deathworld-第27节

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ep　pointing　toward　us　and　I　get　the　darkest　feeling　in　my　head。　。　。　。〃
　 〃Blast　one；　see　what　happens；〃　Kerk　said。
　 The　gun　fired　and　at　the　same　instant　an　intensified　wave　of　mental　hatred　rolled　over　the　men；　dropping　them　to　the　ground。　They　rolled　in　pain；　blacked　out　and　unable　to　think　or　fight　the　underground　beasts　that　poured　over　them　in　renewed　attack。
　 In　the　ship；　far　above；　Jason　felt　the　shock　to　his　mind　and　wondered　how　the　men　below　could　have　lived　through　it。　The　others　in　the　control　room　had　been　hit　by　it　as　well。　Kerk　pounded　on　the　frame　of　the　screen　and　shouted　to　the　unhearing　men　below。
　 〃Pull　back；　e　back。　。　。　。〃
　 It　was　too　late。　The　men　only　stirred　slightly　as　the　victorious　Pyrran　animals　washed　over　them；　clawing　for　the　joints　in　their　armor。　Only
　one　man　moved；　standing　up　and　beating　the　creatures　away　with　his　bare　hands。　He　stumbled　a　few　feet　and　bent　over　the　writhing　mass　below　him。　With　a　heave　of　his　shoulders；　he　pulled　another　man　up。　The　man　was　dead　but　his　shoulder　pack　was　still　strapped　to　his　back。　Bloody　fingers　fumbled　at　the　pack；　then　both　men　were　washed　back　under　the　wave　of　death。
　 〃That　was　the　bomb！〃　Kerk　shouted　to　Meta。　〃If　he　didn't　change　the　setting；　it's　still　on　ten…second　minimum。　Get　out　of　here！〃
　 Jason　had　just　time　to　fall　back　on　the　acceleration　couch　before　the　rockets　blasted。　The　pressure　leaned　on　him　and　kept　mounting。　Vision　blacked　out　but　he　didn't　lose　consciousness。　Air　screamed　across　the　hull；　then　the　sound　stopped　as　they　left　the　atmosphere　behind。
　 Just　as　Mets　cut　the　power；　a　glare　of　white　light　burst　from　the　screens。　They　turned　black　instantly　as　the　hull　pickups　burned　out。　She　switched　filters　into　place；　then　pressed　the　button　that　rotated　new　pickups　into　position。；
　 Far　below；　in　the　boiling　sea；　a　climbing　cloud　of　mushroom…shaped　flame　filled　the　spot　where　the　island　had　been　seconds　before。　The　three　of　them　looked　at　it；　silent　and　unmoving。　Kerk　recovered　first。
　 〃Head　for　home；　Mets；　and　get　operations　on　the　screen。　Twentyfive　men　dead；　but　they　did　their　job。　They　knocked　out　those　beasts…　whatever　they　were…and　ended　the　war。　I　can't　think　of　a　better　way　for　a　man　to　die。〃
　 Meta　set　the　orbit；　then　called　operations。
　 〃Trouble　getting　through；〃　she　said。　〃I　have　a　robot　landing　beam　response；　but　no　one　is　answering　the　call。〃
　 A　man　appeared　on　the　empty　screen。　He　was　beaded　with　sweat　and　had　a　harried　look　in　his　eyes。　〃Kerk；〃　he　said；　〃is　that　you？　Get　the　ship　back　here　at　once。　We　need　her　firepower　at　the　perimeter。　All　blazes　broke　loose　a　minute　ago；　a　general　attack　from　every　side；　worse　than　I've　ever　seen。〃
　 〃What　do　you　mean？〃　Kerk　stammered　in　unbelief。　〃The　war　is　over。　We　blasted　them；　destroyed　their　headquarters　pletely。〃
　 〃The　war　is　going　like　it　never　has　gone　before；〃　the　other　snapped　back。　〃I　don't　know　what　you　did；　but　it　stirred　up　the　stewpot　of　hell　here。　Now　stop　talking　and　get　the　ship　back！〃
　 Kerk　turned　slowly　to　face　Jason；　his　face　pulled　back　in　a　look　of　raw　animal　savagery。
　 〃You！　You　did　it！　I　should　have　killed　you　the　first　time　I　saw　you。　I　wanted　to；　now　I　know　I　was　right。　You've　been　like　a　plague　since　you　came　here；　sowing　death　in　every　direction。　I　knew　you　were　wrong；　yet　I　let　your　twisted　words　convince　me。　And　look　what　has
　happened。　First　you　killed　Welf。　Then　you　murdered　those　men　in　the　cave。　Now　this　attack　on　the　perimeter…all　who　die　there；　you　will　have　killed！〃
　 Kerk　advanced　on　Jason；　step　by　slow　step；　hatred　twisting　his　features。　Jason　backed　away　until　he　could　retreat　no　further；　his　shoulders　against　the　chart　case。　Kerk's　hand　lashed　out；　not　a　fighting　blow；　but　an　open　slap。　Though　Jason　rolled　with　it；　it　still　battered　him　and　stretched　him　full　length　on　the　floor。　His　arm　was　against　the　chart　case；　his　fingers　near　the　sealed　tubes　that　held　the　jump　matrices。
　 Jason　seized　one　of　the　heavy　tubes　with　both　hands　and　pulled　it　out。　He　swung　it　with　all　his　strength　into　Kerk's　face。　It　broke　the　skin　on　his　cheekbone　and　forehead　and　blood　ran　from　the　cuts。　But　it　didn't　slow　or　stop　the　big　man　in　the　slightest。　His　smile　held　no　mercy　as　he　reached　down　and　dragged　Jason　to　his　feet。
　 〃Fight　back；〃　he　said；　〃I　will　have　that　much　more　pleasure　as　I　kill　you。〃　He　drew　back　the　granite　fist　that　would　tear　Jason's　head　from　his　shoulders。
　 〃Go　ahead；〃　Jason　said　and　stopped　struggling。　〃Kill　me。　You　can　do　it　easily。　Only　don't　call　it　justice。　Weif　died　to　save　me。　But　the　men　on　the　island　died　because　of　your　stupidity。　I　wanted　peace　and　you　wanted　war。　Now　you　have　it。　Kill　me　to　soothe　your　conscience；　because　the　truth　is　something　you　can't　face　up　to。〃
　 With　a　bellow　of　rage；　Kerk　drove　the　piledriver　fist　down。
　 Mets　grabbed　the　arm　in　both　her　hands　and　hung　on；　pulling　it　aside　before　the　blow　could　land。　The　three　of　them　fell　together；　half　crushing　Jason。
　 〃Don't　do　it；〃~he　screamed。　〃Jason　didn't　want　those　men　to　go　down　there。　That　was　your　idea。　You　can't　kill　him　for　that！〃
　 Kerk；　exploding　with　rage；　was　past　hearing。　He　turned　his　attention　to　Meta；　tearing　her　from　him。　She　was　a　woman　and　her　supple　strength　was　meager　pared　to　his　great　muscles。　But　she　was　a　Pyrran　woman　and　she　did　what　no　off…wonder　could。　She　slowed　him　for　a　moment；　stopped　the　fury　of　his　attack　until　he　could　rip　her　hands　loose　and　throw　her　aside。　It　didn't　take　him　long　to　do　this；　but　it　was　just　time　enough　for　Jason　to　get　to　the　door。
　 Jason　stumbled　through　and　jammed　shut　the　lock　behind　him。　A　split　second　after　he　had　driven　the　bolt　home；　Kerk's　weight　plunged　into　the　door。　The　metal　screamed　and　bent；　giving　way。　One　hinge　was　torn　loose　and　the　other　held　only　by　a　shred　of　metal。　It　would　go　down　on　the　next　blow。
　 Jason　wasn't　waiting　for　that。　He　hadn't　stayed　to　see　if　the　door　would　stop　the　raging　Pyrran。　No　door　on　the　ship　could　stop　him。
　Fast　as　possible；　Jason　went　down　the　gangway。　There　was　no　safety　on　the　ship；　which　meant　he　had　to　get　off　it。　The　lifeboat　deck　was　just　ahead。
　 Ever　since　first　seeing　them；　he　had　given　a　lot　of　thought　to　the　lifeboats。　Though　he　hadn't　looked　ahead　to　this　situation；　he　knew　a　time　might　e　when　he　would　need　transportation　of　his　own。　The　lifeboats　had　seemed　to　be　the　best　bet；　except　that　Meta　had　told　him　they　had　no　fuel。　She　had　been　right　in　one　thing：　the　boat　he　had　been　in　had　empty　tanks；　he　had　checked。　There　were　five　other　boats；　though；　that　he　hadn't　examined。　He　had　wondered　about　the　idea　of　useless　lifeboats　and　e　to　what　he　hoped　~as　a　correct　conclusion。
　 This　spaceship　was　the　only　one　the　Pyrrans　had。　Meta　had　told　him　once　that　they　always　had　planned　to　buy　another　ship；　but　never　did。　Some　other　necessary　war　expense　managed　to　e　up　first。　One　ship　was　really　enough　for　their　uses。　The　only　difficulty　lay　in　the　fact　they　had　to　keep　that　ship　in　operation　or　the　Pyrran　city　was　dead。　Without　supplies　they　would　be　wiped　out　in　a　few　months。　Therefore　the　ship's　crew　couldn't　conceive　of　abandoning　their　ship。　No　matter　what　kind　of　trouble　she　got　into；　they　couldn't　leave　her。　When　the　ship　died；　so　did　their　world。
　 With　this　kind　of　thinking；　there　was　no　need　to　keep　the　lifeboats　fueled。　Not　all　of　them；　at　least。　Though　it　stood　to　reason　at　least　one　of　them　held　fuel　for　short　flights　that　would　have　been　wasteful　for　the　parent　ship。　At　this　point；　Jason's　chain　of　logic　grew　weak。　Too　many　〃ifs。〃　If　they　used　the　lifeboats　at　all；　one　of　them　should　be　fueled。　If　they　did；　it　would　be　fueled　now。　And　if　it　were　fueled…　which　one　of　the　six　would　it　be？　Jason　had　no　time　to　go　looking。　He　had　to　be　right　the　first　time。
　 His　reasoning　had　supplied　him　with　an　answer；　the　last　of　a　long　line　of　suppositions。　If　a　boat　were　fueled；　it　should　be　the　one　nearest　to　the　control　cabin。　The　one　he　was　diving　toward　now。　His　life　depended　on　this　string　of　guesses。
　 Behind　him　the　door　went　down　with　a　crash。　Kerk　bellowed　and　leaped。　Jason　hurled　himself　through　the　lifeboat　port　with　the　nearest　thing　to　a　run　he　could　manage　under　the　doubled　gravity。　With　both　hands　he　grabbed　the　emergency　launching　handle　and　pulled　down。
　 An　alarm　bell　rang　and　the　port　slammed　shut；　literally　in　Kerk's　face。　Only　his　Pyrran　reflexes　saved　him　from　being　smashed　by　it。
　 Solid　fuel　launchers　exploded　and　blasted　the　lifeboat　clear　of　the　parent　ship。　Their　brief　acceleration　slammed　Jason　to　the　deck；　then　he　floated　as　the　boat　went　into　free　fall。　The　main…drive　rockets　didn't　fire。
　 In　that　moment　Jason　learned　what　it　was　like　to　know　he　was　dead。　Without　fuel　the　boat　would　drop　into　the　jungle　below；　falling　like　a　rock　and　blasting　apart　when　it　hit。　There　was　no　way　out。
　 Then　the　rockets　caught；　roared；　and　he　dropped　to　the　deck；　bruising　his　nose。　He　sat　up；　rubbing　it　and　grinning。　There　was　fuel　in　the　tanks…the　delay　in　starting　had　only　been　part　of　the　launching　cycle；　giving　the　lifeboat　time　to　fall　clear　of　the　ship。　Now　to　get　it　under　control。　He　pulled　himself　into　the　pilot's　seat。
　 The　altimeter　had　fed　information　to　the　auto