Anne McCaffrey Dinosaur Planet 1

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"On a heavy world, though," Bonnard was trying to rationalize so hard, Varian
could almost hear him casting about for a justification. "On a heavy world,
you would have struggle all the time, against the gravity."
"Until you became so used to it, you wouldn't consider it a struggle.
You'd be conditioned to it."
"Can you be conditioned to violence?" Bonnard sounded appalled.
Varian gave a bark of bitter laughter. "Yes, Bonnard, you can be conditioned
to violence. Millenniums ago, it used to be the general human condition."
"I'm glad I'm alive now."
To that Varian made no reply, wondering if she was in accord. In an earlier
time, when people were still struggling to a civilized level that spurned the
eating of animal flesh; to a level that had learned not to impose its peculiar
standards on any other species; to a level that accepted, as a matter of
course, the friendships and associations with beings diverse and wonderful: a
woman of only three hundred years ago would have had some occasion to cope
with utter barbarianism. It was one matter entirely for beasts to fight and
kill each other, following the dictates of an ecology (not that she was
prevented from succouring the weaker when she could), but for one species,
stronger, more flexible, basically more dangerous because of its versatility,
to attack a stupid animal for the sporting pleasure was unspeakably savage.
What were she and Kai to do about such behaviour? Again she wished she hadn't
brought Bonnard. She'd been too clever, so she had, involving the boy.
Perhaps scarring him with such evidence of wanton cruelty. But she hadn't
expected anything like this when she thought of investigating Bakkun's special
place. How could she? And once discovered, strong measures were indicated.
Too late now to say that the heavy-worlders had been discreet in their vile
pursuits. Too late to wish she'd never wanted to check into their activities.
On the other hand, such aberrant behaviour was better uncovered on a world
where no other sentient species was compromised. She also found some measure
of relief that the heavy-worlders had picked on the stupid herbivores and
predators, rather than the lovely golden giffs. If they'd harmed them .
. . Pure rage, such as she had never experienced before in her life,
consumed her with an incredible force.
Startled, Varian composed her thoughts. She must discipline herself if she
wanted to control others.
They were almost to the compound now, sweeping down the broad plain that led
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to their granite height. Varian found herself hoping that, for some unknown
reasons, Kai had returned early. That was the trouble with bad news:
it didn't keep. The intelligence was a sore weight in her mind, festering
with speculation, such as what were the heavy-worlders doing right now?
She landed, reminding Bonnard to say nothing, even to Cleiti or Terilla, most
certainly not to Gaber.
"You bet not Gaber," said Bonnard with a smile. "He talks an awful lot but he
says so little . . . unless he's talking about maps and beamed shots."
"Wait a minute, Bonnard." Varian motioned him back, wondering about the
wisdom of involving him further. She glanced towards the shimmering
force-screen, the dance of dying insects registering blue across the field.
She tried to think, calmly, whether there was anyone else in the compound she
could trust. Then she glanced back at the boy, standing easily, his head
slightly cocked as he awaited her command. "Bonnard, I'm taking the power
pack from this sled. When the other sleds come in, I want you to remove the
packs -- hide them in the underbrush if you can't bring them inside. If any
one questions you, say that your chore is checking them for lead drains. Yes,
That's logical. Do you understand me?" She was unclamping their sled's pack
as she issued her instructions. "You know where the packs are in the smaller
sleds? And how to remove them?"
"Portegin showed us. Besides, I just saw you do it." He gave her the
hand-lift which she attached to the heavy power pack and heaved it from the
sled. I'll just get another hand-lift."
She could see in his expression that he had more questions he was eager to ask
as he followed her to the veil lock where Lunzie now stood to admit them. As
they passed her, the woman looked at the power pack Varian was trailing.
"One of the leads is clogged," Varian said.
"Is that why you're back so early? Good thing," and Lunzie's usually solemn
face broke into a wide grin. She gestured towards Dandy's pen.
Trizein was leaning on the fencing, staring intently at the little creature
who was, for a second marvel, peacefully munching at a pile of grasses,
oblivious to the scrutiny.
"Trizein's out of his lab? What happened?"
"I'll let him tell you. It's his surprise, not mine."
"Surprise?"
"Here, Bonnard, take the power pack from Varian and put it where it belongs .
. ."
Varian indicated the shuttle to Bonnard, a gesture which brought a surprised
glance from Lunzie.
"Well, then," she said, "in the shuttle and come straight back. You'll want
to hear about the probable ancestry of your pet, too."
"Huh?" Bonnard was startled.
"Quick, to the shuttle with the pack." Lunzie shooed him off with both hands.
"The power pack leads, Varian? That's a bit lame, isn't it?"
"Varian! Has Lunzie told you?" Trizein had looked away from Dandy and seen
her. "Why didn't anyone tell me? I mean, I can speculate possibilities from
disembodied tissues, but this . . . creature from our prehistoric past
. . ."
His words were diversion enough but the ringing tone in which he spoke made
Varian move more quickly to him.
"Prehistoric past? What do you mean, Trizean?"
"Why, this little specimen is an excellent example of a primitive herbivore .
. ."
"I know that . . ."
"No, no, my dear Varian, not just a primitive herbivore of this planet, but an [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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