uplift4.brightnessreef-第112节

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ntil　the　spider…things　entered；　except　in　the　sharp　glare　of　two　beams　cast　from　opposite　walls。　Also；　I　was　half　conscious　and　in　shock；　so　nothing　I　write　can　be　taken　as　reliable　testimony。
　　Especially　my　impressions　of　what　came　next。
　　Waving　their　own　dazzling　lanterns；　the　two　shadowy　forms　began　inspecting　their　catch；　first　pausing　to　illuminate　and　stare　at　Pincer　and　Ur…ronn；　then　poor　Huck；　wheeling　vainly　on　her　side；　and　finally　me。　I　tried　to　move　and　nearly　fainted。　When　I　fought　to　speak　or　umble；　I　found　my　bruised　throat　sac　would　not　take　air。
　　Funny　thing；　I　could　swear　the　monsters　talked　to　one　another　while　they　looked　us　over；　something　they　never　do　now；　when　they　enter　my　cell　in　teams　to　tend　me。　It　was　an　eerie；　trilling；　and　ratcheting　kind　of　speech；　totally　unlike　GalTwo　or　any　other　Galactic　language　that　I　know。　And　yet　something　about　it　felt　familiar。　Each　time　their　lights　fell　on　another　of　us　for　the　first　time；　I　swear　the　beasts　sounded　surprised。
　　When　they　reached　me；　part　of　my　terror　was　eased　by　the　sudden　appearance　of　Huphu。　Somewhere　in　my　addled　mind；　I'd　been　worried　about　our　mascot。　Abruptly；　there　she　was；　rearing　in　front　of　me；　chattering　defiance　at　the　towering　spider…things。
　　The　creatures　rocked　back；　amazement　now　so　evident　that　I　might　have　been　watching　them　with　perfectly　tuned　rewq。　One　of　the　things　crouched　down　and　murmured　hurriedly；　excitedly；　either　talking　excitedly　about　the　little　noor　or　right　at　her。　I　couldn't　tell　which。
　　Can　I　trust　that　dreamlike　impression？　At　this　point；　as　they　say　in　some　Earthling　books；　I　was　fading　to　vacuum；　fast。　In　retrospect；　it　seems　an　illusion。
　　One　thing　I　know　I　fantasized。　Something　that　es　back　now　more　as　notion　than　memory。　Yet　the　image　clings；　flickering　the　same　way　consciousness　flickered；　just　before　dimming　out。
　　Without　warning；　a　final　figure　crept　into　view；　crawling　from　under　a　slab　of　our　poor　shattered　bathy。　Half…flattened　and　deformed；　Ziz　regathered　its　conical　shape　while　the　two　monsters　staggered　backward；　as　if　they　had　seen　something　deadlier　than　a　poison…skenk。　One　of　them　swung　a　gleaming　tube　at　the　battered　traeki　partial　and　fired　a　searing　bolt　that　blew　a　hole　in　the　poor　stack's　middle　ring；　flinging　it　against　the　wall　near　Huck。
　　My　overtaxed　brain　shut　down　about　then。　（Or　had　it　done　so　already？）　Yet　there　is　just　one　more　vague；　dreamlike　impression　that　clings　to　me　right　now；　like　a　shadow　of　a　phantom　of　a　ghost　of　stunned　astonishment。
　　Somebody　spoke；　while　the　midget　traeki　oozed　sap　across　the　sodden　floor。　Not　in　the　trilling　whistles　the　creatures　used　before。　Not　in　GalSeven　or　any　other　civilized　tongue…but　in　Anglic。
　　〃My　God…〃　it　said；　in　tones　of　disbelief；　and　it　struck　me　as　a　human　female's　voice；　with　a　strange　accent　I　never　heard　before。
　　〃My　God…all　these…and　a　Jophur　too！〃
　　
　　XXVIII。　THE　BOOK　OF　THE　SLOPE
　　Legends
　　It　is　said　that　we　are　all　descended　from　unlucky　races。
　　According　to　many　of　the　tales　told　by　the　Six；　there　is　endless　war；　persecution；　suffering；　and　fanaticism　amid　the　Five　Galaxies。　But　it　this　really　were　typical；　that　civilisation　could　not　have　lasted　even　a　million　years；　let　alone　a　billion　or　more。
　　If　it　were　typical；　places　like　Jijo　would　be　teeming　with　countless　sooner　infestations；　not　just　half　a　dozen。
　　If　it　were　typical；　worlds　like　Jijo　would　have　been　used　up　long　ago。
　　Other　accounts　tell　that　the　vast　majority　or　star…faring　races　are　relatively　calm。　That　they　manage　their　interests；　raise　their　clients；　and　tend　their　leased　worlds　with　serene　attentiveness　to　good　manners　and　the　ancient　codes；　while　trodding　the　Upward　Path　toward　whatever　transcendence　awaits　them。　They　see　the　abrasive　antics　or　jealous；　fanatical　alliances　as　tasteless；　immature…but　why　intervene　when　it　is　simpler　and　safer　just　to　keep　your　head　（or　heads）　down　and　mind　your　own　business？　Clients　lucky　enough　to　be　adopted　into　such　moderate　clans　grow　up　peaceful　and　secure；　except　during　those　intervals…legendary　times　of　Change…when　upheaval　overwhelms　even　the　cautious　and　discreet。
　　Then　it　is　the　hardy　that　tend　to　thrive。
　　Those　toughened　by　scrappy　interactions　in　the　back　alleys　of　space。
　　Those　alleys　claim　victims；　though。　It　is　said　that　we　Six　count　among　the　bleeding　refugees　who　slunk　away　from　lost　causes　and　broken　dreams；　seeking　a　place　to　hide。　To　heal。　To　seek　another　path。
　　To　search　in　quest　of　one　last　chance。
　　
　　Sara
　　IT　WAS　A　MUDDLE；　ANY　WAY　YOU　LOOKED　AT　IT。　The　stun…bomb　had　driven　the　pack　animals　into　hysterical　flight；　yanking　free　of　their　tethers　to　run　wild　through　the　maze　of　stony　spires。　Someone　would　have　to　go　search　for　them；　but　only　after　the　wounded　were　tended　with　what　skill　Sara　possessed。
　　Those　humans　who　were　blinded…perhaps　temporarily…needed　to　be　calmed；　then　fed　by　hand。　Later；　the　dead　must　be　dragged　to　a　flat　spot　where　a　pyre　could　be　raised；　to　sear　their　corpses　down　to　ineluctable　dross…a　neat；　transportable　pile　to　be　gathered　and　sent　to　sea。
　　There　was　an　added　plication。　Several　dead　Urunthai　had　been　carrying　husbands　or　larvae。　Sara　herded　together　the　strongest　that　crawled　out　of　pouches…those　with　any　chance　of　surviving…into　a　makeshift　pen　where　the　diminutive　males　took　charge　of　their　offspring；　chewing　and　regurgitating　small　bits　of　meat　for　the　pasty；　caterpillarlike；　pre…infant　urs。
　　In　tales　praising　the　glory　of　war；　they　never　talk　about　the　hard　stuff　that　es　after　a　battle。　Maybe　people　wouldn't　fight　as　much　if　they　knew　they'd　have　to　clean　up　the　awful　mess。
　　Kurt　and　Jomah　finally　got　her　to　sit　down　around　sunset；　to　eat　and　rest　for　a　while。　By　then　the　day　had　dimmed；　and　the　campfire's　glow　flickered　across　two　ranks　of　sullen　captives…human　and　urrish…who　stared　at　each　other；　sulky；　half…blind；　and　petulant。　None　seemed　more　melancholy　than　the　former　sage；　the　scholar…turned…prophet　who　had　argued　with　Sara　so　confidently　half　a　day　before。　Dedinger　glared　calculatingly　at　Kurt；　who　cradled　the　pistol　carefully；　never　letting　any　of　the　prisoners　out　of　his　sight。
　　Before　sitting　down；　Sara　first　checked　Prity's　stitches；　which　still　oozed　enough　to　worry　her。　It　had　been　difficult　sewing　the　wound；　with　the　chimp　understandably　twitching　and　with　Sara's　eyes　blurry　from　the　stun…bomb。　After　she　had　done　all　she　could　for　her　little　assistant　and　friend；　Sara　looked　around　for　the　Stranger。　He　had　been　a　great　help　all　afternoon；　but　she　had　not　seen　him　in　over　an　hour；　and　it　was　past　time　for　his　medicine。
　　Kurt　said；　〃He　went　off　thataway〃…indicating　southward；　into　the　rocks…〃to　try　catching　some　donkeys。　Don't　worry。　That　fellow　seems　to　know　how　to　take　care　of　himself。〃
　　Sara　quashed　her　initial　reaction…to　berate　the　exploser　for　letting　the　star…man　head　into　an　unfamiliar　wilderness　all　alone。　The　alien　was　a　cripple；　after　all；　and　might　get　hurt　or　lost。
　　But　then；　she　recalled；　he　was　a　strangely　petent　cripple。　Clever　and　skilled　in　ways　that　had　little　to　do　with　words。　And　for　a　man　with　such　a　peaceful　demeanor；　he　fought　very　well。
　　With　a　shrug；　Sara　accepted　what　could　not　be　changed　and　sat　down　to　partake　of　the　desert　warriors'　wafer　bread　and　a　jug　of　leathery…tasting　water。
　　〃In　the　morning　we　must　gather　wood　for　a　pyre；　since　we　haven't　any　scavenger　toruses　for　proper　mulching；〃　she　said　between　mouthfuls；　speaking　more　loudly　than　normal；　because　everyone　was　still　rather　hard　of　hearing。　At　best；　it　took　a　shout　to　carry　over　the　steady　ringing　in　her　own　ears。　〃And　we　should　send　someone　for　help。〃
　　〃I'll　go；〃　Jomah　volunteered。　〃I'm　the　only　one　who　wasn't　banged　up　in　the　battle。　I'm　strong　an'　I've　got　a　pass。　Uncle　Kurt　knows　I　won't　get　lost。　And　I　can　move　real　fast。〃
　　The　senior　exploser　looked　unfortable。　His　nephew　was　very　young。　Still；　after　a　moment's　reflection；　Kurt　nodded。　〃It　makes　sense。　He　can　head…〃
　　〃Of　course　I　am　the　one　to　send；〃　Ulgor　interrupted；　turning　from　tending　the　campfire。　〃I　can　run　faster　and　farther　than　the　child；　and　I　know　these　hills　well。〃
　　Sara　choked。　〃Not　a　chance！　I　can't　believe　we　haven't　tied　you　up　yet　with　the　others！　Let　you　go？　So　you　can　hurry　off　and　collect　more　of　your　fanatic　friends？〃
　　Ulgor　turned　her　narrow　head　to　peer　at　Sara　sideways。　〃As　if　those　friends　are　not　already　on　their　way；　dear　daughter　of　Nelo？　UrKachu　sent　envoys　ahead；　don't　forget。　Let　us　suffose　that　Kurt's　nephew　could　reach　the　Glade　without　encountering　a　ligger；　or　a　fack　of　khoovrahs。　If　he　heads　north；　I　guarantee　the　first　folks　he　encounters　will　ve　UrKachu's　allies；　hurrying　to　join　us。〃
　　Now　it　was　Kurt's　turn　to　interrupt；　with　a　short；　hard　laugh。
　　〃And　who　says　we're　headin'　north？〃　Both　Ulgor　and　Sara　looked　at　him。　〃What　do　you　mean？　Obviously　we　have　to。。。〃
　　Her　voice　trailed　off　as　she　saw　the　exploser　smile。　e　to　think　of　it；　Kurt　never　explicitly　said　the　Glade　was　his　destination。　She　had　assumed；　quite　naturally；　that　his　urgent　business　lay　there。　But　he　might　have　planned　to　leave　our　group　at　Crossroad