deathworld-第7部分

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berty　of　the　ship。
　 It　was　a　short　trip。　Jason　barely　had　time　to　catch　up　on　his　sleep　before　they　grounded　on　Darkhan。　Being　without　luggage；　they　were　the　first　ones　through　customs。　They　left　the　shed　just　in　time　to　see　another　ship　landing　in　a　distant　pit。　Kerk　stopped　to　watch　it　and　Jason　followed　his　gaze。　It　was　a　grey；　scarred　ship。　With　the　stubby　lines　of　a　freighter…but　sporting　as　many　large　guns　as　a　cruiser。
　 〃Yours；　of　course；〃　Jason　said。
　 Kerk　nodded　and　started　toward　the　ship。　One　of　the　locks　opened　as　they　came　up　but　no　one　appeared。　Instead　a　remote…release　folding　ladder　rattled　down　to　the　ground。　Kerk　swarmed　up　it　and　Jason　followed　glumly。　Somehow；　he　felt；　this　was　overdoing　the　no…frills…andnonsense　attitude。
　 Jason　was　catching　on　to　Pyrran　ways；　though。　The　reception　aboard　ship　for　the　ambassador　was　just　what　he　expected。　Nothing。　Kerk　closed　the　lock　himself　and　they　found　couches　as　the　takeoff　horn　sounded。　The　main　jets　roared　and　acceleration　smashed　down　on　Jason。
　 It　didn't　stop。　Instead　it　grew　stronger；　squeezing　the　air　out　of　his　lungs　and　the　sight　from　his　eyes。　He　screamed　but　couldn't　hear　his　own　voice　through　the　roaring　in　his　ears。　Mercifully　he　blacked　out。
　 When　consciousness　returned　the　ship　was　at　zero…G。　Jason　kept　his
　eyes　closed　and　let　the　pain　seep　out　of　his　body。　Kerk　spoke　suddenly；　he　was　standing　next　to　the　couch。
　 〃My　fault；　Meta；　I　should　have　told　you　we　had　a　one…C　passenger　aboard。　You　might　have　eased　up　a　bit　on　your　usual　bone…breaking　takeoff。〃
　 〃It　doesn't　seem　to　have　harmed　him　much…but　what's　he　doing　here？〃
　 Jason　felt　mild　surprise　that　the　second　voice　was　a　girl's。　But　he　wasn't　interested　enough　to　go　to　the　trouble　of　opening　his　sore　eyes。
　 〃Going　to　Pyrrus。　I　tried　to　talk　him　out　of　it；　of　course；　but　I　couldn't　change　his　mind。　It's　a　shame；　too；　I　would　like　to　have　done　more　for　him。　He's　the　one　who　got　the　money　for　us。〃
　 〃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