"Murray Leinster - The Mutant Weapon" - читать интересную книгу автора (Leinster Murray)

I
Maris III was not, then, an "unearthly" environment. It was much more like an unfamiliar part of a
known planet than a new world altogether. But there were some oddities. An herbivorous creature
without legs which squirmed like a snake. A pigeon-sized creature whose wings were modified,
gossamer-thin scales with iridescent colorings. There were creatures which seemed to live in
lunatic association, and Calhoun was irritably curious to know if they were really symbiotes or
only unrecognizable forms of the same organism, like the terrestrial male and female firefly-
glowworm.
But he was heading for the city. He couldn't spare time to biologize. On his first day's journey
he looked for food to save the rations he carried. Murgatroyd was handy here. The little formal
had his place in human society. He was ,friendly, and he was passionately imitative of human
beings, and he had a definite psychology of his own. But he was useful, too. When Calhoun strode
through the forests, which had such curiously unleaflike foliage, Murgatroyd strode grandly with
him, imitating his walk. From time to time he dropped to all four paws to investigate something.
He invariably caught up with Calhoun within seconds.
Once Calhoun saw him interestedly bite a tiny bit out of a most unpromising-looking shrub stalk.
He savored its flavor, and then swallowed it. Calhoun took note of the plant and cut off a
section. He bound it to the skin of his arm up near the elbow. Hours later there was no allergic
reaction, so he tasted it. It was almost familiar. It had the flavor of a bracken shoot, mingled
with a fruity taste. It would be a green bulk-food like spinach or asparagus, filling but without
much substance.
Later, Murgatroyd carefully examined a luscious-seeming fruit which grew low enough for him to
pluck. He sniffed it closely and drew back. Calhoun noted that plant, too. Murgatroyd's tribe was
bred at headquarters for some highly valuable qualities. One was a very sensitive stomach-but it
"was only one. Murgatroyd's metabolism was very close to man's. If he ate something and it didn't
disagree with him, it was very likely safe for a man to eat it too. If he rejected
something, it probably wasn't. But his real value was much more important than the tasting of
questionable foods.
When Calhoun camped the first night, he made a fire of a plant shaped like a cactus barrel and
permeated with oil. By heaping dirt around it, he confined its burning to a round space very
much.like the direct-heat element of an electronic stove. It was an odd illustration of the fact
that human progress does not involve anything really new in kind, but only increased convenience
and availability of highly primitive comforts. By the light of that circular bonfire. Calhoun
actually read a little. But the light was inadequate. Presently he yawned. One did not get very
far in the Med Service without knowing probability in human conduct. It enabled one to check on
the accuracy of statements made, whether by patients or officials, to a Med Ship man. Today,
though, he'd traveled a long way on foot. He glanced at Murgatroyd, who was gravely pretending to
read from a singularly straight-edged leaf.
'Murgatroyd," said Calhoun, "it is likely that you will interpret any strange sound as a possible
undersirable subjective experience. Which is to say, as dangerous. So if you hear anything sizable
coming close during the night, I hope you'll squeal. Thank you."
Murgatroyd said "Chee," and Calhoun rolled over and went to sleep.
It was mid-morning of the next day when he came upon a cultivated field. It had been cleared and


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planted, of course, in preparation for the colonists who'd been expected to occupy the city.
Familiar Earth plants grew in it, ten feet high and more. And Calhoun examined it carefully, in