deathworld-第34节

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ules　fo　universal　survival　that　the　city　people　break。〃
　 〃How　did　it　begin…this　separation；　I　mean；　between　the　two　groups？　Plies　asked。
　 〃We'll　probably　never　know；〃　Jason　said。　〃I　think　your　people　mu5　have　originally　been　farmers；　or　psionic　sensitives　who　were　not　wit＇　the　others　during　some　natural　disaster。　They　would　of　course　act　coi　rectly　by　Pyrran　standards；　and　survive。　This　would　cause　a　differenc　of　opinion　with　the　city　people　who　saw　killing　as　the　answer。　It　obvious；　whatever　the　reason；　that　two　separate　munities　were　e~
　tablished　early；　and　soon　separated　except　for　the　limited　amount　of　barter　that　benefited　both。〃
　 〃I　still　can't　believe　it；〃　Kerk　mumbled。　〃It　mak~s　a　terrible　kind　of　truth；　every　step　of　the　way；　but　I　still　find　it　hard　to　accept。　There　must　be　another　explanation。〃
　 Jason　shook　his　head　slowly。　〃None。　This　is　the　only　one　that　works。　We've　eliminated　the　other　ones；　remember？　I　can't　blame　you　for　finding　it　hard　to　believe；　since　it　is　in　direct　opposition　to　everything　you've　understood　to　be　true　in　the　past。　It's　like　altering　a　natural　law。　As　if　I　gave　you　proof　that　gravity　didn't　really　exist；　that　it　was　a　force　altogether　different　from　the　immutable　one　we　know；　one　you　could　get　around　when　you　understood　how。　You'd　want　more　proof　than　words。　Probably　want　to　see　someone　walking　on　air。〃
　 〃Which　isn't　such　a　bad　idea　at　that；〃　he　added；　turning　to　Naxa。　〃Do　you　hear　any　animals　around　the　ship　now？　Not　the　ones　you're　used　to；　but　the　mutated；　violent　kind　that　live　only　to　attack　the　city。〃
　 〃Place's　crawling　with　'em；〃　Naxa　said。　〃Just　lookin'　for　somethin'　t'　kill。〃
　 〃Could　you　capture　one？〃　Jason　asked。　〃Without　getting　yourself　killed；　I　mean。〃
　 Naxa　snorted　contempt　as　he　turned　to　leave。　〃Beast's　not　born　yet；　that'll　hurt　me。〃
　 They　stood　quietly；　each　one　wrapped　tightly　around　by　his　own　thoughts；　while　they　waited　for　Naxa　to　return。　Jason　had　nothing　more　to　say。　He　would　do　one　more　thing　to　try　and　convince　them　of　the　facts；　after　that　it　would　be　up　to　each　of　them　to　reach　a　conclusion。
　 The　talker　returned　quickly　with　a　stingwing；　tied　by　one　leg　to　a　length　of　leather。　It　flapped　and　shrieked　and　he　carried　it　in。
　 〃In　the　middle　of　the　room；　away　from　everybody；〃　Jason　told　him。　〃Can　you　get　that　beast　to　sit　on　something　and　not　flap　around？〃
　 〃My　hand　good　enough；〃　he　asked；　flipping　the　creature　up　so　it　clung　to　the　back　of　his　gauntlet。　〃That's　how　I　caught　it。〃
　 〃Does　anyone　doubt　that　this　is　a　real　stingwing？〃　Jason　asked。　〃I　want　to　make　sure　you　all　believe　there　is　no　trickery　here。〃
　 〃The　thing　is　real；〃　Brucco　said。　〃I　can　smell　the　poison　in　the　wing　claws　from　here。〃　He　pointed　to　the　dark　marks　on　the　leather　where　the　liquid　had　dripped。　〃If　that　eats　through　the　gloves；　he's　a　dead　man。〃
　 〃Then　we　agree　it's　real；〃　Jason　said。　〃Real　and　deadly；　and　the　only　test　of　the　theory　will　be　if　you　people　from　the　city　can　approach　it　like　Naxa　here。〃
　 They　drew　back　automatically　when　he　said　it。　Because　they　knew
　that　stingwing　was　synonymous　with　death。　Past；　present　and　future　You　don't　change　a　natural　law。　Meta　spoke　for　all　of　them。
　 〃We…can't。　This　man　lives　in　the　jungle；　like　an　animal　himsell　Somehow　he's　learned　to　get　near　them。　But　you　can't　expect　us　to。〃
　 Jason　spoke　quickly；　before　the　talker　could　react　to　the　insult。　〃C
　
　course　I　expect　you　to。　That's　the　whole　idea。　If　you　don't　hate　the　bea~　and　expect　it　to　attack　you…why　it　won't。　Think　of　it　as　a　creature　fror
　
　a　different　planet；　something　harmless。〃
　 〃I　can't；〃　she　said。　〃It's　a　stingwing！〃
　 As　they　talked；　Bnicco　stepped　forward；　his　eyes　fixed　steadily　o　the　creature　perched　on　the　glove。　Jason　signaled　the　bowmen　to　hol　their　fire。　Brucco　stopped　at　a　safe　distance　and　kept　looking　steadily　c　the　stingwing。　It　rustled　its　leathery　wings　uneasily　and　hissed。　drop　of　poison　formed　at　the　tip　of　each　great　poison　claw　on　its　wing　The　control　room　was　filled　with　a　deadly　silence。
　 Slowly　he　raised　his　hand。　Carefully　putting　it　out；　over　the　anima　The　hand　dropped　a　little；　rubbed　the　stingwings　head　once；　then　fe。　back　to　his　side。　The　animal　did　nothing　except　stir　slightly　under　th　touch。
　 There　was　a　concerted　sigh；　as　those　who　had　been　unknowingl　holding　their　breath；　breathed　again。
　 〃How　did　you　do　it？〃　Meta　asked　in　a　hushed　voice。
　 〃Hmm；　what？〃　Brucco　said；　apparently　snapping　out　of　a　daze。　〃01　touching　the　thing。　Simple；　really。　I　just　pretended　it　was　one　of　di　training　aids　I　use；　a　realistic　and　harmless　duplicate。　I　kept　my　mm　on　that　single　thought　and　it　worked。〃　He　looked　down　at　his　ham　then　back　to　the　stingwing。　His　voice　was　quieter　now；　as　if　he　spol　from　a　distance。　〃It's　not　a　training　aid；　you　know。　It's　real。　Deadl：
　The　off…worlder　is　right。　He's　right　about　everything　he　said。〃
　 With　Brucco's　success　as　an　example；　Kerk　came　close　to　the　anima　He　walked　stiffly；　as　if　on　the　way　to　his　execution；　and　runnels
　sweat　poured　down　his　rigid　face。　But　he　believed　and　kept　his　though　directed　away　from　the　stingwing　and　he　could　touch　it　unharmed。
　Meta　tried　but　couldn't　fight　down　the　horror　it　raised　when　si　came　close。　〃I　am　trying；〃　she　said；　〃and　I　do　believe　you　now…hi　I　just　can't　do　it。〃
　 Skop　screamed　when　they　all　looked　at　him；　shouted　it　was　all　a　tric＇
　and　had　to　be　clubbed　unconscious　when　he　attacked　the　bowmen。　Understanding　had　e　to　Pyrnis。
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　 〃What　do　we　do　now？〃　Meta　asked。　Her　voice　was　troubled；　questioning。　She　voiced　the　thoughts　of　all　the　Pyrrans　in　the　room；　and　the　thousands　who　watched　in　their　screens。
　 〃What　will　we　do？〃　They　turned　to　Jason；　waiting　for　an　answer。　For　the　moment　their　differences　were　forgotten。　The　people　from　the　city　were　staring　expectantly　at　him；　as　were　the　crossbowmen　with　half…lowered　weapons。　This　stranger　had　confused　and　changed　the　old　world　they　had　known；　and　presented　them　with　a　newer　and　stranger　one；　with　alien　problems。
　 〃Hold　on；〃　he　said；　raising　his　hand。　〃I'm　no　doctor　of　social　ills。　I'm　not　going　to　try　and　cure　this　planet　full　of　musclebound　sharpshooters。　I've　just　squeezed　through　up　to　now；　and　by　the　law　of　averages　I　should　be　ten　times　dead。〃
　 〃Even　if　all　you　say　is　true；　Jason；〃　Meta　said；　〃you　are　still　the　only　person　who　can　help　us。　What　will　the　future　be　like？〃
　 Suddenly　weary；　Jason　slumped　into　the　pilot's　chair。　He　glanced　around　at　the　circle　of　people。　They　seemed　sincere。　None　of　them　even　appeared　to　have　noticed　that　he　no　longer　had　his　hand　on　the　pump　switch。　For　the　moment；　at　least；　the　war　between　city　and　country　was　forgotten。
　 〃I'll　give　you　my　conclusions；〃　Jason　said；　twisting　in　the　chair；　trying　to　find　a　fortable　position　for　his　aching　bones。　〃I've　been　doing　a　lot　of　thinking　the　last　day　or　two；　searching　for　the　answer。　The　very　first　thing　I　realized；　was　that　the　perfect　and　logical　solution　wouldn't　do　at　all。　I'm　afraid　the　old　ideal　of　the　lion　lying　down　with　the　lamb　doesn't　work　out　in　practice。　About　all　it　does　is　make　a　fast　lunch　for　the　lion。　Ideally；　now　that　you　all　know　the　real　causes　of　your　trouble；　you　should　tear　down　the　perimeter　and　have　the　city　and　forest　people　mingled　in　brotherly　love。　Makes　just　as　pretty　a　picture　as　the　one　of　lion　and　lamb。　And　would　undoubtedly　have　the　same　result。　Someone　would　remember　how　really　filthy　the　grubbers　are；　or　how　stupid　junkmen　can　be；　and　there　would　be　a　fresh　corpse　cooling。　The　fight　would
　spread　and　the　victors　would　be　eaten　by　the　wildlife　that　swarmed　over　the　undefended　perimeter。　No；　the　answer　isn't　that　easy。〃
　 As　the　Pyrrans　listened　to　him；　they　realized　where　they　were　and　glanced　around　uneasily。　The　guards　raised　their　crossbows　again　and　the　prisoners　stepped　back　to　the　wall　and　looked　surly。
　 〃See　what　I　mean？〃　Jason　asked。　〃Didn't　take　long；　did　it？〃　They　al＇　looked　a　little　sheepish　at　their　unthinking　reactions。
　 〃If　we're　going　to　find　a　decent　plan　for　the　future；　we'll　have　to　takc　inertia　into　consideration。　Mental　inertia；　for　one。　Just　because　you　know　a　thing　is　true　in　theory；　doesn't　make　it　true　in　fact。　The　barbaric　religions　of　primitive　worlds　hold　not　a　germ　of　scientific　fact；　though　they　claim　to　explain　all。　Yet　if　one　of　these　savages　has　all　the　logica＇　ground　for　his　beliefs　taken　away；　he　doesn't　stop　believing。　He　theii　calls　his　mistaken　beliefs　'faith'　because　he　knows　they　are　right。　Aml　he　knows　they　are　right　because　he　has　faith。　This　is　an　unbreakablc　circle　of　false　logic　that　can't　be　touched。　In　reality；　it　is　plain　menta＇　inertia。　A　case　of　thinking　'what　always　was'　will　also　'always　be。'　Anc　not　wanting　to　blast　the　thinking　patterns　out　of　the　old　rut。
　 〃Mental　inertia　alone　is　not　going　to　cause　trouble…there　is　culturai　inertia　too。　Some　of　you　in　this　room　believe　my　conclusions　and　woulc　like　to　change。　But　will　all　your　people　change？　The　unthinking　ones；　the　habit…ridden；　reflex…formed　people　who　know　what　is　now；　will　al　ways　be。　They'll　act　like　a　drag　on　whatever　plans　you　make；　whatevei　attempts　you　undertake　to　progress　with　the　new　knowledge　you　have。'
　 'Then　it