time enough for love-时间足够你爱(英文版)-第49章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　　
　　〃In　the　male　parent　the　intervention　presents　no　theoretical　problem　but　would　be　difficult　because　the　cells　are　very　small…but　I　would　not　hesitate　to　attempt　it　given　time　to　construct　the　necessary　fine　extensionals。
　　
　　〃The　logical　place　to　start；　both　parents；　would　be　with　gonia　placed　in　vitro；　and　cherished。　When　a　spermatogonium　was　observed　to　change　to　a　primary　spermatocyte…still　diploid…it　would　be　segregated　and　at　the　instant　it　divided　into　two　secondary　spermatocytes…haploids；　one　with　an　X　chromosome　and　one　with　a　Y　chromosome…they　would　be　again　segregated　and　each　would　be　encouraged　to　develop　into　spermatozoa。
　　
　　〃It　would　not　be　sufficient　to　intervene　at　the　spermatozoa　stage；　confusion　of　gamete　pairs　could　not　be　avoided；　and　resulting　zygotes　could　be　plementary　only　by　wildest　chance。
　　
　　〃Intervention　with　the　female　parent　is　mechanically　simpler　because　of　larger　cells…but　involves　a　different　problem；　the　primary　oocyte　must　be　encouraged；　at　point　of　meiosis；　to　produce　two　haploid　and　plementary　secondary　oocytes；　rather　than　one　oocyte　and　one　polar　body。　Lazarus；　this　might　require　many　attempts　before　a　reliable　technique　could　be　worked　out。　It　would　be　similar　to　the　process　of　identical　twinning　but　must　take　place　two　stages　earlier　in　the　gametogeic　sequence。　However；　it　might　turn　out　to　be　no　more　difficult　than　it　is　to　produce　fatherless　female　rabbits。　I　do　not　venture　an　opinion　as　I　lack　former　art　to　draw　dn…save　that　I　feel　certain　that　it　can　be　done；　given　time　to。　develop　technique。
　　
　　〃At　this　point　we　have　plementary　groups　of　spermatozoa；　one　group　with　Y　and　one　with　X；　and　a　plementary　pair　of　ova；　each　with　an　X　chromosome。　Fertilization　would　be　in　vitro；　with　a　possibility　of　choosing　either　of　two　potential　pairs　of　female…male　plements…　but　with　no　basis　for　choice　unless　the　geic　charts　of　haploids　are　determined　precisely；　which　is　difficult　and　likely　to　cause　geic　damage；　I　do…　not　think　it　would　be　attempted。　Instead　one　sperm　would　be　inserted　into　one　ovum；　its　plement　into　the　other；　on　a　blind　basis。
　　
　　〃One　last　requirement　must　be　met　to　justify　all　of　this　slave　factor's　allegations：　The　two　fertilized　ova　must　be　removed　from　vitro　and　planted　in　the　womb　of　the　donor　of　the　oogonium；　and　there　allowed　to　develop　as　twins　through　natural　gestation　and　birth。
　　
　　〃Am　I　right；　Lazarus？〃
　　
　　〃Exactly　right！　Go　to　the　head　of　the　class；　dear；　you　get　a　gold　star　on　your　report　card。　Minerva；　I　don't　know　that　it　happened　that　way。　But　that's　what　the　factor　claimed；　and　that's　what　his　exhibits…lab　reports；　holo…movies；　and　so　forth…seemed　to　show。　But　that　thief　may　have　faked　those　〃proofs〃　and　offered　a　random　pair　not　likely　to　fetch　a　price　above　average…save　for　his　fancy　sales　talk。　The　so…called　proofs　looked　good；　and　lab　reports　and　such　carried　a　bishop's　chop　and　seal。　The　stills　and　movies　looked　good；　too…but　how　can　a　layman　judge？　Even　if　those　exhibits　weren't　phony；　all　they　could　prove　was　that　such　a　process　had　once　taken　place；　they　did　not　prove　that　these　kids　were　the　result。　Shucks；　they　might　have　been　used　to　sell　many　slave　pairs；　with　a　bishop　in　on　the　racket。
　　
　　I　looked　over　the　stuff；　including　a　scrapbook　of　the　kids　growing　up；　said；　〃Very　interesting；〃　and　started　to　leave。
　　
　　This　pimple　teleported　himself　between　me　and　the　tent　flap。　〃Master；〃　he　said　urgently。　〃Kind　and　generous　sir…　twelve　thousand？〃
　　
　　Minerva；　my　trader　instincts　took　over。　〃One　thousand！〃　I　snapped。　I　don't　know　why。　Yes；　I　do　know。　The　girl's　body　was　scarred　from　that　damned　Torquemada　girdle；　I　wanted　to　insult　this　flesh　peddler。
　　
　　He　flinched　and　looked　as　if　he　were　giving　birth　to　broken　beer　bottles。　〃You　jest　with　me。　Eleven　thousand　blessings；　and　they　are　yours…though　I　won't　make　expenses！〃
　　
　　〃Fifteen　hundred；〃　I　answered。　I　bad　money　I　couldn't　spend　elsewhere　and　told　myself　I　could　afford　to　manumit　them　rather　than　let　that　girl　be　bound　into　that　damned　atrocity　again。
　　
　　He　moaned。　〃If　they　were　mine；　I　would　give　them　to　you。　I　love　these　cute　darlings　like　my　own　children　and　could　ask　for　them　nothing　better　tha？　a　kind　and　gentle　master　learned　in　science　who　appreciates　the　wonders　that　have　gone　into
　　
　　their　making。　But　the　Bishop　would　hang　me　and　have　me　cut　down　alive　to　be　dragged　to　death　by　my　tool。　Ten　thousand　and　take　all　proofs　and　exhibits。　I'~ll　suffer　a　loss　for　their　sakes…and　because　I　admire　you　so　much。〃
　　
　　I　got　up　to　forty…five　hundred　and　he　got　down　to　seven　thousand　and　there　we　stuck；　as　I　had　to　hold　out　cash　for　last…minute　squeeze；　whereas　it　felt　to　me　that　he　was　close　to　：the　point　where　he　really　could　not　sell　without　risking　the　Bishop's　wrath。　If　there　was　a　bishop。　。　。
　　
　　He　turned　away　in　a　fashion　that　says　that　a　dicker　is　over　and　he　is　through　flattering　you；　and　told　the　girl　sharply　to　step　back　inth　her　steel　harness。
　　
　　I　got　out　my　purse。　Minerva；　you　understand　money；　you　handle　the　government's　finances。　But　possibly　you　don't　know　that　cash　money　affects　some　people　the　way　catnip　does　Diablo~　I　counted　out　forty…five　hundred　blessings　in　big　red…and…gold　bills　under　that　scoundrel's　nose…and　stopped。　He　was　sweating　and　swallowing　his　Adam's　apple　but　managed　to　shake　his　head　a　tenth　of　an　inch。
　　
　　So　I　counted　more　bills；　very　slowly；　and　reached　five　thousand…then　started　briskly　to　pick　them　up。
　　
　　He　stopped　…　me…and　I　found　that　I　had　bought　the　only　slaves　I　have　ever　owned。
　　
　　He　relaxed　then；　in　a　resigned　way；　but　wanted　***lagniappe***　for　the　exhibits。　I　didn't　care　one　way　or　another　but　offered　two　hundred　and　fifty　for　the　pix　and　tapes；　take　it　or　leave　it。　He　took　it　and　again　started　to　put　the　girl　back　into　her　harness。
　　
　　I　stopped　him　and　said；　〃Show　me　how　that　works。〃
　　
　　I　knew　how　a　cylinder…type　ten…letter　bination　lock　you　could　set　to　a　new　bination　each　time　you　used　it。　Set　the　bination；　slide　the　ends　of　the　steel　strap　that　went　around　her　waist　through　the　ends　of　the　barrel；　spin　the　alphabet　disks　of　the　cylinder；　then　it　stays　locked　until　you　reset　whatever　ten…letter　bo　you　picked。　An　expensive　lock…　and　good　steel　in　the　girdle…alloy　a　hacksaw　couldn't　touch。　This　was　another　thing　that　made　his　story　convincing；　as；　while　there　was　a　market　for　virgins　on　that　weird　globe；　a　trained　odalisque　fetched　about　the　same；　and　this　girl　wasn't　being　reserved　for　harem　stock　either　way。　So　an　expensive　custom…made　chastity　belt　had　to　have　some　other　reason。
　　
　　With　our　backs　to　the　slaves　he　showed　me　the　bination：　E；S；T；R；E；L；L；I；T；A…and　was　smug　about　how　clever　he　was　to　pick　a　bination　he　couldn't　forget。
　　
　　So　I　fumbled　on　purpose；　then　pretended　to　catch　on；　and　opened　it。　He　was　about　to　put　it　on　the　kid　again　and　send　us　on　our　way。　I　said；　〃Wait　a　moment。　I　want　to　be　sure　I　can　work　it　in　place。　You　step　into　it　and　let　me　get　you　out　of　it。〃
　　
　　He　didn't　want　to。　So　I　got　snotty　and　said　he　was　trying　to　cheat　me…put　me　in　a　position　where　I　would　have　to　send　for　him　and　pay　through　the　nose　to　get　my　property　unlocked。　I　demanded　my　money　back　and　started　to　tear　up　the　bill　of　sale。　He　gave　in　and　stepped　into　the　contrivance。
　　
　　He　could　squeeze　into　it　although　the　ends　of　the　steel　belt　barely　met；　he　was　bigger　around　the　waist　than　the　girl　was。　I　said；　〃Now　spell　that　bination　for　me〃…and　leaned　over　the　lock。　As　he　spelled　〃ESTRELLITA；〃　what　I　set　was　〃HORSETHIEF'；〃　then　iammed　the　ends　together　as　hard　as　possible　and　spun　the　disks。
　　
　　〃Good；〃　I　said。　〃It　works。　Now　spell　it　again。〃
　　
　　He　did　so　and　I　carefully　spelled　〃ESTRELLITA。〃　It　stayed　locked。　I　suggested　that　he　bad　had　me　spell　it　with　one　1　and　two　t's　the　first　time。　That　didn't　work　either。
　　
　　He　dug　up　a　mirror　and　tried　it　himself。　No　go。　I　said　it　might　be　jammed；　so　suck　up　your　gut　and　we'll　shake　it。　By　now　he　was　sweating。
　　
　　Finally　I　said；　〃Tell　you　what；　goodman…I'll　give　you　this　belt。　I'd　rather　trust　a　p