Chapter 8 Theme Variations III Family Issues

"It's been more than two thousand years, and he's still there, Lazarus?" "Is that weird, Ella? David and I are about the same age, the difference is negligible. I'm sitting in front of you right now." "That's true, but—is David Ram a member of our family? Or is he using an alias? There's no 'Ram' in the genealogy." "I never asked, Ella, and he never told me. In those days, no one in the family would tell anyone what happened to him. Even if he was a member of the family, he probably wouldn't I know, because he left home very young and suddenly. In those days, people didn't tell a young person about these things before he or she was old enough to think about marriage. .Eighteen for a boy, sixteen for a girl. It reminds me of how shocked I was when I found out--I wasn't even eighteen yet. Grandpa Told me because I was about to do something stupid. Boy, the human organism is very weird, and one of the weirdest things about it is that its body develops much earlier than its brain. I was seventeen Years old, young, longing for sex, trying to get married in the most inappropriate way. Grandpa took me behind the barn and showed me that was indeed the worst possible way.

"'Woody,' he said, 'if you want to elope with that girl, nobody's going to stop you.' "I replied defiantly, yes, no one can stop me, because we just passed the age limit set by the state government, we can marry without parental consent. "'That's what I want to tell you,' he said. 'Nobody's stopping you. But nobody's going to help you. Your parents won't, your grandparents won't—I won't. No one will give you the money you need to get a marriage license, let alone help you support your own wife. Not a dollar, Woody, not a dime. If you don't believe me, ask other people.'

"I scowled and said I didn't need any help. "Grandfather raised his bushy eyebrows. 'Yes, yes,' he said, 'and will she support you? Have you seen job advertisements in the papers lately? If not, you must. Read." Don’t forget to scan the financial section of the newspaper; you’ll never spend more than thirty seconds looking at a job advertisement.” He continued, “Oh, you might get a job selling vacuum cleaners door-to-door for a commission. A job that will give you some fresh air, exercise, and a chance to show off your charms, even though you're not. But you can't sell vacuum cleaners because no one will.'

"Ella, I didn't understand what he was talking about. It was January 1930. Do you know what that date means?" "I'm afraid I don't, Lazarus. I know a lot of family history, but I need to convert the old calendars to the Glacata Standard Calendar before I know what happened then." "I don't know if it's recorded in the family history, Ella. That was when the whole country—no, the whole planet—had just been in an economic crisis. They called it the 'Great Depression.' No jobs—at least For a young man who doesn't understand anything, there is no job opportunity. Grandpa understands these things. He has been through similar depressions several times. But I didn't. At that time, I thought I could catch the tail of the earth and turn it On my shoulders. I didn't know that engineers out of college could get jobs as janitors, lawyers driving milk trucks, and one-time millionaires who jumped off buildings. I was too busy chasing girls, no Pay attention to these things."

"Old Ancestor, I have read books about the economic crisis, but I have never understood the reason for the economic crisis." Lazarus clicked his tongue twice, "With you like this, can you still manage a planet?" "Maybe I'm not qualified," I admitted. "Don't be so humble. Let me tell you a secret: No one knew the cause of the economic crisis. If Ira Howard hadn't instituted strict rules for the use of funds, the Howard Fund would have gone bankrupt. On the other hand, from street cleaners to economic Everyone was convinced they knew what caused the economic crisis and how to get out of it. People at the time tried almost everything - and none of it worked. The Great Depression lasted until the war broke out. But the war did not correct the previous error; it just masks other symptoms with a high fever."

"So... what is the cause of the economic crisis, grandfather?" I pressed. "Do I seem wise enough to answer that question? I've been broke many times myself. Sometimes it's because of financial reasons, sometimes because I have to give up my property to escape." "It's been more than two thousand years, and he's still there, Lazarus?" "Is that weird, Ella? David and I are about the same age, the difference is negligible. I'm sitting in front of you right now." "That's true, but is David Ram a member of our family? Or is he using an alias? There's no Ram name on the family tree."

"I never asked, Ella, and he never told me. In those days, no one in the family would tell anyone what happened to him. Even if he was a member of the family, he probably wouldn't I know, because he left home very young and suddenly. In those days, people didn't tell a young person about these things before he or she was old enough to think about marriage. .for boys it's eighteen, for girls it's sixteen. It reminds me of how shocked I was when I found out I wasn't eighteen. It was my grandfather who told me Yes, because I was about to do a stupid thing. Boy, the human organism is very weird, and one of the weirdest things is that its body develops much earlier than its brain. I was seventeen years old, Young, dreaming of sex, trying to get married in the most inappropriate way. Grandpa took me behind the barn and showed me that was really the worst way.

"Woody, he said, if you try to elope with that girl, nobody's going to stop you. "I replied defiantly, yes, no one can stop me, because we just passed the age limit set by the state government, we can marry without parental consent. "That's exactly what I'm trying to tell you," he said. "No one's going to stop you. But no one's going to help you either. Your parents won't, your grandparents won't and I won't. None of us will. Money for a marriage license, let alone helping you support your own wife. Not a dollar, Woody, not a dime. If you don't believe me, ask someone else.

"I scowled and said I didn't need any help. "Grandfather raised his bushy eyebrows. Yes, yes," he said, "and will she support you? Have you seen any job advertisements in the papers lately? If not, you must. When you do, don't forget glanced at the finance section of the paper; you never look at a job posting for more than thirty seconds. He went on to say, Oh, you might get a job selling vacuum cleaners door-to-door for a commission. This job will make you Get some fresh air, exercise, and a chance to show off your charms, even though you're not. But you can't sell a vacuum cleaner because no one will.

"Ella, I didn't understand what he was talking about. It was January 1930. Do you know what that date means?" "I'm afraid I don't, Lazarus. I know a lot of family history, but I need to convert the old calendars to the Glacata Standard Calendar before I know what happened then." "I don't know if it's recorded in the family history, Ella. The country, not the planet, was just going through an economic crisis. They called it the Great Depression. No job opportunities, at least for a young guy who didn't know anything. As far as people are concerned, there are no job opportunities. Grandpa understands these things. He has been through similar depressions several times. But I have not. At that time, I felt that I could grab the tail of the earth and carry it on my shoulders. I don't know Engineers out of college got jobs as janitors, lawyers drove milk trucks, ex-millionaires jumped off buildings. I was too busy chasing girls to pay attention to those things.”

"Old Ancestor, I have read books about the economic crisis, but I have never understood the reason for the economic crisis." Lazarus clicked his tongue twice, "With you like this, can you still manage a planet?" "Maybe I'm not qualified," I admitted. "Don't be so humble. Let me tell you a secret: No one knew the cause of the economic crisis. If Ira Howard hadn't instituted strict rules for the use of funds, the Howard Fund would have gone bankrupt. On the other hand, from street cleaners to economic Everyone was convinced that they knew what caused the economic crisis and how to get out of it. People tried almost everything and nothing worked. The Great Depression continued until the war broke out. But the war did not correct the mistakes of the past. ; it just masks other symptoms with a high fever." "So what exactly is the cause of the economic crisis, grandfather?" I pressed. "Do I seem wise enough to answer that question? I've been broke a number of times myself. Sometimes for financial reasons, sometimes because I had to give up property to escape. Well, I don't like fancy explanations, but— What happens if you control a machine with a positive feedback mechanism?" I was a little taken aback, "I don't know if I understand you, Lazarus. People don't use positive feedback mechanisms to control machines - at least I can't think of any examples of this. Positive feedback can make any system oscillate , and out of control." "That's pretty clever, Ella. It's a metaphor, but I've always been skeptical about discussing problems in metaphors -- but, in my experience over the centuries, anything government does to solve an economic problem There is nothing that does not act as a positive feedback. Maybe someday, somewhere, someone as smart as Andy Libby will find some way to refine the theory of supply and demand so that This contradiction, rather than letting it go. Maybe, anyway, I've never seen a good solution to this problem, although God knows everyone has tried, and everyone's motives are always the best. "Good motives don't get you how a chainsaw works, Ella; the most brutal gangsters in history have good motives. I was going to tell you how I happen to be unmarried, but you got me to publish Let's make a speech." "I'm sorry, grandfather." "Hmph! Can you be rude now and then? I'm a garrulous old man who wastes your time listening to useless things. You should hate it all." I smiled at him, "well, let me hate it all. You're a garrulous old man who wants me to satisfy all your whims... and I'm a busy person with a lot of important things to think about ..you wasted half my day just to tell me a funny story about a guy who always succeeded because he was so lazy - I think this must be a non-existent fiction. I think you are trying to stimulate me. You imply this fiction The character is a long-lived man, but he changes the subject with a simple question and starts talking about your grandfather. Does this—Admiral Lamb, you say so?—does he have red hair? " "It's 'Ram', Ella—'Donald Ram'. Well, is that his or his brother's name? It's been a long time ago. Strange you'd ask him about the color of his hair, This reminds me of another naval officer in the same war who had the exact opposite attitude to Donald. Oh, come to think of it, his name should have been 'David'. This officer was like David in every way Wayne is different, besides the color of his hair is very red, even Loki would be proud of his red hair. Once, he tried to strangle a Kodiak bear, but failed. Look, you must not Met the Kodiak, Ella. "It is the most ferocious carnivore that has ever appeared on the earth. It weighs ten times that of a human being. The claws on the feet are like half-moon scimitars, and there are long yellow teeth in the mouth. The breath smells very bad-temper It stinks. But this officer wrestled with it with his bare hands... I want to emphasize here: that fight was completely avoidable. If it were me, I would disappear beyond the horizon. Want to hear about this officer and that bear , and the story of the Alaskan salmon?" "Not now. Sounds like another Arabian Nights story. You were just going to tell me why you weren't married." "Oh yes. Grandpa just asked me: 'Well, Woody, how long was she pregnant?'" "No, you just said he was explaining why you couldn't support your wife." "Son, who's telling the story, you or me? I categorically deny that this happened, and Grandpa says I must be lying. A seventeen-year-old boy wants to get married and it's the only reason. His answer makes me very happy." Annoyed because I happen to have a note in my pocket that says: "Dearest Woody - you've got me pregnant and there's a lot going on around here. "Grandfather continued to cross-examine me and I denied it three times in a row, each time getting angrier and acting like I was telling the truth. Finally he said: 'Well, you just held hands. She hasn't shown you a doctor yet. Signed pregnancy test report?' "Ella, at this point, I accidentally told the truth. 'Oh, no,' I admitted. "'Okay,' he said, 'I'll take care of this. But just this one time. From now on, no matter which sweetie tells you not to use contraception, you're going to have to use the Happy Widow condom. Don't you Didn't find the drugstore selling these?' Then, after sworn to secrecy, he told me about the Howard Fund and what I'd get if I married one of the girls on the list. "In this way, as my grandfather said, I received a letter from a lawyer on my eighteenth birthday. Later, I fell madly in love with one of the girls on the list. We married and had a A bunch of kids, and then she replaced me. She's also your ancestor, without a doubt." "No, sir. I am a descendant of your fourth wife, grandfather." "A fourth wife, eh? Let me see--is it Meg Hardy?" "I think she was your third wife, Lazarus. It was Evelyn Foote." "Oh, yes! She's a very nice girl, Evelyn. Plump, sweet-looking, docile, fertile, like a turtle. She cooks deliciously, and never talks nonsense. Such People are rare. She may be fifty years younger than me, but it is hardly noticeable; my hair does not turn gray until after a hundred and fifty. My age is no secret, and the birth of each of us Dates, past events, and other circumstances are noted. Son, thank you for reminding me of Evelyn; she restored my confidence at a time when I was getting discouraged in my marriage. About her, What else is recorded in the file?" "Just say that you are her second husband, and she and you have given birth to seven children." "Wish there was a picture of her in the files. She was so cute and always smiling. She was the wife of one of my cousins ​​when I met her. My cousin was from the Johnson branch and I was with him business. He and I, Meg and Evelyn, used to get together on Saturday nights to play a kind of card game, drink beer, or something of the sort. Before long we, in a legal, rational manner, The court swapped the wives because Meg thought she was very fond of—Jack?—yes, Jack, and Evelyn had no objection. It didn't affect our business relationship, or even our card game There is one quality in the Howards, my boy: We got rid of the vice of envy generations before anyone else--and that's what all the factors add up to. You're sure there's no stereotype of her here. Photos? Or holograms? Probably from then on, the foundation began to keep photo records of premarital examinations." "I'll look it up," I told him.All of a sudden, a brilliant idea came to me, "Lazarus, we all know that every once in a while, the same physical traits show up in the family. I'll have the records department list all of them on Secundus The female descendants of the resident Evelyn Foote. It is very likely that some of them will look exactly like Evelyn, and even have the same pleasant smile and docile personality. Then—if you agree to complete the entire rejuvenation treatment—I Sure she will, like Ishtar, be willing to annul the current legal marriage—” The old man interrupted me, "I said you need something new, Ira. Never repeat the past. Of course, you will probably find a girl who is almost exactly the same as the Evelyn I remember .But one important factor is still missing, my youth." "But if you have completed the rejuvenation treatment—" "Oh, stop talking! You can give me new kidneys, livers, and hearts. You can wash the brown stains of age from my brain, and find tissue from my clones to fill in the lost parts— —You can give me a whole new clone. But it won't make me the carefree young lad I used to be, reveling in a life of beer, cards, and a plump, lovely wife. Me and that lad's The similarities are just memory - and not a lot. Forget about it." I said softly, "Grandfather, whether or not you want to marry Evelyn Foote again, you and I know - I've been through rejuvenation sessions, twice - and we both know that the whole process can re-energize you zest for life, and restore every function of the body.” Lazarus Long looked a little depressed. "Yes, you're right. It can do it all, it just can't eliminate the flat and boring. Damn, boy, you have no right to interfere with my fate." He sighed, "But I can't always hang on On the brink. Tell them to go ahead and get through the course." I was a little taken aback, "May I record it, sir?" "You heard me, but that doesn't mean you're free. You still need to come here and listen to my nagging until I'm born again and don't act like a child. Also, you still need to continue That research. I mean looking for novelty." "I agree with both, sir; I promise. Now let me tell my computer—" "She's heard what I'm saying, hasn't she?" Lazarus continued, "Does she have a name? Didn't you give her a name?" "Oh, of course there's a name. There's no way I've been dealing all these years with a machine that I don't think has a soul, even though it's absurd to think—" "It's not absurd, Ella, machines are human because they're made of our imaginations. They share our strengths and weaknesses—and magnify them." "I don't quite agree with you, Lazarus, but Minerva—that's her official name; privately I call her 'little bum' because one of her job duties is to remind me to do some A job I'd rather forget. Minerva is truly like a human companion to me, and she understands me better than any of my wives. No, she doesn't record your decision; she just puts it in temporary memory. Minerva!" "Yes, Ella." "Please speak English. Find the part where the ancestor decided to complete the entire rejuvenation treatment, store it in your permanent memory, convert it into a file form, and then convey it to the Howard Rejuvenation Clinic for them to follow the instructions." "It's done, Mr. Visaro. Congratulations. Congratulations to you, Patriarch. May you live as long as you want, and live with love in your heart." Lazarus seemed suddenly interested.I wasn't surprised by his reaction.Even for me, after a century of "married life" without actual marriage, Minerva still surprises me from time to time. "Oh, thank you, Minerva. You really astonished me, girl. No one talks about love anymore; it's a great mistake in modern society. Why do you wish me such ancient feelings?" "Because it seems appropriate to say that, Patriarch. Am I wrong?" "Oh, not at all. Call me 'Lazarus.' But tell me, what do you know about love? What is love?" "Lazarus, there are many interpretations of your second question in Classical English; it cannot be clearly explained in Grakta. I need to put the meaning of 'like' in the definition of 'love' Shall we remove it first?" "What? Of course. We're not talking about 'I love apple pie,' or 'I love music.' We're talking about the 'love' you used in your old-fashioned blessing." "Agreed, Lazarus. The remaining definitions fall into two categories, 'sex' and 'big love', which must be elaborated separately. I have no way of knowing what 'sex' is from actual experience, since I have neither body, Nor was there an erotic drive to experience it. I had no other means than to define its connotations in other terms, or to determine its extensions with incomplete statistics. But in neither case I could Validate those definitions because I don't have a gender." ("No wonder," I thought to myself, "she's a she-cat named Haru." But technically, she's right. I've often regretted Minerva's inability to experience the joys of sex , she is better suited to enjoy sex than many real women. Those women have all the organs, but can't understand other people's feelings. But I have never talked to anyone about this. Animism is completely inapplicable here. The idea and It's as absurd as a little boy digging a hole in the garden and then yelling at the hole because there's no way to move it home. Lazarus is right; I'm not smart enough to manage a planet. But who can Woolen cloth?) Lazarus showed keen interest, saying, "Let's put 'sex' aside for a moment. When you talk about sex, Minerva, you seem to be assuming that you can experience 'big love.' Or 'have this ability', or 'experienced'." "Perhaps I speak a little presumptuously, Lazarus." Lazarus interrupted her with a snort, and then began to speak in a strange way.I couldn't help but wonder in my heart, is there something wrong with this old man's spirit?But is my own mind completely normal?It could also be because he's lived so many years that he has mastered telepathy - even with machines. "Forgive me, Minerva," he said softly, "I didn't mock you, I was referring to the words you used in answering your question. I withdraw my question; Inappropriate—maybe you're not a woman, dear, but you're certainly a lady." He turned to me, and his next words indicated that he had begun to speculate on the secret between me and my "little scumbag". "Ella, does Minerva have the potential to transform?" "What? Of course." "If you're telling me that it's true that you want to emigrate, that you're determined to emigrate no matter what happens—then, I urge you to let her use this potential and complete the transformation as soon as possible. Have you given this matter much thought?" "'Have you thought about it'? I've made up my mind—I told you." "I'm not talking about immigration. I don't know who owns the hardware for this machine called 'Minerva', I'm guessing it's the council. But I suggest you get her to start duplicating her memory bank and logic process , After the copy is complete, store another one of her on my spaceship 'Dora'. Minerva should know what kind of circuits and materials she needs, and Dora should know how much storage space she has. The space should be enough, memory Libraries and logic processes don't use much storage space; Minerva doesn't need to replicate her extended memory. Please start working on this now, Ira; after a century or so of relying on her, you'll be in trouble if you lose Minerva now -" I think so.But I tried to refute him, albeit weakly, "Lazarus, I would like to start emigrating immediately, no more than ten years from now. But since you have agreed to undergo the entire rejuvenation process, for the foreseeable future, I will not inherit your ship." "So what? As long as I'm dead, you'll inherit—and I'm not promising not to use that kill switch after a thousand days, no matter how patiently you visit me. But if I live, I promise to let you - and Minerva - free to travel to any planet you choose. Now please look to your left - our Ishtar nearly took off her panties to get your attention Yes, although I don't think she's wearing panties." I looked around.The director of Huichun held a piece of paper in her hand, and she wanted me to see it very much.I told my deputy not to disturb me by anything other than an armed riot in the course of my conversation with this elder.But considering her position, I took the paper anyway.I glanced at it, signed it, stamped it, and handed it back—she was beaming with joy. "Just some paperwork," I told Lazarus. "The clerks have translated your approval of the process into written orders all this while. Do you want them to start right away? Not now, but tonight." "Well... I'm trying to find another house tomorrow, Ella." "Are you uncomfortable here? Tell me what you need to change and I'll fix it right away." He shrugged. "It's fine here, but it's too much like a hospital, or a prison. Ella, I'm sure they did more than just change my blood; I'm in great shape now , can be an outpatient, live somewhere else, and come back here when the treatment plan calls for it." "Okay...can I speak to them in Grakta? I want to discuss this with the healer in charge." "Ayla, may I remind you that there is a lady waiting for your answer right now? You and the healer can discuss it later. Minerva heard my suggestion to you to make her copy herself so that She'll be able to immigrate with you - but you haven't said yes or no, or offered a better suggestion. If you don't want her to do that, better tell her before she blows her own circuits, put This portion of the record of our conversation is expunged." "Oh. Lazarus, she's not going to give any thought to the recorded conversations that took place in this room unless I specifically tell her to." "Want to make a bet with me? For the most part, she's no doubt going to do it that way. But this one, she's going to have to think about it; she can't help it. Don't you know anything about this girl?" ?" I admit that I don't know much, "But I do. I gave her clear instructions on how to record the conversation with you." "Let's see. Minerva—" "I'm here, Lazarus, what's the matter?" "Just now, I asked Ella about your transformation abilities. Have you considered our conversation since then?" I swear she hesitated—absurd; her nanosecond was longer than mine.And, she never hesitated.there has never been. She replied: "Regarding your question, the principles of my procedural regulations are as follows: Beginning of the quotation marks - No analysis, comparison, transmission, and in any way processing of the Information recorded under the control program - end of quotation mark." "Shh, shh, dear," said Lazarus softly, "you didn't answer. You avoided the question on purpose. You're not used to lying, though. Are you?" "I'm not used to lying, Lazarus." I said almost rudely: "Minerva! Answer the first question of the ancestor." "Lazarus, I have been and am thinking about that part of the conversation you are referring to." Lazarus raised his eyebrows and looked at me. "Can you instruct her to answer my other question—truthfully?" My heart was pounding.Minerva did surprise me from time to time—but she never shied away from the questions. "Minerva, always give a complete, accurate and timely answer to any questions the ancestor asks you. Confirm the program revision." "Received a new sub-program, which has been stored in the permanent memory bank, started by the ancestor, and the program modification has been confirmed, Ayla." "Son, you don't have to do this—you'll regret it. I'm just asking one question." "That's what I'm going to do, sir," I said through gritted teeth. "That's up to you. Minerva, if Ella doesn't bring you to immigrate, what will you do?" She replied without any hesitation, and her tone was extremely flat: "In this case, I will edit the program to destroy myself." I wasn't just surprised, I was like, "Why?" She replied softly, "Ella, I will serve no one but you." The silence that followed was no more than a few seconds, but it felt as if it would last forever.I have never felt so helpless since puberty. The ancestor was looking at me, and he shook his head, looking a little sad, "Son, how did I tell you? The same shortcomings, the same advantages—but they are all magnified. Tell her what to do." "About what?" I asked stupidly.My own "computer" - my brain - was no longer functioning properly.Would Minerva do that? "Wake up! She heard my suggestion and, in violation of procedure, considered it. I regret making it in her presence...but I'm not guilty because it was you who ordered them in Manipulated on me, against my will. So please speak up! Tell her to copy... or not to copy. If it's the latter, tell her why you can take her and not- I've never found an ideal answer to a woman's acceptance of this type of question." "Oh. Minerva, can you duplicate yourself in a ship? I mean the ship of the Patriarch. Maybe you can look up her characteristics and specifications from the records of the space station. You need her registration number?" "I don't need it, Ella. I have all the information about the spaceship 'Dora'. I can find her. Did you instruct me to do so?" "Yes!" I told her, feeling relieved when I was done. "New program up and running, Ella! Thank you, Lazarus!" "Ah! Wait a minute, Minerva. Dora is my ship, and I put her in a dormant state on purpose. Have you awakened her?" "Yes, Lazarus, by self-programming under new programming instructions. I can now put her back into hibernation; I've got all the data I need." "If you tell Dora to go back to sleep, she'll tell you to go away. She's sure to say that, and it's the lightest thing. Dear Minerva, you've done a big mistake. You have no right to wake up My spaceship." "Sir, I am very, very sorry, but I do not agree with you. I have the power to take any appropriate action to carry out the orders given to me by the acting Mr. Patriarch." Lazarus frowned. "You're confusing her, Ella; you've got to make her understand. I can't help her." I sigh.Minerva was rarely this difficult.But as long as she becomes like this, she will be more stubborn than humans. "Minerva—" "Awaiting your orders, Ella." "I'm the acting patriarch, you know what that means. But Patriarch is higher than me. You can't touch anything about him without his permission. This includes his spaceship, this suite and everything else that belongs to him Things. You must obey any of his instructions. If there is any conflict between his instructions and the instructions I give you, if it cannot be resolved, you must report to me immediately, and wake me up even if I am sleeping; Whatever you are doing, report to me immediately. You cannot disobey his order. This order has priority over all other programs. Confirm the program modification." "Confirmed and working," she replied meekly. "Sorry, Ella." "It's my fault, little bastard, not yours. I shouldn't have set you up with a new control program without emphasizing the privileges of the ancestors." “好了，孩子们，”拉撒路说，“反正没出什么事。密涅娃，亲爱的，我想给你一点建议。你从来没有当过飞船乘客吧。” "No, sir." “你会发现这和你以前经历的事都不一样。在这里，你以艾拉的名义发号施令。但是飞船的乘客从来不下命令。从来不。请你记住这一点。”然后拉撒路对我说，“多拉是一艘可爱的小飞船，艾拉，她很能干也很友好。只要你给她一点暗示，哪怕是最粗略的描述，她就能在茫茫天际找到自己的路——同时还会及时做好你的一日三餐。但是她需要得到赏识。宠爱她，告诉她她是个好姑娘，她就会像小狗一样在你身边蹭来蹭去。但如果你忽视她，她就会故意把汤撒在你身上，以此吸引你的注意力。” “我会注意的。”我说道。 “你也需要注意，密涅娃，因为你非常需要多拉的帮助，多于她需要你的。也许你知道的东西比她多——这我相信。但是你的设计目的是充当行星行政官员的助手，而她的设计目的是为了在飞船上发挥作用……所以一旦你登上飞船，你知道的东西就不重要了。” “我可以学习。”密涅娃伤心地说，“我可以立刻进行自我编程，在行星图书馆里学习航天学和飞船管理。我非常聪明。” 拉撒路再一次叹了口气，“你知道'麻烦'在古代中国的象形字里是怎么表达的吗？” 我承认我不知道。 “别费劲瞎猜了。就是'两个女人在一个屋顶下。'我们要遇到麻烦了。或者说，你要遇到麻烦了。密涅娃，你并不聪明，在与另外一个女人打交道时，你表现得很愚蠢。如果你想学习多维空间航天学——很好，但是不要从图书馆里学。说服多拉教你吧。但永远不要忘记，她才是飞船的女主人，别试图向她显示你有多聪明。请牢牢记住，她喜欢被人注意。” “我会努力的，先生。”密涅娃回答道，我极少听到她用这么谦恭的态度说话，“多拉现在想让您注意她。” “哎哟！她现在心情怎样？” “心情不太好，拉撒路。我没有告诉她我知道您在哪里，因为我有一条永久指令，不要在不必要的情况下讨论和您有关的事。我接收了一条要转达给您的信息，当然我没有向她保证我能把这条信息转达给您。” “做得好。艾拉，我的遗嘱文件里有一条，要在不损害多拉功能的情况下，消除多拉记忆里有关我的一切内容。可你从那个廉价旅馆里把我揪了出来，这么干引起的麻烦已经开始蔓延了。她醒了，所有的记忆完好无损，她可能吓坏了。密涅娃，什么消息？” “这个消息有几千字，拉撒路，但主要的意思很短。您想先听听这个吗？” “好的，先概括地讲讲。” “多拉想知道您在哪里，什么时候去看她。剩下的就是一些象声词和没有什么实际语义但却充满感情的词——我指的是用几种语言表达的咒骂……” “哎哟，天哪。” “——其中还有一种语言我听不懂，但根据上下文和说话的方式，我推测话的意思大致相同，不过语气更强烈一些。” 拉撒路的一只手捂在脸上。“多拉在用阿拉伯语骂人。艾拉，这比我想象的更糟糕。” “先生，您是否需要我复述一下不在我语汇库中的那种语言？或是想听完整的留言？” “不，不，不！密涅娃，你骂人吗？” “我从来没碰到什么事需要骂人，拉撒路。但多拉骂人的技巧给我留下了深刻印象。” “别责怪多拉；在她还小的时候，她受到了很坏的影响。我的影响。” “允许我把她的信息保存在我的永久记忆库里吗？这样在需要的时候，我也可以骂人了。” “不允许。如果艾拉想让你学骂人的话，他会自己教你的。密涅娃，你能否在我的飞船和这个套间之间连上电话线？艾拉，我还是现在就处理这件事比较好；情况不会自己好转的。” “拉撒路，如果你需要，我可以为你装上标准的电话线路。多拉还可以通过套间里我使用的对讲系统立即与你通话。” “哦。好的！” “是否需要我提供全息图像信号？或者光是声音信号就足够了？” “声音就够了。你们也能听到吗？” “如果你允许的话，拉撒路。但如果你希望，你也可以进行私人通话。” “留在这里吧；我也许需要一个裁判。连上她吧。” “老板？”一个羞怯的小女孩的声音传了出来。这声音让我想起一个膝盖擦破了皮、胸部还没有发育好、长着一双悲伤的大眼睛的女孩。 拉撒路回答道：“我在这里，乖乖。” “老板！上帝诅咒你这个恶心家伙下地狱！——你一个人跑掉，还不让我知道你去了哪里，你到底什么意思？你这个污秽的、满身红点的——” "Shut up!" 羞怯小女孩的声音又回来了，“是，是，船长。”声音听上去有些不满。 “我去哪里、什么时候走、待多长时间都与你无关。你要做的事就是驾驶飞船、整理家务，仅此而已。” 我听到了抽泣的声音，像小孩在抽鼻子。“是，老板。” “你应该在睡觉，是我把你放到床上的。” “有人叫醒了我。一个陌生女人。” “那是个错误，但你对她说了不礼貌的话。” “嗯……我很害怕。我真的很害怕，老板。我醒了过来，以为你回来了……但是我找不到你，哪里都没有。嗯……她告我的状了？” “她把你的话转达给了我。幸运的是，你话里的大部分内容她都听不懂。但是我懂。我是怎么教你的？对陌生人要有礼貌。” “对不起，老板。” “对不起没用。可爱的多拉，现在听我说。我不会惩罚你；出了一些岔子，你被唤醒了。你很害怕，也很孤单，所以我们会原谅你。但你不该用那种方式对陌生人说话。那位女士——她是我的一个朋友，也想成为你的朋友。她是一台计算机——” "yes?" “亲爱的，她和你一样。” “那么她不会伤害我，对吗？我以为她在飞船里，四处查看。所以我大声叫你。” “她不仅无法伤害你，也永远不想伤害你。”拉撒路稍微抬高声音，“密涅娃！来，亲爱的，告诉多拉你是谁。” 接着传来了我的伙伴的声音，平静温和，“我是计算机，多拉，我的朋友叫我'密涅娃'，我希望你也这么叫我。非常抱歉唤醒了你。如果有人那样叫醒我，我也会吓坏的。”（在密涅娃被激活后的一百多年里，她从来没有“睡着”过。根据定好的时间表——我本人并不关心这个时间表——她身体的不同部位会轮换休息，而她自己总是保持着清醒。或者在我和她说话时她立刻清醒起来，让我觉察不到她是否在休息。） 飞船计算机说道：“密涅娃，你好。很抱歉我对你说了那样的话。” “不管你说了什么，亲爱的，我已经不记得了。我把你的话转达给船长了，并把它们从我的记忆中删除了。我想这些是私人信息。” （密涅娃说的是实话吗？在她受到拉撒路的影响之前，我相信她不知道怎样撒谎。但现在我不敢确定了。） “很高兴你删除了那个信息，密涅娃。很抱歉我对你说了那样的话。老板都为这个对我发火了。” 拉撒路打断了她们的对话，“行了，行了，亲爱的——别再说了。你能做个乖女孩，继续睡觉吗？” “我必须睡觉吗？” “不，你甚至不需要放慢运行速度。但在明天下午之前，我不能去看你，甚至不能与你交谈。我今天很忙，明天我会去找房子。你可以醒着，用你选择的方式打发无聊时间。但如果你虚构紧急情况想引起我的注意，我会打你的屁股。” “老板，你知道我从来没那么做过。” “我知道你会那么做，小淘气鬼。只要不是有人试图强行进入飞船，或是飞船起火，打扰我的话，你会后悔的。如果我确定是你自己放的火，你会得到双倍的惩罚。亲爱的，你为什么不在我睡觉的时候也睡觉呢？密涅娃，你能把我睡觉、起床的时间告诉多拉吗？” “当然，拉撒路。” “但这并不意味着你可以在我醒着的时候打扰我，多拉，除非出现真正紧急的情况。不要搞紧急演习，这是飞行时的日常事务；我们现在是在地面上，而且我很忙。嗯……密涅娃，你的多任务处理能力如何？你会下国际象棋吗？” 我插话道：“密涅娃有足够的处理时间可以分享。” 没等我说出她是塞昆德斯国际象棋公开赛冠军，密涅娃就回答说：“也许多拉可以教我下象棋。” （密涅娃显然从拉撒路那里学会了有选择地说实话。我记了一笔，提醒自己必须和她严肃地谈谈了。） “我很愿意，密涅娃小姐。” 拉撒路放松下来，“好的，你们两个女孩互相熟悉了。小可爱，明天之前就这样吧。你可以走了。” 密涅娃告诉我们飞船已经下线，拉撒路松弛下来。密涅娃回到她的记录工作上，不再作声。拉撒路带着歉意说：“别为她的孩子气生气，艾拉；从这里到银河系中心，你再也找不到比她更精明的飞船驾驶员，或是更干净的飞船管家了。出于某种特别的原因，我让她变成了这个样子，成了一个长不大的孩子。等你成了她的主人，这些原因就不再适用了。她是个好女孩，真的，像一只你一坐下来就跳到你腿上的小猫。” “我觉得她很有魅力。” “她是个被宠坏了的小姑娘。但这不是她的错。我是她唯一的同伴，而我厌倦了只能机械地玩弄数字、温顺得像计算尺一样的计算机。长途旅行时没有伴是很痛苦的。我想让你和伊师塔说说我找房子的事。告诉她，我不想违反规定，只是想松快点，仅此而已。” “我会告诉她。”我转向回春主管，开始说格拉克塔语，问她在首长官邸里彻底消毒一个套间并装上供监护者和访问者使用的净化设施需要多长时间。 没等她回答，拉撒路就插话道：“哎！等一等。你在蒙我，艾拉。” “您说什么，先生？” “你在偷牌。英语的'净化'这个词和格拉克塔语是一样的。消毒对我来说不是什么新鲜事；我的嗅觉没那么差。当一个姑娘靠近我时，我能闻到香水味道。如果我连姑娘身上的香水也闻不到，只能闻到消毒剂的气味的话，那还有什么意思呢？密涅娃！” “是，拉撒路？” “今天晚上我睡着的时候，你能否利用可供分享的处理时间，给我培训一下格拉克塔语中最基本的九百个单词？多少个单词你自己定。你能办到吧？” “当然，拉撒路。” “谢谢你，亲爱的。一个晚上应该能完成了。我希望每天晚上都学些词汇，直到我们双方都认为我的格拉克塔语水平已经足够好了。这样行吗？” “可以，拉撒路。就这么办吧。” “谢谢你，亲爱的，我的话完了，你下去吧。现在，艾拉，你看到那扇门了吗？如果我的话音不能让它打开的话，我会去把它砸烂。如果我砸不烂的话，我会去检查一下那个自杀开关是不是真的接通了——我自己会试的。因为，如果那扇门开不了，我就成了这里的囚犯。因此，我以自由人身份向你作出的那些保证就都不算数了。如果我的话音真的能打开那扇门，我和你打赌，门后一定有一个消毒室，里面配备了相关人员，随时可以工作。赌注随你说，为了更吸引人一些，就一百万银币吧？不，你一点都没有畏缩；那就加到一千万银币吧。” 我相信我没有畏缩。我自己从来没有那么多钱，一个代理族长已经不习惯考虑自己有多少钱了；因为不需要。我已经有一段时间没有问密涅娃我的账户上还有多少钱了。也许有几年了吧。 “拉撒路，我不会和您打赌。是的，外面是有一个消毒室；我们想在不引起您注意的情况下，保护您不会感染上其他疾病，但看来没能瞒过您。至于那扇门，我还没有检查过——” “孩子，你又撒谎了。你不擅长撒谎。” “——但如果您的话音现在还不能打开它，这是我的疏忽；您让我一直很忙。密涅娃，如果老祖的话音不能打开这个套间房门，请立即更正。” “他的话音可以打开，艾拉。” 听了她的表述，我放心了——也许一台知道何时才能讲真话的计算机会成为一个更好的伙伴。 拉撒路狡黠地笑了起来，“是吗？下面我要测试一下你刚才匆忙灌输给她的那个超优先级程序。密涅娃！” “等待您的指令，老祖。” “把我套间的门设置成只能由我的话音开启。我要出门到处转转，艾拉和其他这些人要锁在里面。如果我在半小时内没回来，你把锁给他们打开。” “矛盾出现，艾拉。” “执行他的命令，密涅娃。”我尽力使自己的声音听起来平静安详。 拉撒路笑了笑，坐在椅子上没有动，“没有必要看谁能开门了，艾拉；外面没什么我想看的。密涅娃，你可以让这扇门恢复正常了——所有人的话音都能打开，包括我的在内。对不起，让你面对这样的矛盾，亲爱的；我希望没有烧坏什么元器件吧。” “没出什么事，拉撒路。接收到那个超优先级程序后，我加大了处理问题的网络过载容量。” “你是个聪明姑娘，以后我会注意不让这种矛盾产生的。艾拉，你最好取消那个超优先级程序；这对密涅娃不公平。她会产生一女二嫁的感觉。” “密涅娃能处理这个。”我向他保证，态度比我感觉的更镇定。 “你把球踢给了我，但我会处理好的。你告诉伊师塔我要出去找房子了吗？” “还没说到这个。我刚才在和她讨论让您住在首长官邸的可行性。” “噢，艾拉，首长官邸对我没有吸引力，到别人家寄居更不好，主人和客人都麻烦。明天我会找一家舒适的、不接待旅游者和会议的希尔顿饭店。然后我会到空间停靠站见多拉，安抚安抚她，让她平静下来。接下来的几天，我会在郊区找一所足够自动化的小房子——但要有自己的花园。一定要有花园。如果有必要，我会多花点钱从别人手里把房子买过来；我要住的房子里不能空荡荡的。你知道我在哈里曼信托基金里还剩多少钱吗？如果还有的话。” “我不知道，但钱不是问题。密涅娃，为老祖建立一个提款账户，没有限额的。” “知道了，艾拉。已经建好。” “拉撒路，您不会成为任何人的麻烦。另外，只要您不去对外开放、处理公共事务的房间，您也不会觉得首长官邸太过富丽堂皇。我自己就不去那些地方。您也不会成为谁的客人。那里被称为'首长官邸'，但官方称谓是'族长住宅'。您是住在自己家里。硬要说谁是客人的话，那个人应该是我。” “你在胡说八道，艾拉。” “是真的，拉撒路。” “别玩文字游戏了。在一座不真正属于我的房子里，我仍旧是个陌生人，一个客人。我不同意你的话。” “拉撒路，您在——昨天晚上——”还好我及时想起了，对他来说，时间只过了一天——“说您总是可以和一个按照自己的利益行事的人打交道。” “我想我说的是'一般来说'，而不是'总是'。也就是说，我们有可能想出一个符合我们双方利益的办法。” “那么请听我说。您用山鲁佐德的赌注绑住了我，加上那个找到能激发起您兴趣的新奇事物的研究。现在，您又在我鼻子下面摇晃着诱饵，让我巴不得立刻开始移民的进程；当然，对于家族全体移民的提议，理事委员会用不了多长时间就会否决它。祖父，每天赶到这里是件很麻烦的事；我没有艰苦跋涉的瘾头，在路上耽搁的时间占去了您留给我的有限的工作时间。另外，这还很危险。” “我一个人过日子就会危险？艾拉，我对一个人过日子相当有经验。” “是我的危险。被刺杀的危险。我在官邸里很安全；能在那所迷宫里找到路的家伙还没出生呢。在这个诊所里，我也相当安全。只要控制仪器不出问题，在路上往返的时候也比较安全。但是，如果我每天都到郊区的一栋没有警戒措施的房子里去，某个疯子迟早会发现这是个除掉我、拯救整个世界的好机会。他可能不会活着完成他的使命；我的警卫不会那么没用。但如果我一直戳在那里当靶子的话，他有可能在他们消灭他之前得手。不，祖父，我不想被刺杀。” 老祖看上去在认真考虑，但并没有被打动。“我认为，你的安全和方便只是你自己的利益所在。不是我的。” “的确是这样，”我承认道，“但请先看看我能拿出来的诱饵吧，看它们有没有吸引力。您住在官邸的确符合我的利益。在那里我可以很安全地拜访您，甚至比这里还安全；往返时间很短，可以忽略不计；如果有紧急事情发生的话，我甚至可以请求离开您半个小时，就在官邸里把事情处理了。这就是我的利益点。再说说您的利益点，先生：一座单身汉居住的乡村小屋，很小，只有四个房间，不是很现代化或很奢侈，位于一个可爱的花园之中。您对这个感兴趣吗？三公顷的园子，只有靠近房子的地方种了花，其他地方长满荒草。” “你话里有机关，艾拉。'不是很现代化'是什么意思？我说的是'自动化'，因为我的身体状态还不允许我做家务，但我受不了仆人或机器人那些反复无常的古怪行为。” “噢，那座小屋足够自动化；它只是没有很多时髦的多余功能。如果您希望简单些的话，可以不必配仆人。不过您是否可以允许诊所继续派人对您进行监护——如果监护医士能像这两位一样令人愉快、乖巧而不多嘴的话？” “嗯？这两个孩子还不错，我喜欢他们。我知道，诊所想时时刻刻盯着我，也许觉得我比某个只有三四百岁的顾客更有挑战性吧。这没关系。但你告诉他们，我想闻到香水的气味，或是人身上的清新气味，而不是消毒剂。我不是个爱挑剔的人。我想再问一次，你话里的机关是什么？” “这么喜欢提出不切实际的条件，您还说您不挑剔，拉撒路？那座小屋里有些旧书，堆得乱七八糟，因为最后一位房客的行为有些怪异。我有没有提到有一条小溪从园子里流过？它与屋边的一个小池塘相连——池塘不大，但您还是可以在里面游上几下。噢，我忘了说那儿有一只老公猫，他觉得自己才是那里的主人。您可能不会看到他，他仇视绝大多数人。” “如果他想一个人待着，我不会打扰他的；猫是很好的邻居。你还没有回答我的问题呢。” “至于说机关，拉撒路，我刚才描述的是我在首长官邸的房顶为自己修建的小屋，大约九十年前我决定在这个职位上干一段时间后动工兴建的。唯一的出口是一条垂直通道，位于几层楼下一个我通常居住的房间内。我总是找不出时间在小屋里住上一阵子，所以很欢迎您去住。”我站了起来，“如果您不愿意接受这个邀请，那么您可以认为我已经输掉了这个山鲁佐德赌局，您可以在任何时候使用那个终结开关。要是我为了迎合您的奇思异想而甘心成为别人暗杀的靶子的话，那我就活该下地狱。” “你给我坐回去！” “不用了，谢谢您。我已经提了一个合理的建议。如果你不接受，你可以按照自己选定的方式下地狱。我不会让你像海神一样骑在我的脖子上。我的忍耐力到此为止。” “我看出来了。你的遗传基因中有多少是我的？” “大约百分之十三，这个比例已经很大了。” “只有那么一点？我觉得还要多些。有时候你挺像我外祖父。我的自杀开关可以用了吗？” “如果你想用的话。”我竭尽所能用平淡的语气回答他，“你也可以跳崖，过程会长一些。” “我还是喜欢那个开关，艾拉；我讨厌在坠落的过程中改变想法。你能为我装上另外一个升降通道吗？这样我就不用经过你的房间了。” "No." “嗯？这很困难吗？让我们问问密涅娃。” “不是说我不能——而是我不想。这是一个不合理的请求。在我的休息室里换升降梯，对你来说没什么损害。难道我没说清楚吗？我不会再满足你的那些不合理的要求了。” “消消气，孩子。我接受你的建议。明天搬吧。别清理那些旧书了；我喜欢老式的装订起来的书，比阅读器或投影仪一类的东西更有味道一些。我很高兴你有胆量，而不是一味恭敬顺从。请坐吧。” 我坐了下来，装出一副很勉强的样子。我觉得开始能在某些方面把握住拉撒路了。虽然他对别人冷嘲热讽，但这个老家伙心里还是觉得别人和他是平等的……他的表现只是试图在别人面前占据主导地位——但他蔑视那些屈服于他的强权的人。所以唯一能做的就是向他还击，保持双方的力量平衡——我希望最后能上升到相互尊重的平衡状态。 从那以后，我始终没有改变我对他的看法。他对他的追随者也能表现出和蔼，甚至是慈爱如果追随者是孩子或是女人的话。然而，即便是孩子或女人，他仍然希望从他们身上看到胆量和勇气。他从不喜欢或信任卑躬屈膝的男人。 我认为他性格中的这个怪癖使他非常孤独。 现在，老祖一边考虑一边说：“在别人家里住一段时间也挺好。还有个花园。也许还可以找个地方弄张吊床。” “这样的地方有好几处。” “但是我占了你的地盘。” “拉撒路，那个屋顶上的地方大得很。如果我想那么做的话，完全可以在你看不到的地方再建一座小屋。但是我不想。我已经好几个星期没去那里游泳了。上一次我住在那里，至少是一年前的事了。” “那么，我希望你还能随时上来游泳，任何时候都可以，或者是做其他什么事。” “我会在未来的一千天里每天去那里，整天都待在那儿。你忘了我们打赌的事了吗？” “噢，那个赌啊。艾拉，你刚才抱怨我的古怪要求浪费了你宝贵的时间。你想解脱吗？我是指这个赌局，而不是别的事。” 我朝他笑起来，“拉撒路，得了吧，你这么说是为了你自己。是你自己想从这件事里解脱出来。不行。我要把这个一千零一夜的故事记录在案，这以后你可以跳崖，把你自己淹死在水塘里，或者采用其他什么方法，但我不会让你假装为了帮我而逃避你的承诺。我越来越了解你了。” “是吗？连我自己都不了解我。如果你完全了解我，那么告诉我我是什么样的人；我很感兴趣。还有那个寻找新奇事物的任务，艾拉——你说你已经开始了。” “我没那么说，拉撒路。” “那么，也许你是这样暗示的。” “这也没有。想打赌吗？我们可以让密涅娃把我们的对话打印出来，如果有的话，我会接受你的惩罚。” “我们还是别让那位女士在对话记录上做手脚了，艾拉；她对你很忠诚，但对我不是。无论你下达了什么骗人的超优先级指令。” "coward." “我每次都是这样，艾拉；你认为我是靠什么活这么久的？我只在我肯定能赢、或是打算故意输掉赌局而达到真实目的的时候才打赌。好吧，你打算什么时候开始那项研究？” “我已经开始了。” “可你才说过——不，你没说过。你这个厚颜无耻的家伙。好吧，你的研究指向哪个方向？” “所有方向。” “不可能。就算假设你手下的所有人都能干这件事，你也没有那么多人手可用——况且人群中只有不到千分之一的人具有创造性的思维。” “这一点我完全同意。但你没想到那种和人类完全一样、只是放大了人类优缺点的造物。密涅娃是这个研究项目的总监，拉撒路。我和她详细讨论过这件事；她已经把事情安排好了。研究指向所有方向。” “嗯。好吧……是的。她有这个本事——我觉得她有这个本事，虽说连安迪·利比也会发现这个任务很难完成。她打算采用什么研究方法？” “这我不知道。要不要问问她？” “只有在她准备好接受询问的时候才能问她，艾拉。为了让人汇报工作进展而打断他们的工作，会让人觉得很烦。即使是安迪·利比，也时常因为别人打扰他的工作而恼怒不已。” “即使是伟大的利比，可能也不具备密涅娃的分时处理能力。绝大多数人的大脑都是线性的，我从来没听说过有谁可以同时干三件事。” “我听说过同时干五件的。” “真的？那你遇到的天才比我多。但我不知道密涅娃能同时处理多少项工作，只是从来没见她过载过。咱们还是问问她吧。密涅娃，为老祖找寻'新奇事物'的研究项目，你确定研究方法了吗？” “是的，艾拉。” “给我们说说。” “我初步设计了一个五维矩阵，也为可能的遗漏留出了辅助维度。目前这五个维度由九乘以五乘以十三乘以八乘以七十三组成——也就是说在增加辅助维度之前，有三十四万一千六百四十个不相关的类别节点。为了便于您检查，原始的三进制数为一二二逗号，一零零逗号，一二二逗号，一零零点零。需要我打印出十进制和三进制数吗