rstacy.doomsdaywarrior-第30节

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　Stafford　went　to　his　chair；　and　climbed　up　on　one　broad　flat　arm　of　it。　〃Edenites；〃　Stafford　shouted；　his　voice　echoing　in　the　chamber；　〃Danik　has　returned　and　brought　us　some　curious　surface　dwellers。　What　shall　we　do　with　the　traitor　and　his　friends　from　the　dark　realms　above？〃
　〃Kill。。。　torture。。。　burn。。。〃　came　the　assortment　of　replies　from　the　floor。
　The　situation　didn't　look　good。
　
　
　CHAPTER　24
　
　Stafford　waved　his　hand　for　the　assemblage　to　be　quiet。　〃In　a　while。　In　a　while。。。〃　he　promised。
　Stafford　walked　back　down　the　line　to　Danik。
　〃Why　so　dour；〃　Stafford　taunted；　〃on　such　a　joyous　occasion？　By　the　way；　what　happened　to　Run　Dutil　and　the　others　of　your　traitorous　party？〃
　〃They　perished；　but　not　because　of　radiation　or　mutant　animals　attacking。　But　because　we；　as　underground　dwellers　all　our　lives；　were　unprepared　for　the　vast　distances；　the　cold　temperatures　of　this　season。　They　perished　from　exhaustion；　exposure；　lack　of　food。　All　of　this　is　no　reason　to　remain　underground　here　in　this　tomb　you　so　ironically　call　a　paradise。〃
　〃Perished；　huh；〃　Stafford　said。　〃Well；　I　told　you；　I　told　all　the　dissenters；　that　the　surface　was　dangerous。　Now　the　remaining　dissenters　will　give　up　their　mad　desires　to　reach　the　outer　world。〃
　Danik　shouted；　〃No；　you　must　not　heed　this　madman。　Stafford　is　wrong；　dead　wrong。　The　surface　isn't　as　he　says。　Sure；　it　is　dangerous　…　but　only　because　we　don't　know　how　to　deal　with　it。　But　we　can　learn；　learn　from　the　great　Americans　who　live　and　fight　and　triumph　up　there　in　God's　nature。　You　should　see　it；　you　should　feel　it。　I　was　hungry；　and　cold；　and　tired；　and　I　fully　expected　to　die　…　and　so　did　the　others。　Yet　not　one　of　us；　once　we　had　been　outside　for　more　than　a　few　minutes；　once　we　had　seen　the　sunrise；　the　clouds；　once　we　had　smelled　God's　good　air；　tasted　fresh　water　and　drank　of　the　infinitely　good　sunlight；　would　have　ever　returned　to　our　dismal　lives　here。　Eden　is　not　beautiful；　not　a　paradise；　it　is　a　drab　hell。〃
　Stafford　yawned。　〃This　is　tiring；　really；　Danik。〃　He　went　to　sit　down　on　his　black　throne。　Evidently；　Rockson　noted；　a　bit　of　walking　is　all　the　man　can　endure　as　exercise。　He's　even　in　worse　shape　than　I　imagined。
　Stafford　opened　up　a　partment　in　the　arm　of　the　chair　and　extracted　a　sharp　instrument。　He　started　picking　at　his　manicured　nails。　The　epitome　of　cool；　that's　what　he　wants　to　appear　before　his　minions；　Rock　knew。　He　had　seen　that　act　before；　that　posed　nonchalance。　All　the　sick　leaders　of　the　world　wanted　to　appear　above　it　all。
　〃Ah　yes；　the　surface　has　its　dangers；〃　Stafford　muttered；　smiling　up　at　Bdos　Err；　who　stood　at　rigid　attention　to　his　right。　〃Why　leave　paradise？　I　told　them　…　but　they　wouldn't　listen。　I　only　want　to　save　my　people　from　death；　and　the　likes　of　Danik　tries　to　lead　them　to　it。〃　He　pointed　to　Danik　with　the　nail　file。　〃Well　now；　Danik；　you　know　the　penalty　for　treason。　So　what　I　do　with　you　is　simple。　But　what　about　these　others？　What　do　I　do　with　this　bearded　monster　with　the　crystals　growing　out　of　his　head？　What　do　I　do　with　the　one　with　the　white　streak　in　his　hair；　the　masculine　woman；　the　others　from　the　surface　hell？〃
　Rockson　spoke　up；　having　observed　Stafford's　behavior　for　a　sufficient　time　to　develop　a　psychological　strategy。
　Rockson　now　saw　that　there　was　no　talking　to　the　little　man…who…would…be…God。　His　megalomania　allowed　no　rational　discourse。　And　with　that　realization；　Rockson　developed　another　strategy。　The　man　was　proud；　vain。　A　little　god。　And　with　such　men；　there　was　only　one　course；　until　you　could　overpower　them　through　cunning。　Rockson　would　play　up　to　Stafford。　He　would　feed　the　man's　ego。
　〃I　am　the　leader　of　my　group；〃　said　Rockson；　〃I　am　a　mutant；　that　is　true；　but　I　can　appreciate　true　leadership　and　knowledge。　I　never　dreamed　that　Eden　could　be　so　beautiful　and　clean。　Had　I　known　what　wonders　there　were　here；　I　would　never　have　believed　Danik's　madness。　This　is　paradise。　The　surface　is　hell。　If　I　die；　I　will　die　happy　to　have　seen　the　beauty　here；　happy　to　have　witnessed　true　leadership。〃
　Stafford　eyed　him　up　and　down；　and　finally　said；　〃You　are　wiser　than　you　look。　Though　you　are　a　mutation。　I　might　have　a　use　for　you　…　but　not　for　the　others。。。〃
　Stafford　ordered　the　rest　of　the　Freefighters　and　Danik　held　in　the　detention　cells　until　suitable　arrangements　for　their　public　humiliation　and　then　execution　could　mence。
　And　Stafford　ordered　the　senators　to　leave　also。　He　told　Bdos　and　his　two　henchmen　and　a　contingent　of　six　guards　to　remain　behind。　And　bade　Rockson　stay　and　talk　for　a　while。
　Once　the　prisoners　had　been　escorted　from　the　chamber；　and　the　senators；　gossiping　and　gesturing　to　one　another；　had　left；　Stafford　clapped　his　hands　and　said；　〃Mannerly；　have　the　doctor　e　and　treat　our　friend's　leg　…　it　obviously　needs　help。〃
　The　servant　returned　with　a　squat　silent　man；　who　opened　a　bag　and　took　out　some　salve　that　he　applied　to　Rock's　wound。　It　worked　wonders。
　Rockson　sat；　tasting　hors　d'oeuvres　and　what　looked　like　cheese　but　tasted　like　shit　from　the　tray　Mannerly　brought。　He　took　a　little　wine；　which　wasn't　as　bad；　because　he　was　thirsty。
　Pouring　on　the　flattery。　Rock　ingratiated　himself　to　the　dictator　for　more　than　an　hour。　Finally；　Stafford　said；　〃Perhaps　you　would　like　to　see　more　of　our　wondrous　city。〃
　〃I　would　be　honored；〃　Rockson　replied。　Now　this　was　more　like　it。　Perhaps　he　could　find　some　way　out　…　maybe　if　they　got　careless　he　could　still　instigate　his　original　plan。　Seize　Stafford；　and　order　the　patrols　to　lay　down　their　arms。
　But　Stafford　was　a　cunning　sort；　well　used　to　intrigues　and　treachery。　When　he　and　the　Doomsday　Warrior　set　out　on　their　brief　tour　of　Eden；　they　were　acpanied　by　ten　guards。　And　Rockson　was　not　unbound。　However；　his　elbow　bindings　were　removed　to　make　him　more　fortable；　though　his　wrists　were　still　held　in　check　behind　his　waist。　Ah　well；　some　progress　is　better　than　no　progress。
　The　two…bit　〃king〃　started　pointing　out　the　〃grand〃　sites。
　Always　the　watchful　phalanx　of　Civil　Guards　with　drawn　weapons　kept　a　close　eye　on　them。
　〃First；　Rockson；　I　will　show　you　the　new　sources　of　food。　I　realized　that　we　were　exhausting　the　canned　and　preserved　foods　provided　in　abundance　over　a　hundred　years　ago。　I　have　instituted　bold　new　measures　to　produce　more　food。　We　do　not　need　the　poisonous　surface　soil　to　raise　food。〃
　〃What　is　your　new　means　of　production；　King　Charles？　Is　it　hydroponic　gardening？　If　you　intend　to　do　that　you　need　grow　lights。　Your　sun　is　not　sufficiently　full…spectrum；〃　Rockson　stopped　and　smiled　broadly。　〃Of　course；　I　am　being　foolish。　You　have　some　pletely　new　revolutionary　method　of　food　production　in　mind。　Am　I　right？〃
　〃Yes；〃　the　king　said。　〃We　will　have　no　need　for　water　and　minerals　and　grow　lights。　There　is　an　easier　way　than　hydroponics。。。　e　along；　I　will　show　you。〃
　Soon　they　had　passed　through　a　blasted…away　rock　wall　into　the　most　foul…smelling　place　Rockson　had　ever　encountered。　Machines　similar　to　big　Soviet　bulldozers　were　moving　around　piles　of　fecal　matter　and　garbage。　The　air　…　if　it　could　be　called　that　…　was　filled　with　little　gnats　that　insisted　on　buzzing　his　face。　What　was　all　this　mad　activity　about？　The　cacophony　of　grinding　gears；　the　smell　of　the　fecal　rot　was　hardly　endurable　to　the　Doomsday　Warrior。　But　evidently　the　Edenites；　including　the　king；　had　less　sensitive　sensory　apparatus。
　The　King　boasted；　〃Here；　the　fecal　waste　of　four　generations　of　Eden　has　lay　wasted。　We　are　in　the　so…called　'disposal　cave'；〃　Stafford　said。　〃This　precious　resource　has　been　lying　here　sealed　off；　wasted。
　〃I　have　decided　to　use　this　precious　resource。　The　excretions　of　the　past　can　be　processed　into　tasty　replicas　of　all　the　necessary　proteins；　minerals；　and　fiber　necessary　to　the　human　body。　It　can　be　shaped　by　machinery　into　what　appears　to　be　steaks；　potatoes；　and　such。　Coloring　can　be　added。　People　would　hardly　know　the　difference。　I　venture　to　say　that　they　won't　know　the　difference　between　this　new　food　supply　and　their　old　canned　and　preserved　real　foods。〃
　In　his　wildest　nightmare　Rockson　couldn't　imagine　this。。。　People　would　be　forced　to　eat　…　〃Shit；〃　Rockson　blurted　out。
　〃What？〃　asked　Stafford。
　〃I　said　I　am　awed。　This　is　very　interesting。〃　Rockson　tried　to　turn　his　attention　from　the　bulldozers　moving　the　excrement　piles　to　the　metal　hoppers；　where　a　conveyor　belt　carried　the　matter　through　a　wall　…　presumably　a　processing　plant　lay　beyond　that　wall。
　The　flies　were　getting　to　him；　he　wanted　to　leave。　But　Stafford　wanted　Rock's　attention　on　a　set　of　fifty　long　slender　poles　hanging　from　high　above。　〃Note　that　the　flies　are　congregating；　swarming　around　the　poles？〃
　〃Yes；〃　Rockson　said；　brushing　at　his　face；　trying　to　keep　the　little　gnats　from　his　eyes　at　least。　Indeed　the　flies　were　droning　around　the　many　hanging　poles。　The　poles　seemed　to　have　a　sticky　surface　on　them。　Flies　were　massed　in　some　places　inches　deep　on　the　stickiness。
　〃I　see　you're　trying　to　do　something　about　the　fly　problem；〃　Rockson　said；　not　knowing　what　was　expected　of　him。
　〃Do　something　about　them？〃　the　king　said；　as　if　incredulous　at　the　stupidity　of　the　ment。　〃