bill_the_galactic_hero_v1.1-第33部分

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　　〃They　e；　they　go；　they're　all　the　same；〃　Blackey　said；　packing　a　small　toilet　kit。
　　They　began　to　realize　that　something　was　wrong　when　the　column　of　prisoners　was　shackled　then　chained　together　with　neckcuffs　and　leg　irons　and　prodded　into　the　transport　spacer　by　a　platoon　of　bat　MPs。　〃Move　along！〃　they　shouted。　〃You'll　have　plenty　of　time　to　relax　when　we　got　to　Tabes　Dorsalgia。〃
　　〃Where　are　we　going？〃　Bill　gasped。　
　　〃You　heard　me；　snap　it　bowb。〃
　　〃You　told　me　Tabes　Dorsalis；〃　Bill　snarled　at　Blackey　who　was　ahead　of　him　in　the　chain。　〃Tabes　Dorsalgia　is　the　base　on　Veneria　where　all　the　fighting　is　going　on…we're　heading　for　bat！〃
　　〃A　little　slip　of　the　pen；〃　Blackey　sighed。　〃You　can't　win　them　all。〃
　　　He　dodged　the　kick　Bill　swung　at　him；　then　waited　patiently　while　the　MPs　beat　Bill　senseless　with　their　clubs　and　dragged　him　aboard　the　ship。

III

　　　Veneria　。　。　。　a　fog…shrouded　world…of　untold　horrors；　creeping　in　its　orbit　around　the　ghoulish　green　star　Hernia　like　some　repellent　heavenly　trespasser　newly　rose　from　the　nethermost　pit。　What　secrets　lie　beneath　the　eternal　mists？　What　nameless　monsters　undulate　and　gibber　in　its　dank　tarns　and　bottomless　black　lagoons？　Faced　by　the　unspeakable　terrors　of　this　planet　men　go　mad　rather　than　face　up　to　the　faceless。　Veneria　。　。　。　swamp　world；　the　lair　of　the　hideous　and　unimaginable　Venians　。　。
　　It　was　hot　and　it　was　damp　and　it　stank。　The　wood　of　the　newly　constructed　barracks　was　already　soft　and　rotting　away。　You　took　your　shoes　off；　and　before　they　hit　the　floor　fungus　was　growing　out　of　them。　Once　inside　the　pound　their　chains　were　removed；　since　there　was　no　place　for　laborcamp　prisoners　to　escape　to；　and　Bill　wheeled　around　looking　for　Blackey；　the　fingers　of　Tembo's　arm　snapping　like　hungry　jaws。　Then　he　remembered　that　Blackey　had　spoken　to　one　of　the　guards　as　they　were　leaving　the　ship；　had　slipped　him　something；　and　a　little　while　later　had　been　unlocked　from　the　line　and　led　away。　By　now　he　would　be　running　the　file　section　and　by　tomorrow　he　would　be　living　in　the　nurses's　quarters。　Bill　sighed；　let　the　whole　thing　slip　out　of　his　mind　and　vanish；　since　it　was　just　one　more　antagonistic　factor　that　he　had　no　control　over；　and　dropped　down　onto　the　nearest　bunk。　Instantly　a　vine　flashed　up　from　a　crack　in　the　floor；　whipped　four　times　around　the　bunk　lashing　him　securely　to　it；　then　plunged　tendrils　into　his　leg　and　began　to　drink　his　blood。
　　〃Grrrrk　。　。　。　！〃　Bill　croaked　against　the　pressure　of　a　green　loop　that　tightened　around　his　throat。
　　〃Never　lie　down　without　you　got　a　knife　in　your　hand；〃　a　thin；　yellowish　sergeant　said　as　he　passed　by；　and　severed　the　vine；　with　his　own　knife；　where　it　emerged　from　the　floorboards。
　　〃Thanks；　Sarge；〃　Bill　said；　stripping　off　the　coils　and　throwing　them　out　the　window。
　　The　sergeant　suddenly　began　vibrating　like　a　plucked　string　and　dropped　onto　the　foot　of　Bill's　bunk。　〃P…pocket　。　。　。　shirt　。　。　。　p…p…pills　。　。　。〃　he　stuttered　through　chattering　teeth。　Bill　pulled　a　plastic　box　of　pills　out　of　the　sergeant's　pocket　and　forced　some　of　them　into　his　mouth。　The　vibrations　stopped；　and　the　man　sagged　back　against　the　wall；　gaunter　and　yellower　and　streaming　with　sweat。
　　〃Jaundice　and　swamp　fever　and　galloping　filariasis；　never　know　when　an　attack　will　hit　me；　that's　why　they　can't　send　me　back　to　bat；　I　can't　hold　a　gun。　Me；　Master　Sergeant　Ferkel；　the　best　damned　flamethrower　in　Kirjassoff's　Kutthroats；　and　they　have　me　playing　nursemaid　in　a　prison　labor　camp。　So　you　think　that　bugs　me？　It　does　not　bug　me；　it　makes　me　happy；　and　the　only　thing　that　would　make　me　happier　would　be　shipping　off　this　cesspool…planet　at　once。〃
　　〃Do　you　think　alcohol　will　hurt　your　condition？〃　Bill　asked；　passing　over　a　bottle　of　cough　syrup。　〃It's　kind　of　rough　here？〃　　　〃Not　only　won't　hurt　it；　but　it　will　。　。　。〃　There　was　a　deep　gurgling；　and
when　the　sergeant　spoke　again　he　was　hoarser　but　stronger。　〃Rough　is　not　the　word　for　it。　Fighting　the　Chingers　is　bad　enough；　but　on　this　planet　they　have　the　natives；　the　Venians；　on　their　side。　These　Venians　look　like　moldy　newts；
and　they　got　just　maybe　enough　I。Q。　to　hold　a　gun　and　pull　the　trigger；　but　it　is　their　planet　and　they　are　but　murder　out　there　in　the　swamps。　They　hide　under　the　mud　and　they　swim　under　the　water　and　they　swing　from　the　trees　and　the
whole　planet　is　thick　with　them。　They　got　no　sources　of　supply；　no　army　divisions；　no　organizations；　they　just　fight。　If　one　dies　the　others　eat　him。　If　one　is　wounded　in　the　leg　the　others　eat　the　leg　and　he　grows　a　new　one。　If　one　of　them　runs　out　of　ammunition　or　poison　darts　or　whatever　he　just　swims　back　a　hundred　miles　to　base；　loads　up；　and　back　to　battle。　We　have　been　fighting　here　for　three　years；　and　we　now　control　one　hundred　square　miles　of　territory。〃
　　〃A　hundred；　that　sounds　like　a　lot。〃　　　〃Just　to　a　stupid　bowb　like　you。　That　is　ten　miles　by　ten　miles；　and　maybe　about　two　square　miles　more　than　we　captured　in　the　first　landings。〃
　　　There　was　the　squish…thud　of　tired　feet；　and　weary；　mudsoaked　men　began　to　drag　into　the　barracks。　Sergeant　Ferkel　hauled　himself　to　his　feet　and　blew　a　long　blast　on　his　whistle。
　　　〃All　right　you　new　men；　now　hear　this。　You　have　all　been　assigned　to　B　squad；　which　is　now　assembling　in　the　pound；　which　squad　will　now　march　out　into　the　swamp　and　finish　the　job　these　shagged　creeps　from　A　squad　began　this　morning。　You　will　do　a　good　day's　work　out　there。　I　am　not　going　to　appeal　to　your　sense　of　loyalty；　your　honor　or　your　sense　of　duty　。　。　。〃　Ferkel　whipped　out　his　atomic　pistol　and　blew　a　hole　in　the　ceiling　through　which　rain　began　to　drip。　〃I　am　only　going　to　appeal　to　your　urge　to　survive；　because　any　man　shirking；　goofing　off；　or　not　pulling　his　own　weight　will　personally　be　shot　dead　by　me。　Now　get　out。〃　With　his　bared　teeth　and　shaking　hands　he　looked　sick　enough　and　mean　enough　and　mad　enough　to　do　it。　Bill　and　the　rest　of　B　squad　rushed　out　into　the　rain　and　formed　ranks。
　　〃Pick　up　da　axes；　pick　up　da　picks；　get　the　uranium　out；〃　the　corporal　of　the　armed　guard　snarled　as　they　squelched　through　the　mud　toward　the　gate。　The　labor　squad；　carrying　their　tools；　stayed　in　the　center；　while　the　armed　guard　walked　on　the　outside。　The　guard　wasn't　there　to　stop　the　prisoners　from　escaping　but　to　give　some　measure　of　protection　from　the　enemy。　They　dragged　slowly　down　the　road　of　felled　trees　that　wound　through　the　swamp。　There　was　a　sudden　whistling　overhead；　and　heavy　transports　flashed　by。
　　〃We're　in　luck　today；〃　one　of　the　older　prisoners　said；　〃they're　sending　in　the　heavy　infantry　again。　I　didn't　know　they　had　any　left。〃　
　　〃You　mean　they'll　capture　more　territory？〃　Bill　asked。
　　〃Naw；　all　they'll　get　is　dead。　But　while　they're　getting　butchered　some　of　the　pressure　will　be　off　of　us；　and　we　can　maybe　work　without　losing　too　many　men。〃
　　　Without　orders　they　all　stopped　to　watch　as　the　heavy　infantry　fell　like　rain　into　the　swamps　ahead…and　vanished　just　as　easily　as　raindrops。　Every　once　in
awhile　there　would　be　a　boom　and　flash　as　a　teensie　A…bomb　went　off；　which　probably　atomized　a　few　Venians；　but　there　were　billions　more　of　the　enemy　just　waiting　to　rush　in。　Small　arms。　crackled　in　the　distance；　and　grenades　boomed。　Then　over　the　trees　they　saw　a　bobbing；　bouncing　figure　approach。　It　was　a　heavy　infantryman　in　his　armored　suit　and　gasproof　helmet；　A…bombs　and　grenades　strapped　to　him；　a　regular　walking　armory。　Or　rather　hopping　armory；　since　he　would　have　had　trouble　walking　on　a　paved　street　with　the　weight　of　junk　hung　about　him；　so　he　therefore　moved　by　jumping；　using　two　reaction　rockets；　one　bolted　to　each　hip。　His　hops　were　getting　lower　and　lower　as　he　came　near。　He　landed　fifty　yards　away　and　slowly　sank　to　his　waist　in　the　swamp；　his　rockets　hissing　as　they　touched　the　water。　Then　he　hopped　again；　much　shorter　this　time；　the　rockets　fizzling　and　popping；　and　he　threw　his　helmet　open　in　the　air。
　　　〃Hey；　guys；〃　he　called。　〃The　dirty　Chingers　got　my　fuel　tank。　My　rockets　are　almost　out；　I　can't　hop　much　more。　Give　a　buddy　a　hand　will　you　。　。　。　〃　He　hit　the　water　with　a　splash。　
　　〃Get　outta　the　monkey　suit　and　we'll　pull　you　in；〃　the　guard　cor