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Lazarus looked thoughtful。 〃I never thought of him ai 'colorful。' Matter of facC he was an unsavery old coot…nol a 'good influence' … for a growing boy by the standards ~o1
… those times。 Mmm； there was something about a young school。 mann and him in the town… my family had lived in； some scandal…'scandal' for thos~ days； I mean…and I think that was why we moved。 I never got the straight of it as the grownups wouldn't talk about it in front of me。
〃But I did learn a lot from him； ha had more time to talk with me…or took more time…than my parents had； Some of it stuck。 'Always cut the cards； Woodie；' he would say。 'You may lose anyhow…but not as often； nor as much。 And when you do； lose； smile。' Things like that。〃 …
〃Can you remember any more of what he said？〃
〃Huh？； After all these years？ Of course not。 Well； maybe。 He had me Out south of town teaching me to shoot。 I was maybe ten and he was…oh； I don't know； he always seemed niy years older 'than God to me。* He pinned up a target； put one in the black to show me it could be … done； then handed me the rifle…little 。22 single…shot； not good for much but targets and tin cans…'All right； it's loaded； do just what I did； get steady on it； relax and squeeze。' So I did； and all I heard was a click…it didn't fire。
〃I said so； and started to open the breech。 He slapped my hand away； took the rifle from me with his other hand…then clouted me a good one。 'What did I tell you about hangflres； Woodie？ Are you aching to walk around with one eye the rest of your life？ Or merely trying to kill yourself？ If the latter； I can show you several better ways。'
〃Then he said； 'Now watch closely'…and he opened the breech。 Empty。 So I said； 'But； Granip； you told me it was loaded。' Shucks； Ira； I saw him load。 it…I thought。
* Ira Johnson was seventy when Lazarus Long was ten。
…J。F。 45th
〃'So I did； Woodle；' he agreed。 'And I lied to you。 I went through the motions and palmed the cartridge。 Now what did I tell …you about loaded guns？ Think hard and get it right 。 。 or I'll be forced to clout you again to shake up your brains and make 'em work better。'
〃I thought fast and got it right； Gramp had a heavy hand。 'Never take anybody's word about whether a gun is loaded。'
〃'Correct；' he …agreed。 'Remember that all your life…and follow it！…or you won't live long。' *
〃Ira。 I did remember that all my life…plus its application to analogous situations after such firearms went out of style… and it has indeed kept me alive several times。
〃Then he had me load it myself； then said； '？oodie； I'll bet you half a dollar…do you have half a dollar？' I had considerably more； but I had bet with him before； so I admitted to only a quarter。 'Okay；' he said； 'Make it two…bits； I never let 'a man bet on credit。 Two…bits says you can't hit the target； much less stay in the black。'
〃Then he pocketed my two…bits and showed me what was wrong with what I had done。 By the time he was ready to knock off I had the basics of how to make a gun do what I wanted it to do； and wanted to bet him again。 He laughed at me and told me to be thankful the lesson was so cheap。 Pass the salt； please。〃
Weatheral did so。 〃Lazarus； if I could find a way to entice you into reminiscing about your grandfather…or about anything…I'm certain we could extract froth such record endless things you have learned； important things…whether you choose to call them wisdom or not。 In the last ten minutes you have stated half a dozen basic truths； or rules for living…call them what you will…apparently without trying。〃
〃Such as？〃
〃Oh； for example； that most people learn Qflly by experience…〃
〃Correction。 Most people won't learn even by experience； Ira。 Never underestimate the power of human stupidity。〃
〃There's another one。 And you 'made a couple of ments on the fine art of lying…three； really； as you also mentioned that a lie should never be too plicated。 You said also that belief gets in the way of learning； and some…
* This anecdote is too obscure to be elaborated here。 See Howard Encyclopaedia： Ancient weapons； chemical…explosives firearms。
thing about knowing a situation was the essential first step in coping with it。〃
〃J didn't say that…although I could have said it。〃
〃I generalized something ；you did say。 You said also that you never 'argued with the weather 。。 which I would generalize to mean： Don't indulge in wishful thmkmg。 Or as 'Face up to the facts and act accordingly。' Though I prefer the way you put it； it has more flavor。 And 'Always cut the cards。' I …haven't played card games in many years； but I took that to mean： Never； neglect any available means of maximizing one's chances in a situation controlled by random events。〃
〃Hmm。 Gramp would have said； 'Stow the fancy talk；
Sonny。'〃
〃So we'll put it back into his words： 'Always cut the cards 。 … and smile when you lose。' If indeed that is not your own phrasing and simply attributed to him。〃
〃Oh； his all right。 Well； I think it is。 Damn it； Ira； after a long time it is … hard to tell a real memory from a memory of a memory of a memory of a real memory。 That's what happens when you think about the past： You edit it and rearrange it； make it more tolerable…〃
〃That's another one！〃
〃Oh； hush up。 Son； I don't want to reminisce about the past； it's a sure sign of old age。 Babies and young children live in the present； the 'now。' Mature adults tend to live in the future。 Only the senile live in the past 。 。 and that was the sign that made me realize that I had lived long enough； when I found I was spending more and more time thinking about the past 。 。 less of it thinking about now…and not at all about the future。〃 …
The old man sighed。 〃So I knew I had had it。 The way to live a long time…oh； a thousand years or more…is something between the way a child does it and the way a mature man does it。 Give the future enough thought to be ready for it…but don't worry… about it。 Live each day as if you were to die next sunrise。 Then face each sunrise as a fresh creation and live for it； joyously。 And never think about the past。 No regrets； ever。〃 Lazarus ~Long looked sad； then suddenly smiled and repeated； 〃'No regrets。' More wine； Ira？〃
… 〃Half a glass； thank you。 Lazarus； if you are determined to… die soon…your privilege； certainly ！…what harm could there be in remembering the past now 。 … and getting those
memories on record for the benefit of your descendants？ It would be a much greater legacy than leaving your wealth to us。'；
Lazarus' eyebrows shot up。 〃Son； you are beginning to bore me。〃
〃Your pardon； sire。 May I have permission to leave？〃
〃Oh； shut u？ and sit down。 Finish your dinner。 You remind me of… Well； there was this man on Novo Brasil who plied with the local custom of serial bigamy but was always careful to see that one of his wives was as utterly homely as the other was startlingly beautiful； so that… Ira； that dingu~ you have listening to us： Can it be keyed to。 pick out particular statements and arrange them as a separate memorandum'？〃
〃Certainly； 'sir。〃
〃Good。 There's no point in telling how Ranch Master
Silva？…yes； I think 'Silva' was his name； Dom… Pedro Silva… how he coped with it when he found himself stuck with two beautiful wives at once； except to note that when a puter makes a mistake； it is even more stupidly stubborn about correcting it than a man is。 But if I thought long and hard； I might be able to dig out those 'gems of wisdom' you think I have。 Paste diamonds； that is。 Then we wouldn't have to load up the machine with dull stories about Dom Pedro and the like。 A key word？'
〃 'Wisdom'？〃
〃Go wash out your mouth with soap。〃
〃I will not。 You stuck your chin into that one； Senior。
'mon sense'？〃
… 〃Son； that phrase is self…contradictory。 'Sense' is never 'mon。' Make the keying word 'Notebook'…that's all I have in mind； just a n