bill_the_galactic_hero_v1.1-第36章

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　　〃The　laundry　officer　is　gone；　flushed　down　the　drain！　This　is　I；　your　friendly　local　pastor；　bringing　you　the　blessings　of　Ahura　Mazdah；　my　son；　and　have　you　been　reading　the　Avesta　every　day　before　going　to　sleep　。　。　。〃　
　　〃Bah！〃　Bill　snarled。　He　couldn't　shoot　him　now；　and　he　walked　over　to　the　third　wounded　man。
　　〃Hello　Bill　。　。　。　〃　a　weak　voice　said。　〃I　guess　the　old　reflexes　are　slowing　down　。　。　。　I　can't　blame　you　for　shooting　me；　I　should　have　hit　the　dirt　like　the　others　。　。　。〃
　　〃You're　damn　right　you　should　have；〃　Bill　said　looking　down　at　the　familiar；　loathed；　tusked　face。　〃You're　dying；　Deathwish；　you've　bought　it。〃
　　　〃I　know；〃　Deathwish　said；　and　coughed。　His　eyes　were　closed。
　　〃Wrap　this　line　in　a　circle；〃　Bill　shouted。　〃I　want　the　medic　up　here。〃　The　chain　of　prisoners　curved　around；　and　they　watched　as　the　medic　examined　the　casualties。
　　〃A　bandage　on　the　looie's　arm　takes　care　of　him；〃　he　said。　〃Just　superficial　burns。　But　the　big　guy　with　the　fangs　has　bought　it。〃
　　　〃Can　you　keep　him　alive？〃　Bill　asked。
　　〃For　awhile；　no　telling　how　long。〃
　　　〃Keep　him　alive。〃　Bill　looked　around　at　the　circle　of　prisoners。　〃Any　way　to　get　those　neck　irons　off？〃　he　asked。
　　　〃Not　without　the　keys；〃　a　burly　infantry　sergeant　answered；　〃and　the　lizards　never　brought　them。　We'll　have　to　wear　them　until　we　get　back。　How　e　you　risked　your　neck　saving　us？〃　he　asked　suspiciously。
　　　〃Who　wanted　to　save　you？〃　Bill　sneered。　〃I　was　hungry　and　I　figured　that　must　be　food　you　were　carrying。〃
　　　〃Yeah；　it　is；〃　the　sergeant　said；　looking　relieved。　〃I　can　understand　now　why　you　took　the　chance。〃
　　　Bill　broke　open　a　can　of　rations　and　stuffed　his　face。

V

　　　The　dead　man　was　cut　from　his　position　in　the　line；　and　the　two　men；　one　in　front　and　one　in　back　of　the　wounded　Deathwish；　wanted　to　do　the　same　with　him。　Bill　reasoned　with　them；　explained　the　only　human　thing　to　do　was　to　carry　their　buddy；　and　they　agreed　with　him　when　he　threatened　to　burn　their　legs　off　if　they　didn't。　While　the　chained　men　were　eating；　Bill　cut　two　flexible　poles　and　made　a　stretcher　by　slipping　three　donated　uniform　jackets　over　them。　He　gave　the　captured　rifles　to　the　burly　sergeant　and　the　most　likely　looking　bat　veterans；　keeping　one　for　himself。
　　〃Any　chance　of　getting　back？〃　Bill　asked　the　sergeant；　who　was　carefully　wiping　the　moisture　from　his　gun。
　　〃Maybe。　We　can　backtrack　the　way　we　e；　easy　enough　to　follow　the　trail　after　everyone　dragged　through。　Keep　an　eye　peeled　for　Venians；　get　them　before　they　can　spread　the　word　about　us。　When　we　get　in　earshot　of　the　fighting　we　try　and　find　a　quiet　area…then　break　through。　A　fifty…fifty　chance。〃
　　〃Those　are　better　odds　for　all…of　us　than　they　were　about　an　hour　ago。〃
　　　〃You're　telling　me；　But　they　get　worse　the　longer　we　hang　around　here。〃
　　　〃Let's　get　moving。〃
　　Following　the　track　was　even　easier　than　Bill　had　thought；　and　by　early　afternoon　they　heard　the　first　signs　of　firing；　a　dim　rumble　in　the　distance。　The　only　Venian　they　had　seen　had　been　instantly　killed。　Bill　halted　the　march。
　　〃Eat　as　much　as　you　want；　then　dump　the　food；〃　he　said。
　　〃Pass　that　on。　We'll　be　moving　fast　soon。〃　He　went　to　see　how　Deathwish　was　getting　on。
　　〃Badly…〃　Deathwish　gasped；　his　face　white　as　…paper。　〃This　is　it；　Bill　。　。　。　I　know　it　。　。　。　I've　terrorized　my　last　recruit　。　。　。　stood　on　my　last　pay　line　。　。　。　had　my　last　shortarm　。　。　。　so　long…Bill　。　。　。　you're　a　good　buddy　。　。　。　taking　care　of　me　like　this　。　。　。〃
　　　〃Glad　you　think　so；　Deathwish；　and　maybe　you'd　like　to　do　me　a　favor。〃　He　dug　in　the　dying　man's　pockets　until　he　found　his　non's　notebook；　then　opened　it　and　scrawled　on　one　of　the　blank　pages。　〃How　would　you　like　to　sign　this；　just　for　old　time's　sake…Deathwish？〃
　　The　big　jaw　lay　slack；　the　evil　red　eyes　open　and　staring。
　　　〃The　dirty　bowb's　gone　and　died　on　me；〃　Bill　said　disgustedly。　After　pondering　for　a　moment　he　dribbled　some　ink　from　the　pen　onto　the　ball　of　Deathwish's　thumb　and　pressed　it　to　the　paper　to　make　a　print。
　　〃Medic！〃　he　shouted；　and　the　line　of　men　curled　around　so　the　medic　could　e　back。　〃How　does　he　look　to　you？〃
　　〃Dead　as　a　herring；〃　the　corpsman　said　after　his　professional　examination。
　　　〃Just　before　he　died　he　left　me　his　tusks　in。　his　will；　written　right　down　here；　see？　These　are　real　vat…grown　tusks　and　cost　a　lot。　Can　they　be　transplanted？〃
　　　〃Sure；　as　long　as　you　get　them　cut　out　and　deep　froze　inside　the　next　twelve　hours。〃
　　　〃No　problem　with　that；　we'll　just　carry　the　body　back　with　us。〃　He　stared　hard　at　the　two　stretcher　bearers　and　fingered　his　gun；　and　they　had　no　plaints。　〃Get　that　lieutenant　up　here。〃
　　〃Chaplain；〃　Bill　said；　holding　out　the　sheet　from　the　notebook；　〃I　would　like　an　officer's　signature　on　this。　Just　before　he　died　this　trooper　here　dictated　his　will；　but　was　too　weak　to　sign　it；　so　he　put　his　thumbprint　on　it。　Now　you　write　below　it　that　you　saw　him　thumbprint　it　and　it　is　all　affirm　and　legal…　like；　then　sign　your　name。〃
　　〃But…I　couldn't　do　that；　my　son。　I　did　not　see　the　deceased　print　the　will　and　Glmmpf　。　。　。〃
　　He　said　Glmmpf　because　Bill　had　poked　the　barrel　of　the　atomic　pistol　into　his　mouth　and　was　rotating　it；　his　finger　quivering　on　the　trigger。　
　　〃Shoot；〃　the　infantry　sergeant　said；　and　three　of　the　men　who　could　see　what　was　going　on　were　clapping。　Bill　slowly　withdrew　the　pistol。
　　　〃I　shall　be　happy　to　help；〃　the　chaplain　said；　grabbing　for　the　pen。
　　　Bill　read　the　document；　grunted　in　satisfaction；　then　went　over　and　squatted　down　next　to　the　medic。　〃You　from　the　hospital？〃　he　asked。　
　　〃You　can　say　that　again；　and　if　I　ever　get　back　into　the　hospital　I　ain't　never　going　out　of　it　again。　It　was　just　my　luck　to　be　out　picking　up　bat　casualties　when　the　raid　hit。〃
　　　〃I　hear　that　they　aren't　shipping　any　wounded　out。　Just　putting　them　back　into　shape　and　sending　them　back　into　the　line。〃
　　　〃You　heard　right。　This　is　going　to　be　a　hard　war　to　live　through。〃
　　〃But　some　of　them　must　be　wounded　too　badly　to　send　back　into　action；〃　Bill　insisted。
　　〃The　miracles　of　modern　medicine；〃　the　medic　said　indistinctly　as　he　worried　a　cake　of　dehydrated　luncheon　meat。　〃Either　you　die　or　you're　back　in　the　line　in　a　couple　of　weeks。〃
　　〃Maybe　a　guy　gets　his　arm　blown　off？〃
　　　〃They　got　an　icebox　full　of　old　arms。　Sew　a　new　one　on　and　bango；　right　back　into　the　line。〃
　　〃What　about　a　foot？〃　Bill　asked；　worried。
　　　〃That's　right…I　forgot！　They　got　a　foot　shortage。　So　many　guys　lying　around　without　feet　that　they're　running　out　of　bed　space。　They　were　just　starting　to　ship　some　of　them　offplanet　when　I　left。〃
　　〃You　got　any　pain　pills？〃　Bill　asked；　changing　the　subject。　The　medic　dug　out　a　white　bottle。
　　〃Three　of　these　and　you'd　laugh　while　they　sawed　your　head　off。〃
　　　〃Give　me　three。〃
　　〃If　you　ever　see　a　guy　around　what　has　his　foot　shot　off；　you　better　quick　tie　something　around　his　leg　just　over　the　knee；　tight；　to　cut　the　blood　off。〃
　　〃Thanks　buddy。〃
　　〃No　skin　off　my　nose。〃
　　　〃Let's　get　moving；〃　the　infantry　sergeant　said。　〃The　quicker　we　move　the　better　our　chances。〃
　　　Occasional　flares　from　atomic　rifles　burned　through　the　foliage　overhead；　and　the　thud…thud　of　heavy　weapons　shook　the　mud　under　their　feet。　They　worked　along　parallel　with　the　firing　until　it　had　died　down；　then　stopped。　Bill；　the　only　one　not　chained　in　the　line；　crawled　ahead　to　reconnoiter。　The　enemy　lines　seemed　to　be　lightly　held　and　he　found　a　spot　that　looked　the　best　for　a　breakthrough。　Then；　before　he　returned；　he　dug　the　heavy　cord　from　his　pocket　that　he　had　taken　from　one　of　the　ration　boxes。　He　tied　a　tourniquet　above　his　right　knee　and　twisted　it　tight　with　a　stick；　then　swallowed　the　three　pills。　He　stayed　behind　some　heavy　shrubs　when　he　called　to　the　others。　
　　〃Straight　ahead；　then　sharp　right　before　that　clump　of　frees。　Let's　go…and　FAST！〃
　　　Bill　led　the　way　until　the　first　men　could　see　the　lines　ahead。　Then　he　called　out　〃What's　that？〃　and　ran　into　the　heavy　foliage。　〃Chingers！〃　he　shouted；　and　sat　down　with　his　back　to　a　tree。　　　He　took　careful　aim　with　his　pistol　and　blew　his　right　foot　off。　　　〃Get　moving　fast！〃　he　shouted；　and　heard　the　crash　of　the　frightened　men　through　the　undergro