uplift4.brightnessreef-第44节

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　　From　the　moment　she　and　Lark　strode　into　the　Glade　of　Gathering；　everyone　seemed　awfully　excited　and　distracted。　At　first　Rety　thought　it　was　because　of　her；　but　it　soon　grew　clear　that　the　real　cause　was　visitors　from　the　sky！
　　No　matter。　It　still　felt　like　ing　home。　Like　being　weled　into　the　embrace　of　a　family　far　bigger　and　sweeter　than　the　dirty　little　band　she　had　known　for　fourteen　awful　years。
　　At　least　it　felt　that　way　for　a　while。
　　Till　the　betrayal。
　　Till　the　sages　called　her　once　again　to　their　pavilion　and　told　her　their　decision。
　　〃It's　all　Dwer's　fault；〃　she　muttered　later；　nursing　hot　resentment。　〃Him　an'　his　rotten　brother。　If　only　I　could've　snuck　in　over　the　mountains　without　being　seen。　No　one　would've　noticed　me　in　all　this　ruckus。〃　Rety　had　no　clear　notion　what　she　would　have　done　after　that。　The　oldsters　back　home　had　been　murky　in　their　handed…down　tales　about　the　Slope。　Perhaps　she　could　make　herself　useful　to　some　remote　village　as　a　trapper。　Not　for　food…Slopies　had　plenty　of　that…but　for　soft　furs　that'd　keep　townfolk　from　asking　too　closely　where　she　came　from。
　　Back　in　the　Gray　Hills；　such　dreams　used　to　help　her　pass　each　grinding　day。　Still；　she　might　never　have　found　the　guts　to　flee　her　muddy　clan　but　for　the　beautiful　bright　bird。
　　And　now　the　sages　had　taken　it　away　from　her！
　　〃We　are　grateful　for　your　part　in　bringing　this　enigmatic　wonder　to　us；〃　Lester　Cambel　said　less　than　an　hour　ago；　with　the　winged　thing　spread　on　a　table　before　him。　〃Meanwhile　though；　something　terribly　urgent　has　e　up。　I　hope　you'll　understand；　Rety；　why　it's　bee　so　necessary　for　you　to　go　back。〃
　　Back？　At　first；　she　could　not　bring　herself　to　understand。　She　puzzled　while　he　gabbled　on　and　on。
　　Back？
　　Back　to　Jass　and　Bom　and　their　strutting　ways？　To　the　endless　bullying　of　those　big；　strong　hunters？　Always　boasting　around　the　campfire　about　petty；　vicious　triumphs　that　grew　more　exaggerated　with　each　telling？　To　those　wicked　oafs　who　used　fire…tipped　sticks　to　punish　anyone　who　dared　to　talk　back　to　them？
　　Back　to　where　mothers　watched　half　their　babies　waste　away　and　die？　To　where　that　hardly　mattered；　because　new　babies　kept　on　ing；　ing　and　ing；　till　you　dried　up　and　died　of　old　age　before　you　were　forty？　Back　to　all　that　hunger　and　dirt？
　　The　human　sage　had　muttered　words　and　phrases　that　were　supposed　to　sound　soothing　and　noble　and　logical。　But　Rety　had　stopped　listening。
　　They　meant　to　send　her　back　to　the　tribe！
　　Oh；　it　might　be　fine　to　see　Jass's　face　when　she　strode　into　camp；　clothed　and　equipped　with　all　the　wonders　the　Six　could　offer。　But　then　where　would　she　be？　Condemned　once　more　to　that　awful　life。
　　I　won't　go　back。　I　won't！
　　With　that　resolution；　Rety　rolled　over；　wiped　her　eyes；　and　considered　what　to　do。
　　She　could　try　running　away；　taking　shelter　elsewhere。　Rumors　told　that　all　was　not　in　perfect　harmony　among　the　Six。　So　far；　she　had　obeyed　Cambel's　request　not　to　blab　the　story　of　her　origins。　But　Rety　wondered…might　some　urrish　or　qheuen　faction　pay　for　the　information？　Or　invite　her　to　live　among　them？
　　It's　said　the　urs　sometimes　let　a　chosen　human　ride　upon　their　backs；　when　the　human's　light　enough；　and　worthy。
　　Rety　tried　to　picture　life　among　the　galloping　clans；　roaming　bold　and　free　across　the　open　plains　with　wind　blowing　through　her　hair。
　　Or　what　about　going　to　sea　with　hoons？　There　were　islands　nobody　had　ever　set　foot　on；　and　flying　fish；　and　floating　mountains　made　of　ice。　What　an　adventure　that　would　be！　Then　there　were　the　traeki　of　the　swamps。。。
　　A　new　thought　abruptly　occurred　to　her。　Another　option　that　suddenly　appeared　to　lie　open。　One　so　amazing　to　contemplate　that　she　just　lay　there　silently　for　several　duras；　hands　unclenching　at　last　from　their　tightly　clutched　fists。　Finally；　she　sat　up；　pondering　with　growing　excitement　a　possibility　beyond　any　other　ambition　she　had　ever　conceived。
　　The　more　she　thought　about　it；　the　better　it　began　to　seem。
　　
　　XI。　THE　BOOK　OF　THE　SEA
　　Animals　think　nothing　of　race；　clan；　or　philosophy。
　　Nor　of　beauty；　ethics；　or　investment　in　things　that　will　long　outlast　their　lives。
　　All　that　matters　to　beasts　is　the　moment。
　　All　that　counts　is　self。
　　Mates；　offspring；　siblings；　and　hive…consorts；
　　All　these　offer　continuity　of　self。
　　To　even　a　loving　beast；　altruism　has　deep　roots；　founded　in　self…interest。
　　Sapient　beings　are　not　beasts。
　　Royalty　binds　even　the　innately　egotistic　to　things　nobler；　more　abstract；　than　mere　continuity；　or　self。
　　To　race；　clan；　or　philosophy。
　　To　beauty；　ethics；　or　investment　in　fruits　you　and　1　will　never　harvest。
　　If　you　seek　the　downward　trail；　the　long　road　to　redemption…
　　If　you　want　a　second　chance；　shriven　of　your　grief　and　worry…
　　Seek　that　path　by　returning　to　the　soil；
　　In　forgetfulness　of　race；　clan；　or　philosophy。
　　Yet　beware！　Lest　the　road　take　you　too　far。
　　Keep　faith　in　something　greater　than　you　are。
　　Beware　resumed　obsession　with　the　self。
　　To　those　who　have　tasted　vacuum　and　stardust；
　　that　way　lies　damnation。
　　…The　Scroll　of　Redemption
　　　
　　Alvin's　Tale
　　THE　OTHERS　ARE　ASLEEP　NOW。　IT'S　LATE；　BUT　I　want　to　get　all　this　down；　'cause　things　are　about　to　get　busy　and　I　don't　know　when　I'll　have　another　chance。
　　Tomorrow　we　head　back　down　the　mountain；　loaded　with　all　kinds　of　gear　lent　to　us　by　Uriel　the　Smith…so　much　good　stuff　that　we're　feeling　pretty　dumb　right　now　about　our　former　plans。
　　To　think　we　were　willing　to　trust　our　lives　to　some　of　the　junk　we　designed！
　　Uriel　already　sent　messages　to　our　parents；　calligraphed　on　heavy　cloth　paper　and　sealed　with　her　signet　as　a　sage　of　the　mons。　So　there's　not　much　Huck's　folks　or　mine　can　do　to　stop　us。
　　Not　that　I　looked　forward　to　facing　them；　anyway。　What　would　I　say？　〃Hey；　Pop。　It'll　be　just　like　Twenty　Thousand　Leagues　Under　the　Sea！　Remember　how　often　you　read　it　to　me；　when　I　was　little？〃
　　I　recall　now　how　that　tale　ended　for　Captain　Nemo's　submarine　crew；　and　I　can　see　why　Yowg…wayuo　regrets　what　a　humicker　I've　bee。　If　my　father　confronts　me　over　this；　I'll　discuss　it　in　a　language　other　than　Anglic；　to　show　that　I　really　have　thought　it　out　several　ways。　This　trip　is　more　than　a　passing　kid…obsession　but　something　meaningful　for　our　village　and　our　race。　Me　and　the　others　are　going　to　make　history。　It's　important　for　a　hoon　to　be　involved；　from　notion　to　motion　to　recollection。
　　Once　she　decided；　Uriel　really　got　things　rolling。　Pincer…Tip　headed　out　the　very　same　evening　after　Ziz　was　vlenned；　taking　the　newly　budded　traeki　to　his　home　hive　for　water…adapting　in　the　tidepools　south　of　Wuphon。　Pincer　will　also　use　the　smith's　authority　to　hire　some　red…shelled　cousins　to　haul　the　bathy's　wooden　hull　to　a　meeting　point　down　near　the　Rift。　The　rest　of　us　will　e　overland　with　supply　wagons。
　　Test　dives　start　in　just　five　days！
　　The　choice　of　a　site　was　vital。　There's　just　one　place　where　the　Midden's　deep　watery　trench　plunges　like　a　scythe　blade　toward　the　coast。　Where　it　sends　a　deep　rupture　of　jagged　canyons　passing　right　next　to　Terminus　Rock。　By　deploying　a　boom　from　an　overhanging　ledge；　we　won't　even　need　to　hire　a　ship。
　　It's　a　relief　to　have　a　decision　made　at　last。　Even　Huck　admits　the　die　is　cast；　accepting　destiny　with　a　shrugged　rubbing　of　two　eyestalks。
　　〃At　least　we'll　be　right　there　at　the　border；　where　I　want　to　be　anyway。　When　we　finish；　Uriel　will　owe　us。　She'll　have　to　write　us　a　warrant　to　go　over　the　line　and　visit　some　Buyur　ruins。〃
　　There's　an　Anglic　word…tenacity…that　es　out　as　stubbornness　when　I　translate　into　GalSix。　Which　is　one　more　reason　why　human　speech　best　describes　my　pal　Huck。
　　All　of　us；　even　Ur…ronn；　are　more　than　a　little　surprised　by　how　Uriel　is　throwing　resources　at　our　〃little　adventure〃　all　of　a　sudden。　We　talked　about　the　smith's　outbreak　of　helpfulness　during　our　last　evening　on　Mount　Guenn；　after　a　long　day　spent　packing　crates　and　going　over　inventory　lists；　waiting　for　the　factory　plex　to　settle　down　for　the　night。
　　〃It　nust　have　to　do　with　the　starships；〃　Ur…ronn　said；　lifting　her　muzzle　from　the　straw　of　her　sleeping　pallet。
　　Huck　turned　two　stalks　toward　Ur…ronn…leaving　just　one　buried　in　her　well…thumbed　copy　of　Lord　Valentine's　Castle。　She　groaned。　〃Not　that　again！　What　in　the　world　could　our　dumbass　little　diving　trip　have　to　do　with　Galactic　cruisers　ing　to　Jijo？　Don't　you　think　Uriel　would　have　more　important　things　on　her　mind？〃
　　〃Vut　Gyfz　said；　a　week　ago…〃
　　〃Why　not　just　admit　you　overheard　Gybz　wrong？　We　asked　er　again　today；　and　that　traeki　doesn't　recall　seeing　any　spaceships。〃
　　〃Not　that　traeki；〃　I　corrected。　〃We　never　had　a　chance　to　ask　Gybz　anything；　before　the　vlenning。　It's　Tyug　who　said　er　doesn't　remember。〃
　　〃Tyug；　Gybz。　The　difference　can't　be　that　great。　Not　even　a　vlenned　traeki　would　forget　something　like　that！〃
　　I　wasn't　so　sure　about　that。　Traeki　memory　wax　can　be　tricky　stuff；　I　hear。
　　Then　again；　I'm　hardly　ever　as　sure　of　anything　as　Huck　is　of　everything。
　　Of　course；　there　was　one　other　perso