He couldn't be blamed for being jumpy, Eckert realized. This was his first time out, his first mission like this. And, of course, Pendleton had been a pretty good friend of his.
"I'd be very careful what I did," Eckert said softly. "I would hate to start something merely because I misunderstood their intentions."
The committee of one was a aged3" target="_blank">middle-aged2 man dressed in a simple strip of white cloth twisted about his waist and allowed to hang freely to his knees. When he got closer, Eckert became less sure of his age. He had the firm, tanned musculature of a much younger man, though a slightly seamed face and white hair aged him somewhat. Eckert still had the feeling that if you wanted to know his exact age, you'd have to look at his teeth or know something about his epiphyseal closures.
"You are menshars from Earth?" The voice was husky and pleasant and the pronunciation was very clear. Eckert regarded him thoughtfully and made a few mental notes. He wasn't bowing and scraping like most natives who weren't too familiar with visitors from the sky, and yet he was hardly either friendly or hostile.
"You learned our language from Pendleton and Reynolds?" Reynolds had been the anthropologist5.
"We have had visitors from Earth before." He hesitated a moment and then offered his hand, somewhat shyly, Eckert thought, in the Terrestrial sign of greeting. "You may call me Jathong if you wish." He paused a moment to say something in his native tongue to the kids who were around. They promptly6 scattered7 and picked up the luggage. "While you are here, you will need a place to stay. There is one ready, if you will follow me."
He was polite, Eckert thought. He didn't ask what they were there for or how long they were going to stay. But then again, perhaps the natives were a better judge of that than he and Templin.
The town was larger than he had thought at first, stretching over a wide expanse of the countryside. There wasn't, so far as he could see, much manufacturing above the level of handicrafts and simple weaving. Colored patches on far hillsides indicated the presence of farms, and practically every house in the village had its small garden.
What manufacturing there was seemed to be carried on in the central square of the town, where a few adults and children squatted8 in the warm afternoon sun and worked industriously9 at potter's wheels and weaver's looms10. The other part of the square was given over to the native bazaar11 where pots and bolts of cloth were for sale, and where numerous stalls were loaded with dried fruits and vegetables and the cleaned and plucked carcasses of the local variety of fowl12.
It was late afternoon when they followed Jathong into a small, white-washed house midway up a hill.
"You are free to use this while you are here," he said.
Eckert and Templin took a quick tour of the few rooms. They were well furnished, in a rustic13 sort of way, and what modern conveniences they didn't have they could easily do without. The youngsters who had carried their luggage left it outside and quietly faded away. It was getting dark; Eckert opened one of the boxes they had brought along, took out an electric lantern and lighted it. He turned to Jathong.
"You've been very kind to us and we would like to repay you. You may take what you wish of anything within this box." He opened another of the boxes and displayed the usual trade goods—brightly colored cloth and finely worked jewelry14 and a few mechanical contrivances that Eckert knew usually appealed to the primitive15 imagination.
Jathong ran his hand over the cloth and held some of the jewelry up to the light. Eckert knew by the way he looked at it that he wasn't at all impressed. "I am grateful," he said finally, "but there is nothing I want." He turned and walked away into the gathering16 darkness.
"The incorruptible native." Templin laughed sarcastically17.
Eckert shrugged18. "That's one of the things you do out of habit, try and buy some of the natives so you'll have friends in case you need them." He stopped for a moment, thinking. "Did you notice the context? He didn't say he didn't want what we showed him. He said there was nothing that he wanted. Implying that everything he wanted, he already had."
"That's not very typical of a primitive society, is it?"
"No, I'm afraid it's not." Eckert started unpacking19 some of the boxes. "You know, Ray, I got a kick out of the kids. They're a healthy-looking lot, aren't they?"
"Too healthy," Templin said. "There didn't seem to be any sick ones or ones with runny noses or cuts or black eyes or bruises20. It doesn't seem natural."
"They're probably just well brought-up kids," Eckert said sharply. "Maybe they've been taught not to get in fights or play around in the mud on the way home from school." He felt faintly irritated, annoyed at the way Templin had put it, as if any deviation21 from an Earth norm was potentially dangerous.
"Ted4." Templin's voice was strained. "This could be a trap, you know."
"In what way?"
The words came out slowly. "The people are too casual, as though they're playing a rehearsed part. Here we are, from an entirely22 different solar system, landed in what must be to them an unusual manner. They couldn't have seen rockets more than three or four times before. It should still be a novelty to them. And yet how much curiosity did they show? Hardly any. Was there any fear? No. And the cute, harmless little kids." He looked at Eckert. "Maybe that's what we're supposed to think—just an idyllic23, harmless society. Maybe that's what Pendleton thought, right to the very end."
He was keyed up, jumpy, Eckert realized. He would probably be seeing things in every shadow and imagining danger to be lurking24 around every corner.
"It hasn't been established yet that Pendleton was killed, Ray. Let's keep an open mind until we know for certain."
He flicked25 out the light and lay back on the cool bed, letting his body relax completely. The cool night wind blew lazily through the wood slat blinds, carrying the fragrance26 of the trees and the grass, and he inhaled27 deeply and let his thoughts wander for a moment. It was going to be pleasant to live on Tunpesh for six months—even if the six months were all they had to live. The climate was superb and the people seemed a cut above the usual primitive culture. If he ever retired28 some day, he thought suddenly, he would have to remember Tunpesh. It would be pleasant to spend his old age here. And the fishing was probably excellent....
He turned his head a little to watch Templin get ready for bed. There were advantages in taking him along that Templin probably didn't even realize. He wondered what Templin would do if he ever found out that the actual reason he had been chosen to go was that his own psychological chart was very close to Pendleton's. Pendleton's own feelings and emotions would almost exactly be duplicated in Templin's.
A few stray wisps of starlight pierced through the blinds and sparkled for an instant on a small metal box strapped29 to Templin's waist. A power pack, Eckert saw grimly, probably leading to the buttons on his tunic. A very convenient, portable, and hard to detect weapon.
There were disadvantages in taking Templin, too.
"Just how primitive do you think the society is, Ted?"
Eckert put down the chain he had been whittling30 and reached for his pipe and tobacco.
"I don't think it's primitive at all. There are too many disparities. Their knowledge of a lot of things is a little more than empirical knowledge; they associate the growth of crops with fertilizer and nitrogen in the soil as well as sunlight, rather than the blessings31 of some native god. And they differ a lot in other respects. Their art and their music are advanced. Free art exists along with purely32 decorative33 art, and their techniques are finely developed."
"I'm glad you agree, then. Take a look at this." Templin threw a shiny bit of metal on the rough-hewn table. Eckert picked it up and inspected it. It was heavy and one side of it was extremely sharp.
"What's it for?"
"They've got a hospital set up here. Not a hospital like any we know, of course, but a hospital nonetheless. It's not used very much; apparently34 the natives don't get sick here. But occasionally there are hunting accidents and injuries that require surgery. The strip of metal there is a scalpel." He laughed shortly. "Primitive little gadget35, but it works well—as well as any of ours."
Eckert hefted it in his palm. "The most important thing is that they have the knowledge to use it. Surgery isn't a simple science."
"Well, what do you think about it?"
"The obvious. They evidently have as much technology as they want, at least in fields where they have to have it."
"How come they haven't gone any further?"
"Why should they? You can live without skycars and rocket ships, you know."
"Did you ever wonder what kind of weapons they might have?"
"The important thing," Eckert mused36, "is not if they have them, but if they'd use them. And I rather doubt that they would. We've been here for two weeks now and they've been very kind to us, seeing that we've had food and water and what fuel we need."
"It's known in the livestock37 trade as being fattened38 up for the slaughter," Templeton said.
Eckert sighed and watched a fat bug39 waddle40 across a small patch of sunlight on the wooden floor. It was bad enough drawing an assignment in a totally foreign culture, even if the natives were humanoid. It complicated things beyond all measure when your partner in the project seemed likely to turn into a vendettist. It meant that Eckert would have to split his energies. He'd have to do what investigating he could among the Tunpeshans, and he'd have to watch Templin to see that he didn't go off half-cocked and spoil everything.
"You're convinced that Pendleton was murdered, aren't you?"
Templin nodded. "Sure."
"Why?"
"The Tunpeshans know why we're here. We've dropped enough hints along those lines. But nobody has mentioned Pendleton; nobody has volunteered any information about him. And he was an attache here for three years. Didn't anybody know him during that time? We've let slip a few discreet41 statements that we would like to talk to Pendleton's friends, yet nobody's come around. Apparently, in all the three years he was here, Pendleton didn't make any friends. And that's a little hard to believe. It's more likely that his friends have been silenced and any information about him is being withheld42 for a reason."
"What reason?"
Templin shrugged. "Murder. What other reason could there be?"
Eckert rolled up the thin, slatted blinds and stared out at the scenery. A hundred feet down the road, a native woman was going to market, leading a species of food animal by the halter.
"They grow their women nice, don't they?"
"Physically43 perfect, like the men," Templin grumbled44. "You could get an inferiority complex just from watching the people here. Everybody's so damn perfect. Nobody's sick, nobody's unhealthy, nobody is too fat or too thin, nobody's unhappy. The only variation is that they don't all look alike. Perfection. It gets boring after a while."
"Does it? I hadn't noticed." Eckert turned away from the blinds. His voice was crisp. "I knew Don Pendleton quite well, too," he said. "But it isn't blinding me to what I'm here for. We came to find out what happened to him, not to substantiate45 any preconceived notions. What we find out may be vitally important to anybody serving here in the future. I would hate to see our efforts spoiled because you've already made up your mind."
"You knew Pendleton," Templin repeated grimly. "Do you think it was suicide?"
"I don't think there's such a thing as a suicide type, when you come down to it. I'm not ruling out the possibility of murder, either. I'm trying to keep an open mind."
"What have we accomplished46 so far? What have we found out?"
"We've got six months," Eckert said quietly. "Six months in which we'll try to live here inconspicuously and study the people and try to cultivate informants. We would get nowhere if we came barging in asking all sorts of questions. And don't forget, Ray, we're all alone on Tunpesh. If it is a case of murder, what happens when the natives find out that we know it is?"
Templin's eyes dueled47 for a moment. Then he turned his back and walked to the window. "I suppose you're right," he said at last. "It's nice living here, Ted. Maybe I've been fighting it. But I can't help thinking that Don must have liked it here, too."
One of the hardest things to learn in a foreign culture, Eckert thought, is when to enjoy yourself, when to work and when to worry.
"Pelache, menshar?"
"Sharra!" He took the small bowl of pelache nuts, helped himself to a few, and passed the bowl on. This was definitely the time to enjoy himself, not to work or worry. He had heard about the halera a few days ago, and, by judicious48 hinting to the proper authorities, he and Templin had been invited. It was a good chance to observe native customs. A little anthropology—with refreshments49.
The main courses started making the rounds and he took generous helpings50 of the roasted ulami and the broiled51 halunch and numerous dabs52 from the side dishes of steaming vegetables. Between every course, they passed around a small flagon of the hot, spiced native wine, but he noticed that nobody drank to excess.
The old Greek ideal, he thought: moderation in everything.
He looked at Templin, sitting across from him in the huge circle, and shrugged mentally. Templin looked as if he was about to break down and enjoy himself, but there was still a slight bulge53 under his tunic, where he had strapped his power pack. Any fool should have known that nothing would happen at a banquet like this. The only actual danger lay in Templin's getting excited and doing something he was bound to regret later on. And even that danger was not quite as likely now.
There will be hell to pay, Eckert thought, if Templin ever finds out that I sabotaged54 his power pack.
"You look thoughtful, menshar Eckert."
Eckert took another sip55 of the wine and turned to the Tunpeshan on his left. He was a tall, muscular man with sharp eyes, a firm chin and a certain aura of authority.
"I was wondering if my countryman Pendleton had offended your people in any way, Nayova." Now was as good a time as any to pump him for what he knew about Pendleton's death.
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1
tunic
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| n.束腰外衣 | |
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middle-aged
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| adj.中年的 | |
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aged
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| adj.年老的，陈年的 | |
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ted
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| vt.翻晒，撒，撒开 | |
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anthropologist
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| n.人类学家，人类学者 | |
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promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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squatted
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| v.像动物一样蹲下( squat的过去式和过去分词 )；非法擅自占用（土地或房屋）；为获得其所有权；而占用某片公共用地。 | |
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industriously
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looms
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| n.织布机( loom的名词复数 )v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的第三人称单数 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近 | |
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bazaar
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| n.集市，商店集中区 | |
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fowl
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| n.家禽，鸡，禽肉 | |
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rustic
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| adj.乡村的，有乡村特色的；n.乡下人，乡巴佬 | |
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jewelry
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| n.（jewllery）（总称）珠宝 | |
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primitive
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| adj.原始的；简单的；n.原(始)人，原始事物 | |
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gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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sarcastically
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| adv.挖苦地，讽刺地 | |
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shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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unpacking
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| n.取出货物，拆包[箱]v.从（包裹等）中取出（所装的东西），打开行李取出( unpack的现在分词 )；拆包；解除…的负担；吐露（心事等） | |
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bruises
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| n.瘀伤，伤痕，擦伤( bruise的名词复数 ) | |
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deviation
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| n.背离，偏离；偏差，偏向；离题 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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idyllic
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| adj.质朴宜人的，田园风光的 | |
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lurking
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| 潜在 | |
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flicked
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| （尤指用手指或手快速地）轻击( flick的过去式和过去分词 )； （用…）轻挥； （快速地）按开关； 向…笑了一下（或瞥了一眼等） | |
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fragrance
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| n.芬芳，香味，香气 | |
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inhaled
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| v.吸入( inhale的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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strapped
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| adj.用皮带捆住的，用皮带装饰的；身无分文的；缺钱；手头紧v.用皮带捆扎(strap的过去式和过去分词)；用皮带抽打；包扎；给…打绷带 | |
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whittling
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| v.切，削（木头），使逐渐变小( whittle的现在分词 ) | |
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blessings
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| n.（上帝的）祝福( blessing的名词复数 )；好事；福分；因祸得福 | |
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purely
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| adv.纯粹地，完全地 | |
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decorative
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| adj.装饰的，可作装饰的 | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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gadget
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| n.小巧的机械，精巧的装置，小玩意儿 | |
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mused
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| v.沉思，冥想( muse的过去式和过去分词 )；沉思自语说（某事） | |
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livestock
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| n.家畜，牲畜 | |
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fattened
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| v.喂肥( fatten的过去式和过去分词 )；养肥（牲畜）；使（钱）增多；使（公司）升值 | |
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bug
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| n.虫子；故障；窃听器；vt.纠缠；装窃听器 | |
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waddle
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| vi.摇摆地走；n.摇摆的走路(样子) | |
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discreet
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| adj.(言行)谨慎的；慎重的；有判断力的 | |
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withheld
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| withhold过去式及过去分词 | |
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physically
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| adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律 | |
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grumbled
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| 抱怨( grumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 发牢骚； 咕哝； 发哼声 | |
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substantiate
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| v.证实；证明...有根据 | |
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accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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dueled
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| vt.使（另一人）参加决斗（duel的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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judicious
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| adj.明智的，明断的，能作出明智决定的 | |
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refreshments
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| n.点心,便餐;(会议后的)简单茶点招 待 | |
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helpings
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| n.（食物）的一份( helping的名词复数 )；帮助，支持 | |
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broiled
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| a.烤过的 | |
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dabs
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| 少许( dab的名词复数 )； 是…能手； 做某事很在行； 在某方面技术熟练 | |
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bulge
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| n.突出，膨胀，激增；vt.突出，膨胀 | |
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sabotaged
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| 阴谋破坏（某事物）( sabotage的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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sip
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| v.小口地喝，抿，呷；n.一小口的量 | |
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