一无所有-第46部分

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She　took　him　to　a　matinee　at　the　theater；　a　edy　about　young　married　people　and　their　mothersinlaw；　full　of　jokes　about　copulation　which　never　mentioned　copulation。　Shevek　attempted　to　laugh　when　Vea　did。　After　that　they　went　to　a　downtown　restaurant；　a　place　of　incredible　opulence。　The　dinner　cost　a　hundred　units。　Shevek　ate　very　little　of　it；　having　eaten　at　noon；　but　he　gave　in　to　Vea's　urging　and　drank　two　or　three　glasses　of　wine；　which　was　pleasanter　than　he　had　expected　it　to　be；　and　seemed　to　have　no　deleterious　effect　on　his　thinking。　He　had　not　enough　money　to　pay　for　the　dinner；　but　Vea　made　no　offer　to　share　the　cost；　merely　suggesting　that　he　write　a　check；　which　he　did。　They　then　took　a　hired　car　to　Vea's　apartment；　she　also　let　him　pay　the　driver。　Could　it　be；　he　wondered；　that　Vea　was　actually　a　prostitute；　that　mysterious　entity？　But　prostitutes　as　Odo　wrote　of　them　were　poor　women；　and　surely　Vea　was　not　poor；　〃her〃　party；　she　had　told　him；　was　being　got　ready　by　〃her〃　cook；　〃her〃　maid；　and　〃her〃　caterer。　Moreover　men　at　the　University　spoke　of　prostitutes　contemptuously　as　dirty　creatures；　while　Vea；　despite　her　continual　allurements；　displayed　such　sensitivity　to　open　talk　about　anything　sexual　that　Shevek　watched　his　language　with　her　as　he　might　have　done；　at　home；　with　a　shy　child　of　ten。　All　together；　he　did　not　know　what　exactly　Vea　was。

Vea's　rooms　were　large　and　luxurious；　with　glittering　views　of　the　lights　of　Nio；　and　furnished　entirely　in　white；　even　the　carpeting。　But　Shevek　was　getting　callous　to　luxury；　and　besides　was　extremely　sleepy。　The　guests　were　not　due　to　arrive　for　an　hour。　While　Vea　was　changing　her　clothes；　he　fell　asleep　in　a　huge　white　armchair　in　the　living　room。　The　maid　rattling　something　on　the　table　woke　him　in　time　to　see　Vea　e　back　in；　dressed　now　in　loti　formal　evening　wear　for　women；　a　fulllength　pleated　skirt　draped　from　the　hips；　leaving　the　whole　torso　naked。　In　her　navel　a　little　jewel　glittered；　just　as　in　the　pictures　he　had　seen　with　Tirin　and　Bedap　a　quartercentury　ago　at　the　Northsetting　Regional　Institute　of　Science；　just　so。　。。。　Half　awake　and　wholly　roused；　be　stared　at　her。

She　gazed　back　at　him；　smiling　a　little。

She　sat　down　on　a　low；　cushioned　stool　near　him；　so　she　could　look　up　into　his　face。　She　arranged　her　white　skirt　over　her　ankles；　and　said；　〃Now；　tell　me　how　it　really　is　between　men　and　women　on　Anarres。〃

It　was　unbelievable。　The　maid　and　the　caterer's　man　were　both　in　the　room；　she　knew　he　had　a　partner；　and　he　knew　she　did〃；　and　not　a　word　about　copulating　had　passed　between　them。　Yet　her　dress；　movements；　tone　—　what　were　they　but　the　most　open　invitation？

〃Between　a　man　and　a　woman　there　is　what　they　want　there　to　be　between　them；〃　he　said；　rather　roughly。　〃Each；　and　both。〃

〃Then　it's　true；　you　really　have　no　morality？〃　she　asked；　as　if　shocked　but　delighted。

〃I　don't　know　what　you　mean。　To　hurt　a　person　there　is　the　same　as　to　hurt　a　person　here。〃

〃You　mean　you　have　all　the　same　old　rules？　You　see；　I　believe　that　morality　is　just　another　superstition；　like　religion。　It's　got　to　be　thrown　out。〃

〃But　my　society；〃　he　said；　pletely　puzzled；　〃is　an　attempt　to　reach　it。　To　throw　out　the　moralizing；　yes　—　the　rules；　the　laws；　the　punishments　—　so　that　men　can　see　good　and　evil　and　choose　between　them。〃

〃So　you　threw　out　all　the　do's　and　don'ts。　But　you　know；　I　think　you　Odonians　missed　the　whole　point。　You　threw　out　the　priests　and　Judges　and　divorce　laws　and　all　that；　but　you　kept　the　real　trouble　behind　them。　You　just　stuck　it　inside；　into　your　consciences。　But　it's　still　there。　You're　just　as　much　slaves　as　ever！　You　aren't　really　free。〃

〃How　do　you　know？〃

〃I　read　an　article　in　a　magazine　about　Odonianism；〃　she　said。　〃And　we've　been　together　all　day。　I　don't　know　you；　but　I　know　some　things　about　you。　I　know　that　you've　got　a　—　a　Queen　Teaea　inside　you；　right　inside　that　hairy　head　of　yours。　And　she　orders　you　around　just　like　the　old　tyrant　did　her　serfs。　She　says；　'Do　this！'　and　you　do；　and　'Don't'　and　you　don't。〃

〃That　is　where　she　belongs；〃　he　said；　smiling。　〃Inside　my　head。〃

〃No。　Better　to　have　her　in　a　palace。　Then　you　could　rebel　gainst　her。　You　would　have　to。　Your　greatgreatgrandfather　did；　at　least　he　ran　off　to　the　Moon　to　get　a；　and　you've　still　got　her！〃

〃Maybe。　But　she　has　learned；　on　Anarres；　that　if　she　tells　me　to　hurt　another　person；　I　hurt　myself。〃

〃The　same　old　hypocrisy。　Life　is　a　fight；　and　the　strongest　wins。　All　civilization　does　is　hide　the　blood　and　cover　up　the　hate　with　pretty　words！〃

〃Your　civilization；　perhaps。　Ours　hides　nothing。　It　is　all　plain。　Queen　Teaea　wears　her　own　skin；　there。　We　follow　one　law；　only　one；　the　law　of　human　evolution。〃

〃The　law　of　evolution　is　that　the　strongest　survives！〃

〃Yes；　and　the　strongest；　in　the　existence　of　any　social　species；　are　those　who　are　most　social。　In　human　terms；　most　ethical。　You　see；　we　have　neither　prey　nor　enemy；　on　Anarres。　We　have　only　one　another。　There　is　no　strength　to　be　gained　from　hurting　one　another。　Only　weakness。〃

〃I　don't　care　about　hurting　and　not　hurting。　I　don't　care　about　other　people；　and　nobody　else　does；　either。　They　pretend　to。　I　don't　want　to　pretend。　I　want　to　be　free。〃

〃But　Vea；〃　he　began；　with　tenderness；　for　the　plea　for　freedom　moved　him　very　much；　but　the　doorbell　rang。　Vea　stood　up；　smoothed　her　skirt；　and　advanced　smiling　to　wele　her　guests。

During　the　next　hour　thirty　or　forty　people　came。　At　first　Shevek　felt　cross；　dissatisfied；　and　bored。　It　was　Just　another　of　the　parties　where　everybody　stood　about　with　glasses　in　their　hands　smiling　and　talking　loudly。　But　presently　it　became　more　entertaining。　Discussions　and　arguments　got　going；　people　sat　down　to　talk；　it　began　to　be　like　a　party　at　home。　Delicate　little　pastries　and　bits　of　meat　and　fish　were　passed　around；　glasses　were　constantly　refilled　by　the　attentive　waiter。　Shevek　accepted　a　drink。　He　had　watched　Urrasti　guzzling　alcohol　for　months　now；　and　none　of　them　had　seemed　to　fall　ill　from　it。　The　stuff　tasted　like　medicine；　but　somebody　explained　that　it　was　mostly　carbonated　water；　which　he　liked。　He　was　thirsty；　so　he　drank　it　right　off。

A　couple　of　men　were　determined　to　talk　physics　with　him。　One　of　them　was　well　mannered；　and　Shevek　managed　to　evade　him　for　a　while；　for　he　found　it　hard　to　talk　physics　with　nonphysicists。　The　other　was　overbearing；　and　no　escape　was　possible　from　him；　but　irritation；　Shevek　found；　made　it　much　easier　to　talk。　The　man　knew　everything；　apparently　because　he　had　a　lot　of　money。　〃As　I　see　it；〃　he　informed　Shevek；　〃your　Simultaneity　Theory　simply　denies　the　most　obvious　fact　about　time；　the　fact　that　time　passes。〃

〃Well；　in　physics　one　is　careful　about　what　one　calls　'facts。'　It　is　different　from　business；〃　Shevek　said　very　mildly　and　agreeably；　but　there　was　something　in　his　mildness　that　made　Vea；　chatting　with　another　group　nearby；　turn　around　to　listen。　〃Within　the　strict　terms　of　Simultaneity　Theory；　succession　is　not　considered　as　a　physically　objective　phenomenon；　but　as　a　subjective　one。〃

〃Now　stop　trying　to　scare　Dearri；　and　tell　us　what　that　means　in　baby　talk；〃　Vea　said。　Her　acuteness　made　Shevek　grin。

〃Well。　we　think　that　time　'passes；'　flows　past　us；　but　what　if　it　is　we　who　move　forward；　from　past　to　future；　always　discovering　the　new？　It　would　be　a　little　like　reading　a　book；　you　see。　The　book　is　all　there；　all　at　once；　between　its　covers。　But　if　you　want　to　read　the　story　and　understand　it；　you　must　begin　with　the　first　page；　and　go　forward；　always　in　order。　So　the　universe　would　be　a　very　great　book；　and　we　would　be　very　small　readers。〃

〃But　the　fact　is；〃　said　Dearri；　〃that　we　experience　the　universe　as　a　succession；　a　flow。　In　which　case；　what's　the　use　of　this　theory　of　how　on　some　higher　plane　it　may　be　all　eternally　coexistent？　Fun　for　you　theorists；　maybe；　but　it　has　no　practical　application；　no　relevance　to　real　life。

Unless　it　means　we　can　build　a　time　machine！〃　he　added　with　a　kind　of　hard；　false　joviality。

〃But　we　don't　experience　the　universe　only　successively；〃　Shevek　said。　〃Do　you　never　dream；　Mr。　Dearri？〃　He　was　proud　of　himself　for　having；