time enough for love-时间足够你爱(英文版)-第52章

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　they　need？　Would　he　have　to　teach　them　how　to　use　them？　And…oh；　damn　it！…was　there　anything　in　the　ship　for　a　woman's　menstrual　needs？　What　could　be　improvised？　Well；　with　luck　that　problem　would　hold　off　a　few　days。　No　point　in　asking　her；　she　couldn't　add。　Tarnation；　the　ship　was　not　equipped　for　passengers。）
　　
　　〃Sit　down。　No；　wait　a　moment。　e　here；　dear。〃　It　seemed　to　the　Captain　that　the　garment　she　wore　was　clinging　suspiciously；　he　felt　it；　it　was　wet。　〃Did　you　leave　that　on　when　you　bathed？〃
　　
　　〃No；　Mas…　No；　Captain；　I　washed　it。〃
　　
　　〃I　see。〃　He　recalled　that　its　gaudy　pattern　had　been　enhanced　by　coffee　and　other　things　while　the　girl　was　botching　breakfast。　〃Take　it　off　and　hang　it　somewhere；　don't　let　it　dry　on　your　body。〃
　　
　　She　started　slowly　to　ply。　Her　chin　quivered…and　he　recalled　how　she　had　admired　herself　in　a　tall　mirror　when　he　bought　it　for　her。　〃Wait　a　moment；　Llita。　Joe；　take　off　your　breechclout。　And　sandals。〃
　　
　　The　lad　plied　at　once。
　　
　　〃Thank　you；　Joe。　Don't　put　that　clout　back　on　without　washing　it；　by　now　it's　dirty　even　though　it　looks　clean。　Don　wear　it　under　way　unless　it　suits　you。　You　sit　down。　Uh；　were　you　wearing　anything　when　I　***bosight***　you？〃
　　
　　〃No　。　。　Captain。〃〃Am　I　wearing　anything　now？〃　〃No；　Captain。〃
　　
　　〃There　are　times　and　places　to　wear　clothes…and　othe　times　and　places　when　clothes　are　silly。　If　this　were　a　passenger　ship；　we　would　all　wear　clothes　and　I　would　wear　fancy　uniform。　But　it　is　not；　and　there　is　nobody　here　but　m　and　your　brother。　See　that　instrument　there？　That's　a　thermic　humidostat　which　tells　the　ship's　puter　to　hold　the　temperature　at　twenty…seven　Celsius　and　forty　percent　humidity　with　random　variation　to　stimulate　us…which　may　not　mean　anything　to　you　but　is　my　notion　of　fort　in　bare　skin。　For　an　hour　each　afternoon　it　drops　that　temperature　to　encourage　exercise；　as　flab　is　the　curse　of　shipboard　life。
　　
　　〃If　that　cycle　doesn't　suit　you　two；　we'll　reach　a　promise。　But　first　we'll　try　it　my　way。　Now　about　that　wet　rag　plastered　to　your　hips…If　you　are　stupid；　you'll　let　it　where　it　is　and　be　unfortable。　If　you　are　smart；　you　hang　it　up　and　let　it　dry　without　wrinkling。　That's　a　suggestion；　not　an　order；　if　you　wish；　you　may　wear　it　at　ai　times。　But　don't　sit　down　with　it　on　you；　wet；　there　is　no　reason　to　get　cushions　wet。　Can　you　sew？〃
　　
　　〃Yes；　Captain。　Uh　。　。　some。〃
　　
　　〃I'll　see　what　I　can　dig　up。　You　are　wearing　the　only　woman's　garment　in　the　ship；　and　if　you　insist　on　clothes　you'll　need　to　make　some　for　the　months　ahead。　You'll　nee　something　for　Valhalla；　too：　it's　not　as　warm　as　Blessed。　Women　there　wear　trousers　and　short　coats；　men　wear　trots　sers　and　long　coats；　everyone　wears　boots。　I　had　three　outfit　custom…made　on　Landfall；　maybe　we　can　make　do　with　then　until　I　can　get　you　two　to　a　tailor。　Boots…　Mine　would　fit　you　like　socks　on　a　rooster。　Hmm…We　can　wrap　your　feet　so　that　a　pair　will　stay　on　long　enough　to　get　you　to　a　bootery。
　　
　　〃We　won't　worry　about　that　now。　Join　the　conference…　standing　up　and　wet；　or　sitting　down　and　fortable。〃
　　
　　Estrellita　bit　her　lip　and　decided　in　favor　of　fort。
　　
　　Minerva；　those　youngsters　were　brighter　than　I　had　as　expected。　At　first　they　studied　because　I　told　them　to。　But　once　they　tasted　the　magic　of　the　printed　word；　they　were　hooked。　They　learned　to　read　like　grass　through　a　goose　and　didn't　want　to　do　anything　else。　Especially　stories。　I　had　a　good　library；　mostly　in　micro；　thousands　of　those；　but　also　a　few　dozen　valuable　bound　books；　facsimile　antiques　I　had　picked　up　on　Landfall　where　they　speak　English　and　use　Galacta　only　as　a　trade　tongue。　Savvy　Oz　books；　Minerva？
　　
　　Yes；　of　course　you　do；　I　helped　plan　the　Great　Library　and　included　my　childhood　favorites　as　well　as　more　sober　things。　I　did　make　sure　that　Joe　and　Llita　read　a　spread　of　sober　stuff　but　mostly　I　let　them　wallow　in　stories…The　Just　So　Stories；　and　the　Oz　books；　and　Alice　in　Wonderland；　and　A　Child's　Garden　of　Verses；　and　Two　Little　Savages；　and　such。　Too　limited；　they　were　books　from　my　childhood；　three　centuries　before　the　Diaspora。　On　the　other　hand；　every　human　culture　in　the　Galaxy　derives　from　that　one。
　　
　　But　I　tried　to　make　sure　that　they　understood　the　difference　between　fiction　and　history…difficult；　as　I　wasn't　certain　that　there　was　a　difference。　Then　I　had　to　explain　that　a　fairy　tale　was　still　a　different　sort；　one　step　farther　along　the　spectrum　from　fact　to　fancy。
　　
　　Minerva；　this　is　very　hard　to　explain　to　an　inexperienced　mind。　What　is　〃magic〃？　You　are　more　magical　than　any　〃magic〃　in　fairy　tales；　and　it　does　no　good　to　say　that　you　are　a　product　of　science；　rather　than　magic；　in　speaking　to　kids　who　have　no　idea　what　is　meant　by　〃science〃…and　I　wasn't　sure　that　the　distinction　？as　valid　even　when　I　was　explaining　the　distinction。　In　my　wanderings　I　have　run　across　magic　many　times…which　simply　says　that　I　have　seen　wonders　I　could　not　explain。
　　
　　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