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ecstasy that can be attained through sex。 Is that right？〃 … … 。 …
〃Son； I hate to say this…because； if you've been reading a lo？ of English； I see how you reached that opinion…but you are one hundred percent wrong。〃
Ishtar looked startled。 Galahad simply looked thoughtful。 〃Then I must go back and read some more。〃
〃Don't bother； Galahad。 Most of those writers 1ou've been reading misuse the word just that way。 Shucks； F misused it for years myself； it's a prime example of the slipperiness of the English tongue。 But； whatever 'love' is1 it's not sex。 I'm not running down sex。 If there is a purpose in life more important than two people cooperating in making a baby； all the philosophers in history haven't been able to find it。 And between babies； the practice runs keep up our zest m hfe and
make tolerable the …fact that raising S … baby is …one hell of a lot of work。 But that's not love。 Love is something that still goes on when you are not sexually excited。 It being so stipulated； who wants to try it？ Ira； how about you？ You know English better than the others； you speak it almost as well as Ido。〃
第17节
〃I speak it better than you do； Gramp； I speak it grammatically； which you do not。〃
〃Don't praggle me； boy； I'll quang you proper。 Shakespeare and I never … let grammar interfere with expressing ourselves。 Why； he said to me once…〃
〃Oh； stop it！ He died three centuries before you were born。〃
〃He did； huh？ They opened his grave once and found it empty。 The fact is； he was a half brother of Queen Elizabeth and dyed his hair to make the… truth less obvious。 The ；other fact is that they were closing in… on him； so he…' switched。 I've died that way several… times。 Ira； his will left his 'second…best bed' to his wife。 …Look up who got his best bed and you'll begin to figure out what really happened。 Do you want to try to define 'love'？〃
〃No。 You would change the rules 'again。 All you have done so far is to divide the field of experience called 'love' into the same categories Minerva divided it into； when you asked her this same question weeks ago…namely； 'Eros' and 'Agate。' But you avoided using those technical words for the subfleld~ and by this sophistry you attempted to exclude the general term from one subfield and thereby claimed that the term tObe defined was limited to … the other subfield…which set it up…' for you to define 'love' as identically equal to 'Agape。' But again without using …that word。 It won't work； Lazarus … To… use your own metaphor；。 I saw you palm that card。〃 …
Lazarus shook his head admiringly。 〃There are no thea on you； boy； I did a good job when I thought you up。 Someday when we have time to waste； let's have a go at solipsism。〃
〃e cuff it； Lazarus。 You can't bulldoze me the way you did Galahad。 The subcategories are still 'Eros' and 'Agape。' 'Agape' is ~e； 'Eros' is so mon that it is almost inevitable that …Galahad a~鐀uired the feeling that 'Eros' is the total meaning of tbm~QTd love' Now you have unfairly confused him since he ai~ibnes…sncortectly…that you are a reliable authority with respect to the English language。〃
Lazarus chuckled。 〃Ira； m'boy； when I was a kid； they sold that Stuff by the wagonload to grow alfalfa。 Those technical
~vords were thought up by armchair experts of 'the same sort as theologians。 Which gives them the same standing as sex manuals written by celibate priests。 Son； I avoided those fancy categories because they are useless； incorrect； and misleading。 There can be sex without love； and love without sex； and situations so intermixed that nobody can sort out which is which。 But love can be defined； an exact definition that does not resort to the word 'sex；' or to… question…begging by exclusion through the use of such words as 'Eros' and 'Agape。'〃
〃So define it；〃 said Ira。 〃I promise not to laugh。〃 …
〃Not yet。 The trouble with defining in words anything as basic as love is that the definition can't be understood by anyone who has not experienced it。 It's like the ancient dilemma of explaining a rainbow to a person blind from birth。 Yes； Ishtar； I know that you can fit such a person with cloned …eyes today…but that dilemma was inescapable in my youth。 In those days one could teach such an unfortunate all the physical theory of the electromagic spectrum； tell him precisely an eye can pick up； define colors to him in terms of those frequencies； explain exactly how the mechanisms of refraction and reflection produce a rainbow ima~and what its shape is and how the frequencies are distributed until he knew all about rainbows in the scientific sense 。 … but you still couldn't make him feel the breathless wonder that the sight of a rainbow inspires in a man。 Minerva is better off than that man； because she can see。 Minerva dear； do you ever look at rainbows？〃 …
〃Whenever possible； Lazarus。 Whenever one of my sensor extensionals can see one。 Fascinating！〃
〃That's it。 Minerva can see a rainbow； a blind man can't。 Electromagic Theory is irrelevant to the experience。〃
〃Lazarus；〃 Minerva added； 〃it may be that I can see a rainbow better than a flesh…and…blood can。 My visual range is three …octaves； fifteen hundred to twelve thousand angstroms。〃
Lazarus whistled。 〃Whereas I chop off just short of one octave。 Tell me； girl； do you see chords in those colors？〃
〃Oh； certainly！〃
〃Hmm！ Don't try to explain to me those othe'P colors； I'll have to go on being half blind。〃 …
Lazarus added； 〃Puts me in mind of a blind man I knew on Mars； Ira； when I was managing that； uh； recreation center。 He…〃
〃Gramp；〃 the Chainnan Pro Tem interrupted in a tired voice； 〃don't treat us as children。 Surely； you're the oldest
man alive …。 。 but the youngest person … here…that offspring of mine sitting there； making cow…eyes at you…is as old as Gramp Johnson was when you last saw him； Hamadryad will be ~eighty her next birthday。 Ham； my darling； how many paramours have you had？〃
〃Goodness； Ira…who counts？〃…
〃Ever taken money for it？〃
〃None of your business； Father。 Or were you about to offer me some？〃 … …
〃Don't be flip； dear； I'm still your father。 Lazarus； do you think you can shock Hamadryad by plain talk？ Prostitution isn't big business here； there are too many amateurs as willin…g as she is。 Nevertheless； the few bordellos we have in New Rome are members of the Chamber of merce。 But you should try one of our better holiday houses…say； the Elysium。 After you are fully rejuvenated。〃
〃Good idea；〃 agreed Galahad。 〃To celebrate。 As soon as Ishtar gives you your final physical check。 As my guest； Grandfather； I'd be honored。 The Elysium has everything； from massage and hypnotic conditioning to the be；sI~ gourmet food and best shows。 Or name it and they'll supply it。〃 ； …。
〃Wait a moment；〃 protested Hamadryad。 〃Don't be~selfish arsfardel； Galahad。 We'll make it a foursome celebration
Ishtar？〃……
〃Certainly； dear。 Fun。〃…；。
〃Or a sixsome； with a 'panion for Ira~ Father？〃
〃I could be tempted； dear； for Lazarus' birthday party… although you know I usually avoid public places。 How manyrejuvenations； Lazarus？ That's how… we count this sort of birthday party。〃
〃Don't be nosy； Bub。 As your daughter says： 'Who counts？' Wouldn't mind a birthday cake； such as I used to have a~ a child。 But just one ca~4le in the middle is enough。〃
〃A phallic symbol；〃 agreed Galahad。 〃An ancient fertility sign…appropriate for a rejuvenation。 And its flame is an equally ancient symbol of life。 It should be a working candle； not a fake。 If we can fled one。〃 …
lshtar looked happy。 〃Of course！ There must be a candlemaker somewhere。 If not； I'll learn how and make it myself。 I'll design it； too…semirealistic but somewhat stylized。 Although I could make it true portraiture； Grandfather； I'm a fair amateur sculptor； I learned it when I studied cosmetic surgery。〃
〃Wait a minute！〃 Lazarus protested。 〃All I want is a plain
wax candle…the