time enough for love-时间足够你爱(英文版)-第7章

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　　〃Well　。　…　you　might　get　it。　But　not　now。　What　was　this　aching　reason　you　needed　me？　You　mentioned　some　problem　other　than　the　troublemakers　you　transport。〃
　　
　　〃Yes；　although　it　is　not　one　that　would　have　caused　me　to　interfere　with　your　right　to　die　your　own　way；　I　can　handle　it；　one　way　or　another。　I　think　Secundus　is　being　both　too　crowded　and　too　civilized…〃　…
　　
　　〃I'm　sure　of　it；　Ira。〃
　　
　　〃Therefor~　I　think　the　Families　should　move　again。〃
　　
　　〃I　agree　even　though　I　am　not　interested。　As　a　thumb　rule；　one　can　say　that　any　time　a　pla　starts　developing　cities　of　more　than　one　million　people；　it　is　approaching　critical　mass。　In　a　century　or　two　it　won't　be　fit　to　live　on。　Do　you　have　a　pla　in　mind？　Do　you　think　you　can　get　the　Trustees　to　go　along？　And　will　the　Families　follow　the　Trustees？〃
　　
　　〃Yes　to　the　first；　maybe　to　the　second；　probably　No　to　the　third。　I　have　a　pla　in　mind　as　'Tertius；'　one　as　good　or　better　than　Secundus。　I　think　many。　of　the　Trustees　would　agree　with　my　reasoning　but　I'm　not　sure　of　the　overwhelming　support　such　a　move　would　need…Secundus　is　too　fortable　for4he　danger　to　seem　imminent　to　most　people。　As　for　the　Families　themselves…no；　I　don't　think　we　could　persuade　most　of　them　to　uproot　and　move　…　…　but　even　a　few　hundred　thousand　would　suffice。　Gideon's　Band…you　follow　me？〃
　　
　　〃I'm　way　ahead　of　you。　Migration　always　involves　selection　and　improvement。　Elementary。　If　they'll　do　it。　If。　Ira；　I　had　a　hell　of　a　time　selling　the　idea　to　the　Families　when　we　moved　here　back　in　the　twenty…third　centwy。　Could　not　have　sold　it　at　all　if　Earth　had　not　bee　a　dreary　p~ace。　Good　luck…　you'll　need　it。〃
　　
　　〃Lazarus；　I　don't　expect　to　succeed。　I　will　try。　But　if　I　fail；　I'll　resign　and　migrate　anyhow。　To　Tertius　if　I　can　organize　a　party　large　…　enough　for　a　viable　colony。　To　some　pla　colonized　but　very　thinly　settled　if　not。〃
　　
　　〃Do　you　mean　that；　Ira？　Or；　when　the　time　es；　will　you　kid　…yourself　that　it　is　really　your　duty　to　hang　on？　If　a　man　has　the　temperament　for　power…and　you　have　or　you　wouldn't　be　where　you　are…he　finds　it　hard　to　abdicate。〃
　　
　　〃I　mean　it；　Lazarus。　Oh；　I　like　to　run　things；　I　know　it。　I　hope　to　lead　the　Families　on　their　third　Exodus。　But　I　don't　expect　to。　However；　I　think　my　chances　of　putting　together
　　
　　a　viable　colony…of　young　people；　not　over　a　hundred。　years　old；　two　hundred　at　most…without　the　aid　of　the　Foundation；　are　fairly　good。　But　if　I　fail　in　that；　too〃…he　shrugged…　〃migration　will　be　the　only　worthwhile　course　open　to　me；　Secundus　will　have　nothing　more　to　offer。〃　Weatheral　added；　〃Perhaps　I　feel　as　you　do；　sir；　in　a　minor　way。　I　have　no　wish　to　be　Chairman　Pro　Tern　all　my　days。　I've　had　almost　a　century　of　it；　that's　enough。　If　I　can't　put　this　over。〃　…
　　
　　Lazarus　was　thoughtfully　silent；　Weatheral　waited。
　　
　　〃Ira；　install　that　suicide　switch　for　me。　But　tomorrow。　Not　today。〃
　　
　　〃Yes；　sir。〃
　　
　　〃Don't　you　Want　to　know　why？〃　Lazarus　picked　up　the　large　envelope；　his　will。　〃If　you　convince　me　that　you　are　going　to　migrate；　e　hell　or　high　water　and　no　matter　what　the　Trustees　do；　I　want　to　rewrite　this。　My　investments　and　cash　accounts　here　and　there…if　somebody　hasn't　stolen　them　while　my　back　was　turned…add　up　to　a　nice　piece　of　change。　Possibly　enough　to　make　the　difference　between　success　and　failure　in　mounting　a　migration。　If　the　Trustees　won't　back　it　with　Foundation　funds。　And　they　won't。〃
　　
　　Weatheral　said　nothing。　Lazarus　glared　at　him。　〃Didn't　your　mother　teach　you　to　say　'Thank　you'？〃
　　
　　〃For　what；　Lazarus？　For　giving　me　something　after　you're　dead　and　no　longer　need　it？　If　you　do　this；　it　will　be　to　tickle　your　vanity…not　to　please　me。〃
　　
　　Lazarus　grinned。　〃Hell；　yes。　I　ought　to　stick　in　a　condition　that　you　name　the　pla　'Lazarus。'　But　1　would　have　no　way　to　enforce　it。　Okay；　we　understand　each　other。　And　I　think…　Do　you　respect　good；machinery？〃
　　
　　〃Eh？　Yes。　As　much　as　I　despise　machinery　that　doesn't　do　what　it　is　putatively　designed　to　do。〃　…
　　
　　〃We　still　understand　each　other。　I　think　I'll　leave　the　'Dora'
　　
　　…that's　my　yacht…to　you　personally　rather　than　to　the　Families'　chairman　。　。　if　you　lead　a　migration。〃
　　
　　〃Uh　。　。　you　tempt　me　to　thank　you。〃
　　
　　〃Don't。　Just　be　good　to　her。　She's　a　sweet　craft；　she's　never　known　anything　but　kindness。　She'll　make　a　fine　flagship　for　you。　With　simple　reoutfitting…specs　for　it　in　her　puter…　she'll　house　a　staff　of　twenty　or　thirty。　And　you　can　ground　and　reconnoiter　in　her；　then　lift　off　again…which　your　transports　won't　be　able　to　do；　most　likely。〃
　　
　　〃Lazarus　。　。　I　don't　want　to　inherit　either　money　or　a　yacht　from　you。　Let　thcm　finish　your　rejuvenation…and　e
　　
　　with　us；　mani　I'll　step　aside　and　you　can　boss。　Or　you　can　have　no　duties　at　all。　But　e！〃　…
　　
　　Lazarus　smiled　bleakly　and　shook　his　head。　〃I've　been　on　six　such　colonizing　ventures　to　virgin　plas；　not　counting　Secundlis。　All　to　plas　I　discovered。　Gave　it　up　centuries　back。　Anything　gets　boring　in　time。　Do　you　think　Solomon　serviced　all　his　thousand　wives？　If　so；　what　sort　of　job　did　he　do　on　the　last　one？…poor　girl！　Find　me　something　new　to　do　and　I　might　never　touch　that　suicide　switch　and　still　give　you　all　I've　got　for　your　colony。　It　'ud　be　a　fair　swap
　　
　　as　this　half~vay　rejuvenation　is　most　unsatisfactory；　I　don't　feel　well；　yet　I　can't　die。　So　I'm　stuck　between　the　suicide　switch　and　giving　in　for　the　full　treatment　。　…　the　donkey　that　starved　to　death　between　two　piles　of　hay。　But　it　would　have　to　be　new；　Ira；　not　something　I've　done　over　and　over　again。　Like　that　old　whore；　I've　climbed　the　same　stairs　too　many　times；　my　feet　hurt。〃
　　
　　〃I'll　think　about　the　problem；　Lazarus。　I'll　give　it　hard　and　systematic　research。〃
　　
　　〃Seven　to　t？o　you　can't　find　anything　I　haven't　done。〃
　　
　　〃I'll　make　a　real　try；　You'll　lay　off　the　suicide　switch　while　I　research　it？〃
　　
　　〃No　promises。　Not　once　I　get　this　will　redrafted。　Can　you　trust　your　chief　legal　eagle？　May　need　some　help　。　。　because　this　will〃…he　tapped　the　envelope…　〃leaving　everything　to　the　Families　would　stand　up　on　Secundus　no　matter　how　many　flaws　are　in　it。　But　if　I　leave　it　to　a　private　party…you；　I　mean…some　of　my　descendants…quite　a　passel…will　scream　'undue　influence'　and　try　to　break　it。　Ira；　they'll　keep　it　tied　up　in　court　until　it's　dribbled　away　in　leg…al　fees。　Let's　avoid　that；　eh？〃
　　
　　〃We　can。　I've　made　changes　in　the　rul~t　On　this　pla　a　man　can　put　his　will　through　probate　before　his　death；　and　if　there　are　fla…　rephrase　it　to　acplish　his　purposes。　If'he　does　it　that　way；　no　contest　Can'　be　entertained　by　any　court；　it　goes　automatically　into　effect　on　his　death。　Of　course　if　he　changes　his　will；　the　new　will　must　go　through　the　same　process…which　makes　changing　his　mind　expensive。　But　by　using　preprobate；　it　does　not　take　a　lawyer　for　even　the　most　plex　'will。　And　the　lawyers　can't　touch　it　afterwards。〃　…
　　
　　Lazarus'　eyes　widened　with　pleasure。　〃Didn't　you　annoy　a　few　lawyers？〃
　　
　　〃I've　annoyed　so　many；〃　Ira　said　dryly；　〃that　every　trans
　　
　　port　to　Pdlicity　has　voluntary　migrants　in　it…and　so　many　lawyers　have　annoyed　me。　that　some　are　involuntary　ones。〃　The　Chairman　Pro　Tens　looked　sourly　~nsused。　〃Once　I　said　to　m~'　Chief　Justice；　'Warren；　i've　bad　to　reVerse　too　many　of　your　decisions。　You've　been　splitting　hairs；　misinterpreting　the　rules；　and　ignoring　equity　ever　since　you　came　into　office。　Go　home；　you're　under　house　arrest　until　the　'Last　Chance'　lifts。　You　can　have　an　escort　during　daylight　hours　to　let　you　wind　up　your　private　affairs。〃；
　　
　　Lazarus　chuckled。　〃Shoulda　hanged　him。　You　know　what　he　did；　don't　you？　Set　up　shop　again　on　Felicity　and　went　into　politics。　If　they　didn't　lynch　him。〃
　　
　　〃His　problem　and　theirs；　not　mine。　Lazarus；　I　never　let　a　man　be　executed　for　being　a　fool…but　if　he's　too　obnoxious；　I　ship　him　out。　There's　no　need　to　sweat　over　your　new　will　if　you　want　one。　Just　dictate　it　with　any　elaborations　and　explanations　you　see　fit。　Then　we'll　run　it　through　a　semantic　analyzer　to