hh.thessrat.sings.the.blues-第36部分

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　The　day　went　on　like　that。　Apparently　forever。　We　crawled　across　the　landscape：　the　sun　crawled　across　the　sky。　When　w　e　had　been　walking　for　over　five　hours　fatigue　began　to　strike。　Floyd　was　striding　ahead　at　a　great　pace。
　〃Tired　yet？〃　I　called　out。
　〃No。　Great　fun。〃
　〃To　those　of　us　who　weren't　bashed　about　by　the　red　peril。〃
　〃Just　a　bit　more。〃
　The　bit　more　went　on　a　bit　more　than　I　appreciated　and　I　was　just　about　to　toss　in　the　towel　when　Fido　spoke。
　〃Bow　and　wow；　gentlemen。　Just　detected　a　couple　of　tachyons　as　they　went　whizzing　by。　Wasn't　sure　of　the　first　one　but…there　it　is；　another…and　another！〃
　〃ing　from　where？〃　I　asked。
　〃Directly　ahead。　Let's　just　stay　on　this　course　and　we'll　track　the　source　down。　With；　perhaps；　yes　I'm　sure；　there　is　the　strong　possibility　of　a　course　deviation　later。〃
　〃Aha！〃　I　aha'ed。　〃I　recognize　equivocation　when　I　hear　it。　Even　from　a　plastic　dog　mouthpiece　for　an　ancient　ship's　puter。〃
　〃The　word　ancient　is　so　hurtful　。　。　。〃
　〃I'll　apologize　when　you　tell　me　about　this　plication。〃
　〃Apology　accepted。　Allowing　for　the　curvature　of　the　planet；　gravitic　anomalies　and　other　factors；　I　am　still　forced　to　believe　that　the　tachyon　source　is　not　on　the　surface　of　this　world。〃
　〃The　thing　is　underground？〃
　〃Underground　is　the　very　word　for　it。〃
　I　bit　hard　on　the　jawphone。　〃Tremearne；　would　you　put　the　admiral　on　the　line。〃
　〃I'm　here；　Jim。　Aida　reported　this　possibility　a　while　back　and　1　have　been　。　monitoring　developments　since　then。　Didn't　want　to　bother　you；　for　all　the　obvious　reasons。〃
　〃Yes；　like　we　forgot　to　bring　a　shovel。　Anything　else　you　haven't　told　me？〃
　〃I　was　waiting　for　data；　Just　ing　in。　I　sent　a　low　flying　probe　to　look　for　the　gravimetric　anomalies　that　Aida　had　found。　Looks　like　there　are　a　number　of　them　and　they　are　being　plotted　now。〃
　〃What　kind　of　anomalies？　Metal　deposits？〃
　〃Quite　the　opposite。　Caverns　below　the　ground。〃
　〃It　figures。　Over　and　out。　At　least　we　now　know　where　the　artifact　is。〃
　〃Where？〃　Floyd　asked；　since　he　had　only　heard　my　side　of　the　conversation。
　〃Underground。　There　are　caves　or　caverns　of　some　kind　up　ahead。　Nothing　visible　on　the　surface…but　they　are　there　all　right。　Our　technical　observers　seem　sure　that　the　artifact　is　down　there　somewhere。　Can　we　take　that　break　now　and　wait　for　the　reports？〃
　〃I　guess　so。〃
　Floyd　guessed　right；　which　was　a　good　thing　since　an　instant　after　we　dropped　to　the　ground　the　stream　of　bullets　was　fired　at　us。　Zipping　through　the　empty　air　where　we　had　just　been　standing。
　Floyd　had　a　large　and　ugly　pistol　in　his　hand　now　which　didn't　slow　him　down　as　he　wriggled　on　hands　and　knees　beside　me　to　the　shelter　of　the　mounded　earth　around　a　polpettone　tree。
　〃We're　under　fire！〃　I　shouted　into　my　jawphone。
　〃Source　not　visible。〃
　Fido　stood　on　its　hind　legs…then　jumped　high　into　the　air　despite　another　burst　of　bullets。
　〃Bow…wow。　Perhaps　not　visible　to　others　but　clear　enough　to　me。〃
　〃What　is　it？〃
　〃Some　sort　of　apparatus　at　ground　level。　Want　me　to　take　it　out？〃
　〃If　you　can。〃
　〃Grrr！〃　it　growled　and　retracted　its　legs；　then　zipped　off　at　a　great　rate　at　ground　level；　so　fast　it　could　barely　be　seen。　Moments　later　there　was　a　muffled　explosion　and　bits　of　debris　rattled　dorm　into　the　shrub。
　〃'That　was　quick；〃　I　said。
　〃Thank　you；〃　Fido　said　emerging　from　the　undergrowth　with　a　jagged　bit　of　metal　in　its　jaws。　〃Just　follow　me　if　you　want　to　see　the　remains。〃
　We　followed　the　thing　to　a　smoking　pit　with　a　jumble　of　crumpled　apparatus　in　its　center。　Fido　dropped　its　bit　of　debris；　lifted　one　front　leg。　Extended　its　head；　straightened　its　tail　and　pointed。
　〃Remote　controlled　gun　turret。　Note　that　the　top　of　it　is　camouflaged；　concealed　by　dirt　and　sprouting　plants。　Hydraulically　operated…that's　red　oil　not　blood…to　lift　the　apparatus　above　ground　level。　Remains　of　an　optical　finder　there。　Note　the　four　automatic　guns；　Rapellit…binetti　X…nineteens。　Rate　of　fire　twelve　hundred　rounds　a　minute。　Eighty　rounds　a　second；　explosive　and　armor　piercing。〃
　〃Since　when　have　you　been　an　armament　authority；　Aida？〃　I　asked。
　〃Since　a　long　time　back；　…sweetie…pie。　In　my　heyday　I　was　required　to　know　this　sort　of　thing。　I　also　know　that　these　particular　guns　have　not　been　manufactured　for　over　five　hundred　years。〃
　
　CHAPTER　23
　I　took　another　sip　of　water；　wished　that　it　was　a　stronger　liquid。　Was　glad　that　it　wasn't　since　a　clear　head　was　an　important　asset　at　this　time。
　〃How　old　did　you　say　these　guns　are？〃　I　asked。　There　was　no　answer　because　our　fake　dog　was　digging　away　like　a　real　dog　throwing　dirt　behind　it　at　a　great　rate。　Burrowing　down　under　the　gun　turret。
　〃Five　hundred　years　old；〃　Floyd　said。　〃How　can　that　be？　Why　use　something　that　old？〃
　〃You　use　it　if　that　is　all　that　you　have。　There　is　a　mystery　here　that　we　are　about　to　solve。　Remember　the　ancient　explosive　that　blew　up　the　lab？　It　was　also　antique。　So　consider　this。　What　if　this　planet　had　been　settled　before　they　started　dumping　societal　debris　on　it？　What　if　there　were　settlers　here…only　they　were　hidden　away　underground？　It's　a　possibility。　And　if　it　is　true；　then　it　has　been　five　centuries　since　they　arrived。　That's　how　long　these　mysterious　migrants　have　been　hiding　away　up　here。　Or　down　here；　really。　They　must　have　been　settled　well　before　the　League　ever　found　this　planet。　That's　why　there　is　no　record　of　them。〃
　〃Who　are　them？〃
　〃Your　guess　is　as　good　as　mine　。　。　。〃
　〃Yarf！〃　our　dogbot　said；　yarfing　through　a　muzzle　covered　with　dirt。　〃There　is　a　fiber…optic　cable　going　into　the　ground；　obviously　controlling　this　turret。〃
　〃Going　down　to　the　caverns。　So；　the　next　question…how　do　we　get　in　。　。　。〃
　〃Jim；〃　my　jaw　said。　〃There　is　an　interesting　development　taking　place　about　three　clicks　away　from　you；　in　the　same　direction　you　have　been　walking。　We've　got　image　amplifiers　on　the　electronic　telescopes　so　we　can　see　quite　clearly　。　。　。〃
　〃What　can　you　see　quite　clearly？〃
　〃A　group　of　armed　men　has　emerged　from　some　kind　of　opening　in　the　ground。　They　appear　to　be　dragging　along　one　of　their　number　who　is　bound。　Now　they　are　erecting　a　metal　post　of　some　kind。　There　is　a　struggle　going　on…apparently　they　are　securing　the　bound　man　to　the　post。〃
　Memories　of　a　thousand　ancient　flicks　flooded　my　forebrain。　〃Stop　them？　It　could　be　an　execution…death　by　firing　squad。　Do　something！〃
　〃Negative。　We　are　in　orbit。　Short　of　launching　an　explosive　torpedo；　which　is　contraindicated　at　this　time；　there　is　nothing　we　can　facilitate　that　will　get　there　inside　fifteen　minutes　at　the　very　quickest。〃
　〃Forget　it！　〃　I　was　digging　into　my　pack　as　I　whistled　to　the　houndbot。　〃Fido？　Catch！〃
　It　jumped　high　and　grabbed　the　gas　bomb　out　of　the　air。　〃Go。　Thataway。　You　heard　the　message…get　to　those　guys　and　bite　hard　on　that　thing。〃
　My　last　words　were　shouted　in　the　direction　of　the　tail　that　was　vanishing　among　the　shrubs。　We　grabbed　up　our　packs　and　followed。　Floyd　easily　outdistanced　me　and　by　the　time　I　got　to　the　scene；　staggering　and　panting；　it　was　all　ancient　history。　Our　faithful　friend　was　barking　and；　foreleg　lifted　and　tail　outstretched；　was　pointing　at　the　sprawled　bodies。
　〃Well　done；　man's　best　friend；〃　I　said；　and　easily　resisted　the　impulse　to　pat　its　plastic　fur。
　〃For　the　record；〃　I　said　for　the　benefit　of　my　radio。　〃All　males；　all　armed　with　shoulder　weapons　of　some　kind。　There　are　twelve　of　them　wearing　camouflage　uniforms。　Thirteenth　man…surely　an　unlucky　number…tied　to　the　post。　No　shirt。〃
　〃Is　he　inured？〃
　〃Negative。〃　I　could　feel　a　steady　pulse　in　his　neck。　〃We　made　it　in　time。　Interesting；　he's　young；　younger　than　the　rest。　What　next？〃
　〃Decision　made　by　the　strategic　planning　puter。　Take　all　weapons。　Take　the　prisoner　and　remove　him　to　a　safe　distance；　then　interrogate。　〃
　I　sniffed　disdainfully　as　I　unknotted　the　cords　on　the　man's　wrists。　〃Don't　need　a　strategic　planning　puter　to　figure　that　one　out。〃
　Floyd　caught　him　as　he　slumped　free；　threw　him　over　his　shoulder。　I　grabbed　up　the　packs　and　pointed。　〃Let's　get　to　that　gully　and　out　of　sight。〃
　The　bomb　that　the　ersatz　hound　had　exploded　was　a　quick　in…and…out　gas。　One　breath