Chapter 12

Raych did his best to size up his new companion, without allowing his own face to lose its smooth naivete. The man had sharp greenish eyes and his right hand clenched¹ almost threateningly into a fist as it rested on the table.
    Raych looked owlishly at the other and waited.
    Again, the man said, "I understand you call yourself a Joranumite."
    Raych did his best to look uneasy. It was not difficult. He said, "Why do you ask, mister?"
    "Because I don't think you're old enough."
    "I'm old enough. I used to watch Jo-Jo Joranum's speeches on holovision."
    "Can you quote them?"
    Raych shrugged². "No, but I got the idea."
    "You're a brave young man to talk openly about being a Joranumite. Some people don't like that."
    "I'm told there are lots of Joranumites in Wye."
    "That may be. Is that why you came here?"
    "I'm looking for a job. Maybe another Joranumite would help me."
    "There are Joranumites in Dahl, too. Where are you from?"
    There was no question that he recognized Raych's accent. That could not be disguised.
    He said, "I was born in Millimaru, but I lived mostly in Dahl when I was growing up."
    "Doing what?"
    "Nothing much. Going to school some."
    "And why are you a Joranumite?"
    Raych let himself heat up a bit. He couldn't have lived in downtrodden, discriminated-against Dahl without having obvious reasons for being a Joranumite. He said, "Because I think there should be more representative government in the Empire, more participation³ by the people, and more equality among the sectors⁴ and the worlds. Doesn't anyone with brains and a heart think that?"
    "And you want to see the Emperorship abolished?"
    Raych paused. One could get away with a great deal in the way of subversive⁵ statements, but anything overtly⁶ anti-Emperor was stepping outside the bounds. He said, "I ain't saying that. I believe in the Emperor, but ruling a whole Empire is too much for one man."
    "It isn't one man. There's a whole Imperial bureaucracy. What do you think of Hari Seldon, the First Minister?"
    "Don't think nothing about him. Don't know about him."
    "All you know is that people should be more represented in the affairs of government. Is that right?"
    Raych allowed himself to look confused. "That's what Jo-Jo Joranum used to say. I don't know what you call it. I heard someone once call it `democracy,' but I don't know what that means."
    "Democracy is something that some worlds have tried. Some still do. I don't know that those worlds are run better than other worlds. So you're a democrat⁷?"
    "Is that what you call it?" Raych let his head sink, as if in deep thought. "I feel more at home as a Joranumite."
    "Of course, as a Dahlite-"
    "I just lived there awhile."
    "-you're all for people's equalities and such things. The Dahlites, being an oppressed group, would naturally think in that fashion."
    "I hear that Wye is pretty strong in Joranumite thinking. They're not oppressed."
    "Different reason. The old Wye Mayors always wanted to be Emperors. Did you know that?"
    Raych shook his head.
    "Eighteen years ago," said the man, "Mayor Rashelle nearly carried through a coup⁸ in that direction. So the Wyans are rebels, not so much Joranumite as anti-Cleon."
    Raych said, "I don't know nothing about that. I ain't against the Emperor."
    "But you are for popular representation, aren't you? Do you think that some sort of elected assembly could run the Galactic Empire without bogging⁹ down in politics and partisan¹⁰ bickering¹¹? Without paralysis¹²?"
    Raych said, "Huh? I don't understand."
    "Do you think a great many people could come to some decision quickly in times of emergency? Or would they just sit around and argue?"
    "I don't know, but it doesn't seem right that just a few people should have all the say over all the worlds."
    "Are you willing to fight for your beliefs? Or do you just like to talk about them?"
    "No one asked me to do any fighting," said Raych.
    "Suppose someone did. How important do you think your beliefs about democracy-or Joranumite philosophy-are?"
    "I'd fight for them-if I thought it would do any good."
    "There's a brave lad. So you came to Wye to fight for your beliefs."
    "No," said Raych uncomfortably, "I can't say I did. I came to look for a job, sir. It ain't easy to find no jobs these days-and I ain't got no credits. A guy's gotta live."
    "I agree. What's your name?"
    The question shot out without warning, but Raych was ready for it. "Planchet, sir."
    "First or last name?"
    "Only name, as far as I know."
    "You have no credits and, I gather, very little education."
    "Afraid so."
    "And no experience at any specialized¹³ job?"
    "I ain't worked much, but I'm willing."
    "All right. I'll tell you what, Planchet." He took a small white triangle out of his pocket and pressed it in such a way as to produce a printed message on it. Then he rubbed his thumb across it, freezing it. "I'll tell you where to go. You take this with you and it may get you a job."
    Raych took the card and glanced at it. The signals seemed to fluoresce, but Raych could not read them. He looked at the other man warily¹⁴. "What if they think I stole it?"
    "It can't be stolen. It has my sign on it and now it has your name."
    "What if they ask me who you are?"
    "They won't. -You say you want a job. There's your chance. I don't guarantee it, but there's your chance." He gave him another card. "This is where to go." Raych could read this one.
    "Thank you," he mumbled¹⁵.
    The man made little dismissing gestures with his hand.
    Raych rose and left-and wondered what he was getting into.

1 clenched   

v.紧握，抓紧，咬紧( clench的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He clenched his fists in anger. 他愤怒地攥紧了拳头。
• She clenched her hands in her lap to hide their trembling. 她攥紧双手放在腿上，以掩饰其颤抖。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 shrugged   

vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• Sam shrugged and said nothing. 萨姆耸耸肩膀，什么也没说。
• She shrugged, feigning nonchalance. 她耸耸肩，装出一副无所谓的样子。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 participation   

n.参与，参加，分享

参考例句：

• Some of the magic tricks called for audience participation.有些魔术要求有观众的参与。
• The scheme aims to encourage increased participation in sporting activities.这个方案旨在鼓励大众更多地参与体育活动。

4 sectors   

n.部门( sector的名词复数 )；领域；防御地区；扇形

参考例句：

• Berlin was divided into four sectors after the war. 战后柏林分成了4 个区。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Industry and agriculture are the two important sectors of the national economy. 工业和农业是国民经济的两个重要部门。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

5 subversive   

adj.颠覆性的，破坏性的；n.破坏份子，危险份子

参考例句：

• She was seen as a potentially subversive within the party.她被看成党内潜在的颠覆分子。
• The police is investigating subversive group in the student organization.警方正调查学生组织中的搞颠覆阴谋的集团。

6 overtly   

ad.公开地

参考例句：

• There were some overtly erotic scenes in the film. 影片中有一些公开色情场面。
• Nietzsche rejected God's law and wrote some overtly blasphemous things. 尼采拒绝上帝的律法，并且写了一些渎神的作品。

7 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

8 coup   

n.政变；突然而成功的行动

参考例句：

• The monarch was ousted by a military coup.那君主被军事政变者废黜了。
• That government was overthrown in a military coup three years ago.那个政府在3年前的军事政变中被推翻。

9 bogging   

n.陷入，沉入v.（使）陷入泥沼， （使）陷入困境( bog的现在分词 )；妨碍，阻碍

参考例句：

• Every day danger mounted, he said, but the deal was bogging down. 他说，危险与日俱增，但是谈判却迟迟没有进展。 来自辞典例句
• It's bogging down on me. 现在这样快憋死我了。 来自辞典例句

10 partisan   

adj.党派性的；游击队的；n.游击队员；党徒

参考例句：

• In their anger they forget all the partisan quarrels.愤怒之中，他们忘掉一切党派之争。
• The numerous newly created partisan detachments began working slowly towards that region.许多新建的游击队都开始慢慢地向那里移动。

11 bickering   

v.争吵( bicker的现在分词 )；口角；（水等）作潺潺声；闪烁

参考例句：

• The children are always bickering about something or other. 孩子们有事没事总是在争吵。
• The two children were always bickering with each other over small matters. 这两个孩子总是为些小事斗嘴。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

12 paralysis   

n.麻痹(症)；瘫痪(症)

参考例句：

• The paralysis affects his right leg and he can only walk with difficulty.他右腿瘫痪步履维艰。
• The paralysis affects his right leg and he can only walk with difficulty.他右腿瘫痪步履维艰。

13 specialized   

adj.专门的，专业化的

参考例句：

• There are many specialized agencies in the United Nations.联合国有许多专门机构。
• These tools are very specialized.这些是专用工具。

14 warily   

adv.留心地

参考例句：

• He looked warily around him,pretending to look after Carrie.他小心地看了一下四周，假装是在照顾嘉莉。
• They were heading warily to a point in the enemy line.他们正小心翼翼地向着敌人封锁线的某一处前进。

15 mumbled   

含糊地说某事，叽咕，咕哝( mumble的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He mumbled something to me which I did not quite catch. 他对我叽咕了几句话，可我没太听清楚。
• George mumbled incoherently to himself. 乔治语无伦次地喃喃自语。