11_metamorphosis- 第25部分

But　the　men　were　a　bearded　and　mustached　and　headbanded　bunch；　carrying　homemade　bows；　arrows；　and　spears；　although　the　weapon　heads　were　of　metal。　They　wore　beads　and　feathers　and　shell　jewelry。　Nothing　made　sense。

〃W…whoever　they　are；　they　look　like　they're　honked　off　about　something；〃　Annie　observed。

An　older　fellow　with　snow…white　hair　and　beard　gestured　up　at　them　with　a　warclub　whose　head　had　been　set　with　flakes　of　sharpened　steel。　〃Bring　them　to　the　temple！〃

The　way　he　said　〃temple〃　had　Rook　expecting　something　from　one　of　the　venerated　oldtime　movies；　but　she　was　wrong。　The　natives　marched　them　at　spearpoint　downriver　to　an　aging；　massive；　hydroelectric　power　dam　that　looked　to　be　in　disrepair。

They　were　soon　disarmed　and　standing　out　on　a　platform　of　lashed　timbers　on　one　of　the　dam　crest　piers。　The　green　river　valley　seemed　to　stretch　out　forever；　and　the　waters　of　the　spillway　basin　fought　and　swirled　far　below　them。　All　gates　appeared　to　be　open；　and　water　fell　in　huge；　white　cascades；　filling　the　area　with　mist。

Their　hands　had　been　tied；　and　each　captive　had　been　fitting　with　an　ankle　shackle　rivetted　to　a　heavy　weight。　Scott　was　looking　around　for　some　sign　of　Lancer；　hoping　that　he　had　gotten　clear　and　could　e　to　their　rescue。

〃Now　you　will　pay　for　your　sacrilege！〃　the　white…haired　leader　said。　〃You　are　outlanders　and　your　presence　in　this　place　has　offended　the　river　god。〃

He　gestured　to　where　the　open　taint…or　gates　and　lowlevel　outlets　were　letting　the　level　of　the　reservoir　fall。　〃It　is　because　of　you　that　the　river　god　has　turned　his　back　on　us　and　is　leaving　the　valley！〃

〃Oh；　e　on！〃　Rand　shouted；　and　some　of　the　spearheads　wavered　close　to　his　chest。　〃You're　not　telling　me　you're　going　to　kill　us　just　because　this　friggin'　dam's　had　a　malfunction？〃

Scott　already　saw　that　that　was　exactly　what　the　locals　had　in　mind；　but　could　make　little　sense　of　the　matter。　How　could　such　a　tribal　society；　such　a　primitive　belief　system；　spring　up　in　a　single　generation？

The　only　answer　he　could　think　of　was　the　fact　that　the　team　was　now　in　the　region　that　had　bee　a　Zentraedi　control　zone；　back　when　Khyron　took　refuge　after　the　apocalyptic　battle　in　which　Dolza's　force　was　wiped　out。　The　Zentraedi　would　certainly　have　found　good　use　for　the　hydroelectric　power；　but　their　giant　size　would've　made　it　difficult　for　them　to　operate　and　maintain　the　dam。　The　answer　would　have　been　to　spare　a　picked　group　of　Micronian　techs。

Most　of　the　men　in　the　group　were　in　their　mid…twenties　or　so；　Scott　judged。　If　a　lot　of　the　techs　had　been　killed；　inadvertently　or　otherwise；　upon　Khyron's　departure；　that　would　have　left　kids　and　a　few　oldsters…like　the　white…haired　man　with　the　slightly　unhinged　look　in　his　eye…to　put　together　a　new　society　of　their　own。　Perhaps　they　had　borrowed　elements　of　their　crude　culture　from　local　Indians。

As　to　why　the　whole　area　had　been　roofed　over；　apparently　by　the　Invid…Scott　could　only　conclude　that　this　was　another　of　their　experimental　labs；　a　kind　of　grandiose　ant　farm。

〃Silence！〃　the　old　man　was　howling。　〃The　only　way　to　bring　back　the　river　god's　den　is　to　sacrifice　you！〃　He　gestured　to　the　shrinking　reservoir。

He　must　be　old　enough　to　recall　the　days　before　the　Wars；　Scott　saw…and　certainly　the　days　before　the　Invid　and　the　Robotech　Masters。　But　something　had　wrenched　his　mind　away　from　the　days　of　sanity　and　rational　thought；　and　locked　him　into　superstition。

〃My　lord；　I　think　I　have　an　idea；〃　Scott　interjected。　〃If　we've　sinned　against　your　god；　we　plead　ignorance。　But　we　will　set　things　right　by　bringing　the　river　god's　den　back　to　your　valley。〃

The　old　man　looked　at　Scott；　perhaps　he　recalled　the　techs　in　their　worksuits…not　so　different　from　Scott's　uniform…who　had　once　made　the　dam　do　their　bidding。　〃You　can　do　this？〃

〃If；　in　return；　you　let　us　go。〃

The　old　man　stroked　his　beard　with　gnarled；　black　nailed　fingers。　〃Very　well；　outlander。　But　if　you　fail；　your　panions　die！〃

Scott　angled　a　thumb　at　Lunk。　〃I'll　need　his　help。〃

And　I　hope　it's　enough。

Scott　surprised　himself　by　recalling　as　much　about　dam　construction　as　he　did　from　a　years…ago　Officer　Candidate　engineering　class。

Lunk　followed　him　at　a　dead　run；　and　they　soon　reached　the　outlet　control　structure；　further　along　the　dam。　But　when　they　got　to　the　control　room；　they　found　a　musty　room　of　half…corroded　machinery　and　a　bewildering　collection　of　long…outmoded　technology。　Switches　were　frozen　in　place；　CRTs　were　dark　and　silent。

Scott　had　concluded　that　some　malfunctioning　autosystem　had　opened　the　gates　to　release　the　reservoir　waters。　〃We'll　shut　off　everything　until　we　find　the　right　one；〃　he　told　Lunk。　Reopening　them　at　a　later　time　would　be　the　locals'　problem。


〃The　outlanders　have　been　gone　a　long　time；　Silverhair；〃　a　warrior　said　to　the　white…haired　chief。

〃Yes。〃　Silverhair　considered　that。　〃Perhaps　they　abandoned　their　panions　to　save　themselves。〃

〃Hold　on　a　second！〃　Rand　protested。　〃If　Scott　says　he'll　do　something；　then　he'll　do　it！　Just　give　him　time！〃

The　old　chief　nodded　slowly。　〃It　is　hard　for　you　to　face　the　fact　that　they　have　deserted　you。　Ulu！〃

The　warrior　addressed　as　Ulu　brought　up　his　spear　blade　and　leveled　it　at　them。


After　some　time；　Lunk　stopped　pulling　levers　and　spinning　manual　valve　wheels　at　random　and　began　reading　designation　plates　on　the　various　consoles。　By　miraculous　good　fortune；　he　found　a　mildewed　manual。　The　covers　were　rotted　to　soggy　filth；　but　the　schematics　themselves　had　been　laminated。

Lunk　might　have　his　problems　with　social　interaction；　but　he　had　never　been　outwitted　by　an　inanimate　object　yet。　He　puzzled　over　the　highpoints　of　the　operating　procedures　for　long　minutes；　then　moved　decisively。　〃Hey；　Scott！　I　found　it！〃

It　was　a　massive；　two…bladed　lever；　an　emergency　manual　control　that　would　in　cases　of　power　failure　close　the　gates　by　means　of　a　fluidic　backup　system。　But　it；　too；　had　suffered　from　the　decades　of　neglect。

Lunk　strained　at　it；　the　muscles　of　his　shoulders　and　arms　bunching　and　swelling。　Scott　threw　his　strength　into　the　fight；　too；　their　hands　clamped　around　the　switch。


Ulu's　spear　blade　was　close。　〃Trust　us；　will　you？〃　Rook　said；　not　able　to　take　her　eyes　off　it。　〃They'll　do　it　and　be　back。〃　The　spearpoint　edged　closer；　and　a　half　dozen　other　warriors　came　after　Ulu；　to　see　that　the　job　was　done　thoroughly。


The　lever　moved；　an　unbelievable　quarter…inch；　down　its　grooves。　Scott　and　Lunk　braced　their　feet　against　the　console；　teeth　gritted；　heaving　for　all　they　were　worth。　The　lever　moved　another　half　inch。


〃I　warned　your　panions　that　all　of　you…would　pay　the　price　of　their　failure；〃　the　chief　said。　The　spear　blades　hemmed　in　the　team　members。

Suddenly　there　was　a　change　in　the　sound　of　the　water　gushing　through　the　gates　and　outlet。　The　flow　was　lessening。

〃They　did　it；〃　Rand　exulted。　〃They　shut　off　the　valve！〃　Annie　managed　a　cheer。　As　the　team　and　the　tribe　watched；　the　flow　was　shut　off；　at　both　the　top　of　the　dam　and　the　bottom。

〃The　valley　is　saved；〃　the　old　chief　said。　〃The　river　god　is　appeased　at　last！〃　His　men　were　a　little　frightened　by　what　they　had　seen；　but　joyous　anyhow。


Scott　and　Lunk　got　back　to　the　dam　crest　as　fast　as　could；　only　to　find　that　their　teammates　had　been　unshackled　and　were　receiving　the　tribesmen's　clamorous　thanks。

〃We　invite　you　to　bee　members　of　our　tribe；〃　the　old　man　said　when　Scott　and　Lunk　got　there。

〃Thank　you；　but　first　there's　a　missing　brother　of　our　tribe　we　have　to　find；〃　Scott　deflected　the　invitation。

〃Hey！　Silverhair！〃　came　a　shout。　〃I　did　it！　I　got　myself　a　wife！〃

There　was　a　barefoot　kid　in　ragged　cutoffs　and　T…shirt；　maybe　an　undersized　thirteen　years　old　or　so；　ing　their　way。　〃I'm　a　man　now！〃　he　puffed；　dragging　a　big；　heavy　old　duffel　bag　after　him。

〃It's　Magruder；〃　said　Silverhair　the　chieftain。

〃Did　he　say　‘wife'？〃　Rand　murmured。

Magruder　staggered　to　a　stop　before　Silverhair　and　dropped　the　rope；　as　the　warriors　gathered　round。　〃I　captured　myself　a　wife；〃　he　panted　again；　〃so　according　to　tribal　law；　you　have　to　make　me　a　warrior！〃　He　pushed　his　narrow　chest　out　proudly。

Rook　got　the　distinct　impression　that　Magruder　was　more　excited　about　the　prospect　of　being　a　warrior　than　about　having　a　wife。　Typical　for　his　age；　she　decided。

Just　then　the　duffel　bag　heaved　and　fell　open。　Everyone　there　gasped。


CHAPTER　EIGHTEEN

Protoculture　Garden：　Eden　or　Gethsemane？
Samizdat　Reader's　Digest　article；　November　2020

Rand　found　himself　looking　down　at　a　familiar　mass　of　purple　hair。　〃Lancer！〃

Lancer；　gagged；　glared　up　at　Rand　and　at　the　rest　of　the　world。　Scott　turned　to　Magruder　with　a　rare　smile。　〃I'm　afraid　I've　got　some　bad　news　for　you；　kid。　Y'see；　your　fianc閑　is　a　man。　And　not　one　that　I'd　like　to　have　mad　at　me；　if　you　catch　my　drift。〃

Magruder　looked　stricken。　〃It　can't　be！　That's　my　wife！〃

The　tribesman　were　beginning　to　guffaw；　and　Annie　was　giggling　a　bit　hysterically。　〃Is　this　the　missing　brother　you　were　talking　about？〃　Silverhair　asked。

Rand　nodded；　〃Yeah；　his　name's　Lancer。〃

Magruder　had　knelt　to　undo　the　gag。　〃Uh…oh。〃

Lancer　looked　at　him　mildly。　〃It　was　an　honest　mistake；　little　man。　Now…〃　He　drew　a　deep　breath。　〃Get　me　out　of　this　thing！〃

Scott　and　some　of　the　others　stooped　to　help；　Magruder　being　too　paralyzed。　Everyone　was　united　in　laughter　now；　at　the　expense　of　woebegone　Magruder。　Rand　was　having　trouble　catching　his　breath。　〃I…I　guess　you　haven't　had　much　experience；　huh；　little　guy？〃

Annie　was　among　the　loudest；　until　she　saw　how　hurt　and　mortified　Magruder　was。　She　stopped　in　mid…laugh；　realizing　that　here　was　a　mind　of　kindred　spirit；　another　runt　of　the　litter　trying　to　make　a　place　for　himself　and　be　accepted　on　equal　terms。

The　chief　was　ruffling　the　kid's　hair；　plainly；　he　was　a　sort　of　pest/mascot。　〃I　hope　you　will　forgive　him；　my　friends。　Magruder；　these　are　our　guests。〃

But　Magruder　broke　free；　grabbed　up　a　spear；　and　ran　fleetly　for　the　jungle。


Annie　made　a　stop　at　the　truck；　then　followed　Magruder's　trail。　She　caught　up　with　him　in　a　little　clearing　at　the　edge　of　the　stream　where　he　had　ambushed　Lancer。　She