct　that　I　had　any　intention　of　buying。
　　
　　Nor　did　anyone　seem　about　to　buy　this　pair；　the　knot　around　the　factor's　tent　was　rabble；　I　could　tell　by　their　clothes　and　the　fact　that　there　wasn't　a　man　there　with　a　manservant。
　　
　　The　merchandise　was　standing　on　a　table；　a　young　woman　and　a　young　man。　Late　adolescence　for　him　and　just　ripe　for　her；　or　the　same　age　in　view　of　the　fact　that　females　grow　up　faster。　Call　it　eighteen　measured　by　my　own　youth…an　age　at　which　a　boy　should　be　nailed　into　a　barrel　and　fed　through　the　bunghole　but　a　girl　is　ready　to　marry。
　　
　　Long　sleeveless　robes　hung　from　their　shoulders…and　I　knew　too　well　what　those　robes　meant；　they　would　be　displayed　only　to　a　prospective　buyer；　not　to　rabble。　Robes　signified　valuable　slaves；　not　to　be　knocked　down　on　open　bid。
　　
　　Sure　enough；　they　were　being　held　at　Dutch　auction；　with　the　minimum　bid　posted…ten　thousand　blessings。　That　amounts　to…　How　can　I　define　money　of　centuries　back　on　a　pla　hundreds　of　light…years　away　in　terms　that　make　sense　here　and　now？　Let's　put　it　this　way：　Unless　these　kids　were　something　extraordinary；　they　were　overpriced　by　a　factor　of　five；　as　prime　young　stock；　either　sex；　were　fetching　around　a　thousand　blessings　by　the　morning's　financial　news。
　　
　　Ever　paused　in　front　of　a　clothing　store　…　and　get　hooked　inside？　No；　of　course　you　haven't。　But　that's　what　happened　to　me。
　　
　　All　I　did　was　say　to　the　factor；　〃Goodman；　is　that　posted　bid　a　mistake？　Or　do　these　two　have　something　special　that　doesn't　show？〃　Just　curiosity；　Minerva；　as　I　neither　intended　to　own　slaves　nor　would　the　excess　in　my　purse　make　a　dent　in　a　plawide　custom。　But　I　could　not　see　why？　The　girl　was　not　outstandingly　pretty；　she　would　not　fetch　a　high　price　as　an　odalisque。　The　lad　wasn't　even　heavily　muscled。　Nor　were　they　a　matched　pair。　Back　home　I　would　have　picked　her　for　Eyetalian　and　him　for　a　Swede。
　　
　　Boom；　I'm　urged　into　the　tent　while　the　chattels　are　shoved　ahead；　the　factor's　manner　shows　that　he　hasn't　had　a　live　one　all　day…while　my　shadow　is　saying　in　my　ear；　〃Master；　that　price　is　too　high。　I　can　take　you　to　a　private　sale　where　prices　are　right　and　satisfaction　is　guaranteed。〃
　　
　　I　said；　〃Shut　up；　Faithful〃…all　rented　body　servants　were　named　〃Faithful；〃　probably　by　contraries…〃I　want　to　see　what　this　is。〃
　　
　　As　fast　as　the　tent　flap　is　fastened　against　the　rabble；　the　factor　is　shoving　a　chair　against　my　knees　and　handing　me　a　drink　with　a　bow　and　a　scrape　while　saying　lyrically；　〃Oh；　sweet　and　gentle　master；　happy　am　I　that　you　asked　that！　I　am　about　to　show　you　a　great　wonder　of　science！　A　thing　to　astound　the　very　gods！　I　speak　as　a　pious　man；　a　true　son　of　our　Everlasting　Church；　one　who　cannot　lie！〃
　　
　　A　slave　factor　who　can't　lie　has　yet　to　be　whelped。　Meantime　the　youngsters　stationed　themselves　docilely　on　a　display　platform；　and　Faithful　was　whispering：　〃Don't　believe　a　word；　Master。　The　girl　is　nothing　and　I　can　whip　three　of　that　punk　without　my　stick…yet　the　agency　would　sell　you　me　for　eight　hundred　blessings　and　that's　a　fact。〃
　　
　　I　motioned　him　to　silence。　〃Goodman；　what　swindle　is　this？〃　'
　　
　　〃No　swindle；　on　my　mother's　honor；　kind　sir！　Would　you　believe　that　these　are　brother　and　sister？〃
　　
　　I　looked　at　them。　〃No。〃
　　
　　〃Would　you　believe　that　they　are　not　only　brother　and　sister　but　twins？〃
　　
　　〃Would　you　believe　the　same　stud；　the　same　dam；　the　same　womb；　born　the　same　hour？'
　　
　　〃Possibly　the　same　womb；〃　I　conceded。　〃Host…mother？〃
　　
　　〃No；　no！　Exactly　the　same　ancestry。　And　yet…here　is　the　miracle…〃　He　held　my　eye　and　s？oke　in　a　hushed　voice：
　　
　　〃They　are　nevertheless　a　sound　breeding　pair　。　。　for　these　twins　are　unrelated　to　each　other！　Would　you　believe　it？〃
　　
　　I　told　him　what　I　would　believe；　including　his　losing　his　license　and　facing　a　charge　of　blasphemy。
　　
　　His　smile　grew　broader；　and　he　plimented　me　on　my　wit　and　asked　me　how　much…if　he　proved　all　of　these　things…how　high　a　bid　I　would　place　against　them？　Higher　than　ten　thousand　since　I　must　realize　that　the　posted　figure　represented　a　prior　bid。　Fifteen　thousand；　perhaps；　with　escrow　the　morrow　before　noon？
　　
　　I　said；　〃Forget　it；　I'm　shipping　out　before　noon〃…and　started　to　stand　up。
　　
　　He　said；　〃Wait；　I　beg　you！　I　see　that　you　are　a　gentleman　of　education；　of　science；　of　deep　knowledge　and　widely　traveled…surely　you　will　grant　your　humble　servant　a　moment　to　show　proof？〃
　　
　　I　still　would　have　left；　swindles　bore　me。　But　he　waved　a　hand；　and　the　kids　dropped　their　robes　and　fell　into　display　poses；　the　lad　with　his　arms　folded　across　his　chest　and　his　feet　planted　firmly；　the　girl　in　that　graceful　pose　that　must　be　as　old　as　Eve…one　knee　slightly　advanced；　hand　on　hip；　other　arm　hanging　easily；　chest　slightly　ruised。　It　almost　made　her　beautiful　save　that　she　looked　bored…having　taken　it　hundreds　of　times；　no　doubt。
　　
　　But　that　wasn't　what　made　me　stay；　something　annoyed　me。　The　lad　was　bare　of　course…she　was　wearing　a　chastity　girdle。　Do　you　know　what　one　is；　Minerva？
　　
　　〃Yes；　Lazarus。〃
　　
　　Too　bad。　I　said；　〃Take　that　damned　thing　off　that　kid！　Now！〃　Silly　of　me；　I　rarely　interfere　with　anything　on　a　strange　pla。　But　those　things　are　abominations。
　　
　　〃Certainly；　gentle　sir；　I　was　about　to。　Estrellita！〃
　　
　　The　girl　turned　her　back；　with　that　same　bored　look。　The　factor　stood　so　that　his　back　kept　the　lad　from　seeing　him　work　the　bination　lock；　saying　apologetically；　〃She　must　wear　it　not　only　because　of　ruffians　but　to　protect　her　from　her　brother；　they　share　the　same　pallet；　for　she　is…would　you　believe　it；　sir；　seeing　how　full　ripe　she　is？…a　virgin！　Show　the　gentle　master；　'Trellita。〃
　　
　　Bored　as　ever；　she　promptly　started　to　do　so。　I　regard　virginity　as　a　correctable　perversity　of　no　interest；　I　motioned　her　to　stop　and　asked　the　factor　if　she　could　cook。
　　
　　第22节
　　
　　He　assured　me　that　she　was　the　envy　of　every　gourmet　chef　on　Blessed；　and　started　to　lock　her　back　into　that　steel　diaper。　I　said　roughly；　〃Leave　it　off！　Nobody　here　is　going　to　rape　her。　What's　this　proof　you　promised？〃
　　
　　Minerva；　he　proved　every　word…except　about　her　cooking…with　exhibits　that　made　me　suspicious　only　because　he　showed　them；　I　wouldn't　have　boggled　had　I　seen　them　in　the　Clinic　here。
　　
　　I　should　mention　that　Blessed　had　a　rejuvenation　clinic　even　though　it　was　not　settled　by　the　Families。　Eventually　the　clinic　was　taken　over　by　the　church　and　antigeria　techniques　that　work　fairly　well　even　on　short…lifers　were　no　longer　available　to　any　but　big　shots。　But　the　pla　stayed　advanced　in　biological　techniques；　the　church　needed　it。
　　
　　Minerva；　I　told　you　what　he　claimed　and　you　are　now　as　learned　in　biology　and　geics　and　associated　manipulations　as　Ishtar　is…more　so；　you　don't　have　her　limitations　in　time　and…　in　memory　storage。　What　did　he　prove　to　me？
　　
　　〃That　they　were　diploid　plements；　Lazarus。〃
　　
　　〃Right！　Although　he　called　them　〃mirror　twins。〃　Can　you　tell　me　how　these　kids　were　made；　Minerva？　How　would　you　go　about　producing　such　twins？
　　
　　The　puter　answered　thoughtfully；　〃'Mirror　twins'　would　be　an　inexact　term　for　zygotes　satisfying　the　listed　requirements…although　it　is　colorful。　I　can　answer　only　theoretically　as　the　records　in　me　do　not　show　that　it　has　been　attempted　on　Secundus。　But　the　steps　necessary　to　achieve　exact　diploid　plements　would　be　these：　There　must　be　intervention　in　gametogenesis　in　each　parent　just　before　meiotic　division…reduction　of　chromosome　number…that　is；　one　would　start　with　primary　spermatocytes　and　primary　oocytes；　unreduced　diploids。
　　
　　〃In　the　male　parent　the　intervention　presents　no　theoretical　problem　but　would　be　difficult　because　the　cells　are　very　small…but　I　would　not　hesitate　to　attempt　it　giv