rstacy.doomsdaywarrior-第6部分

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　Rockson　was　only　somewhat　encouraged。　〃If　the　notebook　is　still　there；　and　if　Dutil's　scribblings　…　he　didn't　have　any　training　in　direction　finding　…　make　sense。　Two　big　ifs；　Rath。〃
　Rona　reached　across　the　table　to　touch　the　cold　thin　hands　of　the　stranger。　She　smiled　warmly；　asked。　〃Mr。　Dutil；　is　there　anything　else；　anything　at　all？〃
　Dutil　spewed　out　a　few　other　descriptions　of　the　trek　…　just　terrain　descriptions。　Crumbling　cliffs；　a　twisting　canyon　of　sandstone。
　Rock　couldn't　hazard　a　guess　at　Danik's　route。　Unless　Danik　remembered　where　he'd　started　out　from；　as　a　reference　point；　they　hadn't　much　to　go　on。　And　if　he　knew　that；　they'd　be　busying　themselves　to　get　there。
　〃I　agree；　we　go　to　the　President's　museum　and　then　look　for　the　notebook；〃　Rock　said。　〃We'll　at　least　give　Run　Dutil　a　decent　burial；　if　the　animals　haven't　had　him　by　now。　If　the　notebook　has　anything　useful　in　it　we　can　proceed　from　there。　But　I　need　some　ideas　for　travel　in　this　damned　weather。〃
　〃I　know　a　way　for　us　to　get　to　the　President　museum；　and　to　get　all　the　way　to　Eden；　despite　the　snow；〃　Rona　stated　firmly。
　〃How？〃
　〃Uh…uh。　First　you　promise　to　take　me　if　I　have　a　way　for　us　to　get　there；　then　I　tell　you。　Agreed？〃
　Rockson　wanted　to　know　her　idea。　He　said；　〃Agreed。〃
　Rona　told　him　〃Dogs。　We　make　sleds　and　use　dogs　just　like　you　did　in　Alaska。〃
　〃Rona；　there　are　no　dogs　here　in　Century　City。〃
　　〃Yes；　there　are。　You　remember　those　snow…wolf　pups　that　were　a　gift　of　the　New　Omicron　City　Council　upon　your　safe　return　from　the　Alaskan　mission？〃
　〃Yeah　…　some　gift。　They　near　took　one　of　my　fingers　off　…　you　can　still　see　the　stitches。　I　sent　them　down　to　the　kennel　area　for　study。　Haven't　heard　a　thing　…〃
　〃They're　all　grown　up；　and　since　they　never　lived　in　the　wild；　they're　mellowed。　They're　positively　almost　like　dogs。　Still　a　bit　wild　…　they　have　three　rows　of　teeth　…　but　I　think　they　might　do　handily　to　pull　sleds。　They　have　lot　of　spirit；　anyway。　Maybe。。。〃
　〃Hmmm。　Maybe　won't　do　…　besides；　they　would　be　only　one　year　old　now。〃
　Rona　was　undaunted。　〃I　went　to　see　them　this　morning。　They're　really　big；　Rock。　You　should　see　them。　Kathleen　down　in　Breeding　said　they're　training　well；　they　heel　and　sit　and　give　you　their　paw　and　everything。　And　there's　only　been　a　few　…　well；　accidents。。。〃
　〃Accidents？〃
　〃Well；　they　nipped　a　few　of　Conyer's　fingers　off。　But　that's　because　he　had　the　smell　of　some　meat　he　was　feeding　them　earlier　on　his　fingers。〃
　〃Great。　Forget　it；　Rona。　Any　other　ideas　on　how　to　beat　the　snow？〃
　〃How　about　getting　some　skis　and　skiing　to　Mexico？〃　McCaughlin　suggested。　〃Course。　I　don't　ski　so　well。　It　was　okay　to　have　skis　on　when　hanging　on　to　a　dog　sled；　but　I　don't　think　I　personally　could　manage　such　a　trek　on　skis。〃
　Detroit　said　they　could　never　ski　a　thousand…plus　miles　either。　Archer　shrugged。　He　took　off　his　floppy　hat；　because　it　was　warm　in　the　room。　Danik；　who　had　never　seen　Archer's　remodeled　forehead；　gasped。
　McCaughlin　smiled。　〃Don't　be　alarmed；　Danik。　Archer　had　some　crystals　implanted　up　there　in　his　head。　On　our　mission　north　last　year；　some　hairy　things　smashed　an　ax　down　on　his　skull　and　did　some　damage。　We　took　Archer　to　an　advanced　Eskimo　hospital；　and　they　patched　him　up　real　funny。　The　crystals　that　fill　that　gap　in　his　skull　look　pretty；　and　they　spark　blue　and　red　whenever　Archer　tries　to　think　too　profound　…　ain't　that　right；　partner？〃
　Archer　sort　of　growled　something；　and　his　beard　of　tangled　black　moved　up　and　down　like　he　was　a　chewing　something　he　didn't　like。　He　put　his　hat　back　on。
　〃Any　other　ideas　on　how　to　trek　in　this　bad　weather？〃　Rock　asked；　getting　the　show　back　on　the　road。
　There　were　none；　except　snowshoe　trekking。　And　that　would　take　longer　than　walking。　Time　was　the　crucial　factor。
　Rock　sighed。　〃Let's　have　a　look　at　these　dogs；　Rona。　Lead　on。〃
　The　rest　of　the　Freefighter　team　went　over　maps　trying　to　find　the　landmarks　Danik　had　reported　seeing　on　the　way　north。　Rock　and　Rona　rode　the　elevator　down　to　X　level　and　entered　the　animal　breeding　area。　The　smell　of　cow　dung　and　hay　and　so　on　made　Rona　sneeze。　But　Rock　inhaled　deeply。　〃Ah；　just　a　country　boy　at　heart。〃
　〃Give　me　a　break；〃　Rona　said。　〃I　get　hay　fever。〃
　Breeding　Section　was　cavernous　carved…out　area　about　100　meters　by　90　meters；　with　a　high　arched　ceiling　that　sported　hundreds　of　full…spectrum　lights。　It　felt　sort　of　like　sunlight　on　the　skin。　The　baaing　of　sheep　and　the　mooing　of　cows　from　the　many　rough…hewn　wooden　stalls　attested　to　the　success　of　the　efforts　of　Dr。　Kathleen　McCullough　and　her　staff。
　McCullough；　wearing　a　white　lab　smock　over　her　rather　tubby　middle…aged　body　was　carrying　a　clipboard；　met　them　halfway　up　to　the　canine　area。　〃Hi。〃　she　smiled；　revealing　several　gold　fillings。　〃I　was　told　you　would　be　interested　in　seeing　our　wolf…dogs；　Rock。〃
　〃Rona　no　doubt　told　you　that。　I'm　skeptical。　But　lead　on。〃
　They　went　past　a　stall　containing　several　cows　nibbling　on　bales　of　hay。　〃Sweet；　aren't　they？　They're　of　a　black…and…white　milk　cow　called　the　Guernsey　…　or　the　rad…resistant　twenty…first　century　equivalent　anyway。　They　give　lots　of　milk。　We　supply　all　the　city's　milk　and　much　of　Century　City's　meat　from　right　here　…　and　that's　not　all。　In　Z　Sector；　we're　now　doing　important　back…breeding　of　many　rad…altered　species　too。　Schecter　had　done　some　unique　gene…splicing　research　that　enabled　the　staff　to　begin　restoring　much　of　the　vanished　species　of　the　Rockies　to　their　original　look　…　without　altering　their　inherited　resistance　to　the　radiation　levels　hereabouts。〃
　〃It's　forting　to　see；〃　Rock　noted　as　they　passed　the　fox　cages；　〃that　these　red　fox　no　longer　have　multiple　razor…horns　with　venom　inside　them。　Almost　got　killed　by　one　of　their　wild　relatives　once。〃
　〃Someday　these　back…bred　species　will　be　put　on　the　surface　to　breed　and　multiply　in　the　wild；　but　right　now　there　are　precious　few　of　them。　And　we　have　to　toughen　this　species　up。　Or　make　them　craftier。　Otherwise　their　relatives　…　the　horned　variety　…　will　make　mincemeat　out　of　them。〃
　Kathleen　McCullough　was　an　affable　type；　and　Rockson　wanted　to　linger　and　admire　the　handiwork　of　her　section；　but　they　had　to　rush　onward　to　the　kennels。　〃I'll　demand　a　longer　tour　some　other　time。　Kathleen；〃
　〃e　any　time。〃
　They　entered　the　K…9　area。　The　barking　was　intense　and　immediate　when　the　door　was　opened。　And　not　only　barking…some　sort　of　God…awful　high…pitched　howls；　several　of　them。
　〃Is　that　the　…〃
　〃Yes；　the　snow…wolf　pups　have　bee　noisy　in　their　old　age。〃
　〃Jeez；〃　Rock　said。　〃I　don't　know　if　I　could　take　a　lot　of　those　horrible　howls。〃
　Rona　laughed。　〃They　are　really　not　so　bad　once　they　stop　howling。〃
　They　went　to　a　grillwork　window；　and　as　Rockson　leaned　close　to　the　glass；　slavering　snarling　triple…row…of…teeth　mouths　slammed　against　the　metal　grating。
　Rock　leaped　back。　〃God；　I　didn't　expect　that。〃
　〃You　have　to　be　introduced　to　these　wolf…dogs　by　someone　they　like　…　or　else。　This　one；〃　said　Kathleen；　opening　the　next　door　as　Rockson　flattened　himself　against　the　wall　and　put　his　hand　on　the　butt　of　his　shotpistol；　〃is　the　biggest　one　…　one　hundred　and　ten　pounds　of　fury。　We　call　her　Class　Act；　because　she　has　such　a　beautiful　silvery　coat　of　fur。　e　on　in；　and　meet　her。〃
　Kathleen　approached　the　giant　furry　wolf…dog　and　petted　its　head。　〃Hi；　it's　me　…　we're　going　to　e　in　now　…　we　have　some　dog　yummies　for　you　and　some　visitors　…　please　be　nice　now　…　no　biting？〃
　A　snarl　in　response。　Kathleen　said；　〃Now；　be　a　nice　girl。〃
　〃Scaredy　cat　…　you　can　hide　behind　me；〃　Rona　said。
　〃I'm　not　afraid；　just　cautious；〃　Rockson　retorted；　and　petted　the　head　of　the　brute。　The　wolf…dog's　fur　was　cool　and　fluffy。　She　went　to　lick　his　hand。　〃She's　a　bit　bigger　than　I　expected；〃　Rock　said；　〃but　she's　nice。〃
　The　triple　row　of　teeth　could　be　seen　easily；　as　the　dog　yawned　and　sat　down　on　its　huge　haunches。　It　seemed　to　be　smiling。
　〃Good　dog；〃　Kathleen　said；　petting　it　once　or　twice　more。
　〃Rock；　I　think　she　likes　you。〃
　〃Yeah；〃　Rockson　said　ambivalently。　〃Are　the　males　bigger？〃　He　petted　the　thing's　head　again。　The　dog　responded　by　rubbing　up　against　his　leg；　a　move　that