bill_the_galactic_hero_v1.1-第6章

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y　was　in　progress；　although　there　was　much　plaining　because　the　officers　had　to　serve　themselves。
　　Up　and　up　the　shuttleships　shot；　toward　the　great　fleet　of　deep…spacers　that　darkened　the　stars　above；　a　new　fleet；　the　most　powerful　the　galaxy　had　ever　seen；　so　new　in　fact　that　the　ships　were　still　under　construction。　Welding　torches　flared　in　brilliant　points　of　light　while　hot　rivets　hurled　their　flat　trajectories　across　the　sky　into　the　waiting　buckets。　The　spots　of　light　died　away　as　one　behemoth　of　the　star　lanes　was　pleted　and　thin　screams　sounded　in　the　space…suit　radio　circuit　as　the　workers；　instead　of　being　returned　to　the　yards；　were　pressed　into　service　on　the　ship　they　had　so　recently　built。　This　was　total　war。
　　Bill　staggered　through　the　sagging　plastic　tube　that　connected　the　shuttleship　to　a　dreadnaught　of　space　and　dropped　his　bags　iii　front　of　a　petty　chief　officer　who　sat　at　a　desk　in　the　hangar…sized　spacelock。　Or　rather　he　tried　to　drop　it；　but　since　there　was　no　gravity　the　bags　remained　in　mid…air；　and　when　he　pushed　them　down　he　rose　（since　a　body　when　it　is　falling　freely　is　said　to　be　in　free　fall；　and　anything　with　weight　has　no　weight；　and　for　every　action　there　is　an　equal　and　opposite　reaction　or　something　like　that）。　The　petty　looked　up　and　snarled　and　pulled　Bill　back　down　to　the　deck。
　　〃None　of　your　bowby　spacelubber　tricks；　trooper。　Name？〃
　　〃Bill；　spelled　with　two　L's。〃
　　〃Bil；〃　the　petty　mumbled；　licking　the　end　of　his　stylo；　then　inscribing　it　in　the　ship's　roster　with　round；　illiterate　letters。　　〃Two　‘L's'　for　officers　only；　bowb…learn　your　place。　What's　your　classification？〃
　　〃Recruit；　unskilled；　untrained；　spacesick。〃
　　〃Well　don't　puke　in　here；　that's　what　you　have　your　own　quarters　for。　You　are　　now　a　Fuse　Tender　Sixth　Class；　unskilled。　Bunk　down　in　partment　34J…89T…ooi。　Move。　And　keep　that　woopsy…sack　over　your　head。〃
　　No　sooner　had　Bill　found　his　quarters　and　thrown　his　bags　into　a　bunk；　where　they　floated　five　inches　over　the　reclaimed　rock…wool　mattress；　than　Eager　Beager　came　in；　followed　by　Bowb　Brown　and　a　crowd　of　strangers；　some　of　them　carrying　welding　torches　and　angry　expressions。
　　〃Where's　Ugly　and　the　rest　of　the　squad？〃　Bill　asked。　　　Bowb　shrugged　and　strapped　himself　into　his　bunk　for　a　little　shut…eye。　Eager　opened　one　of　the　six　bags　he　always　carried　and　removed　some　boots　to　polish。　
　　〃Are　you　saved？〃　A　deep　voice；　vibrant　with　emotion；　sounded　from　the　other　end　of　the　partment。　Bill　looked　up；　startled；　and　the　big　trooper　standing　there　saw　the　motion　and　stabbed　toward　him　with　an　immense　finger。　〃You；　brother；　are　you　saved？〃
　　〃That's　a　little　hard　to　say；〃　Bill　mumbled；　bending　over　and　rooting　in　his　bag；　hoping　the　man　would　go　away。　But　he　didn't；　in　fact；　he　came　over　and　sat　down　on　Bill's　bunk。　Bill　tried　to　ignore　him；　but　this　was　hard　to　do；　because　the　trooper　was　over　six　feet　high；　heavily　muscled；　and　ironjawed。　He　had　lovely；　purplish…black　skin　that　made　Bill　a　little　jealous；　because　his　was　only　a　sort　of　grayish　pink。　Since　the　trooper's　shipboard　uniform　was　almost　the　same　shade　of　black；　he　looked　all　of　a　piece；　very　effective　with　his　flashing　smile　and　piercing　gaze。
　　〃Wele　aboard　the　Christine　Keeler；〃　he　said；　and　with　a　friendly　shake　splintered　most　of　Bill's　knucklebones。　〃The　grand　old　lady　of　this　fleet；　missioned　almost　a　week　ago。　I'm　the　Reverend　Fuse　Tender　Sixth　Class　Tembo；
and　I　see　by　the　stencil　on　your　bag　that　your　name　is　Bill；　and　since　we're　shipmates；　Bill；　please　call　me　Tembo；　and　how　is　the　condition　of　your　soul？〃　
　　〃I　haven't　had　much　chance　to　think　about　it　lately　。　。　。〃
　　〃I　should　think　not；　just　ing　from　recruit　training；　since　attendance　of　chapel　during　training　is　a　court…martial　offense。　But　that's　all　behind　you　now　and　you　can　be　saved。　Might　I　ask　if　you　are　of　the　faith　。　。　。　？〃
　　〃My　folks　were　Fundamentalist　Zoroastrian；　so　I　suppose　。　。　。　〃
　　〃Superstition；　my　boy；　rank　superstition。　It　was　the　hand　of　fate　that　brought　us　together　in　this　ship；　that　your　soul　would　have　this　one　chance　to　be　saved　from　the　fiery　pit。　You've　heard　of　Earth？〃
　　〃I　like　plain　food　。　。　。〃
　　〃It's　a　planet；　my　boy…the　home　of　the　human　race。　The　home　from　whence　we　all　sprang；　see　it；　a　green　and　lovely　world；　a　jewel　in　space。〃　Tembo　had　slipped　a　tiny　projector　from　his　pocket　while　he　spoke；　and　a　colored　image　appeared　on　the　bulkhead；　a　planet　swimming　artistically　through　the　void；　girdled　by　white　clouds。　Suddenly　ruddy　lightning　shot　through　the　clouds；　and　they　twisted　and　boiled　while　great　wounds　appeared　on　the　planet　below。　From　the　pinhead　speaker　came　the　tiny　sound　of　rolling　thunder。　〃But　wars　sprang　up　among　the　sons　of　man　and　they　smote　each　other　with　the　atomic　energies　until　the　Earth　itself　groaned　aloud　and　mighty　was　the　holocaust。　And　when　the　final　lightnings　stilled　there　was　death　in　the　North；　death　in　the　West；　death　in　the　East；　death；　death；　death。　Do　you　realize　what　that　means？〃　Tembo's　voice　was　eloquent　with　feeling；　suspended　for　an　instant　in　mid…flight；　waiting　for　the　answer　to　the　catechistical　question。
　　〃I'm　not　quite　sure；〃　Bill　said；　rooting　aimlessly　in　his　bag；　〃I　e　from　Phigerinadon　II；　it's　a　quieter　place　。　。　。〃
　　〃There　was　no　death　in　the　SOUTH！　And　why　was　the　South　spared；　I　ask　you；　and　the　answer　is　because　it　was　the　will　of　Samedi　that　all　the　false　prophets　and　false　religions　and　false　gods　be　wiped　from　the　face　of　the　Earth　so　that　the　only　true　faith　should　remain。　The　First　Reformed　Voodoo　Church　。　。　。〃
　　General　Quarters　sounded；　a　hooting　alarm　keyed　to　the　resonant　frequency　of　the　human　skull　so　that　the　bone　vibrated　as　though　the　head　were　inside　a　mighty　bell；　and　the　eyes　blurred　out　of　focus　with　each　stroke。　There　was　a　scramble　for　the　passageway；　where　the　hideous　sound　。was　not　quite　as　loud　and　where　non…corns　were　waiting　to　herd　them　to　their　stations。　Bill　followed　Eager　Beager　up　an　oily　ladder　and　out　of　the　hatch　in　the　floor　of　the　fuse　room。　Great　racks　of　fuses　stretched　away　on　all　sides　of　them；　while　from　the　tops　of　the　racks　sprang　arm…thick　cables　that　looped　upward　and　vanished　through　the　ceiling。　In　front　of　the　racks；　evenly　spaced；　were　round　openings　a　foot　in　diameter。
　　〃My　opening　remarks　will　be　brief；　any　trouble　from　any　of　you　and　I　will　personally　myself　feed　you　head　first　down　the　nearest　fuseway。〃　A　greasy　forefinger　pointed　at　one　of　the　holes　in　the　deck；　and　they　recognized　the　voice　of　their　new　master。　He　was　shorter　and　wider　and　thicker　in　the　gut　than　Deathwish；　but　there　was　a　generic　resemblance　that　was　unmistakable。　〃I　am　Fuse　Tender　First　Class　Spleen。　I　will　take　you　crumbly；　ground…crawling　bowbs　and　will　turn　you　into　highly　skilled　and　efficient　fuse　tenders　or　else　feed　you　down　the　nearest　fuseway。　This　is　a　highly　skilled　and　efficient　technical　speciality　which　usually　takes　a　year　to　train　a　good　man　but　this　is　war　so　you　are　going　to　learn　to　do　it　now　or　else。　I　will　now　demonstrate。　Tembo　front　and　center。　Take　board　19J…9；　it's　out　of　circuit　now。〃
　　Tembo　clashed　his　heels　and　stood　at　rigid　attention　in　front　of　the　board。
Stretching　away　on　both　sides　of　him　were　the　fuses；　white　ceramic　cylinders　capped　on　both　ends　with　metal；　each　one　a　foot　in　diameter；　five　feet　high；　and　weighing　ninety　pounds。　There　was　a　red　band　around　the　midriff　of　each　fuse。　First　Class　Spleen　tapped　one　of　these　bands。　
　　〃Every　fuse　has　one　of　these　red　bands；　which　is　called　a　fuseband　and　is　of　the　color　red。　When　the　fuse　burns　out　this　band　turns　black。　I　don't　expect　you　to　remember　all　this　now；　but　it's　in　your　manual　and　you　are　going　to　be　letter…perfect　before　I　am　done　with　you；　or　else。　Now　I　will　show　you　what　will　happen　when　a　fuse　burns　out。　Tembo…that　is　a　burned…out　fuse！　Go！〃
　　〃Unggh！〃　Tembo　shouted；　and　leaped　at　the　fuse　and　grasped　it　with　both　hands。　〃Unggh！〃　he　said　again；　as　he　pulled　it　from　the　clips；　and　again　〃Unggh！〃　when　he　dropped　it　into　the　fuseway。　Then；　still　Ungghing；　be　pulled　a　new　fuse　from　the　storage　rack　and　clipped　it　into　place　and　with　a　final　Unggh！　snapped　back　to　attention。
　　〃And　that's　the　way　it　is　done；　by　the　c