uplift4.brightnessreef-第87节

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　　That；　I　guess；　would　be　a　nice；　dramatic　place　to　end　a　chapter；　with　our　heroes　tumbling　into　the　black　depths。　A　true…to…life　cliff…hanger。
　　Will　the　crew　ever　make　it　home　again？
　　Will　they　survive？
　　Yeah；　that'd　make　a　good　stopping　point。　What's　more；　I'm　tired　and　hurting。　I　need　to　call　for　help；　so　I　can　make　it　to　the　bucket　in　the　corner　of　this　dank　place　and　get　some　relief。
　　But　I　won't　stop　there。　I　know　a　better　place；　just　a　bit　farther　down　the　stream　of　time；　as　Wuphon's　Dream　slowly　fell；　rotating　round　and　round；　and　we　watched　the　eik　beams　sweep　a　cliff　face　that　rose　beside　us　like　the　wall　of　an　endless　tomb。　Our　tomb。
　　We　dropped　half　of　our　ballast；　which　helped　slow　the　plunge…till　a　current　yanked　ahold　of　the　Dream；　dragging　us　faster。　We　dropped　the　remainder　but　knew　our　sole　chance　lay　in　Uriel　reacting　perfectly；　and　then　a　hundred　other　things　working　better　than　there　was　any　hope　of　them　working。
　　Each　of　us　was　ing　to　terms　with　death　in　our　own　way；　alone；　facing　the　approaching　end　of　our　personal　drama。
　　I　missed　my　parents。　I　mourned　along　with　them；　for　my　loss　was　in　many　ways　as　bitter　to　me　as　it　would　be　to　them；　though　I　wouldn't　have　to　endure　for　years　the　sorrow　they'd　carry；　on　account　of　my　foolish　need　for　adventure。　I　stroked　and　umbled　Huphu；　while　Ur…ronn　whistled　a　plains　lament　and　Huck　drew　all　four　eyes　together；　looking　inward；　I　supposed；　at　her　life。
　　Then；　out　of　nowhere；　Pincer　shouted　a　single　word　that　overrode　the　keening　of　our　fears。　A　word　we　had　heard　from　his　vents　before；　too　many　times；　but　never　quite　like　this。　Never　with　such　tones　of　awe　and　wonder。
　　〃Monsters…ers…ers！〃　he　yelled。
　　Then；　with　rising　terror　and　joy；　he　cried　it　out　again。　〃Monsters！〃
　　　
　　No　one　has　e　to　answer　my　call。　I'm　stuck　lying　here　with　a　back　that　won't　bend　and　a　terrible　need　for　that　bucket。　My　pencil　is　worn　down　and　I'm　almost　out　of　paper。。。　so　while　I'm　waiting　I　might　as　well　push　on　to　the　real　dramatic　moment　of　our　fall。
　　All　was　confusion　inside　Wuphon's　Dream　as　we　plunged　toward　our　doom。　We　tumbled　left　and　right；　banging　against　the　inner　hull；　against　cranks；　handles；　levers；　and　each　other。　The　view　outside；　when　I　could　see　past　my　wildly　gesturing　rades；　was　a　jumbled　confusion　of　phosphorescent　dots　caught　in　the　eik　beams；　plus　occasional　glimpses　of　a　rising　cliff　face；　and　then　quick　flashes　of　something　else。
　　Something…or　some　things…lustrous　and　gray。　Agile；　flitting　movements。　Then　curious　strokings；　rubbing　our　vessel's　hull；　followed　by　sharp　raps　and　bangs　all　along　the　flanks　of　our　doomed　boat。
　　Pincer　kept　babbling　about　monsters。　I　honestly　thought　he'd　gone　crazy；　but　Ur…ronn　and　Huck　had　changed　their　wailing　cries　and　were　leaning　toward　the　glass；　as　if　transfixed　by　what　they　saw。　It　was　all　so　noisy；　and　Huphu　was　clawing　my　aching　backside　between　frenzied　attacks　on　the　walls。
　　I　felt　sure　I　made　out　Huck　saying　something　like…
　　〃What…or　who…could　they　possibly　be？〃
　　That's　when　the　whirling　shapes　divided；　vanishing　to　both　sides　as　a　new　entity　arrived；　causing　us　all　to　gasp。
　　It　was　huge；　many　times　the　size　of　our　bathy；　and　it　swam　with　easy　grace；　emitting　a　growl　as　it　came。　From　my　agonizing　prison　at　the　back；　I　could　not　make　out　much　except　two　great　eyes　that　seemed　to　shine　far　brighter　than　our　failing　eik　beams。
　　And　its　mouth。　I　recall　seeing　that　all　too　well；　as　it　spread　wide；　rushing　to　meet　us。
　　The　hull　groaned；　and　there　were　more　sharp　bangs。　Ur…ronn　yelped　as　a　needle　spray　of　water　jetted　inward；　ricocheting　back　at　me。
　　Numb　with　fear；　I　could　not　stop　my　whirling　brain　long　enough　to　have　a　single　clear　thought；　only　a　storm　of　notions。
　　These　were　Buyur　ghosts；　I　guessed；　e　to　punish　living　fools　who　dared　invade　their　realm。
　　They　were　machines；　cobbled　together　from　relics　and　remnants　that　had　tumbled　into　the　Rift　since　long　before　the　Buyur；　in　epochs　so　old；　even　the　Galactics　no　longer　recalled。
　　They　were　home…grown　sea　monsters。　Jijo's　own。　Products　of　the　world's　most　private　place。
　　These　and　other　fancies　flashed　through　my　muddled　brain　as　I　watched；　unable　to　look　away　from　those　terrible　onrushing　jaws。　The　Dream　buffeted　and　bucked…in　sea　currents；　I　now　suppose；　but　at　the　time　it　felt　she　was　struggling　to　get　away。
　　The　jaws　swept　around　us。　A　sudden　surge　brought　us　hurtling　to　one　side。　We　hit　the　interior　of　the　great　beast's　mouth；　crashing　with　such　force　that　the　beautiful　glass　bubble　cracked。　Frosted　patterns　spread　from　the　point　of　impact。　Ur…ronn　wailed；　and　Huck　rolled　her　eyestalks　tight；　like　socks　going　in　a　drawer。
　　I　grabbed　Huphu；　ignoring　her　tearing　claws；　and　took　a　deep　breath　of　stale　air。　It　was　awful　stuff；　but　I　figured　it　would　be　my　last　chance。
　　The　window　gave　up　at　the　same　moment　the　air　hose　snapped。
　　The　dark　waters　of　the　Rift　found　their　rapid　way　into　our　shattered　ship。
　　
　　XXIV。　THE　BOOK　OF　THE　SLOPE
　　Legends
　　It　took　twenty　years　to　recover　the　first　human　band　of　sooners…a　sizeable　group　who　fled　to　the　scrublands　south　of　the　vale；　rejecting　the　Covenant　of　Exile　that　their　leaders　had　signed；　just　before　the　Tabernacle　went　tumbling　to　the　depths。　They　risked　both　desolation　and　the　law　in　order　to　get　away；　and　had　to　be　dragged　back；　shuddering　in　dread；　all　because　they　could　not　bring　themselves　to　trust　hoon　or　traeki。
　　In　retrospect　this　seems　so　ironic；　since　it　was　qheuens　and　urs　who　caused　human　settlers　grief　during　two　subsequent　centuries　of　war。　Why　then　did　so　many　Earthlings　fear　the　peaceful　ringed　ones；　or　our　cheerful　friends　with　the　broad　shoulders　and　booming　voices？　The　star…cousins　of　both　traeki　and　hoon　must　have　seemed　quite　different　when　our　ancestors'　first　starships　emerged　onto　the　lanes　of　Galaxy　Four。
　　Unfortunately；　most　galactology　records　burned　in　the　Great　Fire。　But　other　accounts　tell　of　relentless　hostility　by　mighty；　enigmatic　star…lords　calling　themselves　Jophur；　who　took　a　leading　role　in　the　Sequestration　of　Mudaun。　That　fearsome　atrocity　led　directly　to　the　Tabernacle　exodus…an　outrage　executed　with　single…minded　precision　and　utter　resoluteness。　Traits　not　often　observed　in　traeki　here　on　the　Slope。
　　It　is　also　said　that　hoon　were　at　Mudaun；　portrayed　in　the　accounts　as　dour；　officious；　unhappy　beings。　A　race　of　stern　accountants；　dedicated　to　population　control　and　tabulating　the　breeding　rates　of　other　races；　unswayed　by　appeals　to　mercy　or　forbearance。
　　Could　anyone　recognise；　in　these　descriptions；　the　two　most　easy…going　members　of　the　Six？
　　No　wonder　hoon　and　traeki　seem　the　least　prone　to　nostalgia　about　good　old　days；　back　when　they　new　about　as　gods　of　space。
　　Annals　of　the　Jijoan　mons
　　
　　Sara
　　WITH　DAWN　BLEACHING　THE　EASTERN　SKY；　weary　travelers　trudged　into　Uryutta's　Oasis　after　a　long　night　march　across　the　parched　Warril　Plain…a　teeming；　thirsty　crowd　of　donkeys　and　simlas；　humans　and　hoon。　Even　urrish　pilgrims　stepped　daintily　to　the　muddy　shore　and　dipped　their　narrow　heads；　wincing　at　the　bitter；　unmasked　taste　of　plain　water。
　　Full　summer　had　broken　over　the　high　steppe；　when　hot　winds　ignited　rings　of　circle　grass；　sending　herds　stampeding　amid　clouds　of　dust。　Even　before　the　present　crisis；　wayfarers　avoided　the　summer　sun；　preferring　the　cool　moonlight　for　travel。　Urrish　guides　bragged　they　would　know　the　plain　blindfolded。
　　That's　fine　for　them；　Sara　thought；　swishing　her　aching　feet　in　the　oasis　spring。　An　urs　doesn't　fall　on　her　face　when　a　chance　stone　turns　underfoot。　Me；　I　like　to　see　where　I'm　going。
　　Predawn　light　revealed　mighty　outlines　to　the　east。　The　Rimmers；　Sara　thought。　The　mixed…race　expedition　was　making　good　time；　hurrying　to　reach　the　Glade　before　events　there　reached　a　climax。　On　the　plus　side；　she　was　anxious　to　see　her　brothers；　and　to　learn　how　well　Bloor　was　implementing　her　idea。　There　might　also　be　medical　help　for　her　ward；　the　Stranger；　if　it　seemed　safe　to　reveal　him　to　the　aliens。　A　big　if。　Nor　had　she　quite　given　up　on　getting　to　see　one　of　the　fabled　library　consoles　of　the　Great　Galactics。
　　Yet　there　was　also　much　to　fear。　If　the　star…gods　did　plan　on　wiping　out　all　witnesses；　it　would　surely　start　at　the　Glade。　Above　all；　Sara　worried　that　she　might　be　taking　the　Stranger　into　the　hands　of　his　enemies。　The　dark；　ever…cheerful　man　seemed　eager　to　go；　but　did　he　really　understand　what　was　involved？
　　A　whistling　sigh　fluted　from　Pzora's　corrugated　cone；　as　the　traeki　siphoned　water　from　the　pond；　fatigued　despite　having　ridden　all　the　way　in　a　donkey…drawn　chariot。　A　new　rewq　draped　across　Pzora's　sensor　ring；　one　of　two　Sara　had　bought　from　the　fresh　supply　at　Kandu　Landing；　to　help　the　traeki　pharmacist　treat　the　wounded　alien；　even　though　she　wasn't　keen　on　the　symbionts　herself。
　　A　chain　of　bubbles　broke　the　surface　near　Sara's　foot。　By　Loocen's　silver　light；　she　made　out　Blade；　from　Dolo　Village；　resting　underwater。　The　hasty　trek　had　been　hard　on　red　qheuens；　and　blues　like　Blade；　as　well　as　those　humans　too　big　to　burden　a　donkey。　Sara　had　been　all