uplift4.brightnessreef-第79节

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seek；　that　you　shall　seize　and　fasten　with　the　retrieval　cord；　so　that　we　can　haul　it　vack。〃
　　Sheesh；　I　thought。　The　four　of　us　were　modernist　gloss…junkies　who　would　gladly　raid　the　Midden　for　treasure；　even　in　defiance　of　the　Scrolls。　But　now　to　have　a　sage　order　us　to　do　that　very　thing？　No　wonder　she　preferred　not　letting　nearby　citizens　in　on　this　heresy！
　　〃Will　do！〃　Pincer　exclaimed；　briefly　teetering　on　two　legs　in　order　to　salute　with　three。　As　for　the　rest　of　us；　we　already　stood　on　the　ramp。　What　were　we　going　to　do？　Use　this　as　an　excuse　to　back　out？
　　All　right；　I　considered　it。　So　strap　me　to　the　Egg　and　sing　till　I　confess。
　　I　was　the　last　one　aboard…unless　you　count　Huphu；　who　scampered　through　my　legs　as　I　was　about　to　dog　the　hatch。　I　tightened　the　wheel　and　the　skink…bladder　seals　spread　thin；　oozing　like　immunity　caulk　between　a　traeki's　member　rings。　The　closing　shut　us　off　from　nearly　all　sound…except　the　hissing；　gurgling；　rumbling；　and　sighing　of　four　frightened　kids　just　ing　to　realize　what　a　fix　all　their　humicking　daydreams　had　gotten　them　into。
　　It　took　half　a　midura　to　make　certain　the　air　system　and　dehumidifiers　worked。　Pincer　and　Ur…ronn　went　over　a　checklist　up　front　and　Huck　tested　her　steering　bars；　while　I　squatted　in　the　very　back　with　nothing　to　do　but　stroke　the　crank　that　I　would　use；　whenever　the　Dream　needed　the　services　of　an　〃engine。〃　To　pass　the　time；　I　umbled　Huphu；　whose　claws　were　a　wele　distraction；　scratching　a　nervous　itch　that　tickled　the　outer　surface　of　my　heart　spine。
　　If　we　die；　please　let　Uriel　at　least　drag　our　bodies　home；　I　thought；　and　maybe　it　was　a　prayer；　like　humans　often　do　in　tight　spots；　according　to　books　I've　read。　Let　my　folks　have　a　life…bone　for　vuphyning；　to　help　them　in　their　grief　and　disappointment　over　how　I　misspent　the　investment　of　their　love。
　　
　　XXII。　THE　BOOK　OF　THE　SLOPE
　　Legends
　　Anyone　who　travels　by　riverboat；　and　listens　to　the　pelling　basso　of　a　hoonish　helmsman；　knows　something　of　the　process　that　once　made　them　starfaring　beings。
　　For　one　thing；　the　sound　is　clearly　where　their　race…name　es　from。　According　to　legend；　the　Guthatsa　patrons　who　originally　adopted　and　uplifted　presapient　hoon　were　entranced　by　the　musical　trait。　While　splicing　in　speech；　reason；　and　other　niceties；　the　Guthatsa　also　worked　to　enhance　the　penetrating；　vibrant　output　of　the　hoonisn　throat　sac；　so　that　it　might　enrich　their　clients'　adulthood；　when　they　took　up　mature　responsibilities　in　Galactic　society。
　　It　would；　the　Guthatsa　predicted；　help　make　the　hoon　better　patrons　when　their　turn　came　to　pass　on　the　gift　of　wisdom；　continuing　the　billion…year…old　cycle　of　intellect　in　the　Five　Galaxies。
　　Today　we　know　our　hoonish　neighbors　as　patient；　decent　folk；　slow　to　anger；　though　doughty　in　a　fix。　It　is　hard　to　reconcile　this　image　with　the　reaction　of　urrish　and　later　human　settlers；　on　first　learning　that　the　Tall　Ones　dwelled　on　Jijo…a　response　of　animosity　and　fear。
　　Whatever　the　initial　reasons　for　that　loathing；　it　soon　ebbed；　then　vanished　within　a　single　generation。　Whatever　quarrels　divided　our　star…god　ancestors；　we　on　Jijo　do　not　share　them。　These　days；　it　is　hard　to　find　anyone　among　the　Six　who　can　claim　not　to　like　the　hoon。
　　Yet　there　remains　a　mystery…why　do　they　dwell　on　Jijo　at　all？　Unlike　other　races　of　the　Six；　they　tell　no　tale　of　persecution；　or　even　of　a　quest　for　breeding　space。　When　asked　why　their　sneakship　defied　great　odds　to　seek　this　hidden　refuge；　they　shrug　and　cannot　answer。
　　A　sole　clue　lies　in　the　Scroll　of　Redemption；　where　we　read　of　an　inquiry　by　the　last　glaver　sage；　who　asked　a　first…generation　hoonish　settler　why　his　folk　came；　and　got　this　deeply…umbled　answer…
　　〃To　this　（cached）　haven；　we　came；　（in　hope）　seeking。
　　〃On　a　（heartfelt）　quest　to　recover　the　（lamented）　spines　of　（lost）　youth。
　　〃Here　we　were　sent；　on　the　advice　of　（wise；　secret）　oracles。
　　〃Nor　was　the　（danger…ridden）　trip　in　vain。
　　〃For　behold　what；　in　（delighted）　surprise；　we　already　have　won！〃
　　At　that　point；　the　hoon　colonist　was　said　to　point　at　a　crude　raft；　fashioned　from　boo　logs　and　sealed　with　tree　sap…earliest　precursor　of　all　the　vessels　to　follow；　plying　Jijo's　rivers　and　seas。
　　From　our　perspective；　a　thousand　years　later；　it　is　hard　to　interpret　the　meaning　of　it　all。　Can　any　of　us　today　imagine　our　shaggy　friends　without　boats？　If　we　try　to　picture　them　cruising　space　in　starships；　do　we　not　envision　those；　too；　running　before　storm　and　tide；　sluicing　their　way　between　planets　by　keel；　rudder；　and　sail？
　　By　that　logic；　does　it　not　follow　that　urs　once　〃galloped〃　across　Galactic　prairies；　with　stellar　winds　blowing　their　waving　tails？　Or　that　any　star…craft　fashioned　by　humans　ought　to　resemble　a　tree？
　　…from　A　Re…appraisal　of　Jijoan　Folklore；　by　Ur…Kintoon　and　Herman　Chang…Jones　Tarek　City　Printers；　Year…of…Exile　1901。
　　　
　　Dwer
　　IT　WAS　A　MIDURA　PAST　NIGHTFALL　WHEN　THE　EMBER　crossed　the　sky；　a　flicker　that　grew　briefly　as　it　streaked　by；　crossing　the　heavens　to　descend　southeast。　Dwer　knew　it　was　no　meteor；　because　the　spark　traveled　below　the　clouds。
　　Only　after　it　was　gone；　dropping　beyond　the　next　rank　of　forested　knolls；　did　he　hear　a　low；　muttering　purr；　barely　above　the　rustling　of　the　tree　branches。
　　Dwer　might　never　have　noticed　if　his　dinner　had　agreed　with　him。　But　his　bowels　had　been　shaky　ever　since　the　four　humans　began　supplementing　their　meager　supplies　with　foraged　foods。　So　he　sat　at　the　makeshift　latrine；　in　a　cleft　between　two　hills；　waiting　for　his　innards　to　decide　whether　to　accept　or　reject　his　hard…won　evening　meal。
　　The　others　were　no　better　off。　Danel　and　Jenin　never　plained；　but　Lena　blamed　Dwer　while　her　intestines　growled。
　　〃Some　mighty　hunter。　You've　been　over　the　pass　dozens　of　times　and　can't　tell　what's　poison　from　what's　not？〃
　　〃Please；　Lena；〃　Jenin　had　asked。　〃You　know　Dwer　never　crossed　the　Venom　Plain。　All　he　can　do　is　look　for　stuff　that's　like　what　he　knows。〃
　　Danel　tried　his　hand　at　peacemaking。　〃Normally；　we'd　eat　the　donkeys　as　their　packs　lightened。　But　they're　weak　after　recent　stream…crossings；　and　we　can't　spare　any　from　carrying　our　extra　gear。〃
　　He　referred　to　the　weight　of　books；　tools；　and　special　packages　that　were　meant　to　make　human　life　beyond　the　Rimmers　somewhat　more　than　purely　savage。　If　it　was　finally　decided　to　stay　here　forever。　Dwer　still　hoped　it　wouldn't　e　to　that。
　　〃One　thing　we　do　know；〃　Danel　went　on。　〃Humans　can　survive　here　in　the　Gray　Hills；　and　without　all　the　vat　processes　we're　used　to　back　home。　Right　now　we're　adjusting　to　some　local　microbes；　I'm　sure。　If　the　sooner　band　got　used　to　them；　so　can　we。〃
　　Yes；　Dwer　had　thought；　but　survival　doesn't　mean　fort。　If　Rety's　any　indication；　these　sooners　are　a　grumpy　lot。　Maybe　we're　getting　a　taste　of　how　they　got　that　way。
　　Things　might　improve　once　Danel　set　up　vats　of　his　own；　growing　some　of　the　yeasty　cultures　that　made　many　Jijoan　foods　palatable　to　humans；　but　there　would　be　no　substitutes　for　the　traeki…refined　enzymes　that　turned　bitter　ping　fruit　and　bly…yoghurt　into　succulent　treats。　Above　all；　Dwer　and　the　other　newers　would　count　on　the　sooners　to　explain　which　local　foods　to　avoid。
　　Assuming　they　cooperate。　Rety's　relatives　might　not　appreciate　having　the　new　order…of…life　explained　to　them。　I　wouldn't　either；　in　their　position。　While　Danel　was　skilled　at　negotiation　and　persuasion；　Dwer's　role　would　be　to　back　up　the　sage's　words；　giving　them　force　of　law。
　　From　Rety's　testimony；　her　tribe　likely　totaled　no　more　than　forty　adults。　The　social　structure　sounded　like　a　typical　macho…stratified　hunting　band…a　standard　human　devolution　pattern　that　old　Fallon　long　ago　taught　Dwer　to　recognize…with　a　fluid　male…ranking　order　enforced　by　bluster；　personal　intimidation；　and　violence。
　　The　preferred　approach　to　ingathering　such　a　group；　worked　out　by　Dwer's　predecessors；　was　to　make　contact　swiftly　and　dazzle　the　sooners　with　gifts　before　shock　could　turn　into　hostility；　buying　time　to　map　the　web　of　alliances　and　enmities　within　the　band。　After　that；　the　procedure　was　to　choose　some　promising　middle…ranked　males　and　help　those　candidates　perform　a　coup；　ousting　the　formerly　dominant　group　of　bully　boys；　whose　interest　lay　in　keeping　things　as　they　were。　The　new　leaders　were　then　easy　to　persuade　to　〃e　home。〃
　　It　was　a　time…tested　technique；　used　successfully　by　others　faced　with　the　task　of　retrieving　wayward　human　clans。　Ideally；　it　shouldn't　prove　necessary　to　kill　anybody。
　　Ideally。
　　In　truth；　Dwer　hated　this　part　of　his　job。
　　You　knew　it　might　e　to　this。　Now　you　pay　for　all　the　freedom　you've　had。
　　If　gentle　suasion　didn't　work；　the　next　step　was　to　call　in　militia　and　hunt　down　every　stray。　The　same　hard　price　had　been　agreed　to　by　every　sept　in　the　mons；　as　an　alternative　to　war　and　damnation。
　　But　this　time　things　are　different。
　　This　time　we　don't　have　any　law　on　our　side…except　the　law　of　survival。
　　Instead　of　bringing　illegal　settlers　back　to　the　Slope；　Ozawa　planned　to　take　over　Rety's　band。　Guiding　them　toward　a　different　way　of　life；