time enough for love-时间足够你爱(英文版)- 第5部分

　　
　　jumpy。〃…
　　
　　〃So　I　figured　out。　'Jail。'　If　this　is　a　rejuvenation　suite
　　
　　WHERE'S　MY　SUICIDE　SWITCH？〃
　　
　　〃Lazarus…'Death　is　every　man's　privilege。'〃
　　
　　〃That's　what　I　said！　That　switch　belongs　right　there；　you　can　see　where　it　has　been　dismounted。　So　I'm　in　jail　without　trial；　with　my　most　basic　right　taken　from　me。　Why？　I'm　furious；　man。　Do　you　realize　what　danger　you　are　in？　Never　tease　an　old　dog；　he　might　have　one　bite　left。　Old　as　I　am；　I　could　break　your　arms　before　those　dummies　could　reach　us。〃
　　
　　〃You　are　wele　to　break　my　arms　if　it　pleases　you。〃
　　
　　〃Huh？〃　Lazarus　Long　looked　baffled。　〃No；　it's　not　worth　the　sweat。　They　would　have　you　patched　up　good　as　new　in
　　
　　thirty　minutes。〃　He　suddenly　grinned。　〃But　I　could　snap　your　neck；　then　crush　your　skull；　abOut　as　fast。　That's　one　injury　beyond　the　power　of　rejuvenators。〃
　　
　　Weatheral　did　not　stir；　did　not　tense。　〃I…　feel　sure　you
　　
　　could；〃　he　said　quietly。　〃But　I　do　not　think　that　you　would　kill　on~　of　your　descendants　without　giving　him　a　chance　to　parley　for　his　life。　You　are　my　remote　grandfather；　sir；　by　seven　different　tracks。〃
　　
　　Lazarus　chewed　his　lip　and　looked　unhappy。　〃Son；　I　have　so　many　descendants　that　consanguinity　doesn't　matter。　But　you're　essentially　right　In　all　my　life　I　have　never　killed　a　man　unneceskarily。　I　think。〃　Then　he　grinned。　〃But　if　I　don't　get　my　suicide　switch　back；　I　could　make　an　exception　1n　your　case。〃
　　
　　〃Lazarus；　if　you　wish；　I　will　have　that　switch　remounted　at　once。　But…　'Ten　Words'？〃
　　
　　〃Uh…〃　Lazarus　looked　ungracious。　〃Okay。　'Ten　Words。'　Not　eleven。〃
　　
　　Weatheral　hesitated　a　split　second；　then　counted　on　his　fingers：　〃I　learned　…。　your。　language　…　to　…　explain　。　why　we　。　need　。　you。〃　…
　　
　　〃Ten　by　the　Rule；〃　Lazarus　admitted。　〃But　meaning　that　you　need　fifty。　Or　five　hundred。　Or　five　thousand。〃
　　
　　〃Or　none；〃　Weatheral　amended。　〃You　can　have　your　switch　without　giving　me　any　chance　to　explain。　I　promised。〃
　　
　　〃Humph！〃　said　Lazarus。　〃Ira；　you　old　scoundrel；　you　have　me　convinced　that　you　reIlly　are　my　kin。　You　figured　that　I　would　not　suicide　without　hearing　…what　you　have　on　your　mind…once　I　knew　you　had　bothered　to　learn　a　dead　language　just　to　make　palaver。　All　right；　talk。　You　can　start　by　telling　me　what　I'm　doing　here。　I　know…I　know…that　I　didn't　apply　for　rejuvenation。　But　I　woke　up　here　with　the　job　already　half　over。　So　I　screamed　for　the　Chairman。　Okay；　why　am　I　here？〃
　　
　　〃May　we　start　further　back？　~ou　tell　me　what　you　were　doing　in　a　flophouse　in　the　worst　part　of　Old　Town。〃
　　
　　〃What　was　I　doing？　I　was　dying。　Quietly　and　decently；　like　a　worn…out　horse。　That　is；　I　was；　until　your　busybodies　grabbed　me。　Can　you　think　of　a　better　place　than　a　fiophouse　for　a　man　who　doesn't　want　to　be　disturbed　while　he's　busy　with　it？　If　his　cot　is　paid　for　in　advance；　they　leave　a　man　be。　Oh；　they　stole　what　little　I　had；　even　my　shoes。　But　I　expected　that…would　have　done　the　same　myself　under　the　same　circumstances。　And　the　sort　of　people　who　live　in　flophouses
　　
　　are　almost　always　kind　to　…those　……worse　。off　than　they　are…　any　of　'em…　will　fetch　a　drink　of　water　to　a　sick　man。　That　was　the　most　I　wanted…that　and　to　be　left　alone　to　close　out　my　account　in　my　own　way。　Until　your　busies　showed　up。　Tell　me；　bow　did　they　find　me…？'　…
　　
　　〃How…　we　found　you　is　not　the　surprising　part；　Lazarus；　but　the　fact　that　SecFor…the…　cops？…Yes；　'cops'…that　my　cops　took　so　long　to　identify　you；　then　find　you；　and　pick　you　up。　A　section　chief　lost　his　job　over　that。　I　don't　tolerate　inef
　　
　　ficiency。〃…
　　
　　〃So　you　busted　him。　Your　business。　But　why？　I　reached　Secundus　from　Out…Far；　and　I　didn't　think　I　had　left　any　back　trail。　Different　everything　since　the　last　time　I　was　in　touch　with　the　Families　。　。　as　I　bought　my　last　rejuvenation　on　Supreme。　Are　the　Families　swapping　data　with　Supreme　these　days？〃
　　
　　〃Heavens；　no；　Lazarus；　we　won't　even　give　them　a　polite　word。　There　is　a　strong　minority　among　the　Trustees　who　favor　rubbing　out　Supreme；　instead　of　simply　maintaining　embargo。〃
　　
　　〃Well　。　。　if　a　nova　bomb　hit　Supreme；　I　wouldn't　mourn　more　than　thirty　seconds。　But　I　did　have　a　reason　for　having　the　job　done　there；　even　though　I　had　to　pay　high　for　forced　cloning。　But　that's　another　story。　Son；　how　did　you　pick　me　up？〃
　　
　　〃Sir；　for　the　past　seventy　years　there　has　been　a　general　order　out　to　try　to　find　you；　not　just　here　but　on　every　pla　where　the　Families　maintain　offices。　As　to　how…do　you　recall　a　forced　inoculation　for　Reiber's　fever　at　Immigration？〃
　　
　　〃Yes。　I　was　annoyed；　but　it　didn't　seem　worthwhile　to　make　a　fuss；　I　knew　I　was　headed　for　that　fiophouse~　Ira；　I've　known　that　Ie。　That　was　okay；　I　was　ready　for　it。　But　I　didn't　want　to　do　it　alone；　out　in　space。　Wanted　human　voices　around　me；　and　body　odors。　Childish　of　me。　But　I　was　pretty　far　gone　by　the　time　I　grounded。〃
　　
　　〃Lazarus；　there　is　no　such　thing　as　Reiber's　fever。　When　a　man　grounds　on　Secundus　and　all　？outine　identifications　show　null；　'Reiber's　fever'　or　some　other　nonexistent　plague　is　used　as　an　excuse　to　get　a　little　tissue　from　him　while　injecting　him　with　sterile　neutral　saline。　You　should　never　have　been　allowed　to　leave　the　skyport　until　your　geic　pattern　was　identified。〃
　　
　　〃So？　What　do…you　do　when　ten　thousand　immigrants　arrive　in　one　ship？〃
　　
　　〃Herd　them　into　detention　barracks　until　we've　checked　them　out。　But　that　doesn't　happen　often　today　with　Old　Home　Terra　in　the　sorry　state　it's　in。　But　you；　Lazarus；　arriving　alone　in　a　private　yacht　worth　fifteen　to…　twenty　；million
　　
　　crowns…〃　…　…　……　…。~　…
　　
　　…　〃Make　that　'thirty。'〃…
　　
　　〃…worth　thirty　million　crowns。　How　many　men　in　the　Galaxy　can　do　that？　Of　those　who　can　afford　i~；　how　many　would　choose　to　travel　alone？　The　pattern　should　have　set　alarm　bells'ringing　in　the　…　minds　of　all　of　them。　Instead　they　took　your　tissue　and　accepted　your　statement　that　you　would　be　staying　at　the　Romulus　hilton　and　let　you　go~…~……and　no
　　
　　doubt　you　had　another　identity　before　dark。〃……
　　
　　〃Na　doubt　at　all；〃　…　Lazarus　agreed。　〃But　your　cops　b~ye　run　up　the　price　on　a　good　phony　set　of　ID's。　If　I　hadnt　beett　too　tired　to　bother；　I　would　have　forged　my　owl。　Safer。　Was　that　how　I　was　caught？　Did　you　squeeze　it　out　of　the
　　
　　paper　merchant？〃　…　…　…
　　
　　…　…　〃No；　we　never　found　him。　By　the　way；　…　you　might　let　me
　　
　　…　know　who　he　is；　SQ　that…〃…　…
　　
　　〃And　I　might　not；〃　Lazarus　said　sharply。　〃Not　ratting　on　him　…was　implicit　in　the　bargain。　It's　nothing　to　me　how　many　of　your　rul~s　he　breaks。　And…who　knows？…l　might　need　him　again。'　Certainly　someone　will　need　his　services；　some…　body　just　as　anxious　to　avoid　your　busies　as　I　was。　Ira；　no　doubt　you　mean　well　but　I　don't　like　setups　where　ID~s　are　necessary。　I　told　myself　centuries　back　to　stay　away　from。　places　croostly　I've　followed　that　rule。　Should　have　followed　it　this　time。　But　I　didn't　expect　to　need　any　identification　very　long。　Confoundit；　two　more　days　and　I　would　have　been　dead。　I　th