一无所有-第64部分

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crossed　the　murky　basement　to　the　door；　and　went　up　onto　the　street。　The　fleet　of　armored　cars　had　passed。　A　very　few　stragglers　of　the　demonstration　went　by；　hurrying；　their　heads　down；　in　enemy　territory。　Shevek　tried　to　stop　two；　a　third　finally　halted　for　him。　〃I　need　a　doctor；　there　is　a　man　hurt。　Can　you　send　a　doctor　back　here？〃

〃Better　get　him　out。〃

〃Help　me　carry　him。〃

The　man　hurried　on。　〃They　ing　through　here；〃　he　called　back　over　his　shoulder。　〃You　better　get　out。〃

No　one　else　came　by；　and　presently　Shevek　saw　a　line　of　blackcoats　far　down　the　street　He　went　back　down　into　the　basement；　shut　the　door；　returned　to　the　wounded　man's　side；　sat　down　on　the　dusty　floor。　〃Hell；〃　he　said。

After　a　while　he　took　the　little　notebook　out　of　his　shirt　pocket　and　began　to　study　it。



In　the　afternoon；　when　he　cautiously　looked　outside；　he　saw　an　armored　car　stationed　across　the　street　and　two　others　slewed　across　the　street　at　the　crossing。　That　explained　the　shouts　he　had　been　hearing：　it　would　be　soldiers　giving　orders　to　each　other。

Atro　had　once　explained　to　him　how　this　was　managed；　how　the　sergeants　could　give　the　privates　orders；　how　the　lieutenants　could　give　the　privates　and　the　sergeants　orders；　how　the　captains　。。。　and　so　on　and　so　on　up　to　the　generals；　who　could　give　everyone　else　orders　and　need　take　them　from　none；　except　the　mander　in　chief。　Shevek　had　listened　with　incredulous　disgust　〃You　call　that　anization？〃　he　had　inquired。　〃You　even　call　it　discipline？　But　it　is　neither。　It　is　a　coercive　mechanism　of　extraordinary　inefficiency　—　a　kind　of　seventhmillennium　steam　engine！　With　such　a　rigid　and　fragile　structure　what　could　be　done　that　was　worth　doing？〃　This　had　given　Atro　a　chance　to　argue　the　worth　of　warfare　as　the　breeder　of　courage　and　manliness　and　the　weederout　of　the　unfit；　but　the　very　line　of　his　argument　had　forced　him　to　concede　the　effectiveness　of　guerillas；　anized　from　below；　selfdisciplined；　〃But　that　only　works　when　the　people　think　they're　fighting　for　something　of　their　own　—　you　know；　their　homes；　or　some　notion　or　other；〃　the　old　man　had　said。　Shevek　had　dropped　the　argument　He　now　continued　it；　in　the　darkening　basement　among　the　stacked　crates　of　unlabeled　chemicals。　He　explained　to　Atro　that　he　now　understood　why　the　army　was　anized　as　it　was。　It　was　indeed　quite　necessary。　No　rational　form　of　anization　would　serve　the　purpose。　He　simply　had　not　understood　that　the　purpose　was　to　enable　men　with　machine　guns　to　kill　unarmed　men　and　women　easily　and　in　great　quantities　when　told　to　do　so。　Only　he　still　could　not　see　where　courage；　or　manliness；　or　fitness　entered　in。

He　occasionally　spoke　to　his　panion；　too；　as　it　got　darker。　The　man　was　lying　now　with　his　eyes　open；　and　he　moaned　a　couple　of　times　in　a　way　that　touched　Shevek；　a　childish；　patient　sort　of　moan。　He　had　made　a　gallant　effort　to　keep　up　and　keep　going；　all　the　time　they　were　in　the　first　panic　of　the　crowd　forcing　into　and　through　the　Directorate；　and　running；　and　then　walking　towards　Old　Town；　he　had　held　the　hurt　hand　under　his　coat；　pressed　against　his　side；　and　had　done　his　best　to　keep　going　and　not　to　hold　Shevek　back。　The　second　time　he　moaned；　Shevek　took　his　good　hand　and　whispered。　〃Don't；　don't。　Be　quiet；　brother；〃　only　because　he　could　not　bear　to　hear　the　man's　pain　and　not　be　able　to　do　anything　for　him。　The　man　probably　thought　he　meant　he　should　be　quiet　lest　he　give　them　away　to　the　police；　for　he　nodded　weakly　and　shut　his　lips　together。

The　two　of　them　endured　there　three　nights。　During　all　that　time　there　was　sporadic　fighting　in　the　warehouse　district；　and　the　army　blockade　remained　across　that　block　of　Mesee　Boulevard。　The　fighting　never　came　very　close　to　it；　and　it　was　strongly　manned；　so　the　men　in　hiding　had　no　chance　to　get　out　without　surrendering　themselves。　Once　when　his　panion　was　awake　Shevek　asked　him；　〃'If　we　went　out　to　the　police　what　would　they　do　with　us？〃

The　man　smiled　and　whispered；　〃Shoot　us。〃

As　there　had　been　scattered　gunfire　around；　near　and　far；　for　hours；　and　an　occasional　solid　explosion；　and　the　clacking　of　the　helicopters；　his　opinion　seemed　well　founded。　The　reason　for　his　smile　was　less　clear。

He　died　of　loss　of　blood　that　night；　while　they　lay　side　by　side　for　warmth　on　the　mattress　Shevek　had　made　from　packingcrate　straw。　He　was　already　stiff　when　Shevek　woke；　and　sat　up；　and　listened　to　the　silence　in　the　great　dark　basement　and　outside　on　the　street　and　in　all　the　city；　a　silence　of　death。

















Chapter　10






Rail　lines　in　Southwest　ran　for　the　most　part　on　embankments　a　meter　or　more　above　the　plain。　There　was　less　dust　drift　on　an　elevated　roadbed；　and　it　gave　travelers　a　good　view　of　desolation。

Southwest　was　the　only　one　of　the　eight　Divisions　of　Anarres　that　lacked　any　major　body　of　water。　Marshes　were　formed　by　polar　melt　in　summer　in　the　far　south；　towards　the　equator　there　were　only　shallow　alkaline　lakes　in　vast　salt　pans。　There　were　no　mountains；　every　hundred　kilometers　or　so　a　chain　of　hills　ran　northsouth；　barren；　cracked；　weathered　into　cliffs　and　pinnacles。　They　were　streaked　with　violet　and　red；　and　on　cliff　faces　the　rockmoss；　a　plant　that　lived　in　any　extreme　of　heat；　cold；　aridity；　and　wind；　grew　in　bold　verticals　of　greygreen；　making　a　plaid　with　the　striations　of　the　sandstone。　There　was　no　other　color　in　the　landscape　but　dun；　fading　to　whitish　where　salt　pans　lay　half　covered　with　sand。　Rare　thunderclouds　moved　over　the　plains；　vivid　white　in　the　purplish　sky。　They　cast　no　rain；　only　shadows。　The　embankment　and　the　glittering　rails　ran　straight　behind　the　truck　train　to　the　end　of　sight　and　straight　before　it　to　the　end　of　sight。

Nothing　you　can　do　with　Southwest；〃　said　the　driver；　〃but　get　across　it。〃

His　panion　did　not　answer；　having　fallen　asleep。　His　head　jiggled　to　the　vibration　of　the　engine。　His　hands；　workhard　and　blackened　by　frostbite；　lay　loose　on　his　thighs；　his　face　in　relaxation　was　lined　and　sad。　He　had　hitched　the　ride　in　Copper　Mountain；　and　since　there　were　no　other　passengers　the　driver　had　asked　him　to　ride　in　the　cab　for　pany。　He　had　gone　to　sleep　at　once。　The　driver　glanced　at　him　from　time　to　time　with　disappointment　but　sympathy。　He　had　seen　so　many　wornout　people　in　the　last　years　that　it　seemed　the　normal　condition　to　him。

Late　in　the　long　afternoon　the　man　woke　up；　and　after　staring　out　at　the　desert　a　while　be　asked；　〃You　always　do　this　run　alone？〃

〃Last　three；　four　years。〃

〃Ever　break　down　out　here？〃

〃Couple　of　times。　Plenty　of　rations　and　water　in　the　locker。　You　hungry；　by　the　way？〃

〃Not　yet。〃

〃They　send　down　the　breakdown　rig　from　Lonesome　within　a　day　or　so。〃

〃That's　the　next　settlement？〃

〃Right　Seventeen　hundred　kilometers　from　Sedep　Mines　to　Lonesome。　Longest　run　between　towns　on　Anarres。　I've　been　doing　it　for　eleven　years。〃　

〃Not　tired　of　it？〃

〃No。　Like　to　run　a　job　by　myself。〃

The　passenger　nodded　agreement。

〃And　it's　steady。　I　like　routine；　you　can　think。　Fifteen　days　on　the　run；　fifteen　off　with　the　partner　in　New　Hope。　Year　in；　year　out；　drought；　famine；　whatever。　Nothing　changes；　it's　always　drought　down　here。　I　like　the　run。　Get　the　water　out；　will　you？　Cooler's　back　underneath　the　locker。〃

They　each　had　a　long　swig　from　the　bottle。　The　water　had　a　flat；　alkaline　taste；　but　was　cool。　〃Ah；　that's　good！〃　the　passenger　said　gratefully。　He　put　the　bottle　away　and；　returning　to　his　seat　in　the　front　of　the　cab；　stretched；　bracing　his　hands　against　the　roof。　〃You're　a　partnered　man；　then；〃　he　said。　There　was　a　simplicity　in　the　way　he　said　it　that　the　driver　liked；　and　he　answered；　〃Eighteen　years。〃

〃Just　starting。〃

〃By　damn；　I　agree　with　that！　Now　that's　what　some　don't　see。　But　the　way　I　see　it；　if　you　copulate　around　enough　in　your　teens；　that's　when　you　get　the　most　out　of　it；　and　also　you　find　out　that　it's　all　pretty　much　the　same　damn　thing。　And　a　good　thing；　tool　But　still；　what's　different　isn't　the　copulating；　it's　the　other　person。　And　eighteen　years　is　just　a　start；　all　right；　when　it　es　to　figuring　out　that　difference。　At　least；　if　it's　a　woman　you're　trying　to　figure　out。