ds。 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 changing the body lines。 I heard it again； oh； must have been twenty； twenty…five years later； in a cabaret in Luna City。 From Noisy。 But he had changed it。 Fixed up the scansion； given it a proper rhyme scheme； dolled up the tune。 But the tune was still recognizable…in a minor key； wistful rather than sad； and the words were still about this third…rate grifter whose topcoat was always in hock and who sponged off his sister。
〃And he had changed； too。 A shiny new instrument； a tailored spaceman's uniform； gray hair at the temples…and star billing。 I paid a waiter to tell him that 'Happy' Daze was in the audience…not my name then； but the only name Noisy had for me…and after his first group he came over and let me buy him a drink while we swapped lies and talked about our happy days at dear old Hormone Hall。
〃I didn't mention to him that he had left us rather abruptly and that the girls had gone into a decline over it； worrying that he might be dead in a ditch…didn't mention it because he did not。 But I had had to investigate his disappearance because my staff was so demoralized by it that the place felt like a morgue…no way for a parlor house to be。 I was able to establish that he had gone aboard the 'Gyrfalcon' when； she was about to lift for Luna City and had not left her…so I told the girls that Noisy had had a sudden opportunity to go home again but had left a message with the port captain for each of them…then added more lies to personalize the goodbye he hadn't made。 It perked them up and lifted the gloom。 They still missed him； but they all understood that grabbing a ride home was not something he could postpone…and since he had 'remembered' to send a message to each of them； they felt apprec？ated。
〃But it turned out that he did remember them； mentioned each by name。 Minerva dear； here is a difference between a blinded flesh…and…blood and one who has never been able to see。 Noisy could see a rainbow any time he cared to； by memory。 He never stopped 'seeing；' but what he 'saw' was always beauty。 I had realized that； some； back when we were on Mars together； for…don't laugh…he thought I was as pretty as you are； Galahad。 Told me that he could tell what I looked like from my voice； and described me to me。 I had the grace to say that he flattered me but let it lie when he answered that I was too modest…even though I'm not handsome now and wasn't then and modesty has never been one of my vices。
〃But Noisy thought all the girls were beautiful； too…and in one case this may have been true and certainly several of them were pretty。
〃But he asked me what had bee of Olga and added； 'Golly； what a little beauty she was！'
〃Kinfolk； Olga wasn't even homely； she was ugly。 Pace like a mud pie； figure like a gunnysack…only on an outpost like Mars could she get by。 What she did have was a warm and gentle voice and a sweet personality…which was enough； as a customer might pick her through Hobson's choice on a busy night； but once he had done so； he picked her some later time on purpose。 Mean to say； dears； beauty will lure a man into bed； but it won't bring him back a second time； unless he's awfully young or very stupid。〃
〃What does bring him back a second time； Grandfather？〃 asked Hamadryad。 〃Technique？ Muscular control？〃
〃Have yo'u had any plaints； dear？〃
〃Well 。 。 no。〃
第18节
〃Then you know the answer and are trifling with me。 Neither of those。 It's the ability to make a man happy； prjncipally by being happy about it yourself…a spiritual quality rather than a physical one。 Olga had it in gobs。
〃I told Noisy that Olga had married shortly after he left； happily so； and had three children last I had heard 。 。 which was an utter lie； as she had been killed accidentally and the girls bawled about it and 1 didn't feel good myself and we had shut the place down for four days。 But I couldn't tell Noisy that； Olga had been one of the first to mother him； had helped bathe him and had stolen some of my clothes for him while I slept。
〃But they all mothered him and never fought over him。 I have not deviated from our subject in this rambling account of Noisy； we're still defining 'love。' Anybody want to take whack at it now？〃
Galahad said； 〃Noisy loved every one of them。 That's what you've been saying。〃
〃No； Son； he didn't love any of them。 Fond of them； yes…but he left them without looking back。〃
〃Then you are saying that they loved him。〃
〃Correct。 Once you figure out the difference between what he felt toward them and what they felt toward him； we're almost home。〃
〃Mother love；〃 said Ira； and added gruffly； 〃Lazarus； are you trying to tell us that 'mother love' is the only love there is？ Man； you're out of your mind！〃 …
〃Probably。 But not that far out。 1 said they mothered him； I did not say a word about 'mother love。'〃
〃Uh 。 。 he bedded all of them？〃
〃Wouldn't be surprised； Ira。 I never tried to find out。 Irrelevant in a