uplift4.brightnessreef-第78部分

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and　still　retain　immense　strength。　Whatever　had　sliced　it　apart　wasn't　anything　I　wanted　to　make　angry。
　　A　deeper；　more　solemn　mood　filled　the　cabin　as　we　crept　onward。　After　cranking　for　more　than　a　midura　against　the　ever…changing　traction　of　slippery　muck；　my　arms　and　back　were　starting　to　feel　the　stinging　tingle　of　second…stage　fatigue。　I　was　too　tired　to　umble。　Behind　me；　Huphu　expressed　her　boredom　by　rummaging　through　my　backpack；　tearing　open　a　package　of　pish　fish　sandwiches；　nibbling　part　of　it　and　scattering　the　rest　through　the　bilge。　Splashing　noises　and　a　wet　tickling　on　my　toe…pads　told　of　water　accumulating　down　there…whether　from　excess　humidity；　or　some　slow　leak；　or　our　own　disgusting　wastes；　I　didn't　care　to　guess。　The　aroma　inside　was　starting　to　get　both　plex　and　pretty　damn　ripe。　I　was　fighting　another　onset　of　confinement　dread　when　Pincer　let　out　a　shrill　yell。
　　〃Alvin；　stop！　Back　up！　I　mean　engines　back　full！〃
　　I　wish　I　could　report　that　I　saw　what　caused　this　outburst；　but　my　view　was　blocked　by　frenzied　silhouettes。　Besides；　I　had　my　hands　full　fighting　the　momentum　of　the　crank；　which　seemed　determined　to　keep　turning　in　the　same　direction　despite　me；　driving　the　wheels　ever　forward。　I　held　the　wooden　rods　in　a　strangle　grip　and　heaved　with　all　my　might；　feeling　something　pop　in　my　spine。　Finally；　I　managed　to　slow　the　axles；　then　at　last　bring　them　to　a　stop。　But　for　all　my　grunting　effort；　I　could　not　make　them　turn　the　other　way。
　　〃I'm　getting　a　list！〃　Huck　announced。　〃Tilting　forward　and　to　port。〃
　　〃I　didn't　see　it　ing！〃　Pincer　cried　out。　〃We　were　climbing　a　little　hill；　then　it　just　came　out　of　nowhere；　I　swear！〃
　　Now　I　could　feel　the　tilt。　The　Dream　was　definitely　tipping　forward　even　as　Huck　frantically　pumped　ballast　aft。　The　eik　beams　seemed　to　flail　around　the　darkness　up　ahead；　offering　an　unsettling　view　of　yawning　emptiness　where　before　there　had　been　a　gently　sloping　plain。
　　I　finally　managed　to　get　the　crank　turning　backward；　but　any　sense　of　victory　was　short…lived。　One　of　the　magnetic　clutches…attached　to　a　wheel　salvaged　from　Huck's　aunt；　I　believe…gave　way。　The　remaining　roller　bit　hard　into　the　mud；　with　the　effect　of　abruptly　slewing　us　sideways。
　　The　beams　now　swung　along　the　lip　of　the　precipice　we　were　poised　upon。　Apparently；　what　we　had　thought　was　the　main　floor　of　the　Rift　had　been　but　a　shelf　along　the　outskirts　of　the　actual　trench。　The　true　gash　now　gaped；　ready　to　receive　us；　as　it　had　received　so　many　other　things　that　would　never　again　partake　in　affairs　up　where　stars　glittered　bright。
　　So　many　dead　things；　and　we　were　about　to　join　them。
　　〃Shall　I　cut　ballast？〃　Huck　asked；　frantically。　〃I　can　cut　ballast。　Pull　the　signal　cord　to　have　Ziz　inflate。　I　can　do　it！　Shall　I　do　it？〃
　　I　reached　out　and　took　two　eyestalks；　gently　stroking　them　in　the　calming　way　I　had　learned　over　the　years。　She　wasn't　making　any　sense。　The　weight　of　all　the　steel　hawser　we　trailed　was　greater　than　a　few　bricks　slung　under　the　belly　of　Wuphon's　Dream。　If　we　cut　the　hawser　too；　we　might　rise　all　right。　But　then　what　would　keep　the　air　hose　from　tangling　and　snapping　as　we　spun　and　tumbled？　Even　if　it　miraculously　survived；　unsnarled；　we　would　shoot　up　like　the　bullet…ship　in　Verne's　First　Men　in　the　Moon。　Even　Pincer　would　probably　die　of　the　bends。
　　More　practical　with　death　looming　before　us；　Ur…ronn　fired　off　rapid　spark…pulses；　telling　Uriel　to　yank　us　home　without　delay。　Good　idea。　But　how　long　would　it　take；　I　wondered；　for　the　crew　above　to　haul　in　all　the　slack？　How　fast　could　they　do　it　without　risking　a　crimp　in　the　air　hose？　How　far　might　we　fall　before　two　opposite　pulls　met　in　a　sudden　jerk？　That　moment　of　truth　would　be　when　we　discovered　just　how　well　we'd　built　the　Dream。
　　Helplessly；　I　felt　the　wheels　lose　contact　with　the　muddy　shelf　as　our　brave　little　bathy　slid　over　the　edge；　starting　a　long　languid　fall　into　darkness。
　　　
　　That；　I　guess；　would　be　a　nice；　dramatic　place　to　end　a　chapter；　with　our　heroes　tumbling　into　the　black　depths。　A　true…to…life　cliff…hanger。
　　Will　the　crew　ever　make　it　home　again？
　　Will　they　survive？
　　Yeah；　that'd　make　a　good　stopping　point。　What's　more；　I'm　tired　and　hurting。　I　need　to　call　for　help；　so　I　can　make　it　to　the　bucket　in　the　corner　of　this　dank　place　and　get　some　relief。
　　But　I　won't　stop　there。　I　know　a　better　place；　just　a　bit　farther　down　the　stream　of　time；　as　Wuphon's　Dream　slowly　fell；　rotating　round　and　round；　and　we　watched　the　eik　beams　sweep　a　cliff　face　that　rose　beside　us　like　the　wall　of　an　endless　tomb。　Our　tomb。
　　We　dropped　half　of　our　ballast；　which　helped　slow　the　plunge…till　a　current　yanked　ahold　of　the　Dream；　dragging　us　faster。　We　dropped　the　remainder　but　knew　our　sole　chance　lay　in　Uriel　reacting　perfectly；　and　then　a　hundred　other　things　working　better　than　there　was　any　hope　of　them　working。
　　Each　of　us　was　ing　to　terms　with　death　in　our　own　way；　alone；　facing　the　approaching　end　of　our　personal　drama。
　　I　missed　my　parents。　I　mourned　along　with　them；　for　my　loss　was　in　many　ways　as　bitter　to　me　as　it　would　be　to　them；　though　I　wouldn't　have　to　endure　for　years　the　sorrow　they'd　carry；　on　account　of　my　foolish　need　for　adventure。　I　stroked　and　umbled　Huphu；　while　Ur…ronn　whistled　a　plains　lament　and　Huck　drew　all　four　eyes　together；　looking　inward；　I　supposed；　at　her　life。
　　Then；　out　of　nowhere；　Pincer　shouted　a　single　word　that　overrode　the　keening　of　our　fears。　A　word　we　had　heard　from　his　vents　before；　too　many　times；　but　never　quite　like　this。　Never　with　such　tones　of　awe　and　wonder。
　　〃Monsters…ers…ers！〃　he　yelled。
　　Then；　with　rising　terror　and　joy；　he　cried　it　out　again。　〃Monsters！〃
　　　
　　No　one　has　e　to　answer　my　call。　I'm　stuck　lying　here　with　a　back　that　won't　bend　and　a　terrible　need　for　that　bucket。　My　pencil　is　worn　down　and　I'm　almost　out　of　paper。。。　so　while　I'm　waiting　I　might　as　well　push　on　to　the　real　dramatic　moment　of　our　fall。
　　All　was　confusion　inside　Wuphon's　Dream　as　we　plunged　toward　our　doom。　We　tumbled　left　and　right；　banging　against　the　inner　hull；　against　cranks；　handles；　levers；　and　each　other。　The　view　outside；　when　I　could　see　past　my　wildly　gesturing　rades；　was　a　jumbled　confusion　of　phosphorescent　dots　caught　in　the　eik　beams；　plus　occasional　glimpses　of　a　rising　cliff　face；　and　then　quick　flashes　of　something　else。
　　Something…or　some　things…lustrous　and　gray。　Agile；　flitting　movements。　Then　curious　strokings；　rubbing　our　vessel's　hull；　followed　by　sharp　raps　and　bangs　all　along　the　flanks　of　our　doomed　boat。
　　Pincer　kept　babbling　about　monsters。　I　honestly　thought　he'd　gone　crazy；　but　Ur…ronn　and　Huck　had　changed　their　wailing　cries　and　were　leaning　toward　the　glass；　as　if　transfixed　by　what　they　saw。　It　was　all　so　noisy；　and　Huphu　was　clawing　my　aching　backside　between　frenzied　attacks　on　the　walls。
　　I　felt　sure　I　made　out　Huck　saying　something　like…
　　〃What…or　who…could　they　possibly　be？〃
　　That's　when　the　whirling　shapes　divided；　vanishing　to　both　sides　as　a　new　entity　arrived；　causing　us　all　to　gasp。
　　It　was　huge；　many　times　the　size　of　our　bathy；　and　it　swam　with　easy　grace；　emitting　a　growl　as　it　came。　From　my　agonizing　prison　at　the　back；　I　could　not　make　out　much　except　two　great　eyes　that　seemed　to　shine　far　brighter　than　our　failing　eik　beams。
　　And　its　mouth。　I　recall　seeing　that　all　too　well；　as　it　spread　wide；　rushing　to　meet　us。
　　The　hull　groaned；　and　there　were　more　sharp　bangs。　Ur…ronn　yelped　as　a　needle　spray　of　water　jetted　inward；　ricocheting　back　at　me。
　　Numb　with　fear；　I　could　not　stop　my　whirling　brain　long　enough　to　have　a　single　clear　thought；　only　a　storm　of　notions。
　　These　were　Buyur　ghosts；　I　guessed；　e　to　punish　living　fools　who　dared　invade　their　realm。
　　They　were　machines；　cobbled　together　from　relics　and　remnants　that　had　tumbled　into　the　Rift　since　long　before　the　Buyur；　in　epochs　so　old；　even　the　Galactics　no　longer　recalled。
　　They　were　home…grown　sea　monsters。　Jijo's　own。　Products　of　the　world's　most　private　place。
　　These　and　other　fancies　flashed　through　my　muddled　brain　as　I　watched；　unable　to　look　away　from　those　terrible　onrushing　jaws。　The　Dream　buffeted　and　bucked…in　sea　currents；　I　now　suppose；　but　at　the　time　it　felt　she　was　struggling　to　get　away。
　　The　jaws　swept　around　us。　A　sudden　surge　brought　us　hurtling　to　one　side。　We　hit　the　interior　of　the　great　beast's　mouth；　crashing　with　such　force　that　the　beautiful　glass　bubble　cracked。　Frosted　patterns　spread　from　the　point　of　impact。　Ur…ronn　wailed；　and　Huck　rolled　her　eyestalks　tight；　like　socks　going　in　a　drawer。
　　I　grabbed　Huphu；　ignoring　her　tearing　claws；　and　took　a　deep　breath　of　stale　air。　It　was　awful　stuff；　but　I　figured　it　would　be　my　last　chance。
　　The　window　gave　up　at　the　same　moment　the　air　hose　snapped。
　　The　dark　waters　of　the　Rift　found　their　rapid　way　into　our　shattered　ship。
　　
　　XXIV。　THE　BOOK　OF　THE　SLOPE
　　Legends
　　It　took　twenty　years　to　recover　the　first　human　band　of　sooners…a　sizeable　group　who　fled　to　the　scrublands　south　of　the　vale；　rejecting　the　Covenant　of　Exile　that　their　leaders　had　signed；　just　before　the　Tabernacle　went　tumbling　to　the　depths。　They　risked　both　desolation　and　the　law　in　order　to　get　away；　and　had　to　be　dragged　back；　shuddering　in　dread；　all　because　they　could　not　bring　themselves　to　trust　hoon　or　traeki。
　　In　retrospect　this　seems　so　ironic；　since　it　was　qheuens　and　urs　who　caused　human　settlers　grief　during　two　subsequent　centuries　of　war。　Why　then　did　so　many　Earthlings　fear　the　peaceful　ringed　ones；　or　our　cheerful　friends　with　the　broad　shoulders　and　booming　voices？　The　star…cousins　of　both　traeki　and　hoon　must　have　seemed　quite　different　when　our　ancestors'　first　starships　emerged　onto　the　lanes　of　Galaxy　Four。
　　Unfortunately；　most　galactology　records　burned　in　the　Great　Fire。　But　other　accounts　tell　of　relentless　hostility　by　mighty；　enigmatic　star…lords　calling　themselves　Jophur；　who　took　a　leading　role　in　the　Sequestration　of　Mudaun。　That　fearsome　atrocity　led　directly　to　the　Tabernacle　exodus…an　outrage　executed　with　single…minded　precision　and　utter　reso