time enough for love-时间足够你爱(英文版)-第84部分

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！


ight　apply…but　not　that　one。〃
　　
　　〃Lori；　do　you　sense　a　double　entendre？〃
　　
　　〃No；　merely　a　thinly　veiled　innuendo。　Ignore　it　with　dignity。〃
　　
　　〃But　at　first　I　didn't　know　my　odd　relationship　to　this　pair。　Oh；　I　couldn't　help　knowing　that　Ishtar；　and　Hamadryad…　one　of　Ira's　daughters；　you've　met　her？〃
　　
　　〃Years　back。　A　lovely　girl。〃
　　
　　〃Quite。　Both　~f　their　mothers　are　lovely。　I　couldn't　help　knowing　that　both　were　pregnant；　they　were　spending　most　of　their　time　with　me。　But　although　they　were　swelling　up　like　poisoned　pups；　they　ignored　it；　so　I　didn't　inquire。〃
　　
　　Justine　nodded。　〃Privacy。〃
　　
　　〃Naw；　just　hard…nosed。　I've　never　let　the　privacy　custom　keep　me　from　snooping　when　it　suited　me。　I　was　miffed；　that's　all。　Here　two　girls　are　with　me　every　day　and　like　daughters　to　me　and　obviously　as　knock鏳　up　as　Pharaoh's　Daughter…　and　they　tell　me　nit。　So　I　got　stubborn　and　outsat　them。　Till　one　day　Galahad…he's　their　husband…well；　not　exactly；　you'll　see…Galahad　invites　me　downstairs；　and　here　they　have；　one　each；　the　two　prettiest　little　redheads　I　ever　saw。〃
　　
　　〃Shall　we　let　him　off　one　cry？〃
　　
　　〃You　got　over　it；　you　both　look　like　me　now。〃
　　
　　〃Or　do　we　add　a　third　cry　for　that？〃
　　
　　〃I　still　don't　smell　a　mouse；　I'm　simply　pleased。　As　well　as　amazed　that　they　had　produced　babies　that　looked　like　identical　twins…〃
　　
　　〃Which　we　are；　except　that　we're　triplets。〃
　　
　　〃But　some　weeks　of　playing　with　these　babies　causes　my　natural　genius　and　suspicious　mind　to　infer　that　the　girls　have　pulled　a　whizzer。　I　was　not　then　in　the　sperm　bank　so　far　as　I　knew；　but　I　am　well　aware　of　tricks　that　can　be　played　on　a　helpless　client　undergoing　antigeria；　so　with　unerring　logic　I　reach　the　wrong　answer：　These　babies　are　my　daughters　by　artificial　insemination　unmentioned　to　me。　So　I　accuse　them　of　it。　And　they　deny　it。　And　I　explain　that　I　am　not　angry；　but　quite　the　contrary　I　hope　these　little　cherubs　are　mine。〃
　　
　　'Cherubs。'
　　
　　〃Ignore　it。　He's　simply　trying　to　con　Mr。　Foote。〃
　　
　　〃Cherubs　at　that　time；　I　mean；　aside　from　a　tendency　to　bite。　That　I　want　them　to　be　mine　and　share　my　name　a9d　fortunes。　So　they　confer　with　their　fellow　conspirators4…　Minerva　and　Galahad…Minerva　was　in　it　up　to　her　overload　safeties。〃
　　
　　〃Lazarus；　you　needed　a　family。〃
　　
　　〃Quite　right；　dear。　I'm　always　better　off　with　a　family；　it　keeps　me　harmlessly　occupied　and　unbored。　Justin；　did　I　mention'　that　Minerva　allowed　me　to　adopt　her？〃
　　
　　〃We　weren't　asked！〃
　　
　　〃Look；　kids；　under　the　loose　rules　of　this　termite　hill　I　can　unedopt　you　this　minute；　if　such　be　your　wish。　Cut　the　tie。　Be　just　your　geic　brother　through　circumstances　I　had
　　
　　no　more　part　in　than　you　had。　Renounce　all　authority　over　you　te　know。〃
　　
　　The　two　girls　looked　at　each　other　briefly。　Then　one　said；　〃Lazarus…〃
　　
　　〃Yes；　Lorelei？〃
　　
　　〃Lapis　Lazuli　and　I　have　discussed　it；　and　we　both　think　that　you　are　just　exactly　the　father　we　want。〃
　　
　　〃Thank　you；　my　dears。〃
　　
　　〃And　to　confirm　it；　we　are　canceling　two　cries　and　a　chin　quiver。〃
　　
　　〃That's　most　pleasing。〃
　　
　　〃And　besides　that；　we　want　to　be　cuddled　。　。　because　we　are　feeling　very　immature；　insecure；　and　frightened。〃
　　
　　Lazarus　blinked。　〃I　'don't　want　you　to　feel　that　way；　ever。　But…　Well；　can　the　cuddling　wait？〃
　　
　　〃Oh；　certainly…Father。　We　know　we　have　a　guest。　But　perhaps　you　and　Mr。　Foote　would　join　us　in　bathing？　Before　dinner？〃
　　
　　〃Well；　Justin？　Bathing　y　but　fun。　I　don't　do　it　often　because　they　turn　it　into　a　social　event　and　waste　time。　Suit　yourself；　don't　let　your　arm　be　twisted。〃
　　
　　〃A　bath　I　certainly　need。　I　was　clean　when　I　was　sealed　into'　that　pod…but　how　long　was　I　in　it？　I　really　don't　know。　And　a　bath　should　always　be　a　social　event　if　there　is　time
　　
　　and　good　pany。　Thank　you；　ladies；　I　accept。〃
　　
　　〃And　I　accept；　too；〃　put　in　Minerva。　〃I'm　inviting　myself。　Justin；　Tertius　is　primitive　pared　with　Secundus；　but　our　family　refresher　is　nice　and　quite　large　enough　for　sociability。　'Decadent；'　as　Lazarus　calls　it。〃
　　
　　〃I　designed　it　to　be　decadent；　Justin。　Good　plumbing　is　the　finest　flower　of　decadence　and　one　I　have　always　enjoyed
　　
　　when　I　could　get　it。〃…
　　
　　〃Uh…my　clothes　are　still　in　Ira's　office。　Even　my　toiletries。　Absentminded；　I'm　sorry。〃
　　
　　〃No　matter。　Ira　may　fetch　your　bag；　but　he's　absentminded；　too。　Depilatories；　deodorants；　scents…no　problem。　I'll　lend　~'ou　a　toga　or　something。〃
　　
　　〃Buddy　Boy！　I　mean　'Father。'　Does　that　mean　we　dress　for　dinner？〃
　　
　　〃Call　me　Buddy　Boy；　I'm　hardened　to　it。　Go　as　far　as　you　like；　darlings　。　。　except　that　as　usual　Mama　Hamadryad　must　okay　any　cosmetics。　Back　to　how　I　acquired　these　daughters　who　are　my　sisters；　Justin：　Having　conferred；　this　gang　of　geic　pirates　came　clean　and　threw　themselves　on
　　
　　the　mercy　of　the　court。　Me~　So　I　adopted　these　two；　and　we　registered　them；　and　the　registration　will　be　straightened　out　one　clay；　as　I　explained。　How　Minerva　gave　up　the　profession　of　puter　and　assumed　the　sorrows　that　flesh　is　heir　to　is　a　longer　story。　Want　to　synopsize　it；　dear？…and　fill　him　in　later　if　you　wish。〃
　　
　　〃Yes；　Father。〃
　　
　　〃None　of　your　lip；　dear；　you're　a　grown　woman　now。　Justin；　when　we　woke　this　darling；　she　was　about　the　size　and　biological　age　of　those　two　reformed　hellions…remind　me　to　take　their　temperatures；　Minerva。　I　adop？ed　Minerva　because　she　needed　a　father　then。　Doesn't　now。〃
　　
　　〃Lazarus；　I　will　always　need　you　as　my　father。〃
　　
　　〃Thank　you；　my　dear；　but　I　take　that　only　as　a　pleasing　'pliment。　Tell　Justin　your　story。〃
　　
　　〃All　right。　Justin；　are　you　familiar　with　the　theories　concerning　self…awareness　in　puters？〃
　　
　　〃Several　~of　them。　As　you　know；　my　work　is　mostly　with　puters。〃
　　
　　〃Permit　me　to　say；　speaking　from　experience；　all　theories　are　empty。　How　a　puter　bees　self…aware　remains　as　much　a　mystery；　even　to　puters；　as　the　age…old　mystery　of　flesh…and…blood　self…awareness。　It　just　is。　But；　so　far　as　I've　heard…quite　far　in　view　of　the　library　that　was　locked　in　my　memories　then　and　is　still　in　Athene's　memories…self…awareness　never　arises　in　a　puter　designed　o醠y　for　deductive　logic　and　mathematical　calculations；　no　matter　how　big　it　is。　But　if　it　is　designed　for　inductive　logic；　able　to　assess　data；　draw　hypotheses　therefrom；　test　them；　reconstruct　them　to　fit　new　data；　make　random　parisons　of　the　results；　and　change　thpse　reconstructions…exercise　judgment　the　way　a　flesh…and…blood　does；　then　self…awareness　may　occur。　But　I　don't　know　why　and　no　puter　knows。　It　just　does。〃
　　
　　She　smiled。　〃Sorry；　I　did　not　mean　to　sound　pedantic。　Lazarus　figured　out　that　I　could　go　into　a　blank　human　brain；　a　clone　brain；　using　techniques　used　to　conserve　memories　in　rejuvenation　clinics。　When　we　discussed　this；　I　had　the　entire　technical　library　of　Secundus　Howard　Clinic　in　me…stolen；　in　a　way。　I　no　longer　have　it；　I　had　to　pick　and　choose　what　to　take　along　when　I　went　into　this　skull。　So　I　don't　remember　much　of　what　I　did；　any　more　than　a　rejuvenation　client　knows　all　that　is　done　to　him；　you　would　have　to　get　details　from　Athene；　who　still　has　them…and　who；　by　the　way；　never　had　the　rather　painful　awakening　that　a　puter　goes
　　
　　through　when　it　first　begins　to　know　itself；　because　I　left　a　piece　of　mc　in　Athene；　oh；　like　a　yeast　starter。　'Athene　dimly　remembers　having　been　Minerva　at　one　time…about　the　way　we　flesh…and…bloods〃…Minerva　straigntened　up；　smiled；　and　looked　proud…〃remember　a　dream　as　something　not　quite　real。　And　I　remember　being　Minerva　the　puter　some…what　the　same　way。　I　remember　all　my　contacts　with　people　very　sharply…because　I　chose　to　keep　them；　replicate　them　into　this　skull。　But　if　anyone　were　to　ask　howi　handled　the　transport　system　of　…New　Rome　。　。　well；　I　know　that　I　did；；　but　not　how　I　did　it。〃
　　
　　She　smiled　again。　〃That's　my　story：　A　puter　'who'　longed　to　be　a　flesh…and…blood　and　who　had　loving　friends　who　made　is　possible　。　。　and　I've　never　regretted　it；　I　love　being　flesh…and…blood…and　want　to　love　everybody。〃　She　looked　at　Justin　Foote　very　soberly。　〃Lazarus　spoke　sooth；　I　have　never　been　a　guest　wife；　I　am　only　three　years　old　as　a　flesh…and…blood。　Should　you　choose　me；　you　ma'）'　find　me　awkward　and　shy…but　not　reluctant。　I　owe　you'　much。〃
　　
　　第52节
　　
　　〃Minerva；〃　said　Lazarus；　〃back　him　into　a　corner　some　other　time。　You　didn't　tell　Justin　what　he　wanted　to　know；　you　left　out　the　hanky…panky。〃　…
　　
　　〃Oh。〃
　　
　　〃And　when　you　were　philosophizing　about　awareness　in　puters；　you　left　out　the　key　point；　it　seems　to　me；　one　I　know　but　you　may　not　even　though　you've　been　a　puter　and　I　have　not。　Because　this　key　point　applies　both　to　puters　and　to　flesh…and…bloods。　My　dear…and　Jijstin_and　it　won't　hurt　you　two　erratic　geniuses　to　listen…all　machinery　is　animistic…'humanistic；'　I　want　to　say；　but　that　term　has　been　preempted。　Any　machine　is　a　concept　of　a　human　designer；　it　reflects　the　human　brain；　be　it　wheelbarrow　or　giant　puter。　So　there　is　nothing　mysterious　in　a　machine　designed　by　a　human　showing　human　self…awareness；　the　mystery　lies　in　awareness　itself；　wherever　it's　found。　I　used　to　have　a　folding　camp　cot　that　liked　to　bite　me。　I　don't　say　that　it　was　aware…but　I　learned　to　approach　it　with　caution。
　　
　　〃But；　Minerva；　darling；　I've　seen　some　big　puters；　almost　as　smart　as　you　were；　that　never'　developed　self…awareness。　Can　you　tell　us　why？〃　'
　　
　　〃I　confess　I　can't；　Lazarus。　I'd　like　to　ask　Athene　When　we　get　home。〃
　　
　　〃She　probably　doesn't　know　either；　she's　never　met　any
　　
　　other　major　puter　but　Dora。　Captain　Lazuli；　how　far　back　do　you　remember？　Once　you…or　your　rade　in　crime
　　
　　…cl~imed　to　remember　nursing。　Suckling；　I　mean。〃
　　
　　〃Of　course　we　do！　Doesn't　everybodyZ〃
　　
　　〃No。　Me；　for　example。　I　was　a　bottle　baby；　I　don't　remember　even　that。　Not　worth　remembering。　In　consequence　I've　been　looking　at　tits　and　admiring　them　ever　since。　Tell　me；　one　of　you；　when　you　remember　nursing