uplift4.brightnessreef-第28部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　　The　newers　made　no　pretense；　as　Lark　might　have　expected；　of　representing　a　galactic　agency　or　feigning　a　legal　right　to　survey　Jijo's　biosphere。　Did　they　think　the　exiles　had　no　memory　of　such　things？　Or　did　they　simply　not　care？　Their　goal…data　about　changes　since　the　Buyur　left…made　Lark's　lifework　more　precious　than　he　ever　imagined。　So　much　that　Lester　Cambel　had　ordered　him　to　leave　his　notebooks　behind；　lest　they　fall　into　alien　hands。
　　The　sages　want　me　to　play　it　close。　Try　to　find　out　at　least　as　much　from　her　as　she　learns　from　me。
　　A　foredoomed　plan；　of　course。　The　Six　were　like　infants；　ignorant　of　the　rules　of　a　deadly　game。　Still；　Lark　would　do　his　best；　so　long　as　his　agenda　and　the　sages'　remained　the　same。　Which　might　not　always　be　the　case。
　　They　know　that。　Surely　they've　not　forgotten　I'm　a　heretic？
　　Fortunately　the　forayers　had　assigned　their　least　intimidating　member　to　acpany　him。　It　might　just　as　easily　have　been　Rann；　a　huge　male　with　close…cropped　gray　hair；　a　booming　voice；　and　a　wedgelike　torso　that　seemed　about　to　burst　from　his　snug　uniform。　Of　the　two　others　who　emerged　from　the　black　station；　Kunn　was　nearly　as　masculinely　imposing　as　Rann；　with　shoulders　like　a　young　hoon's；　while　pale…haired　Besh　was　so　dramatically　female　that　Lark　wondered　how　she　moved　so　gracefully　with　a　body　that　prodigiously　curved。　pared　to　her　colleagues；　Ling　seemed　almost　normal；　though　she　would　have　caused　a　stir　growing　up　in　any　Jijoan　town…no　doubt　provoking　many　duels　among　hot…tempered　suitors。
　　Don't　forget　your　vow；　Lark　reminded　himself；　puffing　in　exertion　while　climbing　a　steep　part　of　the　trail。　Perspiration　stained　the　front　of　Ling's　blouse；　which　clung　to　her　in　provocative　ways。　He　forced　himself　to　look　away。　You　made　a　choice；　to　live　for　a　goal　greater　than　yourself。　If　you　wouldn't　forsake　that　aim　for　an　honest　woman　of　Jijo；　don't　even　think　about　giving　it　up　for　a　raider；　an　alien；　an　enemy　of　this　world。
　　Lark　found　a　new　way　to　direct　the　heat　in　his　veins。　Lust　can　be　blocked　by　other　strong　emotions。　So　he　turned　to　anger。
　　You　plan　to　use　us；　he　mused　silently。　But　things　may　turn　out　different　than　you　think。
　　That　attitude；　in　turn；　roused　an　obstinate　layer；　overing　his　natural　curiosity。　Earlier；　Ling　had　said　something　about　humans　no　longer　being　considered　wolflings；　out　among　the　stars。　No　longer　orphans；　without　patrons　to　guide　them。　From　the　look　in　her　eye；　she　had　clearly　expected　this　news　to　cause　a　stir。　No　doubt　she　wanted　him　to　beg　for　further　information。
　　I'll　beg　if　I　must…but　I'd　rather　buy；　borrow；　or　steal　it。　We'll　see。　The　game's　just　in　its　opening　rounds。
　　Soon　they　passed　stands　of　lesser…boo。　Ling　took　samples　of　some　segmented　stems…each　no　more　than　ten　centimeters　across…deftly　slicing　near…transparent　sections　into　her　analyzer。
　　〃I　may　be　a　dumb　native　guide；〃　he　mented。　〃But　I'll　wager　boo　doesn't　show　much　sign　of　pre…sapience。〃
　　Her　head　jerked　when　he　said　the　word。　Thus　Lark　ended　one　pretense。
　　We　know　why　you're　here。
　　Ling's　dusky　skin　did　not　hide　a　flush。　〃Did　I　suggest　any　such　thing？　I　just　want　to　track　genetic　drift　since　this　species　was　planted　by　the　Buyur。　We'll　need　a　benchmark　to　pare　trends　in　animals。　That's　all。〃
　　So　we　begin　the　outright　lies；　he　thought。　From　fossil　evidence；　Lark　knew　that　boo　already　thrived　on　Jijo　long　before　the　Buyur　won　their　lease；　twenty　million　years　ago。　Perhaps　it　was　imported　by　a　previous　tenant。　Whole　ecosystems　had　coevolved　around　the　successful　vegetal　type；　and　countless　animals　now　relied　on　it。　But　things　must　have　been　rough　for　the　first　aeon　or　so；　as　boo　pushed　native　flora　out　of　many　watersheds。
　　Lark　knew　little　about　the　biochemical　level；　but　from　fossils　he　was　sure　the　genus　hadn't　changed　much　in　a　hundred　million　years。
　　Why　would　she　lie　about　something　so　unimportant。　The　Scrolls　taught　that　deceit　was　not　only　wrong；　but　also　a　fickle；　dangerous　ally。　And　habit　forming。　Once　you　start　lying；　it's　hard　to　stop。　Eventually　it　is　small；　needless　lies　that　get　you　caught。
　　〃Speaking　of　pre…sapience；〃　Ling　said；　folding　her　sample　case；　〃I　can't　help　wondering　where　you　folks　stashed　your　chimpanzees。　I'm　sure　they　must　have　drifted　in　interesting　ways。〃
　　It　was　Lark's　turn　to　give　away　too　much　with　an　involuntary　twitch。　Denial　was　useless。　Humans　don't　need　rewq　to　play　this　game　with　each　other…reading　clues　in　each　other's　faces。　Lester　must　know　I'll　betray　as　much　as　I　learn。
　　〃Chimps　are　like　children。　Naturally　we　sent　them　away　from　possible　danger。〃
　　Ling　looked　left　and　right。　〃Do　you　see　any　danger？〃
　　Lark　almost　burst　out　with　sardonic　laughter。　In　Ling's　eyes　danced　a　plexity　of　things　he　could　only　guess。　But　some　thoughts　were　clear　without　being　spoken　aloud。
　　You　know　that　I　know。　I　know　that　you　know　that　I　know。　And　you　know　that　I　know　that　you　know　that　I　know。。。。
　　There　is　another　emotion　that　can　overe　hormonal　lust；　or　the　fury　of　anger。
　　Respect。
　　He　nodded　to　his　adversary；　meeting　her　gaze　full　on。
　　〃I'll　let　you　know　if　we　pass　near　any　chimps；　so　you　can　see　for　yourself。〃
　　Ling　had　extremely　sharp　vision　and　proved　it　frequently　by　spotting　movements　Lark　would　have　missed…forest　creatures　foraging；　browsing；　hunting；　or　tending　their　young。　In　this；　she　reminded　him　of　Dwer。　But　Ling　also　owned　many　tools；　which　she　brought　swiftly　to　bear　on　whatever　crawling；　flitting；　or　ambling　thing　caught　her　attention。
　　She　must　really　have　studied　those　old　Buyur　records；　for　their　progress　was　slowed　by　frequent　sighs　of　recognition；　when　she　would　classify　a　species　of　shrub；　tree；　or　four…winged　bird；　then　ask　Lark　to　add　whatever　quaint　name　the　locals　used。　Lark　gave　cautious　answers…just　enough　to　support　his　value　as　a　local　expert。
　　Sometimes　Ling　would　pause　and　mutter　into　her　ring；　as　if　contemplating　what　she　had　learned。　Lark　realized　with　a　shiver　that　she　must　be　in　contact　with　her　base。　This　was　speech　at　a　distance；　not　like　semaphore；　far…casting；　or　even　rare　psi…telepathy；　but　the　high…tech　kind　mentioned　in　books；　perfect　and　reliable。　The　voice　of　the　person　at　the　other　end　could　barely　be　made　out　as　a　whisper。　He　guessed　it　must　be　projected　somehow；　pactly；　to　the　region　near　her　ear。
　　At　one　point；　Ling　murmured　in　a　dialect　form　of　Anglic；　rather　hard　to　follow。
　　〃Yea；　yea。。。。　Oright。　A'll　try　to　speed　ip。　But　yigotta　chuz…distince　er　ditail。〃
　　The　other　party　must　have　been　persuasive；　for　Ling　picked　up　the　pace　when　the　march　resumed…until　the　next　excited　discovery　caused　her　to　forget　her　promise　and　go　right　back　to　dawdling　over　some　intriguing　detail。　Lark　found　this　character　flaw…how　easily　she　was　distracted　by　the　sight　of　living　things…the　first　thing　he　honestly　liked　about　her。
　　Then　Ling　spoiled　it　by　patronizing　him；　defining…in　slow；　simple　words…what　〃nocturnal〃　meant。　Lark　quashed　resentment。　He　had　read　enough　adventure　novels　as　a　kid　to　know　how　a　native　guide　was　supposed　to　act。　So　he　thanked　her　respectfully。　There　might　be　future　advantages　to　be　had　in　letting　her　maintain　her　stereotypes。
　　For　all　of　Ling's　enthusiasm　and　keen　eyesight；　she　was　no　hunter　like　Dwer。　Even　to　Lark；　the　surroundings　frothed　with　signs…footprints　and　broken　stems；　feces　and　territory　marks；　wisps　of　fur；　scale；　feather；　and　torg。　Any　child　of　the　Six　could　read　such　stories；　found　along　the　path。　But　Ling　seemed　aware　only　of　what　was　currently　alive。
　　Thinking　about　Dwer　made　Lark　smile。　By　the　time　he　gets　back　from　his　mundane　glaver　hunt；　I'll　be　the　one　with　wild　stories　to　tell；　for　a　change。
　　At　intervals；　Ling　unfolded　an　instrument　with　twin　〃holio　screens；〃　one　showing　a　forest　scene　that　rippled　and　moved　as　Lark　stared　over　her　shoulder；　showing　someplace　nearby；　he　could　tell　from　the　foliage。　The　other　screen　displayed　charts　and　figures　he　found　indecipherable…which　was　humbling。　He　had　read　nearly　every　biology　text　in　Biblos　and　figured　he　should　at　least　understand　the　vocabulary。
　　Maybe　the　〃Yes；　bwana〃　routine　isn't　such　an　act。　Turns　out　I　may　be　illiterate；　after　all。
　　Ling　explained　this　was　data　from　one　of　the　robot　probes；　climbing　the　same　path　some　distance　ahead。　〃Could　we　move　faster　now？〃　she　asked　eagerly。　〃The　robot　has　subdued　some　interesting　specimens。　I　want　to　reach　them　before　they　deteriorate。〃
　　She　had　been　the　one　dawdling。　Still；　Lark　only　nodded。
　　〃Whatever　you　say。〃
　　The　first　specimen　was　a　hapless　wuankworm　whose　burrow　had　been　sliced　open　with　scalpel…smoothness。　A　web　of　fibrous　stuff　defied　repeated　battering　by　the　worm's　bony　head；　as　it　fought　futilely　to　escape。
　　Ling　spoke　into　her　ring。　〃This　feral　form　seems　related　to　ore…gleaners　the　Buyur　imported　from　Dezni；　three　aeons　ago。　Dezni…evolved　organisms　should　estivate　after　injection　with　clathrate　of　methane。　We'll　try　a　larger　dose　now。〃
　　She　aimed　a　device　that　sent　a　slender　tube　flashing　like　a　resolute　predator；　piercing　a　crease　between　two　armor　plates。　The　worm　flinched；　then　slumped；　quivering。
　　〃Good。　Now　let's　see　if　encephalization　has　changed　during　the　last　megayear。〃　She　turned　to　Lark　and　explained。　〃That's　to　see　if　they　have　more　brain　matter。〃
　　Now　that　I　knew；　he　thought；　but　restrained　himself　and　remarked　instead；
　　〃How　perfectly　amazing。〃
　　Lark　learned　to　pass　instruments；　draw　blood；　and　assist　his　employer　as　required。　At　one　point　the　raspy　tongue　of　an　angry　longsnout　whipped　between　the　strands　of　its　cage　and　would　have　torn　strips　off　Ling's　arm；　if　he　had　not　yanked　it　away　in　time。　After　that；　Ling　seemed　to　realize　her　〃native　guide〃　had　uses　beyond　toting；　carrying；　and　being　impressed　whenever　she　spoke。
　　Though　the　robot's　specimens　were　〃brainy〃　types；　living　by　their　wits　as　hunters　or　omnivorous　gatherers；　Lark　thought　none　of　them　likely　prospects　for　uplift。　Maybe　in　ten　million　years；　when　this　galaxy　is　reopened　for　legal　settlement。　By　then；　longsnouts　or　leap　raptors　may　be　ready；　tested　by　evolution　and　Ifni's　luck；　primed　for　adoption　by　some　kindly　elder　race。
　　Yet；　watching　her　u