一无所有-第52部分

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　it。　To　survive；　to　make　a　go　of　life；　an　Anarresti　knew　he　had　to　be　ready　to　go　where　he　was　needed　and　do　the　work　that　needed　doing。　He　grew　up　knowing　labor　distribution　as　a　major　factor　of　life；　an　immediate；　permanent　social　necessity；　whereas　conjugality　was　a　personal　matter；　a　choice　that　could　be　made　only　within　the
larger　choice。

But　when　a　direction　is　chosen　freely　and　followed　wholeheartedly；　it　may　seem　that　all　things　further　the　going。　So　the　possibility　and　actuality　of　separation　often　served　to　strengthen　the　loyalty　of　partners。　To　maintain　genuine　spontaneous　fidelity　in　a　society　that　had　no　legal　or　moral　sanctions　against　infidelity；　and　to　maintain　it　during　voluntarily　accepted　separations　that　could　e　at　any　time　and　might　last　years；　was　something　of　a　challenge。　But　the　human　being　likes　to　be　challenged；　seeks　freedom　in　adversity。

In　the　year　164　many　people　who　had　never　sought　it　got　a　taste　of　that　kind　of　freedom；　and　liked　it；　liked　the　sense　of　test　and　danger。　The　drought　that　began　in　the　summer　of　163　met　no　relief　in　winter。　By　the　summer　of　164　there　was　hardship；　and　the　threat　of　disaster　if　the　drought　went　on。

Rationing　was　strict；　labor　drafts　were　imperative。　The　struggle　to　grow　enough　food　and　to　get　the　food　distributed　became　convulsive；　desperate。　Yet　people　were　not　desperate　at　all。　　Odo　wrote：　〃A　child　free　from　the　guilt　of　ownership　and　the　burden　of　economic　petition　will　grow　up　with　the　will　to　do　what　needs　doing　and　the　capacity　for　Joy　in　doing　it。　It　is　useless　work　that　darkens　the　heart。　The　delight　of　the　nursing　mother；　of　the　scholar；　of　the　successful　hunter；　of　the　good　cook；　of　the　skillful　maker；　of　anyone　doing　needed　work　and　doing　it　well　—　this　durable　joy　is　perhaps　the　deepest　source　of　human　affection　and　of　sociality　as　a　whole。〃　There　was　an　undercurrent　of　joy；　in　that　sense；　in　Abbenay　that　summer。　There　was　a　lightheartedness　at　work　however　hard　the　work；　a　readiness　to　drop　all　care　as　soon　as　what　could　be　done　had　been　done。　The　old　tag　of　〃solidarity〃　had　e　alive　again。　There　is　exhilaration　in　finding　that　the　bond　is　stronger；　after　all；　than　all　that　tries　the　bond。

Early　in　the　summer　PDC　put　up　posters　suggesting　that　people　shorten　their　working　day　by　an　hour　or　so；　since　the　protein　issue　at　mons　was　now　insufficient　for　full　normal　expense　of　energy。　The　exuberant　activity　of　the　city　streets　had　already　been　slowing　down。　People　off　work　early　loitered　in　the　squares；　played　bowls　in　the　dry　parks；　sat　in　workshop　doorways　and　struck　up　conversation　with　passersby。　The　population　of　the　city　was　visibly　thinned；　as　several　thousands　had　volunteered　or　been　posted　to　emergency　farm　work。　But　mutual　trust　allayed　depression　or　anxiety。　〃Well　see　each　other　through；〃　they　said；　serenely。　And　great　impulses　of　vitality　ran　just　under　the　surface。　When　the　wells　in　the　northern　suburbs　failed；　temporary　mains　from　other　districts　were　laid　by　volunteers　working　in　their　free　time；　skilled　and　unskilled；　adults　and　adolescents；　and　the　job　was　done　in　thirty　hours。

Late　in　summer　Shevek　was　posted　to　an　emergency　farm　draft　to　Red　Springs　munity　in　Southrising。　Off　the　promise　of　some　rain　that　had　fallen　in　the　equatorial　storm　season；　they　were　trying　to　get　a　crop　of　grain　holum　planted　and　reaped　before　the　drought　returned。

He　had　been　expecting　an　emergency　posting；　since　his　construction　Job　was　finished　and　he　had　listed　himself　as　available　in　the　general　labor　pool。　All　summer　he　had　done　nothing　but　teach　his　courses；　read；　go　out　on　whatever　volunteer　calls　came　up　in　their　block　and　in　the　city；　and　e　home　to　Takver　and　the　baby。　Takver　had　gone　back　to　her　laboratory；　mornings　only；　after　five　decads。　As　a　nursing　mother　she　was　entitled　to　both　protein　and　carbohydrate　supplements　at　meals；　and　she　always　availed　herself　of　both；　their　friends　could　not　share　extra　food　with　her　any　more；　there　was　no　extra　food。　She　was　thin　but　flourishing；　and　the　baby　was　small　but　solid。

Shevek　got　a　great　deal　of　pleasure　from　the　baby。　Having　sole　charge　of　her　in　the　mornings　（they　left　her　in　the　nursery　only　while　he　taught　or　did　volunteer　work）；　he　felt　that　sense　of　being　necessary　which　is　the　burden　and　reward　of　parenthood。　An　alert；　responsive　baby；　she　gave　Shevek　the　perfect　audience　for　his　suppressed　verbal　fantasies；　what　Takver　called　his　crazy　streak。　He　would　sit　the　baby　on　his　knees　and　address　wild　cosmological　lectures　to　her；　explaining　how　time　was　actually　space　turned　inside　out；　the　chronon　being　thus　the　everted　viscera　of　the　quantum；　and　distance　one　of　the　accidental　properties　of　light。　He　gave　extravagant　and　everchanging　nicknames　to　the　baby；　and　recited　ridiculous　mnemonics　at　her：　Time　is　a　manacle。　Time　is　tyrannical；　Supermechanical；　Superanical　—　TOPI　—　and　at　the　pop；　the　baby　arose　a　short　distance　into　the　air；　squeaking　and　waving　her　fat　fists。　Both　received　great　satisfaction　from　these　exercises。　When　he　received　his　posting　it　was　a　wrench。　He　had　hoped　for　something　close　to　Abbenay；　not　clear　around　in　Southrising。　But　along　with　the　unpleasant　necessity　of　leaving　Takver　and　the　baby　for　sixty　days　came　the　steady　assurance　of　ing　back　to　them。　So　long　as　be　had　that；　he　had　no　plaints。

The　night　before　he　left；　Bedap　came　and　ate　at　the　Institute　refectory　with　them；　and　they　came　back　together　to　the　room。　They　sat　talking　in　the　hot　night；　the　lamp　unlit；　the　windows　open。　Bedap；　who　ate　at　a　small　mons　where　special　arrangements　were　not　a　burden　for　the　cooks　to　handle；　had　saved　up　his　specialbeverages　ration　for　a　decad　and　taken　it　all　in　the　form　of　a　liter　bottle　of　fruit　juice。　He　produced　it　with　pride：　a　goingaway　party。　They　doled　it　around　and　savored　it　luxuriously；　curling　their　tongues。　〃Do　you　remember；〃　Takver　said；　〃all　the　food；　the　night　before　you　left　Northsetting？　I　ate　nine　of　those　fried　cakes。〃

〃You　wore　your　hair　cut　short　then；〃　Shevek　said；　startled　by　the　recollection；　which　he　had　never　before　paired　up　to　Takver。　〃That　was　you；　wasn't　it？〃

〃Who　did　you　think　it　was？〃

〃By　damn；　what　a　kid　you　were　then！〃

〃So　were　you；　it's　ten　years　now。　I　cut　my　hair　so　I'd　look　different　and　interesting。　A　lot　of　good　it　did！〃　She　laughed　her　loud；　cheerful　laugh；　quickly　strangling　it　so　as　not　to　wake　the　baby；　asleep　in　her　crib　behind　the　screen。　Nothing；　however；　woke　the　baby　once　she　had　got　to　deep。　〃I　used　to　want　so　badly　to　be　different。　I　wonder　why？〃

〃There's　a　point；　around　age　twenty；〃　Bedap　said；　〃when　you　have　to　choose　whether　to　be　like　everybody　else　the　rest　of　your　life；　or　to　make　a　virtue　of　your　peculiarities。〃

〃Or　at　least　accept　them　with　resignation；〃　said　Shevek。

〃Shev　is　on　a　resignation　binge；〃　Takver　said。　〃It's　old　age　ing　on。　It　must　be　terrible　to　be　thirty。〃

〃Don't　worry；　you　won't　be　resigned　at　niy；〃　Bedap　said；　patting　her　back。　〃Are　you　even　resigned　to　your　child's　name　yet？〃

The　five　and　sixletter　names　issued　by　the　central　registry　puter；　being　unique　to　each　living　individual；　took　the　place　of　the　numbers　which　a　puterusing　society　must　otherwise　attach　to　its　members。　An　Anarresti　needed　no　identification　but　his　name。　The　name　therefore；　was　felt　to　be　an　important　part　of　the　self；　though　one　no　more　chose　it　than　one's　nose　or　height。　Takver　disliked　the　name　the　baby　had　got。　Sadik。　〃It　still　sounds　like　a　mouthful　of　gravel；〃　she　said；　〃it　doesn't　fit　her〃

〃I　like　it；〃　Shevek　said。　〃it　sounds　like　a　tall；　slender　girl　with　long　black　hair。〃

〃But　it　is　a　short；　fat　girl　with　invisible　hair；〃　Bedap　observed。　　　？

〃Give　her　time；　brother！　Listen；　I'm　going　to　make　a　speech。〃

〃Speech！　Speech！〃

〃Shh—〃

〃Why　shh？　That　baby　would　sleep　through　a　cataclysm。〃

〃Be　quiet。　I　feel　emotional。〃　Shevek　raised　his　cup　of　fruit　juice。　〃I　want　to　say　—　What　I　want　to　say　is　this。　I'm　glad　Sadik　was　bom　now。　In　a　hard　year；　in　a　hard　time；　when　we　need　our　brotherhood。　I'm　glad　she　was　born　now；　and　here。　I'm　glad　she's　one　of　us；　an　Odonian；　our　daughter　and　our　sister。　Fm　glad　she's　sister　to　Bedap。　That　she's　sister　to　Sabul；　even　to　Sabul！　I　drink　to　thi