經典科幻文學:《 再見 多謝你們的魚》第22章2

He stroked it, ran his fingers round her ankle, under her toes, along her instep, could find nothing wrong with it.
She watched him with great amusement, laughed and shook her head.
No, don’t stop, she said, but it’s not that one now.
Arthur stopped, and frowned at her left foot on the floor.
Don’t stop.
He stroked her right foot, ran his fingers around her ankle, under her toes, along her instep and said:
You mean it’s something to do with which leg I’m holding?…
She did another of the shrugs which would have brought such joy into the life of a simple cushion from Squornshellous Beta.
He frowned.
Pick me up, she said quietly.
He let her right foot down to the floor and stood up. So did she. He picked her up in his arms and they kissed again. This went on for a while, then she said: Now put me down again.
Still puzzled, he did so.
Well?
She looked at him almost challengingly.
So what’s wrong with my feet? she said.
Arthur still did not understand. He sat on the floor, then got down on his hands and knees to look at her feet, in situ, as it were, in their normal habitat. And as he looked closely, something odd struck him. He pit his head right down to the ground and peered. There was a long pause. He sat back heavily.
Yes, he said, I see what’s wrong with your feet. They don’t touch the ground.
So… so what do you think?…
Arthur looked up at her quickly and saw the deep apprehension making her eyes suddenly dark. She bit her lip and was trembling. What do… she stammered. Are you?… She shook the hair forwards over her eyes that were filling with dark fearful tears.
He stood up quickly, put his arms around her and gave her a single kiss.
Perhaps you can do what I can do, he said, and walked straight out of her upstairs front door.
The record got to the good bit.

他撫摸着它，將手指繞過腳踝，鑽過腳趾，經過腳背，什麼問題都沒發現。
她極爲開心地望着他，一邊大笑一邊搖頭。
“不，別停啊，”她說，“但現在又不是這隻腳了。”
阿瑟停下來，皺着眉頭瞅着她放在地上的左腳。
“別停。”
他撫摸着她的右腳，將手指繞過腳踝，鑽過腳趾，經過腳背，然後說：“你是指我正抱着的腿有什麼問題麼......？”
她又聳了聳肩，這足以給史奎若謝絡絲貝塔星上簡單的墊子生命體帶來莫大的愉悅。
他皺着眉。
“把我抱起來。”她輕輕地說。
他放下她的右腳然後站了起來。她也一樣。
他用胳膊把她抱起來然後再一次擁吻。這持續了一段時間，接着她說：“現在再把我放下去。”
他仍然很迷惑地照做了。
“怎麼？”
她幾乎是用挑逗的眼神望着他。
“那麼我的腳有什麼問題？”她說。
阿瑟依然搞不懂。他坐在地上，用手和膝蓋撐着地去檢查她的腳，那腳擺在原地，就像原來一樣，在它正常的生態環境中。然而他進一步地觀察，某種詭異的東西震驚了他。他把頭垂到地面上凝視着。經過了一段長時間的停頓。他重重地坐了回去。
“是的，”他說，“我看到你腳的問題了。它們碰不到地面。”
“那麼......那麼你怎麼看......？”
阿瑟擡起頭飛快地看了她一眼，看到深深的憂鬱讓她的雙眼突然暗淡下來。她咬着嘴脣，不停的顫抖。“你怎麼......”她結結巴巴的。“你是否......？”她把頭髮甩到眼前，眼中充盈着陰暗恐懼的淚水。
他迅速站了起來，抱住她然後給了一個吻。
“也許你可以做我能做的。”他說着，然後直接走出她樓上的前門。
唱片正放到最棒的部分。