time enough for love-时间足够你爱(英文版)-第35部分

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gging；　and　nobody　thought　the　less　of　him；　since　there　was　no　way　then　to　restore　a　man's　sight。
　　
　　〃But　Noisy　wasn't　content　to　live　off　other　people；　he
　　
　　…　worked　at　what　he　could　do。　Played　a　squeeze　box　and　sang。　That　was　an　instrument　operated　by　bellows　which　forced　air　over　reeds　as　you　touched　keys　on　it…quite　pretty　music。　They　were　popular　until　electronics　pushed　most　mechamcal　music　makers　off　the　market。
　　
　　〃Noisy　showed　up　one　night；　skinned　out　of　his　pressure　suit　at　the　lock　dressing　room；　and　was　playing　and　singing　before　I　knew　he　was　inside。
　　
　　。〃My　policy　was　'Trade；　Treat；　or　Travel'…except　that　the　house　might　buy　a　beer　for　an　old　customer　who　temporarily　wasn't　holding。　But　Noisy　was　not　…a　customer；　he　was　a　bum
　　
　　…looked　and　smelled　like　a　bum；　and　I　was　about　to　give　him　the　…　bum's　rush。　Then　I　saw　this　rag　around　his　eyes　and　skidded　to　a　stop。
　　
　　〃Nobody　throws　out　a　blind　man。　'Nobody　makes…　any　trouble　for　him。　I　kept　an　eye　on　him　but　left　him　alone。　He　didn't　even　sit　down。　Just　played　this　broken…down　stomachSteinway　and　sang；　neither　very　well；　and　I　laid　off　the　piate　not　to　interrupt　him。　One　of　…the　girls　started　passing　the　hat　for　him。
　　
　　〃When　he　reached　my　table；　I　invited　him　to　sit　and　bought　him　a　beer…and　regretted　it；　he　was　pretty　whiff。　He　thanked　me　and　told　me　about　himself。　Ues；　mostly。〃
　　
　　〃Like　yours；　Gramp？〃　…
　　
　　〃Thanks；　Ira。　Said　he　had　been　chief　engineer　in　one　of　the　big　Harriman　liners；　until　his　accident。…　Maybe　he　had　been　a　spaceman；　I　never　caught　him　out　in　the　lingo。　Not　that　I　tried。　If　a　blind　man　wanted　to　claim　he　was　the　right…
　　
　　…　ful　heir　to　the　Holy　Roman　Empire；　I　would　go　along　with　the　gag…anybody　would。…　Perhaps…　he　was　some　sort　of　spacegoing　mechanic；　shipfltter　or　something。　More　likely　he　was　a　transported　miner　who　had　been　nareless　using　powder。
　　
　　〃When　I　checked　the　place　at　closing　time；　I　found　him　sleeping　in　the　kitchen。　Couldn't　have　that；　we　ran　a　sanitary　mess。　So　I　led　him　to　a　vacant　room　and　put　him　to　bed；　intending　to　give　him　breakfast　and　ease　him　gently　on　his　way…。…I　wasn't　running　a　flophouse。
　　
　　〃A　lot　I　had　to　say　about　it。　I　saw　him　at　breakfast　all　right。　But　I　hardly　recognized　him。　A　couple　of　the　girls　had　given　him　a　bath；　trimmed　his　hair；　and　shaved　him；　and　had　dressed　him　in　clean　…　clothes…mine…and　had　thrown　away　the　dirty　rag　he　had　worn　over　his　ruined　eyes　and　had　replaced　it　with　a　clean　white　bandage。
　　
　　〃Kinfolk；　I　do　not　fight　the　weather。　The　girls　were　free　to　keep　pets；　I　knew　what　fetched　the　customers；　…and？it　wasn't　my　piate　playing。　If　that　pet　stood　on　two　legs　and　ate　more　than　I　did；　I　still　did　not　argue。　Hormone　Hall　was　Noisy's　home　as　long　as　the　girls　wanted　to　keep　him。
　　
　　〃But　it　took　me　a　while　to　realize　that　Noisy　was　not　just
　　
　　a　parasite　enjoying　free　room　and　board；　and　probably　our　stock…in…trade　as　well；　while　siphoning　off　cash　from　our　customers…no；　he　was　pulling　his　weight　in　the　boat。　My　books　at　the　end　of　the　first　month　he　was　with　us　showed　the　gross　profit　up　and　the　　way　up。〃
　　
　　〃How　do　you　account　for　that；　Lazarus？　Inasmuch　as　he　was　peting　for　your　customers'　cash。〃
　　
　　〃Ira；　must　I　do　all　your　thinking　for　you？　No；　Minerva　does　most　of　it。　But　it　is　possible　that　you　have　never　thought　about　the　economics　of　that　sort　of　joint。　There　are　three　sources　of　gross；　the　bar；　the　kitchen；　and　the　girls　themselves。　No　drugs…drugs　spoil　the　three　main　sources。　If　a　customer　was　on　drugs　and　showed　it；　or　even　broke　out　a　stick　of　kish；　I　eased　him　out　quickly　and　sent　him　down　the　line　to　the　Chinaman's。
　　
　　〃The　kitchen　was　to　supply　meals　to　the　girls…who　were　assessed　room　and　board　on　a　break…even　or　lose…a…little　basis。　But　it　also　served　food　all　night　to　anyone　who　ordered　it；　and　showed　a　　since　we　had　its　overhead　covered　anyhow　to　board　the　girls。　The　bar　also　showed　a　　after　I　fired　one　barkeep　with　three　hands。　The　girls　kept　their　gross；　all　the　traffic　would　bear；　but　they　paid　the　house　a　flat　fee　for　each　kewpie；　or　a　triple　fee　if　she　kept　a　customer　all　night。　She　could　cheat　a　little；　and　I　would　shut…eye…but　if　she　cheated　too　much　or　too　often；　or　a　john　plained　that　he　was　rolled；　I　had　a　talk　with　her。　Never　any　real　trouble；　they　were　ladies；　and　besides；　I　had　means　to　check　on　them　quietly；　as　well　as　eyes　in　the　back　of　my　head。
　　
　　〃The　beefs　about　rolling　were　the　stickiest；　but　I　remember　only　one　that　was　the　girl's　fault　rather　than　the　john's…I　simply　terminated　her　contract；　let　her　go。　In　the　usual　beef　the　slob　was　not　rolled；　he　simply　had　a　change　of　heart　after　he　had　counted　too　much　money　into　her　greedy　little　hands　and　she　had　delivered　what　he　had　ordered…then　he　tried　to　roll　her　to　get　it　back。　But　I　could　smell　that　sort　of　slob　and　would　be　listening　via　a　mike…then　would　bust　in　as　trouble　started。　That　sort　of　jerk　I　would　toss　so　hard　he　bounced　twice。〃
　　
　　〃Grandfather；　weren't　some　of　them　pretty　big　for　that？〃
　　
　　〃Not　really；　Galahad。　Size　doesn't　figure　much　in　a　fight…although　I　was　always　armed　against　real　trouble。　But　if　I　have　to　take　a　man；　I　have　no　punctions　slowing　me　down　about　how　I　take　him。　If　you　kick　a　man　in　the　crotch
　　
　　with　no　　down　long　enough　to　throw　him　out。
　　
　　〃Don't　flinch；　Hamadear；　your　father　guaranteed　that　you　could　not　be　shocked。　But　I　was　talking　about　Noisy　and　how　he　made　us　money　while　making　some　himself。
　　
　　〃In　this　sort　of　frontier　joint　the　usual　customer　es　in；　buys　a　drink　while　he　looks　over　the　girls；　picks　one　by　buying　her　a　drink…goes　to　her　room；　then　leaves。　Elapsed　time；　thirty　minutes；　　to　the　house；　minimum。
　　
　　〃Pre…Noisy；　that　is。　After　Noisy　arrived；　it　went　more　like　this：　Buy　a　drink　as　before。　Maybe　buy　the　girl　a　second　drink　rather　than　interrupt　a　blind　man's　song。　Take　the　girl　to　her　room。　When　he　es　back；　Noisy　is　singing　'Frankie　and　Johnnie'　or　'When　the　Pusher　Met　My　Cousin；'　and　smiles　and　throws　a　verse　at　him…and　the　customer　sits　down　and　listens　to　all　of　it…and　asks　Noisy　if　he　knows　'Dark　Eyes。'　Sure；　Noisy　knows　it；　but　instead　of　admitting　it；　he　asks　the　john　to　give　him　the　words　and　hum　it　and　he'll　see　what　he　can　do　with　it。
　　
　　〃If　the　customer　has　valuta；　he's　still　there　hours　later；　having　had　supper　and　bought　supper　for　one　of　the　girls　and　tipped　Noisy　rather　lavishly　and　is　ready　for　an　encore　with　the　girl　or　another　girl。　If　he's　got　the　money；　he　stays　all　night；　splitting　his　cash　between　the　girls　and　Noisy　and　the　bar　and　kitchen。　If　he　spends　himself　broke　and　has　been　a　good　customer…well　behaved　as　well　as　f？ee　with　his　money…I　stake　him　to　bed　and　breakfast　on　credit；　and　urge　him　to　e　back。　If　he's　alive　next　payday；　he's　sure　to　be　back。　If　not；　all　the　house　is　out　is　the　wholesale　cost　of　one　breakfast…nothing　pared　with　what　he's　spent。　Cheap　goodwill　advertising。
　　
　　〃A　month　of　that；　and　both　the　house　and　the　girls　have　made　much　more　money；　and　the　girls　haven't　worked　much　harder　as　they　have　spent　part　of　their　time　drinking　pay…me　drinks…colored　water；　half　the　price　to　the　house；　half　to　the　girl…while　they　help　a　john　listen　to　Noisy's　nostalgic　songs。　Shucks；　a　girl　doesn't　want　to　work　like　a　treadmill　even　if　she　usually　enjoys　her　work　as　many　of　them　did。　But　they　never　got　tired　of　sitting　and　listening　to　Noisy's　songs。
　　
　　〃I　quit　playing　the　piate；　except；　maybe；　while　Noisy　ate。　Technically　I　was　a　better　musician…but　he　had　that　undefinable　quality　that　sells　a　song；　he　could　make　'em　cry　or　laugh。　And　he　had　a　thousand　of　'em。　One　he　called　'The　Born　Loser。'　Not　much　of　a　tune；　just：
　　
　　〃Tahtah　pooin　poom！
　　
　　Tahtah　poom　poom！
　　
　　Tab　t'tah　tah　tah　poom　poom…　〃…about　a　bloke　ake　it。　Uh：
　　
　　〃There's　a　beer　joint　By　the　pool　hail　For　to　pass　some　pleasant　hours。
　　
　　〃There's　a　hook　shop　Above　the　pool　hail　Where　my　sister　makes　her　living。
　　
　　〃She's　a　good　sport；　I　can　spring　her　For　a　fin　or　even　a　sawbuck
　　
　　When　not　holding；
　　
　　Or　the　horses
　　
　　Have　been　running　rather　slowly…　〃Like　that；　folks。　But　more　of　it。〃
　　
　　〃Lazarus；〃　said　Ira；　〃you　have　been　humming　or　singing　that　song　every　day　you've　been　up　here。　All　of　it。　A　dozen　verses　or　more。〃
　　
　　〃Really；　Ira？　I　do　hum　and　sing；　I　know　that。　But　I　don't　hear　it　myself。　It's　like　the　purring　of　a　cat；　it　just　means　that　I'm　functioning　okay；　board　all　green；　operating　at　normal　cruising。　It　means　that　I　feel　secure；　relaxed；　and　happy…　and；　e　to　think　of　it；　I　do。
　　
　　〃But　'The　Born　Loser'　doesn't　have　a　mere　dozen　verses；　it　has　hundreds。　What　I　sang　was　only　a　snatch　of　what　Noisy　used　to　sing。　He　was　always　fiddling　with　a　song；　changing　it；　adding　to　it。　I　don't　think　this　one　started　out　as　his；　I　seem　to　remember　a　song　about　a　character　whose　overcoat　was　。。usually　in　hock　clear　back　when　I　was　very　young　and　raising　my　first　family；　on　Earth。
　　
　　〃But　that　song　belonged　to　Noisy　when　he　got　through　filing　off　serial　numbers　and　cha