wanted。 It could not cost me much； she was an ephemeral。 Fifty； sixty； seventy； at the most eighty years； and she would be dead。 I could afford to spend that trivial amount of time to make my adopted daughter's pitifully short life happy…that's how I figured it。 It wasn't much； and I could afford it。 So be…it。 …
All the rest was just a case of no half measures； do whatever else is necessary to your main purpose。 I told you some of the possibilities； I may not have mentioned that I considered taking ？ack the captaincy of the Andy I。 for Dora's lifetime； have Zaccur Briggs take the ground side of the partnership or buy him out if that didn't suit him。 But while eighty…odd years in a starship would not stonker me； to Dora it would be a lifetime and it might not suit her。 Besides； a ship is not an ideal place to raise kids…what do you do when they grow up？ Drop' them off somewhere not knowing anything but ship's routine？ Not good。
I decided that the husband of an ephemeral had to be an ephemeral； in every way possible to him。 The corollaries to that decision caused us to wind up in Happy Valley。
Happy Valley… The happiest of all my lives。 The longer I was privileged to live with Dora； the more I loved her。 She taught me to love by loving me； and I learned…rather slowly； I wasn't too good a pupil； being set in my ways and lacking her natural talent。 But I did learn。 Learned that …supreme happiness lies in wanting to keep another person safe and warm and happy； and being privileged； to try。
And the saddest； too。 The more thoroughly I learned this… through living day…on day with Dora…the happier I was
and the more I ached in one corner of my mind with certain knowledge that this could be only a brief time too soon over
…and when it was over； I did not marry again for almost a hundred years。 Then I did； for Dora taught me to face up to death； too。 She was as aware of her own death； of the certain briefness of her life； as I was。 But she taught me to live now； not to let anything sully today 。 。 until at last I got over the sadness of being condemned to live。
We had a wonderfully good time！ Working our arses off； always too much to do； and enjoying every minute。 Never too rushed to enjoy life no matter what。 Sometimes just pat…ass and squeeze…titty as I hurried through the kitchen； ile acknowledging it； sometimes a' lazy hour on the roof invested in watching sunset and stars and moons； usually with 〃Eros〃 to make it sweeter。 …
I guess you could say that sex was our only active amusement for a number of years （and never stopped being in first place as Dora was as enthusiastic at seventy as at seventeen… just not as limber）。 I was usually too tired to play good chess even though I made us a set of chessmen； we had no other games and probably would not have played them anyhow… too busy。 Oh； we did do other things； often one of us would read aloud while the other knitted or cooked or something。 Or we would sing together； coonjining the rhythm while we pitched grain or manure。
We worked together as much as possible； division of labor came only from natural limits。 I can't bear a baby or suckle it； but' I can do anything else for a child。 Dora could not do some th~ga that I did because they were too heavy for her； especially …when she was far gone in pregnancy。 She had more talent fos~ooking than I （I had centuries more experience but not her louch）； and she cpuld cook while she took care of a baby and tended the smallest children； ones too small to join me in the fields。 But I did cook； especially breakfast while she
got the kids …organized； …and she did help work the farm ard especially。the truck garden。 She knew nothing of farming； she learned。 …
Nor did she know construction…she learned。 While I did most of the high work； she made most of the adobe bricks； always with the right amount of straw。 Adobe was not well suited to the climate…too much rain and it can be discouraging to see a wall start to melt because an unexpected rain has caught you before you've topped it。
But… you build from what you have； and it helped that I had the tqps from the wagons to peg against the most exposed walls； until …I worked out a way to waterproof an adobe wall。 I did not consider a log cabin； good timber was too far away。 It took the mules and me a full day to bring in two logs； whi~。h made them too expensive for most construction。 Instead； I made do with smaller stuff that grew along the banks of Buck's River and dragged in logs only for beams。
Nor did I want to build a house that was not as near firep？oof as I could make it。 Baby Dora had once almost been burned to death； I would not risk it again for Dora； or for her children。
But how to make a roof both watertight and fireproof nearly stumped me。 …
I walked past the answer hundreds of times before I recognized it。 When wind and weather and rot and lopers and insects have done their worst on a dead dragon； what is left is almost indestructible。 I discovered this when I tried to bum what was left of a big brute that was unpleasantly close to our pound。 I never did find out why this was so。 Perhaps the biochemistry of those dragons has been investigated since then； but I had neither equipment nor time nor interest； I was too busy scratching a living for my family and was simply delighted to learn that it was true。 Belly hide I cut into fireproof； waterproof tarpaulins； back and sides made excellent roofing。 Later I found many uses for the bones。
We both taught school； indoors and out。 Perhaps our kids had a weird education … … but a girl who can shape a fortable and handsome saddle starting with a dead；… mule and not much else； solve quadratics in her head； shoot straight with gun or arrow； cook an omelet that is light and tastye spout
第44节
… page after page of Shakespeare； butcher a hog and cure it can't be called ignorant by New Beginnings standards。 All our
girls and boys could do all of that and more。 I must admit… that they spoke a rather lorid brand of English； espe ~ialiy。 … after th鐈 set up the New Globe Theater and worked straight through every one of old Bill's plays。 No doubt this gave them odd notions of Old E。irth's culture and history； but I could not see that it hurt them。 We had only a few bound books。 mostly reference； the dozen…odd 〃fun〃 books were worked to death。
Our kids saw nothing strange in learning to read from As You Like It。 No one told them that it was too hard for them； and they ate it up； finding 〃tongues in trees； books in the running…brooks； sermons in stones； and good in every thing。〃
Although it did sound odd to hear a five…year…old girl speak in scansion and rolling periods； polysyllables falling gracefully from her baby lips。 Still； I preferred it to 〃Run； Spot； run。 See Spot run〃 from a later era than Bill's。
Second only to Shakespeare in popularity； and first whenever Dora was swelling up again； were my medical books； especially those on anatomy； obstetrics； and gynecology。 Any birth was an event…kittens； piglets； foals； puppies；