uplift4.brightnessreef-第69节

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ambel's　footsteps　faded；　Rety　counted　twenty　duras；　then　made　her　own　move。　Faking　calm；　she　sauntered　toward　the　young　guard；　who　swiveled　when　she　was　close。
　　Rety　gave　a　smile　and　an　easygoing　wave。　〃Well；　guess　I'm　all　done　for　the　night。〃　She　yawned；　sidling　past　his　bulk；　sensing　his　startled　indecision。　〃Boy　I'll　tell　ya；　that　science　sure　is　hard　work！　Well；　g'night。〃
　　Now　she　was　outside；　gratefully　inhaling　fresh　mountain　air　and　trying　not　to　break　into　a　run。　Especially　when　he　shouted…〃Hey；　stop　right　there！〃
　　Swiveling　around　but　continuing　to　walk　backward　down　the　path；　Rety　delayed　him　a　few　more　seconds　by　grinning　broadly。　〃Yeah？　You　need　somethin'？〃
　　〃What。。。　who　are　you…？〃
　　〃Got　something　here　I　figure　the　sage'd　want　to　be　seein'；〃　she　replied　with　deceptive　truthfulness；　patting　her　belt　pouch　and　still　backing　away。
　　The　guard　started　toward　her。
　　With　a　joyful　shout；　Rety　spun　about　and　took　off　into　the　forest；　knowing　pursuit　was　hopeless　at　this　point。　He　had　lost　his　chance；　the　stinker！　Still；　she　was　kind　of　glad　that　he　tried。
　　yee　met　her　where　they　had　agreed；　by　the　log　bridge；　halfway　to　the　place　where　she　was　to　join　Rann。　On　spying　her；　the　little　urs　yelped　and　seemed　to　fly　into　her　arms。
　　He　was　less　pleased　on　trying　to　burrow　into　his　accustomed　place；　only　to　find　a　cold　hard　object　taking　up　the　pouch。　Rety　tucked　him　into　the　folds　of　her　jacket；　and　after　a　moment　he　seemed　to　find　that　acceptable。
　　〃yee　tell　wife；　yee　see…〃
　　〃We　did　it！〃　Rety　chortled　gleefully；　unable　to　contain　the　rush　of　an　adventure　so　well　closed。　The　chase　had　been　a　perfect　way　to　finish；　leaping　and　laughing　as　she　ran　through　the　forest；　leaving　the　big　oaf　to　flounder　in　the　dark　while　she　circled　around；　then　slinked　right　past　the　noisy　guard　on　her　way　back　to　the　Glade。
　　〃You　were　great；　too；〃　she　told　yee；　sharing　credit。　〃Would've　been　harder　to　do　it　without　you。〃　She　hugged　his　little　body　till　he　plained　with　a　series　of　short　grunts。　〃Did　you　have　any　trouble　getting　away　from　Cambel？〃　she　asked。
　　〃wiseman　human　no　problem；　yee　get　'way　good；　but　then…〃
　　〃Great；　then　it's　over。　We　better　go　now；　though。　If　Rann　has　to　wait；　he　may　not　be　in　as　good　a　mood
　　〃…but　then　yee　see　something　on　way　to　meet　wife！　whole　herd　of　urs。。。　qheuens。。。　hoons。。。　men。。。　all　going　sneak…sneak　in　dark；　carry　big　boxes！〃
　　Rety　hurried　down　a　side　trail　leading　toward　the　rendezvous　point。　〃Hm…hm？　Do　tell？　Prob'ly　one　of　those　silly　pilgrim　things；　headin'　up　to　pray　to　that　big　rock　they　think　is　a　god。〃　She　had　only　contempt　for　the　superstitions　of　planet…grubbing　sooners。　To　her；　all　the　talk　she'd　heard　about　the　Slopies'　fabulous　〃Egg〃　was　just　more　scare…you…in…the…dark　stuff；　like　those　tales　of　ghosts　and　huge　beasts　and　spirit　glavers　that　were　mon　campfire　fare　back　in　the　Gray　Hills；　especially　since　Jass　and　Bom　took　over。　Whenever　times　were　hard；　the　hunters　would　argue　into　the　night；　seeking　some　reason　why　the　prey　animals　might　be　angry；　and　ways　to　appease　them。
　　〃herd　of　sneakers　not　go　holy　rock！〃　yee　protested；　〃head　wrong　way！　no　white　robes；　no　sing…songs！　just　sneak…sneak；　I　say！　sneak　with　boxes　to　'nother　cave！〃
　　Rety's　interest　was　almost　piqued；　yee　sure　seemed　to　think　it　important。。。。
　　But　just　then　the　trail　turned　to　overlook　the　little　valley　where　the　sky…humans　dwelled。　Moonlight　spilled　across　pavilions　that　seemed　strangely　less　well　camouflaged　now；　in　the　vivid　dimness。
　　A　soft　hum　warbled　from　the　west；　and　a　glint　drew　her　eye　as　a　glistening　teardrop　shape　floated　into　view；　folding　away　two　delicate　wings　as　it　descended。　Rety　felt　a　tingle；　recognizing　the　small　flying　boat　of　the　forayers；　returning　from　another　mysterious　expedition。　She　watched；　transfixed；　as　the　lovely　thing　settled　gracefully　to　the　valley　floor。　A　hole　opened；　swallowing　it　into　the　ground。
　　Excitement　filled　Rety's　lungs；　and　her　heart　felt　light。
　　〃Hush；　husband；〃　she　told　yee　when　he　plained　of　being　ignored。　〃We　got　some　tradin'　and　dickerin'　to　do。
　　〃Now's　when　we'll　see　if　they　pay　what　they　promised。〃
　　
　　Asx
　　MY　RINGS；　YOU　NEED　NOT　MY　WEAKLY　FOCUSED　musings　to　inform　you。　Surely　all　of　you　must　feel　it；　deep　within　each　oily　torus　core？　The　Egg。　Slowly；　as　if　rising　from　a　deep　torpor；　it　wakens！
　　Perhaps　now　the　mons　will　be　filled　once　more　with　ity；　with　union　of　spirit；　with　the　meshed　resolve　that　once　bound　jointly　our　collective　wills。
　　Oh；　let　it　be　so！
　　We　are　so　fractured；　so　far　from　ready。　So　far　from　worthy。
　　Oh；　let　it　be　so。
　　
　　Sara
　　THE　STACKS　WERE　INFESTED　WITH　POLISHER　BEES；　and　the　music　rooms　thronged　with　hungry；　biting　parrot　fleas；　but　the　chimps　on　the　maintenance　staff　were　too　busy　to　fumigate　for　minor　pests。
　　While　taking　some　air　in　the　west　atrium；　Sara　watched　several　of　the　hairy　workers　help　a　human　librarian　pack　precious　volumes　into　fleece…lined　crates；　then　seal　them　with　drippings　from　a　big　red　candle。　Gobbets　of　wax　clung　to　the　chimps'　matted　fur；　and　they　plained　to　each　other　with　furtive　hand　signs。
　　This　is　not　correct；　Sara　interpreted　one　worker's　flurry　of　gestures　and　husky　grunts。　In　this　intemperate　haste；　we　are　making　regrettable　errors。
　　The　other　replied；　How　true；　my　associate！　This　volume　of　Auden　should　not　go　in　among　Greek　classics！　We　shall　never　get　these　books　properly　restacked　when　this　crisis　finally　blows　over；　as　surely　it　must。
　　Well；　perhaps　she　was　generous　in　her　mental　translation。　Still；　the　chimps　who　labored　in　these　hallowed　halls　were　a　special　breed。　Almost　as　special　as　Prity。
　　Overhead　towered　the　atrium　of　the　Hall　of　Literature；　spanned　by　bridges　and　ramps　that　linked　reading　rooms　and　galleries；　all　lined　with　shelves　groaning　under　the　weight　of　books；　absorbing　sound　while　emitting　a　redolence　of　ink；　paper；　wisdom；　and　dusty　time。　Weeks　of　frantic　evacuation；　hauling　donkey…loads　to　faraway　caves；　had　not　made　a　dent　in　the　hoard…still　crammed　with　texts　of　every　color　and　size。
　　Sage　Plovov　called　this　hall…dedicated　to　legend；　magic；　and　make…believe…the　House　of　Lies。　Yet　Sara　always　felt　this　place　less　burdened　by　the　supremacy　of　the　past　than　in　those　nearby　structures　dedicated　to　science。　After　all；　what　could　Jijo's　savages　ever　add　to　the　mountain　of　facts　brought　here　by　their　godlike　ancestors？　A　mountain　said　to　be　like　a　sand　grain　next　to　the　Great　Galactic　Library。　But　the　tales　in　this　hall　feared　no　refutal　by　ancient　authority。　Good　or　bad；　great　or　forgettable；　no　work　of　literature　was　ever　provably　〃false。〃
　　Plovov　said…〃It's　easy　to　be　original　when　you　don't　have　to　care　whether　you're　telling　the　truth。　Magic　and　art　arise　from　an　egomaniac's　insistence　that　the　artist　is　right；　and　the　universe　wrong。〃
　　Of　course；　Sara　agreed。　On　the　other　hand；　she　also　thought　Plovov　was　jealous。
　　When　humans　came　to　Jijo；　the　effect　on　the　other　five　races　must　have　been　like　when　Earth　met　Galactic　culture。　After　centuries　with　just　a　handful　of　engraved　scrolls；　the　urs；　g'Kek；　and　others　reacted　to　the　flood　of　paper　books　with　both　suspicion　and　voracious　appetite。　Between　brief；　violent　struggles；　nonhumans　devoured　Terran　fables；　dramas；　and　novels。　When　they　wrote　stories　of　their　own；　they　imitated　Earthly　forms…like　ersatz　Elizabethan　romances　featuring　gray…shelled　queens；　or　Native　North　American　legends　recast　for　urrish　tribes。
　　But　lately；　a　flowering　of　new　styles　had　also　started　emerging；　from　heroic　adventures　to　epic　poems　set　in　strange　meters　and　rhymes；　unraveling　the　last　shreds　of　order　from　dialects　of　GalSeven；　and　even　GalTwo。　Printers　and　binders　had　as　many　orders　for　new　titles　as　reprints。　Scholars　debated　what　it　all　might　mean…an　outbreak　of　heresy？　Or　a　freeing　of　the　spirit？
　　Few　dared　use　the　term　renaissance。
　　All　of　which　may　end　in　a　matter　of　days　or　weeks；　Sara　pondered　glumly。　News　from　the　Glade…brought　by　a　kayak　pilot　braving　the　Bibur　rapids…showed　no　change　in　the　sages'　grim　appraisal　of　the　alien　gene…raiders；　or　their　intent。
　　Well；　Bloor　should　be　there　by　now。　Sara's　plan　might　not　dissuade　the　sky…humans　from　genocide；　but　a　folk　as　helpless　as　the　Six　must　be　willing　to　try　anything。
　　Including　Ariana's　crazy　notion。　Even　if　it's　cruel。
　　The　voice　of　the　elderly　sage　carried　from　the　chamber　behind　Sara。
　　〃There　now；　dear。　You've　struggled　long　enough　with　that　one。　Let's　see　what　you　can　make　of　this　nice　book。　Have　you　ever　seen　symbols　and　words　like　these　before？〃
　　Sighing；　Sara　turned　around　to　reenter　the　Children's　Wing。
　　The　Stranger　sat　near　Ariana　Foo's　wheelchair；　surrounded　by　volumes　bearing　bright　colors　and　simple　text；　printed　in　large　friendly　type。　Though　his　face　was　haggard；　the　tall　dark　man　resignedly　accepted　yet　another　book　and　ran　his　hand　over　the　dots；　slashes；　and　bars　of　a　GalTwo　teaching　rhyme…a　primer　meant　for　young　urrish　middlings。　Sara　was　unsurprised　when　his　lips　pursed　and　his　tongue　clicked　as　he　worked　across　the　page；　laboriously。　His　eyes　recognized　the　symbols；　but　clearly；　no　sense　was　being　made　of　the