deathworld-第4节

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nd　dialed　a　meal。
　 Kerk　chiseled　a　chunk　of　meat　off　the　slab　in　front　of　him　and　popped　it　cheerfully　into　his　mouth。　〃Ask　your　questions；〃　he　said。　〃I'm　feeling　much　better　already。〃
　 'What's　in　this　ship　you　arranged　for　tonight？　What　kind　of　a　cargo　was　I　risking　my　neck　for？〃
　 〃I　thought　you　were　risking　your　neck　for　money；〃　Kerk　said　dryly。　〃But　be　assured　it　was　in　a　good　cause。　That　cargo　means　the　survival　of　a　world。　Guns；　ammunition；　mines；　explosives　and　such。〃
　 Jason　choked　over　a　mouthful　of　food。　〃Gun…running！　What　are　you　doing；　financing　a　private　war？　And　how　can　you　talk　about　survival　with　a　lethal　cargo　like　that？　Don't　try　and　tell　me　they　have　a　peaceful　use。　Who　are　you　killing？〃
　 Most　of　the　big　man's　humor　had　vanished：　he　had　that　grim　look　Jason　knew　well。
　 〃Yes；　peaceful　would　be　the　right　word。　Because　that　is　basically　all　we　want。　Just　to　live　in　peace。　And　it　is　not　who　are　we　killing…it　is　what　we　are　killing。〃
　 Jason　pushed　his　plate　away　with　an　angry　gesture。　〃You're　talking　in　riddles；〃　he　said。　〃What　you　say　has　no　meaning。〃
　 〃It　has　meaning　enough；〃　Kerk　told　him。　〃But　only　on　one　planet　in　the　universe。　Just　how　much　do　you　know　about　Pyrrus？〃
　〃Absolutely　nothing。〃
　 For　a　moment　Kerk　sat　wrapped　in　memory；　scowling　distantly。　Then　he　went　on。
　 〃Mankind　doesn't　belong　on　Pyrrus…yet　has　been　there　for　almost　three　hundred　years　now。　The　age　expectancy　of　my　people　is　sixteen　years。　Of　course　most　adults　live　beyond　that；　but　the　high　child　mortality　brings　the　average　down。
　 〃It　is　everything　that　a　humanoid　world　should　not　be。　The　gravity　is　nearly　twice　earth　normal。　The　temperature　can　vary　daily　from　arctic　to　tropic。　The　climate…well　you　have　to　experience　it　to　believe　it。　Like　nothing　you've　seen　anywhere　else　in　the　galaxy。〃
　 〃I'm　frightened；〃　Jason　said　dryly。　'What　do　you　have；　methane　or　chlorine　reactions？　I've　been　down　on　planets　like　that…〃
　 Kerk　slammed　his　hand　down　hard　on　the　table。　The　dishes　bounced　and　the　tablelegs　creaked。　〃Laboratory　reactions！〃　he　growled。　〃They　look　great　on　a　bench…but　what　happens　when　you　have　a　world　filled　with　those　pounds？　In　an　eye…wink　of　galactic　time　all　the　violence　is　locked　up　in　nice；　stable　pounds。　The　atmosphere　may　be　poisonous　for　an　oxygen　breather；　but　taken　by　itself　it's　as　harmless　as　weak　beer。
　 〃There　is　only　one　setup　that　is　pure　poison　as　a　planetary　atmosphere。　Plenty　of　H2O；　the　most　universal　solvent　you　can　find；　plus　free　oxygen　to　work　on…〃
　 'Water　and　oxygen！〃　Jason　broke　in。　〃You　mean　Earth…or　a　planet　like　Cassylia　here？　That's　preposterous。〃
　 〃Not　at　all。　Because　you　were　born　in　this　kind　of　environment；　you　accept　it　as　right　and　natural。　You　take　it　for　granted　that　metals　corrode；　coastlines　change；　and　storms　interfere　with　munication。　These　are　normal　occurrences　on　oxygen…water　worlds。　On　Pyrrus　these　conditions　are　carried　to　the　nth　degree。
　 〃The　planet　has　an　axial　tilt　of　almost　42°；　so　there　is　a　tremendous　range　of　temperature　from　season　to　season。　This　is　one　of　the　prime　causes　of　a　constantly　changing　icecap。　The　weather　generated　by　this　is　spectacular　to　say　the　least。〃
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　 〃If　that's　all；〃　Jason　said；　〃I　don't　see　why。　。　。〃
　 〃That's　not　all…it's　barely　the　beginning。　The　open　seas　perform　the　dual　destructive　function　of　supplying　water　vapor　~o　keep　the　weather　going；　and　building　up　gigantic　tides。　Pyrrus'　two　satellites；　Samas　and　Bessos；　bine　at　times　to　pull　the　oceans　up　into　thirty　meter　tides。　And　until　you've　seen　one　of　these　tides　lap　over　into　an　active　volcano　you've　seen　nothing。
　 〃Heavy　elements　are　what　brought　us　to　Pyrrus…and　these　same　elements　keep　the　planet　at　a　vulcanic　boil。　There　have　been　at　least　thirteen　supernovas　in　the　immediate　stellar　neighborhood。　Heavy　elements　can　be　found　on　most　of　their　planets　of　course…as　well　as　pletely　unbreathable　atmospheres。　Long…term　mining　and　exploitation　can't　be　done　by　anything　but　a　self…sustaining　colony。　Which　meant　Pyrrus；　where　the　radioactive　elements　are　locked　in　the　planetary　core；　surrounded　by　a　shell　of　lighter　ones。　While　this　allows　for　the　atmosphere　men　need；　it　also　provides　unceasing　vulcanic　activity　as　the　molten　plasma　forces　its　way　to　the　surface。〃
　 For　the　first　time；　Jason　was　silent。　Trying　to　imagine　what　life　could　be　like　on　a　planet　constantly　at　war　with　itself。
　 〃I've　saved　the　best　for　last；〃　Kerk　said　with　grim　humor。　〃Now　that　you　have　an　idea　of　what　the　environment　is　like…think　of　the　kind　of　life　forms　that　would　populate　it。　I　doubt　if　there　is　one　off…world　specie　that　would　live　a　minute。　Plants　and　animals　on　Pymis　are　tough。　They　fight　the　world　and　they　fight　each　other。　Hundreds　of　thousands　of　years　of　genetic　weeding…out　have　produced　things　that　would　give　even　an　electronic　brain　nightmares。　Armor…plated；　poisonous；　claw…tipped　and　fanged…mouthed。　That　describes　everything　that　walks；　flaps　or　just　sits　and　grows。　Ever　see　a　plant　with　teeth…that　bite？　I　don't　think　you　want　to。　You'd　have　to　be　on　Pyrrus　and　that　means　you　would　be　dead　within　seconds　of　leaving　the　ship。　Even　I'll　have　to　take　a　refresher　course　before　I'll　be　able　to　go　outside　the　landing　buildings。　The　unending　war　for　survival　keeps　the　life　forms　peting　and　changing。　Death　is　simple；　but　the　ways　of　dealing　it　too　numerous　to　list。〃
　 Unhappiness　rode　like　a　weight　on　Kerk's　broad　shoulders。　After　long　moments　of　thought；　he　moved　visibly　to　shake　it　off。　Returning　his　attention　to　his　food　and　mopping　the　gravy　from　his　plate；　he　voiced　part　of　his　feelings。
　 〃I　suppose　there　is　no　logical　reason　why　we　should　stay　and　fight　this　endless　war。　Except　that　Pyrrus　is　our　home。〃　The　last　piece　of
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　gravy…soaked　bread　vanished　and　he　waved　the　empty　fork　at　Jason。　〃Be　happy　you're　an　off　…worlder　and　will　never　have　to　see　it。〃
　 〃That's　where　you're　wrong；〃　Jason　said　as　calmly　as　he　could。　〃You　see；　I'm　going　back　with　you。〃
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　 〃Don't　talk　stupidly；〃　Kerk　said　as　he　punched　for　a　duplicate　order　of　steak。　〃There　are　much　simpler　ways　of　mitting　suicide。　Don't　you　realize　that　you're　a　millionaire　now？　With　what　you　have　in　your　pocket；　you　can　relax　the　rest　of　your　life　on　the　pleasure　planets。　Pyrrus　is　a　death　world；　not　a　sightseeing　spot　for　jaded　tourists。　I　cannot　permit　you　to　return　with　me。〃
　 Gamblers　who　lose　their　tempers　don't　last　long。　Jason　was　angry　now。　Yet　it　showed　only　in　a　negative　way。　In　the　lack　of　expression　on　his　face　and　the　calmness　of　his　voice。
　 〃Don't　tell　me　what　I　can　or　cannot　do；　Kerk　Pyrrus。　You're　a　big　man　with　a　fast　gun…but　that　doesn't　make　you　my　keeper。　All　you　can　do　is　stop　me　from　going　back　on　your　ship。　But　I　can　easily　afford　to　get　there　another　way。　And　don't　try　to　tell　me　I　want　to　go　to　Pyrrus　for　sightseeing　when　you　have　no　idea　of　my　real　reasons。〃
　 Jason　didn't　even　try　to　explain　his　reasons；　they　were　only　half　realized　and　too　personal。　The　more　he　traveled；　the　more　things　looked　the　same　to　him。　The　old；　civilized　planets　sank　into　a　drab　similarity。　Frontier　worlds　all　had　the　crude　sameness　of　temporary　camps　in　a　forest。　Not　that　the　galactic　worlds　bored　him。　It　was　just　that　he　had　found　their　limitations…yet　had　never　found　his　own。　Until　he　met　Kerk　he　had　acknowledged　no　man　his　superior；　or　even　his　equal。　This　was　more　than　egotism。　It　was　facing　facts。　Now　he　was　forced　to　face　the　fact　that　there　was　a　whole　world　of　people　who　might　be　superior　to　him。　Jason　could　never　rest　content　until　he　had　been　there　and　seen　for　himself。　Even　if　he　died　in　the　attempt。
　 None　of　this　could　be　told　to　Kerk。　There　were　other　reasons　he　would　understand　better。
　 〃You're　not　thinking　ahead　when　you　prevent　me　from　going　to　Pyrrus；〃　Jason　said。　〃I'll　not　mention　any　moral　debt　you　owe　me　for　winning　that　money　you　needed。　But　what　about　the　next　time？　If　you　needed　that　much　lethal　goods　once；　you'll　probably　need　it　again　some
　day。　Wouldn't　it　be　better　to　have　me　on　hand…old　tried　and　true…　than　dreaming　up　some　new　and　possibly　unreliable　scheme？〃
　 Kerk　chewed　pensively　on　the　second　serving　of　steak。　〃That　makes　sense。　And　I　must　admit　I　hadn't　thought　of　it　before。　One　failing　we　Pyrrans　have　is　a　lack　of　interest　in　the　future。　Staying　alive　day　by　day　is　enough　trouble。　So　we　tend　to　face　emergencies　as　they　arrive　and　let　the　dim　future　take　care　of　itself。　You　can　e。　I　hope　you　will　still　be　alive　when　we　need　you。　As　Pyrran　ambassador　to　a　lot　of　places　I　officially　invite　you　to　our　planet。　All　expenses　paid。　On　the　condition　you　obey　pletely　all　our　instructions　regarding　your　personal　safety。〃
　 〃Conditions　accepted；〃　Jason　said。　And　wondered　why　he　was　so　cheerful　about　signing　his　own　death　warrant。
　 Kerk　was　shoveling　his　way　through　his　third　dessert　when　his　alarm　watch　gave　a　tiny　hum。　He　dropped　his　fork　instantly　and　stood　up。　〃Time　to　go；〃　he　said。　〃We're　on　schedule　now。〃　While　Jason　scrambled　to　his　feet；　he　jammed　coins　into　the　meter　until　the　paid　light　came　on。　Then　they　were　out　the　door　and　walking　fast。
　 Jason　wasn't　at　all　su