uplift4.brightnessreef-第57部分

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　　They　seemed　to　be　enjoying　themselves；　holding　squirmy　things　before　their　globelike　eyes；　mewling　in　approval；　then　catching　them　between　smacking　jaws。　Dwer　had　never　seen　glavers　act　with　such…enthusiasm。　Not　back　where　they　were　treated　as　sacred　fools；　encouraged　to　root　at　will　through　the　garbage　middens　of　the　Six。
　　Mudfoot　met　Dwer's　eyes　with　a　revolted　expression。
　　Ifni；　what　pigs！　All　right　if　we　charge　in　there　now？　Bust　'em　up　good；　boss。　Then　herd　'em　all　back　to　civilization；　like　it　or　not？
　　Dwer　vowed　to　curb　his　imagination。　Probably　the　noor　simply　didn't　like　the　smell。
　　Still　he　chided　Mudfoot　in　a　low　voice。
　　〃Who　are　you　to　find　others　disgusting；　Mister　lick…myself…all…over？　e　on。　Let's　tell　the　others；　glavers　haven't　gone　carnivorous；　after　all。　We　have　more　running　ahead；　if　we're　to　make　it　out　of　this　sting…grass　by　nightfall。〃
　　
　　Asx
　　MORE　WORD　ARRIVES　FROM　THE　FAR　SOUTH；　SENT　by　the　smith　of　Mount　Guenn　Forge。　The　message　was　sparse　and　distorted；　having　e　partly　by　courier；　and　partly　conveyed　between　mountain　peaks　by　inexperienced　mirror…flashers；　in　the　partly…restored　semaphore　system。
　　Apparently；　the　alien　forayers　have　begun　visiting　all　the　fishing　hamlets　and　red　qheuen　rookeries；　making　pointed　inquiries。　They　even　landed　in　the　water；　far　out　at　sea；　to　badger　the　crew　of　a　dross…hauler；　on　its　way　home　from　holy　labors　at　the　Midden。　Clearly　the　interlopers　feel　free　to　swoop　down　and　interrogate　our　citizens　wherever　they　dwell；　with　questions　about　〃strange　sights；　strange　creatures；　or　lights　in　the　sea。〃
　　Should　we　make　up　a　story；　my　rings？　Should　we　fabulate　some　tale　of　ocean　monsters　to　intrigue　our　unwanted　guests　and　possibly　stave　off　fate　for　a　while？
　　Assuming　we　dare；　what　would　they　do　to　us　when　they　learn　the　truth？
　　
　　Lark
　　ALL　THAT　MORNING；　LARK　WORKED　NEXT　TO　LING　in　a　state　of　nervous　tension；　made　worse　by　the　fact　that　he　did　not　dare　let　it　show。　Soon；　with　luck；　he　would　have　his　best　chance　to　line　things　up　just　right。　It　would　be　a　delicate　task　though；　doing　spywork　at　the　behest　of　the　sages　while　also　probing　for　information　he　needed；　for　reasons　of　his　own。
　　Timing　would　be　everything。
　　The　Evaluation　Tent　bustled　with　activity。　The　whole　rear　half　of　the　pavilion　was　stacked　with　cages　made　by　qheuenish　crafters　out　of　local　boo；　filled　with　specimens　brought　from　all　over　this　side　of　Jijo。　A　staff　of　humans；　urs；　and　hoon　labored　full…time　to　keep　the　animals　fed；　watered；　and　healthy；　while　several　local　g'Kek　had　shown　remarkable　talent　at　running　various　creatures　through　mazes　or　performing　other　tests；　supervised　by　robots　whose　instructions　were　always　in　prim；　flawless　Galactic　Two。　It　had　been　made　clear　to　Lark　that　it　was　a　mark　of　high　distinction　to　be　asked　to　work　directly　with　one　of　the　star…humans。
　　His　second　airborne　expedition　had　been　even　more　exhausting　than　the　first；　a　three…day　voyage　beginning　with　a　zigzag　spiral　far　out　to　sea；　cruising　just　above　the　waves　over　the　dark　blue　expanse　of　the　Midden；　then　hopping　from　one　island　to　the　next　along　an　extended　offshore　archipelago；　sampling　a　multitude　of　wildly　varied　life…forms　Lark　had　never　seen　before。　To　his　surprise；　it　turned　out　to　be　a　much　more　enjoyable　trip　than　the　first。
　　For　one　thing；　Ling　grew　somewhat　less　condescending　as　they　worked　together；　appreciating　each　other's　skills。　Moreover；　Lark　found　it　stirring　to　see　what　evolution　had　wrought　during　just　a　million　fallow　years；　turning　each　islet　into　a　miniature　biological　reactor；　breeding　delightful　variations。　There　were　flightless　avians　who　had　given　up　the　air；　and　gliding　reptiloids　that　seemed　on　the　verge　of　earning　wings。　Mammiforms　whose　hair　grew　in　horny　protective　spikes；　and　zills　whose　coatings　of　fluffy　torg　shimmered　with　colors　never　seen　on　their　bland　mainland　cousins。　Only　later　did　he　conclude　that　some　of　the　diversity　might　have　been　enhanced　from　the　start；　by　Jijo's　last　legal　tenants。　Perhaps　the　Buyur　seeded　each　isle　with　different　genetic　stock　as　part　of　a　very　long　scale　experiment。
　　Ling　and　Besh　often　had　to　drag　him　away　when　it　came　time　to　leave　a　sampling　site；　while　Kunn　muttered　irascibly　by　his　console；　apparently　happy　only　when　they　were　aloft。　On　landing；　Lark　was　always　first　to　rush　out　the　hatch。　For　a　while；　all　the　dour　brooding　of　his　dreams　lay　submerged　under　a　passion　for　discovery。
　　Still；　as　they　cruised　home　on　the　last　leg…another　unexplained　back…and…forth　gyration　over　open　sea…he　had　found　himself　wondering。　This　trip　was　marvelous；　but　why　did　we　go？　What　did　they　hope　to　acplish？　Even　before　humans　left　Earth；　biologists　knew…higher　life…forms　need　room　to　evolve；　preferably　large　continents。　Despite　the　wild　variety　encountered　on　the　archipelago；　there　wasn't　a　single　creature　the　star…folk　could　hope　to　call　a　candidate　for　uplift。
　　Sure　enough；　when　he　rejoined　Ling　the　next　day；　the　outlander　woman　announced　they　would　return　to　analyzing　rock…stallers；　right　after　lunch。　Besh　had　already　resumed　her　intensive　investigation　of　glavers；　clearly　glad　to　be　back　to　work　on　her　best　prospect。
　　Glavers。　The　irony　struck　Lark。　Yet　he　held　back　his　questions；　biding　his　time。
　　Finally；　Ling　put　down　the　chart　they　had　been　working　on…duplicating　much　that　already　covered　the　walls　of　his　Dolo　Village　study…and　led　him　to　the　table　where　machines　offered　refreshments　in　the　sky…human　fashion。　The　light　was　very　good　there；　so　Lark　gave　a　furtive　nod　to　a　small　man　cleaning　some　animal　pens。　The　fair…haired　fellow　moved　toward　a　stack　of　wooden　crates；　used　for　hauling　foodstuffs　for　the　raucous　zoo　of　captive　creatures。
　　Lark　positioned　himself　at　the　south　end　of　the　table　so　he　would　not　block　the　man's　view　of　Ling；　as　well　as　Besh　and　everything　beyond。　Especially　Ling。　For　this　to　work；　he　must　try　to　keep　her　still　for　as　long　as　possible。
　　〃Besh　seems　to　think　you've　found　yourselves　a　first…class　candidate　species。〃
　　〃Mm？〃　The　dark…eyed　woman　looked　up　from　a　plex　machine　lavishly　dedicated　to　producing　a　single　beverage…a　bitter　drink　Lark　had　tried　just　once；　appropriately　named　coughee。
　　〃Found　what？〃　Ling　stirred　a　steaming　mug　and　leaned　back　against　the　edge　of　the　table。
　　Lark　gestured　at　the　subject　Besh　studied；　placently　chewing　a　ball　of　sap　while　a　contraption　perched　on　its　head；　sifting　neurons。　There　had　been　a　spurt　of　excitement　when　Besh　swore　she　heard　the　glaver　〃mimic〃　two　spoken　words。　Now　Besh　seemed　intent；　peering　through　her　microscope；　guiding　a　brain　probe　with　tiny　motions　of　her　hands；　sitting　rock　still。
　　〃I　take　it　glavers　have　what　you　seek？〃　Lark　continued。
　　Ling　smiled。　〃We'll　know　better　when　our　ship　returns　and　more　advanced　tests　are　made。〃
　　Out　the　corner　of　his　eye；　Lark　saw　the　small　man　remove　the　cover　from　a　hole　in　one　side　of　a　box。　There　was　a　soft　sparkle　of　glass。
　　〃And…when　will　the　ship　be　back？〃　he　asked；　keeping　Ling's　attention。
　　Her　smile　widened。　〃I　wish　you　folks　would　stop　asking　that。　It's　enough　to　make　one　think　you　had　a　reason　for　caring。　Why　should　it　matter　to　you　when　the　ship　es？〃
　　Lark　blew　his　cheeks；　hoon　fashion；　then　recalled　that　the　gesture　would　mean　nothing　to　her。　〃A　little　warning　would　be　nice；　that's　all。　It　takes　time　to　bake　a　really　big　cake。〃
　　She　chuckled；　more　heartily　than　his　joke　deserved。　Lark　was　learning　not　to　take　umbrage　each　time　he　suspected　he　was　being　patronized。　Anyway；　Ling　wouldn't　be　laughing　when　shipboard　archives　revealed　that　glavers…their　prime　candidate　for　uplift…were　already　Galactic　citizens；　presumably　still　flitting　around　their　own　backwater　of　space；　in　secondhand　ships。
　　Or　would　even　the　star…cruiser's　onboard　records　reveal　it？　According　to　the　oldest　scrolls；　glavers　came　from　an　obscure　race　among　the　myriad　sapient　clans　of　the　Five　Galaxies。　Maybe；　like　the　g'Kek；　they　had　already　gone　extinct　and　no　one　remembered　them；　save　in　the　chilly　recesses　of　the　largest　sector　branch　Libraries。
　　This　might　even　be　the　moment　foretold　long　ago　by　the　final　glaver　sage；　before　humans　came　to　Jijo。　A　time　when　restored　innocence　would　shrivel　their　race；　peel　away　their　sins；　and　offer　them　a　precious　second　chance。　A　new　beginning。
　　If　so；　they　deserve　better　than　to　be　adopted　by　a　pack　of　thieves。
　　〃Suppose　they　prove　perfect　in　every　way。　Will　you　take　them　with　you　when　you　go？〃
　　〃Probably。　A　breeding　group　of　a　hundred　or　so。〃
　　Peripherally；　he　glimpsed　the　small　man　replacing　the　cover　of　the　camera　lens。　With　a　satisfied　smile；　Bloor　the　Portraitist　casually　lifted　the　box；　carrying　it　outside　through　the　back　tent　flap。　Lark　felt　a　knot　of　tension　release。　Ling's　face　might　be　a　bit　blurry　in　the　photo；　but　her　clothes　and　body　stood　a　good　chance　of　ing　through；　despite　the　long　exposure　time。　By　good　fortune；　Besh；　the　glaver；　a　robot；　and　a　sleeping　rock…staller　had　remained　still　the　entire　time。　The　mountain　range；　seen　through　the　open　entrance；　would　pin　down　location　and　season　of　the　year。
　　〃And　what　of　the　rest？〃　he　asked；　relieved　to　have　just　one　matter　on　his　mind　now。
　　〃What　do　you　mean？〃
　　〃I　mean　what　will　happen　to　all　the　glavers　you　leave　behind？〃
　　Her　dark　eyes　narrowed。　〃Why　should　anything　happen　to　them？〃
　　〃Why　indeed？〃　Lark　shifted　unfortably。　The　sages　wanted　to　maintain　the　atmosphere　of　tense　ambiguity　for　a　while　longer　rather　than　confront　the　aliens　directly　over　their　plans。　But　he　had　already　done　the　sages'　bidding　by　helping　Bloor。　Meanwhile；　Harullen　and　the　other　heretics　were　pressuring　Lark　for　answers。　They　must　decide　soon　whether　to　throw　their　lot　in　with　the　zealots'　mysterious　scheme。
　　〃Then。。。　there　is　the　matter　of　the　rest　of　us。〃
　　〃The　rest　of　you？〃　Ling　arched　an　eyebrow。
　　〃We　Six。　When　you　find　what　you　seek；　and　depart…what　happens　to　us？〃
　　She　groaned。　〃I　can't　count　the　number　of　times　I've　been　asked　about　this！〃
　　Lark　stared。　〃Who…？〃
　　〃Who　hasn't？〃　She　blew　an　exasperated　sigh。　〃At　least　a　third　of　the　patients　we　treat　on　clinic　day　sidle　up　afterward　to　pump　us　about