Onthetopofthemountainwasahugeironpotofmeltinggold,overablazingfire.Cyclopsputdownthetwoheavygoldbricksandwentovertothepot,usinganironsticktostirthemeltedgold.Fromexperienceheknewitwasnotquitereadyyet.Morefuelneededtobeaddedtothefirebeforethegoldwouldbefullymelted.Oppositetotheironpotwasabroadfoundationofthegoldpalacewithfourhugegoldpillarsrisingtotheskies;makingthebarrenmountainseemwilderandmoremysteriousthanever,liketheruinsofancientstructure.ThesoundofhelicopterenginesgrewlouderandCyclopssawasmall,exquisitehelicoptercomingtowardsGiantMountainpreparingtoland.Havingnowheretohide,heslippedbehindoneofthepillarsandpeeredoutasRomi,MegginnandClementine,whohadcometoinspecttheconstructionsite,steppedoutofthecraft.Romi,whohadandarchitecturalbackground,rolledouttheblueprintsoftheplanswhichshehaddrawnaccordingtoideasandguidelinessetbyClementine,whointurnbasedherdimensionsonthepalaceofZeusintheSeventhHeavenwhereshegrewup.OnlyZeus’palacewasmadeoflightcopper,whileKingDimitri’swasofsolidgold.Aftermakingtherounds,MegginnsaidtoRomi,

        “Ithinkwehavesufficientgoldheretobuildthepalace,butthespeedofconstructionistooslowifwewanttofinishitbeforeKingDimitrireturns.”

        “That’stobeexpected”repliedRomi“ifwerelyonthelaborofonlyoneman.”

        “MaybeI’llbeabletohelp”saidClementine.“Let’sgoandinspectthewidthanddepthofthefoundationfirst.”Thethreewalkedupthestepsandcircledthefoundation,inevitablydiscoveringCyclopsbehindoneofthepillars.Clementine,whoseemedtoknowhimcalledout,“Cyclops!Cyclops!Comeout.Youdon’tneedtohide.Wemeanyounoharm.”ButCyclopstooktohisheelsanddisappearedintheneighboringmountainranges.“Whyishesoscaredofus?”Clementineasked.

        “Idon’tknow”repliedMegginn.“Ionlyknowheisanoldmanwhodoesnotliketobewithpeople.”

        “No”answeredRomi.“HeoncecommittedadulterywiththetraitorIleen,oneofKingDimitri’sbeautiesandcausedacatastropheintheKingdom,forwhichIleenwasputtodeath.KingDimitriatfirstmeanttocastrateCyclops,butthenpardonedhimoutofthekindnessofhisheart.IthinkCyclopsisgrateful,soheshunsallfemalecompanyandgoesasfaraspossiblefromthebeauties.HeworkshardfrommorningtillnightbuildingthegoldpalaceingratitudetoKingDimitri.”

        “Let’sgobacktothepalace”suggestedMegginn“andtalkaboutourideasandsuggestionsatthemeetingAishaiscallingtonight.”Thethreeofthemwalkedbacktothehelicopterandgotin.

        “Iusedtobeabletoflyaroundtheheavensatwill”exclaimedClementinenostalgically.“NowIneedtouseman-mademachines.Thechangeisgreatindeed.”Frombehindtherocks,CyclopswatchedasthehelicoptergrewsmallerandsmallerasitmadeitswaytowardstheairbaseonTwinpeaks,hisheartfullofinferiorityandregret.Perhapsthesewerethemoodyemotionsburiedinthedepthoftheheartofawidower.

        Thedaintyshadowofthesmall,exquisitehelicopterstreakedacrosstheclearblueskiesandlandedattheairbaseontherightoftheTwinPeaks,asthefierysungraduallysanktowardsthewest.ThepurringofthehelicopterenginesattractedtheattentionofAishawhohadbeenimmersedinherbooksandstudies.Sheraisedherheadandsmiledasshelookedtowardsthehelicopter,knowingthatthethreebeauties,whohadgonetoinspecttheconstructionsite,wereback.Feelingstiffaftersittingatherlarge,white,exquisitelysculpturedandinlaiddeskforanextendedperiodoftime,sherosetostretchherself,andrestedhereyesgazingfromacrossthewideexpanseofthelaketothefar-offmountains.Thehorizontalrangesresembledaparalyzedgiant,whohadlaintherehopelesslysincethebeginningoftime,hismuscles,bonesandtendonsbecomingstiffandrigid.ButinAisha’seyestheydidnotresembleaprostrategiant.Infact,sheseemedtoseetheprofileofalanguid,nakedwomanlyingtheresidewise.Itisstrangehowtheperceptionofexternal,objectiveenvironmentcanbeinfluencedbythesightandimaginationtosuchadegree!ThecauseandmotiveofthistransformationofobjectiverealitywasmerelyafeelingoffatigueinAisha’stiredbody!Theinteractionofexternalobjectiveenvironmentandinternalphysicalfacultiesisreallystrangeandamazing!AtfirstAishawassurprisedthinkingthatthegianthadcometolifeandturnedintoabeautifulwoman.Sherubbedhereyesandlookedagain.Themountainrangeswerethesameandhadnotbeenchangedintheslightest.

        Aishatransferredherrovingeyestotheyethalf-finishedthesisonherdesk.Itwasthefruitofherlaborofmanydays.Onthetitlepagewaswritten“OnLifeinMatriarchalSociety”.Shehadmadeextensiveresearchthroughinnumerablevolumesofanthropologyandhistory,analyzingandfilteringthematerial,choosingandusingonlythoseworthyofreference.Evenso,shedidnotbaseherthesisonlyonsubjectiveopinion,butmadeexpansive,on-the-spotinvestigations,makingdetailedandconcisenotesofactualsituations.ThenativeslivinginKingDimitri’sKingdomhadadheredtothestyleoflifeinheritedfromtheirancestorssincetheancienttimes.Itwasaformofsocialordercenteredonwomen.ThisproximityfacilitatedAisha’sobservationtoanalyzefromeveryanglethesocialphenomenaandlocalincidentsthathappened,thusculminatingintheproductionofaconcise,well-documentedthesis.Inaword,thenativespracticedpolygamy,onewomanmarriedtoseveralmen.Whenanygirlorboyreachedtheageoffifteen,theylefttheirhomesandhadtherighttoformtheirownfamily.Themenfarmed,huntedandfished,whiletheircommonwifewasheadofthehousehold,withabsolutepowerofjudgmentandwasloyaltohermother.Thus,matriarchywasformed.KingDimitriapprovedofthiswayoflife,promptedperhapsbyhisownworshipofwomen.Aishawasinaquandaryastowhattodowithitonceitwasfinished,notknowingwhetheritwaswisetopublishitintheoutsideworld.Inrecentyears,withtheestablishmentofKingDimitri’sKingdom,manyoftheolderbeautieshadmarriednatives,forminganewnucleus,whichwaseasilyassimilatedintotheoldones.Thus,anewkindofmanwasformed,worthyofresearchbyanthropologistsandethnologists.Oncethethesiswaspublished,itwouldbesuretoattracttheattentionoffellowscholars.Wavesafterwavesofresearchteamswouldarrive,breakingthetranquilityandlife-styleofthisKingdom,hiddeninmountainranges,exposingthemalltounwelcomeattention,whichwascontrarytoKingDimitri’sintent.Intheend,Aishadecideditwasbettertoputawayherthesisandtemporarilyexileittoherbookcase.

        内容未完，下一页继续阅读