diff options
Diffstat (limited to '32041.txt')
| -rw-r--r-- | 32041.txt | 1190 |
1 files changed, 1190 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/32041.txt b/32041.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..c3d3fd6 --- /dev/null +++ b/32041.txt @@ -0,0 +1,1190 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of One Man's Poison, by Robert Sheckley + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: One Man's Poison + +Author: Robert Sheckley + +Illustrator: Emsh + +Release Date: April 18, 2010 [EBook #32041] +[Last updated: September 22, 2021] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ONE MAN'S POISON *** + + + + +Produced by Sankar Viswanathan, Greg Weeks, and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + + + Transcriber's Note: + + This etext was produced from Galaxy Science Fiction December 1953. + Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. + copyright on this publication was renewed. + + + One man's poison + + + By ROBERT SHECKLEY + + + Illustrated by EMSH + + + They could eat a horse, only luckily there was none ... it + might have eaten them first! + + * * * * * + + + + +Hellman plucked the last radish out of the can with a pair of +dividers. He held it up for Casker to admire, then laid it carefully +on the workbench beside the razor. + +"Hell of a meal for two grown men," Casker said, flopping down in one +of the ship's padded crash chairs. + +"If you'd like to give up your share--" Hellman started to suggest. + +Casker shook his head quickly. Hellman smiled, picked up the razor and +examined its edge critically. + +"Don't make a production out of it," Casker said, glancing at the +ship's instruments. They were approaching a red dwarf, the only +planet-bearing sun in the vicinity. "We want to be through with supper +before we get much closer." + +Hellman made a practice incision in the radish, squinting along the +top of the razor. Casker bent closer, his mouth open. Hellman poised +the razor delicately and cut the radish cleanly in half. + +"Will you say grace?" Hellman asked. + +Casker growled something and popped a half in his mouth. Hellman +chewed more slowly. The sharp taste seemed to explode along his +disused tastebuds. + +"Not much bulk value," Hellman said. + +Casker didn't answer. He was busily studying the red dwarf. + + * * * * * + +As he swallowed the last of his radish, Hellman stifled a sigh. Their +last meal had been three days ago ... if two biscuits and a cup of +water could be called a meal. This radish, now resting in the vast +emptiness of their stomachs, was the last gram of food on board ship. + +"Two planets," Casker said. "One's burned to a crisp." + +"Then we'll land on the other." + +Casker nodded and punched a deceleration spiral into the ship's tape. + +Hellman found himself wondering for the hundredth time where the fault +had been. Could he have made out the food requisitions wrong, when +they took on supplies at Calao station? After all, he had been +devoting most of his attention to the mining equipment. Or had the +ground crew just forgotten to load those last precious cases? + +He drew his belt in to the fourth new notch he had punched. + +Speculation was useless. Whatever the reason, they were in a jam. +Ironically enough, they had more than enough fuel to take them back to +Calao. But they would be a pair of singularly emaciated corpses by the +time the ship reached there. + +"We're coming in now," Casker said. + +And to make matters worse, this unexplored region of space had few +suns and fewer planets. Perhaps there was a slight possibility of +replenishing their water supply, but the odds were enormous against +finding anything they could eat. + +"Look at that place," Casker growled. + +Hellman shook himself out of his reverie. + +The planet was like a round gray-brown porcupine. The spines of a +million needle-sharp mountains glittered in the red dwarf's feeble +light. And as they spiraled lower, circling the planet, the pointed +mountains seemed to stretch out to meet them. + +"It can't be _all_ mountains," Hellman said. + +"It's not." + +Sure enough, there were oceans and lakes, out of which thrust jagged +island-mountains. But no sign of level land, no hint of civilization, +or even animal life. + +"At least it's got an oxygen atmosphere," Casker said. + +Their deceleration spiral swept them around the planet, cutting lower +into the atmosphere, braking against it. And still there was nothing +but mountains and lakes and oceans and more mountains. + +On the eighth run, Hellman caught sight of a solitary building on a +mountain top. Casker braked recklessly, and the hull glowed red hot. +On the eleventh run, they made a landing approach. + +"Stupid place to build," Casker muttered. + +The building was doughnut-shaped, and fitted nicely over the top of +the mountain. There was a wide, level lip around it, which Casker +scorched as he landed the ship. + + * * * * * + +From the air, the building had merely seemed big. On the ground, it +was enormous. Hellman and Casker walked up to it slowly. Hellman had +his burner ready, but there was no sign of life. + +"This planet must be abandoned," Hellman said almost in a whisper. + +"Anyone in his right mind would abandon this place," Casker said. +"There're enough good planets around, without anyone trying to live on +a needle point." + +They reached the door. Hellman tried to open it and found it locked. +He looked back at the spectacular display of mountains. + +"You know," he said, "when this planet was still in a molten state, it +must have been affected by several gigantic moons that are now broken +up. The strains, external and internal, wrenched it into its present +spined appearance and--" + +"Come off it," Casker said ungraciously. "You were a librarian before +you decided to get rich on uranium." + +Hellman shrugged his shoulders and burned a hole in the doorlock. They +waited. + +The only sound on the mountain top was the growling of their stomachs. + +They entered. + +The tremendous wedge-shaped room was evidently a warehouse of sorts. +Goods were piled to the ceiling, scattered over the floor, stacked +haphazardly against the walls. There were boxes and containers of all +sizes and shapes, some big enough to hold an elephant, others the size +of thimbles. + +Near the door was a dusty pile of books. Immediately, Hellman bent +down to examine them. + +"Must be food somewhere in here," Casker said, his face lighting up +for the first time in a week. He started to open the nearest box. + +[Illustration] + +"This is interesting," Hellman said, discarding all the books except +one. + +"Let's eat first," Casker said, ripping the top off the box. Inside +was a brownish dust. Casker looked at it, sniffed, and made a face. + +"Very interesting indeed," Hellman said, leafing through the book. + +Casker opened a small can, which contained a glittering green slime. +He closed it and opened another. It contained a dull orange slime. + +"Hmm," Hellman said, still reading. + +"Hellman! Will you kindly drop that book and help me find some food?" + +"Food?" Hellman repeated, looking up. "What makes you think there's +anything to eat here? For all you know, this could be a paint +factory." + +"It's a warehouse!" Casker shouted. + +He opened a kidney-shaped can and lifted out a soft purple stick. It +hardened quickly and crumpled to dust as he tried to smell it. He +scooped up a handful of the dust and brought it to his mouth. + +"That might be extract of strychnine," Hellman said casually. + + * * * * * + +Casker abruptly dropped the dust and wiped his hands. + +"After all," Hellman pointed out, "granted that this is a warehouse--a +cache, if you wish--we don't know what the late inhabitants considered +good fare. Paris green salad, perhaps, with sulphuric acid as +dressing." + +"All right," Casker said, "but we gotta eat. What're you going to do +about all this?" He gestured at the hundreds of boxes, cans and +bottles. + +"The thing to do," Hellman said briskly, "is to make a qualitative +analysis on four or five samples. We could start out with a simple +titration, sublimate the chief ingredient, see if it forms a +precipitate, work out its molecular makeup from--" + +"Hellman, you don't know what you're talking about. You're a +librarian, remember? And I'm a correspondence school pilot. We don't +know anything about titrations and sublimations." + +"I know," Hellman said, "but we should. It's the right way to go about +it." + +"Sure. In the meantime, though, just until a chemist drops in, what'll +we do?" + +"This might help us," Hellman said, holding up the book. "Do you know +what it is?" + +"No," Casker said, keeping a tight grip on his patience. + +"It's a pocket dictionary and guide to the Helg language." + +"Helg?" + +"The planet we're on. The symbols match up with those on the boxes." + +Casker raised an eyebrow. "Never heard of Helg." + +"I don't believe the planet has ever had any contact with Earth," +Hellman said. "This dictionary isn't Helg-English. It's +Helg-Aloombrigian." + +Casker remembered that Aloombrigia was the home planet of a small, +adventurous reptilian race, out near the center of the Galaxy. + +"How come you can read Aloombrigian?" Casker asked. + +"Oh, being a librarian isn't a completely useless profession," Hellman +said modestly. "In my spare time--" + +"Yeah. Now how about--" + +"Do you know," Hellman said, "the Aloombrigians probably helped the +Helgans leave their planet and find another. They sell services like +that. In which case, this building very likely is a food cache!" + +"Suppose you start translating," Casker suggested wearily, "and maybe +find us something to eat." + +They opened boxes until they found a likely-looking substance. +Laboriously, Hellman translated the symbols on it. + +"Got it," he said. "It reads:--'USE SNIFFNERS--THE BETTER ABRASIVE.'" + +"Doesn't sound edible," Casker said. + +"I'm afraid not." + +They found another, which read: VIGROOM! FILL ALL YOUR STOMACHS, AND +FILL THEM RIGHT! + +"What kind of animals do you suppose these Helgans were?" Casker +asked. + +Hellman shrugged his shoulders. + +The next label took almost fifteen minutes to translate. It read: +ARGOSEL MAKES YOUR THUDRA ALL TIZZY. CONTAINS THIRTY ARPS OF RAMSTAT +PULZ, FOR SHELL LUBRICATION. + +"There must be _something_ here we can eat," Casker said with a note +of desperation. + +"I hope so," Hellman replied. + + * * * * * + +At the end of two hours, they were no closer. They had translated +dozens of titles and sniffed so many substances that their olfactory +senses had given up in disgust. + +"Let's talk this over," Hellman said, sitting on a box marked: +VORMITISH--GOOD AS IT SOUNDS! + +"Sure," Casker said, sprawling out on the floor. "Talk." + +"If we could deduce what kind of creatures inhabited this planet, we'd +know what kind of food they ate, and whether it's likely to be edible +for us." + +"All we do know is that they wrote a lot of lousy advertising copy." + +Hellman ignored that. "What kind of intelligent beings would evolve on +a planet that is all mountains?" + +"Stupid ones!" Casker said. + +That was no help. But Hellman found that he couldn't draw any +inferences from the mountains. It didn't tell him if the late Helgans +ate silicates or proteins or iodine-base foods or anything. + +"Now look," Hellman said, "we'll have to work this out by pure +logic--Are you listening to me?" + +"Sure," Casker said. + +"Okay. There's an old proverb that covers our situation perfectly: +'One man's meat is another man's poison.'" + +"Yeah," Casker said. He was positive his stomach had shrunk to +approximately the size of a marble. + +"We can assume, first, that their meat is our meat." + +Casker wrenched himself away from a vision of five juicy roast beefs +dancing tantalizingly before him. "What if their meat is our _poison_? +What then?" + +"Then," Hellman said, "we will assume that their poison is our meat." + +"And what happens if their meat _and_ their poison are our poison?" + +"We starve." + +"All right," Casker said, standing up. "Which assumption do we start +with?" + +"Well, there's no sense in asking for trouble. This _is_ an oxygen +planet, if that means anything. Let's assume that we can eat some +basic food of theirs. If we can't we'll start on their poisons." + +"If we live that long," Casker said. + +Hellman began to translate labels. They discarded such brands as +ANDROGYNITES' DELIGHT AND VERBELL--FOR LONGER, CURLIER, MORE SENSITIVE +ANTENNAE, until they found a small gray box, about six inches by three +by three. It was called VALKORIN'S UNIVERSAL TASTE TREAT, FOR ALL +DIGESTIVE CAPACITIES. + +"This looks as good as any," Hellman said. He opened the box. + +Casker leaned over and sniffed. "No odor." + + * * * * * + +Within the box they found a rectangular, rubbery red block. It +quivered slightly, like jelly. + +"Bite into it," Casker said. + +"Me?" Hellman asked. "Why not you?" + +"You picked it." + +"I prefer just looking at it," Hellman said with dignity. "I'm not too +hungry." + +"I'm not either," Casker said. + +They sat on the floor and stared at the jellylike block. After ten +minutes, Hellman yawned, leaned back and closed his eyes. + +"All right, coward," Casker said bitterly. "I'll try it. Just +remember, though, if I'm poisoned, you'll never get off this planet. +You don't know how to pilot." + +"Just take a little bite, then," Hellman advised. + +Casker leaned over and stared at the block. Then he prodded it with +his thumb. + +The rubbery red block giggled. + +"Did you hear that?" Casker yelped, leaping back. + +"I didn't hear anything," Hellman said, his hands shaking. "Go ahead." + +Casker prodded the block again. It giggled louder, this time with a +disgusting little simper. + +"Okay," Casker said, "what do we try next?" + +"Next? What's wrong with this?" + +"I don't eat anything that giggles," Casker stated firmly. + +"Now listen to me," Hellman said. "The creatures who manufactured this +might have been trying to create an esthetic sound as well as a +pleasant shape and color. That giggle is probably only for the +amusement of the eater." + +"Then bite into it yourself," Casker offered. + +Hellman glared at him, but made no move toward the rubbery block. +Finally he said, "Let's move it out of the way." + +They pushed the block over to a corner. It lay there giggling softly +to itself. + +"Now what?" Casker said. + +Hellman looked around at the jumbled stacks of incomprehensible alien +goods. He noticed a door on either side of the room. + +"Let's have a look in the other sections," he suggested. + +Casker shrugged his shoulders apathetically. + +Slowly they trudged to the door in the left wall. It was locked and +Hellman burned it open with the ship's burner. + +It was a wedge-shaped room, piled with incomprehensible alien goods. + +The hike back across the room seemed like miles, but they made it only +slightly out of wind. Hellman blew out the lock and they looked in. + +It was a wedge-shaped room, piled with incomprehensible alien goods. + +"All the same," Casker said sadly, and closed the door. + +"Evidently there's a series of these rooms going completely around the +building," Hellman said. "I wonder if we should explore them." + +Casker calculated the distance around the building, compared it with +his remaining strength, and sat down heavily on a long gray object. + +"Why bother?" he asked. + + * * * * * + +Hellman tried to collect his thoughts. Certainly he should be able to +find a key of some sort, a clue that would tell him what they could +eat. But where was it? + +He examined the object Casker was sitting on. It was about the size +and shape of a large coffin, with a shallow depression on top. It was +made of a hard, corrugated substance. + +"What do you suppose this is?" Hellman asked. + +"Does it matter?" + +Hellman glanced at the symbols painted on the side of the object, then +looked them up in his dictionary. + +"Fascinating," he murmured, after a while. + +"Is it something to eat?" Casker asked, with a faint glimmering of +hope. + +"No. You are sitting on something called THE MOROG CUSTOM SUPER +TRANSPORT FOR THE DISCRIMINATING HELGAN WHO DESIRES THE BEST IN +VERTICAL TRANSPORTATION. It's a vehicle!" + +"Oh," Casker said dully. + +"This is important! Look at it! How does it work?" + +Casker wearily climbed off the Morog Custom Super Transport and looked +it over carefully. He traced four almost invisible separations on its +four corners. "Retractable wheels, probably, but I don't see--" + +Hellman read on. "It says to give it three amphus of high-gain Integor +fuel, then a van of Tonder lubrication, and not to run it over three +thousand Ruls for the first fifty mungus." + +"Let's find something to eat," Casker said. + +"Don't you see how important this is?" Hellman asked. "This could +solve our problem. If we could deduce the alien logic inherent in +constructing this vehicle, we might know the Helgan thought pattern. +This, in turn, would give us an insight into their nervous systems, +which would imply their biochemical makeup." + +Casker stood still, trying to decide whether he had enough strength +left to strangle Hellman. + +"For example," Hellman said, "what kind of vehicle would be used in a +place like this? Not one with wheels, since everything is up and down. +Anti-gravity? Perhaps, but what _kind_ of anti-gravity? And why did +the inhabitants devise a boxlike form instead--" + +Casker decided sadly that he didn't have enough strength to strangle +Hellman, no matter how pleasant it might be. Very quietly, he said, +"Kindly stop making like a scientist. Let's see if there isn't +_something_ we can gulp down." + +"All right," Hellman said sulkily. + + * * * * * + +Casker watched his partner wander off among the cans, bottles and +cases. He wondered vaguely where Hellman got the energy, and decided +that he was just too cerebral to know when he was starving. + +"Here's something," Hellman called out, standing in front of a large +yellow vat. + +"What does it say?" Casker asked. + +"Little bit hard to translate. But rendered freely, it reads: +MORISHILLE'S VOOZY, WITH LACTO-ECTO ADDED FOR A NEW TASTE SENSATION. +EVERYONE DRINKS VOOZY. GOOD BEFORE AND AFTER MEALS, NO UNPLEASANT +AFTER-EFFECTS. GOOD FOR CHILDREN! THE DRINK OF THE UNIVERSE!" + +"That sounds good," Casker admitted, thinking that Hellman might not +be so stupid after all. + +"This should tell us once and for all if their meat _is_ our meat," +Hellman said. "This Voozy seems to be the closest thing to a universal +drink I've found yet." + +"Maybe," Casker said hopefully, "maybe it's just plain water!" + +"We'll see." Hellman pried open the lid with the edge of the burner. + +Within the vat was a crystal-clear liquid. + +"No odor," Casker said, bending over the vat. + +The crystal liquid lifted to meet him. + +Casker retreated so rapidly that he fell over a box. Hellman helped +him to his feet, and they approached the vat again. As they came near, +the liquid lifted itself three feet into the air and moved toward +them. + +"What've you done now?" Casker asked, moving back carefully. The +liquid flowed slowly over the side of the vat. It began to flow toward +him. + +"Hellman!" Casker shrieked. + +Hellman was standing to one side, perspiration pouring down his face, +reading his dictionary with a preoccupied frown. + +"Guess I bumbled the translation," he said. + +"Do something!" Casker shouted. The liquid was trying to back him into +a corner. + +"Nothing I can do," Hellman said, reading on. "Ah, here's the error. +It doesn't say 'Everyone drinks Voozy.' Wrong subject. 'Voozy drinks +_everyone_.' That tells us something! The Helgans must have soaked +liquid in through their pores. Naturally, they would prefer to be +drunk, instead of to drink." + +Casker tried to dodge around the liquid, but it cut him off with a +merry gurgle. Desperately he picked up a small bale and threw it at +the Voozy. The Voozy caught the bale and drank it. Then it discarded +that and turned back to Casker. + +Hellman tossed another box. The Voozy drank this one and a third and +fourth that Casker threw in. Then, apparently exhausted, it flowed +back into its vat. + +Casker clapped down the lid and sat on it, trembling violently. + +"Not so good," Hellman said. "We've been taking it for granted that +the Helgans had eating habits like us. But, of course, it doesn't +necessarily--" + +"No, it doesn't. No, sir, it certainly doesn't. I guess we can see +that it doesn't. Anyone can see that it doesn't--" + +"Stop that," Hellman ordered sternly. "We've no time for hysteria." + +"Sorry." Casker slowly moved away from the Voozy vat. + +"I guess we'll have to assume that their meat is our poison," Hellman +said thoughtfully. "So now we'll see if their poison is our meat." + +Casker didn't say anything. He was wondering what would have happened +if the Voozy had drunk him. + +In the corner, the rubbery block was still giggling to itself. + + * * * * * + +"Now here's a likely-looking poison," Hellman said, half an hour +later. + +Casker had recovered completely, except for an occasional twitch of +the lips. + +"What does it say?" he asked. + +Hellman rolled a tiny tube in the palm of his hand. "It's called +Pvastkin's Plugger. The label reads: WARNING! HIGHLY DANGEROUS! +PVASTKIN'S PLUGGER IS DESIGNED TO FILL HOLES OR CRACKS OF NOT MORE +THAN TWO CUBIC VIMS. HOWEVER--THE PLUGGER IS NOT TO BE EATEN UNDER ANY +CIRCUMSTANCES. THE ACTIVE INGREDIENT, RAMOTOL, WHICH MAKES PVASTKIN'S +SO EXCELLENT A PLUGGER RENDERS IT HIGHLY DANGEROUS WHEN TAKEN +INTERNALLY." + +"Sounds great," Casker said. "It'll probably blow us sky-high." + +"Do you have any other suggestions?" Hellman asked. + +Casker thought for a moment. The food of Helg was obviously +unpalatable for humans. So perhaps was their poison ... but wasn't +starvation better than this sort of thing? + +After a moment's communion with his stomach, he decided that +starvation was _not_ better. + +"Go ahead," he said. + +Hellman slipped the burner under his arm and unscrewed the top of the +little bottle. He shook it. + +Nothing happened. + +"It's got a seal," Casker pointed out. + +Hellman punctured the seal with his fingernail and set the bottle on +the floor. An evil-smelling green froth began to bubble out. + +Hellman looked dubiously at the froth. It was congealing into a glob +and spreading over the floor. + +"Yeast, perhaps," he said, gripping the burner tightly. + +"Come, come. Faint heart never filled an empty stomach." + +"I'm not holding _you_ back," Hellman said. + +The glob swelled to the size of a man's head. + +"How long is that supposed to go on?" Casker asked. + +"Well," Hellman said, "it's advertised as a Plugger. I suppose that's +what it does--expands to plug up holes." + +"Sure. But how _much_?" + +"Unfortunately, I don't know how much two cubic vims are. But it can't +go on much--" + +Belatedly, they noticed that the Plugger had filled almost a quarter +of the room and was showing no signs of stopping. + +"We should have believed the label!" Casker yelled to him, across the +spreading glob. "It _is_ dangerous!" + +As the Plugger produced more surface, it began to accelerate in its +growth. A sticky edge touched Hellman, and he jumped back. + +"Watch out!" + +He couldn't reach Casker, on the other side of the gigantic sphere of +blob. Hellman tried to run around, but the Plugger had spread, cutting +the room in half. It began to swell toward the walls. + +"Run for it!" Hellman yelled, and rushed to the door behind him. + + * * * * * + +He flung it open just as the expanding glob reached him. On the other +side of the room, he heard a door slam shut. Hellman didn't wait any +longer. He sprinted through and slammed the door behind him. + +He stood for a moment, panting, the burner in his hand. He hadn't +realized how weak he was. That sprint had cut his reserves of energy +dangerously close to the collapsing point. At least Casker had made +it, too, though. + +But he was still in trouble. + +The Plugger poured merrily through the blasted lock, into the room. +Hellman tried a practice shot on it, but the Plugger was evidently +impervious ... as, he realized, a good plugger should be. + +It was showing no signs of fatigue. + +Hellman hurried to the far wall. The door was locked, as the others +had been, so he burned out the lock and went through. + +How far could the glob expand? How much was two cubic vims? Two cubic +miles, perhaps? For all he knew, the Plugger was used to repair faults +in the crusts of planets. + +In the next room, Hellman stopped to catch his breath. He remembered +that the building was circular. He would burn his way through the +remaining doors and join Casker. They would burn their way outside +and.... + +Casker didn't have a burner! + +Hellman turned white with shock. Casker had made it into the room on +the right, because they had burned it open earlier. The Plugger was +undoubtedly oozing into that room, through the shattered lock ... and +Casker couldn't get out! The Plugger was on his left, a locked door on +his right! + +Rallying his remaining strength, Hellman began to run. Boxes seemed to +get in his way purposefully, tripping him, slowing him down. He +blasted the next door and hurried on to the next. And the next. And +the next. + +The Plugger couldn't expand _completely_ into Casker's room! + +Or could it? + +The wedge-shaped rooms, each a segment of a circle, seemed to stretch +before him forever, a jumbled montage of locked doors, alien goods, +more doors, more goods. Hellman fell over a crate, got to his feet and +fell again. He had reached the limit of his strength, and passed it. +But Casker was his friend. + +Besides, without a pilot, he'd never get off the place. + +Hellman struggled through two more rooms on trembling legs and then +collapsed in front of a third. + +"Is that you, Hellman?" he heard Casker ask, from the other side of +the door. + +"You all right?" Hellman managed to gasp. + +"Haven't much room in here," Casker said, "but the Plugger's stopped +growing. Hellman, get me out of here!" + + * * * * * + +Hellman lay on the floor panting. "Moment," he said. + +"Moment, hell!" Casker shouted. "Get me out. I've found water!" + +"What? How?" + +"Get me out of here!" + +Hellman tried to stand up, but his legs weren't cooperating. "What +happened?" he asked. + +"When I saw that glob filling the room, I figured I'd try to start up +the Super Custom Transport. Thought maybe it could knock down the door +and get me out. So I pumped it full of high-gain Integor fuel." + +"Yes?" Hellman said, still trying to get his legs under control. + +"That Super Custom Transport is an animal, Hellman! And the Integor +fuel is water! Now get me out!" + +Hellman lay back with a contented sigh. If he had had a little more +time, he would have worked out the whole thing himself, by pure logic. +But it was all very apparent now. The most efficient machine to go +over those vertical, razor-sharp mountains would be an animal, +probably with retractable suckers. It was kept in hibernation between +trips; and if it drank water, the other products designed for it would +be palatable, too. Of course they still didn't know much about the +late inhabitants, but undoubtedly.... + +"Burn down that door!" Casker shrieked, his voice breaking. + +Hellman was pondering the irony of it all. If one man's meat--_and_ +his poison--are your poison, then try eating something else. So +simple, really. + +But there was one thing that still bothered him. + +"How did you know it was an Earth-type animal?" he asked. + +"Its breath, stupid! It inhales and exhales and smells as if it's +eaten onions!" There was a sound of cans falling and bottles +shattering. "Now hurry!" + +"What's wrong?" Hellman asked, finally getting to his feet and poising +the burner. + +"The Custom Super Transport. It's got me cornered behind a pile of +cases. Hellman, it seems to think that I'm _its_ meat!" + +Broiled with the burner--well done for Hellman, medium rare for +Casker--it was their meat, with enough left over for the trip back to +Calao. + + --ROBERT SHECKLEY + + * * * * * + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of One Man's Poison, by Robert Sheckley + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ONE MAN'S POISON *** + +***** This file should be named 32041.txt or 32041.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/3/2/0/4/32041/ + +Produced by Sankar Viswanathan, Greg Weeks, and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, +set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to +copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to +protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project +Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you +charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you +do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the +rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose +such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and +research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do +practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is +subject to the trademark license, especially commercial +redistribution. + + + +*** START: FULL LICENSE *** + +THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE +PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK + +To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free +distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work +(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project +Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project +Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at +http://gutenberg.org/license). + + +Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic works + +1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to +and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property +(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all +the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy +all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession. +If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the +terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or +entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. + +1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be +used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who +agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few +things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works +even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See +paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement +and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. See paragraph 1.E below. + +1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation" +or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the +collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an +individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are +located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from +copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative +works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg +are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project +Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by +freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of +this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with +the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by +keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project +Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others. + +1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern +what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in +a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check +the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement +before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or +creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project +Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning +the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United +States. + +1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: + +1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate +access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently +whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the +phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project +Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, +copied or distributed: + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + +1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived +from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is +posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied +and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees +or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work +with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the +work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 +through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the +Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or +1.E.9. + +1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted +with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution +must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional +terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked +to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the +permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work. + +1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this +work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. + +1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this +electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without +prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with +active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project +Gutenberg-tm License. + +1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, +compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any +word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or +distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than +"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version +posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org), +you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a +copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon +request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other +form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. + +1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, +performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works +unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. + +1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing +access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided +that + +- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from + the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method + you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is + owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he + has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the + Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments + must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you + prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax + returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and + sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the + address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to + the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." + +- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies + you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he + does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm + License. You must require such a user to return or + destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium + and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of + Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any + money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the + electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days + of receipt of the work. + +- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free + distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set +forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from +both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael +Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the +Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. + +1.F. + +1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable +effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread +public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm +collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain +"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or +corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual +property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a +computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by +your equipment. + +1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right +of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project +Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all +liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal +fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT +LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE +PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH F3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE +TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE +LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR +INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH +DAMAGE. + +1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a +defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can +receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a +written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you +received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with +your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with +the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a +refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity +providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to +receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy +is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further +opportunities to fix the problem. + +1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth +in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS' WITH NO OTHER +WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO +WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. + +1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied +warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. +If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the +law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be +interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by +the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any +provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions. + +1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the +trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone +providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance +with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, +promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works, +harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, +that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do +or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm +work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any +Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause. + + +Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm + +Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of +electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers +including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists +because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from +people in all walks of life. + +Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the +assistance they need, are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's +goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will +remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure +and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations. +To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation +and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 +and the Foundation web page at http://www.pglaf.org. + + +Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive +Foundation + +The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit +501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the +state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal +Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification +number is 64-6221541. Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at +http://pglaf.org/fundraising. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent +permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. + +The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S. +Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered +throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at +809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email +business@pglaf.org. Email contact links and up to date contact +information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official +page at http://pglaf.org + +For additional contact information: + Dr. Gregory B. Newby + Chief Executive and Director + gbnewby@pglaf.org + + +Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation + +Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide +spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of +increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be +freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest +array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations +($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt +status with the IRS. + +The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating +charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United +States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a +considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up +with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations +where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To +SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any +particular state visit http://pglaf.org + +While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we +have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition +against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who +approach us with offers to donate. + +International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make +any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from +outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. + +Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation +methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other +ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. +To donate, please visit: http://pglaf.org/donate + + +Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. + +Professor Michael S. Hart is the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm +concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared +with anyone. For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project +Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. + + +Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed +editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S. +unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily +keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. + + +Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: + + http://www.gutenberg.org + +This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, +including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary +Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to +subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. |