一无所有-第42部分

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all　take　madeup　names；　then；　and　learn　a　madeup　language　—　everything　new？〃

'The　Settlers　of　Anarres？　Yes。　They　were　romantic　people；　I　suppose。〃

〃And　you're　not？〃

〃No。　We　are　very　pragmatic。〃

〃You　can　be　both；〃　she　said。

He　had　not　expected　any　subtlety　of　mind　from　her。　〃Yes；　that's　true；〃　he　said。

〃What's　more　romantic　than　your　ing　here；　all　alone；　without　a　coin　in　your　pocket；　to　plead　for　your　people？〃

〃And　to　be　spoiled　with　luxuries　while　I　am　here。〃

〃Luxuries？　In　university　rooms？　Good　Lord！　You　poor　dear！　Haven't　they　taken　you　anywhere　decent？〃

〃Many　places；　but　all　the　same。　I　wish　I　could　e　to　know　Nio　Esseia　better。　I　have　seen　only　the　outside　of　the　city　—　the　wrapping　of　the　package。〃　He　used　the　phrase　because　he　had　been　fascinated　from　the　start　by　the　Urrasti　habit　of　wrapping　everything　up　in　clean；　fancy　paper　or　plastic　or　cardboard　or　foil。　Laundry；　books；　vegetables；　clothes；　medicines；　everything　came　inside　layers　and　layers　of　wrappings。　Even　packets　of　paper　were　wrapped　in　several　layers　of　paper。　Nothing　was　to　touch　anything　else。　He　had　begun　to　feel　that　he；　too；　had　been　carefully　packaged。

〃I　know。　They　made　you　go　to　the　Historical　Museum；　and　take　a　tour　of　the　Dobunnae　Monument；　and　listen　to　a　speech　in　the　Senate！〃　He　laughed；　because　that　had　been　precisely　the　itinerary　one　day　last　summer。　〃I　know！　They're　so　stupid　with　foreigners　I　shall　see　to　it　that　you　see　the　real　Nio！〃

〃I　should　like　that。〃

〃I　know　all　kinds　of　wonderful　people。　I　collect　people。　Here　you　are　trapped　among　all　these　stuffy　professors　and　politicians。　。　。　。〃　She　rattled　on。　He　took　pleasure　in　her　inconsequential　talk　just　as　he　did　in　the　sunshine　and　the　snow。

They　came　to　the　little　station　of　Amoeno。　She　had　her　return　ticket；　the　train　was　due　in　any　moment。

〃Don't　wait；　you'll　freeze。〃

He　did　not　reply　but　just　stood；　bulky　in　the　fleecelined　coat；　looking　amiably　at　her。

She　looked　down　at　the　cuff　of　her　coat　and　brushed　a　speck　of　snow　off　the　embroidery。

〃Have　you　a　wife；　Shevek？〃

〃No。〃

〃No　family　at　all？〃

〃Oh　—　yes。　A　partner；　our　children。　Excuse　me；　I　was　thinking　of　something　else。　A　'wife；'　you　see。　I　think　of　that　as　something　that　exists　only　on　Urras。〃

〃What's　a　'partner'？〃　She　glanced　up　mischievously　into　his　face。

〃I　think　you　would　say　a　wife　or　husband。〃

〃Why　didn't　she　e　with　you？〃

She　did　not　want　to；　and　the　younger　child　is　only　one　。。。　no；　two；　now。　Also—〃　He　hesitated。

〃Why　didn't　she　want　to　e？〃

〃Well；　there　she　has　work　to　do；　not　here。　If　I　had　known　how　she　would　like　so　many　things　here；　I　would　have　asked　her　to　e。　But　I　did　not。　There　is　the　question　of　safety；　you　see。〃

〃Safety　here？〃

He　hesitated　again；　and　finally　said；　〃Also　when　I　go　home。〃

〃What　will　happen　to　you？〃　Vea　asked；　roundeyed。　The　train　was　pulling　over　the　hill　outside　town。

〃Oh；　probably　nothing。　But　there　are　some　who　consider　me　a　traitor。　Because　I　try　to　make　friends　with　Urras；　you　see。　They　might　make　trouble　when　I　go　home。　I　dont　want　that　for　her　and　the　children。　We　had　a　little　of　it　before　I　left。　Enough。〃

〃You'll　be　in　actual　danger；　you　mean？〃

He　bent　toward　her　to　hear；　for　the　train　was　pulling　into　the　station　with　a　clatter　of　wheels　and　carriages。　〃I　don't　know；〃　he　said；　smiling。　〃You　know；　our　trains　look　very　much　like　these？　A　good　design　need　not　change。〃　He　went　with　her　to　a　firstclass　carriage。　Since　she　did　not　open　the　door；　he　did。　He　put　his　head　in　after　her；　looking　around　the　partment。　〃Inside　they　are　not　alike；　though。　This　is　all　private　—　for　yourself？〃

〃Oh；　yes。　I　detest　second　class。　Men　chewing　maeragum　and　spitting。　Do　people　chew　maera　on　Anarres？　No；　surely　not。　Oh；　there　are　so　many　things　I'd　love　to　know　about　you　and　your　country！〃

〃I　love　to　tell　about　it；　but　nobody　asks。〃

〃Do　let's　meet　again　and　talk　about　it；　then！　When　you're　next　in　Nio；　will　you　call　me？　Promise。〃

〃I　promise；〃　he　said　goodnaturedly。

〃Odd。　I　know　you　don't　break　promises。　I　don't　know　anything　about　you　yet；　except　that。　I　can　see　that。　Goodbye；　Shevek。〃　She　put　her　gloved　hand　on　his　for　a　moment　as　he　held　the　door。　The　engine　gave　its　twonote　honk；　he　shut　the　door。　and　watched　the　train　pull　out　Vea's　face　a　nicker　of　white　and　scarlet　at　the　window。

He　walked　back　to　the　Oiies'　in　a　very　cheerful　frame　of　mind；　and　had　a　snowball　battle　with　Ini　until　dark。

REVOLUTION　IN　BENBILI！　DICTATOR　FLEES！
REBEL　LEADERS　HOLD　CAPITAL
EMERGENCY　SESSION　IN　CWG。　POSSIBILITY
AIO　MAY　INTERVENE。

The　birdseed　paper　was　excited　into　its　hugest　typeface。　Spelling　and　grammar　fell　by　the　wayside；　it　read　like　Efor　talking：　〃By　last　night　rebels　hold　all　west　of　Meskti　and　pushing　army　hard。。。。〃　It　was　the　verbal　mode　of　the　Nioti；　past　and　future　rammed　into　one　highly　charged　unstable　present　tense。

Shevek　read　the　papers　and　looked　up　a　description　of　Benbili　in　the　CWG　Encyclopedia。　The　nation　was　in　form　a　parliamentary　democracy；　in　fact　a　military　dictatorship；　run　by　generals。　It　was　a　large　country　in　the　western　hemisphere；　mountains　and　arid　savannahs；　underpopulated；　poor。　〃I　should　have　gone　to　Benbili；〃　Shevek　thought；　for　the　idea　of　it　drew　him；　be　imagined　pale　plains；　the　wind　blowing。　The　news　had　stirred　him　strangely。　He　listened　for　bulletins　on　the　radio；　which　be　had　seldom　turned　on　after　finding　that　its　basic　function　was　advertising　things　for　sale。　Its　reports；　and　those　of　the　official　telefax　in　public　rooms；　were　brief　and　dry：　a　queer　contrast　to　the　popular　papers；　which　shouted　Revolution！　on　every　page。

General　Havevert；　the　President；　got　away　safe　in　his　famous　armored　airplane；　but　some　lesser　generals　were　caught　and　emasculated；　a　punishment　the　Benbili　traditionally　preferred　to　execution。　The　retreating　army　burned　the　fields　and　towns　of　their　people　as　they　went　Guerrilla　partisans　harried　the　army。　The　revolutionaries　in　Meskti；　the　capital；　opened　the　Jails；　giving　amnesty　to　all　prisoners。　Reading　that；　Shevek's　heart　leapt。　There　was　hope；　there　was　still　hope。　。。。　He　followed　the　news　of　the　distant　revolution　with　increasing　intensity。　On　the　fourth　day。　watching　a　telefax　broadcast　of　debate　in　the　Council　of　World　Governments；　he　saw　the　loti　ambassador　to　the　CWG　announce　that　AIo；　rising　to　the　support　of　the　democratic　government　of　Benbili；　was　sending　armed　reinforcements　to　PresidentGeneral　Havevert。

The　Benbfli　revolutionaries　were　mostly　not　even　armed。　The　loti　troops　would　e　with　guns；　armored　cars；　airplanes；　bombs。　Shevek　read　the　description　of　their　equipment　in　the　paper　and　felt　sick　at　his　stomach。

He　felt　sick　and　enraged；　and　there　was　nobody　he　could　talk　to。　Pae　was　out　of　the　question。　Atro　was　an　ardent　militarist。　Oiie　was　an　ethical　man；　but　his　private　insecurities；　his　anxieties　as　a　property　owner；　made　him　cling　to　rigid　notions　of　law　and　order。　He　could　cope　with　his　personal　liking　for　Shevek　only　by　refusing　to　admit　that　Shevek　was　an　anarchist。　The　Odonian　society　called　itself　anarchistic；　he　said；　but　they　were　in　fact　mere　primitive　populists　whose　social　order　functioned　without　apparent　government　because　there　were　so　few　of　them　and　because　they　had　no　neighbor　states。　When　their　property　was　threatened　by　an　aggressive　rival；　they　would　either　wake　up　to　reality　or　be　wiped　out。　The　Benbili　rebels　were　waking　up　to　reality　now：　they　were　finding　freedom　is　no　good　if　you　have　no　guns　to　back　it　up。　He
explained　this　to　Shevek　in　the　one　discussion　they　had　on　the　subject。　It　did　not　matter　who　governed；　or　Aught　they　governed；　the　Benbilis：　the　politics　of　reality　concerned　the　power　struggle　between　AIo　and　Thu。

〃The　politics　of　reality；〃　Shevek　repeated。　He　looked　at　Oiie　and　said；　〃That　is　a　curious　phrase　for　a　physicist　to　use。〃

〃Not　at　all。　The　politician　and　the　physicist　both　deal　with　things　as　they　are；　with　real　forces；　the　basic　laws　of　the　world。〃

〃You　put　your　petty　miserable　'laws'　to　protect　wealth；　your　'forces'　of　guns　and　bombs；　in　the　same　sentence　with　the　law　of　entropy　and　the　force　of　gravity？　I　had　thought　better　of　your　mind；　Demaere！〃

Oii