uplift4.brightnessreef-第91节

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　from　space；　especially　those　spoken　formally；　as　if　written　by　someone　else　for　the　sky…humans　to　say　aloud。　I　had　several　linguistic　reference　works　from　Biblos；　which　I　sometimes　consult　when　judging　disputes　between　individuals　of　different　races；　speaking　different　tongues。　Despite　our　local　dialect　devolution；　these　works　contain　useful　charts　regarding　syntax　and　variable　meaning。　I　do　not　claim　great　expertise…just　a　backwoods　practicality…in　scrutinizing　the　aliens'　statements。〃
　　〃But　you　reached　conclusions？〃
　　〃Hr…r。　Not　conclusions。　Correlations　perhaps。　Indicating　a　possible　pattern　of　intent。〃
　　〃Intent？〃
　　〃Intent。。。　r…r…rm。。。　to　incite　divisiveness。〃
　　Ur…Jah　ments　from　the　wallow　where　she　curls　in　exhaustion　from　the　futile　rescue　effort；　scratching　for　survivors　amid　the　smoky　ruin　of　the　aliens'　station。
　　〃This　is　not　the　first　tine　such　a　susficion　has　veen　raised。　We　all　have　anecdotes　to　tell；　of　innocent…sounding　renarks　which　sting　gently　at　first；　like　a　shaedo…fly；　laying　eggs　that　fester　a　wound　that　never　heals。　Now　you　say　there　is　a　consistent　fattern？　That　this　was　vart　of　a　deliverate　flan？　Why　did　you　not　sfeak　of　this　vefore？〃
　　Phwhoon…dau　sighs。　〃A　good　scholar　does　not　publish　provisional　data。　Also；　the　aliens　seemed　unaware　that　we　have　retained　this　skill；　charting　the　meaning　in　phrases。　Or　rather；　that　we　recovered　it　with　the　Great　Printing。　I　saw　no　reason　to　leak　the　fact　too　soon。〃
　　He　shrugs　like　a　traeki；　with　a　left…right　twist。　〃I　finally　became　convinced　when　Ro…kenn　spoke　to　us　all；　during　the　pilgrimage。　Surely　it　occurred　to　some　of　you　that　his　aim　was　to　strike　sparks　of　dissension　with　his　words？〃
　　〃It　sure　did！〃　Lester　Cambel　growls。　Assent　echoes　loudly　from　many　humans　present；　as　if　to　convince　others　of　their　sincerity。　Hoofed　urs　stamp　uncertainly；　their　hot　tempers　clearly　frayed　from　the　long　enervating　night。　Only　hard…won　habits　of　the　recent　Peace　have　kept　things　calm　till　now。
　　Phwhoon…dau　continues。　〃The　formal　dialect　of　Galactic　Six　used　by　the　Rothen　star…god　allows　little　room　for　ambiguity。　Ro…kenn's　disconcerting　words　can　have　but　two　possible　interpretations。　Either　he　is　tactless　to　a　degree　beyond　all　stupidity；　or　else　the　objective　was　to　incite　a　campaign　of　genocide　against　human…sept。〃
　　〃Against　their　own　veloved　clients？〃　Ur…Jah　asks；　incredulous。
　　〃That　is　irrelevant。　Even　if　the　Rothen　claim　of　patronhood　is　true；　why　should　they　care　about　one　small；　isolated　band　of　feral　humans；　long　cut　off　from　the　race　as　a　whole；　genetically　inbred　and　several　hundred　years　out　of　date；　perchance　even　defective；　psychologically　backward；　polluted　by…〃
　　〃You've　made　your　point；〃　Lester　interrupts　testily。　〃But　in　that　case；　why　pick　on　us？〃
　　Phwhoon…dau　turns　to　our　human　peer；　umbling　apologetically。　〃Because　among　the　Six；　man…sept　is　greatest　in　its　technic　lore；　in　its　imperfect…but…useful　recollection　of　Galactic　ways；　and　in　its　well…remembered　skill　at　the　art　of　war。〃
　　There　rises　a　muttering　from　some　qheuenish　and　urrish　listeners；　yet　no　actual　disagreement。　Not　from　anyone　who　knows　the　tale　of　Battle　Canyon；　or　Townsend's　Ambush；　or　the　siege　of　Tarek　Town。
　　〃All　of　these　factors　make　your　kind　the　obvious　first　target。　Moreover；　there　is　another　reason。　The　effect　your　race　has　had　upon　the　rest　of　us。　As　newers；　when　your　rank　was　lowest；　still　you　opened　your　sole　treasure；　your　library；　to　all。　After　your　great　victories；　when　your　status　towered　highest；　you　refused　many　privileges　of　dominance；　instead　bowing　to　the　sages；　accepting　limits　called　for　by　the　Great　Peace。
　　〃It　is　this　record　of　restraint　that　makes　you　dangerous　to　Rothen　plans。　For　what　good　is　it　to　incite　war；　if　your　intended　victims　choose　not　to　fight？〃
　　Yes；　my　rings；　we　observe/note　the　crowd's　reaction。　A　hush　as　Phwhoon…dau　evokes　images　of　reconciliation；　gently　dousing　still…simmering　sparks　of　resentment。　It　is　a　masterwork　of　mediation。
　　〃Once　men…sept　is　gone；〃　Phwhoon…dau　goes　on；　〃it　would　prove　simple　to　goad　disaffection　among　the　rest；　pretending　secret　friendships；　offering　assistance。　Handing　over　tailored　plagues；　for　instance；　letting　each　race　e　up　with　clever　ways　to　deliver　death　bugs　to　their　foes。　Within　less　than　a　generation　the　job　would　be　plete。　The　sparse　record　left　in　Jijo's　soil　would　show　only　that　six　sooner　races　once　sank　low　here；　never　reaching　redemption。〃
　　Uneasy　silence；　greets　this　scenario　painted　by　our　hoonish　sage。
　　〃Of　course；　none　of　this　is　proven；〃　Phwhoon…dau　concludes；　rounding　to　stab　a　finger　toward　the　zealot　chieftain。　〃Nor　does　it　justify　the　horrors　we　have　seen　this　night；　perpetrated　rashly；　without　consulting　the　sages　or　the　mons。〃
　　The　urrish　rebel　lifts　her　head　high；　in　order　to　peer　over　the　crowd　toward　the　east。　With　a　glad　snort；　she　turns　back　to　Phwhoon…dau。
　　〃Now　arrives　your　proof！〃　She　whistles　jubilantly；　helping　shove　an　opening　through　the　ranks　of　spectators；　as　dawn　reveals　dusty　figures　galloping　down　the　trail　from　the　Holy　Glade。
　　〃Here；　also；　is　your　justification。〃
　　
　　Lark
　　HARULLEN　CALLED　DOWN　FROM　THE　CRATER'S　edge。　〃You　two　had　better　e　up　now！〃　the　heretic　shouted。　〃Someone's　going　to　catch　you　and　it'll　mean　trouble。　Besides…I　think　something's　happening！〃
　　Physical　and　emotional　exhaustion　had　taken　their　toll　of　the　gray　aristocrat's　polished　accent。　He　sounded　frantic；　as　if　serving　as　reluctant　lookout　were　as　risky　as　poking　through　perilous　wreckage。
　　〃What's　happening？〃　Uthen　shouted　back。　Though　a　cousin　to　the　qheuen　above；　Lark's　fellow　biologist　looked　like　a　different　species；　with　his　scarred　carapace　streaked　by　gummy　ash。　〃Are　they　sending　a　robot　this　way？〃
　　Harullen's　leg…vents　fluted　overtones　of　worry。　〃No；　the　machines　still　hover　protectively　over　Ro…kenn；　and　the　two　servant…humans；　and　the　cadavers；　all　surrounded　by　a　crowd　of　local　sycophants。　I　refer　to　a　motion　over　where　the　sages　have　been　holding　court。　More　zealots　have　arrived；　it　seems。　There　is　ferment。　I'm　certain　we　are　missing　important　news！〃
　　Harullen　may　be　right；　Lark　thought。　Yet　he　was　reluctant　to　leave。　Despite　the　stench；　heat；　and　jagged　stubs　of　metal…all　made　more　dangerous　by　his　own　fatigue…dawn　was　making　it　easier　to　prowl　the　ruins　of　the　buried　station　in　search　of　anything　to　help　make　sense　of　it　all。
　　How　many　times　had　he　seen　Ling　vanish　down　a　ramp　into　these　secret　precincts；　wondering　what　lay　inside？　Now　it　was　a　blackened　hell。
　　I　aided　the　zealots；　he　recalled。　I　gave　them　copies　of　my　reports。　I　knew　they　were　going　to　do　something。
　　But　I　never　figured　anything　as　brutal　as　this。
　　Neither　had　the　star…gods；　who　clearly　never　guessed　that　angry　primitives　might　still　know　how　to　make　things　go　boom。
　　They　never　asked　the　right　questions。
　　〃I　tell　you　something's　happening！〃　Harullen　shouted　again；　making　no　effort　at　originality。　〃The　sages　are　in　motion…toward　the　aliens！〃
　　Lark　glanced　over　at　Uthen　and　sighed。　〃I　guess　he　means　it；　this　time。〃
　　His　friend　had　been　silent　for　some　time；　standing　over　the　same　spot。　When　Uthen　replied；　it　was　in　a　low　voice　that　barely　disturbed　the　ash　beneath　his　feet。
　　〃Lark；　would　you　please　e　look　at　this？〃
　　Lark　knew　that　tone　from　past　field　trips；　exploring　for　evidence　of　Jijo's　plex　living　past。　He　picked　his　way　toward　the　qheuen；　slipping　gingerly　between　torn　metal　braces　and　seared；　buckled　plating；　lifting　his　feet　to　kick　up　as　little　of　the　nasty　dust…ash　as　possible。
　　〃What　is　it？　Did　you　find　something？〃
　　〃I　am　not　sure。〃　Uthen　lapsed　into　GalSix。　〃It　seems　I　have　seen　this　before。　This　symbol。　This　representation。　Perhaps　you　can　confirm？〃
　　Lark　bent　alongside　his　friend；　peering　into　a　recess　where　the　rising　sun　had　yet　to　shine。　There　he　saw　a　jumble　of　rectangular　lozenges；　each　thick　as　his　hand　and　twice　as　long。　Uthen　had　scraped　aside　some　half…melted　machinery　in　order　to　reveal　the　pile。　One　slab　lay　near　enough　to　make　out　a　symbol；　etched　across　its　dark　brown　surface。
　　A　double　spiral　with　a　bar　through　it。　Now　where　have　I　seen…
　　Lark's　hand　reached　where　Uthen　could　not；　stroked　the　rectangle；　then　picked　it　up。　It　felt　incredibly　light；　though　now　it　dawned　on　him　that　it　could　be　the　weightiest　thing　he　had　ever　touched。
　　〃Are　you　thinking　what　I'm　thinking？〃　he　asked；　turning　it　in　the　light。
　　Uthen　plucked　the　slab　from　his　hand；　holding　it　in　a　trembling　claw。
　　〃How　can　I　not　be？〃　the　qheuenish　scholar　replied。　〃Even　half…animal；　reverted　primitives　should　recognize　the　glyph　of　the　Great　Galactic　Library。〃
　　The　〃evidence〃　lay　strewn　across　the　trampled　grass。　Ro…kenn's　piercing　eyes　surveyed　a　tangle　of　wires　and　glossy　spheroids　that　the　zealots　had　recently　brought　down　from　the　Valley　of　the　Egg。　Clogs　of　dirt　still　clung　to　a　necklace　of　strange　objects；　from　where　it　had　till　lately　been　buried；　next　to　the　holiest　site　on　Jijo。
　　Two　clusters　of　onlookers　formed　semicircles；　one　backing　the　assembled　sages；　the　other　reverently　standing　behind　the　star…god。　Many　in　the　second　group　had　been　pat