Fifteen Hours(科幻战争)-第2章

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with　promise；　had　been　diminished　and　reduced　by　circumstance。　He　was　left　with　only　a　few
simple　choices：　to　cry　out　or　keep　his　silence；　to　bleed　to　death　or　take　his　knife　and　end　it　quickly；
to　stay　awake　or　fall　asleep。　At　the　moment；　sleep　seemed　a　tempting　prospect。　He　was　tired　and
bone…weary；　fatigue　pulling　at　his　sluggish　mind　like　an　insistent　friend；　but　he　would　not　yield　to　it。
He　knew　if　he　fell　asleep　now　he　would　likely　never　awaken。　Just　as　he　knew　that　all　these　so…called
choices　were　simply　illusions。　In　the　end；　there　was　only　one　stark　choice　left　to　him　now　—　to　live
or　to　die　—　and　he　refused　to　die。
How　long　now；　the　question　again；　relentless。　How　many　hours？
But　there　was　no　answer。　Resigning　himself　to　the　thought　that　his　fate　was　now　in　the　hands　of
others；　he　waited　in　the　silence　of　no…man’s　land。　Waited；　hoping　that　somewhere　out　in　the　night
his　comrades　were　already　searching　for　him。　Waited；　refusing　to　give　in　or　fall　asleep。　He　waited；
caught　between　life　and　death。　His　life　a　last　fitful　burning　spark　lost　amid　a　sea　of　darkness；　his
mind　wondering　how　it　was　he　had　ever　come　to　be　there　at　all…
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CHAPTER　ONE
20：14　hours　Jumal　IV　Central　Planetary　Time
（Western　Summer　Adjustment）
The　Last　of　a　Thousand　Sunsets　—　A　Letter　Edged　in　Black　—　A　Ghost　in　the　Cellar　—　The
Lottery　and　the　Tale　of　his　Fathers
The　sun　was　setting；　its　slow　descent　reddening　the　vast　reaches　of　the　westward　sky　and　bathing　the
endless　wheat　fields　below　it　in　shades　of　gold　and　amber　as　they　stirred　gently　in　the　evening
breeze。　In　his　seventeen　years　of　life　to　date；　Arvin　Larn　had　seen　perhaps　a　thousand　such　sunsets；
there　was　something　about　the　beauty　of　this　one　that　gave　him　pause。　Enraptured；　his　chores　for　the
moment　forgotten；　for　the　first　time　since　his　childhood　he　simply　stood　and　watched　the　setting　of
die　sun。　Stood　there；　with　the　world　still　and　peaceful　all　about　him；　gazing　toward　the　gathering　fall
of　night　as　he　felt　a　nameless　emotion　rising　deep　within　his　heart。
There　will　be　other　sunsets；　he　thought　to　himself。　Other　suns；　though　none　of　them　will　mean　as
much　to　me　as　this　one　does；　here　and　now。　Nothing　could　mean　as　much　as　this　moment　does；
standing　here　among　these　wheat　fields；　watching　the　last　sunset　I　will　ever　see　at　home。
Home。　The　mere　thought　of　the　word　was　enough　to　make　him　turn　his　head　and　look　over　his
shoulder　across　the　swaying　rows　of　ripening　grain　toward　the　small　collection　of　farm　buildings　on
the　other　side　of　the　field　behind　him。　He　saw　the　old　barn　with　its　sloping；　wood…shingled　roof。　He
saw　the　round　tower　of　the　grain　silo：　the　ginny…hen　coops　he　had　helped　build　with　his　father；　the
small　stock　pen　where　they　kept　the　draft　horses　and　a　herd　of　half…a…dozen　alpacas。
Most　of　all；　he　saw　the　farmhouse　where　he　had　been　born　and　raised。　Two…storeyed；　with　a　low
wooden　porch　out　front　and　the　shutters　on　the　windows　left　open　to　let　in　the　last　of　the　light。　Given
the　unchanging　routines　of　his　family’s　existence；　Larn　did　not　need　to　see　inside　to　know　what　was
happening　within。　His　mother　would　be　in　the　kitchen　cooking　the　evening　meal；　his　sisters　helping
her　set　the　table；　his　father　in　the　cellar　workshop　with　his　tools。　Then；　just　as　they　did　every　night；
once　their　chores　were　done　the　family　would　sit　down　at　the　table　together　and　eat。　Tomorrow　night
they　would　do　the　same　again；　the　pattern　of　their　lives　repeating　endlessly　day　after　day；　varying
only　with　the　changing　of　the　seasons。
It　was　a　pattern　that　had　endured　here　for　as　long　as　anyone　could　remember。　A　pattern　that
would　continue　so　long　as　there　was　anyone　left　to　farm　these　lands。　Though；　come　tomorrow　night
at　least；　there　would　be　one　small　difference。
Come　tomorrow；　he　would　no　longer　be　here　to　see　it。
Sighing；　Larn　returned　to　his　work；　turning　once　more　to　the　task　of　trying　to　repair　the　ancient
rust…pitted　irrigation　pump　in　front　of　him。　Before　the　sunset　had　distracted　him　he　had　removed　the
outer　access　panel　to　reveal　the　inner　workings　of　the　pump’s　motor。　Now；　in　the　fading　light　of
twilight；　he　removed　the　motor’s　burnt…out　starter　and　replaced　it　with　a　new　one；　mindful　to　say　a
prayer　to　the　machine　spirit　inside　it　as　he　tightened　and　re…checked　the　connections。
Taking　a　spouted　canister　from　beside　the　foot　of　the　pump　he　dribbled　a　few　drops　of　unguent
from　it　into　the　workings。　Then；　satisfied　everything　was　in　order；　he　reached　out　for　the　large　lever
at　the　side　and　worked　it　slowly　up　and　down　a　dozen　times　to　prime　the　pump　before　pressing　the
ignition　stud　to　start　the　motor。　Abruptly；　the　pump　shuddered　into　noisy　life；　the　motor　whining　as
it　strained　to　pull　water　up　from　aquifers　lying　deep　below　the　ground。　For　a　moment；　Larn
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congratulated　himself　on　a　job　well　done。　Until；　just　as　the　first　few　muddy　drops　of　water　emerged
from　the　mouth　of　the　pump　to　stain　the　dry　earth　of　the　irrigation　trench　before　it；　the　motor
coughed　and　died。
Disappointed；　Larn　pressed　the　ignition　stud　again。　This　time　though；　the　motor　stayed　sullenly
silent。　Leaning　forward；　he　carefully　inspected　the　parts　of　the　mechanism　once　more　—　checking
the　connections　for　corrosion；　making　sure　the　moving　parts　were　well…lubricated　and　free　from　grit；
searching　for　broken　wires　or　worn　components　—　all　the　things　the　mechanician…acolyte　in
Ferrusville　had　warned　them　about　the　last　time　the　pump　was　serviced。　Frustratingly；　Larn　could
find　nothing　wrong。　As　far　as　he　could　see；　the　pump　should　be　working。
Finally；　reluctantly　forced　to　concede　defeat；　Larn　lifted　the　discarded　access　panel　and　began　to
screw　it　into　place　once　more。　He　had　so　badly　wanted　to　be　able　to　fix　the　pump；　with　harvest　time
still　three　weeks　away；　it　was　important　the　farm’s　irrigation　system　should　be　in　good　working
order。　Granted；　it　had　been　a　good　season　so　far　and　the　wheat　was　growing　well　but　the　life　of　a
farmer　was　always　enslaved　to　the　weather。　Without　the　irrigation　system　to　fall　back　upon；　a　couple
of　dry　weeks　now　could　mean　the　difference　between　feast　and　famine　for　an　entire　year。
But　in　the　end　he　knew　that　was　only　part　of　it。　Standing　there；　looking　down　at　the　pump　after
he　had　screwed　the　panel　back　in　place；　Larn　realised　his　reasons　for　wanting　to　see　it　repaired　went
far　beyond　such　practical　considerations。　Like　it　or　not；　tomorrow　he　would　be　leaving　the　farm
forever　and　saying　farewell　to　the　only　land　and　life　he　had　ever　known；　never　to　return。　He
understood　now　that　he　had　felt　the　need　to　perform　some　last　act　of　service　to　those　he　would　be
leaving　behind。　He　had　wanted　to　complete　some　final　labour　on　their　behalf。　An　act　of　penance
almost；　to　give　closure　to　his　grief。
This　morning；　when　his　father　had　asked　him　to　look　at　the　pump　and　see　if　he　could　fix　it；　it　had
seemed　the　perfect　opportunity　to　achieve　that　aim。　Now　though；　the　recalcitrant　machine　spirits
inside　the　pump　and　his　own　lack　of　knowledge　had　conspired　against　him。　No　matter　how　hard　he
tried；　the　pump　was　broken　beyond　his　powers　to　repair　it　and　his　last　act　of　penance　would　go
unfulfilled。
Larn　collected　his　tools　together　and　made　ready　to　turn　for　home；　only　to　pause　again　as　he
noticed　a　change　in　the　sunset。　Ahead；　the　sun　had　already　half　disappeared　below　the　horizon；
while　the　sky　around　it　had　turned　a　deeper　and　more　angry　red。　What　gave　him　pause　was　not　the
sun　or　the　sky；　but　the　fields　below　them。　Where　once　they　had　been　bathed　in　spectacular　shades　of
gold　and　amber；　now　the　colour　of　the　fields　had　become　more　uniform；　changing　to　a　dark　and
unsettling　shade　of　brownish　red；　like　the　colour　of　blood。　At　the　same　time　the　evening　breeze　had
risen　almost　imperceptibly；　catching　the　rows　of　wheat　in　the　fields　and　causing　them　to　flow　and
shift　before　Larn’s　eyes　as　though　the　fields　themselves　had　become　some　vast　and　restless　sea。　It
could　almost　be　a　sea　of　blood；　he　said　to　himself；　the　very　thought　of　it　causing　him　to　shiver　a
little。
A　sea　of　blood。
And；　try　as　hard　as　he　might；　he　could　read　no　good　omen　in　that　sign。
By　the　time　Larn　had　put　his　tools　away；　the　sun　had　all　but