time enough for love-时间足够你爱(英文版)-第163章

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　　…I　want　them　to　look　like　marble？…I　don't！
　　
　　She　studied　him　just　as　closely；　her　face　solemn；　h　nipples　crinkled　tightly。　Theodore…Lazarus　my　strange　by　will　you　guess　that　I　suggested　candlelight　so　that　I　cou　see　you？　A　woman　is　not　supposed　to　get　hungry　for　su　things…but　I　miss　the　sight；　the　naked　sight；　of　my　hu　band　。。　and　how　in　the　Name　of　Satan　and　all　His　Fall~　Thrones　I　can　last　even　till　November　without　even　seeii　a　man　I　do　not　know。　Alma　Bixby　told　me　that　she　ha　never　seen　her　husband　without　clothes。　How　can　a　woma　live　like　that？　Five　children　by　a　man　she's　never　seen　a　over…　Shocked　her　when　I　said　that　of　course　I　had　seen　ir　husband　naked！
　　
　　Theodore…Lazarus；　you　don't　look　like　my　Briney　Bo：
　　
　　your　coloration　is　more　like　mine。　But；　oh；　how　you　fe　like　him；　smell　like　him；　talk　like　him；　love　like　him！　Yo~　pretty　thing　is　ing　up　high　again。　Briney　beloved；　I'i　going　to　have　him　once　more；　as　hard　as　possible！…and　I'　tell　you　about　it　tomorrow　night　if　you'll　just　ask　me　fc　a　new　bedtime　story　。　。　or　if　I　must；　I'll　save　it　for　you　ti　you　get　back。　You're　as　strange　a　man　as　h~　is　。　。　and　jw　the　wise　and　tolerant　husband　your　bawdy　wife　needs。　Thea　cross　my　heart；　dearest；　I'll　try　my　best　to　keep　from　it　unt　you　e　back　from　Over　There…but　if　I　can't；　even；　wit　Father　and　eight　children　to　guard　me；　I　promise　you　so＇　emnly　that　I　will　never　bed　with　anyone　but　a　warrior；　a　ma　to　be　proud　of　in　every　way。　Such　as　this　strange　man。
　　
　　Lazarus；　my　love；　are　you　really　my　descendant？　I　do　be　lieve　that　you　know　when　the　war　will　be　over　and　that　m：
　　
　　Briney　will　e　…　safely　back　to　me。　Why；　I　am　not　sure…　but　since　you　told　me；　I　have　been　free　from　worry　for　thi　first　time　in　many　a　lonely　moon。　I　hope　the　rest　is　true；　too　I　want　to　believe　in　Tamara；　and　that　she　is　descended　fran　me。　BuU　don't　want　you　to　go　away　in　only　eight　years！
　　
　　That　innocent　little　picture…　If　I　had　not　feared　shockinl　you；　I　would　have　given　you　some　real　〃French　postcards'　Briney　has　taken　of　me。　Will　you　be　upset　if　I　take　a　closei　look？　I'll　chance　it。
　　
　　Mrs。　Smith　suddenly　dropped　to　one　knee；　looked　closely；　then　touched　him。　She　looked　up。　〃Now？〃
　　
　　〃Yes！〃　He　picked　her　up；　placed　her　on　the　bed。　Almost　solemn1~'　she　helped　him；　then　caught　her　breath　as　they　joined。　〃Hard；　Theodore！　This　time　don't　…　be　gentle！〃
　　
　　〃Yes；　my　beautiful　one！〃　…
　　
　　When　their　happy　violence　s；　not　talking；　muning　through　touch　and　the　light　of　one　candle。
　　
　　At　last　she　said；　〃I　must　go；　Theodore。　No；　don't　get　up；　just　let　me　'slide　out。〃　She　got　up；　picked　up　her　wrap；　blew　out　the　candle；　came　back；　leaned　down　and　kissed　him。　〃Thank　you；　Theodore…for　everything。　But…e　back　to　me；　e　back　to　me！〃
　　
　　〃I　will；　I　will！〃
　　
　　Quickly　and　silently　she　was　gone。
　　
　　CODA
　　
　　I
　　
　　…Somewhere　in　France
　　
　　Dear　All　my　Family；
　　
　　I　am　writing　this　in　my　pocket　diary　where　it　will　stay　until　this　war　is　over…not　that　it　matters；　you'll　get　it　just　as　soon。　But　I　can't　send　a　sealed　letter　now；　much　less　one　sealed　into　five　envelopes。　Something　called　〃censorship〃…which　means　that　every　letter　is　opened　and　read　and　anything　that　might　interest　the　Boche　is　cut　out。　Such　as　dates　and　places　and　designations　of　military　units　and　probably　what　1　had　for　breakfast。　（Beans　and　boiled　pork　and　fried　potatoes；　with　coffee　that　would　dissolve　a　spoon。）
　　
　　You　see；　I　had　this　lovely　ocean　voyage　as　a　guest　of　Uncle　Sam　and　am　now　in　the　land　of　fine　wines　and　beautiful　women。　（The　wine　has　been　yin　extremely　ordinaire；　and　they　seem　to　be　hiding　the　beautiful　women。　The　best…looking　one　Fve　seen　had　a　slight　mustache　and　very　hairy　legs；　which　I　could　have　ignored　had　I　not　made　the　mistake　of　standing　downwind。　Darlings；　I　am　not　sure　the　French　take　baths；　at　least　in　wartime。　But　I'm　in　no　position　to　criticize；　a　bath　is　a　luxury。　Today；　given　a　choice　between　a　beautiful
　　
　　…　woman　and　a　hot　bath；　I'd　pick　the　bath…otherwise　she　wouldn't　touch　me。）
　　
　　Don't　worry　that　I　am　now　in　a　〃war　zone。〃　That　you've　received　this　is　proof　that　the　war　is　over　and　I　am　okay。　But　it's　easier　to　write　a　letter　than　it　is　to　put　trivia　into　a　diary　every　day。　〃War　zone〃　is　an　exaggeration；　this　is　〃fixed　warfare〃…meaning　both　sides　are　in　the　same　fix：　pinned　down…and　I　am　too　far　behind　the　lines　to　get　hurt。　…
　　
　　I　am　in　charge　of　a　unit　called　a　〃squad〃…eight　men
　　
　　…me　and　five　other　riflemen；　plus　an　automatic　rifleman
　　
　　（the　rifle；　not　the　than；　this　war　has　no　robot　fighters）　and　an　eighth　man　who　carries　ammunition　for　the　automatic　rifleman。　It's　a　corporal's　job；　and　that's　what　I　am；　the　promotion　to　sergeant　I　was　expecting　（in　my　last　letter　as　dated　from　the　United　States）　got　lost　in　the　shuffle　when。　I　was　transferred　to　another　outfit。
　　
　　Being　a　corporal　suits　me。　it　is　the　first　time　I've　had　men　permanently　assigned　to　me；　time　enough　to　get　acquainted　with　each　one；　learn　his　strong　points　and　weak　ones；　and　how　to　handle　him。　They　are　a　fine　bunch　of　men。　Only　one　is　a　problem；　and　it's　not　his　fault；　it　results　from　the　prejudices　of　the　time。　His　name　is
　　
　　F。X。　Dinkowski；　and　he　is　simultaneously　the　only　Catholic　and　the　only　Jew　in　my　squad…and；　twins；　if　you've　never　heard　of　either　one；　ask　Athene。　By　ancestry　he　es　from　one　religion；　then　he　was　brought　up　in　another…and　he　has　had　the　tough　luck　to　be　placed　with　country　boys　who　have　still　a　third　religion　and　are　not　very　tolerant。　…
　　
　　Plus　the　additional　misfortunes　of　being　a　city　boy　and　having　a　voice　that　grates　（even　on　me）　and　is　clumsy；　and　when　they　pick　on　him　（they　do　if　I'm　not　right　there）；　it　makes　him　more　clumsy。　Truthfully　he's　not　soldier　material…but　I　wasn't　asked。　So　he's　the　ammunition　carrier；　the　best　I　can　do　to　balance　my　squad。　…
　　
　　They　call　him　〃Dinky；〃　which　is　only　mildly　dispara…　ging；　but　he　hates　it。　（I　use…　his　full　last　name…I　do　with
　　
　　all　of　them。　…For　ritualistic　reasons　having　to　do　ilitary　organizations　at　this　bere…&…now　it　is　best　to　call　a　man　by　his　family　name。）　…
　　
　　…But　let's　leave　the　finest　squad　in　the　AEF　and　bring　you　up　to　date　on　my　first　family　and　your　ancestors。　Just　before　Uncle　Sam　sent　me　on　that　pleasure　cruise；　I　was　given　a　vacation。　I　spent　it　with　the　Brian　Smith　family　and　lived　in　their　house；　as　they　have　〃adopted〃　me　for　the　rest　of　this　war；　me　being　an　〃orphan。〃
　　
　　That　leave　was　the　happiest　time　I've　had　since　I　was　dropped　from　the　Dora。　I　took　Woodie　to　an　amusement　park；　primitive　but　more　fun　than　some　sophisticated　pleasures　of　Secundus。　I　took　him　on　rides　and　treated　him　to　games　and　？hings　that　were　fun　for　him；　and　fun　for　me　because　he　enjoyed　them　so…wore　him　out　and　he　slept　all　the　…way　home；　lie　behaved　himself；
　　
　　…　and　now　we　are　chums。　I've　decided　to　let　him　grow　up；　there　may　be　…hope　for　him　yet。
　　
　　I　had　long　talks　with　Gramp；　got　better　acquainted　with　all　the　others…especially　Mama　and　Pop。　The　latter　was　unexpected。　I　had　met　Pop　for　a　few　minutes　at　Camp　Funston；　then　he　was　to　e　home　on　leave　the　day　I　had　to　go　back；　and　I　didn't　expect　to　see　him。　But　he　got　away　a　few　hours　early；　a　bonus　an　officer　can　sometimes　manage；　and　we　overlapped…and　he　telephoned　to　the　camp　and　got　me　a　two…day　extension。　Why？　Tamara　and　Ira~　listen　carefully…　To　attend　the　wedding　of…　Miss　Nancy　Irene　Smith　&
　　
　　Mr。　Jonathan　Sperling　Weatheral
　　
　　Athene；　explain　to　the　twins　the　historic　significance　of　this　union。　List　the　famous　and　important　people　in　that　line；　dear；　not　the　total　genealogies。　And　Ira　and　Tamara　in　our　own　little　family；　of　course；　and　Ishtar；　and　at　least　five　of　our　children…and　I　may　have　missed　someone；　not　having　all　the　genealogical　lines　in　my　head。
　　
　　I　was　〃best　man〃　…to　Jonathan；　and　Pop　〃gave　the　bride　away；〃　and　Brian　was　an　〃usher〃　and　Marie　was　〃ringbearer〃　and　Carol　was　〃maid　of　honor；〃　and　George　was　charged　with　keeping　Woodie　from　setting　fire　to　the　church　while　Mama　took　care