一无所有-第56部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



〃And　a　forest　project；　and　farm　projects；　and　practical　trainingi　and　block　mittees；　and　volunteer　work　since　the　drought；　the　usual　amount　of　necessary　kleggich。　I　like　doing　it；　in　fact　But　I　do　physics　too。　What　are　you　getting　at？〃

As　Sabul　did　not　answer　but　merely　glared　under　his　heavy；　oily　brows；　Shevek　added；　〃You　might　as　well　say　it　plainly；　because　you're　not　going　to　arrive　at　it　by　way　of　my　social　conscience。〃

〃Do　you　consider　the　work　you've　done　here　functional？〃

〃Yes。　The　more　that　is　anized；　the　more　central　the　anism：　centrality　here　implying　the　field　of　real　function。'　Tomar's　Definitions。　Since　temporal　physics　attempts　to　anize　everything　prehensible　to　the　human　mind；　it　is　by　definition　a　centrally　functional　activity。〃　

〃It　doesn't　get　bread　into　people's　mouths。〃

〃I　just　spent　six　decads　helping　to　do　that。　When　I'm　called　again；　I'll　go　again。　Meanwhile　I　stick　by　my　trade。　If　there's　physics　to　be　done；　I　claim　the　right　to　do　it。〃

〃What　you　have　to　face　is　the　fact　that　at　this　point　there　is　no　physics　to　be　done。　Not　the　kind　you　do。　We've　got　to　gear　to　practicality。〃　Sabul　shifted　in　his　chair。　He　looked　sullen　and　uneasy。　〃We've　had　to　release　five　people　for　reposting。　I'm　sorry　to　say　that　you're　one　of　them。　There　it　is。〃

〃Just　where　I　thought　it　was；〃　Shevek　said；　though　in　fact　he　had　not　till　that　moment　realized　that　Sabul　was　kicking　him　out　of　the　Institute。　As　soon　as　he　heard　it；　however；　it　seemed　familiar　news；　and　he　would　not　give　Sabul　the　satisfaction　of　seeing　him　shaken。

〃What　worked　against　you　was　a　bination　of　things。　The　abstruse；　irrelevant　nature　of　the　research　you've　done　these　last　several　years。　Plus　a　certain　feeling；　not　necessarily　justified；　but　existing　among　many　student　and　teaching　members　of　the　Institute；　that　both　your　teaching　and　your　behavior　reflect　a　certain　disaffection；　a　degree　of　privatism；　of　nonaltruism。　This　was　spoken　of　in　meeting。　I　spoke　for　you；　of　course。　But　I'm　only　one　syndic　among　many。〃

〃Since　when　was　altruism　an　Odoman　virtue？〃　Shevek　said。　〃Well；　never　mind。　I　see　what　you　mean。〃　He　stood　up。　He　could　not　keep　seated　any　longer；　but　otherwise　had　himself　in　control；　and　spoke　perfectly　naturally。　〃I　take　it　you　didn't　remend　me　for　a　teaching　post　elsewhere。〃

〃What　would　have　been　the　use？〃　said　Sabul；　almost　melodious　in　selfexculpation。　〃No　one's　taking　on　new　teachers。　Teachers　and　students　are　working　side　by　side　at　famineprevention　jobs　all　over　the　pla。　Of　course；　this　crisis　won't　last。　In　a　year　or　so　we'll　be　looking　back　on　it；　proud　of　the　sacrifices　we　made　and　the　work　we　did；　standing　by　each　other；　share　and　share　alike。　But　right　now　。。。〃

Shevek　stood　erect；　relaxed；　gazing　out　the　small；　scratched　window　at　the　blank　sky。　There　was　a　mighty　desire　in　him　to　tell　Sabul；　finally；　to　go　to　hell。　But　it　was　a　different　and　profounder　impulse　that　found　words。　〃Actually；〃　he　said；　〃you're　probably　right。〃　With　that　he　nodded　to　Sabul　and　left。

He　caught　an　omnibus　downtown。　He　was　still　in　a　hurry；　driven。　He　was　following　a　pattern　and　wanted　to　e　to　the　end　of　it；　e　to　rest。　He　went　to　the　Division　of　Labor　Central　Posting　offices　to　request　a　posting　to　the　munity　to　which　Takver　had　gone。

Divlab；　with　its　puters　and　its　huge　task　of　coordination；　occupied　a　whole　square；　its　buildings　were　handsome；　imposing　by　Anarresti　standards；　with　fine；　plain　lines。　Inside；　Central　Posting　was　highceilinged　and　barnlike；　very　full　of　people　and　activity；　the　walls　covered　with　posting　notices　and　directions　as　to　which　desk　or　department　to　go　to　for　this　business　or　that。　As　Shevek　waited　in　one　of　the　lines　he　listened　to　the　people　in　front　of　him；　a　boy　of　sixteen　and　a　man　in　his　sixties。　The　boy　was　volunteering　for　a　famineprevention　posting。　He　was　full　of　noble　feelings；　spilling　over　with　brotherhood；　adventurousness；　hope。　He　was　delighted　to　be　going　off　on　his　own；　leaving　his　childhood　behind。　He　talked　a　great　deal；　like　a　child；　in　a　voice　not　yet　used　to　its　deeper　tones。　Freedom；　freedom！　rang　in　his　excited　talk；
in　every　word；　and　the　old　man's　voice　grumbled　and　rumbled　through　it；　teasing　but　not　threatening；　mocking　but　not　cautioning。　Freedom；　the　ability　to　go　somewhere　and　do　something；　freedom　was　what　the　old　man　praised　and　cherished　in　the　young　one；　even　while　he　mocked　his　selfimportance。　Shevek　listened　to　them　with　pleasure。　They　broke　the　morning's　series　of　grotesques。

As　soon　as　Shevek　explained　where　he　wanted　to　go；　the　clerk　got　a　worried　look；　and　went　off　for　an　atlas；　which　she　opened　on　the　counter　between　them。　〃Now　look；〃　she　said。　She　was　an　ugly　little　woman　with　buck　teeth；　her　bands　on　the　colored　pages　of　the　atlas　were　deft　and　soft。　〃That's　Rolny；　see；　the　peninsula　sticking　down　into　the　North　Temaenian。　It's　just　a　huge　sandpit　There's　nothing　on　it　at　all　but　the　marine　laboratories　away　out　there　at　the　end；　see？　Then　the　coast's　all　swamp　and　salt　marsh　till　you　get　clear　round　here　to　Harmony　—　a　thousand　kilometers。　And　west　of　it　is　the　Coast　Barrens。　The　nearest　you　could　get　to　Rolny　would　be　some　town　in　the　mountains。　But　they're　not　asking　for　emergency　postings　there；　they're　pretty　selfsufficing。　Of　course；　you　could　go　there　anyhow；〃　she　added　in　a　slightly　different　tone。

〃It's　too　far　from　Rolny；〃　he　said；　looking　at　the　map；　noticing　in　the　mountains　of　Northeast　the　little　isolated　town　where　Takver　had　grown　up。　Round　Valley。　〃Don't　they　need　a　janitor　at　the　marine　lab？　A　statistician？　Somebody　to　feed　the　fish？〃

〃I'll　check。〃

The　human/puter　work　of　files　in　Divlab　was　set　up　with　admirable　efficiency。　It　did　not　take　the　clerk　five　minutes　to　get　the　desired　information　sorted　out　from　the　enormous；　continual　input　and　outgo　of　information　concerning　every　job　being　done；　every　position　wanted；　every　workman　needed；　and　the　priorities　of　each　in　the　general　economy　of　the　worldwide　society。　〃They　just　filled　an　emergency　draft　—　that's　the　partner；　isn't　it？　They　got　everybody　they　wanted；　four　technicians　and　an　experienced　seiner。　Staff　plete。〃

Shevek　leaned　his　elbows　on　the　counter　and　bowed　his　head；　scratching　it；　a　gesture　of　confusion　and　defeat　masked　by　selfconsciousness。　〃Well；〃　he　said；　〃I　don't　know　what　to　do。〃

〃Look；　brother；　how　long　is　the　partner's　posting？〃

〃Indefinite。〃

〃But　it's　a　famineprevention　job；　isn't　it？　It's　not　going　to　go　on　like　this　forever。　It　can't！　It'll　rain；　this　winter。〃

He　looked　up　into　his　sister's　earnest；　sympathetic；　harried　face。　He　smiled　a　little；　for　he　could　not　leave　her　effort　to　give　hope　without　response。

〃You'll　get　back　together。　Meanwhile—〃

〃Yes。　Meanwhile；〃　he　said。

She　awaited　his　decision。

It　was　his　to　make；　and　the　options　were　endless。　He　could　stay　in　Abbenay　and　anize　classes　in　physics　if　he　could　find　volunteer　students。　He　could　go　to　Rolny　Peninsula　and　live　with　Takver　though　without　any　place　in　the　research　station。　He　could　live　anywhere　and　do　nothing　but　get　up　twice　a　day　and　go　to　the　nearest　mons　to　be　fed。　He　could　do　what　he　pleased。

The　identity　of　the　words　〃work〃　and　〃play〃　in　Pravic　had；　of　course；　a　strong　ethical　significance。　Odo　had　seen　the　danger　of　a　rigid　moralism　arising　from　the　use　of　the　word　〃work〃　in　her　analogic　system：　the　cells　must　work　together；　the　optimum　working　of　the　anism；　the　work　done　by　each　element；　and　so　forth。　Cooperation　and　function；　essential　concepts　of　the　Analogy；　both　implied　work。　The　proof　of　an　experiment；　twenty　test　tubes　in　a　laboratory　or　twenty　million　people　on　the　Moon；　is　simply；　does　it　work？　Odo　had　seen　the　moral　trap。　〃The　saint　is　never　busy；〃　she　had　said；　perhaps　wistfully。

But　the　choices　of　the　social　being　are　never　made　alone。

〃Well；〃　Shevek　said；　〃I　Just　came　back　from　a　famineprevention　posting。　Anything　else　like　that　need　doing？〃

The　clerk　gave　him　an　eldersisterly　look；　incredulous　but　fiving。　〃There's　about　seven　hundred　urgent　calls　posted　around　the　room；〃　she　said。　〃Which　one　would　you　like？〃

〃Any　of　them　need　math？〃

〃They're　mostly　farming　and　skilled　labor。　Do　you　have　any　engineering　training？〃