Read Online Selected Stories by Theodore Sturgeon - Free Book Online
Authors: Theodore Sturgeon
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that—”
“But, Teague— ”
“—that a good deal of theorizing is possible with very little evidence, and we need not occupy ourselves with anything else but that evidence.”
“Oh,” said Tod. He backed off a step. “Oh,” he said again, “sorry, Teague.” He joined the others at the food dispensers, feeling like a cuffed puppy. But he’s right, he thought. As Alma said … of the many things which might have happened, only one actually has. Let’s wait then, and worry about that one thing when we can name it.
There was a pressure on his arm. He looked up from his thoughts and into April’s searching eyes. He knew that she had heard, and he was unreasonably angry at her. “Damn it, he’s so cold-blooded,” he blurted defensively, but in a whisper.
April said, “He has to stay with things he can understand, every minute.” She glanced swiftly at the closed Coffin. “Wouldn’t you?”
There was a sharp pain and a bitterness in Tod’s throat as he thought about it. He dropped his eyes and mumbled, “No, I wouldn’t. I don’t think I could.” There was a difference in his eyes as he glanced back at Teague. But it’s so easy, after all, for strong people to be strong, he thought.
“Teague, what’ll we wear?” Carl called.
“Skinflex.”
“Oh, no!” cried Moira. “It’s so clingy and hot!”
Carl laughed at her. He swept up the lizard’s head and opened its jaws. “Smile at the lady. She wouldn’t put any tough old skinflex in the way of your pretty teeth!”
“Put it down,” said Teague sharply, though there was a flicker of amusement in his eyes. “It’s still loaded with God-knows-what alkaloid. Moira, he’s right. Skinflex just doesn’t puncture.”
Moira looked respectfully at the yellow fangs and went obediently to storage, where she pulled out the suits.
“We’ll keep close together, back to back,” said Teague as they helped each other into the suits. “All the weapons are … were … in the forward storage compartment, so we’ll improvise. Tod, you and the girls each take a globe of anesthene. It’s the fastest anesthetic we have and it ought to take care of anything that breathes oxygen. I’ll take scalpels. Carl—”
“The hammer,” Carl grinned. His voice was fairly thrumming with excitement.
“We won’t attempt to fasten the door from outside. I don’t mean to go father than ten meters out, this first time. Just—you, Carl—lift off the bar as we go out, get the door shut as quickly as possible, and prop it there. Whatever happens, do not attack anything out there unless you are attacked first, or unless I say so.”
Hollow-eyed, steady, Teague moved to the door with the others close around him. Carl shifted the hammer to his left hand, lifted the bar and stood back a little, holding it like a javelin. Teague, holding a glittering lancet lightly in each hand, pushed the door open with his foot. They boiled through, stepped aside for Carl as he butted the rod deep into the soil and against the closed door. “All set.”
They moved as a unit for perhaps three meters, and stopped.
It was daytime now, but such a day as none of them had dreamed of. The light was green, very nearly a lime-green, and the shadows were purple. The sky was more lavender than blue. The air was warm and wet.
They stood at the top of a low hill. Before them a tangle of jungle tumbled up at them. So vital, so completely alive, it seemed to move by its own power of growth. Stirring, murmuring, it was too big, too much, too wide and deep and intertwined to assimilate at a glance; the thought, this is a jungle, was a pitiable understatement.
To the left, savannah-like grassland rolled gently down to the choked margins of a river—calmfaced, muddy, and secretive. It too seemed astir with inner growings. To the right, more jungle. Behind them, the bland and comforting wall of their compartment.
Above—
It may have been April who saw it first; in any case, Tod always
“But, Teague— ”
“—that a good deal of theorizing is possible with very little evidence, and we need not occupy ourselves with anything else but that evidence.”
“Oh,” said Tod. He backed off a step. “Oh,” he said again, “sorry, Teague.” He joined the others at the food dispensers, feeling like a cuffed puppy. But he’s right, he thought. As Alma said … of the many things which might have happened, only one actually has. Let’s wait then, and worry about that one thing when we can name it.
There was a pressure on his arm. He looked up from his thoughts and into April’s searching eyes. He knew that she had heard, and he was unreasonably angry at her. “Damn it, he’s so cold-blooded,” he blurted defensively, but in a whisper.
April said, “He has to stay with things he can understand, every minute.” She glanced swiftly at the closed Coffin. “Wouldn’t you?”
There was a sharp pain and a bitterness in Tod’s throat as he thought about it. He dropped his eyes and mumbled, “No, I wouldn’t. I don’t think I could.” There was a difference in his eyes as he glanced back at Teague. But it’s so easy, after all, for strong people to be strong, he thought.
“Teague, what’ll we wear?” Carl called.
“Skinflex.”
“Oh, no!” cried Moira. “It’s so clingy and hot!”
Carl laughed at her. He swept up the lizard’s head and opened its jaws. “Smile at the lady. She wouldn’t put any tough old skinflex in the way of your pretty teeth!”
“Put it down,” said Teague sharply, though there was a flicker of amusement in his eyes. “It’s still loaded with God-knows-what alkaloid. Moira, he’s right. Skinflex just doesn’t puncture.”
Moira looked respectfully at the yellow fangs and went obediently to storage, where she pulled out the suits.
“We’ll keep close together, back to back,” said Teague as they helped each other into the suits. “All the weapons are … were … in the forward storage compartment, so we’ll improvise. Tod, you and the girls each take a globe of anesthene. It’s the fastest anesthetic we have and it ought to take care of anything that breathes oxygen. I’ll take scalpels. Carl—”
“The hammer,” Carl grinned. His voice was fairly thrumming with excitement.
“We won’t attempt to fasten the door from outside. I don’t mean to go father than ten meters out, this first time. Just—you, Carl—lift off the bar as we go out, get the door shut as quickly as possible, and prop it there. Whatever happens, do not attack anything out there unless you are attacked first, or unless I say so.”
Hollow-eyed, steady, Teague moved to the door with the others close around him. Carl shifted the hammer to his left hand, lifted the bar and stood back a little, holding it like a javelin. Teague, holding a glittering lancet lightly in each hand, pushed the door open with his foot. They boiled through, stepped aside for Carl as he butted the rod deep into the soil and against the closed door. “All set.”
They moved as a unit for perhaps three meters, and stopped.
It was daytime now, but such a day as none of them had dreamed of. The light was green, very nearly a lime-green, and the shadows were purple. The sky was more lavender than blue. The air was warm and wet.
They stood at the top of a low hill. Before them a tangle of jungle tumbled up at them. So vital, so completely alive, it seemed to move by its own power of growth. Stirring, murmuring, it was too big, too much, too wide and deep and intertwined to assimilate at a glance; the thought, this is a jungle, was a pitiable understatement.
To the left, savannah-like grassland rolled gently down to the choked margins of a river—calmfaced, muddy, and secretive. It too seemed astir with inner growings. To the right, more jungle. Behind them, the bland and comforting wall of their compartment.
Above—
It may have been April who saw it first; in any case, Tod always
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