Sphere (深海圓疑) 原版小說

第41部分 (第6/7頁)

　CARE。

〃And　they　surprise　us；　too。〃

I　AM　GLAD。

〃We're　surprised；　Jerry；　because　you　are　merely　playing　a　game　with　us。〃

I　DO　NOT　LIKE　GAMES。　I　DO　NOT　PLAY　GAMES。

〃Yes。　This　is　a　game　for　you；　Jerry。　It　is　a　sport。〃

NO；　IT　IS　NOT。

〃Yes；　it　is；〃　Norman　said。　〃It　is　a　stupid　sport。〃

Harry；　standing　beside　Norman；　said；　〃Do　you　want　to　contradict　him　that　way？　You　might　make　him　mad。　I　don't　think　Jerry　likes　to　be　contradicted。〃

＇＇280＇＇　I'm　sure　you　don't；　Norman　thought。　But　he　said；　〃Well；　I　have　to　tell　Jerry　the　truth　about　his　own　behavior。　He　isn't　doing　anything　very　interesting。〃

OH？　NOT　INTERESTING？

〃No。　You　are　being　spoiled　and　petulant；　Jerry。〃

DO　YOU　DARE　TO　SPEAK　TO　ME　IN　THIS　FASHION？

〃Yes。　Because　you　are　acting　stupidly。〃

〃Jeez；〃　Harry　said。　〃Take　it　easy　with　him。〃

I　CAN　EASILY　MAKE　YOU　REGRET　YOUR　WORDS；　NORMAN。

Norman　was　noticing；　in　passing；　that　Jerry's　vocabulary　and　syntax　were　now　flawless。　All　pretense　of　na？veté；　of　an　alien　quality；　had　been　dropped。　But　Norman　felt　stronger；　more　confident；　as　the　conversation　progressed。　He　knew　whom　he　was　talking　to　now。　He　wasn't　talking　to　any　alien。　There　weren't　any　unknown　assumptions。　He　was　talking　to　a　childish　part　of　another　human　being。

I　HAVE　MORE　POWER　THAN　YOU　CAN　IMAGINE。

〃I　know　you　have　power；　Jerry；〃　Norman　said。　〃Big　deal。〃

Harry　became　suddenly　agitated。　〃Norman。　For　Christ's　sake。　You're　going　to　get　us　all　killed。〃

LISTEN　TO　HARRY。　HE　IS　WISE。

〃No；　Jerry；〃　Norman　said。　〃Harry　is　not　wise。　He　is　only　afraid。〃

HARRY　IS　NOT　AFRAID。　ABSOLUTELY　NOT。

Norman　decided　to　let　that　pass。　〃I'm　talking　to　you；　Jerry。　Only　to　you。　You　are　th