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.Reaching the tree, he rose slowly upright, keeping the trunk between himselfand the invaders.Carefully he peered around it till he could see them again.They had somethingon a tripod.One of them was peering through it toward the forest right towardhim! and he realized what they must be doing: laying out some engineeringproject.He didn t notice their sidearms till one of the invaders, the one at theinstrument, drew his, raising its muzzle toward him.Withdrawing his head,Morgan turned and fled into the jungle.There was no shot.How good a look hadthey gotten? Hardly enough to know what they d seen, seventy or eighty yardsaway.He slowed to a strong striding walk, not routing himself by the knob, glad hisspying trips had gotten him into good physical shape.He d stay away from theclearing for a while or for good; find hornets closer to home.It had beenfoolish to approach so near the clearing.Perhaps he d stay underground for afew weeks.It was late afternoon when he reached the debris zone and headed for his bolthole.When he stepped into its narrow irregular opening, the last thing he didwas turn and look back.To see a floater hovering above the edge of green forest! They d followed him!His heart nearly stopped, and slowly he backed into the tunnel, out of thePage 80 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmllight.There he activated the alarm, then the booby trap, then closed the doorand ran down the long tunnel, activating the other booby traps as he came tothem.They wouldn t bring the tunnel down, but they d slow intruders andreduce their numbers.The survey instrument, he realized now, had been telescopic, and theinstrument man had realized what he d seen.He d radioed his headquarters, anda scout, no doubt on standby, had been sent up.Knowing his approximatelocation, it had gotten an infrared fix on him through the forest roof.Theycould have sent a gunship then, blasted the jungle where he was and almostsurely killed him.But they d wanted to know where he d go.Now they knew.Stupid!he thought as he ran.You stupid, self-destructive sonofabitch!In little more than a minute he reached the steel door to the living area,unlocked and spun the wheel, then entered and locked it behind him.For amoment he leaned on it.Connie had heard him, and stepped into theentryway.She started to speak, perhaps to ask him how it had gone, then sawhis face and stopped, eyes widening, one hand moving to her mouth. What? she whispered.He didn t answer at once, just shook his head.Setting his harness and packaside, he got his pistol from a drawer and put it in his waistband.Conniefollowed, watching, seeming not to breathe. I was seen at the forest edge, he said quietly, and slipped back into thejungle.I didn t think they knew what they d seen. He put a hand on her arm. When I got to the entrance, I turned and looked back.And saw it a militaryfloater hovering above the jungle s edge.They d followed me. He stepped pasther, speaking more softly now. They ll have called for a troop carrier. What will we do? Let them know on Terra. She stared up at him; she was barely five feet tall. We don t have much time, he said. Get Robert ready. She nodded soberly, and followed him into what served now as the family room.Robert was at the computer, browsing star charts, unaware that anyone hadentered. Robert, she said, it s time for you to go to work. Her voice was wooden, but Robert s response was deeply conditioned.Already intrance, he got up, walked to the divan and lay down, folding his hands on hischest while Connie moved a chair beside him and sat.After the connectionswere made, Morgan began to dictate.He d just finished when the alarm buzzed.His final words to Terra were, They re here. Then he stepped to the alarm and turned it off.The firstbooby trap was small and distant; he neither heard nor felt the explosion. I m done now, Connie, he said. Waken him. He waited while she and Robert went through the brief withdrawal ritual.Robert sat up, saw his older brother, and grinned. Hi, Henry, he chirped. Did you bring me any flowers? No, no I didn t.But I brought you a new story. A scenario was forming inhis mind even as he spoke, rooted in an ancient movie, one that had touchedhim deeply.Initially, in pretechnological times, it had been shot on film,and since then copied and recopied in other media. Sit on your computer chair, he said, and turn off the computer. He watchedRobert comply. Now look at the screen.Keep your eyes on it, and imagineyou re seeing what I tell you.Seeing it like a movie. His order sent his brother into a near-hypnotic revery. Do you remember wherewe lived in Colorado? After father died? Robert nodded. Yes, he said. Remember the garden behind the house.With all the flowers, and the lilacPage 81 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlbushes.Do you see it? He d made it all up years before, part of an imaginary past to help bury theugly reality.Robert s head bobbed eagerly. I see it. Morgan heard or felt a booby trap explode, a small, dull, distant thump.Whether the second, or the last, or one in between, he wasn t sure. All right.Now see mother there.Do you see her? Uh huh. Tell me what she s wearing. The savant didn t hesitate.As Morgan drew his pistol from his belt, Robertanswered. She s wearing her white dress with the blue and yellow flowers. Hechuckled. And she s barefoot.She used to say it let her feet be friends withthe grass. Connie choked back a sob.Morgan raised the pistol and put the muzzle almost against Robert s head.Itwavered, and he gripped it with both hands to steady it. All right, hecontinued, now you and Connie and I are going there to see her.We ll bethere in just a second. He pulled the trigger, the explosion loud in the small room.Connie screamedand lowered her head, covering it with her hands as if knowing.He d savedRobert once before by killing their father.Now he d saved him again.Smalltight sobs, like little chuckles, burned his throat, and his free hand wipedaway tears [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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.Reaching the tree, he rose slowly upright, keeping the trunk between himselfand the invaders.Carefully he peered around it till he could see them again.They had somethingon a tripod.One of them was peering through it toward the forest right towardhim! and he realized what they must be doing: laying out some engineeringproject.He didn t notice their sidearms till one of the invaders, the one at theinstrument, drew his, raising its muzzle toward him.Withdrawing his head,Morgan turned and fled into the jungle.There was no shot.How good a look hadthey gotten? Hardly enough to know what they d seen, seventy or eighty yardsaway.He slowed to a strong striding walk, not routing himself by the knob, glad hisspying trips had gotten him into good physical shape.He d stay away from theclearing for a while or for good; find hornets closer to home.It had beenfoolish to approach so near the clearing.Perhaps he d stay underground for afew weeks.It was late afternoon when he reached the debris zone and headed for his bolthole.When he stepped into its narrow irregular opening, the last thing he didwas turn and look back.To see a floater hovering above the edge of green forest! They d followed him!His heart nearly stopped, and slowly he backed into the tunnel, out of thePage 80 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmllight.There he activated the alarm, then the booby trap, then closed the doorand ran down the long tunnel, activating the other booby traps as he came tothem.They wouldn t bring the tunnel down, but they d slow intruders andreduce their numbers.The survey instrument, he realized now, had been telescopic, and theinstrument man had realized what he d seen.He d radioed his headquarters, anda scout, no doubt on standby, had been sent up.Knowing his approximatelocation, it had gotten an infrared fix on him through the forest roof.Theycould have sent a gunship then, blasted the jungle where he was and almostsurely killed him.But they d wanted to know where he d go.Now they knew.Stupid!he thought as he ran.You stupid, self-destructive sonofabitch!In little more than a minute he reached the steel door to the living area,unlocked and spun the wheel, then entered and locked it behind him.For amoment he leaned on it.Connie had heard him, and stepped into theentryway.She started to speak, perhaps to ask him how it had gone, then sawhis face and stopped, eyes widening, one hand moving to her mouth. What? she whispered.He didn t answer at once, just shook his head.Setting his harness and packaside, he got his pistol from a drawer and put it in his waistband.Conniefollowed, watching, seeming not to breathe. I was seen at the forest edge, he said quietly, and slipped back into thejungle.I didn t think they knew what they d seen. He put a hand on her arm. When I got to the entrance, I turned and looked back.And saw it a militaryfloater hovering above the jungle s edge.They d followed me. He stepped pasther, speaking more softly now. They ll have called for a troop carrier. What will we do? Let them know on Terra. She stared up at him; she was barely five feet tall. We don t have much time, he said. Get Robert ready. She nodded soberly, and followed him into what served now as the family room.Robert was at the computer, browsing star charts, unaware that anyone hadentered. Robert, she said, it s time for you to go to work. Her voice was wooden, but Robert s response was deeply conditioned.Already intrance, he got up, walked to the divan and lay down, folding his hands on hischest while Connie moved a chair beside him and sat.After the connectionswere made, Morgan began to dictate.He d just finished when the alarm buzzed.His final words to Terra were, They re here. Then he stepped to the alarm and turned it off.The firstbooby trap was small and distant; he neither heard nor felt the explosion. I m done now, Connie, he said. Waken him. He waited while she and Robert went through the brief withdrawal ritual.Robert sat up, saw his older brother, and grinned. Hi, Henry, he chirped. Did you bring me any flowers? No, no I didn t.But I brought you a new story. A scenario was forming inhis mind even as he spoke, rooted in an ancient movie, one that had touchedhim deeply.Initially, in pretechnological times, it had been shot on film,and since then copied and recopied in other media. Sit on your computer chair, he said, and turn off the computer. He watchedRobert comply. Now look at the screen.Keep your eyes on it, and imagineyou re seeing what I tell you.Seeing it like a movie. His order sent his brother into a near-hypnotic revery. Do you remember wherewe lived in Colorado? After father died? Robert nodded. Yes, he said. Remember the garden behind the house.With all the flowers, and the lilacPage 81 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlbushes.Do you see it? He d made it all up years before, part of an imaginary past to help bury theugly reality.Robert s head bobbed eagerly. I see it. Morgan heard or felt a booby trap explode, a small, dull, distant thump.Whether the second, or the last, or one in between, he wasn t sure. All right.Now see mother there.Do you see her? Uh huh. Tell me what she s wearing. The savant didn t hesitate.As Morgan drew his pistol from his belt, Robertanswered. She s wearing her white dress with the blue and yellow flowers. Hechuckled. And she s barefoot.She used to say it let her feet be friends withthe grass. Connie choked back a sob.Morgan raised the pistol and put the muzzle almost against Robert s head.Itwavered, and he gripped it with both hands to steady it. All right, hecontinued, now you and Connie and I are going there to see her.We ll bethere in just a second. He pulled the trigger, the explosion loud in the small room.Connie screamedand lowered her head, covering it with her hands as if knowing.He d savedRobert once before by killing their father.Now he d saved him again.Smalltight sobs, like little chuckles, burned his throat, and his free hand wipedaway tears [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]