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第53节

[科幻]宿主-第53节

小说: [科幻]宿主 字数: 每页4000字

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day; we would probably last longer。

 It was dark and silent for a timeless space。 Then there was a sound。 

 

 Something shook us; pulled our numb arms; dragged at them。 We couldn’t form the words to wish that it 
would be quick now; but that was our hope。 We waited for the cut of teeth。 Instead; the dragging turned 
to pushing; and we felt our face roll toward the sky。

 It poured over our face—wet; cool; and impossible。 It dribbled over our eyes; washing the grit from 
them。 Our eyes fluttered; blinking against the dripping。

 We did not care about the grit in our eyes。 Our chin arched up; desperately searching; our mouth 
opening and closing with blind; pathetic weakness; like a newly hatched bird。

 We thought we heard a sigh。

 And then the water flowed into our mouth; and we gulped at it and choked on it。 The water vanished 
while we choked; and our weak hands grasped out for it。 A flat; heavy thumping pounded our back until 
we could breathe。 Our hands kept clutching the air; looking for the water。

 We definitely heard a sigh this time。

 Something pressed to our cracked lips; and the water flowed again。 We guzzled; careful not to inhale it 
this time。 Not that we cared if we choked; but we did not want the water taken away again。

 We drank until our belly stretched and ached。 The water trickled to a stop; and we cried out hoarsely in 
protest。 Another rim was pressed to our lips; and we gulped frantically until it was empty; too。

 Our stomach would explode with another mouthful; yet we blinked and tried to focus; to see if we could 
find more。 It was too dark; we could not see a single star。 And then we blinked again and realized that 
the darkness was much closer than the sky。 A figure hovered over us; blacker than the night。

 There was a low sound of fabric rubbing against itself and sand shifting under a heel。 The figure leaned 
away; and we heard a sharp rip—the sound of a zipper; deafening in the absolute stillness of the night。

 Like a blade; light cut into our eyes。 We moaned at the pain of it; and our hand flew up to cover our 
closed eyes。 Even behind our lids; the light was too bright。 The light disappeared; and we felt the breath 
of the next sigh hit our face。

 We opened our eyes carefully; more blind than before。 Whoever faced us sat very still and said nothing。 
We began to feel the tension of the moment; but it felt far away; outside ourself。 It was hard to care 
about anything but the water in our belly and where we could find more。 We tried to concentrate; to see 
what had rescued us。

 The first thing we could make out; after minutes of blinking and squinting; was the thick whiteness that 
fell from the dark face; a million splinters of pale in the night。 When we grasped that this was a 
beard—like Santa Claus; we thought chaotically—the other pieces of the face were supplied by our 
memory。 Everything fit into place: the big cleft…tipped nose; the wide cheekbones; the thick white brows; 
the eyes set deep into the wrinkled fabric of skin。 Though we could see only hints of each feature; we 
knew how light would expose them。

 “Uncle Jeb;” we croaked in surprise。 “You found us。” 

 

 “Well; now;” he said; and his gruff voice brought back a hundred memories。 “Well; now; here’s a 
pickle。”

 CHAPTER 13

 Sentenced

 Are they here?” We choked out the words—they burst from us like the water in our lungs had; expelled。 
After water; this question was all that mattered。 “Did they make it?”

 Uncle Jeb’s face was impossible to read in the darkness。 “Who?” he asked。

 “Jamie; Jared!” Our whisper burned like a shout。 “Jared was with Jamie。 Our brother! Are they here? 
Did they e? Did you find them; too?”

 There was barely a pause。

 “No。” His answer was forceful; and there was no pity in it; no feeling at all。

 “No;” we whispered。 We were not echoing him; we were protesting against getting our life back。 What 
was the point? We closed our eyes again and listened to the pain in our body。 We let that drown out the 
pain in our mind。

 “Look;” Uncle Jeb said after a moment。 “I; uh; have something to take care of。 You rest for a bit; and 
I’ll be back for you。”

 We didn’t hear the meaning in his words; just the sounds。 Our eyes stayed closed。 His footsteps 
crunched quietly away from us。 We couldn’t tell which direction he went。 We didn’t care anyway。

 They were gone。 There was no way to find them; no hope。 Jared and Jamie had disappeared; something 
they knew well how to do; and we would never see them again。

 The water and the cooler night air were making us lucid; something we did not want。 We rolled over; to 
bury our face against the sand again。 We were so tired; past the point of exhaustion and into some 
deeper; more painful state。 Surely we could sleep。 All we had to do was not think。 We could do that。

 We did。

 When we woke; it was still night; but dawn was threatening on the eastern horizon—the mountains were 
lined with dull red。 Our mouth tasted of dust; and at first we were sure that we had dreamed Uncle Jeb’s 
appearance。 Of course we had。

 Our head was clearer this morning; and we noticed quickly the strange shape near our right 
cheek—something that was not a rock or a cactus。 We touched it; and it was hard and smooth。 We 
nudged it; and the delicious sound of sloshing water came from inside。

 Uncle Jeb was real; and he’d left us a canteen。 

 

 Our fingers were stiff and clumsy as we twisted the cap from the top of the canteen。 It wasn’t all the way 
full; but there was enough water to stretch the walls of our belly again—it must have shrunk。 We drank it 
all; we were done with rationing。

 We dropped the metal canteen to the sand; where it made a dull thud in the predawn silence。 We felt 
wide awake now。 We sighed; preferring unconsciousness; and let our head fall into our hands。 What 
now?

 “Why did you give it water; Jeb?” an angry voice demanded; close behind our back。

 We whirled; twisting onto our knees。 What we saw made our heart falter and our awareness splinter 
apart。

 There were eight humans half…circled around where I knelt under the tree。 There was no question they 
were humans; all of them。 I’d never seen faces contorted into such expressions—not on my kind。 These 
lips twisted with hatred; pulled back over clenched teeth like wild animals。 These brows pulled low over 
eyes that burned with fury。

 Six men and two women; some of them very big; most of them bigger than me。 I felt the blood drain 
from my face as I realized why they held their hands so oddly—gripped tightly in front of them; each 
balancing an object。 They held weapons。 Some held blades—a few short ones like those I had kept in 
my kitchen; and some longer; one huge and menacing。 This knife had no purpose in a kitchen。 Melanie 
supplied the name: amachete。

 Others held long bars; some metal; some wooden。 Clubs。

 I recognized Uncle Jeb in their midst。 Held loosely in his hands was an object I’d never seen in person; 
only in Melanie’s memories; like the big knife。 It was a rifle。

 I saw horror; but Melanie saw all this with wonder; her mind boggling at their numbers。 Eight human 
survivors。 She’d thought Jeb was alone or; in the best case scenario; with only two others。 To see so 
many of her kind alive filled her with joy。

 You’re an idiot;I told her。Look at them。 See them。

 I forced her to see it from my perspective: to see the threatening shapes inside the dirty jeans and light 
cotton shirts; brown with dust。 They might have been human—as she thought of the word—once; but at 
this moment they were something else。 They were barbarians; monsters。 They hung over us; slavering for 
blood。

 There was a death sentence in every pair of eyes。

 Melanie saw all this and; though grudgingly; she had to admit that I was right。 At this moment; her 
beloved humans were at their worst—like the newspaper stories we’d seen in the abandoned shack。 We 
were looking at killers。

 We should have been wiser; we should have died yesterday。 

 

 A shiver passed through me at the thought。 I’d skimmed through the histories of human atrocities。 I’d 
had no stomach for them。 Perhaps I should have concentrated better。 I knew there were reasons why 
humans let their enemies live; for a little while。 Things they wanted from their minds or their bodies…

 Of course it sprang into my head immediately—the one secret they would want from me。 The one I 
could never; never tell them。 No matter what they did to me。 I would have to kill myself first。

 I did not let Melanie see the secret I protected。 I used her own defenses against her and threw up a wall 
in my head to hide behind while I thought of the information for the first time since implantation。 There 
had been no reason to think of it before。

 Melanie was hardly even curious on the other side of the wall; she made no effort to break through it。 
There were much more immediate concerns than the fact that she had not been the only one keeping 
information in reserve。

 Did it matter that I protected my secret from her? I wasn’t as strong as Melanie;

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