一无所有-第16部分

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〃I　don't　notice；〃　Shevek　said。　〃Only　in　the；　what　is　this？〃

〃Knees　—　knee　joints。〃

〃Yes；　knees。　Function　is　impaired。　But　I　will　get　accustomed。〃　He　looked　at　Pae；　then　at　Oiie。　'There　is　a　question。　But　I　don't　wish　to　give　offense。〃

〃Never　fear；　sir！〃　Pae　said。

Oiie　said；　〃I'm　not　sure　you　know　how。〃　Oiie　was　not　a　likable　fellow；　like　Pae。　Even　talking　physics　he　had　an　evasive；　secretive　style。　And　yet　beneath　the　style；　there　was　something；　Shevek　felt；　to　trust；　whereas　beneath　Pae's　charm；　what　was　there？　Well；　no　matter。　He　had　to　trust　them　all；　and　would。　〃Where　are　women？〃

Pae　laughed。　Oiie　smiled　and　asked；　〃In　what　sense？〃

〃All　senses。　I　met　women　at　the　party　last　night　—　five；　ten　—　hundreds　of　men。　None　were　scientists；　I　think。　Who
were　they？〃

〃Wives。　One　of　them　was　my　wife；　in　fact；〃　Oiie　said　with　his　secretive　smile。

〃Where　are　other　women？〃

〃Oh；　no　difficulty　at　all　there；　sir；〃　Pae　said　promptly。　　〃Just　tell　us　your　preferences；　and　nothing　could　be　simpler　to　provide。〃

〃One　does　hear　some　picturesque　speculations　about　Anarresti　customs；　but　I　rather　think　we　can　e　up　with　almost　anything　you　had　in　mind；〃　said　Oiie。

Shevek　had　no　idea　what　they　were　talking　about。　He　scratched　his　bead。　〃Are　all　the　scientists　here　men；　then？〃

〃Scientists？〃　Oiie　asked；　incredulous。

Pae　coughed。　〃Scientists。　Oh；　yes；　certainly；　they're　all　men。　There　are　some　female　teachers　in　the　girls'　schools；　of　course。　But　they　never　get　past　Certificate　level。〃

〃Why　not？〃

〃Can't　do　the　math；　no　head　for　abstract　thought；　don't　belong。　You　know　how　it　is；　what　women　call　thinking　is　done　with　the　uterus！　Of　course；　there's　always　a　few　exceptions；　Godawful　brainy　women　with　vaginal　atrophy。〃

〃You　Odonians　let　women　study　science？〃　Oiie　inquired。

〃Well；　they　are　in　the　sciences；　yes。〃

〃Not　many；　I　hope。〃

〃Well；　about　half。〃

〃I've　always　said；〃　said　Pae；　〃that　giri　technicians　properly　handled　could　take　a　good　deal　of　the　load　off　the　men　in　any　laboratory　situation。　They're　actually　defter　and　quicker　than　men　at　repetitive　tasks；　and　more　docile　—　less　easily　bored。　We　could　free　men　for　original　work　much　sooner；　if　we　used　women。〃

〃Not　in　my　lab；　you　won't；〃　said　Oiie。　〃Keep　'em　in　their　place。〃

〃Do　you　find　any　women　capable　of　original　intellectual　work。　Dr。　Shevek？〃

〃Well；　it　was　more　that　they　found　me。　Mitis；　in　Northsetting；　was　my　teacher。　Also　Gvarab；　you　know　of　her；　I　think。〃

〃Gvarab　was　a　woman？〃　Pae　said　in　genuine　surprise；　and　laughed。

Oiie　looked　unconvinced　and　offended。　〃Can't　tell　from　your　names；　of　course；〃　he　said　coldly。　〃You　make　a　point；　I　suppose；　of　drawing　no　distinction　between　the　sexes。〃

Shevek　said　mildly；　〃Odo　was　a　woman。〃

〃There　you　have　it；〃　Oiie　said。　He　did　not　shrug；　but　he　very　nearly　shrugged。　Pae　looked　respectful；　and　nodded；　just　as　he　did　when　old　Atro　maundered。

Shevek　saw　that　he　had　touched　in　these　men　an　impersonal　animosity　that　went　very　deep。　Apparently　they；　like　the　tables　on　the　ship；　contained　a　woman；　a　suppressed；　silenced；　bestialized　woman；　a　fury　in　a　cage。　He　had　no　right　to　tease　them。　They　knew　no　relation　but　possession。　They　were　possessed。

〃A　beautiful；　virtuous　woman；〃　Pae　said；　〃is　an　inspiration　to　us　—　the　most　precious　thing　on　earth。〃

Shevek　felt　extremely　unfortable。　He　got　up　and　went　over　to　the　windows。　〃Your　world　is　very　beautiful；〃　he　said。　〃I　wish　I　could　see　more。　While　I　must　stay　inside；　will　you　give　me　books？〃

〃Of　course；　sir！　What　sort？〃

〃History；　pictures；　stories；　anything。　Maybe　they　should　be　books　for　children。　You　see；　I　know　very　little。　We　learn　about　Urras；　but　mostly　about　Odo's　times。　Before　that　was　eight　and　one　half　thousand　years！　And　then　since　the　Settlement　of　Anarres　is　a　century　and　a　half；　since　the　last　ship　brought　the　last　Settlers　—　ignorance。　We　ignore　you；　you　ignore　us。　You　are　our　history。　We　are　perhaps　your　future。　I　want　to　learn；　not　to　ignore。　It　is　the　reason　I　came。　We　must　know　each　other。　We　are　not　primitive　men。　Our　morality　is　no　longer　tribal；　it　cannot　be。　Such　ignorance　is　a　wrong；　from　which　wrong　will　arise。　So　I　e　to　learn。〃

He　spoke　very　earnestly。　Pae　assented　with　enthusiasm。　〃Exactly；　sir！　We　are　all　in　plete　agreement　with　your　aims！〃

Oiie　looked　at　him　from　those　black；　opaque；　oval　eyes；　and　said；　〃Then　you　e；　essentially；　as　an　emissary　of　your　society？〃

Shevek　returned　to　sit　on　the　marble　seat　by　the　hearth；　which　he　already　felt　as　his　seat；　his　territory。　He　wanted　a　territory。　He　felt　the　need　for　caution。　But　he　felt　more　strongly　the　need　that　had　brought　him　across　the　dry　abyss　from　the　other　world；　the　need　for　munication；　the　wish　to　unbuild　walls。

〃I　e；〃　he　said　carefully；　〃as　a　syndic　of　the　Syndicate　of　Initiative；　the　group　that　talks　with　Urras　on　the　radio　these　last　two　years。　But　I　am　not；　you　know；　an　ambassador　from　any　authority；　any　institution。　I　hope　you　did　not　ask　me　as　that〃

〃No；〃　Oiie　said。　〃We　asked　you　—　Shevek　the　physicist。　　With　the　approval　of　our　government　and　the　Council　of　World　Governments；　of　course。　But　you　are　here　as　the　private　guest　of　leu　Eun　University。〃

〃Good。〃

〃But　we　haven't　been　sure　whether　or　not　you　came　with　the　approval　of—〃　He　hesitated。

Shevek　grinned。　〃Of　my　government？〃

〃We　know　that　nominally　there's　no　government　on　Anarres。　However；　obviously　there's　administration。　And　we　gather　that　the　group　that　sent　you；　your　Syndicate；　is　a　kind　of　faction；　perhaps　a　revolutionary　faction。〃

〃Everybody　on　Anarres　is　a　revolutionary；　Oiie。　。　。　。　The　work　of　administration　and　management　is　called　PDC；　Production　and　Distribution　Coordination。　They　are　a　coordinating　system　for　all　syndicates；　federatives；　and　individuals　who　do　productive　work。　They　do　not　govern　persons；　they　administer　production。　They　have　no　authority　either　to　support　me　or　to　prevent　me。　They　can　only　tell　us　the　public　opinion　of　us　—　where　we　stand　in　the　social　conscience。　That's　what　you　want　to　know？　Well；　my　friends　and　I　are　mostly　disapproved　of。　Most　people　on　Anarres　dont　want　to　leam　about　Urras。　They　fear　it　and　want　nothing　to　do　with　the　propertarians。　I　am　sorry　if　I　am　rude！　It　is　the　same　here；　with　some　people；　is　it　not？　The　contempt；　the　fear；　the　tribalism。　Well；　so　I　came　to　begin　to　change　that。〃

〃Entirely　on　your　own　initiative；〃　said　Oiie。

〃It　is　the　only　initiative　I　acknowledge；〃　Shevek　said；　smiling；　in　dead　earnest

He　spent　the　next　couple　of　days　talking　with　the　scientists　who　came　to　see　him；　reading　the　books　Pae　brought　him；　and　sometimes　simply　standing　at　the　doublearched　windows　to　gaze　at　the　ing　of　summer　to　the　great　valley；　and　to　listen　for　the　brief；　sweet　conversations　out　there　in　the　open　air。　Birds：　he　knew　the　singers'　name　now；　and　what　they　looked　like　from　pictures　in　the　books；　but　still　when　he　heard　the　song　or　caught　the　flash　of　wings　from　tree　to　tree；　he　stood　in　wonder　like　a　child。

He　had　expected　to　feel　so　strange；　here　on　Unas；　so　lost；　alien；　and　confused　—　and　he　felt　nothing　of　the　kind。　Or　course　there　were　endless　things　he　did　not　understand。　He　only　glimpsed；　now；　how　many　things：　this　whole　incredibly　plex　society　with　all　its　nations；　classes；　castes；　cults；　customs；　and　its　magnificent；　appalling；　and　interminable　history。　And　each　individual　he　met　was　a　puzzle；　full　of　surprises。　But　they　were　not　the　gross；　cold　egoists　he　had　expected　them　to　be：　they　were　as　plex　and　various　as　their　culture；　as　their　landscape；　and　they　were　intelligent；　and　they　were　kind。　They　treated　him　like　a　brother；　they　did　all　they　could　to　make　him　feel　not　lost；　not　alien；　but　at　home。　And　he　did　feel　at　home。　He　could　not　help　it。　The　whole　world；　the　softness　of　the　air；　the　fall　of　sunlight　across　the　hills；　the　very　pull　of　the　heavier　gravity　on　his　body；　asserted　to　him　that　this　was　home　indeed；　his　race's　world；　and　all　its　beauty　was　his　birthright。

The　silence；　the　utter　silence　of　Anarres：　he　thought　of　it　at　night。　No　birds　sang　there。　There　were　no　voices　there　but　human　voices。　Silence；　and　the　barren　lands。

On　the　third　day　old　Atro　brought　him　a　pil