"And then?" Jubal asked. "Did you accept their invitation?"
"Ha! I fled like flying! I grabbed my clothes, ignored the warning sign, and just jumped into the lift tube."
"Really? I think I'd be insulted if I were Jill."
Caxton blushed. "I have to go, Jubal."
"Mmm—what about after that?"
"After that? I got dressed--found I forgot my bag and didn't bother with it. In fact, I almost killed myself by walking too fast. You know those normal droppers are--"
"I have no idea."
"Eh? Well, if you don't hit 'up,' it'll slowly sink, like molasses. But the riser... I didn't sink—I fell straight down! A full six floors. I was about to fall into a pulp when something caught me. It wasn't a safety net, it was some sort of dynamic field or something. It scared the hell out of me like that wasn't enough."
"Don't trust the machine. I still insist on taking the stairs. If it doesn't work, I will use the elevator to make do."
"Well, I'm afraid that thing has to be neat and tidy. Duke is nominally in charge of the security checks, but he takes whatever Mike says; Mike's totally hooked on him. Hell, they're all hooked on him. That When a downpipe goes wrong, it's definitely scarier than normal. Jubal, what are we going to do? I'm worried as hell."
Harshaw's lips twitched, "What aspects make you feel uneasy?"
"What? Everything."
"Really? From what you've been saying, I thought you'd enjoy the visit—until you turned into a frightened rabbit."
"Uh-yes. Mike got me too." Caxton seemed a little confused. "If it wasn't for the weirdness at the end, I'm afraid I wouldn't wake up. Jubal, Mike is sitting next to me, One arm around me - there's no way he'd have had a chance to undress."
Jubal shrugged, "You were busy at the time, even if there was an earthquake, you probably wouldn't notice it..."
"Oh, nonsense! I'm not a little girl, and I can't close my eyes? How did he do it?"
"I don't see how it matters. Or are you suggesting to me that it's Mike's nudity that scares you?"
"I was terrified, yes."
"Aren't you naked yourself? Come on, sir!"
"No, no! Jubal, do you want me to draw a picture to help you understand? I just can't stand group sex. I almost threw up my breakfast." Caxton twisted his body, "If someone is in your How would it feel to act like monkeys in a cage in the living room?"
Jubal crossed his fingers. "That's the point, Ben; that's not my living room. You go into a man's house and you accept his house rules. That's the way to behave civilly, everywhere." Either way."
"Don't you find their behavior repulsive?"
"Ah, you're asking another question. Public display of lust annoys me, but it just reflects the norms that were instilled in me as a child. Much of the human race doesn't have the same taste as I do; group sex It has a long history. But 'disgust'? My dear sir, I am only disgusted by things that offend my ethics."
"According to you, it's just a matter of taste?"
"That's all. Besides, although my taste is very different from Emperor Nero's, it does not mean that my taste is more sacred than his. Quite the contrary-Nero is a god, and I am only a mortal. "
"Go to hell."
"If there's such a thing as eternity—maybe. But, Ben, it's not public at Mike's place."
"what?"
"You told me that the group of people practiced group marriages—in terms of technical terms, they should be group marriages. So, whatever happened or will happen (you have been beating around the bush) is their private business." We're God's chickens, no one else.' So, who's going to be offended?"
"I'm offended!"
"You haven't fully embraced their gods. You misled them. You asked for it."
"Me? Jubal, I don't."
"Oh, nonsense! You saw their customs different from yours as soon as you got there. If you really didn't want to do it, you should have turned back then. But you stayed, enjoying the fragrance of a goddess, and you were like a god yourself You know what's going on there, and they know you know; but they're wrong in taking your hypocrisy for hard currency. No, Ben, Mike and Jill acted beyond reproach; the problem is you .”
"Damn Jubal, you're twisting the truth on purpose! I was in too deep, but I had no choice but to leave! I was throwing up!"
"So you're claiming it's a conditioned reflex? Anybody past the age of twelve who can't control their emotions knows to bite the bullet, go to the bathroom, wait for things to cool down, and then go back and give someone a roughly plausible excuse. You behavior is not a reflex. A reflex can only empty your stomach, it can't route your feet, retrieve your stuff for you, lead you through a few doors and jump you into a hole. That's Panic, Ben. Why are you panicking?"
Caxton did not answer for a long time.Finally he sighed, "After all, I guess—because I'm a prudish."
Jubal shook his head, "Prudence is always pointing fingers and thinking that the rules you make are the laws of nature. You are not qualified. You have adjusted yourself and adapted to many things that do not meet your principles. A complete prudence starts Just insult that cute tattooed girl and break out. Think about it."
"I just know the whole thing makes me unhappy."
"I know that, Ben, and I'm sorry. Let me ask you a hypothetical question. You mentioned a lady named Ruth. Assuming Jill wasn't there, imagine that you're with Mike and Ruth. Imagine if they asked you to share the same intimacy, would you still be disgusted?"
"Eh? What? Of course. The circumstances themselves were repulsive. That's how I see them, though you say it's just a matter of taste."
"How disgusted? Vomiting? Fleeing in panic?"
Caxton was embarrassed. "Fuck you, Jubal. Well, I'll probably just find an excuse to hide in the kitchen or something...and get out of there as soon as possible."
"Very well, Ben, you've exposed your troubles."
"what?"
"Which element has changed?"
It was a long time before Caxton said sullenly, "You're right, Jubal—it's because of Jill. Because I love her."
"It's close, Ben. But it hasn't hit the bull's-eye yet."
"Uh?"
"The emotion that makes you run away isn't 'love.' What is 'love,' Ben?"
"Huh? Oh, come on! Everyone from Shakespeare to Freud has had a hand in it. And until now, no one has been able to answer that question. I just know it hurts."
Jubal shook his head. "Let me give you a precise definition: 'Love,' is a state in which another person's happiness is of paramount importance to your own."
Ben said slowly, "I can live with that...because that's how I feel about Jill."
"Very well. So the reason your stomach churns and you run away in a panic is because you want Jill to be happy."
"Hey, wait! I didn't say that—"
"Then perhaps it was another emotion?"
"I'm just saying—"
Caxton paused mid-sentence, "Ah, well, I'm jealous! But, Jubal, I could have sworn I wasn't jealous before this moment. I knew I was out, and it was long ago Just accepted it. Hell, I don't love Mike any less for it. Jealousy doesn't get anywhere."
"At least it won't have any results you expect, that's for sure. Jealousy is a disease, love is a healthy state. Immature minds often confuse the two, or mistakenly think that the more you love Deeper jealousy is deeper. But in fact, they are almost incompatible; one leaves no room for the other. Both together create unbearable confusion - I understand this is your problem , Ben. When your jealousy rears its head, you can't face it—so you run."
"The problem was the circumstances, Jubal! That inseparable harem was driving me fucking crazy. Don't get me wrong, I still love Jill even if she's a sleazy whore, and she's not. By Jill's standards, She is moral."
Jubal nodded. "I know. Jill's innocence cannot be defiled, which makes it impossible for her to be immoral." He frowned. "Ben, I'm afraid you—and I—are lacking in that angelic look." Pure, so unable to follow the perfect morality these people practice."
Ben was taken aback. "You think that's moral? I mean Jill didn't know she was doing it wrong - Mike coaxed her around and Mike didn't know it was wrong. He's from Mars, The head didn’t open properly, don’t blame him.”
Jubal frowned. "Yeah, I do think what these people - the whole nest, not just our kids - did was ethical. I haven't checked the details, but—yes, I think It's all moral. Orgies, unabashed sex, co-living and anarchy, everything."
"Jubbal, you're astounding me. If you think so, why don't you join them? They want you. They're going to have a big orgy party - Dawn's been waiting to kiss your feet and do your bidding Well; I'm not exaggerating."
Jubal sighed, "No. If it was fifty years ago—but now, Ben, my brother, so innocent, I can't help it. I've slept with the evil I created for too long. It is impossible to be cleansed, to regain innocence in their waters of life - if I ever had innocence."
"Mike thinks your 'innocence' - he doesn't call it that, of course - is flawless. Dawn told me, official opinion."
"Then I'm not going to disillusion him. Mike sees his own shadow. I, professionally, am a mirror."
"Jubbal, you're scared."
"Exactly, sir! But it's not their morals that worry me, but the danger from without."
"Don't worry, they have no trouble at all in that regard."
"You think so? If you dye a monkey pink and stuff it in a cage of brown monkeys, they won't tear it to shreds. Those lambs have a good chance of martyrdom."
"Jubbal, are you being too dramatic?"
Jubal's eyes widened, "Even if it is, sir, wouldn't my words have less weight? Before them, countless saints have been burned to death on the stake. You will dismiss their holy suffering as 'dramatic' drop?"
"I didn't mean to make you angry. I just wanted to say that they're not in that danger. It's not the Dark Ages after all."
Jubal blinked.
"Really? I don't see a difference. Ben, Mike's model, different people have given it to this evil world many times - and each time, the world has crushed it. Onay Da's Utopia is very similar to Mike's Nest, it survived for a while, but it was in the country, not many neighbors. Or take early Christianity - anarchism, group marriage, even that brother kiss - Mike borrowed a lot from them. Well... if that brother kiss really borrowed from them, man and man should kiss too."
Ben looked embarrassed, "I didn't mean to hide it from you. But that...isn't sissy at all, really."
"It was the same among the early Christians. Do you think I'm a fool?"
"No comment."
"Thanks. I'm not going to suggest that you just run into the church down the street and give the priest a fraternal kiss; primitive Christianity is gone. Time and time again, it's always the same sad story: a story of perfect sharing, perfect His plans of love, honorable hopes and lofty ideals—followed by persecution and failure.” Jubal sighed again, “I’ve been worrying about Mike, and now I’m worrying about them all.”
"What do you think I feel? Jubal, I can't buy your 'sweet easy' theory. What they're doing is so wrong!"
"It's that last little episode that's stuck in your throat and you can't swallow."
"Hmm... not quite."
"Mostly. Ben, sexual ethics is a hot potato. So-called 'morality' is a set of ridiculous, evil, and totally unenforceable codes, and each of us has to grope around to find a solution that we can accept—" And it must be able to go hand in hand with "morality". Most people know that the standard is wrong, and almost no one abides by it. But if we really want to violate it, we will feel guilty again, so we will double up and speak well for it. This is what we want The taxes it pays. Like it or not, it rides us, dead and fetid, like chains around our necks.
"So do you, Ben. What a free soul you vain--and refuse to abide by the usual wicked laws. But when you come across a new sexual ethics issue, you immediately put it to the test with the same Judeo-Christian laws... ...completely subconscious, and then your stomach starts crackling...you think that proves you right, they're wrong. Bah! Your stomach will be the judge, I'd rather trust the old torture rule, who survives Whoever gets past is innocent. Your stomach says nothing, it just reflects the prejudices you were fed before you became rational."
"What about your own stomach?"
"Mine are just as stupid - but I won't let it take over my head. Mike was trying to devise a perfect morality, and he knew he had to throw away the current sexual laws and start over. I admire his idea, Shout out to him. Most philosophers don't have the guts; they swallow the foundations of contemporary morality: monogamy, family structure, abstinence, bodily taboos, traditional restrictions on sexual intercourse, etc. The details are entangled... Even whether it is unsightly for a woman to expose her breasts is taken seriously!
"But what they talk about most is how to make us obey the law-even though most of the tragedies around them are not caused by people failing to follow the law, but from the law itself. The facts are obvious, but they turn a blind eye.
"Then the Martians came and looked at this sacrosanct law from a whole new perspective - and negated it. I don't know exactly how Mike's own law is in detail, but it clearly subverts the laws of every great nation , 'sound minded' adherents of every major faith would be furious - as would the vast majority of agnostics and atheists. And yet, this poor child -"
"Jubbal, he's not a kid, he's an adult."
"Is he really 'human'? This poor man-made Martian, he's always trying to tell everyone that sex is a pleasure. Sex is supposed to make people happy. The worst thing about sex, Ben, is that we use it for Hurt each other. It was never meant to be painful; it was supposed to bring happiness, or at least pleasure.
"Our law says, 'Thou shalt not covet your neighbor's wife.' The result? Reluctant chastity, but also adultery, jealousy, resentment, beatings, sometimes even murder; shattered homes, twisted children— And furtive flirting, which dishonors men as well as women. Is this commandment really observed? If a man swears on his Bible that he never coveted his neighbor's wife, because The law forbids it, and I can only suspect he's either deluded or imbecile. Any man capable of producing children must have coveted many, many women, whether he has acted or not.
"And now, Mike comes out and says: 'There's no need to covet my wife... just love her! Her love knows no bounds, we'll have everything - and there's nothing to lose but fear, hate, jealousy and guilt.' Such a claim is unbelievable. As far as I know, this innocence is only possessed by pre-civilized Eskimos - and at that time they were almost completely isolated from the world, and they themselves could be regarded as 'Guests from Mars ' Well. But we gave them our own set of 'virtues,' so now they have chastity and adultery, as we do. What have they got, Ben?"
"I don't want to be an Eskimo."
"Me too. Rotten fish makes me sick."
"What I can't let go of is soap and water. I'm afraid I can't go back."
"So do I, Ben. I was born in a house with a sewer system comparable to an Eskimo cabin; I prefer it that way. But Eskimos have always been described as the happiest people on earth. No matter what they suffer What kind of unhappiness, it's certainly not jealousy; they don't have the word for it. They borrow each other's spouses for convenience, for fun, and it doesn't make them unhappy. Well, who the hell is crazy? Look around you Worrying world, tell me again: Are Mike's followers happier or more miserable than others?"
"There's some others I haven't seen, Jubal, but—yes, they're happy. Too happy to look a little crazy. There's got to be something wrong with it."
"Maybe it's you who's wrong."
"how?"
"It's a pity that you are given a type at such a young age. What they give you, even if it is only three days, will be etched in your heart and unforgettable when you are my age. And you, you little fool, Let jealousy drive away! At your age, I'd even be an Eskimo—oh, I'm so mad at you. It's a little consolation to know you'll never regret it. Age doesn't bring Wisdom, Ben, but it does give you some insight...and the saddest sight is looking back into the distant past and seeing all the temptations you resisted. I have regrets like that, but with what you'll have to endure It's nothing compared to the torture!"
"Stop scolding me!"
"God, man!—wait, you're a mouse?—I'm trying to motivate you. Why are you moaning at an old man? Shouldn't you be rushing to the nest like a pigeon coming home now Heck, if I were twenty years younger, I'd join Mike's church myself."
"Come on, Jubal. What the hell do you think of Mike's church?"
"You say it's just a practice."
"Yeah and no. That's 'real,' with a bullet under it. Mike got it from Mr. Martian."
"'Ling Lao', right? It's nothing more than pig feed in my opinion."
"Mike believed in them."
"Ben, I used to know a manufacturer who believed in the ghosts he consulted. But—hell, why do I always have to be the villain?"
"What's wrong with you?"
"Ben, the worst sinner is a religious hypocrite. But let's be fair, Mike really believes that what he teaches is what he sees is true. As for his 'spiritual old man', I don't know with certainty that they don't exist; I just find the thought hard to swallow. And the 'you are God' creed is no more absurd or plausible than any other creed. Wait until the end of the day When it comes (if they still plan to come to a doomsday trial), maybe we will find out that the big boss in the backstage is a character such as Wu Immortal, Gu Immortal, or tribal god."
"Well, Jubal, for God's sake!"
"Just different names for the same hat, Ben. Humans can't conceive of their own death, and that's why they've invented endless religions. Of course, this belief doesn't prove that the soul is immortal, but the questions it raises are. Infinitely important. What is the nature of life, how is the self connected to the physical body, questions about the self itself, and why is each self like the center of the universe? The meaning of life, the meaning of the universe—these are the first Important questions, Ben. They will never be trivialized. Science has no answer, so why should I scoff at religion? Some religions are trying, even though they seem unconvincing to me. Maybe the Congo I can't rule out a god-possessed lad, though he's leading a company in a padded attic, just because he doesn't have a nice cathedral. Caste worship; and maybe he's the Messiah. Of all religious beliefs, there's one I'm sure of: Self-awareness isn't just a bunch of amino acids bumped together!"
"Wow, Jubal, you should be a missionary."
"Just came close, lucky me. If Mike knew how to better manage this messed up planet, he wouldn't have to justify his sex life at all. Geniuses have reason to dismiss the opinions of mortals , which tribe's sexual customs never limit them;
"But from a theological point of view, Mike's sexual behavior is as orthodox as Santa Claus. He preached that all living things are God, and God together. Therefore, Mike and his followers became the only conscious people on the planet. God, he also has a membership card in the Guild of the Gods, and all the principles that apply to gods apply to him. These principles have always allowed the gods to enjoy sexual freedom, the only limitation is their own judgment.
"Want proof? Leda and the swan? Europa and the bull? Osiris, Isis and Horus? Incredible incest among the Scandinavian gods? You can't even look down on a mink-feeding God. But then again, just look at the most respected religion in the West. What is the relationship between the Trinity? It also claims to be Unitarian. What can you do if you want to reconcile the two? There is only one conclusion: the rules of reproduction of gods and mortals are different. But most people never think about this; they just seal it up and put a seal: 'Holy Do not disturb all.'
"Think about how you treat other gods, and Mike deserves the same treatment. A god splits into at least two parts and reproduces, and it's not just Yahweh who does this—they're all the same. If there were a group of gods, they They are born as fast as rabbits, and they don’t care much about human rules. Once Mike has done God’s work, group marriages are as natural as the sunrise. So forget the rules and regulations of the country and take the Olympic Judge them by Si Shan's morality."
Jubal snapped, "Ben, to understand this, you have to admit that they are sincere."
"Well, I do think so! Only—"
"Really? You start by assuming they're wrong, and you judge them by the laws you deny yourself. Just this one time, you try logic anyway. Ben, they practice polyamory, sexual union to achieve' 'Growing closeness', this model has logically ruled out the possibility of monogamy. Sexual gatherings shared by all are the basis of this belief. From your description, this cannot be more clear. If so , why do you expect them to sneak around? Men only hide what they are ashamed of - but they are not ashamed, they are proud of it. Hiding behind closed doors is talking to what they have left behind That set of norms compromises...in that case, it probably should have yelled that you are an outsider and shouldn't have accepted you in the first place."
"Maybe they really shouldn't have accepted me."
"It's obvious. Mike has undoubtedly had doubts, but Jill insists. Right?"
"It just made things worse!"
"Why? She wants you to be, in Mike's words, 'completely' one of them. She loves you—and doesn't envy you at all. But you're jealous of her. Besides, despite You say you love her, but you don't show it in your actions."
"Damn it, I do love her."
"Oh? Maybe, but you've been given an Olympian honor and you obviously don't appreciate it."
"I guess you're right," Ben admitted sullenly.
"Let me show you the way out. You wonder why Mike's clothes are missing. Let me tell you."
"what's going on?"
"A miracle."
"Oh, for God's sake!"
"Probably God. I'll bet you a thousand dollars it's a miracle. Go ask Mike and let him do it for you. Then send me the money."
"Damn it, Jubal, I don't want to take your money."
"You can't take it. Bet?"
"Jubal, if you want to see the score, you go. I won't go back."
"They'll welcome you with open arms, and never ask you why you left. That's a thousand bucks. You've only been there less than twenty-four hours, Ben. Every time you sniff something, you Investigate carefully before breaking the news. Did you give them this chance?"
"Can--"
"answer me."
"No, but—"
"Ah, for God's sake, Ben! How dare you say you love Jill--but you'd treat her more fairly than a crooked politician. How hard did she go when you got into trouble? Not even a fraction of it. Think back then, if she had been like you and let it go, where would you be now? Probably roasting in hell. You complain about adultery between friends, but you know What am I worried about?"
"what?"
"Christ was crucified when he didn't get the police's permission to preach. Better worry about that!"
Caxton bit his thumb without saying a word—then jumped to his feet. "I'll be right back."
"Let's go after lunch."
"No, right now."
Twenty-four hours later, Ben wired two thousand dollars to Jubal.After a week of hearing nothing further, Jubal sent a telex to Ben's office: "What the hell are you doing?"
The reply was not too timely:
"Learn Martian - your water brother - Ben."
Notes:
Notes: