time enough for love-时间足够你爱(英文版)- 第60部分

　　
　　I　finally　let　it　go　by　asserting　ex　cathedra　that　some　stories　were　just　for　fun　and　not　necessarily　true…Gulliver's　Travels　were　not　the　same　sort　of　thing　as　The　Adventures　of　Marco　Polo；　while　Robinson　Crusoe　lay　somewhere　in　between…and　they　should　ask　me；　if　in　doubt。
　　
　　They　did　ask；　sometimes；　and　accepted　my　decision　without　argument。　But　I　could　see　that　they　did　not　always　believe　me。　That　pleased　me；　they　were　starting　to　think　for　themselves…didn't　matter　if　they　were　wrong。　Llita　was　simply　politely　respectful　to　me　about　Oz。　She　believed　in　the　Emerald　City　with　all　her　heart　and；　if　she　had　had　her　druthers；　she　would　have　been　going　there　rather　than　to　Valhalla。　Well；　so　would　I。
　　
　　The　important　thing　was　that　they　were　cutting　the　cord。
　　
　　I　did　not；　hesitate　to　use　fiction　in　teaching　them。　Fiction　is　a　faster　way　to　get　a　feeling　for　alien　patterns　of　human　behavior　than　is　nonfiction；　it　is　one　stage　short　of　actual　experience…and　I　had　only　months　in　which　to　turn　cowed　and　ignorant　animals　into　people。　I　could　have　offer　them　psychology　and　sociology　and　parative　anthropology…I　had　such　books　on　hand。　But　Joe　and　Llita　could　not　I　put　them　together　into　a　gestalt…and　I　recall　another　tea　who　used　parables　in　putting　over　ideas。
　　
　　They　read　every　hour　I　would　let　them；　huddled　toge　like　puppies　and　staring　at　the　reading　machine　and　nag　each　other　about　how　fast　to　raise　the　pages。　Usually　I　nagged　Joe；　she　was　quicker　than　he…but　as　may　be；　1　spurred　each　other　from　illiterate　to　speedreaders　in　zip　time；　didn't　let　them　have　sound…and…picture　tapes…I　wanted　them　to　read。
　　
　　Couldn't　let　'em　spend　all　their　time　reading；　they　had　to　learn　other　things…not　just　salable　skills　but；　much　more　important；　that　aggressive　self…reliance　necessary　to　a　free　man…which　they　totally　lacked　when　I　saddled　myself　with　them。　Shucks；　I　wasn't　certain　they　bad　the　potential；　that　may　have　been　bred　out　of　their　line。　But　if　the　spark　was　in　them　I　had　to　find　it　and　fan　it　into　flame…or　I　would　never　able　to　make　them　run　free。
　　
　　So　I　forced　them　to　make　up　their　own　minds　as　mud　possible；　while　being　cautiously　rough　on　them　in　other；　and　greeted　every　sign　of　rebellion　silently　in　my　mind　as　a　triumphant　proof　of　progress。
　　
　　I　started　by　teaching　Joe　to　fight…just　hand　to　hand；　didn't　want　either　of　us　killed。　One　partment　was　fitted　a　gymnasium；　ent　that　could　be　adapted　for　free…fall；　I　used　it　that　hour　a　day　of　lowered　temperature。　Here　1　worked　Joe　out。　Lilta　was　required　to　attend　just　to　exercise…although　I　had　in　mind　that　it　might　***S＇***　Joe　along　if　his　sister　saw　him　getting　the　***whey***　knocked　of　him。
　　
　　Joe　needed　that　spur；　he　had　a　terrible　time　getting　through　his　head　that　it　was　okay　to　hit　or　kick　me；　that　I　wanted　him　to　try；　that　I　would　not　be　angry　if　he　succeed…but　that　I　would　be　angry　if　he　didn't　try　his　darnedest。
　　
　　Took　a　while。　At　first　he　wouldn't　chop　at　me　no　matter　how　wide　open　I　left　myself　。　。　and　when　I　got　him　past；　calling　him　names　and　taunting　him；　he　still　hesitated　in　that　split　second　that　let　me　close　and　chop　him　instead。
　　
　　But　one　afternoon　he　got　the　idea　so'　well　that　he　landed　good　one　on　me　and　I　hardly　had　to　hold　back　to　let　him　land　it。　After　supper　he　got　his　reward：　permission　to　read　a　bound　book；　one　with　pages；　him　dressed　in　a　pair　of　my　surgical　gloves　and　warned　that　I　would　clobber　him　if　he　got　it　dirty　or　tore　a　page。　Llita　wasn't　permitted　to　touch　it；　this　was　his　prize。　She　sulked　and　didn't　even　want　to　use　the　reading　machine…until　he　asked　if　it　was　all　right　for　him　to　read　aloud　to　her。
　　
　　I　ruled　that　she　could　even　read　it　with　him…as　long　as　she　didn't　touch　it。　So　she　snuggled　up　close；　head　by　his；　happy　again；　and　started　bossing　him　about　turning　the　pages。
　　
　　The　next　day　she　asked　me　why　she　could　not　learn　to　fight；　too？
　　
　　No　doubt　she　was　fin？ing　solo　exercise　a　bore…I　always　found　it　so　and　did　it　only　because　it　was　needful　to　stay　in　shape…no　telling　what　hazards　next　groundfall　might　bring。　Minerva；　I've　never　felt　that　women　should　have　to　fight；　it　is　a　male's　business　to　protect　females　and　children。　But　a　female　should　be　able　to　fight　because　she　may　have　to。
　　
　　So　I　agreed；　but　we　had　to　change　the　rules。　Joe　and　I　had　been　working　out　by　dockside　rules…no　rules；　that　is；　save　that　I　didn't　tell　him　that　I　planned　not　to　do　him　any　permanent　damage　and　did　not　intend　to　let　him　give　me　anything　worse　than　bruises。　But　I　never　said　this…if　he　could　manage　it；　he　was　free　to　gouge　out　one　of　my　eyes　and　eat　it。　I　just　made　damn　sure　that　he　didn't。
　　
　　But　females　are　built　differently　from　males。　I　could　not　let　Llita　work　out　with　us　until　I　devised　a　plastron　to　protect　her　tits…necessary；　she　was　a　bit　oversized　in　that　department；　and　we　could　have　hurt　her　without　intending　to。　Then　I　told　Joe　privately　that　bruises　were　okay；　but　that　if　he　broke　one　of　her　bones；　I　would　break　one　of　his；　just　for　drill。
　　
　　But　I　put　no　restrictions　on　his　sister…and　I　underestimated　her；　she　was　twice　as　aggressive　as　he　was。　Untrained　but　fast…and　she　meant　business。
　　
　　The　second　day　we　worked　out　with　her；　not　only　was　she　wearing　that　plastron；　her　brother　and　I　were　wearing　jockstraps。　And　Llita　had　been　allowed　to　read　a　real　book　the　night　before。
　　
　　Joe　turned　out　to　have　talent　for　cooking；　so　I　encouraged　him　to　be　as　fancy　as　ship's　stores　permitted　while　crowding　her　to　bee　an　adequate　cook。　A　man　who　can　cook　can　support　himself　anywhere。　But　anyone；　male　or　female；　should　be　able　to　cook；　keep　house；　and　care　for　children。　I　hadn't　located　a　trade　for　Llita；　although　she　displayed　a　talent　for　mathematics　once　I　set　up　inducements　for　that；　too。　That　was　encouraging；　a　person　who　can　read　and　write　and　has　a　head　for　math　can　learn　anything　she　needs　to　know。　So　I　started　her　on　bookkeeping　and　accounting；　from　books；　not　helping　her；　and　required　Joe　to　learn　to　use　all　the　tools　the　ship　boasted…not　many；　mainly　maintenance　gear…and　supervised　him　closely；　I　didn't　want　him　losing　fingers　or　mining　tools。
　　
　　I　was　hopefuL　Then　the　situation　changed　（Circa　3；100　words　omitted）
　　
　　…easy　to　say　that　I　was　stupid。　I　had　raised　stock　and　a　good　many　children。　Being　ship's　surgeon　as　well　as　everything　else；　I　had　given　them　the　most　thorough　examinations　my　equipment　permitted　when　we　were　a　couple　of　days　out…quite　thorough　for　those　days；　I　had　not　practiced　medicine　after　leaving　Ormuzd　but　did　keep　my　sick　bay　stocked　and　equipped；　and　picked　up　the　latest　tapes　whenever　I　was　on　a　civilized　pla　and　studied　them　during　long　jumps。　I　was　a　good　jackleg　doctor；　Minerva。
　　
　　The　kids　were　as　healthy　as　they　looked；　aside　from　slight　dental　caries　in　him；　two　small　cavities。　I　noticed　that　the　factor's　allegation　about　her　was　correct…virgo　intacta；　semilunar　hymen；infrayed；　so　I　used　my　smallest　speculum。　She　neither　plained　nor　tensed　up　nor　asked　what　I　was　looking　for。　I　concluded　that　they　had　had　regular　checkups　and　other　medical　attent