deathworld-第28部分

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　 〃The　guard；　Skop；　ran　away　because　he　didn't　want　to　lose　his　precious　two…value　logic。　It's　all　he　has。　But　you've　seen　other　parts　of　the　galaxy；　Meta；　you　know　there　is　a　lot　more　to　life　than　kill…and…be…killed　on　Pyrrus。　You　feel　it　is　true；　even　if　you　won't　admit　it。〃
　 She　turned　and　ran　out　the　door。
　 Jason　looked　after　her；　his　hand　scraping　the　bristle　on　his　chin　thoughtfully。　〃Meta；　I　have　the　faint　hope　that　the　woman　is　winning　over　the　Pyrran。　I　think　that　I　saw…perhaps　for　the　first　time　in　the　history　of　this　bloody；　wartorn　city…a　tear　in　one　of　its　citizen's　eyes。〃
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　 〃Drop　that　equipment　and　Kerk　will　undoubtedly　pull　both　your　arms　off；〃　Jason　said。　〃He's　over　there　now；　looking　as　sorry　as　possible　that　I　ever　talked　him　into　this。〃
　 Skop　cursed　under　the　bulky　mass　of　the　psi　detector；　passing　it　up　to　Meta　who　waited　in　the　open　port　of　the　spaceship。　Jason　supervised　the　loading　and　blasted　all　the　local　life　that　came　to　investigate。　Horndevils　were　thick　this　morning　and　he　shot　four　of　them。　He　was　last　aboard　and　closed　the　lock　behind　him。
　 〃Where　are　you　going　to　install　it？〃　Meta　asked。
　 〃You　tell　me；〃　Jason　said。　〃I　need　a　spot　for　the　antenna　where　there　will　be　no　dense　metal　in　front　of　the　bowl　to　interfere　with　the　signal。　Thin　plastic　will　do　or；　if　worst　es　to　worst；　I　can　mount　it　outside　the　hull　with　a　remote　drive。〃
　 〃You　may　have　to；〃　she　said。　〃The　hull　is　an　unbroken　unit；　we　do　all　viewing　by　screen　and　instruments。　I　don't　think…wait…there　is　one　place　that　might　do。〃
　 She　led　the　way　to　a　bulge　in　the　hull　that　marked　one　of　the　lifeboats。　They　went　in　through　the　always…open　lock；　Skop　struggling　after　them　with　the　apparatus。
　 〃These　lifeboats　are　half　buried　in　the　ship；〃　Meta　explained。　〃They　have　transparent　front　ports　covered　by　friction　shields　that　withdraw　automatically　when　the　boat　is　launched。〃
　 〃Can　we　pull　back　the　shields　now？〃
　 〃I　think　so；〃　she　said。　She　traced　the　launching　circuits　to　a　junction　box　and　opened　the　lid。　When　she　closed　the　shield　relay　manually；　the　heavy　plates　slipped　back　into　the　hull。　There　was　a　clear　view；　since　most　of　the　viewport　projected　beyond　the　parent　ship。
　 〃Perfect；〃　Jason　said。　〃I'll　set　up　here。　Now　how　do　I　talk　to　you　in　the　ship？〃
　 〃Bight　here；〃　she　said。　〃There's　a　pretuned　setting　on　this　municator。　Don't　touch　anything　else…and　particularly　not　this　switch。〃　She　pointed　to　a　large　pull…handle　set　square　into　the　center　of　the　control
　board。　〃Emergency　launching。　Two　seconds　after　that　is　pulled；　t　lifeboat　is　shot　free。　And　it　so　happens　this　boat　has　no　fuel。〃
　 〃Hands　off　for　sure；〃　Jason　said。　〃Now　have　Husky　there　run　me　a　line　with　ship's　power　and　I'll　get　this　stuff　set　up。〃
　 The　detector　was　simple；　though　the　tuning　had　to　be　precise。　dish…shaped　antenna　pulled　in　the　signal　for　the　delicately　balanc　detector。　There　was　a　sharp　falloff　on　both　sides　of　the　input　so　din　tion　could　be　precisely　determined。　The　resulting　signal　was　fed　to　amplifier　stage。　Unlike　the　electronic　ponents　of　the　first　stage；　ti　one　was　drawn　in　symbols　on　white　paper。　Carefully　glued…on　inf　and　output　leads　ran　to　ft。
　 When　everything　was　ready　and　clamped　into　place；　Jason　nodd　to　Meta's　image　on　the　screen。　〃Take　her　up…and　easy；　please。　No　of　your　nine…G　specials。　Go　into　a　slow　circle　around　the　perimeter；　a　till　tell　you　differently。〃
　 Under　steady　power　the　ship　lifted　and　grabbed　for　altitude；　th　eased　into　its　circular　course。　They　made　five　circuits　of　the　city　befc　Jason　shook　his　head。
　 〃The　thing　seems　to　be　working　fine；　but　we're　getting　too　mu　noise　from　all　the　local　life。　Get　thirty　kilometers　out　from　the　city　a　start　a　new　circuit。〃
　 The　results　were　better　this　time。　A　powerful　signal　came　fr　the　direction　of　the　city；　confined　to　less　than　a　degree　of　arc。　With　antenna　fixed　at　a　right　angle　to　the　direction　of　the　ship's　flight；　signal　was　fairly　constant。　Meta　rotated　the　ship　on　its　main　axis；　ur　Jason's　lifeboat　was　directly　below。
　 〃Going　fine　now；〃　he　said。　〃Just　hold　your　controls　as　they　are　a　keep　the　nose　from　drifting。〃
　 Af~er　making　a　careful　mark　on　the　setting　circle；　Jason　turned　i　receiving　antenna　through　i　8o°　of　arc。　As　the　ship　kept　to　its　circ　he　made　a　slow　collecting　sweep　of　any　signals　beamed　at　the　city。　Ti　were　halfway　around　before　he　got　a　new　signal。
　 It　was　there　all　right；　narrow　but　strong。　Just　to　be　sure；　he　let　I　ship　plete　two　more　sweeps；　and　he　noted　the　direction　on　the　gy　pass　each　time。　They　coincided。　The　third　time　around　he　cal　to　Meta。
　 〃Get　ready　for　a　full　right　turn；　or　whatever　you　call　it。　I　think　I　hr　our　bearing。　Get　ready…now。〃
　 It　was　a　slow　turn　and　Jason　never　lost　the　signal。　A　few　times　it　w　ered；　but　he　brought　it　back　on。　When　the　pass　settled　down；　M　pushed　on　more　power。
　 They　set　their　course　toward　the　native　Pyrrans。
　 An　hour's　flight　at　close　to　top　atmospheric　speed　brought　no　change。　Meta　plained；　but　Jason　kept　her　on　course。　The　signal　never　varied　and　was　slowly　picking　up　strength。　They　crossed　the　chain　of　volcanoes　that　marked　the　continental　limits；　the　ship　bucking　in　the　fierce　thermals。　Once　the　shore　was　behind　and　they　were　over　water；　Skop　joined　Meta　in　grumbling。　He　kept　his　turret　spinning；　but　there　was　very　little　to　shoot　at　this　far　from　land。
　 When　the　islands　came　over　the　horizon；　the　signal　began　to　dip。
　 〃Slow　now；〃　Jason　called。　〃Those　islands　ahead　look　like　our　source！〃
　 A　continent　had　been　here　once；　floating　on　Pyrrus's　liquid　core。　Pressures　changed；　land　masses　shifted；　and　the　continent　had　sunk　beneath　the　ocean。　All　that　was　left　now　of　the　teeming　life　of　that　land　mass　was　confined　to　a　chain　of　islands；　once　the　mountain　peaks　of　the　highest　range　of　mountains。　These　islands；　whose　sheer　sides　rose　straight　from　the　water；　held　the　last　inhabitants　of　the　lost　continent。　The　weeded…out　descendants　of　the　victors　of　uncountable　violent　contests。　Here　lived　the　oldest　native　Pyrrans。
　 〃e　in　lower；〃　Jason　signaled；　〃toward　that　large　peak。　The　signals　seem　to　originata　there。〃
　 They　swooped　low　over　the　mountain；　but　nothing　was　visible　other　than　the　trees　and　sunblasted　rock。
　 The　pain　almost　took　Jason's　head　off。　A　blast　of　hatred　that　drove　through　the　amplifier　and　into　his　skull。　He　tore　off　the　phones　and　clutched　his　skull　between　his　hands。　Through　watering　eyes；　he　saw　the　black　cloud　of　flying　beasts　hurtle　up　from　the　trees　below。　He　had　a　single　glimpse　of　the　hillside　beyond　before　Meta　blasted　power　to　the　engines　and　the　ship　leaped　away。
　 〃We've　found　them！〃　Her　fierce　exultation　faded　as　she　saw　Jason　through　the　municator。　〃Are　you　all　right？　What　happened？〃
　 〃Feel　。　。　。　burned　out。　。　。　。　I've　felt　a　psi　blast　before；　but　nothing　like　thati　I　had　a　glimpse　of　an　opening；　looked　like　a　cave　mouth；　just　before　the　blast　hit。　Seemed　to　e　from　there。〃
　 〃Lie　down；〃　Meta　said。　〃I'll　get　you　back　as　fast　as　I　can。　I'm　calling　ahead　to　Kerk。　He　has　to　know　what　happened。〃
　
　 A　group　of　men　were　waiting　in　the　landing　station　when　they　came　down。　They　stormed　out　as　soon　as　the　ship　touched；　shielding　their　faces　from　the　still…hot　tubes。　Kerk　burst　in　as　soon　as　the　port　was　cracked；　peering　around　until　he　spotted　Jason　stretched　out　on　an　acceleration　couch。
　 〃Is　it　true？〃　he　barked。　〃You've　traced　the　alien　criminals　who　started　this　war？〃
　 〃Slow；　man；　slow；〃　Jason　said。　〃I've　traced　the　source　of　the　psi　message　that　keeps　your　war　going。　I've　found　no　evidence　as　to　who　started　this　war；　and　certainly　wouldn't　go　so　far　as　to　call　them　criminals。　。　。　。〃
　 〃I'm　tired　of　your　word　play；〃　Kerk　broke　in。　〃You've　found　these　creatures　and　their　location　has　been　marked。〃
　 〃On　the　chart；〃　Meta　said；　〃I　could　fly　there　blindfolded。〃
　 'Pine；　fine；〃　Kerk　said；　rubbing　his　hands　together　so　hard　they　could　hear　the　harsh　rasp　of　the　calluses。　〃It　takes　a　real　effort　to　grasp　the　idea　that；　after　all　these　centuries；　the　war　might　be　ing　to　an　end。　But　it's　possible　now。　Instead　of　simply　killing　off　these　self…renewing　legions　of　the　damned　that　attack　us；　we　can　get　to　the