uplift4.brightnessreef-第77部分

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ch　pointed　outward　in　a　different　direction；　as　if　aimed　toward　the　six　faces　of　a　cube。　Each　spike　had　a　big　knob　at　the　end；　hollow　I　guessed；　to　prevent　sinking　in　the　muck。　It　was　obviously　meant　to　be　found；　being　colored　a　garish　swirl　of　reds　and　blues。　Red　to　really　stand　out　at　short　range；　since　the　color's　almost　totally　absent　underwater；　and　blue　to　be　visible　from　farther　away；　if　your　beam　happened　to　sweep　across　it　in　the　deep　darkness。　Even　so；　you　had　to　be　within　less　than　a　cable　to　see　the　thing；　so　we'd　never　have　e　across　it　without　Uriel's　instructions。　Still；　it　took　two　search　spirals　before　we　stumbled　on　the　jack。
　　It　was　the　strangest　thing　any　of　us　had　ever　encountered。　And　don't　forget；　I've　heard　a　g'Kek　umble　and　witnessed　a　traeki　vlen。
　　〃Is　it　Buyur…uyur？〃　Pincer　asked；　superstitious　awe　invading　his　voice　vents；　along　with　a　returned　stammer。
　　〃I　bet　a　pile　of　donkey　mulch　that's　not　Buyur…made；〃　Huck　said。　〃What　do　you　think；　Ur…ronn？〃
　　Our　urs　pal　stretched　her　neck　past　Pincer；　her　muzzle　drying　a　patch　of　the　bubble　window。　〃No　way　the　Vuyur　would've　vuilt　anything　so　frightful…ghastly；〃　she　agreed。　〃It's　not　their　style。〃
　　〃Of　course　it's　not　their　style；〃　Huck　continued。　〃But　I　know　whose　it　is。〃
　　We　all　stared　at　her。　Naturally；　she　milked　the　moment；　pausing　till　we　were　on　the　verge　of　pummeling　her。
　　〃It's　urrish；〃　she　concluded　with　a　tone　of　smug　conviction。
　　〃Urrish！〃　Pincer　hissed。　〃How　can　you　be　so…〃
　　〃Exflain；〃　Ur…ronn　demanded；　snaking　her　head　to　peer　at　Huck。　〃This　ovject　is　sophisticated。　Uriel　could　forge　nothing　like　it。　Not　even　Earthlings　have　such　craft。〃
　　〃Exactly！　It's　not　Buyur；　and　no　one　currently　living　on　the　Slope　could　make　it。　That　leaves　just　one　possibility。　It　must　have　been　left　here　by　an　original　sooner　star…ship；　when　one　of　the　Six　Races…seven　if　you　include　glavers…first　arrived　on　Jijo；　before　the　settlers　scuttled　their　craft　and　joined　the　rest　of　us　as　primitives。　But　which　one　left　it？　I'd　eliminate　us　g'Keks　on　account　of　we've　been　here　so　long　that　I'll　bet　the　jack　would've　moved　a　lot　farther　into　the　Rift　by　now。　The　same　probably　holds　for　glavers；　qheuens；　and　traeki。
　　〃Anyway；　the　clincher　is　that　Uriel　knew　exactly　where　to　find　it！〃
　　Fur　riffled　around　the　rim　of　Ur…ronn's　nostril。　Her　voice　turned　colder　than　the　surrounding　ocean。　〃You　suggest　a　conspiracy。〃
　　g'Kek　stalks　twined；　a　shrug。
　　〃Not　a　horribly　vile　one；〃　Huck　assured。　〃Maybe　just　a　sensible　precaution。
　　〃Think　about　it；　mates。　Say　you've　e　to　plant　a　sooner　colony　on　a　forbidden　world。　You　must　get　rid　of　anything　that'd　show　on　a　casual　scan　by　some　Institute　surveyor；　so　your　ship　and　plex　gear　have　to　go。　Nearby　space　is　no　good。　That's　the　first　place　cops'd　check。　So　you　sink　it　amid　all　the　stuff　the　Buyur　dumped　when　they　left　Jijo。　Sounds　good　so　far。
　　〃But　then　you　ask　yourself…what　if　an　unforeseen　emergency　crops　up？　What　if　someday　your　descendants　need　something　high…tech　to　help　'em　survive？〃
　　Ur…ronn　lowered　her　conical　head。　In　the　dimness　I　could　not　tell　if　it　denoted　worry　or　rising　anger。　I　hurried　to　cut　in。
　　〃Hr…rm。　You　imply　a　long　view　of　things。　A　secret　kept　for　generations。〃
　　〃For　centuries；〃　Huck　agreed。　〃Uriel　no　doubt　was　told　by　her　master；　and　so　on　back　to　the　first　urrish　ancestors。　And　before　Ur…ronn　snaps　one　of　my　heads　off；　let　me　rush　to　add　that　the　urs　sages　showed　great　restraint　over　the　years；　never　seeking　to　use　this　cache　during　their　wars　with　qheuens；　then　humans；　even　when　they　were　getting　their　tails　whipped。〃
　　That　was　meant　to　calm　Ur…ronn？　I　rushed　to　save　Huck　from　mutilation。　〃Perhaps…hrm…humans　and　qheuens　had　their　own　caches；　so　there　was　a　standoff。〃　Then　my　own　words　sank　in。　〃Maybe　those　caches　are　being　sought　now；　while　we　serve　as　Uriel's　dipping　claw；　in　search　of　this　one。〃
　　There　was　a　long　silence。
　　Then　Pincer　spoke。
　　〃Sheesh…eesh…eesh。　Those　aliens　up　at　the　Glade　must　really　have　the　grown…ups　spooked。〃
　　Another　pause；　then　Huck　resumed。　〃That's　what　I'm　hoping　all　of　this　is　about。　The　aliens。　A　mutual　effort　of　the　Six；　pooling　resources；　and　not　something　else。〃
　　Ur…ronn's　neck　twisted　nervously。　〃What　do　you　nean？〃
　　〃I　mean；　I'd　have　liked　Uriel's　word　of　honor　that　we're　down　here　seeking　powers　for　the　defense　of　all　the　mons。〃
　　Not　simply　to　arm　urrish　militia；　in　some　of　the　grudge　fights　we've　heard　rumors　about；　I　thought；　finishing　Huck's　implication。　There　was　a　tense　moment　when　I　could　not　predict　what　would　happen　next。　Had　tension；　worry；　and　Tyug's　drugs　strung　our　urrish　friend　to　the　point　where　Huck's　baiting　would　make　her　snap？
　　Ur…ronn's　neck　slowly　untwisted。　An　effort　of　will；　I　saw　by　the　dim　light　of　the　phosphors。　〃You　have。。。〃　she　began；　breathing　heavily。　〃You　have　the　oath　of　this　urs；　that　it　will　ve　so。〃
　　And　she　repeated　the　vow　in　Galactic　Two；　following　it　with　a　laborious　effort　to　spit　on　the　floor；　not　an　easy　act　for　one　of　her　kind。　A　sign　of　sincerity。
　　〃Hr…rm；　well；　that's　great；〃　I　said；　umbling　for　peace。　〃Not　that　any　of　us　ever　thought　any　different。　Right；　Huck？　Pincer？〃
　　Both　of　them　hurried　to　agree；　and　some　of　the　tension　passed。　Underneath；　however；　seeds　of　worry　had　been　laid。　Huck；　I　thought；　you'd　bring　a　jar　full　of　scorpions　in　a　lifeboat；　then　drop　it　just　to　see　who　swims　the　best。
　　We　got　under　way　again　and　soon　were　near　enough　to　see　how　big　the　jack　really　was。　Each　of　the　bulbous　balloonlike　things　at　its　spiky　tips　was　larger　than　Wuphon's　Dream。　〃There's　one　of　the　cables　Uriel　talked　about；〃　Pincer　announced；　waving　a　claw　toward　one　spike；　from　which　a　glossy　black　strand　made　a　relatively　straight　line；　though　buried　in　places；　aimed　north；　in　the　direction　we　had　e。
　　〃I　bet　anything　that　line's　broken　somewhere　tween　here　and　the　cliffs；〃　Huck　ventured。　〃Prob'ly　used　to　go　all　the　way　to　some　secret　cleft　or　cave　near　Terminus　Rock。　From　there　the　cache　might've　been　hauled　in　without　an　urs　ever　having　to　get　her　hooves　wet。　That　end　point　may've　gotten　cut　in　an　avalanche　or　quake；　like　the　one　that　killed　my　folks。　This　jack　thing　is　a　backup；　so　the　cord　can　be　picked　up　again；　even　if　the　first　end　point　is　lost。〃
　　〃Good　thinking。　It　does　explain　one　thing　that　had　me　puzzled…why　Uriel　had　so　much　equipment　on　hand。　Stuff　that　proved　so　useful　for　diving。　In　fact；　it　makes　me　wonder　why　she　needed　us　at　all。　Why　didn't　she　have　a　hidden　bathy　of　her　own　in　the　first　place？〃
　　Ur…ronn　was　getting　over　her　funk。　〃A　g'Kek　accountant　inventories　the　forge　warehouse　regularly。　He'd　notice　anything　as　un…urrish　as　a　suvnarine；　just　lying　around；　ready　to　ve　used。〃
　　Her　voice　was　sarcastic。　Yet　Huck　agreed。
　　〃The　difficult　parts　were　there；　the　pumps　and　valves　and　gaskets。　I'm　sure　Uriel　and　her　predecessors　figured　they　could　whip　up　a　hull　and　the　rest　in　a　matter　of　months。　Who　ever　expected　an　emergency　to　strike　so　quick？　Besides；　we　bunch　of　crazy　kids　offered　a　perfect　cover　story。　No　one　will　associate　us　with　god…caches　from　the　Galactic　past。〃
　　〃I　prefer　to　think；〃　Pincer　interjected；　with　a　dramatically　miffed　tone　of　voice；　〃that　the　real　reason　Uriel　begged　pretty…please　to　be　allowed　to　join　our　team　was　the　superior　design　and　craftsmanship　of　our　ship…hip。〃
　　We　quit　bickering　to　stare　at　him　for　a　moment…then　laughter　filled　the　tiny　cabin；　making　the　hull　vibrate　and　waking　Huphu　from　her　nap。
　　The　four　of　us　felt　better　then；　ready　to　get　on　with　the　mission。　The　hard　part　was　over；　it　appeared。　All　we　had　to　do　now　was　order　Ziz　to　attach　a　clamp　to　the　cord　on　the　jack's　other　side　and　signal　Uriel　to　haul　away。　There　would　then　be　a　long　wait　while　we　slowly　rose　up　toward　the　surface；　since　g'Keks　and　urs　are　even　more　likely　than　humans　to　get　the　bends　if　air　pressure　changes　too　rapidly。　From　books　we　knew　it's　an　awful　way　to　die；　so　a　tedious　ascent　was　an　accepted　necessity。　We　had　all　packed　snacks；　as　well　as　personal　articles　to　help　pass　the　time。
　　Still；　I　was　anxious　to　get　on　with　it。　Claustrophobia　was　nothing　pared　with　the　ordeal　that　would　mence　when　everyone　onboard…each　in　his　or　her　unique　way…started　feeling　the　need　to　go；　as　some　Earthling　books　politely　put　it；　〃to　the　bathroom。〃
　　There　would　be；　it　seemed；　one　slight　difficulty　in　clamping　on　to　the　second　cord。
　　We　saw　the　problem　at　once；　upon　rolling　around　to　look　at　the　Jack's　other　side。
　　The　second　cord　was　missing。
　　Or　rather；　it　had　been　cut。　Fresh…looking　metal　fibers　waved　gently　in　the　subsea　currents；　hanging　like　an　unbraided　urrish　tail　from　one　of　the　jack's　spiky　ends。
　　Nor　was　that　all。　When　Ur…ronn　cast　our　beams　across　the　ocean　floor；　we　saw　a　wavy　trail　in　the　mud；　meandering　south；　in　which　direction　the　cord　apparently　had　been　dragged。　None　of　us　knew　how　to　tell　if　this　was　done　days；　or　jaduras；　or　years　ago。　But　the　word　recent　came　to　mind。　No　one　had　to　say　it　aloud。
　　Electric　sparks　flashed　as　Ur…ronn　reported　the　situation　to　those　waiting　in　the　world　of　air　and　light。　Surprise　was　evident　in　a　long　delay。　Then　an　answer　came　back　down；　crackling　pulses　across　the　tiny　spark　gap。
　　If　in　good　health；　follow　trail　for　two　cables；　then　report。
　　Huck　muttered。　〃As　if　we've　got　any　choice；　with　Uriel　controlling　the　winch。　Like　a　little　case　of　narcosis　or　the　cramp…jitters　would　make　a　difference　to　her？〃
　　This　time；　Ur…ronn　didn't　turn　around；　but　both　tails　switched　Huck's　torso　sharply；　just　below　the　neckline。
　　〃Ahead　one　half；　Alvin；〃　Pincer　manded。　With　a　sigh；　I　bent　over　to　begin　again。
　　So　we　set　forth；　keeping　one　beam　focused　on　the　snake…trail　through　the　mud；　while　Ur…ronn　cast　the　other　searchlight　left　and　right；　up　and　down。　Not　that　seeing　a　threat　in　advance　would　give　us　any　kind　of　useful　warning。　There　was　never　a　vessel　as　unarmed；　slow；　and　helpless　as　Wuphon's　Dream。　That　severed　cord　we　had　seen…it　had　been　made　by　beings　using　Galactic　technology；　intended　to　survive　millennia　underwater　and　still　retain　immense　strength。　Whatever　had　sliced　it　apart　wasn't　anything　I　wanted　to　make　ang