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man who had survived …more than two millennia would not let himself be killed in some dark alley。
〃So I … assumed that you were alive； then asked… myself；。 'If I were Lazarus Long； how would I go about hiding？' I went into deep meditation and thought about it。 Then I tried to retrace your steps； so far as we knew them。 By the way…〃
The Chairman Pro Tern threw back his shoulder cloak； took out a large sealed envelope； handed it to Lazarus。… 〃Here is the item you left in a lockbox at Harriman Trust。〃
Lazarus accepted it。 〃It's been opened。〃
〃By me。 Prematurely； I admit…but you addressed it …& me。 I have read it but no one else has。 And now I will forget it。 Except to say … this： I am unsurprised that you left your wealth … to the Families … 。 but I was touched that you assigned your yacht to the personal use of the Chairman。 That's a …sweet craft； Lazarus； I lust after it a bit。 But not so much that I am anxious to inherit so quickly。 But I undertook to explain why we need you…and let myself get sidetracked。？'
…〃I'm in no rush； Ira。 Are you？〃
… 〃Me？ Sir； 1 have no duties more important than talking with the Senior。 Besides； my staff… runs this pla more efficiently if I don't supervise them too closely。〃
Lazarus nodded agreement。 〃That was always my system。 the … times I let myself get involved。 Accept the whole load； then shove the work off on other people as …fast as 1 could pick 'em。 Having any trouble with democrats these days？〃
〃'Democrats'？ Oh…you must mean 'equllitarians。' I thought at first you meant the Church of the Holy Democrat~
…We leave that church alone； they don't meddle。 … There is an equalitarian movement every few years； certainly； under various names。 The Freedom Party； the League of the Oppressed
…names don't matter as they all want to turn the rascals out； starting with me； and put their own rascals in。 We never bother them； …we simply inifitrate； then some night we round up the ringleaders and their families； and by daylight they are headed out as involuntary migrants。 Transportees。 'Living on Secundus is a privilege； not a right。'〃
〃You're quoting me。〃
〃Of course。 Your exact words from the contract undet which you deeded Secundus to the Foundation。 That there was… to be no government on this pla other than such rules as the current chairman found necessary to maintain order。 We've stuck to our agreement with you； Senior； I am sole boss until the Trustees see fit to replace me。〃
〃That's what I intended；〃 Lazarus agreed。 〃But… Son； it's your pidgin and I'll never touch that gavel again…but I have doubts about the wisdom of getting rid of troublemakers。 Every loaf needs yeast。 A society that gets rid of all its troublemakers goes downhill。 Sheep。 Pyramid builders at best； decadent savages at worst。 You may be eliminating your creative one…tenth of one percent。 Your yeast。〃
〃I'm afraid we are； Senior； and that's one reason why we need you…〃
〃I said I won't touch that gavel！〃 …
〃Will you hear me out； sir？ You won't be asked to； even thOugh it is yours by ancient custom if you care to pick it up。 But I could use advice…〃
〃I don't give advice； people never take it。〃
〃Sorry。 Perhajs just a chance to talk over my problems with a person more experienced than I am。 About these troublemakers… We haven't eliminated them in the old sense； they're still alive； or most of them。 Ostracizing a man to another pla is more satisfactory than killing him for the technical crime …of treason； it gets rid of… him without making his neighbors too indignant。 Nor have we wasted him…them
…as we are using them to conduct an experiment： All transportees are shipped to the same pla； Felicity。 Do you happen to know it？〃 … …
… 〃Not by that name。〃
〃I think you would have stumbled on it only by accident； sir； we have kept it out of public records in order to use it as a Botany Bay。 It is not as good a pla as the name suggests； but it is a good one； roughly equivalent to Old Home Terra
…Earth； I should say…before it was ruined； or much …like Secundus when we settled here。 It's rough enough to test a man and eliminate weaklings； gentle enough to let a man raise a family if he has the gutsto dig in and sweat。〃
… 〃Sounds like a good place； perhaps you should have hung onto it。 Natives？〃
〃The proto…dominant race are quite fierce savages 。 。 if any are still alive。 We don't know； we don't even maintain a liaison office there。 This native race is neither intelligent
0
enough to be civilized nOr tractable enough to be enslaved。 Perhaps they would have evolved and made it on their own； but they had the misfortune to encounter H。 sapiens before
… they were ready for him。 But that is not the experiment； the transportees are certain to win out over that petition； we do not send them empty…handed。 But； Lazarus； these people believe that they can create ideal government by majority rule。〃
Lazarus snorted。
〃Perhaps they can； sir；〃 Weatheral persisted。 〃I don't know that they cannot。 That is the experiment。〃
〃Son； are you a fool？ Oh； you can't be； the Trustees wouldn't keep you in office。 But… How old did you say you are？〃 …
nieen centur？es your junior； sir； I will not dispute your opinion on anything。 But I do not know through my own experience that this experiment will not work； I have never seen a government of the democratic type； even in the numerous times I have been off pla。 I've simply read about them。 From what I have read not one has ever been formed from a population all of whom believed in the democratic theory。 So I don't know。〃
〃Hnim。〃 Lazarus looked frustrated。 〃Ira； 1 was about to shove my own experience with such governments down your throat。 But you're right； this is a brand…new situation…and we don't know。 Oh； I have strong opinions； but a thousand reasoned opinions are never equal to one case of diving in and finding out。 Galileo proved that and it may be the only certainty we have。 Mmm 。 。 all the so…called democracies I've ever seen or heard of were either forced on the majority from above or grew up slowly from the plebs discovering that they could vote themselves bread…and…circuses…for a while； until the system broke down。 I'm sorry I won't see the oute of your experiment。 I suspect it will be the harshest tyranny imaginable； majority rule gives the ruthless strong man plenty of elbow room to oppress his fellows。 But I don't know。 What's your opinion？〃
〃The puters say…〃
第3节
〃Never mind puters。 Ira； the most sophisticated machine the human mind can build has in it the limitations …of the 。human mind。 Anyone who thinks otherwise does not understa~鏸 the Second Law of Thermodynamics。 I asked for your opinion。〃
〃Sir； I refuse to form an opinion； I lack sufficient data。〃
〃Hrrumph： You're getting old； Son。 To get anywhere； or even to live a long time； a man has to guess； and guess right； over and over again； without enough data for a logical answer。 You were telling me how you found me。〃
〃Yes； sir。 That document； your will； made it clear that you expected to die… soon。 Then〃…Weatheral paused and smiled wryly…〃I had to 'guess right without enough data。' It took us two days to find the shop where you bought clothes …to lower your apparent status…and to conform to local styles； I think。 I suspect that you bought your false ID's right after
that。〃…
He paused； Lazarus made no ment；。 Weatheral conlanued： 〃Another half day to find the shop where you lowered
… your apparent status much farther； close to bottom…too far perhaps； as the shopkeeper remembered you； both because you paid … cash … and because you were buyrng secondhand clothes that were not as good even when new as the ones you were wearing。 Oh； he pretended to accept your story about a 'costume party' and kept his mouth shut； his shop is a fence for stolen goods。〃
〃Of course；〃 agreed Lazarus。 〃I made sure he was on the crook before I bought from him。 But you said he stayed zipped？〃
〃Until we stimulated his memory。 A fence is in a difficult position； Lazarus； he has to have a permanent address。 This can sometimes force him to be honest。〃
〃Oh； I wasn't blaming dear old Uncle。 The fault was mine； I let myself be conspicuous。 I was tired； Ira； and feeling my years and let it rush me into doing a sloppy …job。 Even a hundred years back I would have done a more artistic job… I've always known that it is more difficult to lower your status convincingly than to raise it。〃
〃I don't think you need feel ashamed of the job as a work of art； Senior； you had us baffled for almost three months。〃
〃Son； the world doesn't pay off on a 'good try。' Go ahead~'
〃Brute force then； Lazarus： That shop is in the worst part of the city； we put a cordon around the area and saturated it； thousands of men。 But not for long； you were in the third fleabag we …checked。 I spotted you myself； I was with one of the …raiding parties。 Then your geic pattern confirmed your identity。〃 Ira Weatheral smiled slightly。 〃But we were pouring new blood into you before the geic analyzer reported your identity； you were in bad shape； sir。〃
〃I was like hell in bad shape； I was simply dying…and
In…
minding my own business； a Fa~ctice you could emulate。 Ira； do you realize what a… dirty trick you' have done me？ A man ought not to have to die twice … 。 and 1 was past the bad part and ready for the finale as easy as falling asleep。 Then you butted in。 I've never heard of rejuvenation being forced on anyone。 If I had suspected that you had changed the rules； I would… never have e near this pla。 Now I have to go through it again。 Either with the suicide swit�h…and …suicide is an idea I've always despised…or the natural way。 Which could now take a long time。 Is my old blood still around？ Stored？〃
〃I will inquire of the Clinic's …Director； sir。〃 …
〃Huxnph。。 That's ……not… an answer； so don't bother to lie。 You've put… me in a dilemma； Ira。 Even though I haven't had the full treatment； J feel better than I've felt for forty years or more…which means either that I must again wait it out for many weary years…or use that switch when my body isn't saying； 'Time to adjourn。' You meddling scoundrel； by what authority…no； you've got the authority。 By what ethical principle did you interfere with my death？〃
〃Because we needed you； sir。〃…
〃That's not an ethical reason； just a pragmatic one。 The need was not mutual。〃
〃Senior…； I have studied your life as thoroughly as the records ipermit。 It seems to me that you often acted pragmatically。〃 … …
Lazarus grinned。 〃That's my boy！ I was wondering if you would have the gall to try to twist it into some high moral principle； like a damned … preacher。 I don't trust a man who talks about ethics when he's picking my pocket。 But if he's acting in his own self…interest and says so； I have usually been able to work out some way to do business with； him。〃
〃La~arus； if you will let us plete your rejuvenation； you'll feel… like living again。 I think you know that； you've been through it before。〃
〃To what end； sir？ When I've had more than two thousand years of trying everything？ When I've seen so many plas that they blur in my mind？ …When I've had so …many wives I can't remember their names？ 'We pray for one last landing on the Globe that gave us birth…' I can't even do that； the lovely green pla I was born on has aged even more than I have； to return to it would be a time for tears； not a happy
…homeing。 No； Son； despite all rejuvenation there es a time when the only reasonable thing to do is turn out the
lights and go to sleep…and you； damn you； you took It away from me。〃
〃Fm sorry…no； I'm not sorry。 But I do ask your pardon。〃
〃Well 。 … you might get it。 But not now。 What was this aching reason you needed me？ You mentioned some problem other than the troublemakers you trans