uplift4.brightnessreef-第60部分

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　　〃Get　away　from　here！〃　Huck　shouted　angrily；　rolling　toward　the　dissenters；　spinning　up　gravel　with　her　rims。　She　swerved；　just　missing　the　toes　of　several　humans　and　hoon；　who　backed　off　nervously。　Even　a　couple　of　reds　withdrew　their　clawed；　armored　legs；　scuttling　away　a　pace　or　two；　before　recalling　that　a　flail…eyed　g'Kek　isn't　much　physical　threat　to　a　qheuen。　Then　they　moved　forward　again；　hissing　and　clicking。
　　Pincer　and　I　rushed　to　Huck's　side。　It　might've　gotten　ugly；　but　then　a　bunch　of　big　grays　and　burly　urrish　smiths　from　Mount　Guenn　Forge　hurried　up　behind　us；　some　carrying　cudgels；　ready　to　back　up　Huck's　demand　with　angry　force。　The　rabble　took　note　and　quit　our　worksite；　moving　toward　their　makeshift　camp。
　　〃Bastards！〃　Huck　cursed　after　them。　〃Horrid；　jeekee　murderers！〃
　　Not　by　law；　I　thought；　still　numb　from　shock。　Neither　Huphu　nor　little　Ziz　had　strictly　been　citizens　of　the　mons。　Nor　even　honorary　ones；　like　glavers；　or　members　of　any　threatened　species。　So　it　wasn't　murder；　exactly。
　　But　close　enough；　by　my　reckoning。　My　hands　clenched；　and　I　sensed　something　give　as　my　back　flexed　with　fight…hormones。　Anger　is　slow　to　ignite　in　a　hoon　and　hard　to　snuff　once　lit。　It's　kind　of　disturbing　to　look　back　on　how　I　felt　then；　even　though　the　sages　say　what　you　feel　isn't　evil；　only　what　you　do　about　it。
　　No　one　said　a　word。　We　must've　moped　for　a　while。　Urdonnol　and　Ur…ronn　argued　over　what　kind　of　a　message　to　send　to　Uriel。
　　Then　a　stuttering　whistle　pierced　our　pit　of　mourning；　ing　from　behind　us；　toward　the　sea。　We　turned　to　see　Pincer…Tip；　teetering　bravely　at　the　edge；　blowing　dust　as　he　piped　shrilly　from　three　leg…vents　while　motioning　with　two　claws　for　us　to　e　back。
　　〃Look…ook…ook！〃　came　his　aspirated　stammer。　〃Huck；　Alvin…hurry！〃
　　Huck　claimed　later　she　realized　right　off　what　Pincer　must've　seen。　I　guess　in　retrospect　it　is　kind　of　obvious；　but　at　the　time　I　had　no　idea　what　could　have　him　so　excited。　On　reaching　the　edge；　I　could　only　peer　down　in　amazement　at　what　had　popped　out　of　the　belly　of　the　Rift。
　　It　was　our　bathy！　Our　beautiful　Wuphon's　Dream　floated　upright；　almost　peaceful　in　the　bright　sunshine。　And　on　its　curved　top　sat　a　small　black　figure；　wet　and　bedraggled　from　nose　to　tail。　It　didn't　take　a　g'Kek's　vision　to　tell　that　our　little　noor　was　as　amazed　to　be　alive　as　we　were　to　see　her。　Faint　whispers　of　her　yelping　plaint　floated　up　to　us。
　　〃But　how…〃　Urdonnol　began。
　　〃Of　course！〃　Ur…ronn　interrupted。　〃The　vallast　cane　loose！〃
　　I　blinked　a　couple　of　times。
　　〃Oh；　the　ballast！　Hr…rm。　Yes；　the　Dream'd　be　buoyant　without　it。　But　there　was　no　crew　to　pull　the　release；　unless…〃
　　〃Unless　Ziz　did　it！〃　Huck　finished　for　me。
　　〃Insufficient　explanation；〃　Urdonnol　interjected　in　GalTwo。　〃With　eight　cables　of　（heavy；　down…seeking）　metal　hawser　weighing　the　diving　device；　the　（minuscule）　air　pocket　within　our　vessel　ought　to　have　been　（decisively）　overwhelmed。〃
　　〃Hrm…rm；　I　think　I　see　what　made　the　difference；〃　I　suggested；　shading　my　eyes　with　both　hands。　〃Huck；　what　is　that。。。　thing　surrounding　the　bathy？〃
　　Again；　our　wheeled　friend　teetered　at　the　edge；　spreading　two　eyestalks　far　apart　and　sticking　out　a　third　for　good　measure。　〃It　looks　like　a　balloon　of　some　sort；　Alvin。　A　tube；　wrapped　around　the　Dream　like　a　life　preserver。　A　circular…Ziz！〃
　　That　matched　my　own　guess。　A　traeki　torus；　inflated　beyond　anything　we　might　have　thought　possible。
　　Everybody　turned　to　stare　at　Tyug；　the　Mount　Guenn　Master　of　Mixes。　The　full…sized　traeki　shuddered；　letting　out　a　colored　cloud　that　smelled　like　released　tension。
　　〃A　precaution。　One　that　i/we　contemplated　in　consultation　with　our　lord；　Uriel。　A　safeguard　of　unknown；　untried　efficacy。
　　〃Glad　we/i　are　to　have　vlenned　a　success。　These　rings；　and　those　below；　anticipate　relishing　recent　events。　Soon。　In　retrospect。〃
　　〃In　other　words…ords；〃　Pincer　interpreted；　〃stop　staring　like　a　bunch　of　day…blind　glavers。　Let's　go　fetch　'em　back…ack…ack！〃
　　
　　XVIII。　THE　BOOK　OF　THE　SLOPE
　　Legends
　　It　is　said　that　earlier　generations　interpreted　the　Scrolls　in　ways　quite　different　than　we　do　now；　in　our　modern　mons。
　　Without　doubt；　each　wave　of　immigrants　brought　to　the　Slope　a　new　crisis　of　faith；　from　which　beliefs　emerged　restructured；　changed。
　　At　the　start；　every　fresh　arrival　briefly　held　advantages；　bearing　godlike　tools　from　the　Five　Galaxies。　Newers　kept　these　powers　for　intervals　ranging　from　a　few　months　to　more　than　eight　years。　This　helped　each　sept　establish　a　secure　base　for　their　descendants；　as　humans　did　at　Biblos；　the　hoon　on　Hawph　Island；　and　the　g'Kek　at　Dooden　Mesa。
　　Yet　each　also　knew　its　handicaps…a　small　founding　population　and　ignorance　about　how　to　live　a　primitive　existence　on　an　unknown　world。　Even　the　haughty　gray　queens　conceded　they　must　accept　certain　principles；　or　risk　vendetta　from　all　the　others　bined。　The　Covenant　of　Exile　set　rules　of　population　control；　concealment；　and　Jijo…preservation；　as　well　as　proper　ways　to　handle　dross。　These　fundamentals　continue　to　this　day。
　　It　is　all　too　easy　to　forget　that　other　matters　were　settled　only　after　mordant　struggle。
　　For　instance；　bitter　resistance　to　the　reintroduction　of　metallurgy；　by　urrish　smiths；　was　only　partly　based　on　qheuens　protecting　their　tool…monopoly。　There　was　also　a　sincere　belief；　on　the　part　of　many　hoon　and　traeki；　that　the　innovation　was　sacrilege。　To　this　day；　some　on　the　Slope　will　not　touch　reforged　Buyur　steel　or　let　it　in　their　villages　or　homes；　no　matter　how　many　times　the　sages　rule　it　safe　for　temporary　use。
　　Another　remnant　belief　can　be　seen　among　those　puritans　who　despise　books。　While　paper　itself　can　hardly　be　faulted…it　decays　well　and　can　be　used　to　reprint　copies　of　the　Scrolls…there　is　still　a　dissident　minority　who　call　the　Biblos　trove　a　vanity　at　best；　and　an　impediment　to　those　whose　goal　should　lie　in　blessed　ignorance。　In　the　early　days　of　human　life　on　Jijo；　such　sentiments　were　exploited　by　urrish　and　qheuen　foes…until　the　great　smiths　discovered　profit　in　the　forging　of　type；　and　book…addiction　spread　unstoppably　throughout　the　mons。
　　Strangely；　it　is　the　most　recent　crisis…of…faith　that　shows　the　least　leftover　effects　today。　If　not　for　written　accounts；　it　would　be　difficult　to　believe　that；　only　a　century　ago；　there　were　many　on　the　Slope　who　loathed　and　feared　the　newly　arrived　Holy　Egg。　Yet　at　the　time　there　were　serious　calls　for　the　Explosers　Guild　to　destroy　it！　To　demolish　the　stone…that…sings；　lest　it　give　away　our　hiding　place　or；　worse；　distract　the　Six　away　from　following　the　same　path　already　blamed　by　glavers。
　　〃If　it　is　not　in　the　Scrolls；　it　cannot　be　sacred。〃
　　That　has　always　been　the　declaration　of　orthodoxy；　since　time　immemorial。　And　to　this　day　it　must　be　confessed…there　is　no　mention　in　the　Scrolls　of　anything　even　remotely　like　the　Egg。
　　
　　Rety
　　DARK；　CLAMMY；　STIFLING。　Rety　didn't　like　the　cave。　It　must　be　the　stale；　dusty　air　that　made　her　heart　pound　so。　Or　else　the　painful　scrapes　on　her　legs；　after　sliding　down　a　twisty　chute　to　this　underground　grotto；　from　a　narrow　entrance　in　a　boo…shrouded　cleft。
　　Or　maybe　what　made　her　jumpy　was　the　way　shapes　kept　crowding　in　from　all　sides。　Each　time　Rety　whirled　with　her　borrowed　lantern；　the　creepy　shadows　turned　out　to　be　knobs　of　cold；　dead　rock。　But　a　little　voice　seemed　to　say…Always。。。　so　far！　But　a　real　monster　may　wait　around　the　next　bend。
　　She　set　her　jaw　and　refused　to　listen。　Anyone　who　called　her　scared　would　be　a　liar！
　　Does　a　scared　person　slink　into　dark　places　at　night？　Or　do　things　they　was　told　not　to　do；　by　all　the　big　fat　chiefs　of　the　Six？
　　A　weight　wriggled　in　her　belt　pouch。　Rety　reached　past　the　fur…lined　flap　to　stroke　the　squirming　creature。　〃Don't　spook；　yee。　It's　just　a　big　hole　in　the　groun'。〃
　　A　narrow　head　and　a　sinuous　neck　snaked　toward　her；　three　eyes　glittering　in　the　soft　flamelight。　A　squeaky　voice　protested。
　　〃yee　not　spooked！　dark　good！　on　plains；　li'l　man…urs　love　hidey…holes；　till　find　warm　wife！〃
　　〃Okay；　okay。　I　didn't　mean…〃
　　〃yee　help　nervous　wife！〃
　　〃Who're　you　calling　nervous；　you　little…〃
　　Rety　cut　short。　Maybe　she　should　let　yee　feel　needed；　if　it　helped　him　keep　his　own　fear　under　control。
　　〃ow！　not　so　tight！〃　The　male　yelped；　echoes　fleeing　down　black　corridors。　Rety　quickly　let　go　and　stroked　yee's　ruffled　mane。　〃Sorry。　Look；　I　bet　we're　gettin'　close；　so　let's　not　talk　so　much；　okay？〃
　　〃okay；　yee　shut　up。　wife　do　too！〃
　　Rety's　lips　pressed。　Then　anger　flipped　into　a　sudden　urge　to　laugh。　Whoever　said　male　urs　weren't　smart　must've　never　met　her　〃husband。〃　yee　had　even　changed　his　accent；　in　recent　days；　mimicking　Rety's　habits　of　speech。
　　She　raised　the　lantern　and　resumed　picking　her　way　through　the　twisty　cavern；　surrounded　by　a　sparkle　of　strange　mineral　formations；　reflecting　lamplight　off　countless　glittering　facets。　It　might　have　been　pretty　to　look　at；　if　she　weren't　obsessed　with　one　thing　alone。　An　item　to　reclaim。　Something　she　once；　briefly；　had　owned。
　　My　ticket　off　this　mudball。
　　Rety's　footprints　appeared　to　be　the　first　ever　laid　in　the　dust…which　wasn't　surprising；　since　just　qheuens；　and　a　few　humans　and　urs；　had　a　knack　for　travel　underground；　and　she　was　smaller　than　most。　With　luck；　this　tunnel　led　toward　the　much　larger　cave　she　had　seen　Lester　Cambel　enter　several　times。　Following　the　chief　human　sage　had　been　her　preoccupation　while　avoiding　the　group　of　frustrated　men　and　women　who　wanted　her　to　help　guide　them　over　the　mountains。　Once　she　knew　for　sure　where　Cambel　spent　his　evenings；　she　had　sent　yee　scouring　the　underbrush　till　he　found　this　offshoot　opening；　bypassing　the　guarded　main　entrance。
　　The　little　guy　was　already　proving　pretty　darn　useful。　To　Rety's　surprise；　married　life　wasn't　so　bad；　once　you　got　used　to　it。
　　There　was　more　tight　wriggling　and　writhing。　At　times；　she　had　to　squirm　sideways　or　slide　down　narrow　chutes；　making　yee　plain　when　he　got　squeezed。　Beyond　the　lantern's　dim　yellow　puddle；　she　heard　soft　tinkling　sounds　as　water　dripped　into　black　pools；　slowly　sculpti