重要成分：人类宝贵财产神秘.pdfVIP

Itismansmostpreciouspossession—nolivingthingcanexistwithoutit.ButwhentheygaveittoOrville,

itkilledhim.Fortheanswer,read1/M.

VitalIngredient

ByCharV.DeVet

NOWWATCH,Remmsaid,indicatingthenative.Mackerhadbeenabsent,exploringthecountryside

intheimmediatevicinityoftheirlandingce,andhadnotwitnessedthecaptureofthenative,orthe

testshistwocompanionsmadeonit.

MackerfollowedRemmsgazetowherethebipednativesathunched.Thecreaturewasbentintoan

ungainlyposition,itsbodycrookedatincongruousang,insuchawayastoallowmostofitsweightto

restonapacking-boxatthebaseofamiddleangle.Itsstubbyfeet,ontheendsofthin,pipelikelegs,

restedagainstthefloorofthespace-ship.Itsbodywascovered,almostentirely,withanartificialskin

materialofvariouscolors.SomeofthecolorshurtMackerseyes.Inthefewceswherethefh

showedthroughtheskinwasanunhealthy,pallidwhite.

Slowlythecreaturesheadswiveledonitsshortneckuntilitfacedthem.

Thoseorifacesintheupperportionofitsskullareevidentlyorgansofsight,Remmsaid.Itseesthatwe

arequiteadistanceaway.Itwillprobablyattempttoescapeagain.

Slowly—slowly—thenativesheadrotatedawayfromtheminahalf-circleuntilitfacedToolls,

workingoverhisinstrumentsonthefarsideoftheroom.Thenitturneditsheadbackuntilitfacedthe

dooroftheship.

Itissettingitselfforflightnow,Remmsaid.Noticetheevidenceofstrainonitsface.

Thecreatureleanedforwardandtheappendagesontheendsofitsupperlimbsclutchedthesidesofthe

boxasitpropelleditsbodyforward.