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panionship； partnership； mutual reassurance； someone to laugh with and grieve with； loyalty that accepts foibles； someone to touch； someone to hold your hand…these things are 〃marriage；〃… and sex is but the icing on the cake。 Oh； that icing can be wonderfully tasty…but it is not the cake。 A marriage can lose that tasty 〃icing〃…say； through accident… and still go on and on and on； giving deep happiness to those who share it。
When I was a rutty and； ignorant youngster； this used to puzzle me… （Omitted）
…as solemnly ceremonious as I could swing。 Man lives by symbols； I wanted them to remember this occasion。 I had Llita dress in her notion of fanciest best。 She looked like a bloomin' Christmas tree； but I told her she looked beautiful… which she did； brides can't help it。 Joe I dressed in some of my clothes and gave them to him。 Me I dressed in a preposterous ship's…captain uniform； one I had for use on plas where such nonsense is customary…。four wide gold stripes on my cuffs； chest spangled with decorations bought in hockshops； a cocked hat Admiral Lord Nelson would have envied； and the rest as fancy as any grand master of a lodge。
I preached 'em a sermon loaded with solemn amphigory most of it lifted from the only church they knew； the established religion of Blessed…easy for me； having been a priest there myself…but I added all sorts of things； telling her what she owed him； telling him what he owed her； telling them both what they owed the child in her belly and the other children they would have…and tacked on； for both but primarily for her； a warning that marriage was not easy； not to be entered into lightly； because there would be troubles they must face together； grave troubles that would require the courage of the Cowardly Lion； the wisdom of the Scarecrow； the loving heart of the Tin Woodsman； and the indomitable gallantry of Dorothy。
That got her to weeping； so Joe started to drip tears…which was just what I wanted； so I had 'em kneel and prayed over them。
Minerva； I make no apology for hypocrisy。 I didn't care whether some hypothetical God heard me or not； I wanted Llita and Joe to hear it…first in that jargon of Blessed； then in English and Galacta； then topped it off by intoning as many lines of the Aeneid as I could remember。 When I got stuck I closed with a schoolboy song：
第25节
Omme bene
Sine poena； …
Tempus est ludendi；
…Venit hora
Absque mora；
Libros deponendi！*
…and ended with a resounding 〃So mote it be！〃 Had 'em stand； take each other's hands； and declared that； by the supreme authority vested in me as master of a vessel in space； they were now and forever husband and wife…kiss her； Joe。
All to a muted background of Beethoven's Ninth… That doggerel got in by accident when I had run out of 〃punishment lines〃 of Virgil and needed a few more impressive sounds。 But when I thought about it later； I saw that it translated as appropriately for their honeymoon as for a school holiday。 All was indeed well； now that I knew that this joining of siblings could take place sine poena…without fear of geic punishment。 And ludendi translates as 〃amorous play〃 or 〃Eros〃 as readily as 〃gambling〃 or 〃children's play〃 or any other frolic。 And I had declared a four…day ship's holiday； no work for them； no study hours…libros deponendi…starting at once。 Sheer accident； Minerva。 It was simply a bit of Latin verse that came into my head…and Latin is majestic； especially when you don't understand it。
We had a fancy supper； cooked by me； that lasted about
* Alliswell
Without punishment；
The time is for playing；
es the hour
Without delay
For laying （school） books down。
Purists will see that the Senior gave this jingle a poor translation。 But one wonders why he did not continue in the same vein with the cheerfully bawdy triple pun available in the last line by substituting 〃liberos〃 for 〃libros〃？ That he could have missed it seems out of character。 Our Ancestor's capric disposition is everywhere evident； his occasional professions of asceticism have at best a hollow ring。
*** J。F。 45th***
ten minutes…for them。' Llita could not eat； and Joe reminded me of Johnny's wedding…night and why his mother…in…law fainted。 So I piled a tray with tasty rations and handed it to Joe； and told 'em to get lost； I didn't want to see hide n' hair of 'em for four days…s
（Omitted）
…on to Landfall as fast as I could pick a cargo。 I could not leave them on Valhalla； Josie was not yet able to support a family； and Llita was going to be limited in what she could do； either pregnant or with a new baby。 Nor would I be on hand to pick 'em up if they fell down； they had to go to Landfall。
Oh； Llita could have survived on Valhalla； because there they have the healthy attitude that a pregnant woman is prettier than the other sort and that the farther along she is； the more beautiful she is…true in my opinion and especially true in Llita's case。 She had been passable when I bought her； when we grounded at Valhalla； she was almost five months gone and radiantly beautiful。 If she went dirtside unescorted； the first six men she encountered would want to marry her。 If she had had one on her back as well as one in her belly； she could have married well the day we arrived； fertility was respected there and the pla wasn't half filled up。
I didn't think she would jilt Joe that quickly； but I did not want her head turned by too much male attention。 I did not want to risk even an outside chance that Llita might leave him for some wealthy bourgeois or freeholder； I had gone to much trouble to build up Joe's ego； but it was still fragile and such a blow could kill it。 He was standing tall and proud now…but his pride was based on being a married man； with a wife； and a child on the way。 Did I mention that I had given them one of my names on their marriage certificate？ They were now Friherr og Fru Lang； Josef og Stjerne； for the duration of our stay on Valhalla； and I wanted them to remain Mr。 and Mrs。 Long for some years at least。
Minerva； I had them take lifetime vows never believing that they would keep them。 Oh； ephemerals often stay married for life； but as for the rest…you don't find feathers on frogs very often； and Llita was a na飗e； friendly； sexy little tart whose short heels would cause her to trip and land with her legs open without planning it…I could see it ing。 I did not want it to happen before I had a chance to indoctrinate Joe。 Horns need not give a man a headache。 But he does need time to grow up and mellow and acquire self…confidence before he can wear them with tolerance and dignity…and Llita was
just the girl who could outfit him with a fine rack of antlers。 I got him a job； pearl diver and handyman in a small gourmet restaurant； with a side arrangement for pay…me's to the chef for every Valhalla dish Joe learned to cook correctly。 In the meantime I kept her aboard on the excuse that a pregnant woman could not risk the nasty weathe