uplift4.brightnessreef-第39部分

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e　same　evening　the　black　station　buried　itself　under　a　fountain　of　piled　dirt　and　broken　vegetation。　The　basis　for　both　actions　was　still　obscure；　but　Lark's　superiors　now　thought　it　must　have　to　do　with　the　violent　destruction　of　one　of　the　interlopers'　robots。　An　event　his　brother　must　have　witnessed　at　close　hand。
　　Then　there　was　the　testimony　of　Rety；　the　girl　from　over　the　mountains；　supported　by　her　treasure；　a　strange　metal　machine；　once　shaped　like　a　Jijoan　bird。　Was　it　a　Buyur　remnant；　as　some　supposed？　If　so；　why　should　such　a　small　item　perturb　the　mighty　forayers？　Unless　it　was　like　the　tip　of　a　red　qheuen's　shell；　innocuous　at　first　sight；　poking　over　a　sand　dune；　part　of　much　more　than　it　seemed？　The　〃bird〃　now　lay　in　a　cave；　headless　and　mute；　but　Rety　swore　it　used　to　move。
　　Lark　had　been　ordered　back　down　to　the　Glade　before　his　brother　could　confirm　the　story。　He　knew　he　shouldn't　worry。　Danel　Ozawa　was　qualified　to　tend　Dwer's　wounds。　Still；　he　deeply　resented　the　recall　order。
　　〃Will　you　be　needing　me　for　another　expedition？〃　he　asked　Ling。
　　〃After　you　abandoned　me　the　last　time？　We　found　human　tracks　when　we　finally　got　to　where　our　robot　went　down。　Is　that　where　you　rushed　off　to？　Funny　how　you　knew　which　way　to　go。〃
　　He　shouldered　his　pack。　〃Well；　if　you　don't　need　me；　then…〃
　　She　swept　a　hand　before　her　face。　〃Oh；　never　mind。　Let's　move　on。　There's　plenty　of　work；　if　you　want　it。〃
　　Lark　glanced　dubiously　at　the　lab　tables。　Of　Jijo's　Six；　all　three　of　the　races　with　good　hand…eye　coordination　were　employed。　Outside；　hoons　and　qheuens　also　labored　at　the　behest　of　aliens　whose　merest　trinkets　meant　unimaginable　wealth　to　primitive　savages。　Only　traeki　were　unseen　among　the　speckled　tents；　since　the　ringed　ones　seemed　to　make　the　raiders　nervous。
　　Sepoy　labor。　That　was　the　contemptuous　expression　Lena　Strong　had　used　when　she　brought　Lark　new　orders　at　Tooth…Slice　Shavings'　Dam。　An　old　Earth　term；　referring　to　aborigines　toiling　for　mighty　visitors；　paid　in　beads。
　　〃Oh；　don't　look　so　sour。〃　Ling　laughed。　〃It　would　serve　you　right　if　I　put　you　to　work　staining　nerve　tissue；　or　shoveling　the　longsnout　pens。。。。　No；　stop。〃　She　grabbed　Lark's　arm。　All　signs　of　mockery　vanished。　〃I'm　sorry。　There　really　are　things　I　want　to　discuss　with　you。〃
　　〃Uthen　is　here。〃　He　pointed　to　the　far　end　of　the　tent；　where　his　fellow　biologist；　a　large　male　qheuen　with　a　slate　gray　carapace；　held　conference　with　Rann；　one　of　the　two　male　forayers；　a　tall　massive　man　in　a　tight…fitting　uniform。
　　〃Uthen　knows　incredible　detail　about　how　different　species　relate　to　each　other。〃　Ling　agreed　with　a　nod。　〃That's　not　easy　on　a　planet　that　has　had　infusions　of　outsider　species　every　twenty　million　years　or　so；　for　aeons。　Your　lore　is　impressive；　given　your　limitations。〃
　　Had　she　any　idea　how　far　Jijoan　〃lore〃　really　went？　So　far；　the　sages　had　not　released　his　detailed　charts；　and　Uthen　must　be　dragging　all　five　feet；　cooperating　just　enough　to　stay　indispensable。　Yet　the　aliens　seemed　easily　impressed　by　sketchy　glimmers　of　local　acumen；　which　only　showed　how　insultingly　low　their　expectations　were。
　　〃Thanks；〃　Lark　muttered。　〃Thanks　a　lot。〃
　　Ling　sighed；　briefly　averting　her　dark　eyes。　〃Crampers；　can't　I　say　anything　right；　today？　I　don't　mean　to　offend。　It's　just。。。　look；　how　about　we　try　starting　from　scratch；　all　right？〃　She　held　out　a　hand。
　　Lark　looked　at　it。　What　was　he　expected　to　do　now？
　　She　reached　out　with　her　left　hand　to　take　his　right　wrist。　Then　her　right　hand　clasped　his。　〃It's　called　a　handshake。　We　use　it　to　signify　respect；　amicable　greeting；　or　agreement。〃
　　Lark　blinked。　Her　grip　was　warm；　firm；　slightly　moist。
　　〃Oh；　yes。。。　I've　rea…　heard　of　it。〃
　　He　tried　to　respond　when　she　squeezed；　but　it　felt　so　strange；　and　vaguely　erotic；　that　Lark　let　go　sooner　than　she　seemed　to　expect。　His　face　felt　warm。
　　〃Is　it　a　mon　gesture？〃
　　〃Very　mon；　I　hear。　On　Earth。〃
　　You　hear？　Lark　leaped　on　the　passing　phrase　and　knew　it　had　begun　again…their　game　of　hints　and　revelations；　mutual　scrutiny　of　clues　and　things　left　unsaid。
　　〃I　can　see　why　we　gave　it　up；　on　Jijo；〃　he　mented。　〃The　urs　would　hate　it；　their　hands　are　more　personal　than　their　genitals。　Hoons　and　qheuens　would　crush　our　hands　and　we'd　squash　the　tendrils　of　any　g'Kek　who　tried　it。〃　His　fingers　still　felt　tingly。　He　resisted　an　urge　to　look　them　over。　Definitely　time　to　change　the　subject。
　　〃So；〃　Lark　said；　trying　for　a　businesslike　tone　of　equality；　〃you've　never　been　to　Earth？〃
　　One　eyebrow　raised。　Then　she　laughed。　〃Oh；　I　knew　we　couldn't　hire　you　for　just　a　handful　of　biodegradable　Loys。　Don't　worry；　Lark；　you'll　be　paid　in　answers…some　answers…at　the　end　of　each　day。　After　you've　earned　them。〃
　　Lark　sighed；　although　in　fact　the　arrangement　did　not　sound　unsatisfactory。
　　〃Very　well；　then。　Why　don't　you　tell　me　what　it　is　you　want　to　know。〃
　　
　　Asx
　　EACH　DAY　WE　STRIVE　TO　MEDIATE　STRESS　AMONG　our　factions；　from　those　urging　cooperation　with　our　uninvited　guests；　to　others　seeking　means　to　destroy　them。　Even　my/our　own　sub…selves　war　over　these　options。
　　Making　peace　with　felons；　or　fighting　the　unfightable。
　　Damnation　or　extinction。
　　And　still　our　guests　question　us　about　other　visitors！　Have　we　seen　other　outsiders　lately；　dropping　from　the　sky？　Are　there　Buyur　sites　we　have　not　told　them　about？　Sites　where　ancient　mechanisms　lurk；　alert；　still　prone　to　vigorous　action？
　　Why　this　persistence？　Surely　they　can　tell　we　are　not　lying…that　we　know　nothing　more　than　we　have　told。
　　Or　is　that　true；　my　rings？　Have　all　Six　shared　equally　with　the　mons；　or　are　some　withholding　vital　information；　needed　by　all？
　　That　i　should　think　such　a　thing　is　but　another　measure　of　how　far　we　are　fallen；　we　unworthy；　despicable　sooners。　We；　who　surely　have　farther　yet　to　fall。
　　
　　Rety
　　UNDER　A　SMALLER；　SHABBIER　TENT；　IN　A　DENSE　grove　some　secret　distance　from　the　research　station；　Rety　threw　herself　onto　a　reed　mat；　pounding　it　with　both　fists。；
　　〃Stinkers。　Rotten　guts　an'　rancy　meat。　Rotten；　rotten；　rotten！〃
　　She　had　good　reason　to　thrash　in　outrage　and　self…pity。　That　liar；　Dwer；　had　told　her　the　sages　were　good　and　wise。　But　they　turned　out　to　be　horrid！
　　Oh；　not　at　the　beginning。　At　first；　her　hopes　had　shot　up　like　the　geysers　back　home　in　the　steaming　Gray　Hills。　Lester　Cambel　and　the　others　seemed　so　kind；　easing　her　dread　over　being　punished　for　her　grandparents'　crime　of　sneaking　east；　over　the　forbidden　mountains。　Even　before　questioning　her；　they　had　doctors　tend　her　scrapes　and　burns。　It　never　occurred　to　Rety　to　fear　the　unfamiliar　g'Kek　and　traeki　medics　who　dissolved　away　drops　of　clinging　mule…fluid；　then　used　foam　to　drive　off　the　parasites　that　had　infested　her　scalp　for　as　long　as　she　could　remember。　She　even　found　it　in　her　to　forgive　them　when　they　dashed　her　hopes　of　a　cure　for　the　scars　on　her　face。　Apparently；　there　was　a　limit　even　to　what　Slopies　could　acplish。
　　From　the　moment　she　and　Lark　strode　into　the　Glade　of　Gathering；　everyone　seemed　awfully　excited　and　distracted。　At　first　Rety　thought　it　was　because　of　her；　but　it　soon　grew　clear　that　the　real　cause　was　visitors　from　the　sky！
　　No　matter。　It　still　felt　like　ing　home。　Like　being　weled　into　the　embrace　of　a　family　far　bigger　and　sweeter　than　the　dirty　little　band　she　had　known　for　fourteen　awful　years。
　　At　least　it　felt　that　way　for　a　while。
　　Till　the　betrayal。
　　Till　the　sages　called　her　once　again　to　their　pavilion　and　told　her　their　decision。
　　〃It's　all　Dwer's　fault；〃　she　muttered　later；　nursing　hot　resentment。　〃Him　an'　his　rotten　brother。　If　only　I　could've　snuck　in　over　the　mountains　without　being　seen。　No　one　would've　noticed　me　in　all　this　ruckus。〃　Rety　had　no　clear　notion　what　she　would　have　done　after　that。　The　oldsters　back　home　had　been　murky　in　their　handed…down　tales　about　the　Slope。　Perhaps　she　could　make　herself　useful　to　some　remote　village　as　a　trapper。　Not　for　food…Slopies　had　plenty　of　that…but　for　soft　furs　that'd　keep　townfolk　from　asking　too　closely　where　she　came　from。
　　Back　in　the　Gray　Hills；　such　dreams　used　to　help　her　pass　each　grinding　day。　Still；　she　might　never　have　found　the　guts　to　flee　her　muddy　clan　but　for　the　beautiful　bright　bird。
　　And　now　the　sages　had　taken　it　away　from　her！
　　〃We　are　grateful　for　your　part　in　bringing　this　enigmatic　wonder　to　us；〃　Lester　Cambel　said　less　than　an　hour　ago；　with　the　winged　thing　spread　on　a　table　before　him。　〃Meanwhile　though；　something　terribly　urgent　has　e　up。　I　hope　you'll　understand；　Rety；　why　it's　bee　so　necessary　for　you　to　go　back。〃
　　Back？　At　first；　she　could　not　bring　herself　to　understand。　She　puzzled　while　he　gabbled　on　and　on。
　　Back？
　　Back　to　Jass　and　Bom　and　their　strutting　ways？　To　the　endless　bullying　of　those　big；　strong　hunters？　Always　boasting　around　the　campfire　about　petty；　vicious　triumphs　that　grew　more　exaggerated　with　each　telling？　To　those　wicked　oafs　who　used　fire…tipped　sticks　to　punish　anyone　who　dared　to　talk　back　to　them？
　　Back　to　where　mothers　watched　half　their　babies　waste　away　and　die？　To　where　that　hardly　mattered；　because　new　babies　kept　on　ing；　ing　and　ing；　till　you　dried　up　and　died　of　old　age　before　you　were　forty？　Back　to　all　that　hunger　and　dirt？
　　The　human　sage　had　muttered　words　and　phrases　that　were　supposed　to　sound　soothing　and　noble　and　logical。　But　Rety　had　stopped　listening。
　　They　meant　to　send　her　back　to　the　tribe！
　　Oh；　it　might　be　fine　to　see　Jass's　face　when　she　strode　into　camp；　clothed　and　equipped　with　all　the　wonders　the　Six　could　offer。　But　then　where　would　she　be？　Condemned　once　more　to　that　awful　life。
　　I　won't　go　back。　I　won't！
　　With　that　resolution；　Rety　rolled　over；　wiped　her　eyes；　and　considered　what　to　do。
　　She　could　try　running　away；　taking　shelter　elsewhere。　Rumors　told　that　all　was　not　in　perfect　harmony　among　the　Six。　So　far；　she　had　obeyed　Cambel's　request　not　to　blab　the　story　of　her　origins。　But　Rety　wondered…might　some　urrish　or　qheuen　faction　pay　for　the　information？　Or　invite　her　to　live　among　them？
　　It's　said　the　urs　sometimes　let　a　chosen