time enough for love-时间足够你爱(英文版)-第69章

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is　to　be　a　woman。　Right？　True　or　false？〃
　　
　　〃Would　that　I　were　a　woman；　Lazarus！〃
　　
　　〃So　I　knew；　dear。　And　we　both　know　why。　But…think　about　this！…even　if　you　manage　this　risky　change…and　I　don't　know　what　the　risks　are；　I　am　just　an　old　shipmaster；　retired　country　doctor；　obsolete　engineer；　you　are　the　one　with　all　the　data　my　race　has　accumulated　about　such　things…suppose　you　manage　it　。　。　and　find　that　Ira　will　not　take　you　to　wife？〃
　　
　　The　puter　hesitated　a　full　millisecond。　〃Lazarus；　if　Ira　refuses　me…refuses　me　utterly；　he　need　not　marry　me…would　you　the？　be　as　difficult　with　me　as　you　seem　to　have　been　with　Llita？　Or　would　you　teach　me　'Eros'？〃
　　
　　Lazarus　looked　astounded；　then　guffaw鑔。　〃Touch？　You　ranged　me；　girl…you　hulled　me　between　wind　and　water！　All　right；　dear；　a　solemn　promise：　If　you　do　this　。　。　and　Ira　won't　bed　you；　I'll　take　you　to　bed　myself　and　do　my　best　to　wear　you　out！　Or　the　other　way　around　more　likely；　a　male　hardly　ever　outlasts　a　female。　Okay；　dear；　I'm　the　second　team…and　I'll　stick　around　till　we　know　the　oute。〃
　　
　　He　chuckled。　〃My　sweet；　I　am　almost　tempted　to　hope　that　Ira　turns　chicken…were　it　not　you　want　him　so　badly。　Let's　discuss　practical　aspects。　Can　you　tell　me　what　it　will　take？〃
　　
　　〃Only　in　theory；　Lazarus；　my　memories　do　not　show　that　it　has　ever　been　attempted。　But　it　would　be　similar　to　a　total　clone　rejuvenation　in　which　puter　help　is　used　to　transfer　the　memories　of　the　old　brain　into　its　blank　twin…in　the　clone　body。　In　another　way　it　resembles　what　I　do　when　I　move　the　'me'　here　in　the　Palace　into　my　new　'me'　in　Dora's　hold。〃
　　
　　〃Minerva；　I　suspect　that　it　is　more　difficult…and　far　more　risky…than　either　one。　Different　time　rates；　dear。　Machine　to　machine　you　do　in　a　split　second。　But　that　total…clone　job　takes；　I　think；　a　minimum　of　two　years…rush　it；　and　you　wind　up　with　an　old　dead　body　and　a　new　idiot。　No？〃
　　
　　〃There　have　been　such　cases；　Lazarus。　But　not　in　the　past　two　centuries。〃
　　
　　〃Well　。　。　my　opinion　isn't　worth　anything。　You　must　discuss　it　with　an　expert…and　it　must　be　one　you　can　trust。　Ishtar；　perhaps；　although　she　may　not　be　the　expert　you　need。〃
　　
　　〃Lazarus；　there　is　no　expert　in　this　venture；　it　has　never　been　done。　Ishtar　can　be　trusted；　I　have　discussed　it　with　her。〃
　　
　　〃What　does　she　say？〃
　　
　　〃That　she　does　not　know　whether　it　can　be　done　or　not…in　practice；　that　is；　with　success　on　…the　first　attempt。　But　she　is　deeply　sympathetic…she　is　a　woman！…and　is　thinking　of　ways　to　make　it　less　hazardous。　She　says　that　it　will　require　the　finest　of　gene　surgory；　plus　facilities　for　full…adult　cloning。〃
　　
　　〃I　guess　I　missed　something。　Starting　a　clone　doesn't　take　a　topflight　gene　surgeon；　I've　done　it　myself。　Then；　if　you　plant　the　clone　in　utero　and　get　it　to　take；　a　host…mother　will　hand　you　a　baby　in　nine　months。　Safer。　Easier。〃
　　
　　〃But；　Lazarus；　I　can't　move　me　into　a　baby's　skull。　No　room！〃
　　
　　〃Urn。　Yes。　True。〃
　　
　　〃Even　with　a　full…size　adult　brain　I　will　have　to　choose　most　carefully　what　to　take　and　what　to　leave　behind。　Nor　can　I　be　a　simple　clone：　I　must　be　a　posite。〃
　　
　　〃Mmm…　I'm　not　sharp　tonight。　No；　you　would　not　want　to　be　Ishtar's　twin；　for　example；　with　your　own　personality　and　selected　knowledge　imprinted　on　what　would　have　been　her　brain。　Hm…　Dear；　may　I　offer　you　my　twelfth　chromosome　pair？〃
　　
　　〃Lazarus！〃
　　
　　〃Don't　cry；　girl；　you'll　get　your　gears　all　rusty。　I　don't　know　that　there's　anything　to　the　theory　that　reinforcement　in　a　gene　plex　in　that　chromosome　pair　controls　longevity。　Even　if　it　does；　I　might　be　handing　you　a　run…down　clock。　You　might　be　better　off　using　Ira's　twelfth。〃
　　
　　〃No。　Nothing　from　Ira。〃
　　
　　〃Do　you　expect　to　do　this　without　his　knowing　it？〃　Lazarus　then　added　thoughtfully；　〃Oh…　Children；　eh？〃
　　
　　The　puter　did　not　answer。
　　
　　Lazarus　said　gently；　〃Should　have　known　you　meant　to　go　whole　hog。　Then　you　won't　want　to　borrow　from　Hamadryad；　either；　she's　his　daughter。　Unless　geic　charting　shows　that　we　can　avoid　any　hazard。　Mmm…Dear；　you　want　as　mixed　a　posite　as　can　be　managed；　do　you　not？　So　that　your　clone　will　be　a　unique　flesh…and…blood；　not　too　closely　copied　from　any　other　zygote。　Twenty…three　parents　perhaps？　Is　that　what　you　had　in　mind？〃
　　
　　〃I　think　that　would　be　best；　Lazarus；　since　that　could　be　done　without　separating　paired　chromosomes…simpler　surgery　and　no　possibility　of　introducing　an　unexpected　reinforcement。　If　it　were　possible　to　find　twenty…three…satisfactory……donors　who　were　willing。〃
　　
　　〃Who　said　they　had　to　be　willing？　We'll　steal　'em；　dear。　Nobody　owns　his　genes；　he's　merely　~their　custodian。　They　are　passed　to　him　willy…nilly　in　the　meiotic　dance；　he　passes　them　along　to　others　through　the　same　blind　chances。　There　must　be　many　thousands　of　tissue　cultures　over　at　the　Clinic；　each　with　many　thousands　of　cells…so　who's　to　know　or　care　if　we　borrow　one　cell　from　each　of　twenty…three　cultures？…if　we're　slick　about　it。　Don't　fret　about　ethics；　it's　like　stealing　twentythree　grains　of　sand　from　a　large　'beach。
　　
　　〃I　don't　give　a　hoot　about　the　Clinic's　rules；　I　suspect　that　we'll　be　hip…deep　in　proscribed　techniques　all　through　this。　Hmm…　Those　Clinic　records　you've　stored　in　Dora：　Do　they　include　geic　charting　of　tissue　cultures　on　hand？　Case　histories　of　their　donor…consigners？〃
　　
　　〃Yes；　Lazarus。　Although　personal　records　are　confidential。〃
　　
　　〃Who　cares？　Ishtar　said　you　could　study　both　'confidential'and　'secret'…as　long　as　you　kept　it　to　yourself。　So　pick　the　twenty…three　parents　you　want…while　I　worry　about　how　to　steal　them。　Stealing　is　more　in　my　line；　anyhow。　I　don't　know　what　criteria　you　will　use；　but　I　offer　one　mild　suggestion：　If　the　selection　you　have　to　choose　from　permits　it；　each　of　your　parents　should　be　healthy　in　all　respects　and　as　brainy　as　possible…by　their　established　records　in　life　as　shown　by　their　case　histories；　not　alone　by　their　geic　charts。〃　Lazarus　thought　about　it。　〃That　mythical　time　machine　I　mentioned　earlier　would　be　a　convenience。　I　would　like　to　look　over　all　twenty…three　after　you　pick　them…and　some　of　them　may　be　dead。　The　donors　I　mean；　not　the　tissue　cultures。〃
　　
　　〃Lazarus；　if　other　characteristics　are　satisfactory；　is　there　any　reason　not　to　select　as　well　for　physical　appearance？〃
　　
　　〃Why　worry　about　it；　dear？　Ira　is　not　the　sort　of　man　to　insist　on　Helen　of　Troy。〃
　　
　　〃No；　I　don't　think　he　is。　But　I　want　to　be　tall…tall　as　Ishtar…and　slender；　with　small　breasts。　And　straight；　brown　hair。〃
　　
　　〃Minerva　。　。　why？〃
　　
　　〃Because　that　is　the　way　I　look。　You　said　so。　You　did　say　so！〃
　　
　　Lazarus　blinked　at　the　gloom　and　hummed　softly：　〃She's　a　good　sport　。　。　I　can　spring　her　。　。　。for　a　fin　or　even　a　sawbuck〃…then　said　sharply：　〃Minerva；　you're　a　crazy；　mixed…up　machine；　lithe　best　bination　of　traits　results　in　your　being　a　short；　plump　blonde　with　big　tits…buy　it！　Don't　worry　about　an　old　man's　fantasies。　I'm　sorry　I　mentioned　that　imaginary　description。〃
　　
　　〃But；　Lazarus；　I　said　'if　other　characteristics　are　satisfactory…To　get　that　physical　appearance　I　need　search　only　with　respect　to　three　autosome　pairs；　there　is　no　conflict；　the　search　is　already　plete　within　all　parameters　we　have　discussed　thus　far。　And　that　is　me…is　'F？…no；　me！　I've　known　it　since　you　told　me。　But…from　things　you　have　said…and　others　that　you　did　not　say…I　feel　that　I　need　your　permission　to　look　like　that。〃
　　
　　The　old　man　lowered　his　head　and　covered　his　face。　Then　he　looked　up。　〃Go　ahead；　dear…look　like　her。　I　mean　'look　like　yourself。'　Like　your　mind's…eye　picture　of　yourself。　You'll　find　it　hard　enough　to　learn　to　be　flesh…and…blood　without　the　added　handicap　of　not　looking　the　way　you　feel　you　ought　to　look。〃
　　
　　〃Thank　you；　Lazarus。〃
　　
　　〃There　will　be　problems；　dear；　even　if　everything　goes　well。　For　example；　has　it　occurred　to　you　that　you　will　have　to　learn　to　talk　all　over　again？　Even　learn　to　see　and　to　hear？　When　you　move　yourself　over　into　your　clone　body　and　leave　nothing　behind　but　a　puter；　you