一无所有-第71部分

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e　was　not　a　woman　of　thirty　or　less；　as　he　had　thought；　but　was　sixty　or　more；　her　smooth　skin　and　childish　physique　had　deceived　him。　〃At　home；〃　she　went　on；　〃we　mostly　sit　on　cushions　on　the　floor。　But　if　I　did　that　here　I　would　have　to　look　up　even　more　at　everyone。　You　Cetians　are　all　so　tall　。　。　。　We　have　a　little　problem。　That　is；　we　really　do　not；　but　the　government　of　AIo　does。　Your　people　on　Anarres；　the　ones　who　maintain　radio　munication　with　Unas；　you　know；　have　been　asking　very　urgently　to　speak　with　you。　And　the　loti　Government　is　embarrassed。〃　She　smiled；　a　smile　of　pure　amusement。　〃They　don't　know　what　to　say。〃

She　was　calm。　She　was　calm　as　a　waterworo　stone　which；　contemplated；　calms。　Shevek　sat　back　in　his　chair　and　took　a　very　considerable　time　to　answer。

〃Does　the　loti　Government　know　that　I'm　here？〃

〃Well；　not　officially。　We　have　said　nothing；　they　have　not　asked。　But　we　have　several　loti　clerks　and　secretaries　working　here　in　the　Embassy。　So；　of　course；　they　know。〃

〃Is　it　a　danger　to　you　—　my　being　here？〃

〃Oh　no。　Our　embassy　is　to　the　Council　of　World　Governments；　not　to　the　nation　of　AIo。　You　had　a　perfect　right　to　e　here；　which　the　rest　of　the　Council　would　force　AIo　to　admit。　And　as　I　told　you；　this　castle　is　Terran　soil。〃　She　smiled　again；　her　smooth　face　folded　into　many　little　creases；　and　unfolded。　〃A　delightful　fantasy　of　diplomats！　This　castle　eleven　lightyears　from　my　Earth；　this　room　in　a　tower　in　Rodarred；　in　AIo；　on　the　pla　Unas　of　the　sun　Tau　Ceti；　is　Terran　soil。〃

〃Then　you　can　tell　them　I　am　here。〃

〃Good。　It　will　simplify　matters。　I　wanted　your　consent。〃

〃There　was　no　。。。　message　for　me；　from　Anarres？〃

〃I　don't　know。　I　didn't　ask。　I　didn't　think　of　it　from　your　point　of　view。　If　you　are　worried　about　something；　we　might　broadcast　to　Anarres。　We　know　the　wave　length　your　people　there　have　been　using；　of　course；　but　we　haven't　used　it　because　we　were　not　invited　to。　It　seemed　best　not　to　press。　But　we　can　easily　arrange　a　conversation　for　you。〃

〃You　have　a　transmitter？〃

〃We　would　relay　through　our　ship　—　the　Hainish　ship　that　stays　in　orbit　around　Urraa。　Hain　and　Terra　work　together；　you　know。　The　Hainish　Ambassador　knows　you're　with　us；　he　is　the　only　person　who　has　been　officially　informed。　So　the　radio　is　at　your　service。〃

He　thanked　her；　with　the　simplicity　of　one　who　does　not　look　behind　the　offer　for　the　offer's　motive。　She　studied　him　for　a　moment；　her　eyes　shrewd；　direct；　and　quiet。　〃I　heard　your　speech；〃　she　said。

He　looked　at　her　as　from　a　distance。　〃Speech？〃

〃When　you　spoke　at　the　great　demonstration　in　Capital　Square。　A　week　ago　today。　We　always　listen　to　the　clandestine　radio；　the　Socialist　Workers'　and　the　Libertarians'　broadcasts。　Of　course；　they　were　reporting　the　demonstration。　I　heard　you　speak。　I　was　very　moved。　Then　there　was　a　noise；　a　strange　noise；　and　one　could　hear　the　crowd　beginning　to　shout。　They　did　not　explain。　There　was　screaming。　Then　it　died　off　the　air　suddenly。　It　was　terrible；　terrible　to　listen　to。　And　you　were　there。　How　did　you　escape　from　that？　How　did　you　get　out　of　the　city？　Old　Town　is　still　cordoned　off；　there　are　three　regiments　of　the　army　in　Nio；　they　round　up　strikers　and　suspects　by　the　dozen　and　hundred　every　day。　How　did　you　get　here？〃

He　smiled　faintly。　〃In　a　taxi。〃

〃Through　all　the　checkpoints？　And　in　that　bloodstained　coat？　And　everyone　knows　what　you　look　like。〃

〃I　was　under　the　back　seat。　The　taxi　was　mandeered；　is　that　the　word？　It　was　a　risk　some　people　took　for　me。〃　He　looked　down　at　his　hands；　clasped　on　his　lap。　He　sat　perfectly　quietly　and　spoke　quietly；　but　there　was　an　inner　tension；　a　strain；　visible　in　his　eyes　and　in　the　lines　around　his　mouth。　He　thought　a　while；　and　went　on　in　the　same　detached　way；　〃It　was　luck；　at　first。　When　I　came　out　of　hiding；　I　was　lucky　not　to　be　arrested　at　once。　But　I　got　into　Old　Town。　After　that　it　was　not　just　luck。　They　thought　for　me　where　I　might　go；　they　planned　to　get　me　there；　they　toot　the　risks。〃　He　said　a　word　in　his　own　language；　then　translated　it：　〃Solidarity；　。。。〃

〃It　is　very　strange；〃　aaid　the　Ambassador　from　Terra。　〃I　know　almost　nothing　about　your　world；　Shevek。　I　know　only　what　the　Urrasti　tell　us；　since　your　people　won't　let　us　e　there。　I　know；　of　course；　that　the　pla　is　arid　and　bleak；　and　how　the　colony　was　founded；　that　it　is　an　experiment　in　anarchomunism；　that　it　has　survived　for　a　hundred　and　seventy　years。　I　have　read　a　little　of　Odo's　writings　—　not　very　much。　I　thought　that　it　was　all　rather　unimportant　to　matters　on　Urras　now；　rather　remote；　an　interesting　experiment　But　I　was　wrong；　wasn't　I？　It　is　important。　Perhaps　Anarres　is　the　key　to　Urras。　。　。　。　The　revolutionists　in　Nio；　they　e　from　that　same　tradition。　They　weren't　just　striking　for　better　wages　or　protesting　the　draft。　They　are　not　only　socialists；　they　are　anarchists；　they　were　striking　against　power。　You　see；　the　size　of　the　demonstration；　the　intensity　of　popular　feeling；　and　the　government's　panic　reaction；　all　seemed　very　hard　to　understand。　Why　so　much　motion？　The　government　here　is　not　despotic。　The　rich　are　very　rich　indeed；　but　the　poor　are　not　so　very　poor。　They　are　neither　enslaved　nor　starving。　Why　aren't　they　satisfied　with　bread　and　speeches？　Why　are　they　supersensitive？　。　。　。　Now　I　begin　to　see　why。　But　what　is　still　inexplicable　is　that　the　government　of　AIo；　knowing　this　libertarian　tradition　was　still　alive；　and　knowing　the　discontent　in　the　industrial　cities；　still　brought　you　here。　Like　bringing　the　match　to　the　powder　mill！〃

〃I　was　not　to　be　near　the　powder　mill。　I　was　to　be　kept　from　the　populace；　to　live　among　scholars　and　the　rich。　Not　to　see　the　poor。　Not　to　see　anything　ugly。　I　was　to　be　wrapped　up　in　cotton　in　a　box　in　a　wrapping　in　a　carton　in　a　plastic　film；　like　everything　here。　There　I　was　to　be　happy　and　do　my　work；　the　work　I　could　not　do　on　Anarres。　And　when　it　was　done　I　was　to　give　it　to　them；　so　they　could　threaten　you　with　it。〃

〃Threaten　us？　Terra；　you　mean；　and　Hain；　and　the　other　interspatial　powers？　Threaten　us　with　what？〃

〃With　the　annihilation　of　space。〃

She　was　silent　a　while。　〃Is　that　what　you　do？〃　she　said　in　her　mild；　amused　voice。

〃No。　It　is　not　what　I　do！　In　the　first　place；　I　am　not　an　inventor；　an　engineer。　I　am　a　theorist。　What　they　want　from　me　is　a　theory。　A　theory　of　the　General　Field　in　temporal　physics。　Do　you　know　what　that　is？〃

〃Shevek；　your　Cetian　physics；　your　Noble　Science；　is　pletely　beyond　my　grasp。　I　am　not　trained　in　mathematics；　in　physics；　in　philosophy；　and　it　seems　to　consist　of　all　of　those；　and　cosmology；　and　more　besides。　But　I　know　what　you　mean　when　you　say　the　Theory　of　Simultaneity；　in　the　way　I　know　what　is　meant　by　the　Theory　of　Relativity；　that　is；　I　know　that　relativity　theory　led　to　certain　great　practical　results；　and　so　I　gather　that　your　temporal　physics　may　make　new　technologies　possible。〃

He　nodded。　〃What　they　want；〃　he　said；　〃is　the　instantaneous　transferral　of　matter　across　space。　Transflience。　Space　travel；　you　see；　without　traversal　of　space　or　lapse　of　time。　They　may　arrive　at　it　yet；　not　from　my　equations；　I　think。　But　they　can　make　the　ansible；　with　my　equations；　if　they　want　it。　Men　cannot　leap　the　great　gaps；　but　ideas　can。〃

〃What　is　an　ansible；　Shevek？〃

〃An　idea。〃　He　smiled　without　much　humor。　〃It　win　be　a　device　that　will　permit　munication　without　any　time　interval　between　two　points　in　space。　The　device　will　not　transmit　messages；　of　course；　simultaneity　is　identity。　But　to　our　perceptions；　that　simultaneity　will　function　as　a　transmission；　a　sending。　So　we　will　be　able　to　use　it　to　talk　between　worlds；　without　the　long　waiting　for　the　message　to　go　and　the　reply　to　return　that　electromagic　impulses　require。　It　is　really　a　very　simple　matter。　Like　a　kind　of　telephone。〃

Keng　laughed。　〃The　simplicity　of　physicists！　So　I　could　pick　up　the　—　ansible？　—　and　talk　with　my　son　in　Delhi？　And　with　my　granddaughter；　who　was　five　when　I　left；　and　who　lived　eleven　years　while　I　was　traveling　from　Terra　to　Urras　in　a　nearly　lightspeed　ship。　And　I　could　find　out　what's　happening　at　home　now；　not　eleven　years　ago。　And　decisions　could　be　made；　and