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第13部分（第3页）

Ted　raised　his　eyebrows　but　said　nothing　more。　Harry　left；　going　into　D　Cyl。　Norman　and　Ted　were　alone。

〃Hes　a　strange　fellow；〃　Ted　said。

〃Is　he？〃

〃You　know　he　is；　Norman。　Arrogant；　too。　Probably　because　hes　black。　pensating；　dont　you　think？〃

〃I　dont　know。〃

〃Id　say　he　has　a　chip　on　his　shoulder；〃　Ted　said。　〃He　seems　to　resent　everything　about　this　expedition。〃　He　sighed。　〃Of　course；　mathematicians　are　all　strange。　Hes　probably　got　no　sort　of　life　at　all；　I　mean　a　private　life；　women　and　so　forth。　Did　I　tell　you　I　married　again？〃

〃I　read　it　somewhere；〃　Norman　said。

〃Shes　a　television　reporter；〃　Ted　said。　〃Wonderful　woman。〃　He　smiled。　〃When　we　got　married；　she　gave　me　this　Corvette。　Beautiful　58　Corvette；　as　a　wedding　present。　You　know　that　nice　fire…engine　red　color　they　had　in　the　fifties？　That　color。〃　Ted　paced　around　the　room；　glanced　over　at　Beth。　〃I　just　think　this　is　all　unbelievably　exciting。　I　couldnt　possibly　sleep。〃

Norman　nodded。　It　was　interesting　how　different　they　all　were；　he　thought。　Ted；　eternally　optimistic；　with　the　bubbling　enthusiasm　of　a　child。　Harry；　with　the　cold；　critical　demeanor；　the　icy　mind；　the　unblinking　eye。　Beth；　not　so　intellectual　or　so　cerebral。　At　once　more　physical　and　more　＇＇84＇＇　emotional。　That　was　why；　though　they　were　all　exhausted；　only　Beth　could　sleep。

〃Say；　Norman；〃　Ted　said。　〃I　thought　you　said　this　was　going　to　be　scary。〃

〃I　thought　it　would　be；〃　Norman　said。

〃Well；〃　Ted　said。　〃Of　all　the　people　who　could　be　wrong　about　this　expedition；　Im　glad　it　was　you。〃

〃I　am；　too。〃

〃Although　I　cant　imagine　why　you　would　select　a　man　like　Harry　Adams　for　this　team。　Not　that　he　isnt　distinguished；　but　。。。〃

Norman　didnt　want　to　talk　about　Harry。　〃Ted；　remember　back　on　the　ship；　when　you　said　space　and　time　are　aspects　of　the　same　thing？〃

〃Space…time；　yes。〃

〃Ive　never　really　understood　that。〃

〃Why？　Its　quite　straightforward。〃

〃You　can　explain　it　to　me？〃

〃Sure。〃

〃In　English？〃　Norman　said。

〃You　mean；　explain　it　without　mathematics？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃Well；　Ill　try。〃　Ted　frowned；　but　Norman　knew　he　was　pleased；　Ted　loved　to　lecture。　He　paused　for　a　moment；　then　said；　〃Okay。　Lets　see　where　we　need　to　begin。　Youre　familiar　with　the　idea　that　gravity　is　just　geometry？〃

〃No。〃

〃Curvature　of　space　and　time？〃

〃Not　really；　no。〃

〃Uh。　Einsteins　general　relativity？〃

〃Sorry；〃　Norman　said。

〃Never　mind；〃　Ted　said。　There　was　a　bowl　of　fruit　on　the　table。　Ted　emptied　the　bowl；　setting　the　fruit　on　the　table。

〃Okay。　This　table　is　space。　Nice；　flat　space。〃

〃Okay；〃　Norman　said。