Chapter 76

Raych was eating, licking his fingers, and crumpling¹ the bag in which the food--whatever it was--had been. A strong smell of onions pervaded² the air--different somehow, yeast-based perhaps.
Dors, retreating a little from the odor, said, "Where did you get the food from, Raych?"
"Davans guys. They brought it to me. Davans okay."
"Then we dont have to buy you dinner, do we?" said Seldon, conscious of his own empty stomach.
"Ya owe me somethin," said Raych, looking greedily in Dorss direction. "How about the ladys knife? One of em."
"No knife," said Dors. "You get us back safely and Ill give you five credits."
"Cant³ get no knife for five credits," grumbled⁴ Raych.
"Youre not getting anything but five credits," said Dors.
"Youre a lousy dame⁵, lady," said Raych.
"Im a lousy dame with a quick knife, Raych, so get moving."
"All right. Dont get all perspired⁶." Raych waved his hand. "This way."
It was back through the empty corridors, but this time Dors, looking this way and that, stopped. "Hold on, Raych. Were being followed."
Raych looked exasperated⁷. "Ya aint supposed to hear em."
Seldon said, bending his head to one side, "I dont hear anything."
"I do," said Dors. "Now, Raych, I dont want any fooling around. You tell me right now whats going on or Ill rap your head so that you wont⁸ see straight for a week. I mean it."
Raych held up one arm defensively. "You try it, you lousy dame. You try it. Its Davans guys. Theyre just taking care of us, in case any knifers come along."
"Davans guys?"
"Yeah. Theyre goin along the service corridors."
Dorss right hand shot out and seized Raych by the scruff of his upper garment. She lifted and he dangled⁹, shouting, "Hey, lady. Hey!"
Seldon said, "Dors! Dont be hard on him."
"Ill be harder still if I think hes lying. Youre my charge, Hari, not he."
"Im not lyin," said Raych, struggling. "Im not."
"Im sure he isnt," said Seldon.
"Well, well see. Raych, tell them to come out where we can see them." She let him drop and dusted her hands.
"Youre some kind of nut, lady," said Raych aggrievedly. Then he raised his voice. "Yay, Davan! Come out here, some of ya guys!"
There was a wait and then, from an unlit opening along the corridor, two dark-mustached men came out, one with a scar running the length of his cheek. Each held the sheath of a knife in his hand, blade withdrawn¹⁰.
"How many more of you are there?" asked Dors harshly.
"A few," said one of the newcomers. "Orders. Were guarding you. Davan wants you safe."
"Thank you. Try to be even quieter. Raych, keep on moving."
Raych said sulkily, "Ya roughed me up when I was telling the truth."
"Youre right," said Dors. "At least, I think youre right ... and I apologize."
"Im not sure I should accept," said Raych, trying to stand tall. "But awright, just this once." He moved on.
When they reached the walkway, the unseen corps¹¹ of guards vanished. At least, even Dorss keen ears could hear them no more. By now, though, they were moving into the respectable part of the sector¹².
Dors said thoughtfully, "I dont think we have clothes that would fit you, Raych."
Raych said, "Why do ya want clothes to fit me, Missus?" (Respectability seemed to invade Raych once they were out of the corridors.) "I got clothes."
"I thought youd like to come into our place and take a bath."
Raych said, "What for? Ill wash one o these days. And Ill put on my other shirt." He looked up at Dors shrewdly. "Youre sorry ya roughed me up. Right? Ya tryin to make up?"
Dors smiled. "Yes. Sort of."
Raych waved a hand in lordly fashion. "Thats all right. Ya didnt hurt. Listen. Youre strong for a lady. Ya lifted me up like I was nothin."
"I was annoyed, Raych. I have to be concerned about Master Seldon."
"Ya sort of his bodyguard¹³?" Raych looked at Seldon inquiringly. "Ya got a lady for a bodyguard?"
"I cant help it," said Seldon smiling wryly¹⁴. "She insists. And she certainly knows her job."
Dors said, "Think again, Raych. Are you sure you wont have a bath? A nice warm bath."
Raych said, "I got no chance. Ya think that lady is gonna let me in the house again?"
Dors looked up and saw Casilia Tisalver outside the front door of the apartment complex, staring first at the Outworld woman and then at the slum-bred boy. It would have been impossible to tell in which case her expression was angrier.
Raych said, "Well, so long, Mister and Missus. I dont know if shell let either of ya in the house." He placed his hands in his pocket and swaggered off in a fine affectation of carefree indifference¹⁵.
Seldon said, "Good evening, Mistress Tisalver. Its rather late, isnt it?"
"Its very late," she replied. "There was a near riot today outside this very complex because of that newsman you pushed the street vermin at."
"We didnt push anyone on anyone," said Dors.
"I was there," said Mistress Tisalver intransigently. "I saw it." She stepped aside to let them enter, but delayed long enough to make her reluctance¹⁶ quite plain.
"She acts as though that was the last straw," said Dors as she and Seldon made their way up to their rooms.
"So? What can she do about it?" asked Seldon.
"I wonder," said Dors.
Officers
RAYCH-- ... According to Hari Seldon, the original meeting with Raych was entirely¹⁷ accidental. He was simply a gutter¹⁸ urchin¹⁹ from whom Seldon had asked directions. But his life, from that moment on, continued to be intertwined with that of the great mathematician²⁰ until ...
ENCYCLOPEDIA GALACTICA

1 crumpling   

压皱，弄皱( crumple的现在分词 )； 变皱

参考例句：

• His crumpling body bent low from years of carrying heavy loads. 由于经年累月的负重，他那皱巴巴的身子被压得弯弯的。
• This apparently took the starch out of the fast-crumpling opposition. 这显然使正在迅速崩溃的反对党泄了气。

2 pervaded   

v.遍及，弥漫( pervade的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• A retrospective influence pervaded the whole performance. 怀旧的影响弥漫了整个演出。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The air is pervaded by a smell [smoking]. 空气中弥散着一种气味[烟味]。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

3 cant   

n.斜穿，黑话，猛扔

参考例句：

• The ship took on a dangerous cant to port.船只出现向左舷危险倾斜。
• He knows thieves'cant.他懂盗贼的黑话。

4 grumbled   

抱怨( grumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 发牢骚； 咕哝； 发哼声

参考例句：

• He grumbled at the low pay offered to him. 他抱怨给他的工资低。
• The heat was sweltering, and the men grumbled fiercely over their work. 天热得让人发昏，水手们边干活边发着牢骚。

5 dame   

n.女士

参考例句：

• The dame tell of her experience as a wife and mother.这位年长妇女讲了她作妻子和母亲的经验。
• If you stick around,you'll have to marry that dame.如果再逗留多一会，你就要跟那个夫人结婚。

6 perspired   

v.出汗，流汗( perspire的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The air became cooler but Feliks perspired all the same. 空气凉爽了，但费利克斯仍然浑身出汗。 来自辞典例句
• Sit down, you look perspired. 坐下，看你满头是汗。 来自辞典例句

7 exasperated   

adj.恼怒的

参考例句：

• We were exasperated at his ill behaviour. 我们对他的恶劣行为感到非常恼怒。
• Constant interruption of his work exasperated him. 对他工作不断的干扰使他恼怒。

8 wont   

adj.习惯于；v.习惯；n.习惯

参考例句：

• He was wont to say that children are lazy.他常常说小孩子们懒惰。
• It is his wont to get up early.早起是他的习惯。

9 dangled   

悬吊着( dangle的过去式和过去分词 )； 摆动不定； 用某事物诱惑…； 吊胃口

参考例句：

• Gold charms dangled from her bracelet. 她的手镯上挂着许多金饰物。
• It's the biggest financial incentive ever dangled before British footballers. 这是历来对英国足球运动员的最大经济诱惑。

10 withdrawn   

vt.收回；使退出；vi.撤退，退出

参考例句：

• Our force has been withdrawn from the danger area.我们的军队已从危险地区撤出。
• All foreign troops should be withdrawn to their own countries.一切外国军队都应撤回本国去。

11 corps   

n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组

参考例句：

• The medical corps were cited for bravery in combat.医疗队由于在战场上的英勇表现而受嘉奖。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

12 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

13 bodyguard   

n.护卫，保镖

参考例句：

• She has to have an armed bodyguard wherever she goes.她不管到哪儿都得有带武器的保镖跟从。
• The big guy standing at his side may be his bodyguard.站在他身旁的那个大个子可能是他的保镖。

14 wryly   

adv. 挖苦地，嘲弄地

参考例句：

• Molly smiled rather wryly and said nothing. 莫莉苦笑着，一句话也没说。
• He smiled wryly, then closed his eyes and gnawed his lips. 他狞笑一声，就闭了眼睛，咬着嘴唇。 来自子夜部分

15 indifference   

n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎

参考例句：

• I was disappointed by his indifference more than somewhat.他的漠不关心使我很失望。
• He feigned indifference to criticism of his work.他假装毫不在意别人批评他的作品。

16 reluctance   

n.厌恶，讨厌，勉强，不情愿

参考例句：

• The police released Andrew with reluctance.警方勉强把安德鲁放走了。
• He showed the greatest reluctance to make a reply.他表示很不愿意答复。

17 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

18 gutter   

n.沟，街沟，水槽，檐槽，贫民窟

参考例句：

• There's a cigarette packet thrown into the gutter.阴沟里有个香烟盒。
• He picked her out of the gutter and made her a great lady.他使她脱离贫苦生活，并成为贵妇。

19 urchin   

n.顽童；海胆

参考例句：

• You should sheer off the urchin.你应该躲避这顽童。
• He is a most wicked urchin.他是个非常调皮的顽童。

20 mathematician   

n.数学家

参考例句：

• The man with his back to the camera is a mathematician.背对着照相机的人是位数学家。
• The mathematician analyzed his figures again.这位数学家再次分析研究了他的这些数字。