hh.thessrat.sings.the.blues-第42章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　〃Put　the　mind　in　gear；　Jim！〃　I　shouted　at　myself；　my　words　loud　in　the　surrounding　silence。　〃Something　is　happening…but　what？　Something　happened　after　you　touched　the　green　light。　Something　to　do　with　the　artifact。〃
　I　stared　at　it。　Tapped　it　with　my　knuckles。　Groped　about　for　inspiration。　Found　it。
　〃Tachyons！　This　thing　emits　them…we　know　that　because　that　is　how　Aida　tracked　it　in　the　first　place。　Tachyons…the　units　of　time　。　。　。〃
　The　device　was　now　functioning…I　had　turned　it　on　when　I　had　pressed　the　light。　Green　for　go。　Go　where？
　Stasis　or　speed。　Either　I　had　been　speeded　up　or　the　world　had　slowed　down。　Or　how　could　I　tell　the　difference？　From　my　point　of　view　everything　seemed　to　have　slowed　and　stopped。　The　artifact　had　done　something；　projected　a　temporal　field　or　stopped　the　motion　of　molecules。　Or　had　created　an　occurrence　that　froze　the　surrounding　world　in　a　single　moment　of　time。　Time　had　e　to　a　stop　everywhere　that　I　could　see…except　in　the　close　vicinity　of　the　device。　I　moved　even　closer　and　patted　it。
　〃Good　little　time　machine。　Time　mover；　slower；　halter；　stopper…whatever　you　are。　Neat　trick。　But　what　do　I　do　next？〃
　It　chose　not　to　answer　me。　Nor　did　I　expect　it　to。　This　was　my　problem　now　and　I　had　to　force　myself　to　take　the　time　to　think　it　out。　For　the　moment　I　had　all　the　time　I　needed。　Though　eventually　I　would　have　to　do　something。　And　that　something　would　probably　mean　touching　another　one　of　the　colored　buttons。　Either　that　or　I　could　stand　looking　dumbly　at　the　device　while　I　quietly　died　of　thirst　or　starvation　or　whatever。
　But　which　light？
　Green　had　been　obvious　enough…even　more　obvious　by　hindsight。　And　the　decision　had　been　made　at　a　moment　of　life　and　death。　Nov；　I　was　not　so　sure。　I　reached　out；　then　dropped　my　hand。　With　plenty　of　time　to　decide　I　had　bee　the　master　of　indecision。　Green　had　meant　go；　turn　on；　get　started。　Did　red　mean　off；　stop？　Maybe。　But　what　about　white　and　orange？
　〃Not　an　easy　one；　Jimmy　boy？〃　I　said　in　what　I　hoped　was　a　jocular　voice…which　came　out　very　mournful　and　doomladen。　I　wrung　my　hands　together　with　indecision。　Then　stopped　and　looked　at　them　as　though　I　might　see　some　answer　printed　on　my　fingers。　All　I　saw　was　dirt　under　the　nails。
　〃You　have　got　to　do　it　sooner　or　later…so　do　it　sooner　before　your　nerve　fails　pletely；〃　I　told　myself。　Reached　out　a　finger…drew　it　away。　It　looked　like　my　nerve　had　indeed　failed　me　pletely。
　〃Take　yourself　in　hand；　Jim！〃　I　ordered。　Reached　back　and　took　a　handful　of　collar　and　shook　myself　as　violently　as　I　could。
　It　was　no　help　at　all。　Random　choice　then？　Why　not；　just　as　good　as　guessing。　I　put　the　finger　out　again　and　promised　myself　that　I　would　push　down　on　whatever　color　was　under　the　finger　when　the　jingle　ended。
　〃Eeeny；　meeny；　miney；　shmoe；　catch　a　。　。　。〃
　I　never　found　out　what　I　was　going　to　catch　because　at　that　moment　I　heard　the　dragging　footsteps　ing　from　the　hall。
　Sound？
　Out　there　where　nothing　moved！
　I　jumped　about；　hands　raised　in　defense。　Lowered　them　and　waited　as　the　footsteps　grew　louder；　came　closer　and　closer　to　the　doorway　。　。　。
　Slipped　past　Floyd's　immobile　body。
　〃Aliens！　Monsters！〃　I　gasped；　pulling　back。　Trying　to　run　although　I　knew　there　was　no　place　to　go。
　Two　hideous　metal　creatures。　Bifurcated　limbs；　many…angled　skulls；　glowing　eyes；　claw…fingered　hands。　ing　towards　me。　Stopping。　Reaching　out
　No！　Reaching　up　to　twist　their　own　heads　off。　I　could　hear　a　gurgling　scream；　was　only　dimly　aware　that　it　was　my　own　voice。
　Twisted　and　turned　and　lifted…
　Lifted　off　the　helmets。　Two　very　human　faces　looked　at　me　with　a　good　deal　of　interest。　I　stared　back　with　the　same　emotion。　Realized　that；　despite　the　close…cropped　hair；　the　one　on　the　left　was　female。　She　smiled　at　me　and　spoke。
　〃Wes　hal；　eltheodige；　ac　hwca　bith　thes　thin　freond？〃
　I　blinked；　didn't　understand　a　word。　Shrugged　and　smiled　in　what　I　hoped　was　a　winning　way。　The　second　visitor　shook　his　head。
　〃Unrihte　tide；　unrihte　elde；　to　earlz'ch　eart　thu　re！〃
　〃Look；〃　I　said；　having　enough　of　this　and　very　much　needing　a　few　questions　answered。　〃Could　you　please　try　Esperanto？　That　good；　old；　simple　intergalactic　second　language　Esperanto。〃
　〃Certainly；〃　the　girl　said；　smiling　a　winning　and　white…toothed　smile。　〃My　name　is　Vesta　Timetinker。　My　panion　is　Othred　Timetinker。〃
　〃Married？〃　I　asked　for　some　inprehensible　reason。
　〃No；　stepsiblings。　And　you…you　have　a　name？〃
　〃Yes；　of　course。　James　diGriz。　But　everyone　calls　me　Jim。〃
　〃A　pleasure　to　meet　you；　Jim。　Our　thanks　for　activating　the　temporooter。　We'll　take　it　off　your　hands　now。〃
　She　started　towards　the　artifact…which　I　now　knew　was　a　temporooter。　Though　I　still　knew　little　else。　I　stepped　in　front　of　it　and　said：
　〃No。〃
　〃No？〃　Her　rather　attractive　forehead　furrowed　while　Othred's　face　suddenly　looked　grim。　I　turned　a　bit　so　I　could　keep　an　active　eye　on　him。
　〃If　no　is　too　abrupt；〃　I　said；　〃then　I　will　ameliorate　it　and　say　hold　on　just　a　moment　if　you　please。　Didn't　you　just　thank　me　for　finding　this　thing？〃
　〃I　did。〃
　〃Finding　means　that　it　has　been　lost。　And　has　now　been　recovered　because　of　my　intervention。　In　return　for　this　favor　I　believe　you　owe　me　at　least　an　explanation。〃
　〃We're　dreadfully　sorry。　But　it　is　strictly　forbidden　to　pass　on　information　to　temporal　aborigines。〃
　Not　too　flattering；　I　thought。　But　I　was　thick…skinned　enough　to　take　it。　〃Look；〃　I　carefully　explained。　〃This　is　one　aborigine　who　already　knows　a　good　deal　about　what　is　happening。　I　now　have　in　my　possession　your　temporooter；　a　device　that　has　been　constructed　for　burrowing　through　time。　It　seems　that　you　or　your　associates　not　only　lost　control　of　the　device　but　actually　lost　it　in　time　and　space。　This　is　very　worrying　because　you　are　forbidden　to　reveal　your　operations　to　people　living　along　the　time　tracks　you　explore。〃
　〃How…how　do　you　know　this？〃　she　asked。　Well　done；　Jim。　They　may　be　long　on　linguistics　but　are　certainly　short　on　extrapolation　and　imagination。　Keep　going。
　〃At　first；　when　we　aborigines　discovered　the　device；　we　thought　it　was　an　alien　construction　from　the　far　past；　built　by　longlost；　millennia…dead　aliens。　Of　course　the　real　explanation　is　much　simpler。　It　was　sent　from　the　future　and　through　a　malfunction　got　out　of　control。〃　Now　I　was　just　guessing…but　their　shocked　expressions　meant　I　was　still　doing　well。
　〃Got　so　far　out　of　control　that　it　just　kept　going　back　in　time　until　it　ran　out　of　power。　Without　power　you　could　not　locate　it。　You　thought　it　might　have　been　destroyed。　Which　is　why　there　was　such　consternation　when　it　signaled　its　presence。　And　you　two　were　sent　to　retrieve　it。〃
　〃You…you　read　minds？〃　She　spoke　in　a　hushed　voice。　I　nodded　firmly。
　〃The　science　of　mental　telepathy　is　well　advanced　in　this　era。　Though　it　is　obvious　that　all　knowledge　of　our　abilities　has　been　expunged　from　your　records　in　the　future。　But　I　will　cease　my　mind　reading　now。　I　know　how　embarrassing　it　is　to　have　one's　secret　thoughts　revealed　to　strangers。〃　I　turned　away；　pinched　my　forehead；　turned　back。　〃I　have　stopped　the　function。　We　now　municate　by　words。〃
　They　looked　at　each　other；　still　dazed。
　〃Speak；　please；　for　now　I　do　not　know　what　you　are　thinking。　Only　by　speech　can　we　understand　each　other's　thoughts。〃
　〃Knowledge　of　time　travel　is　forbidden；〃　Othred　said。
　〃That's　not　my　fault…you're　the　ones　who　lost　the　thing。　You　must　understand　that　now　I　know　all　about　it…as　do　all　of　my　brothers　in　telepathekinesis　who　have　been　listening　to　my　thoughts。　But　we　are　sworn　to　silence！　If　you　wish　your　secret　to　remain　a　secret　it　will　be　secret。　But　you　must　aid　us　in　keeping　this　secret　secret。　Look　about　you。　See　this　ugly…looking　type　in　the　horned　helmet？　He　is　just　about　to　kill　me。　And　when　you　entered　you　probably　stepped　over　the　wreckage　of　a　very　armed　and　deadly　machine…you　did？；　nod　yes…good。　That　thing　was　going　to　kill　me　and　my　friend；　but　he　got　it　first。　So　just　turning　off　the　temporooter　and　skedaddling　is　out　of　the　question。　You　will　leave　behind　a　deadly　and　destructive　situation。〃
　〃What　must　we　do？〃　Vesta　asked。　Palm　of　my　hand。
　〃First　you　will　help　me　by　pe