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！
Take her to live among Howards。 Doin rejected that
al…though I would have tried to talk her out of it if she had said Yes。 A short…timer alone in a munity of the longlived is almost certain to go into suicidal depression； I had seen it first~ in my friend Slayton Ford and I've seen it many times since then。 I did not want this to happen to Dora。 Whether the number of her years was ten or a thousand； I wanted her to enjoy them。
Or we could stay in Top Dollar or…the same thing…near one of the villages of that small piece of the pla that was settled then。 I almost chose this； as the 〃Bill Smith〃 dodge would work for that…for a time。 …
But only for a short… time。 The few Howards on New Beginnings…the Magees and three Other families as I recall… had all arrived incognito…〃masquerade〃 in Howard jargon… and by simple dodges they could shuffle things around and never be caught at it。 … Grandmother Magee could 〃die；〃 then show up as 〃Deborah Simpson〃 on another Howard homestead。 The more people there… were on the pla； the easier it was to pull this…especially after the fourth wave arrived； all of them cold…sleep cargo and thereby never having gotteil acquainted with each other。
But 〃Bill Smith〃 was married to an ephemeral。 If I stayed around the settled parts； I would have to be most careful to keep my hair dyed…not just on my head but all over my body lest some accident give me away…and then be careful to 〃age〃 as fast as my wife did。 Worse； I would have to avoid people who had known 〃Ernest。 Gibbons〃 well… most of Top Dollar； that is to say…or someone would see my profile and hear my voice and start wondering； as I had had no chance for plastic surgery or anything of that sort。 At other times； when it was needful to change name and identity； I had always changed location as well； that being the only foolproof way to do it。 Even plastic surgery won't disguise me very long； I regenerate too easily。 I once had my nose bobbed （the alternative seemed to involve having my neck bobbed）； ten years later it was just as it is now； big and ugly。
Not that I was too jumpy about being disclosed as a Howard。 But if I was going to have to live in masquerade； the more carefully I used these cosmetic tricks； … the more Dora's nose would be rubbed in the fact that I was different from her…different in the saddest way of all； a husband and a wife who ran on very different time rates。
Minerva； it seemed to me that the only way I could give my pretty new wife a square shake was by taking her far away from both sorts of people； long…lived and short； where I could quit pretending and we could ignore the difference； forget it and be happy。 So I decided to take her clear out of reach of other people； decided this before we got back to town the very day I married her。
It seemed the best answer to an otherwise impossible situation； but one not as irreversible as a parachute jump。 If she got too lonely； if she grew to hate the sight of my ugly mug； I could bring her out to the settlements again； still young enough to hook another husband。 I had this in mind； Mmerva； as some？of my wives have grown tired of me fairly quickly。 I had arranged with Zack Briggs； at the same time I had arranged with John Magee to act as factor for Zack… arranged with Zack to ask John what had happened to 〃Bill Smith〃 and the little schoolmarm？ It was possible that I would need a ride off…pla someday。
；But why didn't I have Zack put us down on the spot on the map I had picked as being our likely place of settlement？… with everything we would need to start farming and thereby avoid a long； dangerous trek。 Not risk death by thirst； or by lopers； or the treacheries of mountains； or whatever。
Minerva； this was a long time …ago and I can explain only in terms of technology available there and then。 The Andy I。 could not land； she received her overhauls in orbit around Secundus or some other advanced pla。 Her cargo boat could land on any big fiat field but required a minimum of a radar…corner reflector to home on； then had to …have many metric tons of water to lift off again。 The captain's gig was the only… boat in the 'Andy J。 capable of landing anywhere a skilled pilot could put her down； then lift off without help。 But her cargo capacity was about two postage stamps…whereas I needed mules and plows and a load of other things。
Besides； I needed to learn how to get out of those mountains by going into them。 I could not take Dora into there without being reasonably sure that I could fetch her out
again。 Not fair！ It's no sin not to be pioneer…mother material
…but it is tra~ie for both husband and wife to find it out too late。
So we did not do it the hard way； we did it the only way for that time and place。 But I have never put the effort into a mass calculation for a spaceship at liftoff that I put into deciding what to take； what to do without； for that trek。 First； the basic parameter： how many wagons in the train？ I wanted three wagons so badly' I could taste it。 A third wagon would mean luxuries for Dora； more tools for me； more books and such for both of us； and （best！） a precut one…room house to get my pregnant bride out of the weather almost instantly at the other end。
But three wagons meant eighteen mules hauling； plus spare mules…add six by rule…of…thumb…which meant half again as much time spent harnessing and unharnessing； waterin the animals； taking care of them otherwise。 Add enoug wagons and mules and at some point your day's march is zero； one man can't handle the work。 Worse； there would be places in the mountains where I would have to unshackle the wagons； move them one at 'a time to a more open place…go back for each wagon left behind； bring it up…a process that would take twice as long for a' three…wagon train as for a two…wagon one； and would happen oftener； even much oftener； with three wagons than with two。 At that rate we might have three babies born en route instead of getting there before our first one was born。
I was saved from such folly by the fact only two trekking wagons were available in New Pittsburgh。 I think I would have resisted temptation anyhow…but I had with me in the light wagon we drove from Top Dollar the hardware for three； then I spent that extra hardware on other things； bartering it through the wainwright。 I could not wait while he built a third wagon； both the season of the year and…the season of Dora's womb gave me deadlines I had to meet。
There is much to be ……said for just one any centuries and on… several plas 'for one family in overland migration…if they travel in a party。 I've led such marches。
But one wagon by itself… One accident can be disaster。 Two wagons offer more than twice as much to work With at the other end； plus life insurance on the' march。 You can lose one wagon； regroup； and keep going。
So I planned for two wagons； Minerva； even though I had
Zack debit me with three sets of 'Stoga hardware； then did not sell that third set until the last minute。
Here's how you load a wagon train 'for survival：
First； list everything that you expect to need and everything that you would like to take：
Wag？ns； spare wheels； spare axles
Mules； harness； spare hardware and harness leather； saddles
Water
Food
Clothing
Blankets
Weapons； ammunition； repair kit
Medicines； drugs； surgical instruments； bandages
Books
Plows
Harrow
Field rake
Shovels； hand rakes； hoes； seeders； three… five… & seventine forks
Harvester
Blacksmith's tools
Carpentry tools
Iron cookstove
Water closet； self…flushing type
Oil lamps …
Windmill & pump
Sawmill run by windpower
Leatherworking & harness…repair tools
Bed； table； chairs； dishes； pots； pans； eating & cooking gear
Binoculars； microscope； water…testing kit ； … Grindstone
Wheelbarrow…
Churn
…Buckets； siev