hh.thessrat.sings.the.blues-第18部分

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　It　was　even　longer　than　that；　what　with　the　longer　days　here。　Tremearne　took　off　and　we　settled　down　to　sleep。　We　slept；　and　woke　up　and　it　was　still　dark。　Slept　some　more。　At　least　the　others　snored　on：　I　had　too　much　on　my　mind　to　drift　off　as　easily　as　they　did。　We　had　a　clue　now　to　the　whereabouts　of　the　alien　artifact。　A　clue　that　was　useless　until　we　started　looking。　And　we　couldn't　look　in　the　darkness。　And　I　had　how　many　days　left　before　the　thirty…day　poison　zonked　me？　I　counted　on　my　fingers。　Just　about　eighteen　gone；　which　left　twelve　to　go。　Wonderful。　Or　had　I　counted　wrong？　I　started　again　with　the　fingers；　then　grew　angry　with　myself。　Enough　with　the　fingers　already。　I　clicked　on　my　puter　and　wrote　a　quick　program。　Then　touched　D　for　deadline…or　death；　whatever…and　a　glowing　eighteen　appeared　before　me　acpanied　by　a　flickering　twelve。　Not　that　I　enjoyed　looking　at　them；　mind　you；　but　this　way　I　could　stop　worrying　about　the　changing　count。　Some　part　of　me　must　have　been　satisfied　with　this　because　I　fell　deeply　asleep。
　Finally；　with　great　reluctance　and　sloth；　the　sky　lightened　and　another　day　began。　Before　it　was　pletely　light　the　Captain　drifted　the　launch　in　low　and　slow　behind　the　hills；　boarded　us；　then　let　us　out　behind　the　final　ridge。
　〃Good　luck；〃　he　said；　with　a　certain　grimness。　The　port　ground　shut　and　the　launch　moved　away　and　vanished　in　the　growing　light。　Scarcely　aware　of　what　I　was　doing　I　punched　D　into　the　puter。　The　numbers　snapped　into　existence；　vanished　just　as　quickly。　But　I　remembered。　Day　nineteen。
　
　CHAPTER　12
　Dawn　crept　on　interminably　as　we　walked；　the　sun　dragging　itself　up　over　the　horizon　only　with　great　reluctance。　It　was　still　not　quite　full　daylight　when　we　came　to　what　had　to　be　the　beginning　of　the　wall。　Just　a　single　row　of　bricks　almost　hidden　in　the　grass。
　〃What　do　you　think？〃　I　asked　of　no　one　in　particular。　Steengo　bent　and　rapped　one　with　his　knuckles。
　〃Brick；〃　he　said。
　〃Red　brick；〃　Madonette　said　brightly。
　〃Thanks；　thanks；〃　I　mumbled　with　plete　lack　of　appreciation。
　There　was　a　barely　visible　path　next　to　the　right…hand　side　of　the　row　of　bricks；　for　want　of　a　better　idea　we　began　walking　along　it。
　〃It's　higher；　see；〃　Floyd　said；　pointing。　〃A　second　course　has　been　added。〃
　〃And　more　still　ahead；〃　Madonette　said。　〃Three　bricks　high　now。〃
　〃What's　this？〃　Steengo　said；　bending　and　pushing　the　grass　aside　to　look　more　closely；　touching　the　brick　with　his　fingertip。　〃There's　some　kind　of　symbol　stamped　into　each　of　the　bricks。〃　We　all　looked　now。
　〃Sort　of　a　circle　with　an　arrow　sticking　out　of　it。〃
　〃Arrow　。　。　。　circle；〃　I　muttered。　A　sudden　intuition　bounced　about　inside　my　skull。　〃I've　seen　that　symbol　before　…yes　indeed！　Would　someone　kindly　step　over　the　wall　and　see　if　there　is　a　circle　with　a　cross　sticking　out　of　it　on　the　other　side。〃
　Madonette　lifted　lovely　eyebrows　with　curiosity；　stepped　daintily　over　the　low　wall；　bent　and　looked。　Eyebrows　even　higher　now。
　〃How　did　you　do　that？　On　this　side　there　is　a　circle…cross　sign　stamped　into　each　brick。〃
　〃Biology；〃　I　said。　〃I　remembered　from　school。〃
　〃Yes；　of　course；〃　she　said；　stepping　back。　〃The　symbols　for　male　and　female。〃
　Floyd　had　strolled　on　ahead；　he　called　out。　〃Right　as　rain。　Here　is　VIROJ　stamped　into　a　brick。　And；〃　he　leaned　over　and　looked；　〃VIRINOJ　on　the　other　side。〃
　Very　gradually　the　wall　became　higher　as　we　walked　beside　it。　In　addition　to　the　symbols　we　came　to　LJUDI　then　MTUWA；　HERRER；　SIGNORI。
　〃Enough；〃　I　said；　stopping。　〃Packs　off。　We　shall　now　take　our　break　while　we　see　what　we　have　here。　The　message　seems　to　be　clear　enough。　Look　at　the　path　we　have　been　following。　Is　there　another　path　on　the　other　side　as　well？〃
　The　brick　wall　was　as　high　as　our　waists　now；　Floyd　put　one　hand　on　it　and　vaulted　over；　bent　and　looked。
　〃Maybe；　but　not　too　clear。　Could　have　been　here　once　but　it　is　so　overgrown　with　grass　that　it　is　hard　to　tell。　Can　I　e　back　now？〃
　〃Yes…because　it's　about　time　for　a　decision。〃　I　pointed　ahead　to　the　slowly　heightening　wall。　〃The　Fundamentaloids　said　they　came　to　the　city　to　trade。　So　they　must　have　e　this　way；　possibly　made　this　track　that　we　are　following。〃
　Madonette　nodded　agreement…and　didn't　like　it。　〃And　they　were　all　men；　I　remember　that　all　too　clearly。　Unclean　indeed！　No　women　allowed。　Or　if　the　women　did　e　this　way　they　would　have　to　have　walked　over　on　the　other　side　of　the　wall。　What　do　you　want　us　to　do；　Jim？〃
　〃What　do　we　want　to　do？　As　I　said…it's　time　for　a　decision。　Do　we　all　stick　together　and　ignore　the　obvious　instructions？　That's　the　first　question　that　we　have　to　answer。〃
　〃Do　that　and　I'll　bet　that　eventually　we　get　into　some　kind　of　trouble；〃　she　said。　〃A　lot　of　serious　work　went　into　this　wall。　So　if　we　don't　read　the　message　something　not　too　nice　is　guaranteed　to　happen。　It　always　does　on　this　world。　The　choice　is　mine。　I'll　cross　over　and　trot　down　the　other　side…〃
　〃No；〃　I　broke　in。　〃As　we　go　along　the　wall　gets　higher　and　we'll　be　separated；　out　of　contact。　That　won't　do。〃
　〃Well　I'm　not　staying　here…and　I　can't　go　back。　So　we　need　contact；　what　you　just　said。　Kindly　clack　your　jaw…a…phone　and　get　onto　Tremearne。　Tell　him　to　get　some　radios　down　here　that　we　can　use　to　keep　in　touch。　If　we　are　going　to　plete　this　assignment　the　right　way；　we　will　have　to　know　what　is　going　on　on　both　sides　of　the　wall。　And　I'm　the　only　one　who　can　find　out　what　happens…here。〃
　She　picked　up　her　pack　and　planted　her　bottom　on　the　wall；　swung　her　legs　up　and　over　and　smiled　at　us　from　the　other　side。　I　didn't　like　it。
　〃It's　not　a　matter　of　liking　or　not　liking　it；〃　she　said　reading　my　doubts　from　my　expression。　〃It　is　just　the　only　way　that　we　can　get　the　job　done。　Get　the　radios。　Don't　forget　that　Tremearne　will　always　be　listening　in　and　can　send　the　marines　if　any　of　us　gets　into　trouble。　Call　him。〃
　〃I　will。　But　let　us　make　sure　they　are　the　right　kind　of　radios　before　we　put　in　the　order。　Line　of　sight　is　going　to　be　out　with　the　wall　standing　in　the　way　and　blocking　the　signal。　Plus…who　knows　hour　thick　the　thing　is　going　to　be？　It　could　soak　up　all　the　radio　frequencies　and　that　would　be　the　end　of　that。　Anyone　know　of　a　kind　of　radio　that　shoots　a　signal　through　rocks？〃
　I　was　speaking　my　thoughts　aloud；　half　in　jest。　So　was　more　than　a　little　surprised　when　a　voice　behind　me　said；　〃Yes。〃
　I　spun　about　and　glared　at　Steengo　who　was　buffing　his　fingernails　on　his　shirt；　then　admiring　his　image　in　their　shining　surfaces。
　〃You　said　that？〃　I　accused。　He　nodded　sagely。　〃Why？〃
　〃Why　is　a　good　question。　The　answer　is　that　although　I　stand　before　you；　an　aging　amateur　musician　drawn　from　retirement　to　risk　his　life　for　the　public　good；　it　should　not　be　forgotten　that　I　worked　for　many　a　decade　in　the　cause　of　that　same　public　good。　League　munications。　Where　I　helped　develop　a　neat　little　device　referred　to　as　MIPSC。〃
　〃Mipsic？〃　I　echoed　inanely。
　〃Close　enough；　my　good　friend　Jim。　MIPSC　is　the　acronym　of　Miniaturized　Personal　Satellite　municator。　I　suggest　that　you　clamp　your　jaw　and　order　up　a　brace　of　them。　Although　four　would　be　better…that　way　we　could　all　keep　in　touch　at　all　times。　And　remind　Tremearne　to　put　a　msatellite　into　orbit　as　well。　Geostationary　over　the　city　of　Paradise。〃
　〃MIPSCs　are　not　only　highly　secret　but　incredibly　expensive；〃
　Tremearne　said　when　I　contacted　him。
　〃Just　like　this　little　task　force。　Can　you　do　it？〃
　〃Of　course。　They're　on　the　way。〃
　A　half　an　hour　later　a　small　package　drifted　down　from　the　sky　hanging　from　a　gray…lifter…which　zipped　up　and　vanished　as　soon　as　the　package　had　been　removed。　I　popped　the　end　open　and　shook　out　a　handful　of　false　fingernails。　I　popped　my　eyes　at　these…then　remembered　how　Steengo　had　been　buffing　his　own　fingernails　when　he　told　me　about　MIPSC。
　〃Tricky；〃　I　said。
　〃High　tech　and　perfect　concealment；〃　he　said。　〃There　should　be　glue　in　the　package。　They　e　in　pairs。　The　one　marked　E　goes　onto　the　index　finger；　left　hand。　M　glued　to　the　pinkie　of　the　same　hand。　Inside　the　nails　are　holographed　circuitry　so　they　can　be　trimmed　as　small　as　needed　to　fit。　Without　damaging　the　circuits　in　any　way。〃
　〃E