deathworld-第12节

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；　must　have　got　my　temper　on　edge。〃　He　made　no　mention　of　what　Jason　had　said。　〃Happens　to　all　of　us；〃　Jason　told　him。　〃I　won't　begin　to　describe　the　condition　my　nerves　were　in　when　I　hit　this　planet。　I'm　finally　forced　to　admit　that　everything　you　said　about　Pyrrus　is　true。　It　is　the　most　deadly　spot　in　the　system。　And　only　native…born　Pyrrans　could　possibly　survive　here。　I　can　manage　to　fumble　along　a　bit　after　my　training；　but　I　know　I　would　never　stand　a　chance　on　my　own。　You　probably　know　I　have　an　eight…year…old　as　a　bodyguard。　Gives　a　good　idea　of　my　real　status　here。〃
　 Anger　suppressed；　Kerk　was　back　in　control　of　himself　now。　His　eyes　narrowed　in　thought。　〃Surprises　me　to　hear　you　say　that。　Never　thought　I　would　hear　you　admit　that　anyone　could　be　better　than　you　at　anything。　Isn't　that　why　you　came　here？　To　prove　that　you　were　as　good　as　any　native…born　Pyrran？〃
　 〃Score　one　for　your　side；〃　Jason　admitted。　〃I　didn't　think　it　showed　that　much。　And　I'm　glad　to　see　your　mind　isn't　as　musciebound　as　your　body。　Yes；　I'll　admit　that　was　probably　my　main　reason　for　ing；　that　and　curiosity。〃
　 Kerk　was　following　his　own　train　of　thought　and　puzzled　where　it　was　leading　him。　〃You　came　here　to　prove　that　you　were　as　good　as　any　native…born　Pyrran。　Yet　now　you　admit　that　any　eight…year…old　can　outdraw　you。　That　just　doesn't　stack　up　with　what　I　know　about　you。　If　you　give　with　one　hand；　you　must　be　taking　back　with　the　other。　In　what　way　do　you　still　feel　your　natural　superiority？〃　He　asked　it　lightly；　yet　there　was　weight　of　tension　behind　his　words。
　 Jason　thought　a　long　time　before　answering。
　 〃I'll　tell　you；〃　he　finally　said。　〃But　don't　snap　my　neck　for　it。　I'm
　gambling　that　your　civilized　mind　can　control　your　reflexes。　Because　I　have　totalk　about　things　that　are　strictly　taboo　on　Pyrrus。
　〃In　your　people's　eyes　I'm　a　weakling　because　I　cone　from　off…world。　Realize；　though；　that　this　is　also　my　strength。　I　can　see　things　that　are　hidden　from　you　by　long　association。　You　know；　the　old　business　of　not　being　able　to　see　the　forest　for　the　trees　in　the　way。〃
　Kerk　nodded　agreement　and　Jason　went　on。　〃To　continue　the　analogy　further；　I　landed　from　an　airship；　and　at　first　all　I　could　see　was　the　forest。　To　me　certain　facts　are　obvious。　I　think　that　you　people　know　them　too；　only　you　keep　your　thoughts　carefully　repressed。　They　are　hidden　thoughts　that　are　pletely　taboo。　I'm　going　to　tell　you　the　biggest　one　of　these　secret　thoughts　and　hope　you　can　control　yourself　well　enough　not　to　kill　me。〃
　Kerk's　great　hands　tightened　on　the　arms　of　the　chair；　the　only　sign　he　had　heard。　Jason　spoke　quietly；　but　his　words　penetrated　as　smoothly　and　easily　as　a　lancet　probing　into　a　brain。
　 〃I　think　human　beings　are　losing　the　war　on　Pyrrus。　After　hundreds　of　years　of　occupation　this　is　the　only　city　on　the　planet…and　it　is　half　in　ruins。　As　if　it　once　had　a　larger　population。　That　stunt　we　pulled　off　to　get　the　shipload　of　war　materials　was　a　stunt。　It　might　not　have　worked。　And　if　it　hadn't；　what　would　have　happened　to　the　city？　You　people　are　walking　on　the　crumbling　rim　of　a　volcano　and　you　won't　admit　it。〃
　 Every　muscle　in　Kerk's　body　was　rigid　as　he　sat　stiffly　in　the　chair；　his　face　dotted　with　tiny　beads　of　sweat。　The　slightest　push　too　far　and　he　would　explode。　Jason　searched　for　a　way　to　lessen　some　of　the　tension。
　 〃I　don't　enjoy　telling　you　these　things。　I'm　doing　it　because　I'm　sure　you　know　them　already。　You　can't　face　these　facts　because　you　would　then　have　to　admit　that　all　this　fighting　and　killing　is　for　absolutely　no　purpose。　If　your　population　is　dropping　steadily；　then　your　fight　is　nothing　but　a　particularly　bloody　form　of　racial　suicide。　You　could　leave　this　planet；　but　that　would　be　admitting　defeat。　And　I'm　sure　Pyrrans　prefer　death　to　defeat。〃
　 When　Kerk　half…rose　from　his　chair　Jason　stood　too；　shouting　his　words　through　the　other　man's　fog　of　anger。
　 〃I'm　trying　to　help　you…do　you　understand　that？　Wipe　the　hypocrisy　out　of　your　mind；　it's　destroying　you。　Piight　now　you　would　rather　kill　me　than　admit　consciously　that　you　are　fighting　an　already　lost　battle。　This　isn't　a　real　war；　just　a　disastrous　treating　of　symptoms。　Like　cutting　off　cancerous　fingers　one　by　one。　The　only　result　must　be　ultimate
　defeat。　You　won't　allow　yourself　to　realize　that。　That's　why　you　would　rather　kill　me　than　hear　me　speak　the　unspeakable。〃
　 Kerk　was　out　of　his　seat　now；　hanging　over　Jason　like　a　tower　of　death；　about　to　fall。　Held　up　only　by　the　force　of　Jason's　words。
　 〃You　must　begin　to　face　reality。　All　you　can　see　is　everlasting　war。　You　must　begin　to　realize　that　you　can　treat　the　causes　of　this　war　and　end　it　forever！〃
　 The　meaning　penetrated；　the　shock　of　the　words　draining　away　Kerk's　anger。　He　dropped　back　into　the　chair；　an　almost　ludicrous　expression　on　his　face。　〃What　the　devil　do　you　mean？　You　sound　like　a　bloody　Grubber！〃
　 Jason　didn't　ask　what　a　Grubber　was；　but　he　filed　the　name。
　 〃You're　talking　nonsense；〃　Kerk　said。　〃This　is　just　an　'alien　world　that　must　be　battled。　The　causes　are　self…obvious　facts　of　existence。〃
　 〃No；　they're　not；〃　Jason　insisted。　〃Consider　for　a　second。　When　you　are　away　for　any　length　of　time　from　this　planet；　you　must　take　a　refresher　course。　To　see　how　things　have　changed　for　the　worse　while　you　were　gone。　Well　that's　a　linear　progression。　If　things　get　worse　when　you　extend　into　the　future；　then　they　have　to　get　better　if　you　extend　into　the　past。　It　is　also　good　theory…though　I　don't　know　if　the　facts　will　bear　me　out…to　say　that　if　you　extend　it　far　enough　into　the　past　you　will　reach　a　time　when　mankind　and　Pyrrus　were　not　at　war　with　each　other。〃
　 Kerk　was　beyond　speech　now；　only　capable　of　sitting　and　listening　while　Jason　drove　home　the　blows　of　inescapable　logic。
　 〃There　is　evidence　to　support　this　theory。　Even　you　will　admit　that　I；　if　I　am　no　match　for　Pyrran　life；　am　surely　well　versed　in　it。　And　all　Pyrran　flora　and　fauna　I've　seen　have　one　thing　in　mon。　They're　not　functional。　None　of　their　immense　armory　of　weapons　is　used　against　each　other。　Their　toxins　don't　seem　to　operate　against　Pyrran　life。　They　are　good　only　for　dispensing　death　to　homo　sapiens。　And　that　is　a　physical　impossibility。　In　the　three　hundred　years　that　men　have　been　on　this　planet；　the　life　forms　couldn't　have　naturally　adapted　in　this　manner。〃
　 〃But　they　have　done　it！〃　Kerk　bellowed。
　 〃You　are　so　right；〃　Jason　told　him　calmly。　〃And　if　they　have　done　it；　there　must　be　some　agency　at　work。　Operating　how；　I　have　no　idea。　But　something　has　caused　the　life　on　Pyrrus　to　declare　war；　and　I'd　like　to　find　out　what　that　something　is。　What　was　the　dominant　life　form　here　when　your　ancestors　landed？〃
　 〃I'm　sure　I　wouldn't　know；〃　Kerk　said。　〃You're　not　suggesting；　are　you；
　that　there　are　sentient　beings　on　Pyrrus　other　than　those　of　human　descent？　Creatures　who　are　organizing　the　planet　to　battle　us？〃
　 〃I'm　not　suggesting　it…you　are。　That　means　you're　getting　the　idea。　I　have　no　idea　what　caused　this　change；　but　I　would　sure　like　to　find　out。　Then　see　if　it　can　be　changed　back。　Nothing　promised；　of　course。　You'll　agree；　though；　that　it　is　worth　investigating。〃
　 Fist　smacking　into　his　palm；　his　heavy　footsteps　shaking　the　building；　Kerk　paced　back　and　forth　the　length　of　the　room。　He　was　at　war　with　himself。　New　ideas　fought　old　beliefs。　It　was　so　sudden…and　so　hard　not　to　believe。
　 Without　asking　permission；　Jason　helped　himself　to　some　chilled　water　from　the　bottle　and　sank　back　into　the　chair；　exhausted。　Something　whizzed　in　through　the　open　window；　tearing　a　hole　in　the　protective　screen。　Kerk　blasted　it　without　changing　stride；　without　even　knowing　he　had　done　it。
　 The　decision　didn't　take　long。　Geared　to　swift　activity；　the　big　Pyrran　found　it　impossible　not　to　decide　quickly。　The　pacing　stopped　and　he　looked　steadily　at　Jason。
　 〃I　don't　say　you　have　convinced　me；　but　I　find　it　impossible　to　find　a　ready　answer　to　your　arguments。　So　until　I　do；　we　will　have　to　operate　as　if　they　are　true。　Now　what　do　you　plan　to　do；　what　can　you　do？〃
　 Jason　ticked　the　points　off　on　his　fingers。　〃One；　I'll　need　a　place　to　live　and　work　that　is　well　protected。　So　instead　of　spending　my　energies　on　just　remaining　alive　I　can　devote　some　study　to　this　project。　Two；　I　want　someone　to　help　me…and　act　as　a　bodyguard　at　the　same　time。　And　someone；　please；　with　a　little　more　scope　of　interest　than　my　present　watchdog。　I　would　suggest　Meta　as　the　person　most　suited　for　this　job。〃
　 〃Meta？〃　Kerk　was　surprised。　〃She's　a　space　pilot　and　defense　screen　operator；　what　good　could　she　possibly　be　on　a　project　like　this？〃
　 〃The　most　good　possible。　She　has　had　experience　on　other　worlds　and　can　shift　her　point　of　view…at　least　a　bit。　And　she　must　know　as　much　about　this　planet　as　any　other　educated　adult　and　can　answer　any　questions　I　ask。〃　Jason　smiled。　〃In　addition　to　which　she　is　an　attractive　girl；　whose　pany　I　enjoy。〃
　 Kerk　grunted。　〃I　was　wondering　if　you　would　get　around　to　mentioning　that　last　reason。　The　others　make　sense；　though；　so　I'm　not　going　to　argue。　I'll　round　up　a　replacement　for　her　and　have　Meta　sent　here。　There　are　plenty　of　sealed　buildings