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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..31cabf7 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #51398 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/51398) diff --git a/old/51398-h.zip b/old/51398-h.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index e546eaf..0000000 --- a/old/51398-h.zip +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/51398-h/51398-h.htm b/old/51398-h/51398-h.htm deleted file mode 100644 index 1591507..0000000 --- a/old/51398-h/51398-h.htm +++ /dev/null @@ -1,1306 +0,0 @@ -<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" - "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> -<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> - <head> - <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=us-ascii" /> - <meta http-equiv="Content-Style-Type" content="text/css" /> - <title> - The Project Gutenberg eBook of Growing Up on Big Muddy, by Charles V. De Vet. - </title> - <link rel="coverpage" href="images/cover.jpg" /> - - <style type="text/css"> - -body { - margin-left: 10%; - margin-right: 10%; -} - - h1,h2 { - text-align: center; /* all headings centered */ - clear: both; -} - -p { - margin-top: .51em; - text-align: justify; - margin-bottom: .49em; -} - -hr { - width: 33%; - margin-top: 2em; - margin-bottom: 2em; - margin-left: 33.5%; - margin-right: 33.5%; - clear: both; -} - -hr.chap {width: 65%; margin-left: 17.5%; margin-right: 17.5%;} -hr.tb {width: 45%; margin-left: 27.5%; margin-right: 27.5%;} - -.center {text-align: center;} - -.right {text-align: right;} - -.caption {font-weight: bold;} - -/* Images */ -.figcenter { - margin: auto; - text-align: center; -} - -div.titlepage { - text-align: center; - page-break-before: always; - page-break-after: always; -} - -div.titlepage p { - text-align: center; - text-indent: 0em; - font-weight: bold; - line-height: 1.5; - margin-top: 3em; -} - -.ph1, .ph2, .ph3 { text-align: center; text-indent: 0em; font-weight: bold; } -.ph1 { font-size: xx-large; margin: .67em auto; } -.ph2 { font-size: x-large; margin: .75em auto; } -.ph3 { font-size: large; margin: .83em auto; } - -.ph4 { text-align: right; text-indent: 0em; } -.ph4 { font-size: medium; margin: 1.12em auto; } - -.blockquot { - margin-left: 5%; - margin-right: 10%; -} - - - </style> - </head> -<body> - - -<pre> - -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Growing Up On Big Muddy, by Charles V. de Vet - -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/license - - -Title: Growing Up On Big Muddy - -Author: Charles V. de Vet - -Release Date: March 8, 2016 [EBook #51398] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK GROWING UP ON BIG MUDDY *** - - - - -Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - -</pre> - - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/cover.jpg" width="366" height="500" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="titlepage"> - -<p>Well, naturally Kaiser would transmit baby<br /> -talk messages to his mother ship! He was—</p> - -<h1>GROWING UP ON BIG MUDDY</h1> - -<p>By CHARLES V. DE VET</p> - -<p>Illustrated by TURPIN</p> - -<p>[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from<br /> -Galaxy Science Fiction July 1957.<br /> -Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that<br /> -the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]</p> - -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>Kaiser stared at the tape in his hand for a long uncomprehending -minute. How long had the stuff been coming through in this inane baby -talk? And why hadn't he noticed it before? Why had he had to read this -last communication a third time before he recognized anything unusual -about it?</p> - -<p>He went over the words again, as though maybe this time they'd read as -they should.</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> -<p>OO IS SICK, SMOKY. DO TO BEDDY-BY. KEEP UM WARM. WHEN UM FEELS BETTER, -LET USNS KNOW.</p> - -<p class="ph4">SS II</p></div> - -<p>Kaiser let himself ease back in the pilot chair and rolled the tape -thoughtfully between his fingers. Overhead and to each side, large -drops of rain thudded softly against the transparent walls of the scout -ship and dripped wearily from the bottom ledge to the ground.</p> - -<p>"Damn this climate!" Kaiser muttered irrelevantly. "Doesn't it ever do -anything here except rain?"</p> - -<p>His attention returned to the matter at hand. Why the baby talk? And -why was his memory so hazy? How long had he been here? What had he been -doing during that time?</p> - -<p>Listlessly he reached for the towel at his elbow and wiped the moisture -from his face and bare shoulders. The air conditioning had gone out -when the scout ship cracked up. He'd have to repair the scout or he -was stuck here for good. He remembered now that he had gone over the -job very carefully and thoroughly, and had found it too big to handle -alone—or without better equipment, at least. Yet there was little or -no chance of his being able to find either here.</p> - -<p>Calmly, deliberately, Kaiser collected his thoughts, his memories, and -brought them out where he could look at them:</p> - -<p>The mother ship, <i>Soscites II</i>, had been on the last leg of its -planet-mapping tour. It had dropped Kaiser in the one remaining scout -ship—the other seven had all been lost one way or another during the -exploring of new worlds—and set itself into a giant orbit about this -planet that Kaiser had named Big Muddy.</p> - -<p>The <i>Soscites II</i> had to maintain its constant speed; it had no means -of slowing, except to stop, and no way to start again once it did stop. -Its limited range of maneuverability made it necessary to set up an -orbit that would take it approximately one month, Earth time, to circle -a pinpointed planet. And now its fuel was low.</p> - -<p>Kaiser had that one month to repair his scout or be stranded here -forever.</p> - -<p>That was all he could remember. Nothing of what he had been doing -recently.</p> - -<p>A small shiver passed through his body as he glanced once again at the -tape in his hand. Baby talk....</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>One thing he could find out: how long this had been going on. He -turned to the communicator and unhooked the paper receptacle on its -bottom. It held about a yard and a half of tape, probably his last -several messages—both those sent and those received. He pulled it out -impatiently and began reading.</p> - -<p>The first was from himself:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>YOUR SUGGESTIONS NO HELP. HOW AM I GOING TO REPAIR DAMAGE TO SCOUT -WITHOUT PROPER EQUIPMENT? AND WHERE DO I GET IT? DO YOU THINK I FOUND -A TOOL SHOP DOWN HERE? FOR GOD'S SAKE, COME UP WITH SOMETHING BETTER.</p> - -<p>VISITED SEAL-PEOPLE AGAIN TODAY. STILL HAVE THEIR STINK IN MY NOSE. -FOUND HUTS ALONG RIVER BANK, SO I GUESS THEY DON'T LIVE IN WATER. -BUT THEY DO SPEND MOST OF THEIR TIME THERE. NO, I HAVE NO WAY OF -ESTIMATING THEIR INTELLIGENCE. I WOULD JUDGE IT AVERAGES NO HIGHER -THAN SEVEN-YEAR-OLD HUMAN. THEY DEFINITELY DO TALK TO ONE ANOTHER. -WILL TRY TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THEM, BUT YOU GET TO WORK FAST ON HOW -I REPAIR SCOUT.</p> - -<p>SWELLING IN ARM WORSE AND AM DEVELOPING A FEVER. TEMPERATURE 102.7 AN -HOUR AGO.</p> - -<p class="ph4">SMOKY</p></div> - -<p>The ship must have answered immediately, for the return message time -was six hours later than his own, the minimum interval necessary for -two-way exchange.</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>DOING OUR BEST, SMOKY. YOUR IMMEDIATE PROBLEM, AS WE SEE IT, IS TO -KEEP WELL. WE FED ALL THE INFORMATION YOU GAVE US INTO SAM, BUT YOU -DIDN'T HAVE MUCH EXCEPT THE STING IN YOUR ARM. AS EXPECTED, ALL THAT -CAME OUT WAS "DATA INSUFFICIENT." TRY TO GIVE US MORE. ALSO DETAIL -ALL SYMPTOMS SINCE YOUR LAST REPORT. IN THE MEANTIME, WE'RE DOING -EVERYTHING WE CAN AT THIS END. GOOD LUCK.</p> - -<p class="ph4">SS II</p></div> - -<p>Sam, Kaiser knew, was the ship's mechanical diagnostician. His report -followed:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>ARM SWOLLEN. UNABLE TO KEEP DOWN FOOD LAST TWELVE HOURS. ABOUT TWO -HOURS AGO, ENTIRE BODY TURNED LIVID RED. BRIEF PERIODS OF BLANKNESS. -THINGS KEEP COMING AND GOING. SICK AS HELL. HURRY.</p> - -<p class="ph4">SMOKY</p></div> - -<p>The ship's next message read:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>INFECTION QUITE DEFINITE. BUT SOMETHING STRANGE THERE. GIVE US -ANYTHING MORE YOU HAVE.</p> - -<p class="ph4">SS II</p></div> - -<p>His own reply perplexed Kaiser:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>LAST LETTER FUNNY. I NOT UNDERSTAND. WHY IS OO SENDING GARBLE TALK? -DID USNS MAKE UP SECRET MESSAGES?</p> - -<p class="ph4">SMOKY</p></div> - -<p>The expedition, apparently, was as puzzled as he:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>WHAT'S THE MATTER, SMOKY? THAT LAST MESSAGE WAS IN PLAIN TERRAN. NO -REASON WHY YOU COULDN'T READ IT. AND WHY THE BABY TALK? IF YOU'RE -SPOOFING, STOP. GIVE US MORE SYMPTOMS. HOW ARE YOU FEELING NOW?</p> - -<p class="ph4">SS II</p></div> - -<p>The baby talk was worse on Kaiser's next:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>TWAZY. WHAT FOR OO TENDING TWAZY LETTERS? FINK UM CAN WEAD TWAZY -LETTERS? SKIN ALL YELLOW NOW. COLD. COLD. CO</p></div> - -<p>The ship's following communication was three hours late. It was the -last on the tape—the one Kaiser had read earlier. Apparently they -decided to humor him.</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>OO IS SICK, SMOKY. DO TO BEDDY-BY. KEEP UM WARM. WHEN UM FEELS BETTER, -LET USNS KNOW.</p> - -<p class="ph4">SS II</p></div> - -<p>That was not much help. All it told him was that he had been sick.</p> - -<p>He felt better now, outside of a muscular weariness, as though -convalescing from a long illness. He put the back of his hand to his -forehead. Cool. No fever anyway.</p> - -<p>He glanced at the clock-calendar on the instrument board and back at -the date and time on the tape where he'd started his baby talk. Twenty -hours. He hadn't been out of his head too long. He began punching the -communicator keys while he nibbled at a biscuit.</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>SEEM TO BE FULLY RECOVERED. FEELING FINE. ANYTHING NEW FROM SAM? AND -HOW ABOUT THE DAMAGE TO SCOUT? GIVE ME ANYTHING YOU HAVE ON EITHER OR -BOTH.</p> - -<p class="ph4">SMOKY</p></div> - -<p>Kaiser felt suddenly weary. He lay on the scout's bunk and tried -to sleep. Soon he was in that phantasm land between sleep and -wakefulness—he knew he was not sleeping, yet he did dream.</p> - -<p>It was the same dream he had had many times before. In it, he was back -home again, the home he had joined the space service to escape. He had -realized soon after his marriage that his wife, Helene, did not love -him. She had married him for the security his pay check provided. And -though it soon became evident that she, too, regretted her bargain, -she would not divorce him. Instead, she had her revenge on him by -persistent nagging, by letting herself grow fat and querulous, and by -caring for their house only in a slovenly way.</p> - -<p>Her crippled brother had moved in with them the day they were married. -His mind was as crippled as his body and he took an unhealthy delight -in helping his sister torment Kaiser.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Kaiser came wide awake in a cold sweat. The clock showed that only an -hour had passed since he had sent his last message to the ship. Still -five more long hours to wait. He rose and wiped the sweat from his neck -and shoulders and restlessly paced the small corridor of the scout.</p> - -<p>After a few minutes, he stopped pacing and peered out into the gloom of -Big Muddy. The rain seemed to have eased off some. Not much more than a -heavy drizzle now.</p> - -<p>Kaiser reached impulsively for the slicker he had thrown over a chest -against one wall and put it on, then a pair of hip-high plastic boots -and a plastic hat. He opened the door. The scout had come to rest with -a slight tilt when it crashed, and Kaiser had to sit down and roll -over onto his stomach to ease himself to the ground.</p> - -<p>The weather outside was normal for Big Muddy: wet, humid, and warm.</p> - -<p>Kaiser sank to his ankles in soft mud before his feet reached solid -ground. He half walked and half slid to the rear of the scout. Beside -the ship, the "octopus" was busily at work. Tentacles and antennae, -extending from the yard-high box of its body, tested and recorded -temperature, atmosphere, soil, and all other pertinent planetary -conditions. The octopus was connected to the ship's communicator and -all its findings were being transmitted to the mother ship for study.</p> - -<p>Kaiser observed that it was working well and turned toward a wide, -sluggish river, perhaps two hundred yards from the scout. Once there, -he headed upstream. He could hear the pipings, and now and then a -higher whistling, of the seal-people before he reached a bend and saw -them. As usual, most were swimming in the river.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus.jpg" width="387" height="500" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>One old fellow, whose chocolate-brown fur showed a heavy intermixture -of gray, was sitting on the bank of the river just at the bend. Perhaps -a lookout. He pulled himself to his feet as he spied Kaiser and his -toothless, hard-gummed mouth opened and emitted a long whistle that -might have been a greeting—or a warning to the others that a stranger -approached.</p> - -<p>The native stood perhaps five feet tall, with the heavy, blubbery -body of a seal, and short, thick arms. Membranes connected the arms -to his body from shoulder-pits to mid-biceps. The arms ended in -three-fingered, thumbless hands. His legs also were short and thick, -with footpads that splayed out at forty-five-degree angles. They gave -his legs the appearance of a split tail. About him hung a rank-fish -smell that made Kaiser's stomach squirm.</p> - -<p>The old fellow sounded a cheerful chirp as Kaiser came near. Feeling -slightly ineffectual, Kaiser raised both hands and held them palm -forward. The other chirped again and Kaiser went on toward the main -group.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>They had stopped their play and eating as Kaiser approached and now -most of them swam in to shore and stood in the water, staring and -piping. They varied in size from small seal-pups to full-grown adults. -Some chewed on bunches of water weed, which they manipulated with their -lips and drew into their mouths.</p> - -<p>They had mammalian characteristics, Kaiser had noted before, so it -was not difficult to distinguish the females from the males. The -proportion was roughly fifty-fifty.</p> - -<p>Several of the bolder males climbed up beside Kaiser and began pawing -his plastic clothing. Kaiser stood still and tried to keep his -breathing shallow, for their odor was almost more than he could bear. -One native smeared Kaiser's face with an exploring paw and Kaiser -gagged and pushed him roughly away. He was bound by regulations to -display no hostility to newly discovered natives, but he couldn't take -much more of this.</p> - -<p>A young female splashed water on two young males who stood near and -they turned with shrill pipings and chased her into the water. The -entire group seemed to lose interest in Kaiser and joined in the chase, -or went back to other diversions of their own. Kaiser's inspectors -followed.</p> - -<p>They were a mindless lot, Kaiser observed. The river supplied them with -an easy existence, with food and living space, and apparently they had -few natural enemies.</p> - -<p>Kaiser walked away, following the long slow bend of the river, and -came to a collection of perhaps two hundred dwellings built in three -haphazard rows along the river bank. He took time to study their -construction more closely this time.</p> - -<p>They were all round domes, little more than the height of a man, built -of blocks that appeared to be mud, packed with river weed and sand. How -they were able to dry these to give them the necessary solidity, Kaiser -did not know. He had found no signs that they knew how to use fire, and -all apparent evidence was against their having it. They then had to -have sunlight. Maybe it rained less during certain seasons.</p> - -<p>The domes' construction was based on a series of four arches built in a -circle. When the base covering the periphery had been laid, four others -were built on and between them, and continued in successive tiers until -the top was reached. Each tier thus furnished support for the next -above. No other framework was needed. The final tier formed the roof. -They made sound shelters, but Kaiser had peered into several and found -them dark and dank—and as smelly as the natives themselves.</p> - -<p>The few loungers in the village paid little attention to Kaiser and -he wandered through the irregular streets until he became bored and -returned to the scout.</p> - -<p>The <i>Soscites II</i> sent little that helped during the next twelve hours -and Kaiser occupied his time trying again to repair the damage to the -scout.</p> - -<p>The job appeared maddeningly simply. As the scout had glided in for -a soft landing, its metal bottom had ridden a concealed rock and bent -inward. The bent metal had carried up with it the tube supplying the -fuel pump and flattened it against the motor casing.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Opening the tube again would not have been difficult, but first it had -to be freed from under the ship. Kaiser had tried forcing the sheet -metal back into place with a small crowbar—the best leverage he had on -hand—but it resisted his best efforts. He still could think of no way -to do the job, simple as it was, though he gave his concentration to it -the rest of the day.</p> - -<p>That evening, Kaiser received information from the <i>Soscites II</i> that -was at least definite:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>SET YOURSELF FOR A SHOCK, SMOKY. SAM FINALLY CAME THROUGH. YOU WON'T -LIKE WHAT YOU HEAR. AT LEAST NOT AT FIRST. BUT IT COULD BE WORSE. YOU -HAVE BEEN INVADED BY A SYMBIOTE—SIMILAR TO THE TYPE FOUND ON THE SAND -WORLD, BARTEL-BLEETHERS. GIVE US A FEW MORE HOURS TO WORK WITH SAM AND -WE'LL GET YOU ALL THE PARTICULARS HE CAN GIVE US. HANG ON NOW!</p> - -<p class="ph4">SOSCITES II</p></div> - -<p>Kaiser's reply was short and succinct:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>WHAT THE HELL?</p> - -<p> SMOKY</p></div> - -<p><i>Soscites II's</i> next communication followed within twenty minutes and -was signed by the ship's doctor:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>JUST A FEW WORDS, SMOKY, IN CASE YOU'RE WORRIED. I THOUGHT I'D GET -THIS OFF WHILE WE'RE WAITING FOR MORE INFORMATION FROM SAM. REMEMBER -THAT A SYMBIOTE IS NOT A PARASITE. IT WILL NOT HARM YOU, EXCEPT -INADVERTENTLY. YOUR WELFARE IS AS ESSENTIAL TO IT AS TO YOU. ALMOST -CERTAINLY, IF YOU DIE, IT WILL DIE WITH YOU. ANY TROUBLE YOU'VE HAD -SO FAR WAS PROBABLY CAUSED BY THE SYMBIOTE'S DIFFICULTY IN ADJUSTING -ITSELF TO ITS NEW ENVIRONMENT. IN A WAY, I ENVY YOU. MORE LATER, WHEN -WE FINISH WITH SAM.</p> - -<p class="ph4">J. G. ZARWELL</p></div> - -<p>Kaiser did not answer. The news was so startling, so unforeseen, that -his mind refused to accept the actuality. He lay on the scout's bunk -and stared at the ceiling without conscious attention, and with very -little clear thought, for several hours—until the next communication -came in:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>WELL, THIS IS WHAT SAM HAS TO SAY, SMOKY. SYMBIOTE AMICABLE AND -APPARENTLY SWIFTLY ADAPTABLE. YOUR CHANGING COLOR, DIFFICULTY IN -EATING AND EVEN BABY TALK WERE THE RESULT OF ITS EFFORTS TO GIVE YOU -WHAT IT BELIEVED YOU NEEDED OR WANTED.</p> - -<p>CHANGING COLOR: PROTECTIVE CAMOUFLAGE. TROUBLE KEEPING FOOD DOWN: IT -KEPT YOUR STOMACH EMPTY BECAUSE IT SENSED YOU WERE IN TROUBLE AND -MIGHT HAVE NEED FOR SHARP REFLEXES, WITH NO EXCESS WEIGHT TO CARRY. -THE BABY TALK WE AREN'T TOO CERTAIN ABOUT, BUT OUR BEST CONCLUSION IS -THAT WHEN YOU WERE A CHILD, YOU WERE MOST HAPPY. IT WAS TRYING TO GIVE -YOU BACK THAT HAPPY STATE OF MIND. OBVIOUSLY IT QUICKLY RECOGNIZED -THE MISTAKES IT MADE AND CORRECTED THEM.</p> - -<p>SAM CAME UP WITH A FEW MORE IDEAS, BUT WE WANT TO WORK ON THEM A BIT -BEFORE WE SEND THEM THROUGH. SLEEP ON THIS.</p> - -<p class="ph4">SS II</p></div> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Kaiser could imagine that most of the crew were not too concerned about -the trouble he was in. He was not the gregarious type and had no close -friends on board. He had hoped to find the solitude he liked best in -space, but he had been disappointed. True, there were fewer people -here, but he was brought into such intimate contact with them that he -would have been more contented living in a crowded city.</p> - -<p>His naturally unsociable nature was more irksome to the crew because -he was more intelligent and efficient than they were. He did his work -well and painstakingly and was seldom in error. They would have liked -him better had he been more prone to mistakes. He was certain that they -respected him, but they did not like him. And he returned the dislike.</p> - -<p>The suggestion that he get some sleep might not be a bad idea. He -hadn't slept in over eighteen hours, Kaiser realized—and fell -instantly asleep.</p> - -<p>The communicator had a message waiting for him when he awoke:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>SAM COULDN'T HELP US MUCH ON THIS PART, BUT AFTER RESEARCH AND MUCH -DISCUSSION, WE ARRIVED AT THE FOLLOWING TWO CONCLUSIONS.</p> - -<p>FIRST, PHYSICAL PROPERTY OF SYMBIOTE IS EITHER THAT OF A VERY THIN -LIQUID OR, MORE PROBABLY, A VIRUS FORM WITH SWIFT PROPAGATION -CHARACTERISTIC. IT UNDOUBTEDLY LIVES IN YOUR BLOOD STREAM AND -PERMEATES YOUR SYSTEM.</p> - -<p>SECOND, IT SEEMED TO US, AS IT MUST HAVE TO YOU, THAT THE SYMBIOTE -COULD ONLY KNOW WHAT YOU WANTED BY READING YOUR MIND. HOWEVER, WE -BELIEVE DIFFERENTLY NOW. WE THINK THAT IT HAS SUCH CLOSE CONTACT WITH -YOUR GLANDS AND THEIR SECRETIONS, WHICH STIMULATE EMOTION, THAT IT CAN -GAUGE YOUR FEELINGS EVEN MORE ACCURATELY THAN YOU YOURSELF CAN. THUS -IT CAN JUDGE YOUR LIKES AND DISLIKES QUITE ACCURATELY.</p> - -<p>WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE YOU TEST OUR THEORY. THERE ARE DOZENS OF WAYS. -IF YOU ARE STUMPED AND NEED SUGGESTIONS, JUST LET US KNOW. WE AWAIT -WORD FROM YOU WITH GREAT INTEREST.</p> - -<p class="ph4">SS II</p></div> - -<p>By now, Kaiser had accepted what had happened to him. His distress and -anxiety were gone and he was impatient to do what he could to establish -better contact with his uninvited tenant. With eager anticipation, he -set to thinking how it could be done. After a few minutes, an idea -occurred to him.</p> - -<p>Taking a small scalpel from a medical kit, he made a shallow cut in -his arm, just deep enough to bleed freely. He knew that the pain would -supply the necessary glandular reaction. The cut bled a few slow -drops—and as Kaiser watched, a shiny film formed and the bleeding -stopped.</p> - -<p>That checked pretty well with the ship's theory.</p> - -<p>Perhaps the symbiote had made his senses more acute. He tried closing -his eyes and fingering several objects in the room. It seemed to him -that he could determine the texture of each better than before, but -the test was inconclusive. Walking to the rear of the scout, he tried -reading the printed words on the instrument panel. Each letter stood -out sharp and clear!</p> - -<p>Kaiser wondered if he might not make an immediate, practical use of the -symbiote's apparent desire to help him. Concentrating on the discomfort -of the high humidity and exaggerating his own displeasure with it, he -waited. The result surprised and pleased him.</p> - -<p>The temperature within the scout cabin seemed to lower, the moisture -on his body vanished, and he was more comfortable than he had yet been -here.</p> - -<p>As a double check, he looked at the ship's thermometer. Temperature -102, humidity 113—just about the same as it had been on earlier -readings.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>During the next twenty-four hours, Kaiser and the mother ship exchanged -messages at regular six-hour intervals. In between, he worked at -repairing the damaged scout. He had no more success than before.</p> - -<p>He tired easily and lay on the cot often to rest. Each time he seemed -to drop off to sleep immediately—and awake at the exact times he -had decided on beforehand. At first, despite the lack of success in -straightening the bent metal of the scout bottom, there had been a -subdued exhilaration in reporting each new discovery concerning the -symbiote, but as time passed, his enthusiasm ebbed. His one really -important problem was how to repair the scout and he was fast becoming -discouraged.</p> - -<p>At last Kaiser could bear the futility of his efforts no longer. He -sent out a terse message to the <i>Soscites II</i>:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>TAKING SHORT TRIP TO ANOTHER LOCATION ON RIVER. HOPE TO FIND MORE -INTELLIGENT NATIVES. COULD BE THAT THE SETTLEMENT I FOUND HERE IS -ANALOGOUS TO TRIBE OF MONKEYS ON EARTH. I KNOW THE CHANCE IS SMALL, -BUT WHAT HAVE I TO LOSE? I CAN'T FIX SCOUT WITHOUT BETTER TOOLS, AND -IF MY GUESS IS RIGHT, I MAY BE ABLE TO GET EQUIPMENT. EXPECT TO RETURN -IN TEN OR TWELVE HOURS. PLEASE KEEP CONTACT WITH SCOUT.</p> - -<p class="ph4">SMOKY</p></div> - -<p>Kaiser packed a mudsled with tent, portable generator and guard wires, -a spare sidearm and ammunition, and food for two days. He had noticed -that a range of high hills, which caused the bend in the river at -the native settlement, seemed to continue its long curve, and he -wondered if the hills might not turn the river in the shape of a giant -horseshoe. He intended to find out.</p> - -<p>Wrapping his equipment in a plastic tarp, Kaiser eased it out the -doorway and tied it on the sled. He hooked a towline to a harness on -his shoulders and began his journey—in the opposite direction from the -first native settlement.</p> - -<p>He walked for more than seven hours before he found that his surmise -had been correct. And a second cluster of huts, and seal-people in the -river, greeted his sight. He received a further pleasant surprise. This -group was decidedly more advanced than the first!</p> - -<p>They were little different in actual physical appearance; the change -was mainly noticeable in their actions and demeanor. And their odor was -more subdued, less repugnant.</p> - -<p>By signs, Kaiser indicated that he came in peace, and they seemed to -understand. A thick-bodied male went solemnly to the river bank and -called to a second, who dived and brought up a mouthful of weed. The -first male took the weed and brought it to Kaiser. This was obviously a -gesture of friendship.</p> - -<p>The weed had a white starchy core and looked edible. Kaiser cleaned -part of it with his handkerchief, bit and chewed it.</p> - -<p>The weed had a slight iron taste, but was not unpalatable. He swallowed -the mouthful and tried another. He ate most of what had been given him -and waited with some trepidation for a reaction.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>As dusk fell, Kaiser set up his tent a few hundred yards back from the -native settlement. All apprehension about how his stomach would react -to the river weed had left him. Apparently it could be assimilated by -his digestive system. Lying on his air mattress, he felt thoroughly at -peace with this world.</p> - -<p>Once, just before dropping off to sleep, he heard the snuffling noise -of some large animal outside his tent and picked up a pistol, just in -case. However, the first jolt of the guard-wire charge discouraged the -beast and Kaiser heard it shuffle away, making puzzled mewing sounds as -it went.</p> - -<p>The next morning, Kaiser left off all his clothes except a pair of -shorts and went swimming in the river. The seal-people were already in -the water when he arrived and were very friendly.</p> - -<p>That friendliness nearly resulted in disaster. The natives crowded -around as he swam—they maneuvered with an otter-like proficiency—and -often nudged him with their bodies when they came too close. He had -difficulty keeping afloat and soon turned and started back. As he -neared the river edge, a playful female grabbed him by the ankle and -pulled him under.</p> - -<p>Kaiser tried to break her hold, but she evidently thought he was -clowning and wrapped her warm furred arms around him and held him -helpless. They sank deeper.</p> - -<p>When his breath threatened to burst from his lungs in a stream of -bubbles, and he still could not free himself, Kaiser brought his knee -up into her stomach and her grip loosened abruptly. He reached the -surface, choking and coughing, and swam blindly toward shore until his -feet hit the river bottom.</p> - -<p>As he stood on the bank, getting his breath, the natives were quiet and -seemed to be looking at him reproachfully. He stood for a time, trying -to think of a way to explain the necessity of what he had done, but -there was none. He shrugged helplessly.</p> - -<p>There was no longer anything to be gained by staying here—if they -had the tools he needed, he had no way of finding out or asking for -them—and he packed and started back to the scout.</p> - -<p>Kaiser's good spirits returned on his return journey. He had enjoyed -the relief from the tedium of spending day after day in the scout, and -now he enjoyed the exercise of pulling the mudsled. Above the waist, -he wore only the harness and the large, soft drops of rain against his -bare skin were pleasant to feel.</p> - -<p>When he reached the scout, Kaiser began to unload the sled. The -tarpaulin caught on the edge of a runner and he gave it a tug to free -it. To his amazement, the heavy sled turned completely over, spilling -the equipment to the ground.</p> - -<p>Perplexed, Kaiser stooped and began replacing the spilled articles in -the tarp. They felt exceptionally light. He paused again, and suddenly -his eyes widened.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Moving quickly to the door of the scout, he shoved his equipment -through and crawled in behind it. He did not consult the communicator, -as he customarily did on entering, but went directly to the warped -place on the floor and picked up the crowbar he had laid there.</p> - -<p>Inserting the bar between the metal of the scout bottom and the engine -casing, he lifted. Nothing happened. He rested a minute and tried -again, this time concentrating on his desire to raise the bar. The -metal beneath yielded slightly—but he felt the palms of his hands -bruise against the lever.</p> - -<p>Only after he dropped the bar did he realize the force he had exerted. -His hands ached and tingled. His strength must have been increased -tremendously. With his plastic coat wrapped around the lever, he tried -again. The metal of the scout bottom gave slowly—until the fuel pump -hung free!</p> - -<p>Kaiser did not repair the tube immediately. He let the solution -rest in his hands, like a package to be opened, the pleasure of its -anticipation to be enjoyed as much as the final act.</p> - -<p>He transmitted the news of what he had been able to do and sat down to -read the two messages waiting for him.</p> - -<p>The first was quite routine:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>REPORTS FROM THE OCTOPUS INDICATE THAT BIG MUDDY UNDERGOES RADICAL -WEATHER-CYCLE CHANGES DURING SPRING AND FALL SEASONS, FROM EXTREME -MOISTURE TO EXTREME ARIDITY. AT HEIGHT OF DRY SEASON, PLANET MUST BE -COMPLETELY DEVOID OF SURFACE LIQUID.</p> - -<p>TO SURVIVE THESE UNUSUAL EXTREMES, SEAL-PEOPLE WOULD NEED EXTREME -ADAPTABILITY. THIS VERIFIES OUR EARLIER GUESS THAT NATIVES HAVE -SYMBIOSIS WITH THE SAME VIRUS FORM THAT INVADED YOU. WITH SYMBIOTES' -AID, SUCH RADICAL PHYSICAL CHANGE COULD BE POSSIBLE. WILL KEEP YOU -INFORMED.</p> - -<p>GIVE US ANY NEW INFORMATION YOU MIGHT HAVE ON NATIVES.</p> - -<p class="ph4">SS II</p></div> - -<p>The second report was not so routine. Kaiser thought he detected a note -of uneasiness in it.</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>SUGGEST YOU DEVOTE ALL TIME AND EFFORT TO REPAIR OF SCOUT. INFORMATION -ON SEAL-PEOPLE ADEQUATE FOR OUR PURPOSES.</p> - -<p class="ph4">SS II</p></div> - -<p>Kaiser did not answer either communication. His earlier report had -covered all that he had learned lately. He lay on his cot and went to -sleep.</p> - -<p>In the morning, another message was waiting:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>VERY PLEASED TO HEAR OF PROGRESS ON REPAIR OF SCOUT. COMPLETE AS -QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE AND RETURN HERE IMMEDIATELY.</p> - -<p class="ph4">SS II</p></div> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Kaiser wondered about the abrupt recall. Could the <i>Soscites II</i> be -experiencing some difficulty? He shrugged the thought aside. If they -were, they would have told him. The last notes had had more than just a -suggestion of urgency—there appeared to be a deliberate concealing of -information.</p> - -<p>Strangely, the messages indicated need for haste did not prod Kaiser. -He knew now that the job could be done, perhaps in a few hours' time. -And the <i>Soscites II</i> would not complete its orbit of the planet for -two weeks yet.</p> - -<p>Without putting on more than the shirt and trousers he had grown used -to wearing, Kaiser went outside and wandered listlessly about the -vicinity of the ship for several hours. When he became hungry, he went -back inside.</p> - -<p>Another message came in as he finished eating. This one was from the -captain himself:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>WHY HAVE WE RECEIVED NO VERIFICATION OF LAST INSTRUCTIONS? REPAIR -SCOUT IMMEDIATELY AND RETURN WITHOUT FURTHER DELAY. THIS IS AN ORDER!</p> - -<p class="ph4">H. A. HESSE, CAPT.</p></div> - -<p>Kaiser pushed the last of his meal—which he had been eating with his -fingers—into his mouth, crumpled the tape, wiped the grease from his -hands with it and dropped it to the floor.</p> - -<p>He pondered mildly, as he packed his equipment, why he was disregarding -the captain's message. For some reason, it seemed too trivial for -serious consideration. He placated his slightly uneasy conscience only -to the extent of packing the communicator in with his other equipment. -It was a self-contained unit and he'd be able to receive messages from -the ship on his trip.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>The tracks of his earlier journey had been erased by the soft rain, and -when Kaiser reached the river, he found that he had not returned to -the village he had visited the day before. However, there were other -seal-people here.</p> - -<p>And they were almost human!</p> - -<p>The resemblance was still not so much in their physical makeup—that -was little changed from the first he had found—as in their obviously -greater intelligence.</p> - -<p>This was mainly noticeable in their facile expressions as they talked. -Kaiser was even certain that he read smiles on their faces when he -slipped on a particularly slick mud patch as he hurried toward them. -Where the members of the first tribes had all looked almost exactly -alike, these had very marked individual characteristics. Also, these -had no odor—only a mild, rather pleasing scent. When they came to meet -him, Kaiser could detect distinct syllabism in their pipings.</p> - -<p>Most of the natives returned to the river after the first ten minutes -of curious inspection, but two stayed behind as Kaiser set up his tent.</p> - -<p>One was a female.</p> - -<p>They made small noises while he went about his work. After a time, he -understood that they were trying to give names to his paraphernalia. He -tried saying "tent" and "wire" and "tarp" as he handled each object, -but their piping voices could not repeat the words. Kaiser amused -himself by trying to imitate their sounds for the articles. He was -fairly successful. He was certain that he could soon learn enough to -carry on a limited conversation.</p> - -<p>The male became bored after a time and left, but the girl stayed until -Kaiser finished. She motioned to him then to follow. When they reached -the river bank, he saw that she wanted him to go into the water.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Before he had time to decide, Kaiser heard the small bell of the -communicator from the tent behind him. He stood undecided for a moment, -then returned and read the message on the tape:</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>STILL ANXIOUSLY AWAITING WORD FROM YOU.</p> - -<p>IN MEANTIME, GIVE VERY CLOSE ATTENTION TO FOLLOWING.</p> - -<p>WE KNOW THAT THE SYMBIOTES MUST BE ABLE TO MAKE RADICAL CHANGES IN THE -PHYSIOLOGY OF THE SEAL-PEOPLE. THERE IS EVERY PROBABILITY THAT YOURS -WILL ATTEMPT TO DO THE SAME TO YOU—TO BETTER FIT YOUR BODY TO ITS -PRESENT ENVIRONMENT.</p> - -<p>THE DANGER, WHICH WE HESITATED TO MENTION UNTIL NOW—WHEN YOU HAVE -FORCED US BY YOUR OBSTINATE SILENCE—IS THAT IT CAN ALTER YOUR -MIND ALSO. YOUR REPORT ON SECOND TRIBE OF SEAL-PEOPLE STRONGLY -INDICATES THAT THIS IS ALREADY HAPPENING. THEY WERE PROBABLY NOT MORE -INTELLIGENT AND HUMANLIKE THAN THE OTHERS. ON THE CONTRARY, YOU ARE -BECOMING MORE LIKE THEM.</p> - -<p>DANGER ACUTE. RETURN IMMEDIATELY. REPEAT: IMMEDIATELY!</p> - -<p class="ph4">SS II</p></div> - -<p>Kaiser picked up a large rock and slowly, methodically pounded the -communicator into a flattened jumble of metal and loose parts.</p> - -<p>When he finished, he returned to the waiting girl on the river bank. -She pointed at his plastic trousers and made laughing sounds in her -throat. Kaiser returned the laugh and stripped off the trousers. They -ran, still laughing, into the water.</p> - -<p>Already the long pink hair that had been growing on his body during the -past week was beginning to turn brown at the roots.</p> - - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's Growing Up On Big Muddy, by Charles V. de Vet - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK GROWING UP ON BIG MUDDY *** - -***** This file should be named 51398-h.htm or 51398-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/1/3/9/51398/ - -Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan 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. 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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/license - - -Title: Growing Up On Big Muddy - -Author: Charles V. de Vet - -Release Date: March 8, 2016 [EBook #51398] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK GROWING UP ON BIG MUDDY *** - - - - -Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - - - - - Well, naturally Kaiser would transmit baby - talk messages to his mother ship! He was-- - - GROWING UP ON BIG MUDDY - - By CHARLES V. DE VET - - Illustrated by TURPIN - - [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from - Galaxy Science Fiction July 1957. - Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that - the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.] - - - - -Kaiser stared at the tape in his hand for a long uncomprehending -minute. How long had the stuff been coming through in this inane baby -talk? And why hadn't he noticed it before? Why had he had to read this -last communication a third time before he recognized anything unusual -about it? - -He went over the words again, as though maybe this time they'd read as -they should. - - OO IS SICK, SMOKY. DO TO BEDDY-BY. KEEP UM WARM. WHEN UM FEELS - BETTER, LET USNS KNOW. - - SS II - -Kaiser let himself ease back in the pilot chair and rolled the tape -thoughtfully between his fingers. Overhead and to each side, large -drops of rain thudded softly against the transparent walls of the scout -ship and dripped wearily from the bottom ledge to the ground. - -"Damn this climate!" Kaiser muttered irrelevantly. "Doesn't it ever do -anything here except rain?" - -His attention returned to the matter at hand. Why the baby talk? And -why was his memory so hazy? How long had he been here? What had he been -doing during that time? - -Listlessly he reached for the towel at his elbow and wiped the moisture -from his face and bare shoulders. The air conditioning had gone out -when the scout ship cracked up. He'd have to repair the scout or he -was stuck here for good. He remembered now that he had gone over the -job very carefully and thoroughly, and had found it too big to handle -alone--or without better equipment, at least. Yet there was little or -no chance of his being able to find either here. - -Calmly, deliberately, Kaiser collected his thoughts, his memories, and -brought them out where he could look at them: - -The mother ship, _Soscites II_, had been on the last leg of its -planet-mapping tour. It had dropped Kaiser in the one remaining scout -ship--the other seven had all been lost one way or another during the -exploring of new worlds--and set itself into a giant orbit about this -planet that Kaiser had named Big Muddy. - -The _Soscites II_ had to maintain its constant speed; it had no means -of slowing, except to stop, and no way to start again once it did stop. -Its limited range of maneuverability made it necessary to set up an -orbit that would take it approximately one month, Earth time, to circle -a pinpointed planet. And now its fuel was low. - -Kaiser had that one month to repair his scout or be stranded here -forever. - -That was all he could remember. Nothing of what he had been doing -recently. - -A small shiver passed through his body as he glanced once again at the -tape in his hand. Baby talk.... - - * * * * * - -One thing he could find out: how long this had been going on. He -turned to the communicator and unhooked the paper receptacle on its -bottom. It held about a yard and a half of tape, probably his last -several messages--both those sent and those received. He pulled it out -impatiently and began reading. - -The first was from himself: - - YOUR SUGGESTIONS NO HELP. HOW AM I GOING TO REPAIR DAMAGE TO SCOUT - WITHOUT PROPER EQUIPMENT? AND WHERE DO I GET IT? DO YOU THINK I - FOUND A TOOL SHOP DOWN HERE? FOR GOD'S SAKE, COME UP WITH SOMETHING - BETTER. - - VISITED SEAL-PEOPLE AGAIN TODAY. STILL HAVE THEIR STINK IN MY NOSE. - FOUND HUTS ALONG RIVER BANK, SO I GUESS THEY DON'T LIVE IN WATER. - BUT THEY DO SPEND MOST OF THEIR TIME THERE. NO, I HAVE NO WAY OF - ESTIMATING THEIR INTELLIGENCE. I WOULD JUDGE IT AVERAGES NO HIGHER - THAN SEVEN-YEAR-OLD HUMAN. THEY DEFINITELY DO TALK TO ONE ANOTHER. - WILL TRY TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THEM, BUT YOU GET TO WORK FAST ON - HOW I REPAIR SCOUT. - - SWELLING IN ARM WORSE AND AM DEVELOPING A FEVER. TEMPERATURE 102.7 - AN HOUR AGO. - - SMOKY - -The ship must have answered immediately, for the return message time -was six hours later than his own, the minimum interval necessary for -two-way exchange. - - DOING OUR BEST, SMOKY. YOUR IMMEDIATE PROBLEM, AS WE SEE IT, IS TO - KEEP WELL. WE FED ALL THE INFORMATION YOU GAVE US INTO SAM, BUT YOU - DIDN'T HAVE MUCH EXCEPT THE STING IN YOUR ARM. AS EXPECTED, ALL - THAT CAME OUT WAS "DATA INSUFFICIENT." TRY TO GIVE US MORE. ALSO - DETAIL ALL SYMPTOMS SINCE YOUR LAST REPORT. IN THE MEANTIME, WE'RE - DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN AT THIS END. GOOD LUCK. - - SS II - -Sam, Kaiser knew, was the ship's mechanical diagnostician. His report -followed: - - ARM SWOLLEN. UNABLE TO KEEP DOWN FOOD LAST TWELVE HOURS. ABOUT TWO - HOURS AGO, ENTIRE BODY TURNED LIVID RED. BRIEF PERIODS OF - BLANKNESS. THINGS KEEP COMING AND GOING. SICK AS HELL. HURRY. - - SMOKY - -The ship's next message read: - - INFECTION QUITE DEFINITE. BUT SOMETHING STRANGE THERE. GIVE US - ANYTHING MORE YOU HAVE. - - SS II - -His own reply perplexed Kaiser: - - LAST LETTER FUNNY. I NOT UNDERSTAND. WHY IS OO SENDING GARBLE TALK? - DID USNS MAKE UP SECRET MESSAGES? - - SMOKY - -The expedition, apparently, was as puzzled as he: - - WHAT'S THE MATTER, SMOKY? THAT LAST MESSAGE WAS IN PLAIN TERRAN. NO - REASON WHY YOU COULDN'T READ IT. AND WHY THE BABY TALK? IF YOU'RE - SPOOFING, STOP. GIVE US MORE SYMPTOMS. HOW ARE YOU FEELING NOW? - - SS II - -The baby talk was worse on Kaiser's next: - - TWAZY. WHAT FOR OO TENDING TWAZY LETTERS? FINK UM CAN WEAD TWAZY - LETTERS? SKIN ALL YELLOW NOW. COLD. COLD. CO - -The ship's following communication was three hours late. It was the -last on the tape--the one Kaiser had read earlier. Apparently they -decided to humor him. - - OO IS SICK, SMOKY. DO TO BEDDY-BY. KEEP UM WARM. WHEN UM FEELS - BETTER, LET USNS KNOW. - - SS II - -That was not much help. All it told him was that he had been sick. - -He felt better now, outside of a muscular weariness, as though -convalescing from a long illness. He put the back of his hand to his -forehead. Cool. No fever anyway. - -He glanced at the clock-calendar on the instrument board and back at -the date and time on the tape where he'd started his baby talk. Twenty -hours. He hadn't been out of his head too long. He began punching the -communicator keys while he nibbled at a biscuit. - - SEEM TO BE FULLY RECOVERED. FEELING FINE. ANYTHING NEW FROM SAM? - AND HOW ABOUT THE DAMAGE TO SCOUT? GIVE ME ANYTHING YOU HAVE ON - EITHER OR BOTH. - - SMOKY - -Kaiser felt suddenly weary. He lay on the scout's bunk and tried -to sleep. Soon he was in that phantasm land between sleep and -wakefulness--he knew he was not sleeping, yet he did dream. - -It was the same dream he had had many times before. In it, he was back -home again, the home he had joined the space service to escape. He had -realized soon after his marriage that his wife, Helene, did not love -him. She had married him for the security his pay check provided. And -though it soon became evident that she, too, regretted her bargain, -she would not divorce him. Instead, she had her revenge on him by -persistent nagging, by letting herself grow fat and querulous, and by -caring for their house only in a slovenly way. - -Her crippled brother had moved in with them the day they were married. -His mind was as crippled as his body and he took an unhealthy delight -in helping his sister torment Kaiser. - - * * * * * - -Kaiser came wide awake in a cold sweat. The clock showed that only an -hour had passed since he had sent his last message to the ship. Still -five more long hours to wait. He rose and wiped the sweat from his neck -and shoulders and restlessly paced the small corridor of the scout. - -After a few minutes, he stopped pacing and peered out into the gloom of -Big Muddy. The rain seemed to have eased off some. Not much more than a -heavy drizzle now. - -Kaiser reached impulsively for the slicker he had thrown over a chest -against one wall and put it on, then a pair of hip-high plastic boots -and a plastic hat. He opened the door. The scout had come to rest with -a slight tilt when it crashed, and Kaiser had to sit down and roll -over onto his stomach to ease himself to the ground. - -The weather outside was normal for Big Muddy: wet, humid, and warm. - -Kaiser sank to his ankles in soft mud before his feet reached solid -ground. He half walked and half slid to the rear of the scout. Beside -the ship, the "octopus" was busily at work. Tentacles and antennae, -extending from the yard-high box of its body, tested and recorded -temperature, atmosphere, soil, and all other pertinent planetary -conditions. The octopus was connected to the ship's communicator and -all its findings were being transmitted to the mother ship for study. - -Kaiser observed that it was working well and turned toward a wide, -sluggish river, perhaps two hundred yards from the scout. Once there, -he headed upstream. He could hear the pipings, and now and then a -higher whistling, of the seal-people before he reached a bend and saw -them. As usual, most were swimming in the river. - -One old fellow, whose chocolate-brown fur showed a heavy intermixture -of gray, was sitting on the bank of the river just at the bend. Perhaps -a lookout. He pulled himself to his feet as he spied Kaiser and his -toothless, hard-gummed mouth opened and emitted a long whistle that -might have been a greeting--or a warning to the others that a stranger -approached. - -The native stood perhaps five feet tall, with the heavy, blubbery -body of a seal, and short, thick arms. Membranes connected the arms -to his body from shoulder-pits to mid-biceps. The arms ended in -three-fingered, thumbless hands. His legs also were short and thick, -with footpads that splayed out at forty-five-degree angles. They gave -his legs the appearance of a split tail. About him hung a rank-fish -smell that made Kaiser's stomach squirm. - -The old fellow sounded a cheerful chirp as Kaiser came near. Feeling -slightly ineffectual, Kaiser raised both hands and held them palm -forward. The other chirped again and Kaiser went on toward the main -group. - - * * * * * - -They had stopped their play and eating as Kaiser approached and now -most of them swam in to shore and stood in the water, staring and -piping. They varied in size from small seal-pups to full-grown adults. -Some chewed on bunches of water weed, which they manipulated with their -lips and drew into their mouths. - -They had mammalian characteristics, Kaiser had noted before, so it -was not difficult to distinguish the females from the males. The -proportion was roughly fifty-fifty. - -Several of the bolder males climbed up beside Kaiser and began pawing -his plastic clothing. Kaiser stood still and tried to keep his -breathing shallow, for their odor was almost more than he could bear. -One native smeared Kaiser's face with an exploring paw and Kaiser -gagged and pushed him roughly away. He was bound by regulations to -display no hostility to newly discovered natives, but he couldn't take -much more of this. - -A young female splashed water on two young males who stood near and -they turned with shrill pipings and chased her into the water. The -entire group seemed to lose interest in Kaiser and joined in the chase, -or went back to other diversions of their own. Kaiser's inspectors -followed. - -They were a mindless lot, Kaiser observed. The river supplied them with -an easy existence, with food and living space, and apparently they had -few natural enemies. - -Kaiser walked away, following the long slow bend of the river, and -came to a collection of perhaps two hundred dwellings built in three -haphazard rows along the river bank. He took time to study their -construction more closely this time. - -They were all round domes, little more than the height of a man, built -of blocks that appeared to be mud, packed with river weed and sand. How -they were able to dry these to give them the necessary solidity, Kaiser -did not know. He had found no signs that they knew how to use fire, and -all apparent evidence was against their having it. They then had to -have sunlight. Maybe it rained less during certain seasons. - -The domes' construction was based on a series of four arches built in a -circle. When the base covering the periphery had been laid, four others -were built on and between them, and continued in successive tiers until -the top was reached. Each tier thus furnished support for the next -above. No other framework was needed. The final tier formed the roof. -They made sound shelters, but Kaiser had peered into several and found -them dark and dank--and as smelly as the natives themselves. - -The few loungers in the village paid little attention to Kaiser and -he wandered through the irregular streets until he became bored and -returned to the scout. - -The _Soscites II_ sent little that helped during the next twelve hours -and Kaiser occupied his time trying again to repair the damage to the -scout. - -The job appeared maddeningly simply. As the scout had glided in for -a soft landing, its metal bottom had ridden a concealed rock and bent -inward. The bent metal had carried up with it the tube supplying the -fuel pump and flattened it against the motor casing. - - * * * * * - -Opening the tube again would not have been difficult, but first it had -to be freed from under the ship. Kaiser had tried forcing the sheet -metal back into place with a small crowbar--the best leverage he had on -hand--but it resisted his best efforts. He still could think of no way -to do the job, simple as it was, though he gave his concentration to it -the rest of the day. - -That evening, Kaiser received information from the _Soscites II_ that -was at least definite: - - SET YOURSELF FOR A SHOCK, SMOKY. SAM FINALLY CAME THROUGH. YOU - WON'T LIKE WHAT YOU HEAR. AT LEAST NOT AT FIRST. BUT IT COULD BE - WORSE. YOU HAVE BEEN INVADED BY A SYMBIOTE--SIMILAR TO THE TYPE - FOUND ON THE SAND WORLD, BARTEL-BLEETHERS. GIVE US A FEW MORE HOURS - TO WORK WITH SAM AND WE'LL GET YOU ALL THE PARTICULARS HE CAN GIVE - US. HANG ON NOW! - - SOSCITES II - -Kaiser's reply was short and succinct: - - WHAT THE HELL? - - SMOKY - -_Soscites II's_ next communication followed within twenty minutes and -was signed by the ship's doctor: - - JUST A FEW WORDS, SMOKY, IN CASE YOU'RE WORRIED. I THOUGHT I'D GET - THIS OFF WHILE WE'RE WAITING FOR MORE INFORMATION FROM SAM. - REMEMBER THAT A SYMBIOTE IS NOT A PARASITE. IT WILL NOT HARM YOU, - EXCEPT INADVERTENTLY. YOUR WELFARE IS AS ESSENTIAL TO IT AS TO YOU. - ALMOST CERTAINLY, IF YOU DIE, IT WILL DIE WITH YOU. ANY TROUBLE - YOU'VE HAD SO FAR WAS PROBABLY CAUSED BY THE SYMBIOTE'S DIFFICULTY - IN ADJUSTING ITSELF TO ITS NEW ENVIRONMENT. IN A WAY, I ENVY YOU. - MORE LATER, WHEN WE FINISH WITH SAM. - - J. G. ZARWELL - -Kaiser did not answer. The news was so startling, so unforeseen, that -his mind refused to accept the actuality. He lay on the scout's bunk -and stared at the ceiling without conscious attention, and with very -little clear thought, for several hours--until the next communication -came in: - - WELL, THIS IS WHAT SAM HAS TO SAY, SMOKY. SYMBIOTE AMICABLE AND - APPARENTLY SWIFTLY ADAPTABLE. YOUR CHANGING COLOR, DIFFICULTY IN - EATING AND EVEN BABY TALK WERE THE RESULT OF ITS EFFORTS TO GIVE - YOU WHAT IT BELIEVED YOU NEEDED OR WANTED. - - CHANGING COLOR: PROTECTIVE CAMOUFLAGE. TROUBLE KEEPING FOOD DOWN: - IT KEPT YOUR STOMACH EMPTY BECAUSE IT SENSED YOU WERE IN TROUBLE - AND MIGHT HAVE NEED FOR SHARP REFLEXES, WITH NO EXCESS WEIGHT TO - CARRY. THE BABY TALK WE AREN'T TOO CERTAIN ABOUT, BUT OUR BEST - CONCLUSION IS THAT WHEN YOU WERE A CHILD, YOU WERE MOST HAPPY. IT - WAS TRYING TO GIVE YOU BACK THAT HAPPY STATE OF MIND. OBVIOUSLY IT - QUICKLY RECOGNIZED THE MISTAKES IT MADE AND CORRECTED THEM. - - SAM CAME UP WITH A FEW MORE IDEAS, BUT WE WANT TO WORK ON THEM A - BIT BEFORE WE SEND THEM THROUGH. SLEEP ON THIS. - - SS II - - * * * * * - -Kaiser could imagine that most of the crew were not too concerned about -the trouble he was in. He was not the gregarious type and had no close -friends on board. He had hoped to find the solitude he liked best in -space, but he had been disappointed. True, there were fewer people -here, but he was brought into such intimate contact with them that he -would have been more contented living in a crowded city. - -His naturally unsociable nature was more irksome to the crew because -he was more intelligent and efficient than they were. He did his work -well and painstakingly and was seldom in error. They would have liked -him better had he been more prone to mistakes. He was certain that they -respected him, but they did not like him. And he returned the dislike. - -The suggestion that he get some sleep might not be a bad idea. He -hadn't slept in over eighteen hours, Kaiser realized--and fell -instantly asleep. - -The communicator had a message waiting for him when he awoke: - - SAM COULDN'T HELP US MUCH ON THIS PART, BUT AFTER RESEARCH AND MUCH - DISCUSSION, WE ARRIVED AT THE FOLLOWING TWO CONCLUSIONS. - - FIRST, PHYSICAL PROPERTY OF SYMBIOTE IS EITHER THAT OF A VERY THIN - LIQUID OR, MORE PROBABLY, A VIRUS FORM WITH SWIFT PROPAGATION - CHARACTERISTIC. IT UNDOUBTEDLY LIVES IN YOUR BLOOD STREAM AND - PERMEATES YOUR SYSTEM. - - SECOND, IT SEEMED TO US, AS IT MUST HAVE TO YOU, THAT THE SYMBIOTE - COULD ONLY KNOW WHAT YOU WANTED BY READING YOUR MIND. HOWEVER, WE - BELIEVE DIFFERENTLY NOW. WE THINK THAT IT HAS SUCH CLOSE CONTACT - WITH YOUR GLANDS AND THEIR SECRETIONS, WHICH STIMULATE EMOTION, - THAT IT CAN GAUGE YOUR FEELINGS EVEN MORE ACCURATELY THAN YOU - YOURSELF CAN. THUS IT CAN JUDGE YOUR LIKES AND DISLIKES QUITE - ACCURATELY. - - WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE YOU TEST OUR THEORY. THERE ARE DOZENS OF - WAYS. IF YOU ARE STUMPED AND NEED SUGGESTIONS, JUST LET US KNOW. - WE AWAIT WORD FROM YOU WITH GREAT INTEREST. - - SS II - -By now, Kaiser had accepted what had happened to him. His distress and -anxiety were gone and he was impatient to do what he could to establish -better contact with his uninvited tenant. With eager anticipation, he -set to thinking how it could be done. After a few minutes, an idea -occurred to him. - -Taking a small scalpel from a medical kit, he made a shallow cut in -his arm, just deep enough to bleed freely. He knew that the pain would -supply the necessary glandular reaction. The cut bled a few slow -drops--and as Kaiser watched, a shiny film formed and the bleeding -stopped. - -That checked pretty well with the ship's theory. - -Perhaps the symbiote had made his senses more acute. He tried closing -his eyes and fingering several objects in the room. It seemed to him -that he could determine the texture of each better than before, but -the test was inconclusive. Walking to the rear of the scout, he tried -reading the printed words on the instrument panel. Each letter stood -out sharp and clear! - -Kaiser wondered if he might not make an immediate, practical use of the -symbiote's apparent desire to help him. Concentrating on the discomfort -of the high humidity and exaggerating his own displeasure with it, he -waited. The result surprised and pleased him. - -The temperature within the scout cabin seemed to lower, the moisture -on his body vanished, and he was more comfortable than he had yet been -here. - -As a double check, he looked at the ship's thermometer. Temperature -102, humidity 113--just about the same as it had been on earlier -readings. - - * * * * * - -During the next twenty-four hours, Kaiser and the mother ship exchanged -messages at regular six-hour intervals. In between, he worked at -repairing the damaged scout. He had no more success than before. - -He tired easily and lay on the cot often to rest. Each time he seemed -to drop off to sleep immediately--and awake at the exact times he -had decided on beforehand. At first, despite the lack of success in -straightening the bent metal of the scout bottom, there had been a -subdued exhilaration in reporting each new discovery concerning the -symbiote, but as time passed, his enthusiasm ebbed. His one really -important problem was how to repair the scout and he was fast becoming -discouraged. - -At last Kaiser could bear the futility of his efforts no longer. He -sent out a terse message to the _Soscites II_: - - TAKING SHORT TRIP TO ANOTHER LOCATION ON RIVER. HOPE TO FIND MORE - INTELLIGENT NATIVES. COULD BE THAT THE SETTLEMENT I FOUND HERE IS - ANALOGOUS TO TRIBE OF MONKEYS ON EARTH. I KNOW THE CHANCE IS SMALL, - BUT WHAT HAVE I TO LOSE? I CAN'T FIX SCOUT WITHOUT BETTER TOOLS, - AND IF MY GUESS IS RIGHT, I MAY BE ABLE TO GET EQUIPMENT. EXPECT TO - RETURN IN TEN OR TWELVE HOURS. PLEASE KEEP CONTACT WITH SCOUT. - - SMOKY - -Kaiser packed a mudsled with tent, portable generator and guard wires, -a spare sidearm and ammunition, and food for two days. He had noticed -that a range of high hills, which caused the bend in the river at -the native settlement, seemed to continue its long curve, and he -wondered if the hills might not turn the river in the shape of a giant -horseshoe. He intended to find out. - -Wrapping his equipment in a plastic tarp, Kaiser eased it out the -doorway and tied it on the sled. He hooked a towline to a harness on -his shoulders and began his journey--in the opposite direction from the -first native settlement. - -He walked for more than seven hours before he found that his surmise -had been correct. And a second cluster of huts, and seal-people in the -river, greeted his sight. He received a further pleasant surprise. This -group was decidedly more advanced than the first! - -They were little different in actual physical appearance; the change -was mainly noticeable in their actions and demeanor. And their odor was -more subdued, less repugnant. - -By signs, Kaiser indicated that he came in peace, and they seemed to -understand. A thick-bodied male went solemnly to the river bank and -called to a second, who dived and brought up a mouthful of weed. The -first male took the weed and brought it to Kaiser. This was obviously a -gesture of friendship. - -The weed had a white starchy core and looked edible. Kaiser cleaned -part of it with his handkerchief, bit and chewed it. - -The weed had a slight iron taste, but was not unpalatable. He swallowed -the mouthful and tried another. He ate most of what had been given him -and waited with some trepidation for a reaction. - - * * * * * - -As dusk fell, Kaiser set up his tent a few hundred yards back from the -native settlement. All apprehension about how his stomach would react -to the river weed had left him. Apparently it could be assimilated by -his digestive system. Lying on his air mattress, he felt thoroughly at -peace with this world. - -Once, just before dropping off to sleep, he heard the snuffling noise -of some large animal outside his tent and picked up a pistol, just in -case. However, the first jolt of the guard-wire charge discouraged the -beast and Kaiser heard it shuffle away, making puzzled mewing sounds as -it went. - -The next morning, Kaiser left off all his clothes except a pair of -shorts and went swimming in the river. The seal-people were already in -the water when he arrived and were very friendly. - -That friendliness nearly resulted in disaster. The natives crowded -around as he swam--they maneuvered with an otter-like proficiency--and -often nudged him with their bodies when they came too close. He had -difficulty keeping afloat and soon turned and started back. As he -neared the river edge, a playful female grabbed him by the ankle and -pulled him under. - -Kaiser tried to break her hold, but she evidently thought he was -clowning and wrapped her warm furred arms around him and held him -helpless. They sank deeper. - -When his breath threatened to burst from his lungs in a stream of -bubbles, and he still could not free himself, Kaiser brought his knee -up into her stomach and her grip loosened abruptly. He reached the -surface, choking and coughing, and swam blindly toward shore until his -feet hit the river bottom. - -As he stood on the bank, getting his breath, the natives were quiet and -seemed to be looking at him reproachfully. He stood for a time, trying -to think of a way to explain the necessity of what he had done, but -there was none. He shrugged helplessly. - -There was no longer anything to be gained by staying here--if they -had the tools he needed, he had no way of finding out or asking for -them--and he packed and started back to the scout. - -Kaiser's good spirits returned on his return journey. He had enjoyed -the relief from the tedium of spending day after day in the scout, and -now he enjoyed the exercise of pulling the mudsled. Above the waist, -he wore only the harness and the large, soft drops of rain against his -bare skin were pleasant to feel. - -When he reached the scout, Kaiser began to unload the sled. The -tarpaulin caught on the edge of a runner and he gave it a tug to free -it. To his amazement, the heavy sled turned completely over, spilling -the equipment to the ground. - -Perplexed, Kaiser stooped and began replacing the spilled articles in -the tarp. They felt exceptionally light. He paused again, and suddenly -his eyes widened. - - * * * * * - -Moving quickly to the door of the scout, he shoved his equipment -through and crawled in behind it. He did not consult the communicator, -as he customarily did on entering, but went directly to the warped -place on the floor and picked up the crowbar he had laid there. - -Inserting the bar between the metal of the scout bottom and the engine -casing, he lifted. Nothing happened. He rested a minute and tried -again, this time concentrating on his desire to raise the bar. The -metal beneath yielded slightly--but he felt the palms of his hands -bruise against the lever. - -Only after he dropped the bar did he realize the force he had exerted. -His hands ached and tingled. His strength must have been increased -tremendously. With his plastic coat wrapped around the lever, he tried -again. The metal of the scout bottom gave slowly--until the fuel pump -hung free! - -Kaiser did not repair the tube immediately. He let the solution -rest in his hands, like a package to be opened, the pleasure of its -anticipation to be enjoyed as much as the final act. - -He transmitted the news of what he had been able to do and sat down to -read the two messages waiting for him. - -The first was quite routine: - - REPORTS FROM THE OCTOPUS INDICATE THAT BIG MUDDY UNDERGOES RADICAL - WEATHER-CYCLE CHANGES DURING SPRING AND FALL SEASONS, FROM EXTREME - MOISTURE TO EXTREME ARIDITY. AT HEIGHT OF DRY SEASON, PLANET MUST - BE COMPLETELY DEVOID OF SURFACE LIQUID. - - TO SURVIVE THESE UNUSUAL EXTREMES, SEAL-PEOPLE WOULD NEED EXTREME - ADAPTABILITY. THIS VERIFIES OUR EARLIER GUESS THAT NATIVES HAVE - SYMBIOSIS WITH THE SAME VIRUS FORM THAT INVADED YOU. WITH - SYMBIOTES' AID, SUCH RADICAL PHYSICAL CHANGE COULD BE POSSIBLE. - WILL KEEP YOU INFORMED. - - GIVE US ANY NEW INFORMATION YOU MIGHT HAVE ON NATIVES. - - SS II - -The second report was not so routine. Kaiser thought he detected a note -of uneasiness in it. - - SUGGEST YOU DEVOTE ALL TIME AND EFFORT TO REPAIR OF SCOUT. - INFORMATION ON SEAL-PEOPLE ADEQUATE FOR OUR PURPOSES. - - SS II - -Kaiser did not answer either communication. His earlier report had -covered all that he had learned lately. He lay on his cot and went to -sleep. - -In the morning, another message was waiting: - - VERY PLEASED TO HEAR OF PROGRESS ON REPAIR OF SCOUT. COMPLETE AS - QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE AND RETURN HERE IMMEDIATELY. - - SS II - - * * * * * - -Kaiser wondered about the abrupt recall. Could the _Soscites II_ be -experiencing some difficulty? He shrugged the thought aside. If they -were, they would have told him. The last notes had had more than just a -suggestion of urgency--there appeared to be a deliberate concealing of -information. - -Strangely, the messages indicated need for haste did not prod Kaiser. -He knew now that the job could be done, perhaps in a few hours' time. -And the _Soscites II_ would not complete its orbit of the planet for -two weeks yet. - -Without putting on more than the shirt and trousers he had grown used -to wearing, Kaiser went outside and wandered listlessly about the -vicinity of the ship for several hours. When he became hungry, he went -back inside. - -Another message came in as he finished eating. This one was from the -captain himself: - - WHY HAVE WE RECEIVED NO VERIFICATION OF LAST INSTRUCTIONS? REPAIR - SCOUT IMMEDIATELY AND RETURN WITHOUT FURTHER DELAY. THIS IS AN - ORDER! - - H. A. HESSE, CAPT. - -Kaiser pushed the last of his meal--which he had been eating with his -fingers--into his mouth, crumpled the tape, wiped the grease from his -hands with it and dropped it to the floor. - -He pondered mildly, as he packed his equipment, why he was disregarding -the captain's message. For some reason, it seemed too trivial for -serious consideration. He placated his slightly uneasy conscience only -to the extent of packing the communicator in with his other equipment. -It was a self-contained unit and he'd be able to receive messages from -the ship on his trip. - - * * * * * - -The tracks of his earlier journey had been erased by the soft rain, and -when Kaiser reached the river, he found that he had not returned to -the village he had visited the day before. However, there were other -seal-people here. - -And they were almost human! - -The resemblance was still not so much in their physical makeup--that -was little changed from the first he had found--as in their obviously -greater intelligence. - -This was mainly noticeable in their facile expressions as they talked. -Kaiser was even certain that he read smiles on their faces when he -slipped on a particularly slick mud patch as he hurried toward them. -Where the members of the first tribes had all looked almost exactly -alike, these had very marked individual characteristics. Also, these -had no odor--only a mild, rather pleasing scent. When they came to meet -him, Kaiser could detect distinct syllabism in their pipings. - -Most of the natives returned to the river after the first ten minutes -of curious inspection, but two stayed behind as Kaiser set up his tent. - -One was a female. - -They made small noises while he went about his work. After a time, he -understood that they were trying to give names to his paraphernalia. He -tried saying "tent" and "wire" and "tarp" as he handled each object, -but their piping voices could not repeat the words. Kaiser amused -himself by trying to imitate their sounds for the articles. He was -fairly successful. He was certain that he could soon learn enough to -carry on a limited conversation. - -The male became bored after a time and left, but the girl stayed until -Kaiser finished. She motioned to him then to follow. When they reached -the river bank, he saw that she wanted him to go into the water. - - * * * * * - -Before he had time to decide, Kaiser heard the small bell of the -communicator from the tent behind him. He stood undecided for a moment, -then returned and read the message on the tape: - - STILL ANXIOUSLY AWAITING WORD FROM YOU. - - IN MEANTIME, GIVE VERY CLOSE ATTENTION TO FOLLOWING. - - WE KNOW THAT THE SYMBIOTES MUST BE ABLE TO MAKE RADICAL CHANGES IN - THE PHYSIOLOGY OF THE SEAL-PEOPLE. THERE IS EVERY PROBABILITY THAT - YOURS WILL ATTEMPT TO DO THE SAME TO YOU--TO BETTER FIT YOUR BODY - TO ITS PRESENT ENVIRONMENT. - - THE DANGER, WHICH WE HESITATED TO MENTION UNTIL NOW--WHEN YOU HAVE - FORCED US BY YOUR OBSTINATE SILENCE--IS THAT IT CAN ALTER YOUR - MIND ALSO. YOUR REPORT ON SECOND TRIBE OF SEAL-PEOPLE STRONGLY - INDICATES THAT THIS IS ALREADY HAPPENING. THEY WERE PROBABLY NOT - MORE INTELLIGENT AND HUMANLIKE THAN THE OTHERS. ON THE CONTRARY, - YOU ARE BECOMING MORE LIKE THEM. - - DANGER ACUTE. RETURN IMMEDIATELY. REPEAT: IMMEDIATELY! - - SS II - -Kaiser picked up a large rock and slowly, methodically pounded the -communicator into a flattened jumble of metal and loose parts. - -When he finished, he returned to the waiting girl on the river bank. -She pointed at his plastic trousers and made laughing sounds in her -throat. Kaiser returned the laugh and stripped off the trousers. They -ran, still laughing, into the water. - -Already the long pink hair that had been growing on his body during the -past week was beginning to turn brown at the roots. - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's Growing Up On Big Muddy, by Charles V. de Vet - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK GROWING UP ON BIG MUDDY *** - -***** This file should be named 51398.txt or 51398.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/1/3/9/51398/ - -Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan 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. 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