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[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] superbattery that could be charged by spinning an attached wheeland for which he had brought along, among other things, a powerful electric fire lighter. Jenner plugged the lighter into the battery and deliberately scraped the red-hot end along the surface of the "marble." The reaction was swift. The substance turned an angry purple this time. When an entire section of the floor had changed color, Jenner headed for the nearest stall through, entering far enough to activate it. There was a noticeable delay. When the food finally flowed into the through, it was clear that the living village had realized the reason for what he had done. The food was a pale, creamy color, where earlier it had been a murky gray. Jenner put his finger into it but withdrew it with a yell and wiped his finger. It continued to sting for several mo- rnents. The vital question was: Had it deliberately offers him food that would damage him, or was it trying to appease him without knowing what he could eat? He decided to give it another chance, and entered the adjoining stall. The gritty stuff that flooded up this time was yellower. It didn't burn his finger, but Jenner took one taste and spat it out. He had the feeling that he had been offered a soup made of a greasy mixture of clay and gasoline. He was thirsty now with a need heightened by the unpleasant taste in his mouth. Desperately he rushed outside and tore open the water bag, seeking the wetness inside. In his fumbling eagerness, he spilled a few precious drops onto the courtyard. Down he went on his face and licked them Half a minute later, he was still licking, and there was still water. a a T T n n s s F F f f o o D D r r P P m m Y Y e e Y Y r r B B 2 2 . . B B A A Click here to buy Click here to buy w w m m w w o o w w c c . . . . A A Y Y B B Y Y B B r r The fact penetrated suddenly. He raised himself and gazed wonderingly at the droplets of water that sparkled on the smooth stone. As he watched, another one squeezed up from the apparently solid surface and shimmered in the light of the sinking sun. He bent, and with the tip of his tongue sponged up each visible drop. For a long time he lay with his mouth pressed to the "marble," sucking up the tiny bits of water that the village doled out to him. The glowing white sun disappeared behind a hill. Night fen, like the dropping of a black screen. The air turned cold, then icy. He shivered as the wind keened through his ragged clothes. But what finally stopped him was the collapse of the surface from which he had been drinking. Jenner lifted himself in surprise, and in the darkness gingerly felt over the stone. It had genuinely crumbled. Evidently the substance had yielded up its available water and had disintegrated in the process. Jenner estimated that he had drunk altogether an ounce of water. It was a convincing demonstration of the willingness of the village to please him, but there was another, less satisfying, implication. If the village had to destroy a part of itself every time it gave him a drink, then clearly the supply was not unlimited. Jenner hurried inside the nearest building, climbed onto a daisand climbed off again hastily, as the heat blazed up at him. He waited, to give the Intelligence a chance to realize he wanted a change, then lay down once more. The heat was as great as ever. He gave that up because he was too tired to persist and too sleepy to think of a method that might let the village know he needed awas still licking, and there was still water. The fact penetrated suddenly. He raised himself and gazed wonderingly at the droplets of water that sparkled on the smooth stone. As he watched, another one squeezed up from the apparently solid surface and shimmered in the light of the sinking sun. He bent, and with the tip of his tongue sponged up each visible drop. For a long time he lay with his mouth pressed to the "marble," sucking up the tiny bits of water that the village doled out to him. The glowing white sun disappeared behind a hill. Night fen, like the dropping of a black screen. The air turned cold, then icy. He shivered as the wind keened through his ragged clothes. But what finally stopped him was the collapse of the surface from which he had been drinking. Jenner lifted himself in surprise, and in the darkness gingerly felt over the stone. It had genuinely crumbled. Evidently the substance had yielded up its available water and had disintegrated in the process. Jenner estimated that he had drunk altogether an ounce of water. It was a convincing demonstration of the willingness of the village to please him, but there was another, less satisfying, implication. If the village had to destroy a part of itself every time it gave him a drink, then clearly the supply was not unlimited. Jenner hurried inside the nearest building, climbed onto a daisand climbed off again hastily, as the heat blazed up at him. He a a T T n n s s F F f f o o D D r r P P m m Y Y e e Y Y r r B B 2 2 . . B B A A Click here to buy Click here to buy w w m m w w o o w w c c . . . . A A Y Y B B Y Y B B r r waited, to give the Intelligence a chance to realize he wanted a change, then lay down once more. The heat was as great as ever. He gave that up because he was too tired to persist and too sleepy to think of a method that might let the village know he needed a different bedroom temperature. He slept on the floor with an uneasy conviction that it could not sustain him for long. He woke up many times during the night and thought, "Not enough water. No matter how hard it tries" Then he would sleep again, only to wake once more, tense and unhappy. Nevertheless, morning found him briefly alert; and all his steely determination was back that iron will power that had brought him at least five hundred miles across an unknown desert. He headed for the nearest through. This time, after he had activated it, there was a pause of more than a minute; and then about a thimbleful of water made a wet splotch at the bottom. Jenner licked it dry, then waited hopefully for more. When none came he reflected gloomily that somewhere it the village an entire group of cells had broken down and re leased their water for him. 1Then and there he decided mat it was up to the numar being, who could move around, to find a new source of water for the village, which could not move. In the interim, of course, the village would have to beef him alive, until he had investigated the possibilities. That meant, above everything else, he must have some food to sustain him while he looked around. He began to search his pockets. Toward the end of his food supply, he had carried scraps and pieces wrapped in small bits of cloth. Crumbs had broken off into the pocket, and he had searched for them often during those long days in the desert. Now, by actually ripping the [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] |