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Deathworld by Harry Harrison, Chapter - XVII

Chapter - XVII

XVII. Every square inch of his body ached where the doubled gravity had pressed his flesh to the unyielding wood of the floor.

His eyes were gummy and his mouth was filled with an indescribable taste that came off in chunks. Sitting up was an effort and he had to stifle a groan as his joints cracked. "Good day, Jason," Rhes called from the bed.

"If I didn't believe in medicine so strongly, I would be tempted to say there is a miracle in your machine that has cured me overnight. There was no doubt that he was on the mend.

The inflamed patches had vanished and the burning light was gone from his eyes. He sat, propped up on the bed, watching the morning sun melt the night's hailstorm into the fields. "There's meat in the cabinet there," he said, "and either water or visk to drink.

The visk proved to be a distilled beverage of extraordinary potency that instantly cleared the fog from Jason's brain, though it did leave a slight ringing in his ears.

And the meat was a tenderly smoked joint, the best food he had tasted since leaving Darkhan. Taken together they restored his faith in life and the future. He lowered his glass with a relaxed sigh and looked around. With the pressures of immediate survival and exhaustion removed, his thoughts returned automatically to his problem.

What were these people really like—and how had they managed to survive in the deadly wilderness? In the city he had been told they were savages. Yet there was a carefully tended and repaired communicator on the wall. And by the door a crossbow—that fired machined metal bolts, he could see the tool marks still visible on their shanks. The one thing he needed was more information. He could start by getting rid of some of his misinformation. "Rhes, you laughed when I told you what the city people said, about trading you trinkets for food.

What do they really trade you? "Anything within certain limits," Rhes said.

"Small manufactured items, such as electronic components for our communicators. Rustless alloys we can't make in our forges, cutting tools, atomic electric converters that produce power from any radioactive element. Things like that. Within reason they'll trade anything we ask that isn't on the forbidden list. They need the food badly. "And the items on the forbidden list—?

"Weapons, of course, or anything that might be made into a powerful weapon.

They know we make gunpowder so we can't get anything like large castings or seamless tubing we could make into heavy gun barrels. We drill our own rifle barrels by hand, though the crossbow is quiet and faster in the jungle. Then they don't like us to know very much, so the only reading matter that gets to us are tech maintenance manuals, empty of basic theory. "The last banned category you know about—medicine.

This is the one thing I cannot understand, that makes me burn with hatred with every death they might have prevented. "I know their reasons," Jason said.

"Then tell me, because I can think of none.

"Survival—it's just that simple.

I doubt if you realize it, but they have a decreasing population. It is just a matter of years before they will be gone. Whereas your people at least must have a stable—if not slightly growing population—to have existed without their mechanical protections. So in the city they hate you and are jealous of you at the same time. If they gave you medicine and you prospered, you would be winning the battle they have lost. I imagine they tolerate you as a necessary evil, to supply them with food, otherwise they wish you were all dead. "It makes sense," Rhes growled, slamming his fist against the bed.

"The kind of twisted logic you expect from junkmen. They use us to feed them, give us the absolute minimum in return, and at the same time cut us off from the knowledge that will get us out of this hand to mouth existence. Worse, far worse, they cut us off from the stars and the rest of mankind." The hatred on his face was so strong that Jason unconsciously drew back. "Do you think we are savages here, Jason?

We act and look like animals because we have to fight for existence on an animal level. Yet we know about the stars. In that chest over there, sealed in metal, are over thirty books, all we have. Fiction most of them, with some history and general science thrown in. Enough to keep alive the stories of the settlement here and the rest of the universe outside. We see the ships land in the city and we know that up there are worlds we can only dream about and never see. Do you wonder that we hate these beasts that call themselves men, and would destroy them in an instant if we could? They are right to keep weapons from us—for sure as the sun rises in the morning we would kill them to a man if we were able, and take over the things they have withheld from us. It was a harsh condemnation, but essentially a truthful one.

At least from the point of view of the outsiders. Jason didn't try to explain to the angry man that the city Pyrrans looked on their attitude as being the only possible and logical one. "How did this battle between your two groups ever come about?" he asked. "I don't know," Rhes said, "I've thought about it many times, but there are no records of that period.

We do know that we are all descended from colonists who arrived at the same time. Somewhere, at some time, the two groups separated. Perhaps it was a war, I've read about them in the books. I have a partial theory, though I can't prove it, that it was the location of the city. "Location—I don't understand.

"Well, you know the junkmen, and you've seen where their city is.

They managed to put it right in the middle of the most savage spot on this planet. You know they don't care about any living thing except themselves, shoot and kill is their only logic. So they wouldn't consider where to build their city, and managed to build it in the stupidest spot imaginable. I'm sure my ancestors saw how foolish this was and tried to tell them so. That would be reason enough for a war, wouldn't it? "It might have been—if that's really what happened," Jason said.

"But I think you have the problem turned backwards. It's a war between native Pyrran life and humans, each fighting to destroy the other. The life forms change continually, seeking that final destruction of the invader. "Your theory is even wilder than mine," Rhes said.

"That's not true at all. I admit that life isn't too easy on this planet ... if what I have read in the books about other planets is true ... but it doesn't change. You have to be fast on your feet and keep your eyes open for anything bigger than you, but you can survive. Anyway, it doesn't really matter why. The junkmen always look for trouble and I'm happy to see that they have enough. Jason didn't try to press the point.

The effort of forcing Rhes to change his basic attitudes wasn't worth it—even if possible. He hadn't succeeded in convincing anyone in the city of the lethal mutations even when they could observe all the facts. Rhes could still supply information though. "I suppose it's not important who started the battle," Jason said for the other man's benefit, not meaning a word of it, "but you'll have to agree that the city people are permanently at war with all the local life.

Your people, though, have managed to befriend at least two species that I have seen. Do you have any idea how this was done? "Naxa will be here in a minute," Rhes said, pointing to the door, "as soon as he's taken care of the animals.

Ask him. He's the best talker we have. "Talker?

Jason asked. "I had the opposite idea about him. He didn't talk much, and what he did say was, well ... a little hard to understand at times. "Not that kind of talking.

Rhes broke in impatiently. "The talkers look after the animals. They train the dogs and doryms, and the better ones like Naxa are always trying to work with other beasts. They dress crudely, but they have to. I've heard them say that the animals don't like chemicals, metal or tanned leather, so they wear untanned furs for the most part. But don't let the dirt fool you, it has nothing to do with his intelligence. "Doryms?

Are those your carrying beasts—the kind we rode coming here? Rhes nodded.

"Doryms are more than pack animals, they're really a little bit of everything. The large males pull the ploughs and other machines, while the younger animals are used for meat. If you want to know more, ask Naxa, you'll find him in the barn. "I'd like to do that," Jason said, standing up.

"Only I feel undressed without my gun—" "Take it, by all means, it's in that chest by the door.

Only watch out what you shoot around here. Naxa was in the rear of the barn, filing down one of the spadelike toenails of a dorym.

It was a strange scene. The fur-dressed man with the great beast—and the contrast of a beryllium-copper file and electroluminescent plates lighting the work. The dorym opened its nostrils and pulled away when Jason entered; Naxa patted its neck and talked softly until it quieted and stood still, shivering slightly.

Something stirred in Jason's mind, with the feeling of a long unused muscle being stressed.

A hauntingly familiar sensation. "Good morning," Jason said.

Naxa grunted something and went back to his filing. Watching him for a few minutes, Jason tried to analyze this new feeling. It itched and slipped aside when he reached for it, escaping him. Whatever it was, it had started when Naxa had talked to the dorym. "Could you call one of the dogs in here, Naxa?

I'd like to see one closer up. Without raising his head from his work, Naxa gave a low whistle.

Jason was sure it couldn't have been heard outside of the barn. Yet within a minute one of the Pyrran dogs slipped quietly in. The talker rubbed the beast's head, mumbling to it, while the animal looked intently into his eyes. The dog became restless when Naxa turned back to work on the dorym.

It prowled around the barn, sniffing, then moved quickly towards the open door. Jason called it back. At least he meant to call it.

At the last moment he said nothing. Nothing aloud. On sudden impulse he kept his mouth closed—only he called the dog with his mind. Thinking the words come here , directing the impulse at the animal with all the force and direction he had ever used to manipulate dice. As he did it he realized it had been a long time since he had even considered using his psi powers. The dog stopped and turned back towards him.

It hesitated, looking at Naxa, then walked over to Jason.

Seen this closely the beast was a nightmare hound.

The hairless protective plates, tiny red-rimmed eyes, and countless, saliva-dripping teeth did little to inspire confidence. Yet Jason felt no fear. There was a rapport between man and animal that was understood. Without conscious thought he reached out and scratched the dog along the back, where he knew it itched. "Didn't know y're a talker," Naxa said.

As he watched them, there was friendship in his voice for the first time. "I didn't know either—until just now," Jason said.

He looked into the eyes of the animal before him, scratched the ridged and ugly back, and began to understand. The talkers must have well developed psi facilities, that was obvious now.

There is no barrier of race or alien form when two creatures share each other's emotions. Empathy first, so there would be no hatred or fear. After that direct communication. The talkers might have been the ones who first broke through the barrier of hatred on Pyrrus and learned to live with the native life. Others could have followed their example—this might explain how the community of "grubbers" had been formed. Now that he was concentrating on it, Jason was aware of the soft flow of thoughts around him.

The consciousness of the dorym was matched by other like patterns from the rear of the barn. He knew without going outside that more of the big beasts were in the field back there. "This is all new to me," Jason said.

"Have you ever thought about it, Naxa? What does it feel like to be a talker? I mean, do you know why it is you can get the animals to obey you while other people have no 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 towards 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 a 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 say," was Naxa's answer.

Rhes granted instant permission without asking any questions.

They saddled up and left at once, in order to complete 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 uncomfortable, not knowing the cause. One thing was obvious now.

The Pyrran animals were sensitive to psi radiation—probably the plants and lower life forms as well. Perhaps they communicated 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 specialized 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 and 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 it was more than that. An unending river of mental outrage and death. "Let's go back now," he said, suddenly battered and sickened by the feelings he had let wash through him.

As they started the return trip he began to understand many things. His sudden unspeakable fear when the Pyrran animal had attacked him that first day on the planet.

And his recurrent nightmares that had never completely ceased, even with drugs. Both of these were his reaction to the hatred directed at the city. Though for some reason he hadn't felt it directly up to now, enough had reached through to him to get a strong emotional reaction. Rhes was asleep when they got back and Jason couldn't talk to him until morning.

In spite of his fatigue from the trip, he stayed awake late into the night, going over in his mind the discoveries of the day. Could he tell Rhes what he had found out? Not very well. If he did that, he would have to explain the importance of his discovery and what he meant to use it for. Nothing that aided the city dwellers would appeal to Rhes in the slightest. Best to say nothing until the entire affair was over.

Chapter - XVII Kapitel - XVII Capítulo - XVII Bölüm - XVII 第十七章

XVII. Every square inch of his body ached where the doubled gravity had pressed his flesh to the unyielding wood of the floor.

His eyes were gummy and his mouth was filled with an indescribable taste that came off in chunks. Его глаза были липкими, а рот наполнен непередаваемым вкусом, который выходил кусками. Sitting up was an effort and he had to stifle a groan as his joints cracked. "Good day, Jason," Rhes called from the bed.

"If I didn’t believe in medicine so strongly, I would be tempted to say there is a miracle in your machine that has cured me overnight. There was no doubt that he was on the mend.

The inflamed patches had vanished and the burning light was gone from his eyes. He sat, propped up on the bed, watching the morning sun melt the night’s hailstorm into the fields. Он сидел, опершись на кровать, и смотрел, как утреннее солнце растворяет ночной град в полях. "There’s meat in the cabinet there," he said, "and either water or visk to drink. -- Там в шкафу есть мясо, -- сказал он, -- и либо вода, либо виск для питья.

The visk proved to be a distilled beverage of extraordinary potency that instantly cleared the fog from Jason’s brain, though it did leave a slight ringing in his ears. Виск оказался дистиллированным напитком необычайной силы, который мгновенно рассеял туман в мозгу Джейсона, хотя и оставил легкий звон в ушах.

And the meat was a tenderly smoked joint, the best food he had tasted since leaving Darkhan. И мясо было нежно копченым косяком, лучшей едой, которую он пробовал с тех пор, как покинул Дархан. Taken together they restored his faith in life and the future. Вместе они вернули ему веру в жизнь и будущее. He lowered his glass with a relaxed sigh and looked around. Он опустил стакан с расслабленным вздохом и огляделся. With the pressures of immediate survival and exhaustion removed, his thoughts returned automatically to his problem. Когда давление необходимости немедленного выживания и истощения исчезло, его мысли автоматически вернулись к своей проблеме.

What were these people really like—and how had they managed to survive in the deadly wilderness? In the city he had been told they were savages. Yet there was a carefully tended and repaired communicator on the wall. Однако на стене висел тщательно ухоженный и отремонтированный коммуникатор. And by the door a crossbow—that fired machined metal bolts, he could see the tool marks still visible on their shanks. А у двери арбалет — он стрелял из обработанных металлических болтов, он мог видеть следы инструментов, все еще видимые на их хвостовиках. The one thing he needed was more information. He could start by getting rid of some of his misinformation. "Rhes, you laughed when I told you what the city people said, about trading you trinkets for food. «Рес, ты смеялся, когда я рассказал тебе, что говорили горожане о том, что ты обмениваешь безделушки на еду.

What do they really trade you? Что они на самом деле торгуют вами? "Anything within certain limits," Rhes said. — Все в определенных пределах, — сказал Рес.

"Small manufactured items, such as electronic components for our communicators. Rustless alloys we can’t make in our forges, cutting tools, atomic electric converters that produce power from any radioactive element. Нержавеющие сплавы, которые мы не можем сделать в наших кузнях, режущие инструменты, атомные электрические преобразователи, которые производят энергию из любого радиоактивного элемента. Things like that. Within reason they’ll trade anything we ask that isn’t on the forbidden list. В пределах разумного они продадут все, что мы попросим, что не входит в запрещенный список. They need the food badly. Им очень нужна еда. "And the items on the forbidden list—?

"Weapons, of course, or anything that might be made into a powerful weapon. "Оружие, конечно, или что-нибудь, что может быть превращено в мощное оружие.

They know we make gunpowder so we can’t get anything like large castings or seamless tubing we could make into heavy gun barrels. Они знают, что мы производим порох, поэтому у нас нет ничего похожего на большие отливки или бесшовные трубы, из которых можно было бы сделать стволы тяжелых орудий. We drill our own rifle barrels by hand, though the crossbow is quiet and faster in the jungle. Мы сверлим стволы собственных винтовок вручную, хотя арбалет в джунглях работает тихо и быстрее. Then they don’t like us to know very much, so the only reading matter that gets to us are tech maintenance manuals, empty of basic theory. Кроме того, им не нравится, когда мы очень много знаем, поэтому единственное, что мы можем прочитать, — это руководства по техническому обслуживанию, лишенные базовой теории. "The last banned category you know about—medicine.

This is the one thing I cannot understand, that makes me burn with hatred with every death they might have prevented. Это единственная вещь, которую я не могу понять, которая заставляет меня гореть ненавистью к каждой смерти, которую они могли бы предотвратить. "I know their reasons," Jason said. — Я знаю их причины, — сказал Джейсон.

"Then tell me, because I can think of none. «Тогда скажи мне, потому что я ничего не могу придумать.

"Survival—it’s just that simple. «Выживание — это так просто.

I doubt if you realize it, but they have a decreasing population. Сомневаюсь, понимаете ли вы это, но их население сокращается. It is just a matter of years before they will be gone. Whereas your people at least must have a stable—if not slightly growing population—to have existed without their mechanical protections. В то время как ваш народ, по крайней мере, должен иметь стабильное, если не слегка растущее население, чтобы существовать без их механической защиты. So in the city they hate you and are jealous of you at the same time. Так что в городе тебя ненавидят и завидуют одновременно. If they gave you medicine and you prospered, you would be winning the battle they have lost. Если бы они дали вам лекарство и вы процветали, вы бы выиграли битву, которую они проиграли. I imagine they tolerate you as a necessary evil, to supply them with food, otherwise they wish you were all dead. Я полагаю, они терпят вас как необходимое зло, чтобы снабжать их пищей, иначе они желают, чтобы вы все были мертвы. "It makes sense," Rhes growled, slamming his fist against the bed. — В этом есть смысл, — прорычал Рес, стукнув кулаком по кровати.

"The kind of twisted logic you expect from junkmen. «Какой извращенной логики вы ожидаете от старьевщиков. They use us to feed them, give us the absolute minimum in return, and at the same time cut us off from the knowledge that will get us out of this hand to mouth existence. Они используют нас, чтобы кормить их, дают нам взамен абсолютный минимум, и в то же время отрезают нас от знаний, которые вытащат нас из этого жалкого существования. Worse, far worse, they cut us off from the stars and the rest of mankind." Хуже, гораздо хуже, они отрезали нас от звезд и остального человечества». The hatred on his face was so strong that Jason unconsciously drew back. Ненависть на его лице была настолько сильна, что Джейсон бессознательно отпрянул. "Do you think we are savages here, Jason?

We act and look like animals because we have to fight for existence on an animal level. Мы ведем себя и выглядим как животные, потому что нам приходится бороться за существование на животном уровне. Yet we know about the stars. Но мы знаем о звездах. In that chest over there, sealed in metal, are over thirty books, all we have. Вон в том сундуке, запечатанном металлом, больше тридцати книг, все, что у нас есть. Fiction most of them, with some history and general science thrown in. Большинство из них — художественная литература, с небольшим добавлением истории и общей науки. Enough to keep alive the stories of the settlement here and the rest of the universe outside. Достаточно, чтобы поддерживать истории о поселении здесь и об остальной вселенной снаружи. We see the ships land in the city and we know that up there are worlds we can only dream about and never see. Мы видим, как корабли приземляются в городе, и знаем, что есть миры, о которых мы можем только мечтать и никогда не увидеть. Do you wonder that we hate these beasts that call themselves men, and would destroy them in an instant if we could? Вас удивляет, что мы ненавидим этих зверей, называющих себя людьми, и уничтожили бы их в одно мгновение, если бы могли? They are right to keep weapons from us—for sure as the sun rises in the morning we would kill them to a man if we were able, and take over the things they have withheld from us. Они правы, что скрывают от нас оружие — наверняка, когда солнце взойдет утром, мы бы убили их до мозга костей, если бы могли, и забрали то, что они утаили от нас. It was a harsh condemnation, but essentially a truthful one. Это было жесткое осуждение, но по существу правдивое.

At least from the point of view of the outsiders. По крайней мере, с точки зрения посторонних. Jason didn’t try to explain to the angry man that the city Pyrrans looked on their attitude as being the only possible and logical one. Джейсон не стал объяснять разгневанному человеку, что городские пирряне считают их позицию единственно возможной и логичной. "How did this battle between your two groups ever come about?" «Как вообще возникла эта битва между двумя вашими группами?» he asked. "I don’t know," Rhes said, "I’ve thought about it many times, but there are no records of that period.

We do know that we are all descended from colonists who arrived at the same time. Somewhere, at some time, the two groups separated. Perhaps it was a war, I’ve read about them in the books. I have a partial theory, though I can’t prove it, that it was the location of the city. У меня есть частичная теория, хотя я не могу ее доказать, что это было местонахождение города. "Location—I don’t understand. «Место — я не понимаю.

"Well, you know the junkmen, and you’ve seen where their city is. — Ну, ты знаешь старьевщиков и видел, где находится их город.

They managed to put it right in the middle of the most savage spot on this planet. Им удалось поставить его прямо посреди самого дикого места на этой планете. You know they don’t care about any living thing except themselves, shoot and kill is their only logic. Вы знаете, что они не заботятся ни о чем живом, кроме себя, стрелять и убивать - их единственная логика. So they wouldn’t consider where to build their city, and managed to build it in the stupidest spot imaginable. Поэтому они не думали, где строить свой город, и умудрились построить его в самом глупом месте, какое только можно вообразить. I’m sure my ancestors saw how foolish this was and tried to tell them so. That would be reason enough for a war, wouldn’t it? Это было бы достаточной причиной для войны, не так ли? "It might have been—if that’s really what happened," Jason said. «Могло быть — если это действительно то, что произошло», — сказал Джейсон.

"But I think you have the problem turned backwards. «Но я думаю, что у вас проблема повернута вспять. It’s a war between native Pyrran life and humans, each fighting to destroy the other. Это война между коренной пирранской жизнью и людьми, каждый из которых борется за уничтожение другого. The life forms change continually, seeking that final destruction of the invader. Формы жизни постоянно меняются, стремясь к окончательному уничтожению захватчика. "Your theory is even wilder than mine," Rhes said. «Ваша теория еще более дикая, чем моя», — сказал Рес.

"That’s not true at all. "Это совсем не так. I admit that life isn’t too easy on this planet ... if what I have read in the books about other planets is true ... but it doesn’t change. Я признаю, что жизнь на этой планете не слишком легка... если правда то, что я читал в книгах о других планетах... но это не меняется. You have to be fast on your feet and keep your eyes open for anything bigger than you, but you can survive. Anyway, it doesn’t really matter why. В любом случае, неважно, почему. The junkmen always look for trouble and I’m happy to see that they have enough. Старьевщики всегда ищут неприятностей, и я рад видеть, что их достаточно. Jason didn’t try to press the point. Джейсон не пытался настаивать на этом.

The effort of forcing Rhes to change his basic attitudes wasn’t worth it—even if possible. Попытка заставить Реса изменить свои базовые взгляды не стоила того, даже если это было возможно. He hadn’t succeeded in convincing anyone in the city of the lethal mutations even when they could observe all the facts. Ему не удалось убедить кого-либо в городе в смертельных мутациях, даже когда они могли наблюдать все факты. Rhes could still supply information though. Тем не менее, Рез все еще мог предоставить информацию. "I suppose it’s not important who started the battle," Jason said for the other man’s benefit, not meaning a word of it, "but you’ll have to agree that the city people are permanently at war with all the local life. — Я полагаю, не важно, кто начал битву, — сказал Джейсон для выгоды собеседника, не думая ни слова, — но согласитесь, что горожане перманентно воюют со всей местной жизнью.

Your people, though, have managed to befriend at least two species that I have seen. Do you have any idea how this was done? "Naxa will be here in a minute," Rhes said, pointing to the door, "as soon as he’s taken care of the animals. — Накса будет здесь через минуту, — сказал Рес, указывая на дверь, — как только позаботится о животных.

Ask him. He’s the best talker we have. Он лучший оратор, который у нас есть. "Talker?

Jason asked. "I had the opposite idea about him. «У меня было противоположное представление о нем. He didn’t talk much, and what he did say was, well ... a little hard to understand at times. "Not that kind of talking.

Rhes broke in impatiently. – нетерпеливо вмешался Рес. "The talkers look after the animals. They train the dogs and doryms, and the better ones like Naxa are always trying to work with other beasts. Они дрессируют собак и доримов, а лучшие из них, такие как Накса, всегда пытаются работать с другими животными. They dress crudely, but they have to. Они одеваются грубо, но им приходится. I’ve heard them say that the animals don’t like chemicals, metal or tanned leather, so they wear untanned furs for the most part. Я слышал, как они говорят, что животные не любят химикаты, металл или дубленую кожу, поэтому в большинстве случаев они носят необработанные меха. But don’t let the dirt fool you, it has nothing to do with his intelligence. Но не позволяйте грязи обмануть вас, она не имеет ничего общего с его интеллектом. "Doryms?

Are those your carrying beasts—the kind we rode coming here? Это твои несущие звери, на которых мы ехали сюда? Rhes nodded.

"Doryms are more than pack animals, they’re really a little bit of everything. «Доримы — это больше, чем вьючные животные, они действительно всего понемногу. The large males pull the ploughs and other machines, while the younger animals are used for meat. Крупные самцы тянут плуги и другие машины, а молодые животные идут на мясо. If you want to know more, ask Naxa, you’ll find him in the barn. "I’d like to do that," Jason said, standing up.

"Only I feel undressed without my gun—" "Take it, by all means, it’s in that chest by the door. «Возьми, конечно, в том сундуке у двери.

Only watch out what you shoot around here. Только следите за тем, что вы снимаете здесь. Naxa was in the rear of the barn, filing down one of the spadelike toenails of a dorym. Накса стоял в задней части амбара и подпиливал один из лопатообразных ногтей на ногах дорима.

It was a strange scene. The fur-dressed man with the great beast—and the contrast of a beryllium-copper file and electroluminescent plates lighting the work. Человек в мехах с огромным зверем — и контраст бериллиево-медного напильника и электролюминесцентных пластин, освещающих работу. The dorym opened its nostrils and pulled away when Jason entered; Naxa patted its neck and talked softly until it quieted and stood still, shivering slightly. Дорим открыл ноздри и отпрянул, когда Джейсон вошел; Накса гладил его по шее и тихо говорил, пока тот не замолчал и не остановился, слегка вздрагивая.

Something stirred in Jason’s mind, with the feeling of a long unused muscle being stressed. Что-то шевельнулось в сознании Джейсона, он почувствовал, как напряглась давно неиспользуемая мышца.

A hauntingly familiar sensation. Навязчиво знакомое ощущение. "Good morning," Jason said.

Naxa grunted something and went back to his filing. Watching him for a few minutes, Jason tried to analyze this new feeling. It itched and slipped aside when he reached for it, escaping him. Она чесалась и соскользнула в сторону, когда он потянулся к ней, ускользая от него. Whatever it was, it had started when Naxa had talked to the dorym. Что бы это ни было, оно началось, когда Накса заговорила с доримом. "Could you call one of the dogs in here, Naxa? «Не могли бы вы позвать одну из здешних собак, Накса?

I’d like to see one closer up. Я хотел бы увидеть один поближе. Without raising his head from his work, Naxa gave a low whistle. Не поднимая головы от работы, Накса тихонько присвистнул.

Jason was sure it couldn’t have been heard outside of the barn. Yet within a minute one of the Pyrran dogs slipped quietly in. Однако через минуту одна из пирранских собак бесшумно проскользнула внутрь. The talker rubbed the beast’s head, mumbling to it, while the animal looked intently into his eyes. The dog became restless when Naxa turned back to work on the dorym. Собака стала беспокойной, когда Накса вернулась к работе на дориме.

It prowled around the barn, sniffing, then moved quickly towards the open door. Он рыскал по амбару, принюхиваясь, затем быстро двинулся к открытой двери. Jason called it back. Джейсон перезвонил. At least he meant to call it.

At the last moment he said nothing. Nothing aloud. On sudden impulse he kept his mouth closed—only he called the dog with his mind. Thinking the words come here , directing the impulse at the animal with all the force and direction he had ever used to manipulate dice. Думая, что слова приходят сюда, направляя импульс на животное со всей силой и направлением, которые он когда-либо использовал для манипулирования игральными костями. As he did it he realized it had been a long time since he had even considered using his psi powers. Сделав это, он понял, что прошло много времени с тех пор, как он даже думал об использовании своих пси-способностей. The dog stopped and turned back towards him.

It hesitated, looking at Naxa, then walked over to Jason. Он помедлил, глядя на Наксу, затем подошел к Джейсону.

Seen this closely the beast was a nightmare hound. При ближайшем рассмотрении зверь был кошмарной гончей.

The hairless protective plates, tiny red-rimmed eyes, and countless, saliva-dripping teeth did little to inspire confidence. Безволосые защитные пластины, крошечные глаза с красной каймой и бесчисленные слюноотделяющие зубы мало внушали доверия. Yet Jason felt no fear. There was a rapport between man and animal that was understood. Между человеком и животным была понятная связь. Without conscious thought he reached out and scratched the dog along the back, where he knew it itched. Бессознательно он протянул руку и почесал собаку вдоль спины, где, как он знал, она чесалась. "Didn’t know y’re a talker," Naxa said. — Не знал, что ты болтун, — сказал Накса.

As he watched them, there was friendship in his voice for the first time. Когда он наблюдал за ними, в его голосе впервые прозвучала дружба. "I didn’t know either—until just now," Jason said. — Я тоже не знал — до сих пор, — сказал Джейсон.

He looked into the eyes of the animal before him, scratched the ridged and ugly back, and began to understand. Он посмотрел в глаза стоявшему перед ним животному, почесал ребристую и уродливую спину и начал понимать. The talkers must have well developed psi facilities, that was obvious now. У говорящих должно быть хорошо развито пси-оборудование, теперь это было очевидно.

There is no barrier of race or alien form when two creatures share each other’s emotions. Нет барьера расы или инопланетной формы, когда два существа разделяют эмоции друг друга. Empathy first, so there would be no hatred or fear. Сначала сочувствие, чтобы не было ни ненависти, ни страха. After that direct communication. После этого прямое общение. The talkers might have been the ones who first broke through the barrier of hatred on Pyrrus and learned to live with the native life. Болтуны могли быть теми, кто первым прорвался через барьер ненависти на Пирре и научился жить туземной жизнью. Others could have followed their example—this might explain how the community of "grubbers" had been formed. Now that he was concentrating on it, Jason was aware of the soft flow of thoughts around him. Теперь, когда он сосредоточился на этом, Джейсон ощутил мягкий поток мыслей вокруг себя.

The consciousness of the dorym was matched by other like patterns from the rear of the barn. Сознанию дорыма соответствовали другие подобные узоры из задней части амбара. He knew without going outside that more of the big beasts were in the field back there. Он знал, не выходя на улицу, что там, в поле, было больше больших зверей. "This is all new to me," Jason said.

"Have you ever thought about it, Naxa? — Ты когда-нибудь думал об этом, Накса? What does it feel like to be a talker? Каково это быть говорящим? I mean, do you know why it is you can get the animals to obey you while other people have no luck at all? Я имею в виду, вы знаете, почему вы можете заставить животных подчиняться вам, в то время как другим людям вообще не везет? Thinking of this sort troubled Naxa. Мысли об этом беспокоили Наксу.

He ran his fingers through his thick hair and scowled as he answered. Он провел пальцами по своим густым волосам и нахмурился, отвечая. "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. Просто узнай зверя как следует, тогда ты сможешь догадаться, что они собираются делать. 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. А если не он, то, наверное, никто другой. They had no reason to. They simply accepted the powers of talkers as one of the facts of life. Ideas slipped towards each other in his mind, like the pieces of a puzzle joining together. Идеи скользили одна за другой в его голове, как кусочки головоломки, соединяющиеся воедино.

He had told Kerk that the native life of Pyrrus had joined in battle against mankind, he didn’t know why. Он сказал Керку, что местная жизнь Пирра вступила в битву против человечества, он не знал почему. Well—he still didn’t know why, but he was getting an idea of the "how. Что ж, он все еще не знал, почему, но до него дошло, «как. "About how far are we from the city? «Как далеко мы от города?

Jason asked. "Do you have an idea how long it would take us to get there by dorym? «Вы представляете, сколько времени нам потребуется, чтобы добраться туда на дорыме? "Half a day there—half back. «Полдня туда — полдня обратно.

Why? Почему? Y’want to go? "I don’t want to get into the city, not yet. «Я пока не хочу в город.

But I would like to get close to it," Jason told him. Но я хотел бы приблизиться к этому», — сказал ему Джейсон. "See what Rhes say," was Naxa’s answer. «Посмотри, что скажет Рес», — ответила Накса.

Rhes granted instant permission without asking any questions. Рес немедленно дал разрешение, не задавая никаких вопросов.

They saddled up and left at once, in order to complete the round trip before dark. Они оседлали и тотчас же уехали, чтобы засветло совершить кругосветное путешествие. They had been traveling less than an hour before Jason knew they were going in the direction of the city. Они ехали меньше часа, прежде чем Джейсон понял, что они направляются в сторону города.

With each minute the feeling grew stronger. С каждой минутой это чувство становилось сильнее. Naxa was aware of it too, stirring in the saddle with unvoiced feelings. Накса тоже знала об этом, шевелясь в седле от невысказанных чувств. They had to keep touching and reassuring their mounts which were growing skittish and restless. Им приходилось постоянно трогать и успокаивать своих скакунов, которые становились пугливыми и беспокойными. "This is far enough," Jason said. — Этого достаточно, — сказал Джейсон.

Naxa gratefully pulled to a stop. Накса с благодарностью остановилась. The wordless thought beat through Jason’s mind, filling it. Бессловесная мысль пронзила разум Джейсона, заполнив его.

He could feel it on all sides—only much stronger ahead of them in the direction of the unseen city. Он чувствовал это со всех сторон — только гораздо сильнее впереди них в направлении невидимого города. Naxa and the doryms reacted in the same way, restlessly uncomfortable, not knowing the cause. Накса и доримы реагировали одинаково, беспокойно смущенные, не зная причины. One thing was obvious now.

The Pyrran animals were sensitive to psi radiation—probably the plants and lower life forms as well. Perhaps they communicated 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. И в этой области была волна пси-излучения, которой он никогда раньше не испытывал. Though his personal talents specialized in psychokinesis—the mental control of inanimate matter—he was still sensitive to most mental phenomena. Хотя его личные способности специализировались на психокинезе — ментальном управлении неодушевленной материей, — он все же был чувствителен к большинству психических явлений. Watching a sports event he had many times felt the unanimous accord of many minds expressing the same thought. Наблюдая за спортивным состязанием, он много раз чувствовал единодушное согласие многих умов, выражающих одну и ту же мысль. What he felt now was like that. То, что он чувствовал сейчас, было таким. Only terribly different.

A crowd exulted at some success on the field, or groaned at a failure. Толпа ликовала при каком-то успехе на поле или стонала при неудаче. The feeling fluxed and changed as the game progressed. Ощущение менялось и менялось по ходу игры. Here the wash of thought was unending, strong and frightening. It didn’t translate into words very well. It was part hatred, part fear—and all destruction. Это была отчасти ненависть, отчасти страх — и полное разрушение. " KILL THE ENEMY " was as close as Jason could express it. «УБЕЙ ВРАГА» было настолько близко, насколько Джейсон мог это выразить.

But it was more than that. An unending river of mental outrage and death. Бесконечная река умственного возмущения и смерти. "Let’s go back now," he said, suddenly battered and sickened by the feelings he had let wash through him. — Давай теперь вернемся, — сказал он, внезапно измученный и измученный чувствами, которые он позволил захлестнуть.

As they started the return trip he began to understand many things. Когда они отправились в обратный путь, он начал многое понимать. His sudden unspeakable fear when the Pyrran animal had attacked him that first day on the planet. Его внезапный невыразимый страх, когда пирранское животное напало на него в тот первый день на планете.

And his recurrent nightmares that had never completely ceased, even with drugs. И его повторяющиеся кошмары, которые никогда полностью не прекращались, даже с наркотиками. Both of these were his reaction to the hatred directed at the city. Though for some reason he hadn’t felt it directly up to now, enough had reached through to him to get a strong emotional reaction. Хотя по какой-то причине он до сих пор не ощущал этого непосредственно, до него дошло достаточно, чтобы получить сильную эмоциональную реакцию. Rhes was asleep when they got back and Jason couldn’t talk to him until morning.

In spite of his fatigue from the trip, he stayed awake late into the night, going over in his mind the discoveries of the day. Несмотря на усталость от путешествия, он не спал до поздней ночи, перебирая в уме открытия дня. Could he tell Rhes what he had found out? Мог ли он рассказать Ресу о том, что узнал? Not very well. Не очень хорошо. If he did that, he would have to explain the importance of his discovery and what he meant to use it for. Если бы он это сделал, ему пришлось бы объяснить важность своего открытия и то, для чего он намеревался его использовать. Nothing that aided the city dwellers would appeal to Rhes in the slightest. Ничто из того, что помогало горожанам, ни в малейшей степени не нравилось Ресу. Best to say nothing until the entire affair was over. Лучше ничего не говорить, пока все дело не закончится.