deathworld-第15章

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　render　us　immune　when　we　rub　it　in。　I　don't　know　yet。　But　whatever　the　results；　we　must　make　the　investigation。　Kerk　agrees　with　me　on　that。〃
　 Mete　looked　at　Kerk　and　he　nodded　agreement。　Her　shoulders　slumped　in　sudden　defeat。　She　whispered　the　words。
　 〃I…can't　say　I　agree；　or　even　understand　all　that　you　said。　But　I'll　help　you。　If　Kerk　thinks　that　it　is　the　right　thing。〃
　 〃I　do；〃　he　said。　〃Now；　do　you　want　the　clip　back　for　your　gun？　Not　planning　to　take　any　more　shots　at　Jason？〃
　 〃That　was　foolish　of　me；〃　she　said　coldly　while　she　reloaded　the　gun。　〃I　don't　need　a　gun。　If　I　had　to　kill　him；　I　could　do　it　with　my　bare　hands。〃
　 〃I　love　you　too；〃　Jason　smiled　at　her。　〃Are　you　ready　to　go　now？〃
　 〃Of　course。〃　She　brushed　a　fluffy　curl　of　hair　into　place。　〃First　we'll　find　a　place　where　you　can　stay。　I'll　take　care　of　that。　After　that；　the　work　of　the　new　department　is　up　to　you。〃
　10
　 They　walked　downstairs　in　a　frigid　silence。　In　the　street；　Mete　blasted　a　stingbird　that　couldn't　possibly　have　attacked　them。　There　was　an　angry　pleasure　in　the　act。　Jason　decided　not　to　chide　her　about　wasting　ammo。　Better　the　bird　than　him。
　 There　were　empty　rooms　in　one　of　the　puter　buildings。　These　were　pletely　sealed　to　keep　stray　animal　life　out　of　the　delicate　machinery。　While　Mete　checked　a　bedroll　out　of　stores；　Jason　painfully　dragged　a　desk；　table　and　chairs　in　from　a　nearby　empty　office。　When　she　returned　with　a　pneumatic　bed；　he　instantly　dropped　on　it　with　a　grateful　sigh。　Her　lip　curled　a　bit　at　his　obvious　weakness。
　 〃Get　used　to　the　sight；〃　he　said。　〃I　intend　to　do　as　much　of　my　work　as　I　can；　while　maintaining　a　horizontal　position。　You　will　be　my　strong　right　arm。　And　right　now；　Right　Aim；　I　wish　you　could　scare　me　up　something　to　eat。　I　also　intend　to　do　most　of　my　eating　in　the　previously　mentioned　prone　condition。〃
　 Snorting　with　disgust；　Meta　stamped　out。　While　she　was　gone；　Jason　chewed　the　end　of　a　stylus　thoughtfully；　then　made　some　careful　notes。
　 After　they　had　finished　the　almost　tasteless　meal；　he　began　the　search。　〃Mete；　where　can　I　find　historical　records　of　Pyrrus？　Any　and　all　information　about　the　early　days　of　the　settlers　on　this　planet。〃
　 〃I've　never　heard　of　anything　like　that。　I　really　don't　know。　。　。
　 〃But　there　has　to　be　something…somewhere；〃　he　insisted。　〃Even　if　your　presentday　culture　devotes　all　of　its　time　and　energies　to　survival；　you　can　be　sure　it　wasn't　always　that　way。　All　the　time　it　was　developing；　people　were　keeping　records；　making　notes。　Now　where　do　we　look？　Do　you　have　a　library　here？〃
　 〃Of　course；〃　she　said。　〃We　have　an　excellent　technical　library。　But　I'm　sure　there　wouldn't　be　any　of　that　sort　of　thing　there。〃
　 Trying　not　to　groan；　Jason　stood　up。　〃Let　me　be　the　judge　of　that。　Just　lead　the　way。〃
　
　 Operation　of　the　library　was　pletely　automatic。　A　projected　index
　gave　the　call　number　for　any　text　that　had　to　be　consulted。　The　tape　was　delivered　to　the　charge　desk　thirty　seconds　after　the　number　had
　been　punched。　Returned　tapes　were　dropped　through　a　hopper　and　refiled　automatically。　The　mechanism　worked　smoothly。
　 〃Wonderful；〃　Jason　said；　pushing　away　from　the　index。　〃A　tribute　to　technological　ingenuity。　Only　it　contains　nothing　of　any　value　to　us。
　Just　reams　of　textbooks。〃
　 〃What　else　should　be　in　a　library？〃　Meta　sounded　sincerely　puzzled。　Jason　started　to　explain；　then　changed　his　mind。　〃Later　we　will　go　into　that；〃　he　said。　〃Much　later。　Now　we　have　to　find　a　lead。　Is　it　possible　that　there　are　any　tapes…or　even　printed　books…that　aren't　filed　through　this　machine？〃
　 〃It　seems　unlikely；　but　we　could　ask　Poli。　He　lives　here　somewhere　and　is　in　charge　of　the　library。　Filing　new　books　and　tending　the　machinery。〃
　 The　single　door　into　the　rear　of　the　building　was　locked；　and　no　amount　of　pounding　could　rouse　the　caretaker。
　 〃If　he's　alive；　this　should　do　it；〃　Jason　said。　He　pressed　the　out…oforder　button　on　the　control　panel。　It　had　the　desired　effect。　Within　five　minutes；　the　door　opened　and　Poli　dragged　himself　through　it。
　 Death　usually　came　swiftly　on　Pyrrus。　If　wounds　slowed　a　man　down；　the　ever…ready　forces　of　destruction　quickly　finished　the　job。　Poli　was　the　exception　to　this　rule。　Whatever　had　attacked　him　originally　had　done　an　efficient　job。　Most　of　the　lower　part　of　his　face　was　gone。　His　left　arm　was　curled　and　useless。　The　damage　to　his　body　and　legs　had　left　him　with　the　bare　capability　to　stumble　from　one　spot　to　the　next。
　 Yet　he　still　had　one　good　arm　as　well　as　his　eyesight。　He　could　work　in　the　library　and　relieve　a　fully　fit　man。　How　long　he　had　been　dragging　the　useless　husk　of　a　body　around　the　building；　no　one　knew。　In　spite　of　the　pain　that　filled　his　red…rimmed；　moist　eyes；　he　had　stayed　alive。　Growing　old；　older　than　any　other　Pyrran　Jason　had　seen。　He　tottered　forward　and　turned　off　the　alarm　that　had　called　him。
　 Milieu　Jason　started　to　explain；　the　old　man　took　no　notice。　Only　after　the　librarian　had　rummaged　a　hearing　aid　out　of　his　clothes；　did　Jason　realize　he　was　deaf　as　well。　Jason　explained　again　what　he　searched　for。　Poli　nodded　and　printed　his　answer　on　a　tablet。
　 there　are　many　old　books…in　the　storerooms　below
　 Most　of　the　building　was　taken　up　by　the　robot　filing　and　sorting　apparatus。　They　moved　slowly　through　the　banks　of　machinery；　following　the　crippled　librarian　to　a　barred　door　in　the　rear。　He　pointed　to　it。
　；~
　
　
　While　Jason　and　Meta　fought　to　open　the　age…encrusted　bars；　he　wrote　another　note　on　his　tablet。
　 not　opened　for　many　years。　rats
　 Jason　and　Meta's　guns　appeared　reflexively　in　their　hands　as　they　read　the　message。　Jason　finished　opening　the　door　by　himself。　The　two　native　Pytrans　stood　facing　the　opening　gap。　It　was　well　they　did。　Jason　could　never　have　handled　what　came　through　that　door。
　 He　didn't　even　open　it　for　himself。　Their　sounds　at　the　door　must　have　attracted　all　the　vermin　in　the　lower　part　of　the　building。　Jason　had　thrown　the　last　bolt　and　was　starting　to　pull　on　the　handle…when　the　door　was　pushed　open　from　the　other　side。
　 Open　the　gateway　to　hell　and　see　what　es　out。　Meta　and　Poll　stood　shoulder　to　shoulder　firing　into　the　mass　of　loathsomeness　that　boiled　through　the　door。　Jason　jumped　to　one　side　and　picked　off　the　occasional　animal　that　came　his　way。　The　destruction　seemed　to　go　on　forever。
　 Long　minutes　passed　before　the　last　clawed　beast　made　its　death　rush。　Meta　and　Poli　waited　expectantly　for　more；　they　were　happily　excited　by　this　chance　to　deal　destruction。　Jason　felt　a　little　sick　after　the　silent　ferocious　attack。　A　ferocity　that　the　Pyrrans　reflected。　He　saw　a　scratch　on　Meta's　face　where　one　of　the　beasts　had　caught　her。　She　seemed　oblivious　to　it。
　 Pulling　out　his　medikit；　Jason　circled　the　piled　bodies。　Something　stirred　in　their　midst　and　a　crashing　shot　plowed　into　it。　Then　he　reached　the　girl　and　pushed　the　analyzer　probes　against　the　scratch。　The　machine　clicked　and　Meta　jumped　as　the　antitoxin　needle　stabbed　down。　She　realized　for　the　first　time　what　Jason　was　doing。
　 〃Thank　you。　I　didn't　notice；〃　she　said。　〃There　were　so　many　of　them　and　they　came　out　so　fast。〃
　 Poli　had　a　powerful　battery　lamp　and；　by　unspoken　agreement；　Jason　carried　it。　Crippled　though　he　was；　the　old　man　was　still　a　Pyrran　when　it　came　to　handling　a　gun。　They　slowly　made　their　way　down　the　refuse…laden　stairs。
　 〃What　a　stench！〃　Jason　grimaced。　〃'Without　these　filter　plugs　in　my　nose；　I　think　the　smell　alone　would　kill　me。〃
　 Something　hurled　itself　into　the　beam　of　light　and　a　shot　stopped　it　in　midair。　The　rats　had　been　there　a　long　time　and　resented　the　intrusion。
　 At　the　foot　of　the　stairs　they　looked　around。　There　had　been　books　and　records　there　at　one　time。　They　had　been　systematically　chewed；　eaten　and　destroyed　for　decades。
　 〃I　like　the　care　you　take　with　your　old　books；〃　Jason　said　disgustedly。　〃Remind　me　not　to　loan　you　any。〃
　 〃They　could　have　been　of　no　importance；〃　Meta　said　coolly；　〃or　they　would　be　filed　correctly　in　the　library　upstairs。〃
　 Jason　wandered　gloomily　through　the　rooms。　Nothing　remained　of　any　value。　Fragments　and　scraps　of　writing　and　printing。　Never　enough　in