（外文电子版资料）Theodore Sturgeon - The Girl Had Guts.pdfVIP

The Girl Had Guts by Theodore Sturgeon The cabby wouldnt take the fare (Me take a nickel from Captain Gargan? Not in this life!), and the doorman welcomed me so warmly I almost forgave Sue for moving into a place that had a doorman. And then the elevator and then Sue. You have to be away a long time, a long way, to miss someone like that, and me, Id been farther away than anyone ought to be for too long plus six weeks. I kissed her and squeezed her until she yelled for mercy, and when I got to where I realized she was yelling we were clear back to the terrace, the whole length of the apartment away from the door. I guess I was sort of enthusiastic, but as I said … oh, who can say a thing like that and make any sense? I was glad to see my wife, and that was it. She finally got me quieted down and my uniform jacket and shoes off and a dish of ale in my fist, and there I lay in the relaxer looking at her just the way I used to when I could come home from the base every night, just the way Id dreamed every off-duty minute since we blasted off all those months ago. Special message to anyone whos never been off Earth: Look around you. Take a good long look around. Youre in the best place there is. A fine place. I said as much to Sue, and she laughed and said, Even the last six weeks? and I said, I dont want to insult you, baby, but yes: even those six weeks in lousy quarantine at the lousy base hospital were good, compared to being anyplace else. But it was the longest six weeks I ever spent; Ill give you that. I pulled her down on top of me and kissed her again. It was longer than twice the rest of the trip. She struggled loose and patted me on the head the way I dont like. Was it so bad really? It was bad. It was lonesome and dangerous and—and disgusting, I guess is the best word for it. You mean the plague. I snorted. It wasnt a pl