uplift4.brightnessreef-第49部分

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…and　perhaps　a　few　old　scores　settled　along　the　way。
　　Still；　envoys　of　the　two　groups　gathered　in　the　dead　of　night；　near　a　steaming　fumarole；　by　the　winding　path　leading　to　the　silent　nest　of　the　Egg。　Most　of　those　in　the　conspiracy　wore　heavy　cloaks　to　hide　their　identities。　Harullen；　who　was　among　the　few　still　to　possess　a　functioning　rewq；　was　asked　to　remove　the　squirming　symbiont　from　his　sensory　cupola；　lest　the　delicate　creature　burn　itself　out　in　the　atmosphere　of　strained　intrigue。　Creatures　of　the　Great　Peace；　rewq　were　not　suited　for　times　of　war。
　　Or　is　it　because　the　zealots　don't　want　us　to　see　too　much；　Lark　pondered。　Not　for　nothing　were　rewq　called　the　〃mask　that　reveals。〃　Their　near…universal　hibernation　was　as　troubling　as　the　heavy　silence　of　the　Egg　itself。
　　Before　starting；　the　zealots　first　cracked　open　several　jars；　releasing　swarms　of　privacy　wasps　around　the　periphery…an　ancient　ritual　whose　origins　had　been　lost　but　that　now　made　earnest　sense；　after　discoveries　of　the　last　few　days。　Then　the　urrish　spokesman　for　the　cabal　stepped　forward；　speaking　in　Galactic　Two。
　　〃Your　association　sees　opportunity　in　the　（greatly　lamented）　ing　of　these　felons；〃　she　accused。　The　whistles　and　clicks　were　muffled　by　a　cowl；　obscuring　all　but　the　tip　of　her　muzzle。　Still；　Lark　could　tell　she　wasn't　many　seasons　past　a　middling；　with　at　most　one　husband　pouched　under　an　arm。　Her　diction　implied　education；　possibly　at　one　of　the　plains　academies　where　young　urs；　fresh　from　the　herd；　gathered　within　sight　of　some　steaming　volcano；　to　apprentice　in　their　finest　arts。　An　intellectual；　then。　All　full　of　book　learning　and　the　importance　of　her　own　ideas。
　　Yeah；　a　part　of　him　answered　honestly。　In　other　words；　not　too　different　from　yourself。
　　Harullen　answered　the　rebel's　challenge；　making　a　political　point　by　speaking　Anglic。
　　〃What　do　you　mean　by　that　strange　proposition？〃
　　〃We　mean　that　you　perceive；　in　these　（disliked/unwele）　aliens；　a　chance　to　see　your　ultimate　goals　fulfilled！〃
　　The　urs　stamped　a　foreleg。　Her　insinuation　sent　angry　murmurs　through　the　heretic　delegation。　Yet　Lark　had　seen　it　ing。
　　Harullen's　gray　carapace　rocked　an　undulating　circle。　A　traeki　gesture；　which　the　ringed　ones　called　Objection　to　Unjust　Impeachment。
　　〃You　imply　that　we　condone　our　own　murder。　And　that　of　every　sapient　on　Jijo。〃
　　The　urrish　conspirator　imitated　the　same　motion；　but　in　reverse…Reiteration　of　Indictment。
　　〃I　do　so　（emphatically）　imply。　I　do　so　（in　brutal　frankness）　mean。　All　know　this　is　what　you　heretics　（misguidedly）　desire。〃
　　Lark　stepped　forward。　If　the　zealots'　murmur　included　any　anti…human　slurs；　he　ignored　them。
　　〃That　is　not　（negation　reiterated）　what　we　desire！〃　Lark　plained；　garbling　the　qualifier　trill…phrase　in　his　haste　to　speak　up。
　　〃There　are　two　reasons　for　this；〃　he　continued；　still　struggling　in　GalTwo。
　　〃First　among　our　grounds　（for　rebuttal）　is　this…the　aliens　（greedy　to　extreme　fault）　must　not　only　eliminate　all　sapient　witnesses　（to　crime/to　theft）　who　might　testify　in　a　Galactic　court。　They　must　also　wipe　out　the　native　stock　of　any　（unlucky）　species　they　steal　from　Jijo！　Otherwise；　how　embarrassing　would　it　be　someday；　when　the　（foolish）　thieves　announce　their　adoption　of　a　new　client　race；　only　to　be　confronted　with　proof　that　it　was　stolen　from　this　world？　For　this　reason　they　must　exterminate　the　original　population；　when　they　depart。
　　〃This　we　（in　righteousness）　cannot　allow！　Genocide　of　innocent　life　is　the　very　crime　our　group　was　（in　selfless　righteousness）　formed　to　fight！〃
　　Harullen　and　the　other　heretics　shouted　approval。
　　Lark　found　his　throat　too　dry　to　continue　in　Galactic　Two。　He　had　made　the　gesture。　Now　he　switched　to　Anglic。
　　〃But　there　is　another　reason　to　resist　being　slaughtered　by　the　aliens。
　　〃There　is　no　honor　in　simply　being　killed。　Our　group's　goal　is　to　seek　agreement；　consensus；　so　that　the　Six　shall　do　the　right　thing　slowly；　painlessly；　voluntarily；　by　means　of　birth　control；　as　an　act　of　nobility　and　devotion　to　this　world　we　love。〃
　　〃The　effect；　in　the　end；　would　ve　identical；〃　the　urrish　speaker　pointed　out；　slipping　into　the　same　language　Lark　used。
　　〃Not　when　the　truth　is　finally　revealed！　And　it　will　be；　someday；　when　this　world　has　new　legal　tenants；　who　take　up　the　mon　hobby　of　archaeology。〃
　　That　statement　triggered　confused　silence。　Even　Harullen　rotated　his　cupola　to　stare　at　Lark。
　　〃Exflain；　flease。〃　The　urrish　rebel　bent　her　forelegs；　urging　him　to　continue。　〃What　difference　will　archaeology　signify；　once　we　and　all　our　descendants　are　long　gone；　our　hoof　bones　littering　the　wallows　of　the　sea？〃
　　Lark　drew　himself　up；　fighting　fatigue。
　　〃Eventually；　despite　all　efforts　to　live　by　the　Scrolls　and　leave　no　permanent　marks；　this　story　will　someday　be　told。　A　million　years　from　now；　or　ten；　it　will　bee　known　that　a　society　of　sooners　once　dwelled　here；　descendants　of　selfish　fools　who　invaded　Jijo　for　reasons　long　forgotten。　Beings　who　nonetheless　transcended　their　ancestors'　foolishness；　teaching　themselves　where　true　greatness　lies。
　　〃That　is　the　difference　between　seeking　dignified　self…extinction　and　being　foully　murdered。　For　honor's　sake；　and　by　all　the　blessings　of　the　Egg；　the　choice　must　be　ours；　every　individual's；　not　imposed　on　us　by　a　pack　of　criminals！〃
　　Harullen　and　his　other　friends　were　clearly　moved。　They　shouted；　hissed；　and　umbled　fervent　support。　Lark　even　heard　some　approving　murmurs　among　the　cowled　zealots。　Without　benefit　of　rewq；　he　could　tell　he　was　managing　to　sound　convincing…although　deep　inside；　he　scarcely　believed　his　own　words。
　　Ling's　bunch　don't　seem　to　fear　archaeological　hobbyists　of　some　future　aeon。
　　In　fact；　Lark　didn't　give　a　damn　either；　whether　some　obscure　historical　footnote　said　nice　things　about　the　Six；　far　in　the　distant　future。
　　Good　laws　don't　need　rewards　or　recognition　to　make　them　right。　They're　true　and　just　on　their　own　account　and　should　be　honored　even　if　you　know　that　no　one　else　is　watching。　Even　if　no　one　ever　knows。
　　Despite　all　the　well…recited　flaws　of　Galactic　civilization；　Lark　knew　the　rules　protecting　fallow　worlds　were　right。　Though　he'd　been　born　flouting　them；　it　was　still　his　duty　to　help　see　to　it　they　were　obeyed。
　　Contrary　to　his　own　words；　he　had　no　objection；　in　principle；　to　Ling's　bunch　eliminating　local　witnesses；　if　the　means　were　gentle。　Take　a　gene…tailored　plague；　one　leaving　everyone　healthy　but　sterile。　That　might　handle　their　witness　predicament　and　solve　Jijo's　problem　as　well。
　　Ah；　but　Lark　also　had　a　duty　to　oppose　the　raiders'　gene…stealing　scheme。　That；　too；　was　a　violation　of　Jijo；　not　unlike　rape。　With　the　sages　apparently　waffling；　only　the　zealot　conspiracy　seemed　willing　to　fight　the　alien　threat。
　　Hence　Lark's　impassioned　lie；　meant　to　build　trust　between　two　very　different　radical　bands。　He　wanted　a　coalition　with　the　zealots；　for　one　simple　reason。　If　there　were　plans　afoot；　Lark　wanted　a　say　in　them。
　　Cooperate　for　now；　he　told　himself　as　he　spoke　on；　using　his　best　oratorical　skills　to　soothe　their　suspicions；　arguing　persuasively　for　alliance。
　　Cooperate；　but　keep　your　eyes　open。
　　Who　knows？　There　may　e　a　way　to　acplish　both　goals　with　a　single　stroke。
　　
　　Asx
　　THE　UNIVERSE　DEMANDS　OF　US　A　SENSE　OF　IRONY。　For　example；　all　the　effort　and　good　will　that　forged　the　Great　Peace　was　worthwhile。　We　folk　of　the　mons　became　better；　wiser　because　of　it。　We　also　supposed　it　would　work　in　our　favor；　if/when　Galactic　inspectors　came　to　judge　us。　Warring　nations　do　more　harm　to　a　world　than　those　who　calmly　discuss　how　best　to　tend　a　shared　garden。　It　would　surely　weigh　well　that　we　were　courteous　and　gentle　criminals；　not　rapacious　ones。
　　Or　so　we　reasoned。　Did　we　not；　my　rings？
　　Alas；　no　judges　dropped　from　the　sky；　but　thieves　and　liars。　Suddenly；　we　must　play　deadly　games　of　intrigue；　and　those　skills　are　not　what　they　were　in　days　before　mons　and　Egg。
　　How　much　more　capable　we　might　have　been；　if　not　for　peace！
　　We　rediscovered　this　truth　with　sharp　pangs　today；　when　a　panting　galloper　showed　up　with　dispatches　from　the　forge…study　of　Uriel　the　Smith。　Words　of　warning。　Dire　admonitions；　telling　of　sky…portents；　urging　that　we　brace　ourselves　for　visitation　by　a　starship！
　　Oh；　tardy　premonition！　A　caution　that　arrived　too　late　by　far。
　　Once；　stone　citadels　nestled　on　bitter…cold　peaks；　from　north　of　Biblos　all　the　way　down　to　the　tropic　settlements　of　the　Vale；　flashing　messages　via　cleverly　fashioned　mirrors；　outracing　the　swiftest　urrish　couriers　or　even　racing　birds。　With　their　semaphore；　humans　and　their　allies　mobilized　speedily　for　battle；　making　up　skillfully　for　their　lack　of　numbers。　In　time；　urs　and　hoon　developed　systems　of　their　own；　each　clever　in　its　way。　Even　we　traeki　formed　a　network　of　scent…spore　trackers；　to　warn　of　possible　danger。
　　None　of　these　feats　survived　peace。　The　semaphore　was　abandoned；　the　system　of　signal　rockets　allowed　to　lapse。　Until　lately；　merce　alone　simply　did　not　justify　such　costly　media…though　ironically　just　last　year　investors　had　begun　speaking　of　reoccupying　those　frigid　stone　aeries；　resuming　the　network　of　flashed　messages。
　　Had　they　moved　faster；　would　we　have　received　Uriel's　warning　in　time？
　　Would　receiving　it　have　made　any　difference　in　our　fate？
　　Ah；　my　rings。　How　vain　it　is　to　dwell　on　might…have…beens。　Other　than　solipsism；　it　may　be　the　most　mad　thing　that　unitary　beings　waste　their　time　doing。
　　
　　Rety
　　〃DO　YOU　HAVE　SOMETHING　FOR　ME？〃
　　Rann；　the　tall；　stern…looking　leader　of　the　sky…humans；　held　out　his　hand　toward　her。　In　the　late　twilight；　with　wind　rustling　a　nearby　thicket　of　pale　boo；　it　seemed　to　Rety　that　each　of　his　calloused　fingers　was　like　her　entire　wrist。　Moonlight　brought　out　shadows　on　Rann's　craggy　features　and　wedgelike　torso。　She　tried　not　to　show　it；　but　Rety　felt　all　too　insignificant　in　his　presence。
　　Are　all　men　like　this；　out　there　among　the　stars？　The　thought　made　her　feel　funny；　like　earlier；　when　Besh　told　her　it　was　possible　to　smooth　away　her　scars。
　　First　had　e　bad　ne