〃Uh…〃 she said breathlessly。 〃I…I'm starting another one！〃
〃Bear down； dear！〃 I made sure my left foot was positioned for the gravistat control and watched her belly。
Big one！ As it peaked； I switched from one…quarter gravity
up to two gravities almost in one motion…and Llita let out a yip and the baby squirted like a watermelon seed right into my hands。
I dragged my foot back to allow the gravistat to put us back on low gee even as I made a nearly instantaoeous inspection of the brat。 A normal boy； red and wrinkled and ugly…so I slapped his tochis and he bawled。
… VARIATIONS ON A THEME
…VIII
Landfall
（Omitted）
…girl I had intended to marry had married again and had another baby。 Not surprising； I had been off Landfall two standard years。 Not tragic； either； as we had been married once abouf a hundred years earlier。 Old friends。 So I talked it over with her； and her new husband； then married one of her granddaughters； one not descended from me。 Both gals Howards； of course； and Laura； the one I married that time； being of the Foote Family。*
We were a good match； Minerva； Laura was twenty； and I was freshly rejuvenated and holding my cosmetic age at the early thirties。 We had several children…nine； I think… then she got bored with me forty…odd years later； and wanted to marry my 5th/7th cousin* * Roger Sperling…which did not
* Correction： Hedrick Family。 This woman Laura （one of the ancestors of the undersigned） did carry the surname 〃Foote〃 under the archaic patrilineal tradition…a source of confusion in old records； as the more logical matrilineal system has always been used in the Families in assigning clan membership。 But the genealogies were not revised to show this until Gregorian Year 3307。 This misnomer offers a means of dating this memoir 。 。 were it not that other records show that reindeer were not introduced onto Valhalla until approximately a century and a half after the date that the Senior…beyond question…did marry Laura Foote…Hedrick。
But more interesting is the Senior's allegation that he used a pseudogravity field in that year to facilitate childbirth。 Was he the first tocologist to use this （now standard） method？ Nowhere does he assert this； and the technique is usually associated with Dr。 Virginius Briggs of Secundus Howard Clinic
and a much later date。
J。F。 45th
* *And descended from the Senior as well （through Edmund Hardy 2099…2259） although the Senior may not have been aware of it。
J。F。 45th
grieve me as I was getting restless as a country squire。 Anyhow； when a woman wants to go； let her go。 I stood up for her at their wedding。
Roger was surprised to learn that my plantation was not co？munity property。 Or possibly did not think that I would hold Laura to the marriage settlement she had signed…but that wasn't the first time I had been wealthy； I had learned。 It took a tedious suit to convince him that Laura owned her wedding dower plus appreciation； not those thousands of hectares that were mine before I married her。 In many ways it is simpler to be poor。
Then I shipped out again。
But this is about my kids who weren't really mine。 Before we reached Landfall； Joseph Aaron Long looked more like a cherub and less like a monkey but was still young enough to wet on anyone reckless enough to pick him up…which his grandpappy did； several times a day。 I was fond of him； he was not only a merry baby but was also； to me； a most satisfying triumph。
By the time we grounded； his father had shaped up into a really good cook。
Minerva； I could have set those kids up in style； that was as profitable a triangle trip as I ever made。 But you don't cause ex…slaves to stand tall and free and proud by giving them things。 What I did was to enable them to get out and scratch。 Like this：
第26节
I credited them with half…time apprentice wages； Blessed to Valhalla； on the assumption that their other half…time was taken up by studies。 This I had Llita figure in Valhalla kroner； at Valhalla wage rates。 I had her add to this Joe's wages as kitchen help on Valhalla； minus what he had spent there。 This total was credited to them as a share in cargo on the third leg； Valhalla to Landfall…which amounted to less than one…half of 1 percent of that cargo。 I made Llita work this out。
To this we added ship's…cook wages for Joe； Valhalla to Laodfall； payable in Landfall bucks at Landfall wage scales…but only as wages not as a share in cargo。 I had to explam to Llita why Joe's wages for that leg could not be invested retroactively in cargo lifted at Valhalla。 Once she understood it； she had a grasp of the notions of venture and risk and profit…but I did not pay her for this accounting； I was durned if I would pay purser's wages to figure her own
money when I was not only having to check everything she did but was giving her a lesson in economics as well。
I did not pay Llita for the leg to Landfall； she was passenger； busy having a baby and then still busier learning to care for it。 But I did not charge her for passage； she deadheaded。
You see what I was doing…rigging the accounts so tha I would owe them something once I sold my cargo； while making it appear that they had earned it。 They hadn't been worth any wages； on the contrary I had spent quite a chunk on them…aside from buying them； which I never charge against them even in my head。 On the other hand； I was paid in deep satisfaction…especially if they learned to stanc on their own feet。 But I discussed none of this； I just hac Llita figure their share…my way。
（Omitted）
…came to a couple of thousand； not enough to supper them very long。 But I took time to find a hole…in…the…wall luncheon； on which I took option through a third party； afte satisfying myself that a couple of strivers could stay afloat with it； if the price was right and they were willing to work。 Then I told them that they had better start job hunting as I was putting the Libby up for sale or bond…and…lease。 It was root hog； or die。 They were really free…free to starve。
Llita didn't pout； she just looked solemn and went or nursing little J。A。 Joe looked scared。 But later I saw then； with their heads together over a newspaper I had brought aboard； they were checking 〃help wanted〃 ads。
After much whispering Llita asked diffidently if I could baby…sit while they went job hunting？…but if I was busy； J。A。 could ride her hip。
I said I wasn't going anywhere…but had they checked 〃business opportunities〃？ Jobs for untrained people didn't lead anywhere。
She looked startled； it was a new idea。 But that hint was enough。 There was more looking and whispering； then she fetched the paper to me and pointed to an ad…my own but not so marked…and asked what 〃Fve…year amortization〃 meant？
I sniffed at it and told her it was a way to go broke slowly； especially if she spent money on clothes…and there must be something wrong or the owner wouldn't want to sell。
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