uplift4.brightnessreef-第58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！


ward　to　pump　us　about　how　we'll　do　it。　What　means　do　we　plan　to　use　when　we　finally　get　around　to　killing　every　sentient　being　on　the　planet！　Will　we　be　gentle？　Or　will　it　e　as　firebolts　from　heaven；　on　the　day　we　depart？　It　gets　so　repetitious；　sometimes　I　want　to…agh！〃　She　clenched　her　fist；　frustration　apparent　on　her　normally　posed　features。
　　Lark　blinked。　He　had　planned　edging　up　to　the　very　same　questions。
　　〃Folks　are　frightened；〃　he　began。　〃The　logic　of　the　situation…〃
　　〃Yes；　yes。　I　know；〃　Ling　interrupted　impatiently。　〃If　we　came　to　steal　presapient　life…forms　from　Jijo；　we　can't　afford　to　leave　any　witnesses。　And　especially；　we　can't　leave　any　native　stock　of　the　species　we　stole！　Honestly；　where　do　you　people　get　such　ideas？〃
　　From　books；　Lark　almost　answered。　From　the　warnings　of　our　ancestors。
　　But；　indeed；　how　well　could　those　accounts　be　trusted？　The　most　detailed　had　been　lost　to　fire　soon　after　humans　arrived。　Anyway；　weren't　humans　naive　newers　on　the　Galactic　scene　back　in　those　days；　worried　to　the　point　of　paranoia？　And　wasn't　it　the　most　paranoid　who　had　boarded　the　Tabernacle；　smuggling　themselves　to　a　far；　forbidden　world　to　hide？
　　Might　the　danger　be　exaggerated？
　　〃Seriously；　Lark；　why　should　we　fear　anything　a　bunch　of　sooners　might　say　about　us？　The　odds　of　another　Institute　inspection　team　arriving　at　Jijo　in　under　a　hundred　thousand　years　are　very　small。　By　the　time　one　does；　if　any　of　you　are　still　around；　our　visit　will　surely　have　dissolved　into　vague　legends。　We　have　no　need　to　mit　genocide…as　if　we　could　ever　bring　ourselves　to　do　such　a　horrid　thing；　however　strong　the　reason！〃
　　For　the　first　time；　Lark　saw　beyond　Ling's　normal　mask　of　wry　sardonicism。　Either　she　deeply　believed　what　she　was　saying；　or　she　was　a　very　skilled　actress。
　　〃Well　then；　how　do　you　plan　to　adopt　any　presentient　species　you　find　here？　Surely　you　can't　admit　you　picked　them　up　on　a　restricted　world。〃
　　〃At　last；　an　intelligent　question。〃　She　seemed　relieved。　〃I　confess；　it　won't　be　easy。　They　must　be　planted　in　another　ecosystem　for　starters；　along　with　any　symbionts　they　need；　and　other　evidence　to　imply　they've　been　there　for　some　time。　Then　we　must　wait　quite　a　while…〃
　　〃A　million　years？〃
　　Ling's　smile　returned；　thinly。　〃Not　quite　so　long。　We　have　a　couple　of　advantages　going　for　us；　you　see。　One　is　the　fact　that　on　most　worlds　the　bio…record　is　a　jumble　of　phylogenic　anomalies。　Despite　rules　to　minimize　harmful　cross…flow；　each　time　a　new　starfaring　clan　wins　tenant　rights　to　a　world；　they　inevitably　bring　in　their　favorite　plants　and　animals；　along　with　a　host　of　parasites　and　other　hangers…on。　Take　glavers；　for　instance。〃　She　nodded　over　at　the　subject。　〃I'm　sure　we'll　find　records　of　places　where　similar　genes　flowed　in　the　past。〃
　　Now　it　was　Lark's　turn　to　smile；　briefly。　You　don't　know　the　half　of　it。
　　〃So　you　see；〃　Ling　went　on。　〃It　won't　matter　much　if　a　residual　population　stays　on　Jijo；　as　long　as　we　have　time　to　modify　the　borrowed　stock；　artificially　enhancing　the　apparent　rate　of　genetic　divergence。　And　that　will　happen　anyway　when　we　begin　the　process　of　uplift。〃
　　So；　Lark　realized；　even　if　the　forayers　eventually　find　glavers　unsuitable；　they　might　still　make　off　with　some　other　promising　species　and　turn　a　nice　profit　from　their　crime。
　　Moreover；　they　appeared　pletely　fortable　seeing　it　as　no　crime　at　all。
　　〃And　your　other　advantage？〃　he　asked。
　　〃Ah；　now　that's　the　real　secret。〃　A　shine　seemed　to　enter　the　woman's　dark　eyes。　〃You　see；　what　it　really　es　down　to　is　a　matter　of　skill。〃
　　〃Skill？〃
　　〃On　the　part　of　our　blessed　patrons。〃　Now　her　words　struck　a　reverent　tone。　〃The　Rothen　are　past　masters　at　this　art；　you　see。　Witness　their　greatest　success　so　far…the　human　race。〃
　　There　it　was　again；　mention　of　the　mysterious　clan　that　had　the　utter　devotion　of　Ling；　Rann；　and　the　others。　The　star…humans　had　started　out　reticent。　Ling　had　even　made　it　clear　that　Rothen　was　not　their　real　name。　But　with　time　she　and　the　others　grew　more　talkative；　as　if　their　pride　could　not　be　contained。
　　Or　else；　because　they　had　no　fear　the　tale　would　spread。
　　〃Imagine。　They　managed　to　uplift　humanity　in　plete　secrecy；　subtly　altering　the　records　of　the　Migration　Institute　so　that　our　homeworld；　Earth；　remained　untouched；　on　fallow　status；　for　an　incredible　half　a　billion　years！　They　even　kept　their　gentle　guidance　unknown　to　our　own　ancestors；　leaving　them　with　the　fantastic　but　useful　illusion　that　they　were　uplifting　themselves！〃
　　〃Amazing；〃　Lark　mented。　He　had　never　seen　Ling　so　animated。　He　wanted　to　ask；　〃How　could　such　feats　be　feasible？〃　But　that　might　imply　he　doubted　her；　and　Lark　wanted　this　openness　to　continue。　〃Of　course；　self…uplift　is　impossible；〃　he　prompted。
　　〃pletely。　It's　been　known　since　the　fabled　days　of　the　Progenitors。　Evolution　can　bring　a　species　all　the　way　up　to　pre…sapience；　but　the　final　leap　needs　help　from　another　race　that's　already　made　it。　This　principle　underlies　the　life…cycle　of　all　oxygen…breathing　races　in　the　Five　Galaxies。〃
　　〃So　why　did　our　ancestors　believe　they　raised　themselves　up？〃
　　〃Oh；　the　most　insightful　always　suspected　we　had　help　from　beyond。　It　explains　the　depth　of　feeling　underlying　most　religions。　But　the　true　source　of　our　gift　of　sapiency　remained　mysterious　for　most　of　the　time　that　hidden　hands　guided　our　path。　Only　the　Danikites…early　precursors　of　our　group…knew　the　secret　all　along。〃
　　〃Even　the　Tergens　Council…〃
　　〃The　Terragens　Council。〃　Her　voice　soured。　〃The　idiots　guiding　Earth　and　her　colonies　during　these　dangerous　times？　Their　obstinacy　hardly　matters。　Even　this　Streaker　business；　sending　half　the　fanatics　in　the　universe　into　a　frenzy；　howling　for　Earthling　blood；　even　this　will　e　out　all　right；　despite　the　Terragens　fools。　The　Rothen　will　see　to　things。　Don't　worry。〃
　　Lark　hadn't　been　worried。　Not　on　the　scale　she　referred　to。　Not　till　that　moment。　Now　he　found　her　words　anything　but　reassuring。
　　From　other　conversations　with　the　Danik　sky…humans；　the　sages　had　already　pieced　together　hints　that　some　great　crisis　was　setting　the　Five　Galaxies　in　an　uproar。　It　might　even　explain　why　the　gene　raiders　were　here　right　now；　taking　advantage　of　the　turmoil　to　do　a　little　burglary。
　　What　could　a　feeble　clan　of　Earthlings　have　done　to　cause　such　motion？　Lark　wondered。
　　With　some　effort；　he　pushed　the　thought　aside　as　much　too　vast　to　be　grappled　with　right　now。
　　〃When　did　the　Rothen　reveal　the　truth　to　you。。。　Danikites？〃
　　〃Longer　back　than　you　might　think；　Lark。　Even　before　your　ancestors　headed　off　in　their　creaky　junkyard　star…ship；　taking　their　foolish　wild　gamble　in　ing　to　this　world。　Soon　after　humanity　entered　interstellar　space；　a　few　men　and　women　were　chosen　by　the　Rothen　to　receive　the　word。　Those　who　had　already　been　keeping　faith；　holding　steadfast　vigil。　Some　stayed　on　Earth　to　help　guide　the　race　in　secret；　while　others　went　off　to　dwell　in　joy　among　the　Rothen；　aiding　them　in　their　work。〃
　　〃And　what　work　is　that？〃
　　She　had　a　look　Lark　sometimes　saw　on　the　faces　of　those　returning　from　pilgrimages　to　the　Egg；　on　those　blessed　occasions　when　the　sacred　stone　sang　its　serene　harmonies。　An　expression　of　having　experienced　splendor。
　　〃Why；　rescuing　the　lost；　of　course。　And　nurturing　what　might…yet…be。〃
　　Lark　worried　she　might　drift　into　plete　mysticism。　〃Will　we　get　to　meet　some　Rothen？〃
　　Her　eyes　had　defocused　while　pondering　vistas　of　time　and　space。　Now　they　turned　and　glittered　sharply。
　　〃Some　of　you　may；　if　you　are　lucky。
　　〃In　fact；　a　few　of　you　may　get　luckier　than　you　ever　dreamed。〃
　　Her　implication　set　his　head　awhirl。　Could　she　mean　what　he　thought　she　meant？
　　That　evening；　by　candlelight；　he　went　over　his　calculations　one　more　time。
　　From　our　best　measurements；　the　starship　had　a　volume　of　about　half　a　million　cubic　meters。　If　you　stacked　every　human　on　Jijo　like　frozen　cordwood；　we　just　might　fit…providing　you　left　no　room　for　anything　else。
　　The　first　time　he　had　worked　out　the　numbers；　his　intent　was　simply　to　dispel　rumors　among　some　younger　urs　and　qheuens　that　the　human　settlers　would　soon　abandon　Jijo。　It　was　physically　impossible；　he　showed；　for　the　youngest　sept　to　forsake　the　mons　for　a　ticket　back　to　the　stars。　At　least　with　this　ship　alone。
　　But　she　said　〃some　of　you。〃
　　Even　after　loading　aboard　hundreds　of　wuankworms；　longsnouts；　or　glavers；　there'd　still　be　room　for　a　few　lost　cousins。　Those　who　had　proved　useful。
　　Lark　knew　a　bribe　when　he　heard　one。
　　Much　as　he　condemned　the　ancestors'　choice　to　e　here；　Lark　loved　this　world。　He　would　feel　a　pang　if　he　ever　left；　and　for　all　his　days　thereafter。
　　Yet　if　things　were　different；　I'd　go　in　a　shot。　Who　wouldn't？
　　The　zealots　are　right。　No　human　can　be　pletely　trusted　these　days。　Not　when　any　of　us　might　be　suborned。　Bought　with　an　offer　to　be　made　into　a　god。
　　In　fact；　he　had　no　idea　what　the　zealots　planned。　Only　that　they　felt　free　to　act　without　advice　or　approval　from　the　dithering　sages。　There　were　humans　in　the　cabal；　of　course。　What　could　be　acplished　without　Earthling　skill　and　lore？　But　men　and　women　were　excluded　from　the　inner　circle。
　　So　what　have　I　learned？
　　He　looked　down　at　a　blank　sheet。　Surely　the　sages　and　zealots　had　other　feelers　out。　Even　Harullen　must　be　hedging　his　bets。　Still；　Lark　knew　his　words　carried　weight。
　　If　Ling　is　telling　the　truth；　and　the　zealots　believe　it；　they　might　call　off　whatever　action　they　planned。　What　do　they　care　if　a　few　glavers　or　rock…stallers　are　taken　off…planet；　so　long　as　the　intruders　leave　us　in　peace；　as　we　were　before？
　　But　what　if　Ling　was　lying？　Might　the　zealots　lose　their　best　chance　to　strike；　for　nothing？
　　On　the　other　hand；　suppose　no　one　believed　Ling；　but　she　really　was　telling　the　truth？　The　zealots　might　attack；　and　fail；　only　to　goad　the　very　response　they　feared！
　　At　the　opposite　extreme　of　radicalism　from　the　fiery　zealots；　some　of　the　most　radical　heretics　actually　favored　their　own　destruction；　along　with　the　rest　of　the　Six。　Some　hoon　and　urs　members　of　Harullen's　society　yearned　for　a　time