time enough for love-时间足够你爱(英文版)-第142章

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〃
　　
　　〃Sentiment；　Lorelei。　As　far　as　Andy　traveled　and　as　little　time　as　he　spent　on　Earth；　he　was　always　homesick　for　his　horning　place。　The　only　song　he　knew　was　one　with　a　refrain　of　'Arkansaw；　Arkansaw；　I　adore　thee！'　I　used　to　get　sick　of　it。　But　I　promised　him　I　would　take　his　body　back　to　Arkansas　and　it　seemed　to　fort　him　when　he　died…so　we'll　do　it。　Who　knows？　Maybe　the　sweet　little　guy　will　know　it。　。　and　it's　worth　the　trouble。　to　carry　out　his　last　wishes。　Prime　rendezvous　landmarks？〃
　　
　　〃This　big　canyon；〃　answered　Lapis　Lazuli。　〃Follow　it　to　the　east　and　drop　south…this　round　black　dot。　A　meteor　impact　crater。　No　dependable　landma；rks　visible　from　orbit　and　good　any　century　but　this　canyon…biggest　on　Earth。　So　we　memorize　the　spatial　relationship　between　canyon　and　crater　so　that　we　can　spot　it　from　any　angle。　If　the　light　is　right。〃
　　
　　Dora　said；　〃I'm　sure　I　can　see　it　in　pitch…darkness。〃
　　
　　〃Dora　honey；　this　drill　is　based　on　the　pessimistic　~ssumption　that　Ellandell　might　have　to　find　it　without　your　help。　I　want　them　to　know　the　geography　of　Terra　so　well　that　they　won't　have　to。　ground　and　look　for　a　road　sign。　No　close　approaches　to　the　ground　at　all…except　to　put　me　down　and　pick　me　up。　I　don't　want　to　start　a　flying…saucer　scare；　I　don't
　　
　　A~Q
　　
　　want　to　attract　any　attention…5……some　yokel　might　take　a　shot　at　me。　It's　unfortunate　that　this　ship　is　shaped　such　that　'flying　saucer'　isn't　too　bad　a　description。〃
　　
　　〃What's　the　matter　with　the　way　I　look？〃　demanded　Dora。　〃I　look　pretty　damn　good！〃
　　
　　〃Dear；　you're　built　like　a　brick　outhouse…for　a　starship。　You're　beautiful。　It's　simply　that　unidentified　flying　objects…　oofohs…were　also　called　'flying　saucers。'　I　don't　believe　in　paradoxes　。　。　but　I　don't　want　any　attention。〃
　　
　　第60节
　　
　　〃Brother；　maybe　we　are　one　of　those　oofohs　you　told　us　about。〃
　　
　　〃Huh？　Could　be；　I　suppose。　If　so；　let's　not　get　shot　at。　I　want　a　quiet　trip。　If　everything　goes　well；　we　can　talk　about　letting　one　of　you。　get　on　the　ground　with　me　next　trip　though　durned　if　I　don't　think　a　stacked　redhead　is　more　conspicuous　than　an　unidentified　flying　object。　Okay；　the　crater。　I　intend　to　be　there；　before　sundown　and　after　sunrise；　from　minus　ten　days　to　plus　ten　days　at　plus　ten　years。　If　I'm　not　there；　what　do　you　do？〃
　　
　　Lapis　Lazuli　answered；　〃Look　for　you　half　a　T…year　later　on　top　of　the　biggest　pyramid　at　Gizeh…that's　here…at　midnight　。　。　only　this　time　we　scan　for　you　minus　thirty　days
　　
　　？through　plus　thirty　because　you　aren't　certain　when　you　can　get　there　and　may　be　able　to　manage　it　only　once…bribes　and　things。　Brother；　do　we　go　out　half　a。iight…year　and　reenter　the　time　axis？　Or　stay　in　orbit　and　wait？〃
　　
　　〃That's　up　to　you。　I　won't　use　the　Egyptian　rendezvous　unless　I've　pulled　some　goof　that　makes　it　unhealthy　for　me　to　meet　you　in　Arizona。　If　I　miss　both　dates；　what　do　you　do？　Lori？〃
　　
　　〃Look　for　you　again　both　places　at　eleven　years　and　eleven　and　a　half。　years。〃
　　
　　〃Then　what？〃　……
　　
　　Lorelei　glanced　at　her　sister。　〃Brother；　this　part　we　don't　go　along　with…〃
　　
　　〃…and　that　goes　for　Dora；　too…〃…
　　
　　…〃It　sure　does！〃
　　
　　…〃…because　we　won't　assume　that　you're　dead…〃
　　
　　〃…no　matter　how　many　times　you　miss　rendezvous…〃
　　
　　〃…so　we　start　checking　both　spots　day　after　day…〃
　　
　　〃…and　night　after　night…〃
　　
　　〃…and　over　nine　hours'　local　time　difference　means　some　weird　partial　orbits　to　check　sunrise　and　sundown　in　Arizona　and　still　check　midnights　in　Egypt…〃
　　
　　〃…but　Dora　can　do　it…〃
　　
　　〃You　bet　I　can！〃
　　
　　〃…and　we'll　keep　looking　for　you　day　after　day…〃
　　
　　~…and　year　after　year…〃
　　
　　〃…until　ypu　do　show　up。　Sir。〃
　　
　　〃Captain　Lorelei；　if　I　miss　four　rendezvous　dates；　I'm　dead。　You　must　assume　that。　Shall　I　put　it　in　writing？〃
　　
　　〃modore　Long；　if　you're　dead；　you　can't　give　orders。　That's　logical。〃
　　
　　〃If　you　assume　that　I　am　not　dead；　then　my　orders　still　apply。　。　and　you　must　give　up　the　search。　By　the　same　logic。〃
　　
　　〃Sir；　if　~7ou　are　out　of　the　ship　and　out　of　touch；　then　you　are　hardly　in　a　position　to　give　any　orders。　But　if　you　want　to　be　picked　up；　there　will　be　daily　service　from　drop　time　plus　eleven…and…one…half　T…years　on…〃
　　
　　〃…and　on　and　on　and　on；　because　that's　what　we　promised　the　family…〃
　　
　　〃…even　though　we'll　have　to　run　home　occasionally　for　rejuvenation…〃
　　
　　〃…and　to　have　babies；　but　neither　of　those　will　take　any　time　in　that　time　framework　。　。　as　you　pointed　out　in　another　connection。〃
　　
　　〃Mutiny。〃…
　　
　　The　twins　glanced　at　each　other。　〃I'll　take　it；　Laz；　I　have　to…odd…numbered　day。　modore；　as　you　taught　us　before　you　ever　let　either　of　us　take　mand　in　space；　a　modore　is　actually　a　passenger　…because　a　ship's　master　cannot　give　up　even　a　little　bit　of　her　total　responsibility。　So　'mutiny'　is　not　a　word　that　can　apply。〃
　　
　　Lazarus　sighed。　〃I've　raised　a　couple　of　blinkin'　space　lawyers。〃
　　
　　〃Brother；　that's　what　you　taught　us。　You　did。〃
　　
　　…　〃Okay；　I　did。　You　win　the　argument。　But　it's　silly　to　talk　about　checking　every　day　for　year　after　year　indefinitely。　I've　never　seen　the　prison　I　couldn't　escape　from　in　less　than　a　year
　　
　　…and　I've　been　in　quite　a　number。　Maybe　I　should　cancel　the　whole　caper…no；　no；　I　won't　argue　it！　Now　about　time　markers；　if　something　forces　you　to　recalibrate：　Simple　enough　to　ground　and　find　out　the　exact　Gregorian　date　。
　　
　　but　that's　exactly　what　I　don'：　want　you　to　do　。　。　because　neither　of　you　has　any　experience　in　coping　…with　strange　cultures…and　you　would　get　in　trouble　and　I　wouldn't　be　around　to　get　you　out。〃
　　
　　AAfl
　　
　　441〃Brother；　do　you　think　we　are　that　stupid？〃
　　
　　〃No；　Laz；　I　do　not　think　you　are　stupid。　You　each　have　exactly　the　brain　potential　J　started　with…and　I'm　not　stupid　or　I　would　not　have　lived　so　long。　Furthermore；　you　each　have　enormously　better　educations　than　I　had　at　your　age。　But；　darlings；　these　are　the　Dark　Ages　w&re　talking　about。　You　two　have　been　brought　up　to　expect　rational　treatment
　　
　　which　you　wouldn't　receive。　I　don't　dare　let　you　put　foot　to　ground　in　that　era；　even　with　me　at　your　side；　until　after　I　have　coached　you　endlessly　in　how　to　be　consistently　irrational　in　what　you　do　and　say。　Truly。〃
　　
　　Lazarus　continued；　〃Never　mind；　you　have　two　ways　to　read　the　clock　from　space。　One　is　the　Libby　method；　tedious　but　workable；　by　reading　positions　of　the　Solar　System's　plas。　The　trouble　with　that　one　is　that；　unless　you　spend　one　devilish　long　time　on　difficult　observations；　you　can　mistake　a　configuration　for　one　almost　like　it…but　several　thousand　years　earlier　or　later。
　　
　　〃So　we　use　what　time　marks　we　can　find　on　the　surface　of　Terra　herself。　The　radioactive　dating　of　that　impact　crater　is　probabl？　close…but　in　any　case；　if　the　crater　is　missing；　you're　too　early　by　some　centuries。　The　dates　for　the　building　of　the　Great　e　for　the　Egyptian　pyramids。　The　dates　for　the　Suez　Canal　and　the　Pan…ama　Canal　are　exact…so；