Chapter 33 Repeat VII from scratch
Staff Sergeant Theodore Branson noticed that Kansas City had changed—it was full of men in uniform and posters.Uncle Sam stares at him: "I want you in the U.S. Army." A painting shows a Red Cross nurse holding a wounded man on a stretcher as if he were a baby, with just one word: "Dedicated." .The sign of a restaurant reads: "We have witnessed all the days without meat, bread and joy." Many people's windows are hung on it. He saw five stars on the flag of the family, and saw Several flags have gold stars on them.
There were more cars on the street than he remembered.The tram was full of people, and many of the passengers were in uniform, as if people from Camp Funston and all the barracks or bases around had come to the city.Of course it wasn't true, he knew, but thinking of the crowds on the train where he had slept most of the night last night, it seemed to be true again.
That "special army train" was almost as dirty as the cattle train, and slower than that.Again and again it swerved onto the side rails to avoid a truck, and once to avoid a troop carrier.Lazarus arrived in Kansas City in the late morning, tired and dirty—and he left the barracks spruced up and refreshed.Luckily he had an old crumpled handbag with him.He plans to get his face rejuvenated before meeting the family who "adopted" him.
Waving five-dollar bills in front of the train station, he found a taxi.The taxi driver insisted on taking three more passengers after asking him where he was going.The taxi was a Ford compact, like his own, only in much worse condition.A piece of glass that separates the front and rear seats (a feature that earned the car its name as a "luxury car") has been removed, and the rear compartment's foldable roof looks as though it's collapsed.But there are five people in the car, and everyone still has luggage on their knees, so it is still necessary to ventilate more.
The driver said: "Sergeant, I will take you off first. Where are you going?"
Lazarus said he wanted to find a hotel near Thirty-first Street on the South Side.
"You're such an optimist—it's hard to find a hotel in town. Let's try. How about getting the others off first?"
Finally, Lazarus ended up at a hotel near Thirty-first Street and the Main—“for long or short stays—all rooms and suites with baths.” The driver said, “This place is too expensive—but either Stay here, or we'll have to go back to town. No, see if they let you live before paying me. You're going overseas?"
"That's what I heard."
"Then your fare is a dollar; I don't tip a guy who's going 'over there'—I have a kid 'over there.' Let me tell that receptionist."
Ten minutes later, Lazarus was lying in a bathtub for the first time since April 6, 1917.Then he slept for three hours.After his internal clock woke him up, he changed into a clean suit from the inside out and put on his best military uniform (he had his trousers reshaped at the hip to fit better at the knee).He went downstairs to the lobby and called his home.
It was Carol who answered, and she screamed. "Ah! Mom, it's Uncle Ted." Maureen Smith's voice was serene and warm. "Where are you now, Sergeant Theodore? Little Brian is going to pick you up."
"Please thank him for me, Mrs. Smith, but I'm at a hotel by the Thirty-first Street trolley stop; I can get home before he comes here—if you welcome me."
"'Welcome'? Why do our adopted soldiers talk like that! You shouldn't be staying in a hotel; you must be staying here. Brian—I mean my husband, Capt. Live together. Didn't he tell you that?"
"Ma'am, I only saw the captain once, and it was three weeks ago. As far as I know, he didn't know I was on leave." Lazarus added, "I don't want to trouble you."
"Hey, hey, hey, Sergeant Theodore, don't talk about that. Just after the war broke out, we changed the workers' room downstairs—it was my sewing room, and that's where you and Woodrow played chess. place—turned it into a guest house so the captain could take an officer brother home for the weekend. Shall I tell my husband you refuse to live there?"
"Graceful mistress of the Captain's house, I would very much like to live in your sewing room."
"That's pretty much it, Sergeant. I was just wondering if I should spank someone's ass."
Little Brian was waiting at Benton Station, George stood beside him like a footman, Carol and Mary sat in the back of the car.George snatched the handbag and kept carrying it; Mary screamed, "My God, Uncle Ted is so pretty!"
Carroll corrected her: "Should be handsome, Mary. A warrior is supposed to be handsome, not 'beautiful.' Right, Uncle Ted?"
Lazarus held Mary under the armpit, picked her up, and kissed her on the cheek. "Technically true, Carroll, but if Mary thinks I'm beautiful, it's fine to describe me as 'beautiful'. What a huge welcome committee - am I going to run after the car?"
"You sit in the back, with the girls." Brian arranged, "but look at this first!" He pointed at something. "Put your foot on the gas pedal! Awesome! Right?"
Lazarus agreed, and took a moment to look at the car.The car is in better condition than when he left it, clean from the spokes to the roof.In addition to the gas pedal, there are other new additions to the car: a fancy radiator cover; rubber cleats on the footboards; an extra rack at the rear for the spare wheel with a cover on it a patent leather cover; a clothes rack in the trunk with a knee-covering blanket neatly folded; and — the finishing touch — a cut glass vase holding a single red rose . "Is the engine as well maintained as the rest?"
George opened the hood of the car.Lazarus looked at it and nodded appreciatively, "You can check it with white gloves."
"That's what Grandpa did," Brian said. "He said we couldn't drive it if we didn't take good care of it."
"You guys are really well maintained."
Lazarus had one arm around the bigger girl and the other around the smaller girl.This greeter spec is nothing short of royal treatment.Grandpa was waiting on the front porch, and came out along the path to meet him.Lazarus suddenly changed the image of the old man in his mind: this old soldier was wearing a military uniform, and he looked as if he was a foot taller, looking tough and upright.Ribbons on the breast, armbands on the sleeves, cloth leggings wrapped around the legs with great care, and a tall, wide-brimmed military cap.
Lazarus helped Carol get out of the car, and when he turned around, Mary had already jumped to the front.Grandpa paused for a moment, and then gave a big military salute to Lazarus. "Welcome home, Sergeant!"
Lazarus also exaggeratedly returned a military salute. "Thank you, Sergeant; I'm glad to be here," he added. "Mr. Johnson, you didn't tell me you were a Quartermaster Sergeant."
"Those socks have to be counted. I agree to go—"
The following words were lost in Woody's clamor. "Hey, Uncle Sergeant! You want to play chess with me."
"Of course, my chess mate," agreed Lazarus, his attention drawn to two other things: Mrs. Smith standing by the open gate, and a service flag in the porch window.Three stars—three?
Grandpa urged him to enter the house quickly, saying that he had to practice tonight and had to have dinner early.Nancy kissed him, openly, without first asking her mother for permission - and then Lazarus had to pick up Dick and kiss him, followed by little Ithel (she would be gone).Finally, Maureen reached out her slender hand and pulled him towards her, brushing her lips across his cheek. "Sergeant Theodore . . . it's good to have you home."
A dinner party is a raucous but well-organized circus.The grandfather sits on the main seat on behalf of his son-in-law, and his daughter sits at the other end to preside over the overall situation.Maureen has always maintained a dignified and serene demeanor. Since Lazarus helped her pull out the chair and let her sit down, she has managed everything in order without even standing up.Lazarus sat in the guest seat to her right.All chores are handled by the three older daughters.Ithel is on her mother's left, in a high children's chair, in the care of George.Lazarus later learned that the work was carried out in rotation by the eldest of the five children.
By wartime standards, it was an extravagant dinner.Warm, golden cornbread takes the place of white bread (which happens to be off today).There are strict rules at the table, supervised by Nancy and Little Brian, requiring everyone to eat what they want.From time to time someone reminds everyone to remember the Belgians who are starving.Lazarus didn't care what he ate, but he didn't forget to appreciate the chefs (three) and tried to respond to what was being said to him - which was almost impossible because Brian and George wanted to tell him that they How the Boy Scout Troops went out into the field to collect walnut and peach pits, and how many of them would be needed for a gas mask; while Mary boasted that she could weave as well as George, and that she never lost a needle! —and how many square feet a blanket would cost; and Grandpa wanted to talk to Lazarus about his work, and he had to stop everyone sternly in order to interject.
Maureen Smith seemed to feel that she had no need to speak.She is smiling and looks happy.But Lazarus realized that under the calm exterior, she was very tense inside.It's the tension of caring for a loved one; it's a feeling that has a long history, the same as ours. (Is it for me, dear? No, of course not. I wish I could tell you that Papa will be home safe and sound. But how can I convince you? You're going to have to be like Penelope Same, until the last minute. Sorry, dear.) "I'm sorry, Carol, I didn't catch you."
"I said just now that you're going to 'over there' soon, but it's really unreasonable to let you go back to the barracks so soon!"
"Carroll, during the war, this vacation has been very long. It just takes too much time to travel to and from. I have not been sent overseas, so I don't enjoy special treatment."
There was silence at the table, and the older boys looked at each other.
Ella Johnson broke the silence by saying softly, "Sergeant, the kids know what it means to give you time off when it's not the weekend. They don't talk about it; they're very disciplined. My son-in-law Decided — and I thought it was wise — not to hide from the children what was unnecessary.”
"But, Grandpa, when Dad is on leave he doesn't have to come back the next day. It's not fair."
"That's because little Brian's smart," he said, "and Dad usually rides back to the barracks with Captain Bozier in that big Ol Mamon Six, and it's a lot faster to drive back. Sergeant St. Uncle De, I can drive you back to the barracks. Then you can leave very late tomorrow night."
"Thank you, Brian, but that's not necessarily good. If I catch tomorrow night's train, we call it the 'Reveille Express,' I'll get back on time even if the train is slower. This time is important, I don't want to risk not coming back."
"I agree with Sergeant Branson," the grandfather added. "That's it, Brian. Ted can't be late. I think I should start too. May I go first, girl?"
"Of course, father."
"Sergeant Johnson, can I take you to the training ground? Or something?"
"It's the arsenal. No, no, Ted, my captain will pick me up and take me home when it's over; he and I get in early and leave late. Well, why don't you take Mo Lin went for a drive. She hasn't been out of the house for a week; she's getting pale."
"Mrs. Smith? It's my pleasure."
"We're all going!"
"George," said the grandfather firmly, "this is so that your mother can relax for an hour, without stress, without the noise of the children."
"Sergeant Ted agreed to play chess with me!"
"Woody, I heard what he said. He didn't say when he'd be off... besides he'll be here tomorrow."
"He promised to take me to the electronic park a long, long, long time ago, but he never took me there!"
"Woody, I'm sorry," Lazarus replied, "but the park wasn't open yet and the war broke out. We can't go until the war is over."
"But you said—"
"Woodrow," his mother said firmly, "don't talk about it. This is Sergeant Theodore's vacation, not yours."
"Don't be so hard on your face," continued the grandfather, "or we'll set up a court-martial, and tie you to a flagpole and whip you. I'll leave the rest of the work to you, Nancy, my dear. "
"But—" the eldest girl hesitated to speak.
"Father, Nancy's boyfriend's birthday is coming up, and he's not going to wait for someone to draft him. I think I told you. These young men are throwing him a surprise party tonight."
"Oh, remember--I almost forgot. That's a nice lad, Ted, and you'll like him. I'll correct you, Nancy, and you're off duty tonight. Carol?"
"Carol and I will take care of everything," Brian replied, "will you, Carol? I'll do the dishes tonight, Mary will dry them, and George will clear the table. Arrange for bedtime." With the roster, the emergency numbers are written on the blackboard - we know everyone's responsibilities."
"Then I'm leaving now." Nancy said, "Sergeant Ted, you will be here tomorrow, right?"
Lazarus went out to the side of the road and met with his grandfather's militia captain.When they entered the house again, Maureen had already gone upstairs.He seized the time to freshen up in the bathroom next to the previous sewing room.Fifteen minutes later, he took Mrs. Smith's arm and helped her into the front seat of the Ford compact.The fragrance from her body made him a little dizzy.
The car started; he got in and sat beside her. "Where do you want to go, Mrs. Smith?"
"Oh, go south. To a quieter place."
"Okay, go south." Lazarus glanced at the setting sun and turned on the headlights.He turned around and headed south.
"My name is not 'Mrs. Smith', though, Theodore . . . when we are alone."
"Thank you .Or take the Prospekt and go as far as Swope Park?Oh, I wish Maureen would stay with me and we'd drive him a thousand miles all the way!
"I love hearing you call my name, Theodore. Do you remember that place where you took the kids for a picnic not long before the war broke out?"
"Near the Blue River. You want to go there, Maureen?"
"Yes. If you don't remember the place, I can show you the way; I was the one who suggested a picnic there last time."
"We'll find it."
"It doesn't have to be there, just find a quiet place - one that doesn't require your full attention to drive."
"Good!" He drove up the road carefully, avoiding the ruts in the road.Finally, the road ahead turned into the flat grassland he remembered.He drove around, partly to steer the car out of the way, but mostly to see if anyone else was around.The headlights hit nothing but grass and trees - great!
He turned off the lights and engine, and put on the handbrake.
She opens the car door—stops abruptly.
She said in a brisk voice, "Woodrow, you little rascal! Sergeant Theodore! Look who's sleeping in the back of the car!"
"Sgt. Ted promised to take me to the electronic park!"
"Here we go, sweetheart; it's almost there. Now tell Mommy—are we going to take you home and put you to bed, or are you old enough to stay awake and go to Electronic Park?"
"Yeah, boy," Lazarus agreed, "go home or go to the electronic park?"
"Huh? Go to the electronic park!"
"Then sit back and we'll be taking you to the Electronic Park shortly."
"I want to sit in the front!"
"Kid, you can sit in the back and go to the electronic park, or sit in the back and let us drive you home and put you to bed. I can't drive with three people in front."
"Brian can!"
"Let's go home, Mrs. Smith. Woody can't even tell who's driving right now—he must be sleepy."
"No! I just fell asleep. Well, I'll sit in the back—go to Electronic Park."
"Mrs. Smith?"
"Let's go to Electronic Park, Sergeant Theodore. If Woodrow can lie down and sleep."
Woody lay down immediately; they closed the back door and Lazarus drove them out of there.When the sound of the engine in the car was loud enough to drown out the voices, Maureen said, "I have to make a phone call. Go back to where we turned, and go a little further and you'll see a grocery store—just On the way to Electronic Park."
"almost there."
They all went into the grocery store because Woody woke up too.Lazarus bought the little boy an ice cream cone, settled him down, and sat him down.Then he stepped forward to listen to Maureen's call.
"Carol, I'm mommy, honey. Did you just take stock of the zoo animals? ... Don't worry; the little villain is hiding in the backseat of the car and we're almost at the electronic park Found him. Yes, my dear, I am very happy. I will take Woodrow and not let this little rascal spoil our fun... sooner than I think; Woodrow will soon Sleepy, can't play with mom...I'm going to play every game, win at least one cupid in the playground...yes, as long as Mary can go to bed on time. Make fudge for the boys — No, don't make fudge anyway; keep an eye on the sugar ration. Make popcorn and tell 'em I'm sorry for worrying them. You older kids don't sleep, wait for Uncle Ted Come back and say goodnight. Goodbye, dear."
She thanked the clerk at the grocer with a demure smile, took Woody by the hand, and walked away unhurriedly.
"The kids were playing games until it was time to put Woody to bed and he was gone. It was just a few minutes before I called them. They were concerned but not panicked yet. My little rascal Ghosts have also hidden themselves before. Theodore, you may not have prepared for the cost of the electronic park in advance, are you willing to temporarily put down your pride and self-esteem and let me help you?"
"I will, if I need help; I don't have that useless pride and self-respect. I have enough money, it's true. If it's not enough, I'll let you know."
Taking Woody and his mom to the electronic park is actually more fun than Lazarus imagined.He didn't hate amusement parks, and would be anywhere with Maureen.The problem was that in public, he had to treat Maureen as "Mrs. Smith."
Surrounded by people, he found Maureen smiling and dignified.The trick to doing this is to keep her outward image of the happy young housewife, with the kids, enjoying the evening innocently with their guests Theodore "cousin" and Ted "uncle."
They found a bench and sat down, but Woody would not let them rest.Lazarus sends Woody to ride a rocking horse.He paid the money and went back to the bench, only to find that Maureen's face was frosty. It turned out that a soldier was sizing her up.Lazarus touched the soldier's sleeve. "Go your way, private."
The soldier turned his head, ready to be provocative, then took a closer look and said, "Oh, I'm sorry, Sergeant. I didn't mean to offend you."
"You haven't. Let's see if you have better luck in another place."
Maureen said: "I don't want to scold a man in uniform, even when I have to. It's not the first time I've seen him like that, Theodore. He's not much, just look. No chance. I must be twice his age. I wanted to tell him, but I was afraid of hurting his feelings."
"The problem is that you look eighteen. Of course they want to see if you have a chance here."
"Honey, there's no way I look like I'm eighteen. My oldest daughter is over seventeen. If Nancy and her boyfriend get married before he joins the army—she wants to do it—Brian and I don't Will object - I'm going to be a grandmother next year."
"Hello, old woman."
"Fuck you. I'll enjoy being a grandmother."
"You certainly will, dear; I think you have a great capacity for enjoying life." (Me too, Mom!—I'm sure now, it's in both yours and your father's.)
Lazarus decided he was going to tell her the truth.
"Maureen, I'm not your half brother."
"Are you sure? Even if you're not, you're still my warrior. I was as proud of you as my father when you volunteered."
"I'm your champion, that's for sure. But . . . I want to know something first. Whom Nancy might marry—is he a Howard?"
"What did you say?"
"Is he on the Ira Howard Foundation approved list?"
He heard her hold her breath, "Where did you hear about the Foundation?"
"'Life is short.'"
"'Time is long,'" she replied.
"The days of evil are coming to an end."
"My God! I—I think I'm going to cry again!"
"Don't cry. What's the boy's name?"
"Jonathan Visaro."
"—of the Visalo-Sperling branch. Yes, I remember. Maureen, I'm not 'Ted Branson'. I'm Lazarus Long of the Johnson family. You family. I am your child."
For several minutes, she looked as if she couldn't breathe.Then she said softly, "I think I'm out of my mind."
"No, you're the strongest, healthiest man I've ever met. Let me explain, because I have to tell you something, and you have to believe me. Have you ever read Herbert George A novel called by Wells?"
"What? Ah, yes. Father has one."
"That's me, Maureen. Captain Lazarus Dragon, the time traveler."
"But that book—I thought it was just a...a—"
"Just a story. A story. But more than a story. Oh, not exactly what Wells foresaw. But that's me, a visitor from the future. I don't want anyone to suspect that; so I claim to be an orphan. Not only because what I say is difficult to prove, but any attempt to tell the truth will defeat the purpose of my trip.... My purpose is just to come to this era and take a good look at this era. I have Could be locked up like a lunatic, so I've been very careful to protect my mask."
"Theodore, it sounds like you really believe that."
"That is to say I sound sincere, but I must be crazy."
"No, no, honey, I—yes, that's what I meant. I'm sorry."
"No apology; it sounds a little crazy. But I'm not worried that you're going to send me to a mental hospital; I'm as safe with you as you are with me. But I've got to find a way to make you trust me It is indeed true...because I have something to tell you, something you have to believe. Otherwise it would be meaningless for me to take off the mask."
He stopped and thought.How to prove it?Say something that will happen in the future?He took the initiative to explain his identity for a purpose. In order to achieve this sole purpose, this must happen within a very short time range from now.But he didn't even have a brief idea of what was going to happen in that year; he didn't expect to be here before 1919, of which he knew so little that he even got the date of America's involvement in the war wrong.Lazarus, your sloppy way of doing things should be damned.Next time you do time travel, be sure to keep in mind all the events that happened in that era that Athena can provide-including events that happened in the long distance from the start date of the travel period.
Woody's memory doesn't help; Lazarus doesn't even remember being taken to the electronic park by a sergeant in uniform.Self-centered again, you brat!He remembered Electronic Park; Woody Smith had been there many times.But none of them stood out as special in his memory.
"Maureen, maybe you can think of some way for me to prove to you that I'm from the future. Think about what will convince you. But what I have to tell you is this: Brian - your husband, My forefather -- come back safe and sound. He'll go through those wars. Shells will fall around him, bullets will whistle past his ears -- but none of them will touch him."
Mrs. Smith gasped.After a long time, she said slowly: "Theodore... how do you know?"
"Because you two are my ancestors. It is impossible for me to remember the list of all the Howards of this era in the Foundation's records, but I have researched the materials of my ancestors, including those I may encounter. You, Brian, Brian's parents in Cincinnati. I speculate that Brian met you because he was there, and he found you on the Missouri list the Foundation gave him—not the Ohio list. These things, I sure don't know from you, Brian, or Ella, and your kids probably don't either. Well, maybe Nancy does; she must have asked lots and lots of questions. Is that so?"
"Well, yes, a few months ago. So, what you say is indeed true, Theodore. Or should I call you 'Lazarus'?"
"Call it whatever you want, honey. But I still haven't proven anything. My words only prove that I've seen the Foundation's files—probably last year, not sometime in the future. We still have to Keep looking for evidence. Well... I know one, it happened a few months from now - but I have to make you believe me tonight. So you don't shed any more tears on your pillow. But I don't know How to do."
"There is a proof in your womb, but it won't come out now. This is the last child Brian put into your womb--a boy, my dearest old lady, and you and Brian will put He was named 'Theodore Ella' - I am honored. When I read his name in the family records, I didn't realize it was because of my name, because I hadn't Think about your alias."
She sighed, "I want to believe you. But what if Brian wants to call him Joseph, or Josephine?"
"'Josephine' is not a boy's name. Honey, Brian will name the baby conceived in the war after two others on the service flag; the war is very important to him. Maybe he came up with it himself —I don't know. All I know is that 'Theodore Ira is the name you will register for him in the Foundation directory. And ten other ancestors of mine—Adele Johnson, of course, she is Your mother, Ella's wife, lives in St.Louis. She left Ella around the time of your marriage, but they didn't get divorced - which may have pissed him off a bit; but I don't think Ella would have abstained from it just because According to the law, his wife did not leave him."
"He didn't, dear. I'm sure my father had a—well, a mistress. Some nights he was supposed to be at the chess club, but he actually went to see her. By the way, it wasn't really a chess club; it was a pool hall .I didn't poke him because he called it that in front of the kids."
"He's playing chess there."
"Plays billiards too. Father's a good one. Go on, my dear—Lazarus. I'd like to believe you. Maybe we can think of something to prove it."
"Well, I don't want to go to your mother; I don't think I can get on well with her."
"I could only get along with her if I lied to her. My father supported me a lot more than she did, and I was his favorite kid. He showed that, which is why I was careful not to show that I Reasons for favoring Woodrow. Go on, Theodore. Lazarus."
"That's all my ancestors have to do with you. Except one. The kid in the back of the car. Maureen, I'm a descendant of you and Brian, through Woodrow."
She gasped. "Really? Oh, I hope it's true!"
"As real as we're going to pay our taxes, honey. That probably saved his life. I've never wanted to kill a kid more than I did when I found him hiding in the back of the car."
She chuckled. "I feel the same way, my dear. But if I wanted to whip a child, I wouldn't let the anger show in my voice."
"I hope I don't let the anger show, but I'm really angry. Let's turn our minds back to time travel; I'm still trying to figure out the proof. Then you'll see why I'm sure Brian will come back safe and sound. To keep you Worry no more, the proof has to be something that's going to happen very soon, and it has to happen before Woody's birthday."
"Why is it Woodrow's birthday?"
"Didn't I say that? This war ends on Woody's next birthday, November 11th," he added. "I'm sure of that, it's a big date in history. But, to convince you to stop worrying, I'm searching in my head for something that happened between now and that day - as fast as I can. But - oh my dear, I made a ridiculous Mistake. I was going to get here after this war was over. But I entered a wrong key number into my computer - just a small mistake, but made my arrival three years earlier. It's not her Wrong; she accepts any data I give her, and she is the most accurate of the computers that fly the ship. It's not a fatal mistake either; I'm not lost in my elbow travel, my ship will be here when I get there A full tenth Earth year later, in 1926, came to pick me up. But that's why I didn't study what was going to happen in the next few months. I wanted to avoid this war. I didn't come The study of war; history is full of wars of all kinds. I wanted to study people's lives."
"Theodore... I'm a little confused."
"Sorry, dear. Time travel itself is confusing."
"You talk about computers, I don't know what you mean...you say 'she' pilots a spaceship, what do you mean by spaceship? Will pick you up in... 1926? I don't understand what you're talking about What is it?"
Lazarus sighed, "That's why I never intended to tell anyone. But I must tell you—so that you don't worry. A spaceship is a ship that travels in space—with Julian It’s the same as that written in Jules Verne’s novels, but more advanced than that. She is an interstellar spaceship, and the planet I live in is far away from here. At the same time, she is also a time travel machine, which can travel in different times and spaces ...it's too complicated to explain. The computer is the brain of the ship - a machine, a very complex machine. My ship is called 'Dora', the machine that steers it - runs it - drives it , that is the computer, also called Dora; when I call her by that name, she responds to me. She is a very intelligent machine and can talk. Oh, and there are two astronauts on the spaceship, it is me Of course, they are also your descendants, and they look very much like you. It is necessary to set up astronauts. You cannot let a spacecraft fly in space by itself, unless it is an unmanned spacecraft, along the pre- Flying the calculated route. But Dora's job was extremely complicated, so Lazu and Laurie -- Rebis Razuli Long and Laurie Lee -- would tell Dora what to do, Then let Dora do it herself."
"Lazarus...how old are you?"
Lazarus hesitated. "Maureen, I don't want to answer that question. I'm much older than I look; Ira Howard's experiment was successful. Let me tell you about my family instead. It's your family too; we're all your descendants, one or the other. Two of my wives, and one of my co-husbands, are descended from Nancy and Woody."
"'Wives'? 'Cooperative Husbands'?"
“婚姻有很多种形式。在我住的地方，你不需要离婚或者死亡就能更换你爱的人。我有四个妻子和三个合作丈夫。我的妹妹，拉祖和劳瑞……她们可能会和我们家以外的人结婚，也可能会留在家里。
“我们有很多孩子。还有很多猫啊，狗啊，以及孩子宠爱的任何动物。这是一个真正的家庭，住在一所足够容纳一个大家庭的房子里。”
“我没法向你描述每一个家庭成员；时间不够，我们得把这个偷乘者送回家了。但我想给你讲一个人，因为你曾说你看上去不像十八岁。我想讲的那个人叫塔玛拉。她也是你的后代，是南希和她的乔纳森那个家族的子孙。想不想听听南希的第N代曾孙女的事？塔玛拉大约有二百五十岁了，我想——”
“二百五十岁？”
“是的。我的合作丈夫之一，艾拉·维萨罗，也是南希和乔纳森的子孙，但他同时也是伍迪的后代——他是以你的父亲命名的，不是艾拉·霍华德。艾拉有四百多岁了。莫琳，艾拉·霍华德的实验很有效果；我们的寿命很长，是从你和所有霍华德祖先那里遗传来的，但也是因为在彼时彼地，他们知道如何使一个人恢复青春。塔玛拉经历了两次回春手术，其中一次是最近做的，这使她看起来和你一样年轻。真的是重获青春——我离开的时候，塔玛拉又怀孕了。”
“但她外表怎样并不重要；塔玛拉是一剂治病的良药——我怀疑她是继承了你的特点。”
“西奥多——拉撒路，我又一次被搞糊涂了。一剂治病的良药？这么说，她就像那种用宗教信仰给人治医的人？”
“不是。就算塔玛拉有宗教信仰，她也从来没有提起过。塔玛拉宁静、快乐、祥和，每一个在她周围的人都如此强烈地感受到了她的这些特点——就像和你待在一起一样，亲爱的！——以至于他或者她也会感到幸福快乐。有人病了的时候，如果塔玛拉能抚摸他们和他们说话，或者和他们睡觉的话，他们就能很快地好起来。
“但是，我遇到塔玛拉的时候，她并不年轻。她很老了，而且在考虑就那样顺其自然，最后因衰老而死。但那时我病了，病得非常厉害，病到心里去了。于是伊师塔去找来了塔玛拉。伊师塔后来成了我的妻子，她是银河系中顶尖的回春高手。那时的塔玛拉肚子鼓着，乳房松驰；眼颊下面有眼袋，脸颊也垂下来了，完全是一个老年人。
“塔玛拉治好了我心里的病，仅仅和我待在一起就治好了我……不知怎的，这也重新燃起了她对生活的兴趣，于是她又进行了一次回春手术，重获青春。她已经为莫琳一南希这一族增添了一个小宝宝，现在她又怀孕了。你和塔玛拉是如此相像，但是——”拉撒路停顿了一下，皱了皱眉头，“莫琳，我真不知道怎么才能让你相信我讲的话。伍迪过第六个生日的时候你就会知道了。那一天，他们拉响每一个汽笛，敲响每一口大钟，报童喊着：'号外！号外！德国人投降了！'，但那已痉太晚了，帮不了你了。我想让你现在就不要担心！”
“我巴经不再担心了，亲爱的。你讲的听上去美极了……也不太可能。但我相信你。”
“你相信吗？我还没有找到证据呢；我只给你讲了一个表面上看绝不可能发生的故事。”
“但是，我相信你。等到伍德罗在十一月七日过六岁生日的时候——”
“不，是十一号！”
“是的，拉撒路。但你怎么知道他的生日是十一号？”
“这个，是你自己告诉我的。”
“亲爱的，我说过他是十一月生的；但我没说是哪一天。刚才我故意把它说错了——你立刻纠正了我。”
“嗯，也许是艾拉告诉我的。或者是孩子们中间一个。最有可能是伍迪自己。
“伍德罗不知道他的生日是那一天。不信你把他弄醒，问问他。”
“我们到家之前还是别把他弄醒吧。”
“我的生日是哪一天，亲爱的？”
“1982年7月4日。”
“玛丽的生日呢？”
“我想她九岁了。我不知道她的生日。”
“其他孩子呢？
"I have no idea."
“我父亲的生日呢？”
“莫琳，问这个有意义吗？1852年8月2日4日”
“亲爱的，称自己为'西奥多'的拉撒路，对于我的孩子，我严格地执行着一个原则：我会在尽可能长的时间里不让他们知道自己的生日，这样他们就不会宣扬自己的生日，有借口向其他人索要礼物。等到孩子要上学了，需要知道自己生日的时候，他们已经足够大了，可以告诉他们为什么这么做了。到那肘，我会直白清楚地告诉他们，：如果他们在生日以前告诉别人的话——就没有生日蛋糕，没有生日晚会。我还没有实施过这样的惩罚；他们都很聪明。”
“去年伍德罗还太小，这还不是问题；他的生日是作为一个惊喜到来的。他还是不知道自己生日的确切日期——所以我完全相信你了。拉撒路，你知道你直接的祖先的生日，因为你査过基金会的记录。但是，正因为你说不出我其他孩子的生日，我想我找到了证明。”
“你知道我可以看到基金会的资料，我完全可能是在去年看到的生日记录。”
“不对。为什么你要记住某一个孩子的生日。，然后跳过其他七个孩子？如果你不是对我父亲特别感兴趣的话称又怎么会记住我父亲的生日呢？这说不通，亲爱的。你打算寻找你的先祖，所以来的时候就准备好了。我不再相信你出现在我们教堂是件偶然的事了；你到那里是去找我——我很荣幸。你可能也是这样去找父亲的——在他那个台球厅的'象棋俱乐部'里。你是怎么做的？请了私人侦探？我不认为基金会的资料里有关于我们的教堂和那个台球厅的记录。”
“差不多吧。是的，善良的女先祖，我努力设法找到一种可以被大家接受的方式与你们会面。如果需要的话，我可能会花上几年的时间……因为我不能按响你们的门铃，然后说，'嗨，你好！我是你的后代。我能进去吗？'你可能会叫警察的。”
“我希望我不会叫警察，亲爱的。但还是谢谢你采取了一种更温和的方式。哦，拉撒路，我相信你说的每一句话，而且不再为布莱恩担心了；我知道他会回到我身边的！”
“莫琳，只要你能说服布莱恩……嗯，我会待到1926年8月份。”
“嗯……我会想出办法的，我想那么做！”她补充说，“你允许我告诉他吗？你是谁、从哪里来，还有未来世界、你说他不会受伤的预测？”
“莫琳，如果你愿意，你可以告诉任何人。问题是没有人会相信你。”
她叹了口气，“我想是的。而且，如果布莱恩真的信了你的话，相信他会安然无恙——他可能会不再小心照顾自己。他自愿为我们战斗，我愈到骄傲……但我不想让他冒不必要的风险。”
“我想你是对的，莫琳。”
“西奥多……我脑子里突然间装了这么多稀奇古怪的事情，我差点儿忘了一件事。既然我已经知道了你是谁——那么这儿既不是你的国家，也不是你的战争，你又为什么要自愿参军呢？”
拉撒路犹豫了一下，然后说出了实情：“我想让你为我骄傲。”
"Oh!"
“你说得对，我不属于这里，这也不是我的战争。但这是你的战争，莫琳。其他人为其他原因而战——而我要为莫琳而战。不是为了'让这个世界更民主更美好'。尽管同盟国会赢得战争，但它不会实现那个目标。我为莫琳而战。”
“噢！噢！我又要哭了——我忍不住。”
"Don't cry."
“好的，勇士。拉撒路，你会活着回来吧？你一定有办法知道答案”
“这个嘛，亲爱的，不用担心我。有人曾想用各种各样的方式杀我，但我还是比他们都活得长久。我是一只机警的老猫，周围又总是有一棵树可以爬上去逃命。”
“你没有同答我的问题。”
他叹了口气，“莫琳，我知道布莱恩会回家；这在基金会的资料里有记载。他会活很长时间，不要问我是多长时间，因为我不会告诉你。关于你的也是，我同样不会回答；知道太多未来的事情也不好。但是关于我？我不可能知道我的未来。资料里也没有相关记录。怎么可能有？这件事我还没做完呢。但我可以告诉你的是：这不是我经历的第一场战争，大约是第十五场。在其他战争中，他们没有打死我。想在这场战争中打死我，他们的动作必须非常快才做得到。亲爱的，我是你的勇士，我要为你去杀德国鬼子，而不是让他们来杀我。我会执行我的任务，但我不会做什么发疯的事来赢得一枚奖章——老拉撒路才不会干这种傻事呢。”
“就是说你不知道。”
“是的，我不知道。但我向你保证：不需要的时候，我不会伸出脑袋。跳进德国鬼子的战壕之前，我会先扔进一颗手榴弹。我不会因为一个德国鬼子看起来死了，就认为他已经死了——我会确认他死了；我不介意在一具尸体上再浪费一颗子弹，如果是个装死的人，我就更不介意了丨我是个老兵。一个士兵怎么才能成为老兵？要当悲观主义者。所有窍门我都知道。亲爱的，你已经不再为布莱悤担心了、如果再让你为我拒心的话，那未免太傻了。不要为我担心！”
她叹了口气，“我会努力的。如果你转过这条街，我们可以走普罗斯派克，然后穿过林伍德大道到本顿大道。”
“马上就到家了。我们来谈谈爱情吧，別谈战争了。说说我们的南希。基金会现在在执行关于怀孕的政策吗？对于第一次婚姻？”
“天哪！你真的什么都知道？”
“那还用说。我还是讲南希的事吧。如果乔纳森真去参战了——这我不知道——我可以向你保证，即便他丢了一只胳膊或者一条腿，他的睾丸没有受到任何伤害。虽说我没有关心你其他孩子们的生日，但我看了他们所有人的生育记录。乔纳森和南希会有很多孩子。也就是说他回来了——或者被拒绝了，没去参战。”
“这话很让人安心。有多少孩子？”
“你这个多事的小姑娘。我不会回答那个问题，也撤回关于怀孕政策的间题。”
“给你说件事，拉撒路——”
“亲爱的，你真想知道答案吗？如果不是为了说服你不要为布莱恩担心，所以必须说出实情的话；我还是愿意继续当'特德·布兰松'。我喜欢当你的'西奥多'。我不知道一个来自未来的神秘人会不会让你觉得跟'布兰松'在一起时一样自在，尤其是如果你把我看作隔了好几代的子孙。我在这里，就在你身边；不在遥远的未来。
“在我身边，而你甚至还没有出生呢，对吗？还有，在你的时间里，我早就死去了。你甚至知道我是什么时候去世的。你说过的，只是不肯告诉我。”
“哦，该死，莫琳；问这些是不对的，向你承认我是时间旅行者，只会造成这种后果。我不得不把真相告诉你。为了你。”
“对不起，拉——西奥多，我的勇士。我不会再问问题了。”
“亲爱的，我现在在这里，这一事实本身就说明你现在没有死，而我当然是已经出生了——掐我一下，你就会知道了。所有的'现在'都是一样的；这是时间旅行的基本法则。'现在'不会消失；'过去'和'未来'都是数学上的抽象概念；'现在'永远是这里的一切。至于是不是知道你去世——或者说将要去世的日期——我不知道。我只知道你过去曾经——已经——将要——有很多孩子，而且你活了很长时间……而且你的头发一直没有变白。但基金会失去了你的线索或者说以后会失去。基金会的记录里没有你死亡的日期。也许你搬了家，没有通知基金会。嗯，也许我回来了——将要回来——在你年纪很老的时候把你接到了特蒂尤斯。”
"where?"
“那是我的家。我想你会喜欢那里的生活的。你可以成天到处跑，穿着衣服，或者裸体——像法国明信片上的画一样。”
“我现在就能肯定，我准会喜欢那种生活。但身为一个老太婆，我不认为我会那样做。”
“你要做的就是让伊师塔给你做个回春手术。我告诉过你她对塔玛拉做过那样的手术……那会儿塔玛拉的乳房垂到了腰间，成了干瘪的袋子。但你看看现在的塔玛拉——我是指那个'现在'——她又怀孕了，年轻得像个小姑娘。但是，忘了这些事吧。如果它曾经发生过，那么它就会发生。妈妈，我可以确定，我不知道你去世的日期，而且我很高兴我不知道。你也应该高兴。我同样不知道我的死亡日期，为此我也很高兴。抓住今天，及时行乐！我们马上就要到家了，你刚才在讲一件什么事，然后我们就偏离了主题。是在讲塔玛拉吗？”
“哦，对了！西奥多，无论你家在哪里，回家的时候，你能不能随身带上些东西？或是只能带上你自己？”
“啊，不是只能带上我自己。我来的时候也带了衣服和钱。”
“我想给塔玛拉送个小礼物。可我不知道她会喜欢什么……我在现在，而她在那个美好的时代。你能猜猜她会喜欢什么吗？”
“嗯……塔玛拉会珍视你送的任何礼物。她知道她是你的后代，而且她是我们家所有人中最重感情的。礼物要非常小，是我即便在战壕里也能带在身上的东西，因为我随时可能舍弃任何我没带在身上的东西——我只能这样。不要珠宝。塔玛拉对钻石手镯不会比发卡更喜爱……但她会极度珍视一只发卡，只要我告诉她我见你戴过它。要小东西，要你用过的。这样吧，送她一副吊袜带吧！太棒了！你现在戴的这一副，把其中一条送给她。”
“我是不是应该送她一副全新的？哦，我可以先戴上一会儿，这样你就可以告诉她是我戴过的。但这一副——它们旧了，破了，而且今晚我出的汗都在上面。它们不新，也不干净。”
“不，不，就要其中的一条。我希望当我把它送给塔玛拉的时候，你芳香的体味还能留在上面；那会让塔玛拉很开心的。”
Got home.拉散路停稳了汽车，为莫琳打开车门。
“谢谢你，上士布兰松。你让我的儿子和我度过了一个美妙的夜晚。”
“你能拿上泰迪熊和丘比娃娃吗？我来抱我们的陪护人。”
艾拉·约翰逊和南希还没回家。小布莱恩接过拉撒路怀中软塌塌的孩子，把他抱上了楼。卡洛尔要跟着上去把伍迪放到床上，走前强烈要求“特德舅舅”在她下来之前别上床睡觉。乔治想知道他们去了哪里，都做了什么，拉撒路答应他过会儿告诉他。拉撒路利用这个短暂的时间来到房间内狭小的浴室，把自已修整了一番。
五分钟之后，拉撒路焕然一新，来到前屋，给乔治和小布莱恩讲述了这个晚上他们做的事情。他讲的每一句话都是事实。
卡洛尔下楼的时候，他刚刚开始，所以她也一块儿听了起来；然后史密斯太太也加入了他们。她和往常一样优雅，手里拿着一个小小的用薄纱纸包裹的包装盒。“这是给你的一个惊喜，上士西奥多——回到军营之前请不要打开它。”
“那么我最好现在就把它放到我的手提包里。”
“好的，先生。我想现在是该上床的时间了，孩子们。”
“是，妈妈。”卡洛尔附和着，“可特德舅舅刚刚讲到你怎么在撞球游戏中打中了所有瓶子。”
“他说你本来应该只打蓝色的，妈妈！”乔治补充道。
“好吧，好吧，允许你们再待十五分钟。”
“史密斯太太，”拉撒路说，“应该等我回来以后再开始计时。”
“你和我其他的孩子一样坏，上士。好吧。”
拉撒路把小包装盒放进他的手提包，把包锁上，这是他长久以来的习惯。他这才回到前屋。南希和她的男朋友回来了；拉撒路被介绍给客人，他带着浓厚的兴趣仔细打量着乔纳森·维萨罗。这是个令人愉快的年轻人，稍微有点笨拙。塔玛拉和艾拉会对他非常感兴趣，所以用眼睛把他拍下来吧，要能描述出他的长相，还要记住他说的每句话。
史密斯太太催促她未来的女婿进到客厅，让南希一个人进了里屋；拉撒路接着描述他们在游乐园都做了什么，乔纳森显得很有礼貌，但不是很感兴趣。史密斯太太回来了，端着一只装满东西的托饭，“十五分钟到了，亲爱的。乔纳森，南希要你去帮她干点活；你能去看看吗？她在厨房。”
小布莱恩问他是不是能把车停到谷仓里去。“上士特德舅舅，我从来没有让你的车停在马路边过夜，一次也没有。我会把它开出来给你用的，明天早晨的第一件事；把车倒出来得有点技巧，有点像走个'Z'字形，你得一会儿倒车，一会儿前进。”
拉撒路向他表示了感谢，然后吻了卡洛尔，向她说晚安；她显然正等着他这么做。乔治好像觉得自己已经长大了，不适合行吻别礼，所以拉撒路只和他握了握手，然后说他握手很有劲。就在这时，约翰逊先生回来了，告别礼于是又重复了一遍。
五分钟以后，史密斯太太、她父亲和拉撒路坐在客厅里，喝着咖啡，吃着蛋糕。拉撒路不由得回想起他第一次被邀请到这里时的情景。场景几乎是一样的，除了他穿着军装以外；每个人都坐在那一次坐的位置上，史密斯太太以同样娴静优雅的姿态为他们准备咖啡；连小点心都是一样的。他寻找着有什么东西发生了变化，但只找到了三样：他的大象玩具不在史密斯太太的椅子后面，他们在游乐园赢来的奖品放在了离门不远的地方，钢琴上放着一本打开的的活页乐谱”
“你今天晚上回来很晚父亲。”
“有七个新兵，而我手头的袜子只有普通尺寸，不是太大就是太小。特德，我们有的都是部队不要的东西。当然，也应该这样。现在我们给机枪连配了刘易斯枪，还有足够多的斯普林菲尔德枪可以供应；总算不大像一群土匪了。但我不是在抱怨。女儿，那桌子上是什么东西？好像放得不是地方。”
“是我赢的丘比娃娃，我想把它放在一个重要的地方，就在钢琴上面。泰迪熊是西奥多上士赢的；也许他要把它带到法国去。我们去了电子公园，父亲，西奥多上士为我们赢得这两个奖品所花的钱比它们的实际价值多过一倍；我们这个晚上很幸运，也很快乐。”
拉撒路看到老人的脸色阴沉下来。大庭广众之下，和一个单身汉在一起？在她的丈夫不在家的时候？所以他说话了：
“我不能把它带到法国去，史密斯太太；你不记得了？我和伍迪做了个交易，我要用我的泰迪熊换他的大象。我想这个交易反悔不了；从那会儿起他一直抱着小熊。”
约翰逊先生说：“只要你们没把交易写下来，特德，他准会骗你。如果我没有理解错的话，伍迪和你们一起去了电子公园？”
“是的，先生。咱们私下说说，我不在的这段时间，我打算把大象移交给伍迪照管。但我会跟他好好谈谈交易条件。”
“那他还是会让你上当。莫琳，我本来是想让你摆脱孩子们、轻松一下。尤其是伍迪。你怎么会带上他？”
“准确地说，不是我们带他去的，父亲；他偷偷上了车。”她向她父亲详细讲述了一遍经过，只是省略了一些事，也没有说明准确的时间表。
约翰逊先生摇了摇头，看起来很满意。“那个孩子会有出息的——只要他不先被绞死的话。莫琳，你应该打他的屁股，把他送回家，再和特德继续兜你们的风。”
“哦，没事的，父亲，我兜了风，而且过得很愉快；我让伍德罗待在后座，保持安静。后来我在游乐园也玩得很开心。要不是伍罗德不请自来，我还享受不到这么多乐趣呢。”
“伍迪也有他的理由，”拉撒路承认，“我的确答应过带他去电子公园，却一直没有履行过承诺。”
“应该狠狠教训他一下。对了，莫琳，我们的年轻小姐回来了吗？”
“你回来前不久回来的，父亲。他们在厨房，借口是她要给乔纳森做个三明治。我知道这是个借口，让他们用不着待在这里。是我建议他们这么做的。如果你想从厨房拿什么，你告诉我，我替你拿；我会弄出足够大的声音，让南希从他的腿上跳下来。西奥多，南希订婚了；只是还没有正式宣布。我想最好让他们现在就结婚，因为乔纳森很快就要参军了。你怎么想？”
“我几乎没有权利表达意见，史密斯太太。我希望他们能够幸福。”
“他们会的”，约翰逊先生说，“他是个好小伙子。我想劝他加入第七团，可他坚持要等到过了生日，这样他就可以直接参军了。其实他在三年内本来不会被征召入伍。要的就是这种精神。我喜欢他。特德，如果你想回你的房间，可以从那边绕一下，别经过厨房。”
几分钟以后，那对年轻人从厨房里出来了。他们没有坐下，只是礼貌地告了别；南希到门廊上送她的爱人离开，这才回到客厅，坐了下来。
约翰逊先生打了个哈欠。“我要睡了。你也睡吧，特德，如果你够精明的话。大清皁会吵得很厉害，尤其是在你房间的那个地方。”南希赶紧说：“我会让小孩子们安静一些的，外公，保证让特德舅舅睡个好觉。”
拉撒路站起身来，“谢谢你，南希，但我昨晚在火车上没睡好；我想我还是睡吧。不用费力让大家明天早上保持安静；我会在响起床号的时间醒来。成了习惯了。”
史密斯太太站起来，“我们都睡吧。”
约翰逊和他握了握手，道了晚安；史密斯太太象征性地在他脸颊上吻了一下，和他刚来时给他的那个吻一样，她感谢拉撒路陪她度过了一个愉快的夜晚，然后催他赶快去睡；南希等了等，长辈们开始上楼梯的时候，她吻了他一下，然后向他道了晚安。
Notes:
Notes: