一无所有-第41部分

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they　called　themselves；　did　not　want　to　be　understood　by　outsiders。

The　manservant　stood　awaiting　Shevek's　pleasure。　He　knew　—　he　had　learned　Shevek's　idiosyncrasies　within　the　first　week—that　Shevek　did　not　want　him　to　hold　a　chair；　or　to　wait　on　him　while　he　ate。　His　erect　attentive　pose　was　enough　to　wither　any　hope　of　informality。

〃Will　you　sit　down；　Efor？〃

〃If　you　please　sir；〃　the　man　replied。　He　moved　a　chair　half　an　inch；　but　did　not　sit　down　in　it。

〃This　is　what　I　want　to　talk　about。　You　know　I　don't　like　to　give　you　orders。〃

'I'll　manage　things　like　you　want　sir　without　troubling　for　orders。〃

〃You　do　—　I　don't　mean　that。　You　know；　in　my　country　nobody　gives　any　orders。〃

〃So　I　hear　sir。〃

〃Well；　I　want　to　knoy　brother。　You　are　the　only　one　I　know　here　who　is　not　rich　—　not　one　of　the　owners。　I　want　very　much　to　talk　with　you；　I　want　to　know　about　your　life—〃

He　stopped　in　despair；　seeing　the　contempt　on　Efor's　lined　face。　He　had　made　all　the　mistakes　possible。　Efor　took　him　for　a　patronizing；　prying　fool。

He　dropped　his　hands　to　the　table　in　a　gesture　of　hopelessness　and　said；　〃Oh；　hell；　I　am　sorry；　Efor！〃　I　cannot　say　what　I　mean。　Please　ignore　it。〃

〃Just　as　you　say　sir。〃　Efor　withdrew。

That　was　the　end　of　that。　The　〃unpropertied　classes〃　remained　as　remote　from　him　as　when　he　had　read　about　them　in　history　at　Northsetting　Regional　Institute。

Meanwhile；　he　had　promised　to　spend　a　week　with　the　Oiies；　between　winter　and　spring　terms。

Oiie　had　invited　him　to　dinner　several　times　since　his　first　visit；　always　rather　stiffly；　as　if　he　were　carrying　out　a　duty　of　hospitality；　or　perhaps　a　governmental　order。　In　his　own　house；　however；　though　never　wholly　off　his　guard　with　Shevek；　he　was　genuinely　friendly。　By　the　second　visit　his　two　sons　had　decided　that　Shevek　was　an　old　friend；　and　their　confidence　in　Shevek's　response　obviously　puzzled　their　father。　It　made　him　uneasy；　he　could　not　really　approve　of　it；　but　he　could　not　say　it　was　unjustified。　Shevek　behaved　to　them　like　an　old　friend；　like　an　elder　brother。　They　admired　him；　and　the　younger；　Ini；　came　to　love　him　passionately；　Shevek　was　kind；　serious　honest；　and　told　very　good　stories　about　the　Moon；　but　there　was　more　to　it　than　that。　He　represented　something　to　the　child　that　Ini　could　not　describe。　Even　much　later　in　his　life；　which　was　profoundly　and　obscurely　influenced　by　that　childhood　fascination；　Ini　found　no　words　for　it；　only　words　that　held　an　echo　of　it：　the　word　voyager；　the　word　exile。

The　only　heavy　snow　of　the　winter　fell　that　week。　Shevek　had　never　seen　a　snowfall　of　more　than　an　inch　or　so。　The　extravagance；　the　sheer　quantity；　of　the　storm　exhilarated　him。　He　reveled　in　its　excess。　It　was　too　white；　too　cold；　silent；　and　indifferent　to　be　called　excremental　by　the　sincerest　Odonian；　to　see　it　as　other　than　an　innocent　magnificence　would　be　pettiness　of　soul。　As　soon　as　the　sky　cleared　he　went　out　in　it　with　the　boys；　who　appreciated　it　just　as　he　did。　They　ran　around　in　the　big　back　garden　of　the　Oiie　house；　threw　snowballs；　built　tunnels；　castles；　and　fortresses　of　snow。

Sewa　Oiie　stood　with　her　sisterinlaw　Vea　at　the　window；　watching　the　children；　the　man；　and　the　little　otter　playing。　The　otter　had　made　himself　a　snowslide　down　one　wall　of　the　snow　castle　and　was　excitedly　tobogganing　down　it　on　his　belly　over　and　over　again。　The　boys'　cheeks　were　fiery。　The　man；　his　long；　rough；　dungrey　hair　tied　back　with　a　piece　of　string　and　his　ears　red　with　cold；　executed　tunneling　operations　with　energy。　〃Not　here！　—　Dig　there！　—　Where's　the　shovel？　—　Ice　in　my　pocket！〃　—　the　boys'　high　voices　rang　out　continually；

'There　is　our　alien；〃　Sewa　said；　smiling。

'The　greatest　physicist　alive；〃　said　the　sisterinlaw。　〃How　funny！〃

When　he　came　in；　puffing　and　stamping　off　snow　and　exhaling　that　fresh；　cold　vigor　and　wellbeing　which　only　people　just　in　out　of　the　snow　possess；　he　was　introduced　to　the　sisterinlaw。　He　put　out　his　big；　hard；　cold　hand　and　looked　down　at　Vea　with　friendly　eyes。　〃You　are　Demaere's　sister？〃　he　said。　〃Yes；　you　look　like　him。〃　And　this　remark；　which　from　anyone　else　would　have　struck　Vea　as　insipid；　pleased　her　immensely。　〃He　is　a　man；〃　she　kept　thinking　that　afternoon；　〃a　real　man。　What　is　it　about　him？〃

Vea　Doem　Oiie　was　her　name；　in　the　loti　mode；　her　husband　Doem　was　the　head　of　a　large　industrial　bine　and　traveled　a　good　deal；　spending　half　of　each　year　abroad　as　a　business　representative　of　the　government。　This　was　explained　to　Shevek；　while　he　watched　her。　In　her；　Demaere　Ciie's　slightness；　pale　coloring；　and　oval　black　eyes　had　been　transmuted　into　beauty。　Her　breasts；　shoulders；　and　arms　were　round；　soft；　and　very　white。　Shevek　sat　beside　her　at　the　dinner　table。　He　kept　looking　at　her　bare　breasts；　pushed　upward　by　the　stiff　bodice。　The　notion　of　going　thus　half　naked　in　freezing　weather　was　extravagant；　as　extravagant　as　the　snow；　and　the　small　breasts　had　also　an　innocent　whiteness；　like　the　snow。　The　curve　of　her　neck　went　up　smoothly　into　the　curve　of　the　proud；　shaven；　delicate　head。

She　really　is　quite　attractive。　Shevek　informed　himself。　She's　like　the　beds　here：　soft。　Affected；　though。　Why　does　she　mince　out　her　words　like　that？

He　clung　to　her　rather　thin　voice　and　mincing　manner　as　to　a　raft　on　deep　water；　and　never　knew　it；　never　knew　he　was　drowning。　She　was　going　back　to　Nio　Esseia　on　the　train　after　dinner；　she　had　merely　e　out　for　the　day　and　he　would　never　see　her　again。

Oiie　had　a　cold；　Sewa　was　busy　with　the　children。　〃Shevek；　do　you　think　you　might　walk　Vea　to　the　station？〃

〃Good　Lord；　Demaerel　Don't　make　the　poor　man　protect　me！　You　don't　think　there'll　be　wolves；　do　you？　Will　savage　Mingrads　e　sweeping　into　town　and　abduct　me　to　their　harems？　Will　I　be　found　on　the　stationmaster's　doorstep　tomorrow　morning；　a　tear　frozen　in　my　eye　and　my　tiny；　rigid　hands　clasping　a　bunch　of　withered　posies？　Oh；　I　do　rather　like　that！〃　Over　Vea's　rattling；　tinkling　talk　her　laugh　broke　like　a　wave；　a　dark；　smooth；　powerful　wave　that　washed　out　everything　and　left　the　sand　empty。　She　did　not　laughed　with　herself　and　at　herself；　the　body's　dark　laughter；　wiping　out　words。

Shevek　put　on　his　coat　in　the　hall　and　was　waiting　for　her　at　the　door。

They　walked　in　silence　for　a　half　a　block。　Snow　crunched　and　squeaked　under　their　feet。

〃You're　really　much　too　polite　for　。。。〃

〃For　what？〃

〃For　an　anarchist；〃　she　said；　in　her　thin　and　affectedly　drawling　voice　（it　was　the　same　intonation　Pae　used；　and　Oiie　when　he　was　at　the　University）。　〃I'm　disappointed。　I　thought　you'd　be　dangerous　and　uncouth。〃

〃I　am。〃

She　glanced　up　at　him　sidelong。　She　wore　a　scarlet　shawl　tied　over　her　head；　her　eyes　looked　black　and　bright　against　the　vivid　color　and　the　whiteness　of　snow　all　around。

〃But　here　you　are　tamely　walking　me　to　the　station；　Dr。　Shevek。〃

〃Shevek；〃　he　said　mildly。　〃No　'doctor。'〃

〃Is　that　your　whole　name　—　first　and　last？〃

He　nodded；　smiling。　He　felt　well　and　vigorous；　pleased　by　the　bright　air；　the　warmth　of　the　wellmade　coat　he　wore；　the　prettiness　of　the　woman　beside　him。　No　worries　or　heavy　thoughts　had　hold　on　him　today。

〃Is　it　true　that　you　get　your　names　from　a　puter？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃How　dreary；　to　be　named　by　a　machine！〃

〃Why　dreary？〃

〃It's　so　mechanical；　so　impersonal。〃

〃But　what　is　more　personal　than　a　name　no　other　living　person　bears？〃

〃No　one　else？　You're　the　only　Shevek？〃

〃While　I　live。　There　were　others；　before　me。〃

〃Relatives；　you　mean？〃

〃We　don't　count　relatives　much；　we　are　all　relatives；　you　see。　I　don't　know　who　they　were；　except　for　one；　in　the　early　years　of　the　Settlement。　She　designed　a　kind　of　bearing　they　use　in　heavy　machines；　they　still　call　it　a　'shevek。'〃　He　smiled　again；　more　broadly。　〃There　is　a　good　immortality！〃

Vea　shook　her　head。　〃Good　Lord！〃　she　said。　〃How　do　you　tell　men　from　women？〃

〃Well；　we　have　discovered　methods。。。。〃

After　a　moment　her　soft；　heavy　laugh　broke　out。　She　wiped　her　eyes；　which　watered　in　the　cold　air。　〃Yes；　perhaps　you　are　uncouth！　。　。　。　Did　they　all　take　madeup　names；　then；　and　learn　a　madeup　language　—　everything　new？〃

'The　Settlers　of　Ana