deathworld-第13节

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e。　I'll　round　up　a　replacement　for　her　and　have　Meta　sent　here。　There　are　plenty　of　sealed　buildings　you　can　use。〃
　 After　talking　to　one　of　the　assistants　from　the　outer　office；　Kerk　made　some　calls　on　the　screen。　The　correct　orders　were　quickly　issued。　Jason　watched　it　all　with　interest。
　 〃Pardon　me　for　asking；〃　he　finally　said。　〃But　are　you　the　dictator　of　this　planet？　You　just　snap　your　fingers　and　they　all　jump。〃
　 〃I　suppose　it　looks　that　way；〃　Kerk　admitted。　〃But　that　is　just　an　illusion。　No　one　is　in　plete　charge　on　Pyrrus；　neither　is　there　anything　resembling　a　democratic　system。　After　all；　our　total　population　is　about　the　size　of　an　army　division。　Everyone　does　the　job　they　are　best　qualified　for。　Various　activities　are　separated　into　departments　with　the　most　qualified　person　in　charge。　I　run　Coordination　and　Supply；　which　is　about　the　loosest　category。　We　fill　in　the　gaps　between　departments　and　handle　procuring　from　off…planet。〃
　 Meta　came　in　then　and　talked　to　Kerk。　She　pletely　ignored　Jason's　presence。　〃I　was　relieved　and　sent　here；〃　she　said。　〃What　is　it？　Change　in　flight　schedule？〃
　 〃You　might　call　it　that；〃　Kerk　said。　〃As　of　now　you　are　dismissed　from　all　your　old　assignments　and　assigned　to　a　new　department。　Investigation　and　Research。　That　tired…looking　fellow　there　is　your　department　head。〃
　 〃A　sense　of　humor；〃　Jason　said。　〃The　only　native…born　one　on　Pyrrus。　Congratulations；　there's　hope　for　the　planet　yet。〃
　 Mete　glanced　back　and　forth　between　them。　〃I　don't　understand。　I　can't　believe　it。　I　mean　a　new　department…why？〃　She　was　nervous　and　upset。
　 〃I'm　sorry；〃　Kerk　said。　〃I　didn't　mean　to　be　cruel。　I　thought　perhaps　you　might　feel　more　at　ease。　What　I　said　was　true。　Jason　has　a　way…or　may　have　a　way…to　be　of　immense　value　to　Pyrrus。　Will　you　help　him？〃
　 Meta　had　her　posure　back。　And　a　little　anger。　〃Do　I　have　to？　Is　that　an　order？　You　know　I　have　work　to　do。　I'm　sure　you　will　realize　it　is　more　important　than　something　a　person　from　off…planet　might　imagine。　He　can't　really　understand。　。　。〃
　 〃Yes。　It's　an　order。〃　The　snap　was　back　in　Kerk's　voice。　Meta　flushed　at　the　tone。
　 〃Perhaps　I　can　explain；〃　Jason　broke　in。　〃After　all；　the　whole　thing　is　my　idea。　But…first　1　would　like　your　cooperation。　Will　you　take　the　clip　out　of　your　gun　and　give　it　to　Kerk？〃
　 Meta　looked　frightened；　but　Kerk　nodded　in　solemn　agreement。　〃Just　for　a　few　minutes；　Meta。　I　have　my　gun　so　you　will　be　safe　here。　I　think　I　know　what　Jason　has　in　mind；　and　from　personal　experience　I'm　afraid　he　is　right。〃
　 Reluctantly　Mete　passed　over　the　clip　and　cleared　the　charge　in　the　gun's　chamber。　Only　then　did　Jason　explain。
　 〃I　have　a　theory　about　life　on　Pyrrus；　and　I'm　afraid　I'll　have　to　shatter　some　illusions　when　I　explain。　To　begin　with；　the　fact　must　be
　admitted　that　your　people　are　slowly　losing　the　war　here　and　will　eventually　be　destroyed。　。　。　。〃
　Before　he　was　half　through　the　sentence；　Meta's　gun　was　directed　between　his　eyes　and　she　was　wildly　snapping　the　trigger。　There　was　only　hatred　and　revulsion　in　her　expression。　It　was　the　most　terrible　thought　in　the　world　for　her。　That　this　war　they　all　devoted　their　lives　to　was　already　lost。
　 Kerk　took　her　by　the　shoulders　and　sat　her　in　his　chair；　before　anything　worse　happened。　It　took　some　time　before　she　could　calm　down　enough　to　listen　to　Jason's　words。　It　is　not　easy　to　have　destroyed　the　carefully　built　up　rationalizations　of　a　lifetime。　Only　the　fact　that　she　had　seen　something　of　other　worlds　enabled　her　to　listen　at　all。
　 The　light　of　unreason　was　still　in　her　eyes　when　he　had　finished；　telling　her　the　things　he　and　Kerk　had　discussed。　She　sat　tensely；　pushed　forward　against　Kerk's　hands；　as　if　they　were　the　only　things　that　stopped　her　from　leaping　at　Jason。
　 〃Maybe　that　is　too　much　to　assimilate　at　one　sitting；〃　Jason　said。　〃So　let's　put　it　in　simpler　terms。　I　believe　we　can　find　a　reason　for　this　unrelenting　hatred　of　humans。　Perhaps　we　don't　smell　right。　Maybe　I'll　find　an　essence　of　crushed　Pyrran　bugs　that　will　render　us　immune　when　we　rub　it　in。　I　don't　know　yet。　But　whatever　the　results；　we　must　make　the　investigation。　Kerk　agrees　with　me　on　that。〃
　 Mete　looked　at　Kerk　and　he　nodded　agreement。　Her　shoulders　slumped　in　sudden　defeat。　She　whispered　the　words。
　 〃I…can't　say　I　agree；　or　even　understand　all　that　you　said。　But　I'll　help　you。　If　Kerk　thinks　that　it　is　the　right　thing。〃
　 〃I　do；〃　he　said。　〃Now；　do　you　want　the　clip　back　for　your　gun？　Not　planning　to　take　any　more　shots　at　Jason？〃
　 〃That　was　foolish　of　me；〃　she　said　coldly　while　she　reloaded　the　gun。　〃I　don't　need　a　gun。　If　I　had　to　kill　him；　I　could　do　it　with　my　bare　hands。〃
　 〃I　love　you　too；〃　Jason　smiled　at　her。　〃Are　you　ready　to　go　now？〃
　 〃Of　course。〃　She　brushed　a　fluffy　curl　of　hair　into　place。　〃First　we'll　find　a　place　where　you　can　stay。　I'll　take　care　of　that。　After　that；　the　work　of　the　new　department　is　up　to　you。〃
　10
　 They　walked　downstairs　in　a　frigid　silence。　In　the　street；　Mete　blasted　a　stingbird　that　couldn't　possibly　have　attacked　them。　There　was　an　angry　pleasure　in　the　act。　Jason　decided　not　to　chide　her　about　wasting　ammo。　Better　the　bird　than　him。
　 There　were　empty　rooms　in　one　of　the　puter　buildings。　These　were　pletely　sealed　to　keep　stray　animal　life　out　of　the　delicate　machinery。　While　Mete　checked　a　bedroll　out　of　stores；　Jason　painfully　dragged　a　desk；　table　and　chairs　in　from　a　nearby　empty　office。　When　she　returned　with　a　pneumatic　bed；　he　instantly　dropped　on　it　with　a　grateful　sigh。　Her　lip　curled　a　bit　at　his　obvious　weakness。
　 〃Get　used　to　the　sight；〃　he　said。　〃I　intend　to　do　as　much　of　my　work　as　I　can；　while　maintaining　a　horizontal　position。　You　will　be　my　strong　right　arm。　And　right　now；　Right　Aim；　I　wish　you　could　scare　me　up　something　to　eat。　I　also　intend　to　do　most　of　my　eating　in　the　previously　mentioned　prone　condition。〃
　 Snorting　with　disgust；　Meta　stamped　out。　While　she　was　gone；　Jason　chewed　the　end　of　a　stylus　thoughtfully；　then　made　some　careful　notes。
　 After　they　had　finished　the　almost　tasteless　meal；　he　began　the　search。　〃Mete；　where　can　I　find　historical　records　of　Pyrrus？　Any　and　all　information　about　the　early　days　of　the　settlers　on　this　planet。〃
　 〃I've　never　heard　of　anything　like　that。　I　really　don't　know。　。　。
　 〃But　there　has　to　be　something…somewhere；〃　he　insisted。　〃Even　if　your　presentday　culture　devotes　all　of　its　time　and　energies　to　survival；　you　can　be　sure　it　wasn't　always　that　way。　All　the　time　it　was　developing；　people　were　keeping　records；　making　notes。　Now　where　do　we　look？　Do　you　have　a　library　here？〃
　 〃Of　course；〃　she　said。　〃We　have　an　excellent　technical　library。　But　I'm　sure　there　wouldn't　be　any　of　that　sort　of　thing　there。〃
　 Trying　not　to　groan；　Jason　stood　up。　〃Let　me　be　the　judge　of　that。　Just　lead　the　way。〃
　
　 Operation　of　the　library　was　pletely　automatic。　A　projected　index
　gave　the　call　number　for　any　text　that　had　to　be　consulted。　The　tape　was　delivered　to　the　charge　desk　thirty　seconds　after　the　number　had
　been　punched。　Returned　tapes　were　dropped　through　a　hopper　and　refiled　automatically。　The　mechanism　worked　smoothly。
　 〃Wonderful；〃　Jason　said；　pushing　away　from　the　index。　〃A　tribute　to　technological　ingenuity。　Only　it　contains　nothing　of　any　value　to　us。
　Just　reams　of　textbooks。〃
　 〃What　else　should　be　in　a　library？〃　Meta　sounded　sincerely　puzzled。　Jason　started　to　explain；　then　changed　his　mind。　〃Later　we　will　go　into　that；〃　he　said。　〃Much　later。　Now　we　have　to　find　a　lead。　Is　it　possible　that　there　are　any　tapes…or　even　printed　books…that　aren't　filed　through　this　machine？〃
　 〃It　seems　unlikely；　but　we　could　ask　Poli。　He　lives　here　somewhere　and　is　in　charge　of　the　library。　Filing　new　books　and　tending　the　machinery。〃
　 The　single　door　into　the　rear　of　the　building　was　locked；　and　no　amount　of　pounding　could　rouse　the　caretaker。
　 〃If　he's　alive；　this　should　do　it；〃　Jason　said。　He　pressed　the　out…oforder　button　on　the　control　panel。　It　had　the　desired　effect。　Within　five　minutes；　the　door　opened　and　Poli　dragged　himself　through　it。
　 Death　usually　came　swiftly　on　Pyrrus。　If　wounds　slowed　a　man　down；　the　ever…ready　forces　of　destruction　quickly　finished　the　job。　Poli　was　the　exception　to　this　rule。　Whatever　had　attacked　him　originally　had　done　an　efficient　job。　Most　of　the　lower　part　of　his　face　was　gone。　His　left　arm　was　curled　and　useless。　The　damage　to　his　body　and　legs　had　left　him　with　the　bare　capability　to　stumble　from　one　spot　to　the　next。
　 Yet　he　still　had　one　good　arm　as　well　as　his　eyesight。　He　could　work　in　the　library　and　relieve　a　fully　fit　man。　How　long　he　had　been　dragging　the　useless　husk　of　a　body　around　the　building；　no　one　knew。　In　spite　of　the　pain　that　filled　his　red…rimmed；　moist　eyes；　he　had　stayed　alive。　Growing　old；　older　than　any　other　Pyrran　Jason　had　seen。　He　tottered　forward　and　turned　off　the　alarm　that　had　called　him。
　 Milieu　Jason　started　to　explain；　the　old　man　took　no　notice。　Only　after　the　librarian　had　rummaged　a　hearing　aid　out　of　his　clothes；　did　Jason　realize　he　was　deaf　as　well。　Jason　explained　again　what　he　searched　for。　Poli　nodded　and　printed　his　answer　on　a　tabl