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！
more than fifty professions。 You've been everywhere； you've seen far more than anyone else。 You've certainly learned more than any of the rest of us。 We aren't doing things much better now than we were two thousand years ago； when you were young。 You must know why we are still making mistakes our ancestors made。 It would be a great loss if you hurried your death without taking time to tell us what you have learned。〃
Lazarus scowled and bit his lip。 〃Son； one of the few things I've learned is that humans hardly ever learn from the experience of others。 They learn…when they do； which isn't often
…on their own； the hard way。〃
〃That one statement is worth recording for all time。〃
〃11mm！ No one would learn anything from it； that's what it says。 Ira； age does not bring wisdom。 Often it merely changes simple stupidity into arrogant conceit。 Its only advantage； ~o far as I have been able to see； is that it spans change。 A young person sees the world as a still picture； immutable。 An old person has had his nose rubbed in chai~ges and more changes and still more changes so many times that he knows it is a moving picture； forever changing。 He may not like is…probably doesn't； I don't…but he knows it's SO； and knowing it is the first step in coping with it。〃
〃May I place in open record what you have just said？〃
〃Huh？ That's not wisdom； that's a clich？ An obvious truth。 Any fool will admit that； even if he doesn't live by it。〃
〃It would carry greater weight with your name on it； Senior。〃
〃Do as you like； it's just horse sense。 But if you think I have gazed upon the naked Face of God； think again。 I haven't even begun to find out how the Universe works； much less what it is for。 To figure out the basic questions about this World it would be necessary to stand outside and look at it。 Not inside。 No； not in two thousand years； not in twenty thousand。 When a man dies； he may shake loose his local perspe~tive and see the thing as a whole。〃
〃Then you believe in an afterlife？〃
〃Slow up！ I don't 'believe' in anything。 I know certain things
…little things； not the Nine Billion Names of God…from experience。 But I have no beliefs。 Belief gets in the way of learning。〃
〃That's what we want； Lazarus： what you have learned。 Even though you say it's nothing but 'little things。' May I suggest that anyone who has managed to stay alive as long as you have must necessarily have learned many things； or you could not have lived so long？ Most humans die violent deaths。 The very fact that we live so much longer than our ancestors did makes this inevitable。 Traffic accident； murder； wild animals； sports； pilot error； a slippery bit of mud…eventually something catches up with us。 You haven't lived a safe； placid life…quite the contrary！…yet you have managed to outwit all hazards for twenty…three centuries。 How？ It can't be luck。〃
〃Why can't it be？ The most unlikely things do happen； Ira
…there is nothing so unlikely as a baby。 But it's true that I've always watched where I put my feet 。 。 and never fought when I could duck out … 。 and when I did have to fight； I always fought dirty。 If I had to fight； I wanted him to be dead instead of me。 So I tried to arrange it that way。 Not luck。 Or not much； anyway。〃 Lazarus blinked thoughtfully。 〃I've never argued with the weather。 Once a mob wanted to lynch me。 I didn't try to reason with them； I just put a lot of miles between me and them as fast as I could and never went back there。〃
〃That's not in any of your memoirs。〃
〃Lots of things not in my memoirs。 Here es chow。〃
The door dilated； a dining table for two glided in； p0~itioned itself as the chairs separated for it； and started un
folding to serve。 The technicians approached quietly and offered unnecessary personal service。 Weatheral said； 〃Smells good。 Do you have any eating rituals？'
〃Eh？ Praying or such？ No。〃
〃Not that sort。 Such as… Say one of my executives eats with me： I won't let him discuss business at the table。 But if you will permit； I would like to continue this conversation。〃
〃Certainly； why not？ As long as we stick to subjects that don't rile the stomach。 Did you ever hear what the priest told the old maid？〃
Lazarus glanced at the technician at his elbow。 〃Perhaps not now。 I think this shorter one is female and she just might know some English。 You were saying？〃
〃I was saying that your memoirs are inplete。 Even if you are determined to go through with dying； won't you consider granting me and your other descendants the rest of your memoirs？ Simply talk； tell us what you've seen and done。 Careful analysis might teach us quite a lot。 For example； what did happen at that Families Meeting of 2012？ The minutes don't tell much。〃
〃Who cares now； Ira？ They're all dead。 It would be my version without giving them a chance to answer back。 Let sleeping dogs bury their own dead。 Besides； I told you my memory was playing tricks。 I've used Andy Libby's hypno… encyclopedic techniques…and they're good…and also learned tier storage for memory I didn't need every day； with keying words to let a tier cascade when I did need it； like a puter； and I have had my brain washed of useless memories several times in order to clear those file drawers for new data
…and still it's no gobd。 Half the time I can't remember where
。1put the book I was reading the night before； then waste a
morning looking for it…before I remember that that book
was one I was reading a century ago。 Why won't you leave an
old man in peace？〃
〃All you have to do is to tell me to shut up； sir。 But I hope you will not。 Granted that… memory is imperfect； nevertheless you were eyewitness to thousands of things the rest of us are too young to have seen。 Oh； Fm not asking you to reel off a formal autobiography covering all your centuries。 But you might reminisce about anything you care to talk about。 For example； there is no record anywhere of your earliest years。 I…and millions of others…would be extremely interested in whatever you remember of your boyhood~〃
〃What is there to remember？ I s~pent my boyhood the way every boy does…trying to keep my elders from fin…ding out what I was up to。〃 …
Lazarus wiped his mouth and looked thoughtful。 〃On the whole I was successfuL The few times I was caught and clobbered taught me to be more careful next time…keep my mouth shut more and not make my lies too plicated。 Lying is one of the fine arts； Ira； and it seems to be dying
out。〃…
〃Really？ I had not noticed any diminution。〃 …
… 〃I mean as a fine art。 There are still plenty of clumsy liars； approximately as many as there are mouths。 Do you know the two most artistic ways to lie？〃
〃Perhaps I don't but I would like to learn。 Just two？〃
〃So far as I know。 It's not enough to be able to lie with a straight face； anybody … with enough gall to raise on a busted flush … can do that。 The … first way to lie artistically is to tell the truth…b