deathworld-第10节

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n　was　a　carpet　of　death。　As　he　straightened　up；　he　glimpsed　something　under　a　broad…leafed　plant。　A　crouching；　scale…covered　animal；　whose　tapered　head　terminated　in　a　long　spike。
　 〃What's　that　in　the　bottom　of　my　garden？〃　he　asked。　〃You　certainly　give　the　babies　pleasant　playmates。〃　Jason　turnod　and　realized　he　was　talking　to　the　air；　the　instructor　was　gone。　He　shrugged　and　petted　the　scaly　monstrosity。
　 〃Homdevil；〃　the　impersonal　voice　said　from　midair。　〃Clothing　and　shoes　no　protection。　Kill　it。〃
　 A　sharp　crack　shattered　the　silence　as　Jason's　gun　went　off。　The　horndevil　fell　over　on　its　side；　keyed　to　react　to　the　blank　charge。
　 〃Well…I　am　learning；〃　Jason　said；　and　the　thought　pleased　him。　The
　words　kill　it　had　been　used　by　Brucco　while　teaching　him　to　use　the　gun。　Their　stimulus　had　reached　an　unconscious　level。　He　was　aware　of　wanting　to　shoot　only　after　he　had　heard　the　shot。　His　respect　for　Pyrran　training　techniques　went　up。
　Jason　spent　a　thoroughly　unpleasant　afternoon　wandering　in　the　child's　garden　of　horror。　Death　was　everywhere。　While　all　the　time　the　disembodied　voice　gave　him　stern　advice　in　simple　language。　So　he　could　do　unto；　rather　than　being　done　in。　He　had　never　realized　that　violent　death　could　e　in　so　many　repulsive　forms。　Everything　here　was　deadly　to　man…from　the　smallest　insect　to　the　largest　plant。
　 Such　singleness　of　purpose　seemed　pletely　unnatural。　Why　was　this　planet　so　alien　to　human　life？　He　made　a　mental　note　to　ask　Brucco。　Meanwhile　he　tried　to　find　one　life　form　that　wasn't　out　for　his　blood。　He　didn't　succeed。　After　a　long　search；　he　found　the　only　thing　that　when　touched　didn't　elicit　deadly　advice。　This　was　a　chunk　of　rock　that　projected　from　a　meadow　of　poison　grass。　Jason　sat　on　it　with　a　friendly　feeling　and　pulled　his　feet　up。　An　oasis　of　peace。　Some　minutes　passed　while　he　rested　his　gravity…weary　body。
　 〃ROTFUNGUS！　DO　NOT　TOUCH！〃
　 The　voice　blasted　at　twice　its　normal　volume　and　Jason　leaped　as　if　he　had　been　shot。　The　gun　was　in　his　hand；　nosing　about　for　a　target。　Only　when　he　bent　over　and　looked　closely　at　the　rock　where　he　had　been　sitting；　did　he　understand。　There　were　flaky　grey　patches　that　hadn't　been　there　when　he　sat　down。
　 〃Oh；　you　tricky　devils！〃　he　shouted　at　the　machine。　〃How　many　kids　have　you　frightened　off　that　rock　after　they　thought　they　had　found　a　little　peace！〃　He　resented　the　snide　bit　of　conditioning；　but　respected　it　at　the　same　time。　Pyrrans　learned　very　early　in　life　that　there　was　no　safety　on　this　planet…except　that　which　they　provided　for　themselves。
　 While　he　was　learning　about　Pyrrus；　he　was　gaining　new　insight　into　the　Pyrrans　as　well。
　8
　 Days　turned　into　weeks　in　the　school；　cut　off　from　the　world　outside。　Jason　almost　became　proud　of　his　ability　to　deal　with　death。　He　recognized　all　the　animals　and　plants　in　the　nursery　room　and　had　been　promoted　to　a　trainer　where　the　beasts　made　sluggish　charges　at　him。　His　gun　picked　off　the　attackers　with　dull　regularity。　The　constant；　daily　classes　were　beginning　to　bore　him　as　well。
　 Though　the　gravity　still　dragged　at　him；　his　muscles　were　making　great　efforts　to　adjust。　After　the　daily　classes；　he　no　longer　collapsed　immediately　into　bed。　Only　the　nightmares　became　worse。　He　had　Iinally　mentioned　them　to　Brucco；　who　mixed　up　a　sleeping　potion　that　took　away　most　of　their　effect。　The　dreams　were　still　there；　but　Jason　was　only　vaguely　aware　of　them　upon　awakening。
　 By　the　time　Jason　had　mastered　all　the　gadgetry　that　kept　the　Pyrrans　alive；　he　had　graduated　to　a　most　realistic　trainer　that　was　only　a　hairsbreadth　away　from　the　real　thing。　The　difference　was　just　in　quality。　The　insect　poisons　caused　swelling　and　pain　instead　of　instant　death。　Animals　could　cause　bruises　and　tear　flesh；　but　stopped　short　of　ripping　off　limbs。　You　couldn't　get　killed　in　this　trainer；　but　could　certainly　e　very　dose　to　it。
　 Jason　wandered　through　this　large　and　rambling　jungle　with　the　rest　of　the　five…year…olds。　There　was　something　a　bit　humorous；　yet　sad；　about　their　unchildlike　grimness。　Though　they　still　might　laugh　in　their　quarters；　they　realized　there　was　no　laughing　outside。　To　them　survival　was　linked　up　with　social　acceptance　and　desirability。　In　this　way　Pyrrus　was　a　simple　black…and…white　society。　To　prove　your　value　to　yourself　and　your　world；　you　only　had　to　stay　alive。　This　had　great　importance　in　racial　survival；　but　had　very　stultifying　effects　on　individual　personality。　Children　were　turned　into　like…faced　killers；　always　on　the　alert　to　deal　out　death。
　 Some　of　the　children　graduated　into　the　outside　world　and　others　took　their　places。　Jason　watched　this　process　for　awhile　before　he　real…
　ized　that　all　of　those　from　the　original　group　he　had　entered　with　were　gone。　That　same　day　he　looked　up　the　chief　of　the　adaptation　center。
　 〃Brucco；〃　Jason　asked；　〃how　long　do　you　plan　to　keep　me　in　this　kindergarten　shooting　gallery？〃
　 〃You're　not　being　'kept'　here；〃　Brucco　told　him　in　his　usual　irritated　tone。　〃You　will　be　here　until　you　qualify　for　the　outside。〃
　 〃Which　I　have　a　funny　feeling　will　be　never。　I　can　now　field　strip　and　reassemble　every　one　of　your　blasted　gadgets　in　the　dark。　I　am　a　dead　shot　with　this　cannon。　At　this　present　moment；　if　I　bad　to；　I　could　write　a　book　on　the　plete　Flora　and　Fauna　of　Pyrrus；　and　How　to　Kill　It。　Perhaps　I　don't　do　as　well　as　my　six…year…old　panions。　But　I　have　a　hunch　I　do　about　as　good　a　job　now　as　I　ever　will。　Is　that　true？〃
　 Brucco　squirmed　with　the　effort　to　be　evasive；　yet　didn't　succeed。　〃I　think；　that　is；　you　know　you　weren't　born　here；　and。　。　。〃
　 〃e；　e；〃　Jason　said　with　glee。　〃A　straight…faced　old　Pyrran　like　you　shouldn't　try　to　lie　to　one　of　the　weaker　races　that　specialize　in　that　sort　of　thing。　It　goes　without　saying　that　I'll　always　be　sluggish　with　this　gravity；　as　well　as　having　other　inborn　handicaps。　I　admit　that。　We're　not　talking　about　that　now。　The　question　is；　Will　I　improve　with　more　training；　or　have　I　reached　a　peak　of　my　own　developinent　now？〃
　 Brucco　sweated。　'With　the　passage　of　time　there　will　be　improvement；　of　course。　。　。　。〃
　 〃Sly　devil！〃　Jason　waggled　a　finger　at　him。　〃Yes　or　no；　now。　Will　I　improve　now　by　more　training　now？〃
　 〃No；〃　Brucco　said　and　still　looked　troubled。　Jason　sized　him　up　like　a　poker　hand。　…
　 〃Now　let's　think　about　that。　I　won't　improve；　yet　I'm　still　stuck　here。　That's　no　accident。　So　you　must　have　been　ordered　to　keep　me　here。　And　from　what　I　have　seen　of　this　planet；　admittedly　very　little；　I　would　say　that　Kerk　ordered　you　to　keep　me　here。　Is　that　right？〃
　 〃He　was　only　doing　it　for　your　own　sake；〃　Brucco　explained。　〃Trying　to　keep　you　alive。〃　…
　 〃The　truth　is　out；〃　Jason　said。　〃So　let　us　now　forget　about　it。　I　didn't　e　here　to　shoot　robots　with　your　offspring。　So　please　show　me　the　street　door。　Or　is　there　a　graduating　ceremony　first？　Speeches；　handing　out　school　pins；　sabers　overhead。　。　。　。〃
　 〃Nothing　like　that；〃　Brucco　snapped。　〃I　don't　see　how　a　grown　man　like　you　can　talk　such　nonsense　all　the　time。　There　is　none　of　that；　of　course。　Only　some　final　work　in　the　partial　survival　chamber。　That　is　a　pound　that　connects　with　the　outside…really　is　a　part　of　the　out…
　side…except　the　most　violent　life　forms　are　excluded。　And　even　some　of　those　manage　to　find　their　way　in　once　in　awhile。〃
　〃When　do　I　go？〃　Jason　shot　the　question。
　〃Tomorrow　morning。　Get　a　good　night's　sleep　first。　You'll　need　it。〃
　There　was　one　bit　of　ceremony　attendant　with　the　graduation。　When　Jason　came　into　his　office　in　the　morning；　Brucco　slid　a　heavy　gunclip　across　the　table。
　〃These　are　live　bullets；〃　he　said。　〃I'm　sure　you'll　be　needing　them。　After　this　your　gun　will　always　be　loaded。〃
　They　came　up　to　a　heavy　airlock；　the　only　locked　door　Jason　had　seen　in　the　center。　While　Rrucco　unlocked　it　and　threw　the　bolts；　a　sober…faced　eight…year…old　with　a　bandaged　leg　limped　up。
　 〃This　is　Grif；〃　Bnicco　said。　〃He　will　stay　with　you；　wherever　you　go；　from　now　on。〃
　 〃My　personal　bodyguard？〃　Jason　asked；　looking　down　at　the　stocky　child　who　barely　reached　his　waist。
　 〃You　might　call　him　that。〃　Brucco　swung　the　door　open。　〃Grif　tangled　with　a　sawbird；　so　he　won't　be　able　to　do　any　real　work　for　awhile。　You　yourself　admitted　that　you　will　never　be　able　to　equal　a　Pyrran；　so　you　should　be　glad　of　a　little　protection。〃
　 〃Always　a　kind　word；　that's　you；　Brucco；〃　Jason　said。　He　bent　over　and　shook　hands　with　the　boy。　Even　the　eight…year…olds　had　a　bonecrushing　grip。
　 The　two　of　them　entered　the　lock　and　Brucco　swung　the　inner　door　shut　behind　them。　As　soon　as　it　was　sealed；　the　outer　door　opened　automatically。　It　was　only　partly　open　when　GriPs　gun　blasted　twice。　Then　they　stepped　out　onto　the　surface　of　Pyrrus；　over　the　smoking　body　of　one　of　its　animals。　Very　symbolic；　Jason　thought。　He　was　also　bothered　by　the　realization　that　not　only　hadn't　he　thought　to　look　for　something　ing　in；　but　he　couldn't　even　identify　the　beast　from　its　charred　remains。　He　glanced　around　carefully；　hoping　he　…would　be　able　to　fire　first　next　time。
　 This　was　an　unfulfilled　hope。　The　few　beasts　that　came　their　way　were　always　seen　first　by　the　boy。　After　an　hour　of　this；　Jason