uplift4.brightnessreef-第74部分

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　　He　might　say　more　to　the　cowering　throng；　adding　terrible　threats。　But　at　that　moment；　a　new　disturbance　draws　our　focus　toward　the　smoldering　pit。　The　crowd　parts　for　a　phalanx　of　soot…stained　rescuers；　coughing　and　gasping　as　they　bear　pitiable　burdens。
　　Rann　cries　out；　bounding　from　his　mount　to　inspect　a　crumpled　form；　borne　upon　a　litter。　It　is　Besh；　the　other　female　sky…human。　From　her　mangled　figure；　our　rewq　reads　no　life　flicker。
　　Again；　the　crowd　divides。　This　time　it　is　Ro…kenn　who　exclaims　a　distinctly　unhuman　wail。　The　litter　brought　before　him　bears　the　other　of　his　race；　Ro…pol；　whom　we　guessed　to　be　female。　（His　mate？）
　　This　time；　a　slim　thread　of　breath　swirls　in　the　near　infrared；　from　the　victim's　soot…stained　but　still　splendid　face。　Ro…kenn　bends　close；　as　if　seeking　some　private　munion。
　　The　poignant　scene　lasts　but　a　few　moments。　Then　the　reed　of　living　tension　is　no　more。　A　second　corpse　lies　in　the　hollow；　under　bitter…bright　stars。
　　The　living　Rothen　stands　to　his　full　height；　a　terrible　sight；　emoting　vast　anger。
　　〃Now　es　the　reward　（foul）　treachery　deserves！〃　Ro…kenn　cries；　reaching　skyward；　his　voice　reverberating　with　such　wrath　that　every　rewq　in　the　valley　trembles。　Some　humans　drop　to　their　knees。　Do　not　even　gray　queens　whistle　awe　and　dismay？
　　〃For　so　long　you　have　feared　（righteous）　judgment　from　above。　Now　behold　its　incarnate　form！〃
　　Along　with　the　others；　we/i　look　up；　our　gaze　following　Ro…kenn's　extended　arm。
　　There；　crossing　the　sky；　we　perceive　a　single　glaring　spark。　A　pitiless　glimmer　that　ponderously　moves；　passing　from　the　Spider's　Web　into　the　constellation　humans　call　The　Sword。
　　The　great　ship　is　still　a　distant　point；　but　it　does　not　wink；　nor　does　it　twinkle。　Rather；　it　seems　to　throb　with　an　intensity　that　hurts　those　who　watch　for　long。
　　One　can　hardly　fault　the　zealots'　timing；　suggests　our　ever…thoughtful　second…torus…of…cognition。　If　their　objective　was　to　bring　an　end　to　pretense；　they　could　have　chosen　no　better　way。
　　
　　Sara
　　SAGE　TAINE　WANTED　TO　SPEAK　WITH　HER　BEFORE　she　left　for　Kandu　Landing。　So　did　Ariana　Foo。　Both　wished　she　would　delay　her　departure；　but　Sara　was　eager　to　be　off。
　　Yet　with　just　a　midura　to　go　before　the　gopher　set　sail；　she　decided　on　impulse　to　visit　her　old　office；　high　in　the　cathedral…tower　housing　the　Library　of　Material　Science。
　　West　from　the　Grand　Staircase；　her　ascent　first　took　her　by　the　vast；　rambling　stacks　of　physics　and　chemistry；　where　the　recent　evacuation　had　taken　a　visible　toll。　The　maze　of　shelves　showed　frequent　gaps。　Scraps　of　paper　lay　in　place　of　absent　volumes；　to　help　staff　put　things　back　if　the　present　crisis　passed。　In　places；　the　wood　surface　looked　almost　new；　implying　this　was　the　first　time　a　book　had　budged　since　the　Great　Printing。
　　Glancing　down　one　crooked　aisle；　Sara　glimpsed　young　Jomah；　teetering　under　a　load　of　heavy　volumes；　lumbering　gamely　behind　his　uncle　to　begin　the　ornate　rituals…of…borrowing。　None　too　soon　if　they　hoped　to　make　the　Gopher　in　time。　The　explosers　and　quite　a　few　others　were　bound　the　same　way　as　Sara；　first　by　boat；　then　donkey…caravan　to　the　Glade　of　Gathering。
　　The　winding　labyrinth　triggered　plex　emotions。　She　used　to　get　lost　back　in　the　early　days；　but　never　cared；　so　happy　had　she　been　to　dwell　in　this　splendid　place。　This　temple　of　wisdom。
　　Her　long　year　away　had　hardly　changed　her　little　office；　with　its　narrow　window　overlooking　the　green…flanked　Bibur。　Everything　seemed　much　as　she　had　left　it；　except　for　the　dust。　Well；　I　always　figured　I'd　be　back　before　this。　Many　peted　to　be　chosen　by　human　sept　for　this　life；　subsidized　by　a　race　of　farmers　and　gleaners　whose　one　great　sinful　pride　lay　in　their　books。
　　Tacked　to　the　far　wall　lay　a　chart　showing　the　〃devolution〃　of　various　dialects　spoken　on　the　Slope。　Like　branches　splitting　off　from　parent　roots；　there　were　multiple　downward　shoots　for　each　Galactic　language　in　current　use。　This　older　depiction　showed　the　bias　of　scholars　over　in　Linguistics；　and　was　colored　by　one　unassailable　fact…the　billion…year…old　Galactic　languages　had　once　been　perfect；　efficient　codes　for　munication。　Deviation　was　seen　as　part　of　a　foretold　spiral　toward　the　innocence　of　animal…like　grunts…the　Path　of　Redemption　already　blazed　by　glavers…a　fate　variously　dreaded　or　prayed　for　by　folk　of　the　Slope；　depending　on　one's　religious　fervor。
　　Human　tongues　were　also　traced　backward；　not　over　a　billion　years　but　ten　thousand。　Earthling　authorities　like　Childe；　Schrader；　and　Renfrew　had　carefully　rebuilt　ancestral　languages　and　many　of　those　grammars　were　more　primly　structured；　better　at　error…correction；　than　the　〃bastard〃　jargons　that　followed。　What　better　evidence　that　human　devolution　began　long　before　the　landing　on　Jijo？　Did　not　all　Earth　cultures　have　legends　of　a　lost　Golden　Age？
　　One　conclusion…the　missing　Patrons　of　Earth　must　have　been　interrupted　in　their　work；　forced　to　leave　humanity　half　finished。　True；　the　ensuing　fall　was　masked　by　some　flashy　tricks　of　precocious　technology。　Still；　many　scholars　believed　Earthlings　had　much　to　gain　from　any　road　leading　toward　re…adoption　and　a　second　chance；　especially　since　they　appeared　to　be　heading　that　way　anyway。
　　That's　the　orthodox　view。　My　model　takes　the　same　data；　but　projects　a　different　oute。
　　Her　most　recent　chart　resembled　this　one…turned　upside　down；　with　lightless　roots　transformed　into　trees；　showing　the　Six　heading　in　a　new　direction。　In　many　directions。　If　no　one　interferes。　Yesterday；　she　had　shown　her　latest　work　to　Sage　Bonner；　whose　enthusiasm　reignited　the　pleasure　of　a　colleague's　praise。
　　〃Well；　my　dear；〃　said　Jijo's　oldest　mathematician；　stroking　his　bald　pate；　〃you　do　seem　to　have　a　case。　So　let's　schedule　a　seminar！　Interdisciplinary；　of　course。〃
　　He　punctuated　his　enthusiasm　with　a　sloppy　GalTwo　emotion　trill　of　anticipation。
　　〃We'll　invite　those　stuffy　pedants　from　Linguistics。　See　if　they　can　bear　to　hear　a　bold　new　idea　for　a　change。　Heh。　Heh…cubed！〃
　　Bonner　probably　hadn't　much　followed　her　discussion　of　〃redundancy　coding〃　and　chaos　in　information　theory。　The　elderly　topologist　just　relished　the　prospect　of　a　brisk　debate；　one　that　might　knock　down　some　ensconced　point　of　view。
　　If　only　you　knew　how　good　an　example　you　are　of　my　thesis；　she　had　thought　affectionately。　Sara　hated　to　disappoint　him。
　　〃We　can　have　it　when　I　get　back　from　Gathering；　with　luck。〃
　　Alas；　there　might　be　no　return　from　her　ing　journey。　Or　else；　it　might　be　to　find　that　the　explosers　had　done　their　duty　at　last；　bringing　down　the　stony　roof；　and　with　it　a　prophesied　age　of　darkness　and　purity。　She　was　turning　to　go；　when　a　low　thunk　announced　a　message　ball；　landing　on　her　desk。　Above　the　in…box；　a　fleshy　tube　bounced　in　recoil；　having　spit　the　ball　from　a　maze　of　pipes　lacing　the　Biblos　plex。
　　Oh　no。　Sara　backed　away；　hoping　to　leave　before　the　furry　sphere　unrolled。　If　the　messenger　found　no　one　home；　it　would　simply　reenter　the　tube　and　report　the　fact　to　whoever　sent　it。
　　But　the　ball　uncoiled　swiftly　and　a　tiny　mouselike　form　scrambled　up　the　box　to　see　her；　squeaking　delight　over　achieving　the　purpose　bred　into　it　by　the　ancient　Buyur…to　deliver　brief　messages　via　a　network　of　cross…linked　tunnels　and　vines。　With　a　sigh；　Sara　put　out　her　hand；　and　the　courier　spat　a　warm　pellet　into　her　palm。　The　pill　squirmed。
　　Suppressing　distaste；　she　raised　the　little　symbiont…a　larger　cousin　of　a　parrot　tick…and　let　it　writhe　inside　her　ear。
　　Soon；　as　she　feared；　it　began　speaking　with　the　voice　of　Sage　Taine。
　　〃Sara；　if　this　reaches　you；　I'd　like　to　talk　before　you　go。。。。　It　is　essential　to　clear　up　our　misunderstanding。　〃
　　There　came　a　long　pause；　then　the　voice　hurried　on。　〃I've　thought　about　it　and　have　lately　e　to　believe　that　this　situation　is　largely　my　fau…〃
　　The　message　stopped　there。　The　record　bug　had　reached　its　limit。　It　began　repeating　the　message　over　again；　from　the　beginning。
　　Fault？　Was　〃fault〃　the　word　you　were　about　to　say？　Sara　tipped　her　head　until　the　bug　realized　it　wasn't　wanted　anymore　and　crawled　out　of　her　ear。　Taine's　voice　grew　distant；　plaintive；　as　she　tossed　the　bug　back　to　the　furry　little　messenger；　who　snatched　it；　tweaking　it　between　sharp　jaws；　making　the　bug　receptive　for　Sara's　reply。
　　I'm　sorry；　she　almost　said　aloud。　I　should　have　made　allowances。　You　were　tactless；　but　meant　well；　in　your　haughty　way。
　　I　should　have　been　honored　by　your　proposal；　even　if　you　first　made　it　out　of　a　sense　of　duty。
　　I　reacted　badly　when　you　renewed　the　offer　at　Joshu's　funeral。
　　A　month　ago；　I　was　thinking　about　finally　saying　yes。　There　are　worse　lives　on　the　Slope　than　the　one　you　offered。
　　But　now　everything　had　changed。　The　aliens　had　seen　to　that。　Dwer　had　what　it　would　take　in　the　new　era　to　e。　He'd　thrive　and　sire　generations　of　fine　hunter…gatherers；　if　an　age　of　innocence　really　was　at　hand。
　　And　if　it's　death　the　aliens　have　in　mind　for　us？　Well；　Dwer　will　fool　them；　too；　and　survive。　That　thought　made　Sara　poignantly　glad。　Either　way；　what　use　will　Jijo　have　for　intellectuals　like　us；　Taine？
　　The　two　of　them　would　soon　be　more　equal　than　ever；　alike　in　useless　obsolescence；　before　the　end。
　　Sara　said　nothing　aloud。　The　messenger　ball　gave　a　stymied　squeak。　It　popped　the　bug　into　one　cheek；　then　reentered　the　tube；　vanishing　into　the　maze…work　of　conduits　that　laced　Biblos　like　a　system　of　arteries　and　veins。
　　You're　not　the　only　one。　Sara　cast　a　thought　after　the　frustrated　creature。　There's　more　than　enough　disappointment　to　go　around。
　　The　Gopher　was　already　putting　on　steam　when　Sara　hurried　to　the　dock。　Ariana　Foo　waited　nearby；　the　twilight　shrouding　her　wheelchair　so　that　she　resembled　some　human…g'Kek　hybrid。
　　〃I　wish　I　could　have　a　few　more　days　with　him；〃　she　said；　taking　Sara's　hand。
　　〃You've　done　wonders；　but　there's　no　time　to　spare。〃
　　〃The　next　kayak　pilot　may　bring　vital　news…〃
　　〃I　know。　And　I'd　give　anything　to　hear　from　Lark。　But　that　reasoning　will　only　take　us　in　circles。　If　something　urgent　happens；　you　can　send　a　galloper　after　us。　Meanwhile　I　ha