Chapter 11 Chapter Eleven

Marta was swapped?farewell?Little Matty with bright eyes and a smile?Soapy felt a pang of sadness.He was surprised to realize that he cared so much about parting from her. "I do not believe!" "Don't be stupid." "When did she leave? Where did she go? Why didn't you tell me beforehand?" "Must go to the El Ned Free Trade Ship, because it's the only ship in the spaceport that doesn't belong to Vlaky. It left about an hour ago. I didn't tell you then, because I also Didn't expect this to happen...until I was called to Granny's cabin to say goodbye." Jerry said, frowning, "It's going to happen someday anyway...but I thought Granny would save her until she became a competent As far as the fire controller, the result is..."

"But why, Jerry? Why?" Jerry got up from his chair and said stubbornly, "Uncle Step, I've said enough." Soapy pushed him back in the chair and said, "It can't be over, Jerry. Yes, I'm your 'uncle', but only because they want you to. I'm still your guide." An ex-Flakey who learned to operate a tracker, we both know that. Now talk in private, tell it all!" "You won't be happy after hearing that." 【①Marty, Marta's nickname. 】 "I'm not happy if you don't! Mattie's gone... Look, Jerry, there's no one here but the two of us. Just tell me anything. I don't care about nephew and uncle on this ship." , we are just friends. No matter what you say, I will never let the rest of the family know."

"Grandma is probably listening to us." "If she's listening, that's what I told you to say, and I'm responsible. But she can't hear it, because it's her nap time, so you just talk." "Okay," said Jerry, glaring at him bitterly. "That's what you told me to say. You mean you have no idea why Granny threw my sister out of the boat?" "Ah? I really don't understand... Otherwise, I wouldn't have asked you." Jerry said impatiently, "Thorby, I knew you were a fool, but I didn't know you were deaf, dumb, and blind."

"Don't mention the compliments, just tell me." "You are the reason Marta was exchanged, the reason is 'you'." Jerry looked at Soapy angrily. "I?" "Who else? Who's playing pinball in pairs? Who's sitting at the movies? Which relative is always seen hanging out with girls on the same side? I'll give you a hint— This person has the word 'so' in his name." Soapy turned pale. "Jerry, I really don't know anything." "You're the only one kept in the dark on this boat." Jerry shrugged. "I don't blame you. It's all her fault. She's chasing you, you fool! I don't understand." Why can't you see it yourself, I even reminded you."

Soapy was as ignorant of such matters as a bird of ballistics. "I do not believe." "Believe it or not it doesn't matter...because everyone saw it. You two could have avoided this disaster if you kept your activities open and nothing messed up. I can see everything about you Clearly. Oh, if only my sister hadn't lost her head." "Ah? What's the matter?" "My sister did something that made grandma decide to give up a first-class fire controller. She ran to grandma and asked to adopt herself to the person on the port side. This fool, foolishly thinks that since you are the adopted son, even though she is your niece, It doesn't matter, she can marry you with a change of status." Jerry muttered, "If you were adopted on the port side, she might be able to do it. But she thinks Granny—it's Granny—would agree to something so easy to gossip about, it's completely insane."

"But... Well, actually, I have nothing to do with her, and I have no intention of marrying her." "Oh, get out! You're sick of me." Soapy was in a bad mood, and he didn't want to go back and face Jerry, so he wandered outside, feeling lost, alone, and embarrassed.This family was foreign to him, and their way of life, like the Lothian, was difficult for him to understand. He missed Marta as he had never missed her before.She had always been a source of joy to him in the past.It brought him joy and was a part of everyday life, like the three meals a day and other things that brought him solace aboard the Sisu.But now Thorby missed her.

Well, if Marta really wanted that, why didn't they let her live out her dreams?Not that he already had that idea... but someday, if he wanted to get married, Marta could be his wife, because he liked her. Finally, he thought of a person who could speak his mind.So, he went to Dr. Mudd with questions. As soon as Soapy knocked on the door, the inside answered: "Come in." When he entered the door, he saw her kneeling on the ground, surrounded by a mess, there was a black patch on her nose, and her neat hair was also messed up. . "Oh, Soapy, it's good to see you. They say you're out, and I'm afraid I won't see you."

She spoke Galactic English, and Thorby agreed in the same language. "You want to meet me?" "I want to say goodbye to you, I'm going home." "Oh." Soapy felt again the pangs of pain Jerry had felt in his heart when he told him about Marta.Suddenly, he thought sadly of his father who had left him.Soapy cheered up and said, "I'm sorry, I'll miss you." "I'll miss you too, Soapy. You're the only person I feel close to on this big ship. . . It's so odd, you and I come from so different backgrounds. I'll miss talking to you those times."

"Me too," said Soapy sadly. "When are you going?" "The El Ned leaves tomorrow, but I'm moving in tonight. I dare not miss the departure time, or I may not be able to return home for several years." "The El Ned is going to your planet?" At this moment, a strange thought suddenly appeared in his mind. "Oh, no! It's going to the planet Saff B4. An Allied mail ship will go there, and I can transfer to that ship to go home. This is an excellent opportunity, and I can't let it go." Soapy just now The idea that came to his head disappeared in an instant. After all, the idea was too absurd-even if he was willing to venture to a strange planet, but Marta was not Vlaky, she would not have such an idea.

Dr. Mudd continued: "It was the patriarch's arrangement for me to leave." She said with a wry smile, "She must be eager to get rid of me. Thinking of how difficult it was for me to get on the Sisu, I didn't believe she could let El. The Ned is accepting me. I guess, your grandma must have some chips in her hand, otherwise the captain of the other party would not have agreed so easily. Anyway, I'm leaving... on the condition that after boarding the ship over there, I will stay Don't come out of the boudoir. It's okay, just use this time to sort out the data in my hand."

Speaking of the boudoir, Soapy immediately thought that Margaret would meet Marta there.So he stammered and embarrassed to say the purpose of his coming here.Dr. Mudd listened carefully, busy packing his bags. "I see, Soapy. I probably heard the sad thing before you did." "Margaret, have you ever heard of such a stupid thing before?" She hesitated, and said, "Many things... are even more unreasonable than this." "But I don't think anything else can compare to this! It's so inhumane. If that's what Marta wants, why won't Granny let her... but take her with strangers instead? ? I... Well, I don't care about marrying her, just get used to it." Lady Margaret who was Flakey laughed. "Thorby, that's the strangest and most chivalrous thing I've ever heard." Thorby said, "Will you carry a message for me?" "Thorby, if you want to tell her your undying love for her or anything, that's not right. Your grandma has done her best for her granddaughter, with the fastest speed, the shrewdest mind and the best I did this with my heart, and I would rather ignore the immediate interests of the Sisu for the sake of Marta, because Marta is a very valuable fire controller. But your grandma is really competent because she stands tall and sees far. The patriarch, she considers everyone's long-term interests, and thinks their interests are more important than losing a fire controller. I have always hated that old woman, but in the end I still have to admire her." Margaret suddenly Laughing, "It can be predicted that Marta will make the same wise decision 50 years later. The Xisu family can be trusted." "Even if you kill me, I can't understand these great principles!" "Because you are similar to me, and you are also Frankie...and you have not received the training like me. Thorby, many right and wrong can only be determined in the context, and there is almost no distinction between good and bad in themselves. In fact , things are judged right or wrong according to the cultural concept on which it is based, absolutely true. You may think that this rule of intermarriage between ships is just to avoid genetic variation caused by inbreeding. Well, at least in the ship school , that's what they taught you." "Of course, that's why I—" "Listen to me first. So you don't understand why your grandma would be so vehemently against Marta doing that. In fact, the main reason they intermarry between ships is not genetics - that's a side issue - but Because a ship is too small to establish a solid cultural foundation. Ideas and opinions must also be formed through communication, otherwise, Sisu and the entire spaceship civilization will perish. Therefore, these customs have always been protected by the strictest family rules. A slight violation of the house rules is equivalent to digging a small hole in this ship, and if drastic measures are not taken, the consequences will be unimaginable... Do you understand?" "Hmm... I don't understand, I don't quite understand." "I don't think your grandma understands this truth. She only knows what is best for the family, and she can put it into action unambiguously and without hesitation. Now you still want to ask me to deliver the letter?" "Well, can you tell Marta I'm sorry I didn't say goodbye?" "Okay. But I should wait to tell her." "Ok." "Are you feeling better now?" "Well, since you say it's for Marta's sake, I suppose that's all there is to it," said Soapy suddenly, "but, Margaret, I don't know what's the matter with me! Before that I thought I started Got used to it, but now it's all over. I feel like I'm a flaki, and I feel like I'll never be a trader." Her expression suddenly became sad: "You once felt the taste of freedom. Freedom, this is a habit that is difficult to change." "what?" "You've changed a lot, Soapy. Your first adoptive father, Baslim the Wise, bought you from a slaver and made you his son, free as he was Free. Now your second adoptive father kindly adopts you as his adopted son, but makes you his slave." "Hey, Margaret!" protested Soapy, "how can you say that?" "If not a slave, what are you?" "Why, I'm a free trader! At least that's what my father thinks, and if I can get over my Vlaky habits, I'll be? But I'm not a slave after all. My fellow men are free , all of us are." "You 'all'...but not every single one of you." "what do you mean?" "The 'siblings' are free, and that's something they can be proud of. Any of them can tell you that freedom is what makes them a 'sibling' and not a 'flaky.' The 'siblings' are free to roam Interstellar, not bound to the earth. They are indeed very free. Each ship is an independent kingdom. They don’t need to ask for help. They can go anywhere. They can fight to the death if they encounter any UFO. They never beg for mercy. Unless it is beneficial to them , or do not cooperate with others. Yes, 'citizens' are free. In this ancient galaxy, there have never been such free people. A culture of less than 100,000 people has spread across 250 million cubic light-years of space , with complete freedom to move anywhere at any time. There has never been a culture like it, and perhaps there will never be one. They are as free as the sky... freer than the stars, because The stars must still follow their orbits. Ah, yes, the 'brethren' are free." She paused and added, "But at what cost is this freedom?" Soapy blinked. "Let me tell you, the price is not poverty. In terms of average wealth, 'citizens' are the wealthiest in the history of mankind. Your trade profits are unimaginable. This freedom does not come at the price of health and sanity. Come because I've never met a healthier group than you. The price is not happiness and self-esteem, because you are an arrogant bunch, there is something wrong with this pride-but you do have a lot to be proud of But the price you pay for this unprecedented freedom is... freedom itself. No, I don't mean riddles, I mean, the freedom of 'brethren' as a whole comes at the expense of the individual freedom of each of you at a price—and I do not exclude the Patriarch and Captain, who are, arguably, the least free of all." Dr. Mudd's words sound too whimsical. "How can we be both free and not free?" Thorby protested. "You can ask Marta that question. Soapy, you live in an iron prison, and it may take months before you can go out for a few hours. The rules in your life are stricter than prison. Of course, these rules are To make you all happy, but that's not what I want to say. What I want to say is that these rules are orders that you must obey. For example, if they tell you where to sleep, you have to sleep there , they tell you when to eat and what to eat, you have to eat when and what to eat - as for whether there are many dishes or whether the taste is good or not, that doesn't matter. The problem is that you don't have the right to choose. In 100% Ninety of the time, you have to do what they want you to do. You are tightly bound by these rules, and even many of the things you say are not your own words, but a set of established rules. Patterns. You can go a whole day without speaking your own words and use all the ready-made language of the Sisu Law and get along just fine. Am I right?" "Yes, but—" "There's no 'but'. Think about it, what kind of life is so lacking in freedom? Is it slavery? Can you think of a better word?" "But we won't be sold!" "Slavery often exists in places where slaves are not bought and sold, but it is inherited, just like on the Sisu. To be a slave, Soapy, is to have someone who is your master, but you have no hope of changing yourself. No situation of freedom. You slaves who call yourself 'brethren' have no hope of emancipation." Soapy frowned and said, "Is that the problem with me, in your opinion?" "I suppose you feel uncomfortable because your slave collar chafed you, whereas your roommates didn't have that annoyance because they were born with that collar. But you used to be a free man. Margaret looked at her belongings. "I have to take these sorted things to the El Ned. Can you help me?" "It's my pleasure to be of your service." "Don't even try to see Marta." "I won't." Soapy lied. "I want to help you. I don't want you to leave here." "Really, I'd like to leave...but I don't want to part with you." She hesitated, then added, "I want to help you too. Soapy, an anthropologist shouldn't meddle in other people's affairs. But I'm leaving, and you're not really part of the culture I'm studying. Can you take my old crone's parting advice?" "Hey, you're not old!" "This is the second time you've acted chivalrously in such a short time. I'm a grandma now, and the patriarch might be surprised to hear that. Soapy, I used to think that after a while you'd get used to this prison Yes. But now I can't say for sure. Freedom is a habit that is difficult to give up. My dear, if you really think you can't bear it, continue to bear it, and when the ship reaches a democratic, free, and reasonable planet, get off the ship and escape But remember, Soapy, you can only slip away before Grandma the Patriarch decides to find you a daughter-in-law. Because if you make it through then, you're finished!"