uplift4.brightnessreef-第37节

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ieve；　yet　the　sky…humans　seem　to　doubt　our　word。
　　They　ask　（again！）　about　visitations。　What　clues　have　we　seen　of　other　ships　ing　stealthfully；　for　purposes　vaguely　hinted　at　but　never　said　aloud？
　　As　planned；　we　dissemble。　In　old　human　tales　and　books；　it　is　a　technique　oft　used　by　the　weak　when　confronted　by　the　strong。
　　Act　stupid；　the　lore　suggests。　Meanwhile；　watch　and　listen　closely。
　　Ah；　but　how　much　longer　can　we　get　away　with　it？　Already　Besh　questions　those　who　e　for　healing。　In　their　gratitude；　some　will　surely　forget　our　injunctions。
　　The　next　stage　will　start　soon；　while　our　preparations　are　barely　begun。
　　The　fourth　human　forayer；　Ling；　returns　from　her　research　trip。　Did。she　not　leave　with　the　young　heretic；　Lark？　Yet　she　es　back　alone。
　　No；　we　tell　her。　We　have　not　seen　him。　He　did　not　e　this　way。　Can　you　tell　us　why　he　abandoned　you？　Why　he　left　you　in　the　forest；　his　assigned　task　undone？
　　We　promise　her　another　guide。　The　qheuen　naturalist；　Uthen。　Meanwhile；　we　placate。
　　If　only　our　rewq　had　not　abandoned　us！　When　i/we　ask　Lester　about　the　woman's　mood…what　he　can　read　from　her　demeanor…he　only　shudders　and　says　he　cannot　say。
　　
　　Sara
　　A　CONCERT　WAS　ARRANGED　BY　AN　IMPROMPTU　group　of　passengers　and　crew；　on　the　fantail　of　the　Hauph…woa；　to　wele　the　Stranger　back　among　the　living。
　　Ulgor　would　play　the　violus；　a　stringed　instrument　based　on　the　Earthling　violin；　modified　to　suit　deft　urrish　fingers。　While　Ulgor　tuned；　Blade　squatted　his　blue…green　carapace　over　a　mirliton…drum；　stroking　its　taut　membrane　with　his　massive；　plex　tongue；　causing　it　to　rumble　and　growl。　Meanwhile；　all　five　legs　held　jugs　filled　to　varied　levels　with　water。　Tentative　puffs　from　his　speech　vents　blew　notes　across　each　opening。
　　Pzora；　the　traeki　pharmacist；　modestly　renounced　any　claim　to　musical　talent　but　agreed　to　take　up　some　metal　and　ceramic　chimes。　The　hoonish　helmsman　would　sing；　while　the　professional　scriven…dancer　honored　the　makeshift　group　by　agreeing　to　acpany　them　in　the　g'Kek　manner；　with　graceful　motions　of　his　eyestalks　and　those　famous　dancing　arms；　calling　to　mind　the　swaying　of　trees；　or　wind…driven　rain；　or　birds　in　flight。
　　They　had　asked　Sara　to　round　out　a　six；　but　she　declined。　The　only　instrument　she　played　was　her　father's　piano；　back　in　Nelo's　house　by　the　great　dam；　and　even　at　that　her　proficiency　was　unremarkable。　So　much　for　the　supposed　correlation　between　music　and　mathematics；　she　thought　ironically。　Anyway；　she　wanted　to　keep　an　eye　on　the　Stranger；　in　case　events　threw　him　into　another　hysterical　fit。　He　seemed　calm　so　far；　watching　through　dark　eyes　that　seemed　pleasantly　surprised　by　nearly　everything。
　　Was　this　a　symptom？　Head　injuries　sometimes　caused　loss　of　memory…or　even　ability　to　make　memories…so　everything　was　forever　new。
　　At　least　he　can　feel　some　joy；　she　thought。　Take　the　way　he　beamed；　every　time　she　approached。　It　felt　strange　and　sweet　for　someone　to　be　so　reliably　happy　to　see　her。　Perhaps　if　she　were　prettier；　it　wouldn't　be　so　befuddling。　But　the　handsome　dark　outlander　was　a　sick　man；　she　recalled。　Out　of　his　proper　mind。
　　And　yet；　she　pondered　further；　what　is　the　past　but　a　fiction；　invented　by　a　mind　in　order　to　go　on　functioning？　She　had　spent　a　year　fleeing　memory；　for　reasons　that　had　seemed　important　then。
　　Now　it　just　doesn't　amount　to　much。
　　She　worried　about　what　was　going　on　up　in　the　Rimmers。　Her　brothers　stayed　close　to　her　thoughts。
　　If　you'd　accepted　Taine's　original　proposal　of　marriage；　you　might　have　had　little　ones　by　now；　and　their　future　to　fret　about；　as　well。
　　Refusing　the　august　gray…headed　sage　had　caused　a　stir。　How　many　other　offers　would　there　be　for　the　hand　of　a　shy　papermaker's　daughter　without　much　figure；　a　young　woman　with　more　passion　for　symbols　on　a　page　than　dancing　or　the　other　arts　of　dalliance？　Soon　after　turning　Taine　down；　Joshu's　attentions　had　seemed　to　ratify　her　decision；　till　she　realized　the　young　bookbinder　might　only　be　using　her　as　a　diversion　during　his　journeyman　year　in　Biblos；　nothing　more。
　　Ironic；　isn't　it？　Lark　could　have　his　pick　of　young　women　on　the　Slope；　yet　his　philosophy　makes　him　choose　celibacy。　My　conclusions　about　Jijo　and　the　Six　are　the　opposite　to　his。　Yet　I'm　alone　too。
　　Different　highways；　arriving　at　the　same　solitary　dead　end。
　　And　now　e　gods　from　space；　diverting　us　all　onto　a　road　whose　markings　we　can't　see。
　　They　still　lacked　a　sixth　for　the　concert。　Despite　having　introduced　string　instruments　to　Jijo；　humans　traditionally　played　flute　in　a　mixed　sextet。　Jop　was　an　adept；　but　the　farmer　declined；　preferring　to　pore　over　his　book　of　scrolls。　Finally；　young　Jomah　agreed　to　sit　in　for　luck；　equipped　with　a　pair　of　spoons。
　　So　much　for　the　vaunted　contribution　of　Earthlings　to　musical　life　on　Jijo。
　　Hidden　under　Blade's　heavy　shell；　the　mirliton　groaned　a　low；　rumbling　note；　soon　joined　by　a　mournful　sigh　from　one　of　the　jugs　under　Blade's　left…front　leg。　The　qheuen's　seeing…band　winked　at　Ulgor；　and　the　urs　took　her　cue　to　lift　the　violus；　laying　the　double　bow　across　the　strings；　drawing　twin　wavering　notes；　embellishing　the　mirliton's　basso　moan。　A　multilevel　chord　was　struck。　It　held。。。。
　　The　moment　of　duet　harmony　seemed　to　stretch　on　and　on。　Sara　stopped　breathing；　lest　any　other　sound　break　the　extraordinary　consonance。　Even　Fakoon　rolled　forward；　visibly　moved。
　　If　the　rest　is　anything　like　this。。。
　　Pzora　chose　the　next　instant　to　pile　in；　disrupting　the　aching　sweetness　with　an　eager　clangor　of　bells　and　cymbals。　The　Dolo　pharmacist　seemed　zealously　unaware　of　what　er　had　shattered；　rushing　ahead　of　the　beat；　halting；　then　pushing　on　again。　After　a　stunned　instant；　members　of　the　hoonish　crew　roared　with　laughter。　Noor　on　the　masts　chittered　as　Ulgor　and　Blade　shared　looks　that　needed　no　rewq　to　interpret…equivalents　to　a　shrug　and　a　wink。　They　played　on；　incorporating　Pzora's　enthusiasm　in　a　catchy　four…part　rhythm。
　　Sara　recalled　being　taught　piano　by　her　mother；　from　music　that　was　actually　written　down；　now　a　nearly　forgotten　art。　Jijoan　sextets　weaved　their　impromptu　harmonies　out　of　separate　threads；　merging　and　diverging　through　one　congenial　coincidence　after　another。　Human　music　used　to　work　that　way　in　most　pre…Contact　cultures；　before　the　Euro…West　hit　on　symphonies　and　other　more　rigorous　forms。　Or　so　Sara　had　read。
　　Overing　shyness；　Jomah　started　rattling　his　spoons　as　Blade　puffed　a　calliope　of　breathy　notes。　The　hoonish　helmsman　inflated　his　air　sac　to　answer　the　mirliton's　rumble；　singing　an　improvisation；　without　words　in　any　known　language。
　　Then　Fakoon　wheeled　forward；　arms　swaying　delicately；　reminding　Sara　of　gently　rising　smoke。
　　What　had　been　exquisite；　then　humorous；　soon　took　on　a　quality　even　more　highly　prized。
　　Unity。
　　She　glanced　at　the　Stranger；　his　face　overe　with　emotion；　eyes　delighting　in　Fakoon's　opening　moves。　The　left　hand　thumped　his　blanket　happily；　beating　time。
　　You　can　tell　what　kind　of　man　he　used　to　be；　she　mused。　Even　horribly　mutilated；　in　awful　pain；　he　spends　his　waking　time　enthralled　by　good　things。
　　The　thought　seemed　to　catch　in　her　throat。　Taken　by　surprise；　Sara　turned　away；　hiding　a　choking　wave　of　sadness　that　abruptly　blurred　her　vision。
　　Tarek　Town　appeared　soon　after；　perched　between　the　merging　rivers　Roney　and　Bibur。
　　From　afar　it　seemed　no　more　than　a　greenish　knoll；　like　any　other　hill。　Grayish　shapes　studded　the　mound；　as　if　boulders　lay　strewn　over　the　slopes。　Then　the　Hauph…woa　rounded　one　last　oxbow　turn；　and　what　had　seemed　solid　from　a　distance　now　spread　open…a　huge；　nearly　hollow　erection　of　webbing；　festooned　with　greenery。　The　〃boulders〃　were　the　protruding　tips　of　massive　towers；　enmeshed　in　a　maze　of　cables；　conduits；　rope　bridges；　netting；　ramps；　and　sloping　ladders；　all　draped　under　lush；　flowing　foliage。
　　The　air　filled　with　a　humid　redolence；　the　scent　of　countless　flowers。
　　Sara　liked　to　squint　and　imagine　Tarek　in　other　days；　back　when　it　was　but　a　hamlet　to　the　mighty　Buyur；　yet　a　place　of　true　civilization；　humming　with　faithful　machines；　vibrant　with　the　footsteps　of　visitors　from　far　star　systems；　thronging　with　sky…craft　that　settled　gracefully　on　rooftop　landing　pads。　A　city　lively　with　aspirations　that　she；　a　forest　primitive；　might　never　imagine。
　　But　then；　as　the　noon　crew　poled　the　Hauph…woa　toward　a　concealed　dock；　no　amount　of　squinting　could　mask　how　far　Tarek　had　fallen。　Out　of　a　multitude　of　windows；　only　a　few　still　shone　with　million…year…old　glazing。　Others　featured　crude　chimneys；　staining　once…smooth　walls　with　the　soot　of　cook　fires。　Wide　ledges　where　floating　aircraft　once　landed　now　supported　miniature　orchards　or　coops　for　noisy　herd　chicks。　Instead　of　self…propelled　machines；　the　streets　swarmed　with　merce　carried　on　the　backs　of　tinkers　and　traders；　or　animal…drawn　carts。
　　High　up　a　nearby　tower；　some　young　g'Kek　sped　around　a　rail…less　ramp；　heedless　of　the　drop；　their　spokes　blurry　with　speed。　Urban　life　suited　the　wheeled　sept。　Rare　elsewhere；　g'Kek　made　up　the　town's　largest　group。
　　Northward；　crossing　Tarek's　l