deathworld-第17节

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。　When　we　start　thinking　with　our　muscles　again　we　are　on　our　way　right　back　to　those　caves。　Isn't　that　what　you　Pyrrans　are？　A　bunch　of　cavemen　hitting　animals　on　the　head　with　stone　axes。　Do　you　ever　stop　to　think　why　you　are　here？　What　you　are　doing？　Where　you　are　going？〃
　 Jason　had　to　stop；　he　was　exhausted　and　gasping　for　breath。　Brucco　rubbed　his　chin　in　thought。　〃Caves？〃　he　asked。　〃Of　course　we　don't　live　in　caves　or　use　stone　clubs。　I　don't　understand　your　point　at　all。〃
　 It　was　impossible　to　be　angry；　or　even　exasperated。　Jason　started　to　answer；　then　laughed　instead。　A　very　humorless　laugh。　He　was　too　tired　to　argue　anymore。　He　kept　running　into　this　same　stone　wall　with　all　the　Pyrrans。　Theirs　was　a　logic　of　the　moment。　The　past　and　future　unchangeable；　unknowable…and　uninteresting。　〃How　is　the　perimeter　battle　going？〃　he　asked　finally；　wanting　to　change　the　subject。
　 〃Finished。　Or　in　the　last　stages　at　least。〃　Brucco　was　enthusiastic　as　he　showed　Jason　stereos　of　the　attackers。　He　did　not　notice　Jason's　repressed　shudder。
　 〃This　was　the　most　serious　breakthrough　in　years；　but　we　caught　it　in　time。　I　hate　to　think　what　would　have　happened　if　they　hadn't　been
　detected　for　a　few　weeks　more。〃
　 〃What　axe　those　things？〃　Jason　asked。　〃Giant　snakes　of　some　kind？〃
　 〃Don't　be　absurd；〃　Brucco　snorted。　He　tapped　the　stereo　with　his　thumbnail。　〃Roots。　That's　all。　Greatly　modified；　but　still　roots。　They　came　in　under　the　perimeter　barrier；　much　deeper　than　anything　we've　had　before。　Not　a　real　threat　in　themselves　as　they　have　very　little　mebility。　Die　soon　after　being　cut。　The　danger　came　from　their　being　used　as　access　tunnels。　They're　bored　through　and　through　with　animal　runs；　and　two　or　three　species　of　beasts　live　in　a　sort　of　symbiosis　inside。　Now　we　know　what　they　are　we　can　watch　for　them。　The　danger　was　they　could　have　pletely　undermined　the　perimeter　and　e　in　from　all　sides　at　once。　Not　much　we　could　have　done　then。〃
　 The　edge　of　destruction。　Living　on　the　lip　of　a　volcano。　The　Pyrrans　took　satisfaction　from　any　day　that　passed　without　total　annihilation。　There　seemed　no　way　to　change　their　attitude。　Jason　let　the　conversation　die　there。　He　picked　up　the　log　of　the　Polhwc　Victory　from　Brucco's　quarters　and　carried　it　back　to　his　room。　The　wounded　Pyrrans　there　ignored　him　as　he　dropped　onto　the　bed　and　opened　the　book　to　the　first　page。
　 For　two　days　he　did　not　leave　his　quarters。　The　wounded　men　were　soon　gone　and　he　had　the　room　to　himself。　Page　by　page　he　went　through　the　log；　until　he　knew　every　detail　of　the　settlement　of　Pyrrus。　His　notes　and　cross…references　piled　up。　He　made　an　accurate　map　of　the　original　settlement；　superimposed　over　a　modem　one。　They　didn't　match　at　all。
　 It　was　a　dead　end。　With　one　map　held　over　the　other；　what　he　had　suspected　was　painfully　clear。　The　descriptions　of　terrain　and　physical　features　in　the　log　were　accurate　enough。　The　city　had　obviously　been　moved　since　the　first　landing。　Whatever　records　had　been　kept　would　be　in　the　library…and　he　had　exhausted　that　source。　Anything　else　would　have　been　left　behind　and　long　since　destroyed。
　 Rain　lashed　against　the　thick　window　above　his　head；　lit　suddenly　by　a　flare　of　lightning。　The　unseen　volcanoes　were　active　again；　vibrating　the　floor　with　their　rumblings　deep　in　the　earth。
　 The　shadow　of　defeat　pressed　heavily　down　on　Jason。　Rounding　his　shoulders　and　darkening；　even　more；　the　overcast　day。
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　 Jason　spent　one　depressed　day　lying　on　his　bunk　counting　rivets；　forcing　himself　to　accept　defeat。　Kerk's　order　that　he　was　not　to　leave　the　sealed　building　tied　his　hands　pletely。　He　felt　himself　close　to　the　answer…but　he　was　never　going　to　get　it。
　 One　day　of　defeat　was　all　he　could　take。　Kerk's　attitude　was　pletely　emotional；　untempered　by　the　slightest　touch　of　logic。　This　fact　kept　driving　home　until　Jason　could　no　longer　ignore　it。　Emotional　reasoning　was　something　he　had　learned　to　mistrust　early　in　life。　He　couldn't　agree　with　Kerk　in　the　slightest…which　meant　he　had　to　utilize　the　ten　remaining　days　to　solve　the　problem。　If　it　meant　disobeying　Kerk；　it　would　still　have　to　be　done。
　 He　grabbed　up　his　noteplate　with　a　new　enthusiasm。　His　first　sources　of　information　had　been　used　up；　but　there　must　be　others。　Chewing　the　scriber　and　thinking　hard；　he　slowly　built　up　a　list　of　other　possibilities。　Any　idea；　no　matter　how　wild；　was　put　down。　When　the　plate　was　filled；　he　wiped　the　long　shots　and　impossibles…such　as　consulting　off…world　historical　records。　This　was　a　Pyrran　problem　and　had　to　be　settled　on　this　planet　or　not　at　all。
　 The　list　worked　down　to　two　probables。　Either　old　records；　notebooks　or　diaries　that　individual　Pyrrans　might　have　in　their　possession；　or　verbal　histories　that　had　been　passed　down　the　generations　by　word　of　mouth。　The　first　choice　seemed　to　be　the　most　probable　and　he　acted　on　it　at　once。　After　a　careful　check　of　his　medikit　and　gun；　he　went　to　see　Brucco。
　 〃What's　new　and　deadly　in　the　world　since　I　left？〃　he　asked。
　 Brucco　glared　at　him。　〃You　can't　go　out；　Kerk　has　forbidden　it。〃
　 〃Did　he　put　you　in　charge　of　guarding　me　to　see　if　I　obeyed？〃　Jason's　voice　was　quiet　and　cold。
　 Brucco　rubbed　his　jaw　and　frowned　in　thought。　Finally　he　just　shrugged。　〃No；　I'm　not　guarding　you…nor　do　I　want　the　job。　As　far　as
　I　know；　this　is~etween　you　and　Kerk　and　it　can　stay　that　way。　Leave　whenever　you　want。　And　get　yourself　killed　quietly　someplace　so　there　will　be　an　end　to　the　trouble　you　cause　once　and　for　all。〃
　 〃I　like　you　too；〃　Jason　said。　〃Now　brief　me　on　the　wildlife。〃
　 The　only　new　mutation　that　routine　precautions　wouldn't　take　care　of　was　a　slate…colored　lizard　that　spit　a　fast　nerve　poison　with　deadly　accuracy。　Death　took　place　in　seconds　if　the　saliva　touched　any　bare　skin。　The　lizards　had　to　be　looked　out　for；　and　shot　before　they　came　within　range。　An　hour　of　lizard…blasting　in　a　training　chamber　made　him　proficient　in　the　exact　procedure。
　 Jason　left　the　sealed　buildings　quietly　and　no　one　saw　him　go。　He
　followed　the　map　to　the　nearest　barracks；　shuffling　tiredly　through　the　…
　dusty　streets。　It　was　a　hot；　quiet　afternoon；　broken　only　by　rumblings
　from　the　distance；　and　the　occasional　crack　of　his　gun。 It　was　cool　inside　the　thick…walled　barracks　building；　and　he　collapsed　onto　a　bench　until　the　sweat　dried　and　his　heart　stopped　pounding。　Then　he　went　to　the　nearest　recreation　room　to　start　his　search。
　 Before　it　began；　it　was　finished。　None　of　the　Pyrrans　kept　old　artifacts　of　any　kind　and　thought　the　whole　idea　was　very　funny。　After　the　twentieth　negative　answer；　Jason　was　ready　to　admit　defeat　in　this　line　of　investigation。　There　was　as　much　chance　of　meeting　a　Pyrran　with　old　documents　as　finding　a　bundle　of　Grandfather's　letters　in　a　soldier's　kit　bag。
　 This　left　a　single　possibility…verbal　histories。　Again　Jason　questioned　with　the　same　lack　of　results。　The　fun　had　worr~　off　the　game　for　the　Pyrrans　and　they　were　beginning　to　growl。　Jason　stopped　while　he　was　still　in　one　piece。　The　missary　served　him　a　meal　that　tasted　like　plastic　paste　and　wood　pulp。　He　ate　it　quickly；　then　sat　brooding　over　the　empty　tray；　hating　to　admit　to　another　dead　end。　Who　could　supply　him　with　answers？　All　the　people　he　had　talked　to　were~　young。　They　had　no　interest　or　patience　for　storytelling。　That　was　an　old　folks'　hobby…and　there　were　no　oldsters　on　Pyrrus。
　 With　one　exception　that　he　knew　of；　the　librarian；　Poli。　It　was　a　possibility。　A　man　who　worked　with　records　and　books　might　have　an　interest　in　some　of　the　older　ones。　He　might　even　remember　reading　volumes　now　destroyed。　A　very　slim　lead；　indeed；　but　one　that　had　to　be　pursued。
　 Walking　to　the　library　almost　killed　Jason。　The　torrential　rains　made　the　footing　bad；　and　in　the　dim　light　it　was　hard　to　see　what　was　corn…
　ing。　A　snapper　came　in　close　enough　to　take　out　a　chunk　of　flesh　before　he　could　blast　it。　The　antitoxin　made　him　dizzy　and　he　lost　some　blood　before　he　could　get　the　wound　dressed。　He　reached　the　library；　exhausted　and　angry。
　 Poli　was　working　on　the　guts　of　one　of　the　catalogue　machines。　He　didn't　stop　until　Jason　had　tapped　him　on　the　shoulder。　Switching　on　his　heating　aid；　the　Pyrran　stood　quietly；　crippled　and　bent；　waiting　for　Jason　to　talk。
　 〃Have　you　any　old　papers　or　letters　that　you　have　kept　for　your　personal　use？〃
　 A　shake　of　the　head；　no。
　 〃What　about　stories…you　know；　about　great　things　that　have　happened　in　the　past；　that　someone　might　have　told　you　when　you　were　young？〃　Negative。
　 Results　negative。　Every　question　was　answered　by　a　shake　of　Poli's　head；　and　very　soon　the　old　man　grew　irritated　and　pointed　to　the　work　he　hadn't　finished。
　 〃Yes；　I　know　you　have　work　to　do；〃　Jason　said。　〃But　this　is　important。〃　Poli　shook　his　head　an　angry　no　and　reached　to　turn　off　his　hearing　aid。　Jason　groped　for　a　question　that　might　get　a　more　positive　answer。　There　was　something　tugging　at　his　mind；　a　word　he　had　heard　and　made　a　note　of；　to　be　investigated　later。　Something　that　Kerk　had　said。　。
　 〃That's　it！〃　It　was　right　there…on　the　tip　of　his　tongue。　〃Just　a　second；　Poli；　just　one　more　question。　What　is　a　'grubber'？　Have　you　ever　seen　one