After they left, Harshaw began to give various instructions to Duke, but found that the other's expression was not quite right.He asked irritably: "What's the matter with you? You have a bitter face!"
"Boss, when can we get rid of that man-eating monster?"
"'Ogre'? Why, you stupid country bumpkin!"
"Well, I'm from Kansas, but we never had cannibals there. Before he left, I asked to eat in the kitchen."
Harshaw said dryly, "Really? Annie'll have your check ready in five minutes. You'll pack your comic books and that other shirt, and it won't take ten minutes."
Duke, who had been installing projectors, stopped what he was doing. "Well, I don't mean to quit."
"That's what it means to me, kid."
"But—what's the big deal? I eat in the kitchen too often."
"It's different. No one under my roof refuses to dine with another person because they don't want to eat with another person. I belong to a nearly extinct race, an old-fashioned gentleman. That is, I can be a A stinky, hard bastard. That's what I'm willing to do now...that is, I won't allow some ignorant, superstitious, prejudiced bumpkin to tell me who deserves to eat at my table. Like Jesus, I'm willing It's my business to drink with tax collectors and sinners. But I don't share bread with Pharisees." Duke said slowly, "I should give you one. If you and I were of the same age, I would. of."
"Don't let age stop you, I'm probably tougher than you think. If I can't, others will come if they hear. Do you think you can handle Martian visitors?"
"Him? I could cut him in half with one hand!"
"Maybe . . . if your hand can reach him."
"Uh?"
"I tried to put a gun on him just now, and you saw that too. Duke—where's that gun? Get it back and tell me if you still think you can cut Mike in half. First Find the gun and talk."
Duke went on to set up the projector, "just some hand trick. The video will prove it."
Harshaw said, "Stop fiddling around there, Duke. Sit down. I'll do it myself when you're gone."
"What? Jubal, I don't want you to touch this projector. You mess it up every time."
"I said, sit down."
"But--"
"Duke, I can smash that thing to pieces if I like. I don't accept the services of a man who has resigned."
"Damn it! I didn't quit my job! You fired me for throwing a tantrum—and for being unreasonable."
"Sit down, Duke," Harshaw said quietly. "Let me try to save your life—get out of this place, as soon as possible, without even wasting time to pack. You may not have long to live."
"What the hell do you mean?"
"Literally. It doesn't matter whether you resign or get fired, Duke; the moment you announce that you're not going to eat at my table, you're no longer working for me. However, if you I still get annoyed at being killed in my house. So sit down now and I'll do my best to keep that from happening."
Duke sat down in shock.Harshaw continued: "Are you Mike's water brother?"
"Eh? Of course not. Oh, I've heard the bullshit. It's utter gibberish, if you ask me."
"Not gibberish, and no one asked you to; you have absolutely no capacity for insight." Harshaw frowned, "Duke, I don't want to fire you; with you, there's nothing wrong with the gadgets here , I don't have to worry about these nasty machines. But I have to get you out of this place safely - and see who is not Mike's water brother...and let them become Mike's water Brother, otherwise, I can only be sent away like you." Jubal bit his lip, "Maybe just make Mike promise not to hurt anyone without my permission. That's enough. Um... no, The kids in this house are always fighting, and Mike is easy to misunderstand. For example, if you--let's say Larry, because you're leaving soon...if Larry picks up Jill and throws him in the In the water, before I had a chance to explain to Mike that Jill wasn't actually in danger, Larry probably went off with the pistol to cool off. Larry had a right to live and he couldn't be turned into a slut because of my carelessness. Short-lived. Duke, I believe everyone is digging their own graves, but you can't give a dynamite pack to a baby because of this."
Duke said slowly: "Boss, you're jumpy. Mike won't hurt anyone. Those cannibalisms make me want to throw up, bah bah. But don't get me wrong, he's a barbarian, there are some things he doesn't understand, but He is as meek as a lamb. He will never hurt anyone."
"You think so?"
"Without a doubt."
"Okay. Didn't you have a gun in your room. I said he was dangerous. It's Martian season now; get a gun, go to the pool and shoot him. Don't worry about the law; I guarantee you'll never be charged .go do it."
"Jubbal...you're not serious."
"No, it's not. Because you can't. If you really want to, your gun will meet my pistol. If he's cornered, you'll get over it yourself. Duke, you don't know What happened to me. Mike isn't some 'meek lamb' and he's not a savage. I suspect we are. Ever had a snake?"
"Well... no."
"I had one, as a kid. I caught one one winter in Florida and thought it was a scarlet snake. Know what they look like?"
"I don't like snakes."
"Prejudice again. Most snakes are useful and harmless and fun to keep. Scarlet snake is a beauty - red, black and yellow - very docile. Good pet. I think the little thing likes me. I know how To deal with snakes, don't scare them, don't let them have a chance to bite you. Even if it is not poisonous, the wound is quite troublesome. This baby is my pride. I once took it out to show everyone, grabbed its seven inches, Let it wrap around my wrist."
"Then I met the herpetologist at the Tampa Zoo and asked him to look at my collection. The first thing he showed was that baby. He was in hysterics. My pet wasn't a scarlet snake, it was a small Coral snake. Deadliest venomous snake in North America. Duke, do you see what I mean?"
"You mean it's dangerous to keep snakes? I can tell you that too."
"Well, for heaven's sake! I keep rattlesnakes and water snakes, too. A poisonous snake isn't dangerous, any more than a loaded gun. You've got to handle snakes and guns with care. Let that one What makes a snake dangerous is: I don't know what it can do. If I deal with it carelessly because of ignorance, it will probably kill me, as innocent as a kitten that occasionally scratches someone. I want to treat you That being said, so is Mike. He looks like a normal guy, young, stunted, clumsy, horribly ignorant, but smart and docile and eager to learn. But Mike is also like my snake, and there's more to it than looks .If Mike doesn't trust you, he can be infinitely more deadly than a coral snake. Especially if he thinks you're hurting his water brothers, like Jill—or me." Harshaw shook his head, "Duke, what if Just now you gave me a shot on the spur of the moment, and Mike was standing at the door...before you realize it, your life will be gone, and I can't stop it. Then, Mike will feel sorry for 'wasting food' —The so-called food refers to your body fat. But he will not feel guilty for killing you; you forced him to do it... Then again, even for you, your death Nothing. You know, Mike believes your soul is immortal."
"Eh? Well, damn it, I do too. But—"
"Do you believe it?" Jubal asked coldly, "Really?"
"Why, of course I do! Well, I don't go to church very much, but I've been educated very orthodoxly. I have faith."
"Very well. Though I've never figured out how God could expect his creatures to elect the only true religion by faith. In my opinion, that's a bit too hasty to govern the universe. Anyway, since you believe in the soul If you don't die, we don't have to worry about your prejudices getting us killed. Do you want cremation or burial?"
"Oh, for God's sake, Jubal, stop making fun of me."
"I didn't. I can't vouch for your safety since you insist on treating a coral snake as a harmless scarlet snake. Any stupid mistake could be the last one. But I promise, I won't let Mike put you eat."
Duke's jaw dropped.He responded with fiery emotions, worldly language, and a great lack of logic.Harshaw listened for a while before saying angrily, "Come on, shut up. Do what you want with Mike." He bent over the projector. "I want to see those images. Damn!" he added , "This nasty thing always drives me crazy."
"You're using brute force. Here—" Harshaw fumbled to adjust the machine, and Duke reached out to help him, and inserted a roll of tape.Neither of them mentioned again whether Duke still worked for Harshaw.The projector is a desktop computer with an adapter that can project 'mm stereo tapes.It didn't take long for the two to see the picture before the box disappeared.
Jubal watched the box sprint toward his head, only to see it flash and then disappear. "The camera backs up Annie, she'll be happy. Duke, do it again in slow motion."
"Okay," Duke rewinds the tape, "ten times slower."
The picture was still the same, but the sound was useless in slow motion, and Duke turned it off.The box floated from Jill's hand to Jubal's head, then disappeared.But in slow motion, it can be seen shrinking, getting smaller and smaller, and finally disappearing without a trace.
"Duke, can you slow down?"
"Wait. There's something wrong with the stereo."
"what?"
"Damn, I don't know either. It looks normal in fast playback, but the depth of field effect is wrong in slow playback. The box is getting farther and farther away from us, and the speed is fast-but look at the wall, the box is moving away from us." We're always closer than the wall. Yeah, it must be the parallax stacking. But I never took the tape off the machine."
"Oh, take it easy, Duke. Put the tape on the other cameras and see."
"Well... yes. There is a 90-degree angle between the cameras. Even if I mess up this set, we can still see it clearly." Duke changed the tape, "Just fast forward the first part, and go to the end Watch that part again?"
"Let's do it."
The only difference in the picture is the angle.Duke slowed down when he saw Jill grab the box, and once again they watched the box recede from them.
"Something broke the second camera too," Duke said cursingly.
"Ok?"
"It was shot from the side, so the box was supposed to run out of the frame on one side of the frame. It ended up flying straight in front of us again. You saw that."
"That's right," Jubal echoed, "'Fly away from us.'"
"But it can't be -- it can't be from both angles."
"What do you mean, 'impossible'? It's already happened," Harshaw added. "What would we see if we replaced the cameras with Doppler radar?"
"How do I know? I'm going to take these cameras apart and have a look."
"Don't waste your time."
"But--"
"Duke, the camera is fine. What's at a ninety-degree angle to everything else?"
"I'm not good at guessing riddles."
"It's not a riddle. I'll let you ask, but I'll answer it myself. What is at right angles to everything else? Answer: two dead bodies, an old pistol, and an empty wine box. "
"What the hell do you mean, boss?"
"I've never spoken so bluntly in my life. See if you can believe the evidence. The cameras don't see what you expect, but don't say they're wrong just for that. Let's look at the other tape Bar."
There was nothing new in it that Harshaw was not yet aware of.The ashtray ran off-camera as it approached the ceiling, but its unhurried landing was recorded.The image of the pistol on the TV is small, but as far as the eye can see, the pistol, which has not changed its position, is getting smaller and farther away.Harshaw knew he was holding on to the gun when it disappeared, so he was content to see it--though "satisfaction" might not be the right word.
"Duke, make a copy of all the tapes."
Duke hesitated for a moment: "Am I still working here?"
"What? Oh, damn it! You can't eat in the kitchen, there's nothing to say about it. Duke, try to put your prejudices aside and listen to me."
"I'm listening."
"Mike asked me to give him the honor just now to eat this old, dry pile of me. At that time, he gave me the highest honor he knew. It was done by the only rules he knew. Says he 'learned it on his mother's lap.' That's a great compliment to him, and a plea to me. Never mind what your fellow Kansas thinks. Mike uses what he taught on Mars. Give him a standard of value.”
"I still choose Kansas."
"Well," Jubal admitted, "me too. But it's not a free choice for me, and it's not free for you - Mike. Imagine if you were raised by Martians, you would have the same attitudes towards eating and being eaten as Mike did."
Duke shook his head. "I don't believe it, Jubal. Of course, most things can only be blamed on Mike's bad luck and failure to raise a civilized person. But this is different. It's an instinct."
"'Instinct'? Ha!"
"But it's just instinct. I didn't learn 'on Mama's lap' that you can't eat people. Damn, I always knew it was a big sin—a disgusting sin. Seriously, just thinking about it makes my stomach cramp . It's basic intuition."
Jubal groaned. "Duke, how is it possible that you know so much about mechanics, but never figure out how you work yourself! Your mother doesn't have to say 'Don't eat your little pal, honey, that's not kind. 'Because you've absorbed that from our culture - and so have I. Those jokes about cannibals and missionaries, cartoons, myths, ghost stories, and a million other things. Bah, boy, it can't be What instinct. Historically, cannibalism has been the most widespread custom in every branch of humanity. Your ancestors, my ancestors, all."
"Your ancestors, perhaps."
"Well, Duke, didn't you say you had some Indian blood?"
"Eh? Yes, one-eighth. So what?"
"So, while we both have cannibals in our family tree, you're probably several generations closer to them than I am, because—"
"What, you bald old—"
"Don't get too excited! Ritual cannibalism is common in Native American culture. Just look it up. Plus, being born in North America, we have a higher than average chance of having Congolese blood in us, and we're more likely to have Congolese blood at all." In the dark...this is another big blood cannibal. But even if we are pure Nordic, there is no adulteration at all (of course this is a very stupid idea, mixed blood is everywhere, it is very common, It’s just that people don’t think of them as bastards)—but even if we were, this kind of origin can only tell us which tribe of cannibals we belong to... because every branch of human beings has the habit of cannibalism. Duke , Hundreds of millions of people do it, and you are so stupid to say 'violating instinct'."
"But—well, I should have known I couldn't argue with you, Jubal; you're always twisting things. But if we're really the offspring of ignorant savages—so what? We're civilized now. At least I'm."
Jubal grinned. "Meaning I'm not. Boy, I myself react to munching on a -- well, say, your roast leg, and I'm just as influenced by my upbringing. But that training bias aside. , I think we are so right about our taboo about cannibalism...because we are not civilized."
"Uh?"
"This taboo is very strong, so strong that you take it as an instinct. Fortunately, otherwise, I would have come up with a bunch of people. Now that beef is so expensive, I don't dare to turn my back on them with confidence. Right?"
Duke couldn't help grinning, "I don't dare to risk turning my back on my ex-wife and her mother."
"What about our charming neighbor to the south? He's pretty casual with other people's cattle during hunting season. Bet we don't both end up in his freezer? But I'm sure Mike doesn't." Will—because Mike is civilized."
"what?"
"Mike is a completely civilized guy, Martian style. Duke, I talked to Mike a lot, and I can hear that Mars is not a place where dogs eat dogs...or Martians eat Martians. Kind of dead, they don't bury, They do not burn or leave the carcass for vultures, but eat it. But it is a formal custom with deep religious connotations. Martians would never kill another person against their will. In fact, the Martians do not seem to have The concept of murder. Before the Martian dies, he consults with his friends, obtains the consent of the ghosts of the ancestors, and then decides when to join the ranks of the ancestors. Once he decides, he will execute it. The process is as easy as closing your eyes-no Violence, no disease, no need for overdose of sleeping pills. One second he's alive and well, the next he's a ghost. Then his friends eat things that are no longer useful to him , according to Mike, 'understand him', and praise his character while smearing mustard. The ghost also came to the banquet, which is equivalent to a coming-of-age ceremony or a confirmation ceremony. After that, the ghost has obtained' The status of a 'spiritual elder'—as I understand it, is to become a senior statesman."
Duke grimaced, "God, what a bunch of superstitious crap!"
"For Mike, it was a solemn — and joyous — religious ceremony."
Duke snorted, "Jubbal, you don't believe in those ghosts, do you? It's just cannibalism combined with the most disgusting superstition."
"Well, I'm not going to take it that far. It's unbelievable what happened to the old spirits, but Mike talks about them like we talked about last Wednesday. As for the rest—Duke, What church do you belong to?" Duke told him, and Jubal continued, "I guess so. Most Kansas people belong to either your church or the other. There is almost no difference between the two. You have to see the sign to know. Make it clear. Tell me, how did you feel when you participated in the most important symbolic ritual of cannibalism in the church?"
Duke stared at him: "What the hell does that mean?"
Jubal winked primly. "Are you a church member? Or just Sunday school on weekends?"
"Eh? Why, of course I'm a member of the church, always have been--only don't go to church much now."
"I thought you might not be eligible for communion. Well, if you stop and think about it, you'll know what I mean." Jubal stood up. "I don't want to discuss a ceremonial practice of cannibalism. The difference between one and the other. Duke, I can't waste any more time helping you get rid of your prejudices. Do you want to leave? Then I'd better escort you out. Or do you want to stay? Stay and eat with us Dining with other people?"
Duke frowned and said, "I guess I will stay."
"I'm letting it go. You read the tapes; if you've got an iota of wit to punch a punching bag, you've figured it out: this Martian can be very dangerous."
Duke nodded, "I'm not as stupid as you think, Jubal. But I'm not going to let Mike drive me out of here." He added, "You say he's dangerous, but I'm not going to mess with He. Bah, Jubal, I like that little fool, most places."
"Mmm...but you still underestimated him. Look, Duke, if you really like him, you'd better offer him a glass of water. Understand? Be his 'water brother.'"
"Well...I'll think about it."
"But don't pretend, Duke. If Mike takes your water, he'll take it seriously. He'll trust you unconditionally. So, you've got to make up your mind that no matter how bad things get, you'll trust him, Support him - otherwise don't do it. All your heart or don't."
"I get that, so that's why I said, 'I'll think about it.'"
"Okay, but don't think about it for too long, make up your mind quickly... something big will happen here soon."
Notes:
Notes: