03-02-05-星际动物园 [1]
．I'm their only daughter．'
Buff laughed．It was a horrible Iaugh．He enjoyed knowing I didn't want him．What a monster！
Oh，thank Earth－and－animals I hadn't told him my real name！
I jumped up suddenly and ran into the crowds of people in the dark．I was safe．He couldn't find me．I went to our robot plane and sat inside until my parents came．
I didn't tell my parents anything．I was afraid．The Star Council said Buff was right and I was wrong，and I didn't know what my parents would do．
Next morning I forgot about it．How could Buff find me？There were hundreds of girls on our planet．He didn't know my name．He had only seen my eyes．
Suddenly my father came into my room．'Hummingbird，'he said sadly．
'What's the matter？'I asked．'Why are you calling me Hummingbird，not Hummy？'
'Hummingbird，ask your robot for a wedding dress．'
'Why？Why？'But I knew the answer．
'You will marry a gentleman called Buffalo．'
'No，father，I can't．'I started crying．'I don't want to．I'm too young．I don't want to leave you．I hate him！'
My father shook his head．'Please，Hummy，it's only for one year．You can't be a child forever．Lots of girls don't want to get married at first．The Star Council says we must get married as often as possible and have children．You know why．'
'Why？'I spoke like a small child．
'Because we are lonely．Because there is nothing in the Galaxy except us．You know all that，Hummy．'
The dressing-robot made me a wedding dress—we have robots for everything like that．The dress was white and covered me all over except for my eyes．
My father took my arm．
Buff was waiting with my mother．I saw his eyes through the eye-holes of his wedding suit．They were small mean eyes．
'Hello，Kate，'he said．
My father said，'Her name is Hummingbird．'
'I know，I know，'Buff said．
'How did you find me？'I asked Buff．
'I had a small camera，'he answered．'I took a photo of your eyes．Did you know that everybody's eyes are different？Nobody has eyes like yours．'
I turned to my father．'Listen to him！Can't you see how horrible he is？Please don't make me marry him．'
My father didn't say anything．He couldn't help me．
You can say no if a man asks you to marry him on Remembering Night．But you must have a very special reason．A reason that the Star Council will accept．If you are doing work that is important for the Galaxy，the Council will usually accept that as a good reason．
I couldn't think of anything like that．But it was something to hope for…if I could escape．
I was afraid．I didn't want to run away and never see my family again．
Some neighbours arrived，and the wedding began immediately．
Buff stood next to me and held my hand．His hand was large and a little wet．How I hated him！
My father picked up the Book of Remembering．He read，'In the beginning there were millions of planets in the Galaxy but there was only life on one．That was the planet Earth．People and animals lived together．But people polluted Earth．It became too hot for animals to live．They died．All the animals died．So people left Earth and never returned to that planet．Their hearts were empty when they left Earth，empty today，empty forever…'
Buff was still holding my hand．
My father spoke again．'Buffalo，will you take my daughter Hummingbird to be your wife for one year，in the name of Earth and the animals？'
Buff answered，'I will．'
My father turned to me．'Hummingbird，will you take this man Buffalo to be your husband for one year，in the name of Earth and the animals？'
That's when I ran．
I let the wedding dress fall off me．I ran fast．They ran afterme but I could run much faster without the wedding dress．I got to our robot spaceship，jumped into it and said，'Take off．'
'Why are people running towards us？'the spaceship asked．
'Take off now！'I shouted．'It's life or death！'
The spaceship couldn't argue．It took off．
Just Like Home was green all over—fields of wheat everywhere．I was out in space looking back at my planet．All around me were stars．
The millions of stars in the Galaxy—that's where I could hide！
■ 1 你必须嫁给我
Buff laughed．It was a horrible Iaugh．He enjoyed knowing I didn't want him．What a monster！
Oh，thank Earth－and－animals I hadn't told him my real name！
I jumped up suddenly and ran into the crowds of people in the dark．I was safe．He couldn't find me．I went to our robot plane and sat inside until my parents came．
I didn't tell my parents anything．I was afraid．The Star Council said Buff was right and I was wrong，and I didn't know what my parents would do．
Next morning I forgot about it．How could Buff find me？There were hundreds of girls on our planet．He didn't know my name．He had only seen my eyes．
Suddenly my father came into my room．'Hummingbird，'he said sadly．
'What's the matter？'I asked．'Why are you calling me Hummingbird，not Hummy？'
'Hummingbird，ask your robot for a wedding dress．'
'Why？Why？'But I knew the answer．
'You will marry a gentleman called Buffalo．'
'No，father，I can't．'I started crying．'I don't want to．I'm too young．I don't want to leave you．I hate him！'
My father shook his head．'Please，Hummy，it's only for one year．You can't be a child forever．Lots of girls don't want to get married at first．The Star Council says we must get married as often as possible and have children．You know why．'
'Why？'I spoke like a small child．
'Because we are lonely．Because there is nothing in the Galaxy except us．You know all that，Hummy．'
The dressing-robot made me a wedding dress—we have robots for everything like that．The dress was white and covered me all over except for my eyes．
My father took my arm．
Buff was waiting with my mother．I saw his eyes through the eye-holes of his wedding suit．They were small mean eyes．
'Hello，Kate，'he said．
My father said，'Her name is Hummingbird．'
'I know，I know，'Buff said．
'How did you find me？'I asked Buff．
'I had a small camera，'he answered．'I took a photo of your eyes．Did you know that everybody's eyes are different？Nobody has eyes like yours．'
I turned to my father．'Listen to him！Can't you see how horrible he is？Please don't make me marry him．'
My father didn't say anything．He couldn't help me．
You can say no if a man asks you to marry him on Remembering Night．But you must have a very special reason．A reason that the Star Council will accept．If you are doing work that is important for the Galaxy，the Council will usually accept that as a good reason．
I couldn't think of anything like that．But it was something to hope for…if I could escape．
I was afraid．I didn't want to run away and never see my family again．
Some neighbours arrived，and the wedding began immediately．
Buff stood next to me and held my hand．His hand was large and a little wet．How I hated him！
My father picked up the Book of Remembering．He read，'In the beginning there were millions of planets in the Galaxy but there was only life on one．That was the planet Earth．People and animals lived together．But people polluted Earth．It became too hot for animals to live．They died．All the animals died．So people left Earth and never returned to that planet．Their hearts were empty when they left Earth，empty today，empty forever…'
Buff was still holding my hand．
My father spoke again．'Buffalo，will you take my daughter Hummingbird to be your wife for one year，in the name of Earth and the animals？'
Buff answered，'I will．'
My father turned to me．'Hummingbird，will you take this man Buffalo to be your husband for one year，in the name of Earth and the animals？'
That's when I ran．
I let the wedding dress fall off me．I ran fast．They ran afterme but I could run much faster without the wedding dress．I got to our robot spaceship，jumped into it and said，'Take off．'
'Why are people running towards us？'the spaceship asked．
'Take off now！'I shouted．'It's life or death！'
The spaceship couldn't argue．It took off．
Just Like Home was green all over—fields of wheat everywhere．I was out in space looking back at my planet．All around me were stars．
The millions of stars in the Galaxy—that's where I could hide！
■ 1 你必须嫁给我