deathworld-第6部分

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　 〃Oh；　that's　awful；〃　the　girl　said。　Jason　wondered　why　it　was　awful。　It　didn't　make　sense　to　his　groggy　mind。　〃It　would　have　been　much　better　if　he　stayed　on　Darkhan；〃　the　girl　continued。　〃He's　very　nice　looking。　I　think　it's　a　shame　he　has　to　die。〃
　 That　was　too　much　for　Jason。　He　pried　one　eye　open；　then　the　other。　The　voice　belonged　to　a　girl　of　about　twenty…one　who　was　standing　next　to　the　bed；　gazing　down　at　Jason。　She　was　beautiful。
　 Jason's　eyes　opened　wider　as　he　realized　she　was　very　beautiful…　with　the　kind　of　beauty　he　had　never　found　on　the　planets　in　the　center　of　the　galaxy。　The　women　he　had　known　all　ran　to　pale　skin；　hollow　shoulders；　grey　faces　covered　with　tints　and　dyes。　They　were　the　product　of　centuries　of　breeding　weaknesses　back　into　the　race；　as　the　advance　of　medicine　kept　alive　more　and　more　non…survival　types。
　 This　girl　was　the　direct　opposite　in　every　way。　She　was　the　product　of　survival　on　Pyrrus。　The　heavy　gravity　that　produced　bulging　muscles　in　men；　brought　out　firm　strength　in　strap…like　female　muscles。　She　had　the　taut　figure　of　a　goddess；　tanned　skin　and　perfectly　formed　face。　Her　hair；　which　was　cut　short；　circled　her　head　with　a　golden　crown。　The　only　unfeminine　thing　about　her　was　the　gun　she　wore　in　a　bulky　forearm　holster。　When　she　saw　Jason's　eyes　open　she　smiled　at　him。　Her　teeth　were　as　even　and　as　white　as　he　had　expected。
　 〃I'm　Meta；　pilot　of　this　ship。　And　you　must　be…〃
　 〃Jason　dinAlt。　That　was　a　lousy　takeoff；　Meta。〃
　 〃I'm　really　very　sorry；〃　she　laughed。　〃But　being　born　on　a　two…C　planet　makes　you　a　little　immune　to　acceleration。　I　save　fuel　too；　with　the　synergy　curve…〃
　 Kerk　gave　a　nonmittal　grunt。　〃e　along；　Meta；　we'll　take　a　look　at　the　cargo。　Some　of　the　new　stuff　will　plug　the　gaps　in　the　perimeter。〃
　 〃Oh；　yes；〃　she　said；　almost　clapping　her　hands　with　happiness。　〃I　read　the　specs；　they're　simpiy　wonderful。〃
　 Like　a　schoolgirl　with　a　new　dress。　Or　a　box　of　cqndy。　That's　a　great　attitlAde　to　have　toward　bombs　and　flamethrowers。　Jason　smiled　wryly　at　the　thought　as　he　groaned　off　the　couch。　The　two　Pyrrans　had　gone　and　he　pulled　himself　painfully　through　the　door　after　them。
　 It　took　him　a　long　time　to　find　his　way　to　the　hold。　The　ship　was　big　and　apparently　empty　of　crew。　Jason　finally　found　a　man　sleeping　in　one　of　the　brightly　lit　cabins。　He　recognized　him　as　the　driver　who　had　turned　the　car　over　to　them　on　Cassylia。　The　man；　who　had　been　sleeping　soundly　a　moment　before；　opened　his　eyes　as　soon　as　Jason　drifted　into　the　room。　He　was　wide　awake。
　 〃How　do　I　get　to　the　cargo　hold？〃　Jason　asked。
　 The　other　told　him；　closed　his　eyes　and　went　instantly　back　to　sleep　before　Jason　could　even　say　thanks。
　 In　the　hold；　Kerk　and　Meta　had　opened　some　of　the　crates　and　were　chortling　with　joy　over　their　lethal　contents。　Meta；　a　pressure　cannister　in　her　arms；　turned　to　Jason　as　he　came　through　the　door。
　 〃Just　look　at　this；〃　she　said。　〃This　powder　in　here…why　you　can　eat　it　like　dirt；　with　less　harm。　Yet　it　is　instantly　deadly　to　all　forms　of　vegetable　life。　。　。　。〃　She　stopped　suddenly　as　she　realized　Jason　didn't　share　her　extreme　pleasure。　〃I'm　sorry。　Only　I　forgot　for　a　moment　there　that　you　weren't　a　Pyrran。　So　you　don't　really　understand；　do　you？〃
　 Before　he　could　answer；　the　PA　speaker　called　her　name。
　 〃Jump　time；〃　she　said。　〃e　with　me　to　the　bridge　while　I　do　the　equations。　We　can　talk　there。　I　know　so　little　about　any　place　except　Pyrrus　that　I　have　a　million　questions　to　ask。〃
　 Jason　followed　her　to　the　bridge　where　she　relieved　the　duty　officer　and　began　taking　readings　for　the　jump　setting。　She　looked　out　of　place　among　the　machines；　a　sturdy　but　supple　figure　in　a　simple；　onepiece　shipsuit。　Yet　there　was　no　denying　the　efficiency　with　which　she　went　about　her　job。
　 〃Meta；　aren't　you　a　little　young　to　be　the　pilot　of　an　interstellar　ship？〃
　 〃Am　I？〃　She　thought　for　a　second。　〃I　really　don't　know　how　old　pilots　are　supposed　to　be。　I　have　been　piloting　for　about　three　years　now　and　I'm　almost　twenty。　Is　that　younger　than　usual？〃
　 Jason　opened　his　mouth…then　laughed。　〃I　suppose　that　all　depends　on　what　planet　you're　from。　Some　places　you　would　have　trouble　getting　licensed。　But　I'll　bet　things　are　different　on　Pyrrus。　By　their　standards　you　must　rank　as　an　old　lady。〃
　 〃Now　you're　making　a　joke；〃　Meta　said　serenely　as　she　fed　a　figure　into　the　calculator。　〃I've　seen　old　ladies　on　some　planets。　They　are　wrin
　Med　and　have　grey　hair。　I　don't　know　how　old　they　are；　I　asked　one　but　she　wouldn't　tell　me　her　age。　But　I'm　sure　they　must　be　older　than　anyone　on　Pyrrus；　no　one　looks　like　that　there。〃
　 〃I　don't　mean　old　that　way。〃　Jason　groped　for　the　right　word。　〃Not　old…but　grown…up；　mature。　An　adult。〃
　 〃Everyone　is　grown…up；〃　she　answered。　〃At　least　soon　after　they　leave　the　wards。　And　they　do　that　when　they're　six。　My　first　child　is　grown…up；　and　the　second　one　would　be　too；　only　he's　dead。　So　I　surely　must　be。〃　That　seemed　to　settle　the　question　for　her；　though　Jason's　thoughts　jumped　with　the　alien　concepts　and　background；　inherent　behind　her　words。
　 Meta　punched　in　the　last　setting；　and　the　course　tape　began　to　chunk　out　of　the　case。　She　turned　her　attention　back　to　Jason。　〃I'm　glad　you're　aboard　this　trip；　though　I　am　sorry　you　are　going　to　Pyrrus。　But　we'll　have　lots　of　time　to　talk　and　there　are　so　many　things　I　want　to　find　out。　About　other　planets。　And　why　people　go　around　acting　the　way　they　do。　Not　at　all　like　home　where　you　know　why　people　are　doing　things　all　the　time。〃　She　frowned　over　the　tape　for　a　moment；　then　turned　her　attention　back　to　Jason。　〃What　is　your　home　planet　like？〃
　 One　after　another　the　usual　lies　he　told　people　came　to　his　lips；　and　were　pushed　away。　Why　bother　lying　to　a　girl　who　really　didn't　care　if　you　were　serf　or　noble？　To　her　there　were　only　two　kinds　of　people　in　the　galaxy。　Pyrrans；　and　the　rest。　For　the　first　time　since　he　had　fled　from　Porgorstorsaand；　he　found　himself　telling　someone　the　truth　of　his　origin。
　 〃My　home　planet？　Just　about　the　stuffiest；　dullest；　dead…end　in　the　universe。　You　can't　believe　the　destructive　decay　of　a　planet　that　is　mainly　agrarian；　caste…conscious　and　pletely　satisfied　with　its　own　boring　existence。　Not　only　is　there　no　change…but　no　one　wants　change。　My　father　was　a　farmer；　so　I　should　have　been　a　farmer　too…if　I　had　listened　to　the　advice　of　my　betters。　It　was　unthinkable；　as　well　as　forbidden　for　me　to　do　anything　else。　And　everything　I　wanted　to　do　was　against　the　law。　I　was　fifteen　before　I　learned　to　read…out　of　a　book　stolen　from　a　noble　school。　After　that　there　was　no　turning　back。　By　the　time　I　stowed　away　aboard　an　off…world　freighter　at　nineteen　I　must　have　broken　every　law　on　the　planet。　Happily。　Leaving　home　for　me　was　just　like　getting　out　of　prison。〃
　 Mete　shook　her　head　at…　the　thought。　〃I　just　can't　imagine　a　place　like　that。　But　I'm　sure　I　wouldn't　like　it　there。〃
　 〃I'm　sure　you　wouldn't；〃　Jason　smiled。　〃So　once　I　was　in　space；　with　no　law…abiding　talents　or　skills；　I　just　wandered　into　one　thing　and　another。　In　this　age　of　technology；　I　was　pletely　out　of　place。　Oh；　I
　suppose　I　could　have　done　well　in　some　army；　but　I'm　not　so　good　at　taking　orders。　Whenever　I　gambled　I　did　well；　so　little　by　little　I　just　drifted　into　it。　People　are　the　same　everywhere；　so　I'　manage　to　make　out。　very　well　wherever　I　end　up。〃
　 〃I　know　what　you　mean　about　people　being　alike；　but　they　are　so　different；〃　she　said。　〃I'm　not　being　clear　at　all；　am　I？　What　I　mean　is　that　at　home　I　know　what　people　will　do　and　why　they　do　it　at　the　same　time。　People　on　all　the　other　planets　do　act　alike；　as　you　said；　yet　I　have　very　much　trouble　understanding　why。　For　instance。　I　like　to　try　the　local　food　when　we　set　down　on　a　planet；　and　if　there　is　time　I　always　do。　There　are　bars　and　restaurants　near　every　spaceport　so　I　go　there。　And　I　always　have　trouble　with　the　men。　They　want　to　buy　me　drinks；　hold　my　hand。〃
　 〃Well　a　single　girl　in　those　port　joints　has　to　expect　a　certain　amount　of　interest　from　the　men。〃
　 〃Oh；　I　know　that；〃　she　said。　〃What　I　don't　understand　is　why　they　don't　listen　when　I　tell　them　I　am　not　interested　and　to　go　away。　They　just　laugh　and　pull　up　a　chair；　usually。　But　I　have　found　that　one　thing　works　wherever　I　am。　I　tell　them　if　they　don't　stop　bothering　me　I'll　break　their　arm。〃
　 〃Does　that　stop　them？〃　Jason　asked。
　 〃No；　of　course　not。　But　after　I　break　their　arm　they　go　away。　And　the　others　don't　bother　me　either。　It's　a　lot　of　fuss　to　go　through　and　the　food　is　usually　awful。〃
　 Jason　didn't　laugh。　Particularly　when　he　realized　that　this　girl　could　break　the　arm　of　any　spaceport　thug　in　the　galaxy。　She　was　a　strange　mixture　of　na？veté　and　strength；　unlike　anyone　he　had　ever　met　before。　Once　again　he　realized　that　he　had　to　visit　the　planet　that　produced　people　like　her　and　Kerk。
　 〃Tell　me　about　Pyrrus；〃　he　asked。　〃Why　is　it　that　you　and　Kerk　assume　automatically　that　I　will　drop　dead　as　soon　as　I　land？　What　is　the　planet　like？〃
　 All　the　warmth　was　gone　from　her　face　now。　〃I　can't　tell　you。　You　will　have　to　see　for　yourself。　I　know　that　much　after　visiting　some　of　the　other　worlds。　Pyrrus　is　like　nothing　you　galaxy　people　have　ever　experienced。　You　won't　really　believe　it　until　it　is　too　late。　Will　you　promise　me　something？〃
　 〃No；〃　he　answered。　〃At　least　not　until　after　I　hear　what　it　is　and　decide。〃
　 〃Don't　leave　the　ship　when　we　land。　You　should　be　safe　enough　aboard；　and　I'll　be　flying　a　cargo　out　within　a　few　weeks。〃
　 〃I'll　promise　nothing　of　the　sort。　I'll　leave　when　I　…　want　to　leave。〃
　Jason　knew　there　was　undoubtedly　a　reason　for　her　words；　but　he　resented　her　automatic　superiority。
　 Mete　finished　the　jump　settings　without　another　word。　There　was　a　tension　in　the　room　that　prevented　them　both　from　talking。
　 It　was　the　next　shipday　before　he　saw　her　again；　then　it　was　pletely　by　accident。　She　was　in　the　astrogation　dome　when　he　entered；　looking　up　at　the　spark…filled　blackness　of　the　jump　sky。　For　the　first　time　he　saw　her　off　duty；　wearing　something　other　than　a　shipsuit。　This　was　a　thin　and　softly　shining　robe　that　clung　to　her　body。
　 She　smiled　at　him。　〃The　stars　are　so　wond