友情提示:如果本网页打开太慢或显示不完整,请尝试鼠标右键“刷新”本网页!阅读过程发现任何错误请告诉我们,谢谢!! 报告错误
飞读中文网 返回本书目录 我的书架 我的书签 TXT全本下载 进入书吧 加入书签

time enough for love-时间足够你爱(英文版)-第122章

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!



n a hurry to be pleasant。 That's why I remember you so warmly。〃
  
  〃And that; Lazarus; is why I sniffed something dead hrhind the arras。 You and your party had been gone about a week when I wanted something from the executive puter。 When you have an old friend with a pleasant voice… your voice is unchanged; Minerva; I should have recognized it…but I was bedazzled by your appearance…when you call this old friend and are answered by a flat; mechanical voice 。 。 and any deviation from programming language is answered by: 'NULL PROGRAM…REPEAT…WAITING FOR PROGRAM'…then you know that an old friend is dead。〃 He smiled at the girl between them。 〃So I can't tell you how delighted I am to learn that my old friend was reborn as a lovely young girl。〃
  
  Minerva squeezed his hand; blushed slightly; and said nothing。
  
  〃Hmm… Justin; did you pare notes with anyone?〃
  
  〃Ancestor; do you th?nk I'm a fool? I mind my own business~〃 …
  
  〃Apology; about grade two。 No; you're not a fool; unless you go back and work for the old harridan。〃
  
  〃When will the next wave of migrants head this way? I hate to waste the work I've done on your life; and I would hate to abandon my personal library。〃
  
  〃Well; sir; no tellin' when a streetcar will be by this time o' night。 Discuss it later。〃 Lazarus added; 〃That's our house ahead。〃
  
  Justin Foote looked; saw a building partly visible through trees; turned back to speak to Minerva。 〃Something you said; earlier; Cousin; I did not understand。 You said 'I owe you so much。' If I was pleasant to you…at New Rome; I mean…you were at least as pleasant to me。 More likely the debt is the other way; you were always most helpful。〃
  
  Instead of answering; she looked at Lazarus。 He said; 〃Your business; my dear。〃
  
  Minerva took a deep breath; then said; 〃I plan to name twenty…three of my children for my twenty…three parents。〃
  
  〃So? That seems most warmly appropriate。〃
  
  〃You're not my cousin; Justin…you're my father。 One of them。〃
  
  'VARIATIONS ON A THEME …
  
  XIV
  
  Bacchanalia
  
  After the track through the gormtrees at the northern edge of Boondock swings right; one has a view of the home of Lazarus Long; but I hardly …noticed it when I first saw it; I was much bemused by a statement by Minerva Long。 Me her father? Me?
  
  The Senior said; 〃Close your mouth; Son; you're making a~draft。 Dear; you startled him。〃
  
  〃Oh; dear!〃
  
  〃Now quit looking like a frightened fawn; or I'll be forced to hold your nose and administer two ounces of eighty…proof ethanol disguised as fruit juice。 You've done nothing wrong。 Justin; does disguised ethanol interest you?〃
  
  〃Yes;〃 I agreed fervently。 〃I recall a time in my youth when that and one other subject were all I~ was interested in。〃
  
  〃If the other subject wasn't women; we'll find a monastic cubbyhole where you can drink alone。 But it was…I know more about you than you think。 All right; we'll have a libation or; six。 Not those two; they're potential。。alcoholics。〃
  
  〃Slanderous…〃
  
  〃…though regrettably true…〃 ;〃…but we did it only once…〃 〃…and won't do it again!〃
  
  〃Don't mit yourself too far; kids; a brannigan might sneak up on you。 Better to know your resistance than to be tripped through ignorance。 Grow up; put on some mass; and you'll be able to cope with it。 Or Ishtar mixed up your genes; which she didn't。 Now about this other matter; Justin。 Yes; you're one of Minerva's parents 。 。 and that's a very high pliment; because those twenty…three chromosome pairs were picked from tissues of thousands of superior people; using fearsome mathematics to handle the multiplicity of variables; plus Ishtar's knowledge of geics; and some unnecessary advice from me; before this little darling got the precise mix she wanted to be。〃
  
  I started to set up the type problem in my head…yes; that would be some problem; extremely more difficult than the ordinary geics problem of advising one male and one female…then dropped it; as I had its delightful answer by her left hand。' Lazarus was still speaking:
  
  〃Minerva could have been male; two meters tall; massing a hundred kilos; built like Joe Colossus; and hung like a 'stallion mule。 Instead she elected to be what she is: slender; female; shy… I'm not sure she selected for that last。 Did you; dear?〃
  
  〃No; Lazarus; no one knows which genes control that。 I think I get it from Hamadryad。〃
  
  〃I think you got it from a puter I used to know…and took along all of it as Athene certainly is not shy。 Never mind。 Some of Minerva's donor…parents are dead; some are alive but unaware that a bit of tissue from a' clone in stasis pr from the live…tissue bank was borrowed…as in your case。 Some know that they are donor…parents…me; for example; and you heard Hamadryad mentioned。 You'll meet others; some be…fl ing on Tertius; where it's no secret。 But consanguinity is not close for anyone。 One twenty…third? The geic advisers wouldn't run that through a puter; it's an acceptable risk。 Plus the fact that none of us dono?…parents of Minerva have any known skeletons hanging on our family trees。 You could safely have progeny by her; so could I。〃
  
  〃But you refused me!〃 Minerva startled me with the vehemence with which she accused Lazarus of this。 For a moment~ she was not shy; her eyes flashed。
  
  〃Now; now; dear。 You were only a year out of vitro and not fully grown even though Ishtar forced you past menarche still in vitro。 Ask me on another occasion; I might startle you。〃
  
  〃'Startle' me; or surprise me?〃
  
  〃Never mind that old joke。 Justin; I simply wanted to make clear that your relationship to Minerva; while close enough that it makes Minerva feel sentimental; is in fact so small that you barely qualify as a 'kissing cousin。'〃
  
  〃I feel very sentimental about it;〃 I told the Senior。 〃Most ;pleased and deeply honored…although I can't guess why I was picked。〃
  
  〃If you want to know which chromosome pair was swiped from you; and why; you had best ask Ishtar and get her to consult Athene; I doubt if Minerva still knows。〃
  
  〃But I do know; I saved those memories。 Justin; I wanted to retain some ability in mathematics。 It was a choice between
  
  you and Libby Professor Owens…so I chose you; you are my friend。〃
  
  (Well! I respect Jake Hardy…Owens; I'm merely an applied mathematician; he is a brilliant theoretician。) 〃Whatever your reasons; dear kissing cousin; I am delighted that you chose me as one of your donor…fathers。〃
  
  〃Grounded; modore!〃 announced one of the duplicate redheads…Lapis Lazuli…as the little nuliboat clumped to a stop。 (It appeared to be a Corson Farmsled and I was surprised to see it in a new Colony。) Lazarus answered; 〃Thank yoi~1; Captain。〃
  
  The twins bounced out; the Senior and I handed Minerva out…unnecessary help that she accepted with gracious dignity; that being another aspect of colonial life that surprised me; New Rome being rather short on such' archaic ceremony。 (Over and again I found the Boondockers to be both more f
返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0
未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!
温馨提示: 温看小说的同时发表评论,说出自己的看法和其它小伙伴们分享也不错哦!发表书评还可以获得积分和经验奖励,认真写原创书评 被采纳为精评可以获得大量金币、积分和经验奖励哦!