A gravitic ship did not have to brake its path by a long routeof slow spiral contraction1, but neither could it swoop2 downwardtoo rapidly. Freedom from gravity did not mean freedom from airresistance. The ship could descend3 in a straight line, but it was stilla matter for caution; it could not be too fast.
"Where are we going to go?" asked Pelorat, looking confused. "I can'ttell one place in the clouds from another, old fellow.""No more can I," said Trevize, "but we have an official holographicmap of Comporellon, which gives the shape of the land masses and anexaggerated relief for both land heights and ocean depths andpolitical subdivisions, too. The map is in the computer and that will dothe work. It will match the planetary land-sea design to the map, thusorienting the ship properly, and it will then take us to the capital bya cycloidic pathway."Pelorat said, "If we go to the capital, we plunge4 immediately intothe political vortex. If the world is anti-Foundation, as the fellow atthe entry station implied, we'll be asking for trouble.""On the other hand, it's bound to be the intellectual center ofthe planet, and if we want information, that's where we'll find it, ifanywhere. As for being anti-Foundation, I doubt that they will be ableto display that too openly. The Mayor may have no great liking5 for me,but neither can she afford to have a Councilman mistreated. She wouldnot care to allow the precedent6 to be established."Bliss7 had emerged from the toilet, her hands still damp fromscrubbing. She adjusted her underclothes with no sign of concern and said,"By the way, I trust the excreta is thoroughly8 recycled.""No choice," said Trevize. "How long do you suppose our watersupply would last without recycling of excreta? On what do you thinkthose choicely flavored yeast9 cakes that we eat to lend spice to ourfrozen staples10 grow? I hope that doesn't spoil your appetite,my efficient Bliss.""Why should it? Where do you suppose food and water come from on Gaia,or on this planet, or on Terminus?""On Gaia," said Trevize, "the excreta is, of course, as alive asyou are.""Not alive. Conscious. There is a difference. The level ofconsciousness is, naturally, very low."Trevize sniffed11 in a disparaging12 way, but didn't try to answer. Hesaid, "I'm going into the pilot-room to keep the computer company. Notthat it needs me."Pelorat said, "May we come in and help you keep it company? I can'tquite get used to the fact that it can get us down all by itself; thatit can sense other ships, or storms, or whatever?"Trevize smiled broadly. "Get used to it, please. The ship is far saferunder the computer's control than it ever would be under mine. Butcertainly, come on. It will do you good to watch what happens."They were over the sunlit side of the planet now for, as Trevizeexplained, the map in the computer could be more easily matched toreality in the sunlight than in the dark.
"That's obvious," said Pelorat.
"Not at all obvious. The computer will judge just as rapidly by theinfrared light which the surface radiates even in the dark. However, thelonger waves of infrared13 don't allow the computer quite the resolutionthat visible light would. That is, the computer doesn't see quite asfinely and sharply by infrared, and where necessity doesn't drive,I like to make things as easy as possible for the computer.""What if the capital is on the dark side?""The chance is fifty-fifty," said Trevize, "but if it is, once the mapis matched by daylight, we can skim down to the capital quite unerringlyeven if it is in the dark. And long before we come anywhere near thecapital, we'll be intersecting microwave beams and will be receivingmessages directing us to the most convenient spaceport. There'snothing to worry about.""Are you sure?" said Bliss. "You're bringing me down without papers andwithout any native world that these people here will recognize andI'm bound and determined14 not to mention Gaia to them in any case. Sowhat do we do, if I'm asked for my papers once we're on the surface?"Trevize said, "That's not likely to happen. Everyone will assume thatwas taken care of at the entry station.""But if they ask?""Then, when that time comes, we'll face the problem. Meanwhile,let's not manufacture problems out of air.""By the time we face the problems that may arise, it might well betoo late to solve them.""I'll rely on my ingenuity16 to keep it from being too late.""Talking about ingenuity, how did you get us through the entrystation?"Trevize looked at Bliss, and let his lips slowly expand into a smilethat made him seem like an impish teenager. "Just brains."Pelorat said, "What did you do, old man?"Trevize said, "It was a matter of appealing to him in the correctmanner. I'd tried threats and subtle bribes17. I had appealed to his logicand his loyalty18 to the Foundation. Nothing worked, so I fell back onthe last resort. I said that you were cheating on your wife, Pelorat.""My wife ? But, my dear fellow, I don't have a wife atthe moment.""I know that, but he didn't."Bliss said, "By `wife,' I presume you mean a woman who is a particularman's regular companion."Trevize said, "A little more than that, Bliss. A legal companion, one with enforceable rights in consequence of thatcompanionship."Pelorat said nervously19, "Bliss, I do not have a wife. Ihave had one now and then in the past, but I haven't had one for quitea while. If you would care to undergo the legal ritual ""Oh, Pel," said Bliss, making a sweeping-away movement with her righthand, "what would I care about that? I have innumerable companions thatare as close to me as your arm is close companion to your other arm. Itis only Isolates21 who feel so alienated22 that they have to use artificialconventions to enforce a feeble substitute for true companionship.""But I am an Isolate20, Bliss dear.""You will be less Isolate in time, Pel. Never truly Gaia, perhaps,but less Isolate, and you will have a flood of companions.""I only want you, Bliss," said Pel.
"That's because you know nothing about it. You'll learn."Trevize was concentrating on the viewscreen during that exchange witha look of strained tolerance23 on his face. The cloud cover had come upclose and, for a moment, all was gray fog.
Microwave vision, he thought, and the computer switched at once tothe detection of radar24 echoes. The clouds disappeared and the surfaceof Comporellon appeared in false color, the boundaries between sectorsof different constitution a little fuzzy and wavering.
"Is that the way it's going to look from now on?" asked Bliss, withsome astonishment25.
"Only till we drift below the clouds. Then it's back to sunlight." Evenas he spoke26, the sunshine and normal visibility returned.
"I see," said Bliss. Then, turning toward him, "But what I don't seeis why it should matter to that official at the entry station whetherPel was deceiving his wife or not?""If that fellow, Kendray, had held you back, the news, I said, mightreach Terminus and, therefore, Pelorat's wife. Pelorat would then be introuble. I didn't specify27 the sort of trouble he would be in, but I triedto sound as though it would be bad. There is a kind of free-masonryamong males," Trevize was grinning, now, "and one male doesn't betrayanother fellow male. He would even help, if requested. The reasoning,I suppose, is that it might be the helper's turn next to be helped. Ipresume," he added, turning a bit graver, "that there is a similarfree-masonry among women, but, not being a woman, I have never had anopportunity to observe it closely."Bliss's face resembled a pretty thundercloud. "Is this a joke?" shedemanded.
"No, I'm serious," said Trevize. "I don't say that Kendrayfellow let us through only to help Janov avoid angering his wife. Themasculine free-masonry may simply have added the last push to my otherarguments.""But is horrible. I is its rules that hold society together andbind it into a whole. Is it such a light ing to disregard the rulesfor trivial reasons?""Well," said Trevize, in instant defensiveness28, "some of the rulesare themselves trivial. Few worlds are very particular about passage inand out of their space in times of peace and commercial prosperity, suchas we have now, thanks to the Foundation. Comporellon, for some reason,is out of step probably because of an obscure matter of internalpolitics. Why should we suffer over that?""T is beside the point. If we only obey those rules that we inkare just and reasonable, then no rule will stand, for there is no rulethat some will not ink is unjust and unreasonable29. Andif we wish to push our own individual advantage, as we see it, then wewill always find reason to believe that some hampering30 rule is unjustand unreasonable. What starts, then, as a shrewd trick ends in anarchyand disaster, even for the shrewd trickster, since he, too, will notsurvive the collapse31 of society."Trevize said, "Society will not collapse that easily. You speakas Gaia, and Gaia cannot possibly understand the association of freeindividuals. Rules, established with reason and justice, can easilyoutlive their usefulness as circumstances change, yet can remain inforce through inertia32. I is then not only right, but useful, to breakthose rules as a way of advertising33 the fact they have becomeuseless or even actually harmful.""Then every ief and murderer can argue he is serving humanity.""You go to extremes. In the superorganism of Gaia, there is automaticconsensus on the rules of society and it occurs to no one to breakthem. One might as well say that Gaia vegetates34 and fossilizes. There isadmittedly an element of disorder35 in free association, but is theprice one must pay fog the ability to induce novelty and change. Onthe whole, it's a reasonable price."Bliss's voice rose a notch36. "You are quite wrong if you ink Gaiavegetates and fossilizes. Our deeds, our ways, our views are underconstant self-examination. They do not persist out of inertia, beyondreason. Gaia learns by experience and thought; and therefore changeswhen is necessary.""Even if w you say is so, the self-examination and learning mustbe slow, because not ing but Gaia exists on Gaia. Here, in freedom, evenwhen almost everyone agrees, there are bound to be a few who disagree and,in some cases, those few may be right, and if they are clever enough,enthusiastic enough, right enough, they will win out in theend and be heroes in future ages like Hari Seldon, who perfectedpsychohistory, pitted his own thoughts against the entire Galactic Empire,and won.""He has won only so far, Trevize. The Second Empire he planned forwill not come to pass. There will be Galaxia instead.""Will there?" said Trevize grimly.
"I was your decision, and, however much you argue withme in favor of Isolates and of their freedom to be foolish and criminal,there is somet ing in the hidden recesses37 of your mind that forced youto agree with me/us/Gaia when you made your choice.""W is present in the hidden recesses of my mind," said Trevize,more grimly still, "is w I seek. There, to begin with," he added,pointing to the viewscreen where a gre city spread out o the horizon,a cluster of low structures climbing to occasional heights, surroundedby fields th were brown under a light frost.
Pelorat shook his head. "Too bad. I meant to watch the approach,but I got caught up in listening to the argument."Trevize said, "Never mind, Janov. You can watch when we leave. I'llpromise to keep my mouth shut en, if you can persuade Bliss to controlher own."And the Far Star descended38 a microwave beam to a landing atthe spaceport.
14Kendray looked grave when he returned to the entrystation and watched the Far Star pass through. He was stillclearly depressed39 at the close of his shift.
He was sitting down to his closing meal of the day when one of hismates, a gangling40 fellow with wide-set eyes, thin light hair, and eyebrowsso blond they seemed absent, sat down next to him.
"What's wrong, Ken15?" said the other.
Kendray's lips twisted. He said, "That was a gravitic ship that justpassed through, Gatis.""The odd-looking one with zero radioactivity?""That's why it wasn't radioactive. No fuel. Gravitic."Gatis nodded his head. "What we were told to watch for, right?""Right.""And you got it. Leave it to you to be the lucky one.""Not so lucky. A woman without identification was on it and Ididn't report her."" What? Look, don't tell me . I don't wantto know about it. Not another word. You may be a pal41, but I'm not goingto make myself an accomplice42 after the fact.""I'm not worried about that. Not very much. I had tosend the ship down. They want that gravitic or any gravitic. Youknow that.""Sure, but you could at least have reported the woman.""Didn't like to. She's not married. She was just picked upfor for use.""How many men on board?""Two.""And they just picked her up for for that. They must be fromTerminus.""That's right.""They don't care what they do on Terminus.""That's right.""Disgusting. And they get away with it.""One of them was married, and he didn't want his wife to know. If Ireported her, his wife would find out.""Wouldn't she be back on Terminus?""Of course, but she'd find out anyway.""Serve the fellow right if his wife did find out.""I agree but I can't be the one to be responsiblefor it.""They'll hammer you for not reporting it. Not wanting to make troublefor a guy is no excuse.""Would you have reported him?""I'd have had to, I suppose.""No, you wouldn't. The government wants that ship. If I had insistedon putting the woman on report, the men on the ship would have changedtheir minds about landing and would have pulled away to some otherplanet. The government wouldn't have wanted that.""But will they believe you?""I think so. A very cute-looking woman, too. Imagine a womanlike that being willing to come along with two men, and married men withthe nerve to take advantage. You know, it's tempting43.""I don't think you'd want the missus to know you said that oreven thought that."Kendray said defiantly44, "Who's going to tell her? You?""Come on. You know better than that." Gatis's look of indignationfaded quickly, and he said, "It's not going to do those guys any good,you know, you letting them through.""I know.""The people down surface-way will find out soon enough, and even ifyou get away with it, they won't.""I know," said Kendray, "but I'm sorry for them. Whatever troublethe woman will make for them will be as nothing to what the ship willmake for them. The captain made a few remarks "Kendray paused, and Gatis said eagerly, "Like what?""Never mind," said Kendray. "If it comes out, it's my butt45.""I'm not going to repeat it.""Neither am I. But I'm sorry for those two men from Terminus."15To anyone who has been in space and experienced itschangelessness, the real excitement of space flight comes when it istime to land on a new planet. The ground speeds backward under you asyou catch glimpses of land and water, of geometrical areas and linesthat might represent fields and roads. You become aware of the green ofgrowing things, the gray of concrete, the brown of bare ground, the whiteof snow. Most of all, there is the excitement of populated conglomerates;cities which, on each world, have their own characteristic geometry andarchitectural variants46.
In an ordinary ship, there would have been the excitement oftouching down and skimming across a runway. For the Far Star ,it was different. It floated through the air, was slowed by skillfullybalancing air resistance and gravity, and finally made to come to restabove the spaceport. The wind was gusty47 and that introduced an addedcomplication. The Far Star , when adjusted to low response togravitational pull, was not only abnormally low in weight, but in massas well. If its mass were too close to zero, the wind would blow it awayrapidly. Hence, gravitational response had to be raised and jetthrustshad to be delicately used not only against the planet's pull but againstthe wind's push, and in a manner that matched the shift in wind intensityclosely. Without an adequate computer, it could not possibly have beendone properly.
Downward and downward, with small unavoidable shifts in this directionand that, drifted the ship until it finally sank into the outlined areathat marked its assigned position in the port.
The sky was a pale blue, intermingled with flat white, when the FarStar landed. The wind remained gusty even at ground level and thoughit was now no longer a navigational peril48, it produced a chill thatTrevize winced49 at. He realized at once that their clothing supply wastotally unsuited to Comporellian weather.
Pelorat, on the other hand, looked about with appreciation50 and drewhis breath deeply through his nose with relish51, liking the bite ofthe cold, at least for the moment. He even deliberately52 unseamed hiscoat in order to feel the wind against his chest. In a little while,he knew, he would seam up again and adjust his scarf, but for now hewanted to feel the existence of an atmosphere. One neverdid aboard ship.
Bliss drew her coat closely about herself, and, with gloved hands,dragged her hat down to cover her ears. Her face was crumpled53 in miseryand seemed close to tears.
She muttered, "This world is evil. It hates and mistreats us.""Not at all, Bliss dear," said Pelorat earnestly. "I'm sure theinhabitant; like this world, and that it uh likes them,if you want to put it that way. We'll be indoors soon enough, and itwill be warm there."Almost as an afterthought, he flipped54 one side of his coat outwardcurved it about her, while she snuggled against his shirtfront.
Trevize did his best to ignore the temperature. He obtained a mapcard from the port authority, checking it on his pocket computer tosure that it gave the necessary details his aisle55 and lot number,the and engine number of his ship, and so on. He checked once more tosure that the ship was tightly secured, and then took out the maximuminsurance allowed against the chance of misadventure (useless, actually,the Far Star should be invulnerable at the likely Comporellianlevel of technology, and was entirely56 irreplaceable at whatever price,if it were not).
Trevize found the taxi-station where it ought to be. (A number offacilities at spaceports were standardized57 in position, appearance,and manner of use. They had to be, in view of the multiworld nature ofthe clientele.)He signaled for a taxi, punching out the destination merely as"City."A taxi glided59 up to them on diamagnetic skis, drifting slightlyunder the impulse of the wind, and trembling under the vibration60 of itsnot-quite-silent engine. It was a dark gray in color and bore its whitetaxi-insignia on tell doors. The taxi-driver was wearing a dark coatand a white, furred bat.
Pelorat, becoming aware, said softly, "The planetary decor seem tobe black and white."Trevize said, "It may be more lively in the city proper."The driver spoke into a small microphone, perhaps in order to avoidopening the window. "Going to the city, folks?"There was a gentle singsong to his Galactic dialect that was ratherattractive, and he was not hard to understand always a relief ona new world,Trevize said, "That's right," and the rear door slid open.
Bliss entered, followed by Pelorat, and then by Trevize. The doorclosed and warm air welled upward.
Bliss rubbed her hands and breathed a long sigh of relief.
The taxi pulled out slowly, and the driver said, "That ship you camein is gravitic, isn't it?"Trevize said dryly, "Considering the way it came down, would youdoubt it?"The driver said, "Is it from Terminus, then?"Trevize said, "Do you know any other world that could build one?"The driver seemed to digest that as the taxi took on speed. He thensaid, "Do you always answer a question with a question?"Trevize couldn't resist. "Why not?""In that case, how would you answer me if I asked if your name wereGolan Trevize?""I would answer: What makes you ask?"The taxi came to a halt at the outskirts61 of the spaceport and thedriver said, "Curiosity! I ask again: Are you Golan Trevize?"Trevize's voice became stiff and hostile. "What business is thatof yours?""My friend," said the driver, "We're not moving till you answer thequestion. And if you don't answer in a clear yes or no in about twoseconds, I'm turning the heat off in the passenger compartment62 and we'llkeep on waiting. Are you Golan Trevize, Councilman of Terminus? If youranswer is in the negative, you will have to show me your identificationpapers."Trevize said, "Yes, I am Golan Trevize, and as a Councilman of theFoundation, I expect to be treated with all the courtesy due my rank. Yourfailure to do so will have you in hot water, fellow. Now what?""Now we can proceed a little more lightheartedly." The taxi beganto move again. "I choose my passengers carefully, and I had expected topick up two men only. The woman was a surprise and I might have made amistake. As it is, if I have you, then I can leave it to you to explainthe woman when you reach your destination.""You don't know my destination.""As it happens, I do. You're going to the Department ofTransportation.""That's not where I want to go.""That matters not one little bit, Councilman. If I were a taxi-driver,I'd take you where you want to go. Since I'm not, I take you whereI want you to go.""Pardon me," said Pelorat, leaning forward, "you certainly seem tobe a taxi-driver. You're driving a taxi.""Anyone might drive a taxi. Not everyone has a license63 to do so. Andnot every car that looks like a taxi is a taxi."Trevize said, "Let's stop playing games. Who are you and whatare you doing? Remember that you'll have to account for this to theFoundation.""Not I," said the driver, "My superiors, perhaps. I'm an agent ofthe Comporellian Security Force. I am under orders to treat you with alldue respect to your rank, but you must go where I take you. And be verycareful how you react, for this vehicle is armed, and I am under ordersto defend myself against attack."16The vehicle, having reached cruising speed, moved withabsolute, smooth quiet, and Trevize sat there in quietness as frozen. Hewas aware, without actually looking, of Pelorat glancing at him now andthen with a look of uncertainty64 on his face, a "What do we do now? Pleasetell me" look.
Bliss, a quick glance told him, sat calmly, apparently65 unconcerned. Ofcourse, she was a whole world in herself. All of Gaia, though it mightbe at Galactic distances, was wrapped up in her skin. She had resourcesthat could be called on in a true emergency.
But, then, what had happened?
Clearly, the official at the entry station, following routine, hadsent down his report omitting Bliss and it had attractedthe interest of the security people and, of all things, the Departmentof Transportation. Why?
It was peacetime and he knew of no specific tensions betweenComporellon and the Foundation. He himself was an important Foundationofficial Wait, he had told the official at the entry station Kendray,his name had been that he was on important business with theComporellian government. He had stressed that in his attempt to getthrough. Kendray must have reported that as well and that would rouse all sorts of interest.
He hadn't anticipated that, and he certainly should have.
What, then, about his supposed gift of rightness? Was he beginningto believe that he was the black box that Gaia thought he was orsaid it thought he was. Was he being led into a quagmire66 by the growthof an overconfidence built on superstition67?
How could he for one moment be trapped in that folly68? Had he never inhit life been wrong? Did he know what the weather would be tomorrow? Didhe win large amounts in games of chance? The answers were no, no,and no.
Well, then, was it only in the large, inchoate69 things that he wasalways right? How could he tell?
Forget that! After all, the mere58 fact that he had stated hehad important state business no, it was "Foundation security"that he had said Well, then, the mere fact that he was there on a matter of Foundationsecurity, coming, as he had, secretly and unheralded, would surelyattract their attention. Yes, but until they knew what it was allabout they would surely act with the utmost circumspection70. They would beceremonious and treat him as a high dignitary. They would not kidnap him and make use of threats.
Yet that was exactly what they had done. Why?
What made them feel strong enough and powerful enough to treat aCouncilman of Terminus in such a fashion?
Could it be Earth? Was the same force that hid the world of origin soeffectively, even against the great mentalists of the Second Foundation,now working to circumvent71 his search for Earth in the very first stageof that search? Was Earth omniscient72? Omipotent?
Trevize shook his head. That way lay paranoia73. Was he going toblame Earth for everything? Was every quirk74 of behavior, every bend inthe road, every twist of circumstance, to be the result of the secretmachinations of Earth? As soon as he began to think in that fashion,he was defeated.
At that point, he felt the vehicle decelerating and was brought backto reality at a stroke.
It occurred to him that he had never, even for one moment, lookedat the city through which they had been passing. He looked about now, atouch wildly. The buildings were low, but it was a cold planet mostof the structures were probably underground.
He saw no trace of color and that seemed against human nature.
Occasionally, he could see a person pass, well bundled. But,then, the people, like the buildings themselves, were probably mostlyunderground.
The taxi had stopped before a low, broad building, set in a depression,the bottom of which Trevize could not see. Some moments passed and itcontinued to remain there, the driver himself motionless as well. Histall, white hat nearly touched the roof of the vehicle.
Trevize wondered fleetingly75 how the driver managed to step in andout of the vehicle without knocking his hat off, then said, with thecontrolled anger one would expect of a haughty76 and mistreated official,"Well, driver, what now?"The Comporellian version of the glittering field-partition thatseparated the driver from the passengers was not at all primitive77. Soundwaves could pass through though Trevize was quite certain thatmaterial objects, at reasonable energies, could not.
The driver said, "Someone will be up to get you. Just sit back andtake it easy."Even as he said this, three heads appeared in a slow, smooth ascentfrom the depression in which the building rested. After that, therecame the rest of the bodies. Clearly, the newcomers were moving up theequivalent of an escalator, but Trevize could not see the details ofthe device from where he sat.
As the three approached, the passenger door of the taxi opened anda flood of cold air swept inward.
Trevize stepped out, seaming his coat to the neck. The other twofollowed him Bliss with considerable reluctance78.
The three Comporellians were shapeless, wearing garments that balloonedoutward and were probably electrically heated. Trevize felt scorn atthat. There was little use for such things on Terminus, and the onetime he had borrowed a heat-coat during winter on the nearby planetof Anacreon, he discovered it had a tendency to grow warmer at a slowrate so that by the time he realized he was too warm he was perspiringuncomfortably.
As the Comporellians approached, Trevize noted79 with a distinct senseof indignation that they were armed. Nor did they try to conceal80 thefact. Quite the contrary. Each had a blaster in a holster attached tothe outer garment.
One of the Comporellians, having stepped up to confront Trevize, saidgruffly, "Your pardon, Councilman," and then pulled his coat open withrough movement. He had inserted questing hands which moved quickly upand down Trevize's sides, back, chest, and thighs81. The coat was shakenand felt. Trevize was too overcome by confused astonishment to realizehe had been rapidly and efficiently82 searched till it was over.
Pelorat, his chin drawn83 down and his mouth in a twisted grimace84, wasundergoing a similar indignity85 at the hands of a second Comporellian.
The third was approaching Bliss, who did not wait to be touched. She,at least, knew what to expect, somehow, for she whipped off her coat and,for a moment, stood there in her light clothing, exposed to the whistleof the wind.
She said, freezingly enough to match the temperature, "You can seeI'm not armed."And indeed anyone could. The Comporellian shook the coat, as thoughby its weight he could tell if it contained a weapon perhaps hecould and retreated.
Bliss put on her coat again, huddling86 into it, and for a momentTrevize admired her gesture. He knew how she felt about the cold, butshe had not allowed a tremor87 or shiver to escape her as she had stoodthere in thin blouse and slacks. (Then he wondered if, in the emergency,she might not have drawn warmth from the rest of Gaia.)One of the Comporellians gestured, and the three Outworlders followedhim. The other two Comporellians fell behind. The one or two pedestrianswho were on the street did not bother to watch what was happening. Eitherthey were too accustomed to the sight or, more likely, had their mindsoccupied with getting to some indoor destination as soon as possible.
Trevize saw now that it was a moving ramp88 up which the Comporellianshad ascended89. They were descending90 now, all six of them, and pastedthrough a lock arrangement almost as complicated as that on aspaceship to keep heat inside, no doubt, rather than air.
And then, at once, they were inside a huge building.
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contraction
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| n.缩略词，缩写式，害病 | |
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swoop
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| n.俯冲，攫取；v.抓取，突然袭击 | |
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descend
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| vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降 | |
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plunge
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liking
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| n.爱好；嗜好；喜欢 | |
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precedent
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| n.先例，前例；惯例；adj.在前的，在先的 | |
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bliss
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| n.狂喜，福佑，天赐的福 | |
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thoroughly
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yeast
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| n.酵母；酵母片；泡沫；v.发酵；起泡沫 | |
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staples
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| n.（某国的）主要产品( staple的名词复数 )；钉书钉；U 形钉；主要部份v.用钉书钉钉住( staple的第三人称单数 ) | |
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sniffed
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| v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的过去式和过去分词 )；抽鼻子（尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气）；抱怨，不以为然地说 | |
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disparaging
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| adj.轻蔑的，毁谤的v.轻视( disparage的现在分词 )；贬低；批评；非难 | |
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infrared
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| adj./n.红外线(的) | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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ken
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| n.视野，知识领域 | |
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ingenuity
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| n.别出心裁；善于发明创造 | |
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bribes
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| n.贿赂( bribe的名词复数 )；向（某人）行贿，贿赂v.贿赂( bribe的第三人称单数 )；向（某人）行贿，贿赂 | |
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loyalty
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| n.忠诚，忠心 | |
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nervously
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| adv.神情激动地，不安地 | |
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isolate
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| vt.使孤立，隔离 | |
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isolates
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| v.使隔离( isolate的第三人称单数 )；将…剔出（以便看清和单独处理）；使（某物质、细胞等）分离；使离析 | |
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alienated
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| adj.感到孤独的，不合群的v.使疏远( alienate的过去式和过去分词 )；使不友好；转让；让渡（财产等） | |
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tolerance
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| n.宽容；容忍，忍受；耐药力；公差 | |
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radar
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| n.雷达，无线电探测器 | |
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astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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specify
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| vt.指定，详细说明 | |
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defensiveness
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| 防御性 | |
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unreasonable
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| adj.不讲道理的，不合情理的，过度的 | |
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hampering
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| 妨碍，束缚，限制( hamper的现在分词 ) | |
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collapse
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| vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷 | |
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inertia
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| adj.惰性，惯性，懒惰，迟钝 | |
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advertising
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| n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的 | |
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vegetates
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| v.过单调呆板的生活( vegetate的第三人称单数 )；植物似地生长；（瘤、疣等）长大 | |
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disorder
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| n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调 | |
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notch
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| n.(V字形)槽口，缺口，等级 | |
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recesses
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| n.壁凹( recess的名词复数 )；（工作或业务活动的）中止或暂停期间；学校的课间休息；某物内部的凹形空间v.把某物放在墙壁的凹处( recess的第三人称单数 )；将（墙）做成凹形，在（墙）上做壁龛；休息，休会，休庭 | |
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descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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depressed
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| adj.沮丧的，抑郁的，不景气的，萧条的 | |
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gangling
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| adj.瘦长得难看的 | |
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pal
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| n.朋友，伙伴，同志；vi.结为友 | |
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accomplice
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| n.从犯，帮凶，同谋 | |
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tempting
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| a.诱人的, 吸引人的 | |
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defiantly
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| adv.挑战地，大胆对抗地 | |
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butt
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| n.笑柄；烟蒂；枪托；臀部；v.用头撞或顶 | |
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variants
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| n.变体( variant的名词复数 )；变种；变型；（词等的）变体 | |
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gusty
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| adj.起大风的 | |
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peril
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| n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物 | |
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winced
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| 赶紧避开，畏缩( wince的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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appreciation
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| n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨 | |
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relish
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| n.滋味，享受，爱好，调味品；vt.加调味料，享受，品味；vi.有滋味 | |
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deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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crumpled
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| adj. 弯扭的, 变皱的 动词crumple的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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flipped
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| 轻弹( flip的过去式和过去分词 )； 按（开关）； 快速翻转； 急挥 | |
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aisle
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| n.（教堂、教室、戏院等里的）过道，通道 | |
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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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standardized
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| adj.标准化的 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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glided
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| v.滑动( glide的过去式和过去分词 )；掠过；（鸟或飞机 ） 滑翔 | |
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vibration
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| n.颤动，振动；摆动 | |
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outskirts
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| n.郊外，郊区 | |
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compartment
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| n.卧车包房，隔间；分隔的空间 | |
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license
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| n.执照，许可证，特许；v.许可，特许 | |
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uncertainty
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| n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物 | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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quagmire
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| n.沼地 | |
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superstition
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| n.迷信，迷信行为 | |
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folly
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| n.愚笨，愚蠢，蠢事，蠢行，傻话 | |
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inchoate
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| adj.才开始的，初期的 | |
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circumspection
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| n.细心，慎重 | |
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circumvent
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| vt.环绕，包围；对…用计取胜，智胜 | |
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omniscient
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| adj.无所不知的；博识的 | |
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paranoia
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| n.妄想狂，偏执狂；多疑症 | |
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quirk
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| n.奇事，巧合；古怪的举动 | |
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fleetingly
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| adv.飞快地，疾驰地 | |
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76
haughty
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| adj.傲慢的，高傲的 | |
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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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reluctance
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| n.厌恶，讨厌，勉强，不情愿 | |
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noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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conceal
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
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thighs
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| n.股，大腿( thigh的名词复数 )；食用的鸡（等的）腿 | |
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efficiently
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| adv.高效率地，有能力地 | |
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83
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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84
grimace
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| v.做鬼脸，面部歪扭 | |
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indignity
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| n.侮辱，伤害尊严，轻蔑 | |
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86
huddling
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| n. 杂乱一团, 混乱, 拥挤 v. 推挤, 乱堆, 草率了事 | |
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87
tremor
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| n.震动，颤动，战栗，兴奋，地震 | |
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ramp
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| n.暴怒，斜坡，坡道；vi.作恐吓姿势，暴怒，加速；vt.加速 | |
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ascended
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| v.上升，攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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descending
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| n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
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