deathworld-第25章

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　i　tently　into　his　eyes。
　 The　dog　became　restless　when　Naxa　turned　back　to　work　on　t＇　dorym。　It　prowled　around　the　barn；　sniffing；　then　moved　quickly　ward　the　open　door。　Jason　called　it　back。
　 At　least　he　meant　to　call　it。　At　the　last　moment　he　said　nothir　Nothing　aloud。　On　sudden　impulse　he　kept　his　mouth　closed…on　he　called　the　dog　with　his　mind。　Thinking　the　words　e　here；　dire　ing　the　impulse　at　the　animal　with　all　the　force　and　direction　he　Is　ever　used　to　manipulate　dice。　As　he　did　it；　he　realized　it　had　been　a　loi　time　since　he　had　even　considered　using　his　psi　powers。
　 The　dog　stopped　and　turned　back　toward　him。
　 It　hesitated；　looking　at　Naxa；　then　walked　over　to　Jason。
　 Seen　this　closely；　the　beast　was　a　nightmare　hound。　The　hairlc　protective　plates；　tiny　red…rimmed　eyes；　and　countless；　saliva…drippii　teeth　did　little　to　inspire　confidence。　Yet　Jason　felt　no　fear。　There　was　rapport　between　man　and　animal　that　was　understood。　Without　cc　scious　thought；　he　reached　out　and　scratched　the　dog　along　the　bac　where　he　knew　it　itched。
　 〃Di'nt　know　y're　a　talker；〃　Naxa　said。　As　he　watched　them；　thc　was　friendship　in　his　voice　for　the　first　time。
　 〃I　didn't　know　either…7'tntil　just　now；〃　Jason　said。　He　looked　into　t　eyes　of　the　animal　before　him；　scratched　the　ridged　and　ugly　back；　a'　began　to　understand。
　 The　talkers　must　have　well…developed　psi　facilities；　that　was　obvio　now。　There　is　no　barrier　of　race　or　alien　form　when　two　creatures　shr　each　other's　emotions。　Empathy　first；　so　there　would　be　no　hatred　fear。　After　that　direct　munication。　The　talkers　might　have　be　the　ones　who　first　broke　through　the　barrier　of　hatred　on　Pyrrus　ai　learned　to　live　with　the　native　life。　Others　could　have　followed　th~　example…this　might　explain　how　the　munity　of　〃grubbers〃　h　been　formed。
　 Now　that　he　was　concentrating　on　it；　Jason　was　aware　of　the　s　flow　of　thoughts　around　him。　The　consciousness　of　the　dorym　w　matched　by　other　like　patterns　from　the　rear　of　the　barn。　He　knew　wil　out　going　outside　that　more　of　the　big　beasts　were　in　the　field　ba　there。
　 〃This　is　all　new　to　me；〃　Jason　said。　〃Have　you　ever　thought　about　Naxa？　What　does　it　feel　like　to　be　a　talker？　I　mean；　do　you　know　w　it　is　you　can　get　the　animals　to　obey　you　while　other　people　have　luck　at　all？〃
　 Thinking　of　this　sort　troubled　Naxa。　He　ran　his　fingers　through　his　thick　hair　and　scowled　as　he　answered。　〃Nev'r　thought　about　it。　Just　do　it。　Just　get　t'know　the　beast　real　good；　then　y'can　guess　what　they're　going　t'do。　That's　all。〃
　 It　was　obvious　that　Naxa　had　never　thought　about　the　origin　of　his　ability　to　control　the　animals。　And　if　he　hadn't；　probably　no　one　else　had。　They　had　no　reason　to。　They　simply　accepted　the　powers　of　talkers　as　one　of　the　facts　of　life。
　 Ideas　slipped　toward　each　other　in　his　mind；　like　the　pieces　of　a　puzzle　joining　together。　He　had　told　Kerk　that　the　native　life　of　Pyrrus　had　joined　in　battle　against　mankind；　he　didn't　know　why。　Well；　he　still　didn't　know　why；　but　he　was　getting　an　idea　of　the　〃how。〃
　 〃About　how　far　are　we　from　the　city？〃　Jason　asked。　〃Do　you　have　an　idea　how　long　it　would　take　us　to　get　there　by　dorym？〃
　 〃Half　day　there…half　back。　Why？　Y'want　to　go？〃
　 〃I　don't　want　to　get　into　the　city；　not　yet。　But　I　would　like　to　get　close　to　it；〃　Jason　told　him。
　 〃See　what　Rhes　says；〃　was　Naxa's　answer。
　 Rhes　granted　instant　permission　without　asking　any　questions。　They　saddled　up　and　left　at　once；　in　order　to　plete　the　round　trip　before　dark。
　 They　had　been　traveling　less　than　an　hour　before　Jason　knew　they　were　going　in　the　direction　of　the　city。　With　each　minute；　the　feeling　grew　stronger。　Naxa　was　aware　of　it；　too；　stirring　in　the　saddle　with　unvoiced　feelings。　They　had　to　keep　touching　and　reassuring　their　mounts　which　were　growing　skittish　and　restless。　…
　 〃This　is　far　enough；〃　Jason　said。　Naxa　gratefully　pulled　to　a　stop。　The　wordless　thought　beat　through　Jason's　mind；　filling　it。　He　could　feel　it　on　all　sides…only　much　stronger　ahead　of　them　in　the　direction　of　the　unseen　city。　Naxa　and　the　doryms　reacted　in　the　same　way；　restlessly　unfortable；　not　knowing　the　cause。
　 One　thing　was　obvious　now。　The　Pyrran　animals　were　sensitive　to　psi　radiation…probably　the　plants　and　lower　life　fornis　as　well。　Perhaps　they　municated　by　it；　since　they　obeyed　the　men　who　had　a　strong　control　of　it。　And　in　this　area　was　a　wash　of　psi　radiation　such　as　he　had　never　experienced　before。　Though　his　personal　talents　speciaiized　in　psychokinesis…the　mental　control　of　inanimate　matter…he　was　still　sensitive　to　most　mental　phenomena。　Watching　a　sports　event；　he　had　many　times　felt　the　unanimous　accord　of　many　minds　expressing　the　same　thought。　What　he　felt　now　was　like　that。
　 Only　terribly　different。　A　crowd　exulted　at　some　success　on　the　field；　or　groaned　at　a　failure。　The　feeling　fluxed　and　changed　as　the　game
　progressed。　Here　the　wash　of　thought　was　unending；　strong　am　frightening。　It　didn't　translate　into　words　very　well。　It　was　part　hatred　part　fear…and　all　destruction。
　 〃KILL　THE　ENEMY〃　was　as　close　as　Jason　could　express　it。　But　i　was　more　than　that。　An　unending　river　of　mental　outrage　and　death
　 〃Let's　go　back　now；〃　he　said；　suddenly　battered　and　sickened　by　tb　feelings　he　had　let　wash　through　him。　As　they　started　the　return　trip；　Ii　began　to　understand　many　things。
　 His　sudden　unspeakable　fear　when　the　Pyrran　animal　had　attacke　him　that　first　day　on　the　planet。　And　his　recurrent　nightmares　tha　had　never　pletely　ceased；　even　with　drugs。　Both　of　these　were　hi　reaction　to　the　hatred　directed　at　the　city。　Though　for　some　reason　h　hadn't　felt　it　directly　up　until　now；　enough　had　reached　through　to　hit　to　get　a　strong　emotional　reaction。
　 Rhes　was　asleep　when　they　got　back　and　Jason　couldn't　talk　to　hit　until　morning。　In　spite　of　his　fatigue　from　the　trip；　he　stayed　awak　late　into　the　night；　going　over　in　his　mind　the　discoveries　of　the　da3　Could　he　tell　Rhes　what　he　had　found　out？　Not　very　well。　If　he　di　that；　he　would　have　to　explain　the　importance　of　his　discovery　an　what　he　meant　to　use　it　for。　Nothing　that　aided　the　city　dwellers　woul　appeal　to　Rhes　in　the　slightest。　Best　to　say　nothing　until　the　entire　ai　fair　was　over。
　18
　 After　breakfast；　he　told　Rhes　that　he　wanted　to　return　to　the　city。　〃Then　you　have　seen　enough　of　our　barbarian　world；　and　wish　to　go　back　to　your　friends。　To　help　them　wipe　us　out　perhaps？〃　P~hes　said　it　lightly；　but　there　was　a　touch　of　cold　malice　behind　his　words。
　 〃I　hope　you　don't　really　think　that；〃　Jason　told　him。　〃You　must　realize　that　the　opposite　is　true。　I　would　like　to　see　this　civil　war　ended　and　your　people　getting　all　the　benefits　of　science　and　medicine　that　have　been　withheld。　I'll　do　everything　I　can　to　bring　that　about。〃
　 〃They'll　never　change；〃　Rhes　said　gloomily；　〃so　don't　waste　your　time。　But　there　is　one　thing　you　must　do；　for　your　protection　and　ours。　Don't　admit；　or　even　hint；　that　you've　talked　to　any　grubbers！〃
　 〃Why　not？〃
　 〃Why　not…！　Suffering　death；　are　you　that　simple！　They　will　do　anything　to　see　that　we　don't　rise　too　high；　and　would　much　prefer　to　see　us　all　dead。　Do　you　think　they　would…hesitate　to　kill　you　if　they　as　much　as　suspected　you　had　contacted　us？　They　realize…even　if　you　don't…　that　you　can　singlehandedly　alter　the　entire　pattern　of　power　on　this　planet。　The　ordinary　junkman　may　think　of　us　as　being　only　one　step　above　the　animals；　but　the　leaders　don't。　They　know　what　we　need　and　what　we　want。　They　could　probably　guess　just　what　it　is　I　am　going　to　ask　you。
　 〃Help　us；　Jason　dinAh。　Get　back　among　those　human　pigs　and　lie。　Say　you　never　talked　to　us；　that　you　hid　in　the　forest　and　we　attacked　you　and　you　had　to　shoot　to　save　yourself。　We'll　supply　some　recent　corpses　to　make　that　part　of　your　story　sound　good。　Make　them　believe　you　and；　even　after　you　think　you　have　them　convinced；　keep　on　acting　the　part　because　they　will　be　watching　you。　Then　tell　them　you　have　finished　your　work　and　are　ready　to　leave。　Get　safely　off　Pyrrus；　to　another　planet；　and　I　promise　you　anything　in　the　universe。　Whatever　you　want　you　shall　have。　Power；　money…anything。
　 〃This　is　a　rich　planet。　The　junkmen　mine　and　sell　the