按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
had always been clear to him； though。 He was just a courteous monster。
I couldn’t deny the truth of what he was saying； or the sense of it。 The shock had worn off； and I was
myself again。 It was in my nature to be fair。
Some few of these humans could see my side of things； Ian； at least。 Then I； too； could consider their
perspective。 They were monsters； but maybe monsters who were justified in what they were doing。
Of course they would think violence was the answer。 They wouldn’t be able to imagine any other
solution。 Could I blame them that their genetic programming restricted their problem…solving abilities in
this way？
I cleared my throat； but my voice was still hoarse with disuse。 “Hacking up babies won’t save anyone；
Jeb。 Now they’reall dead。”
He was quiet for a moment。 “We can’t tell your young from your old。”
“No； I know that。”
“Your kind don’t spare our babies。”
“We don’t torture them； though。 We never intentionally cause anyone pain。”
“You do worse than that。 You erase them。”
“You do both。”
“We do； yes—because we have to try。 We have to keep fighting。 It’s the only way we know。 It’s keep
trying or turn our faces to the wall and die。” He raised one eyebrow at me。
That must have been what it looked like I was doing。
“It will never work； Jeb。 You can keep cutting us out in pieces； but you’ll just murder more and more
sentient creatures of both species。 We do not willingly kill； but our bodies are not weak； either。 Our
attachments may look like soft silver hair； but they’re stronger than your organs。 That’s what’s
happening； isn’t it？ Doc slices upmy family； and their limbs shred through the brains ofyours。 ”
“Like cottage cheese；” he agreed。
I gagged and then shuddered at the image。
“It makes me sick； too；” he admitted。 “Doc gets real bent out of shape。 Every time he thinks he’s got it
cracked； it goes south again。 He’s tried everything he can think of； but he can’t save them from getting
turned into oatmeal。 Your souls don’t respond to injected sedation… or poison。”
My voice came out rough with new horror。 “Of course not。 Our chemical makeup is pletely
different。”
“Once； one of yours seemed to guess what was going to happen。 Before Doc could knock the human
out； the silver thingy tore up his brain from the inside。 Course； we didn’t know that until Doc opened him
up。 The guy just collapsed。”
I was surprised； strangely impressed。 That soul must have been very brave。 I had not had the courage to
take that step； even in the beginning when I was sure they were going to try to torture this very
information from me。 I didn’t imagine they would try to slash the answer out for themselves； that course
was so obviously doomed to failure； it had never occurred to me。
“Jeb； we are relatively tiny creatures； utterly dependent on unwilling hosts。 We wouldn’t have lasted very
long if we didn’t have some defenses。”
“I’m not denying that your kind have a right to those defenses。 I’m just telling you that we’re gonna keep
fighting back； however we can。 We don’t mean to cause anyone pain。 We’re makin’ this up as we go。
But wewill keep fighting。”
We looked at each other。
“Then maybe youshould have Doc slice me up。 What else am I good for？”
“Now； now。 Don’t be silly； Wanda。 We humans aren’t so logical as all that。 We have a greater range of
good and bad in us than you do。 Well； maybe mostly the bad。”
I nodded at that； but he kept going； ignoring me。
“We value the individual。 We probably puttoo much emphasis on the individual； if it es right down to
it。 How many people； in the abstract； would… let’s say Paige… how many people would she sacrifice to
keep Andy alive？ The answer wouldn’t make any sense if you were looking at the whole of humanity as
equals。
“The way you are valued here… Well； that don’t make much sense when you look at it from humanity’s
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter； processtext/abclit。html
t
myself in that group。 I count you as a friend； Wanda。 Course； that’s not gonna work well if you hate me。”
“I don’t hate you； Jeb。 But…”
“Yeah？”
“I just don’t see how I can live here anymore。 Not if you’re going to be slaughtering my family in the
other room。 And I can’t leave； obviously。 So you see what I mean？ What else is there for me but Doc’s
pointless cutting？” I shuddered。
He nodded seriously。 “Now； that’s a real valid point。 It’s not fair to ask you to live with that。”
My stomach dropped。 “If I get a choice； I’d rather you shot me； actually；” I whispered。
Jeb laughed。 “Slow down there； honey。 Nobody’s shooting my friends； or hackin’ ’em up。 I know
you’re not lying； Wanda。 If you say doing it our way isn’t going to work； then we’re going to have to
rethink things。 I’ll tell the boys they’re not to bring any more souls back for now。 Besides； I think Doc’s
nerves are toast。 He can’t take much more of this。”
“You could be lying to me；” I reminded him。 “I probably couldn’t tell。”
“You’ll have to trust me； then。 Because I’m not going to shoot you。 And I’m not going to let you starve
yourself； either。 Eat something； kid。 That’s an order。”
I took a deep breath； trying to think。 I wasn’t sure if we’d e to an acmodation or not。 Nothing
made sense in this body。 I liked the people here too much。 They were friends。 Monstrous friends that I
couldn’t see in the proper light while sunk in emotion。
Jeb picked up a thick square of cornbread soaked through with stolen honey and shoved it into my
hand。
It made a mess there； crumbling into gluey morsels that stuck to my fingers。 I sighed again and started
cleaning them off with my tongue。
“That’s a girl！ We’ll get over this rough spot。 Things are gonna work out here； you’ll see。 Try to think
positive。”
“Think positive；” I mumbled around a mouthful of food； shaking my head with disbelief。 Only Jeb…
Ian came back then。 When he walked into our circle of light and saw the food in my hand； the look that
spread across his face filled me