uplift4.brightnessreef-第97节

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　　〃As　for　trends　here　on　Jijo；　just　look　at　the　new　rhythmic　novels　being　published　by　some　of　the　northern　urrish　tribes。　Or　the　recent　burst　of　hoonish　romantic　poetry。　Or　the　GalTwo　haiku　imagery　ing　out　of　the　Vale…〃
　　A　sharp　whistle　cut　her　short…a　guttural　stop…mand　piped　by　UrKachu's　upstretched　throat。　The　queue　of　tired　animals　jostled　to　a　halt；　as　the　Urunthai　leader　pointed　north　of　a　stone　spire；　decreeing　that　a　camouflaged　shelter　be　raised　in　its　long；　tapered　shadow。
　　In　its　shadow。。。
　　Blinking；　Sara　looked　around　to　see　that　the　night　was　over。　Dawn…light　filtered　over　the　peaks；　sifting　through　an　early…morning　haze。　They　had　climbed　among　the　mountains；　or　at　least　the　rocky　foothills；　leaving　behind　the　parched　Warril　Plain。　Alas；　they　were　by　now　far　south　of　the　well…worn　trail　leading　to　the　Glade　of　Gathering。
　　Dedinger's　courtliness　clashed　with　his　rough　appearance；　as　he　excused　himself　to　organize　his　men。　〃I've　enjoyed　matching　wits；〃　he　told　her　with　a　bow。　〃Perhaps　we　can　resume　later。〃
　　〃Perhaps。〃
　　Although　the　discussion　had　been　a　pleasant　diversion；　she　had　no　doubt　the　man　would　sacrifice　her；　along　with　all　of　her　ideas；　on　the　altar　of　his　faith。　Sara　vowed　to　be　ready　for　any　occasion　to　sneak　her　friends　away　from　these　fanatics。
　　Right。　An　old　man；　a　boy；　a　chimpanzee；　a　wounded　alien；　and　an　out…of…shape　intellectual…even　if　we　got　a　huge　head　start；　these　urs　and　desert…men　would　catch　us　faster　than　you　can　transform　a　sine　wave。
　　Still；　she　gazed　north　toward　high　peaks　where　momentous　events　were　taking　place　in　hidden　valleys；　and　thought…We'd　better　move　fast；　or　else　Ifni；　God；　and　the　universe　will　surely　move　on　without　us。
　　
　　Asx
　　NOW　ES　OUR　TURN　TO　THREATEN。　Proctors　fight　to　hold　back　a　furious　throng；　hemming　our　erstwhile　guests　inside　a　circle　of　rage。　The　remaining　alien…lovers；　mostly　humans；　form　a　protective　ring　around　the　star…beings；　while　the　twin　robots　swoop　and　dive；　enforcing　a　buffer　zone　with　bolts　of　stinging　lightning。
　　Lester　Cambel　steps　forward；　raising　both　hands　for　calm。　The　raucous　noise　ebbs；　as　members　of　the　mob　ease　their　pressure　on　the　harried　proctors。　Soon　silence　reigns。　No　one　wants　to　miss　the　next　move　in　this　game；　wherein　all　of　us　on　Jijo　are　tokens　being　gambled；　to　be　won　or　lost；　counting　on　our　skill　and　luck。
　　Lester　bows　to　the　Rothen　emissary。　In　one　hand　he　bears　a　stack　of　metal　plates。
　　〃Now　let's　drop　all　pretense；〃　he　tells　the　star…god。　〃We　know　you　for　what　you　are。　Nor　can　you　trick　us　into　genocidal　suicide；　doing　your　dirty　work。
　　〃Furthermore；　should　you　try　to　do　the　job　yourselves；　annihilating　all　witnesses　to　your　illegal　visit；　you　will　fail。　All　you'll　acplish　is　to　increase　your　list　of　crimes。
　　〃We　remend　that　you　be　satisfied。　Take　what　you　will　from　this　world；　and　go。〃
　　The　male　star…human　bursts　forth；　outraged。　〃How　dare　you　speak　so　to　a　patron　of　your　race！〃　Rann　chastises；　red…faced。　〃Apologize　for　your　insolence！〃
　　But　Lester　ignores　Rann；　whose　status　has　diminished　in　the　eyes　of　the　Six。　A　toady/servant　does　not　dictate　to　a　sage；　no　matter　what　godlike　powers　he　wields。
　　Instead；　our　human　envoy　offers　one　of　the　metal　plates　to　Ro…kenn。
　　〃We　are　not　proud　of　this　art　form。　It　uses　materials　that　won't　age　or　degrade　back　into　Mother　Jijo's　soil。　Rather；　it　is　adamant。　Resistant　to　time。　Properly　stored；　its　images　will　last　until　this　world　again　teems　with　legal　sapient　life。
　　〃Normally；　we　would　send　such　dross　to　where　Jijo　can　recycle　it　in　fire。　But　in　this　case；　we'll　make　an　exception。〃
　　The　Rothen　emissary　turns　the　plate　in　the　morning　light。　Unlike　a　paper　photograph；　this　kind　of　image　is　best　viewed　from　certain　angles；　we/i　know　what　it　depicts；　do　we　not；　my　rings？　The　plate　shows　Ro…kenn　and　his　rades　just　before　that　ill…starred　pilgrimage…a　journey　whose　horrors　still　drip　vexingly　down　our　waxy　core。　Bloor　the　Portraitist　developed　the　picture　to　serve　as　an　instrument　of　blackmail。
　　〃Other　images　depict　your　party　in　various　poses；　performing　surveys；　testing　candidate　species；　often　with　backgrounds　that　clearly　portray　this　place；　this　world。　The　shape　of　glaciers　and　eroding　cliffs　will　set　the　date　within　a　hundred　years。　Perhaps　less。〃
　　The　rewq　covering　our/my　torus…of…vision　reveals　ripples　crisscrossing　Ro…kenn's　face；　again　a　dissonance　of　clashing　emotions…but　which　ones？　Are　we　getting　better　at　reading　this　alien　life…form？　The　second　of　our　cognition　rings　seems　deeply　curious　about　the　clashing　colors。
　　The　Rothen　holds　out　an　elegant　hand。
　　〃May　I　see　the　others？〃
　　Lester　hands　them　over。　〃This　is　but　a　sampling。　Naturally；　a　detailed　record　of　our　encounter　with　your　ship　and　crew　has　also　been　etched　on　durable　metal；　to　acpany　these　pictures　into　hiding。〃
　　〃Naturally；〃　Ro…kenn　answers　smoothly；　perusing　one　plate　after　another；　turning　them　in　the　sunshine。　〃You　have　retained　unusual　arts；　for　self…accursed　sooners。　Indeed；　I　have　never　seen　the　like；　even　in　civilized　space。〃
　　This　flattery　draws　some　murmurs　from　the　crowd。　Ro…kenn　is　once　more　being　charming。
　　Lester　continues；　〃Any　acts　of　vengeance　or　genocide　against　the　Six　will　also　be　chronicled　this　way。　It　is　doubtful　you　can　wipe　us　out　before　hidden　scribes　plete　such　a　record。〃
　　〃Doubtful　indeed。〃　Ro…kenn　pauses；　as　if　considering　his　options。　Given　his　earlier　arrogance；　we　had　expected　outrage　over　being　blackmailed　in　this　way；　plus　indignation　over　the　implied　disrespect。　It　would　not　surprise　us　to　see　open　contempt　for　an　effort　by　half…beasts　to　threaten　a　deity。
　　Instead；　do　we　now　perceive　something　like　cautious　calculation　cross　his　features？　Does　he　realize　we　have　him　cornered？　Ro…kenn　shrugs　in　a　manner　not　unlike　a　human。　〃What　shall　be　done；　then？　If　we　agree　to　your　demands；　how　can　we　be　certain　these　will　not　reappear　anyway；　to　plague　our　descendants　someday？　Will　you　sell　these　records　to　us　now；　in　return　for　our　promise　to　go　in　peace？〃
　　Now　it　is　Lester　who　laughs。　Turning　half　toward　the　crowd；　he　gestures　with　one　hand。　〃Had　you　e　after　the　mons　experienced　another　century　or　two　of　peace；　we　might　have　trustingly　accepted。　But　who　among　us　has　not　heard　stories　told　by　old…timers　who　were　there　when　Broken…Tooth　deceived　Ur…xouna　near　False　Bridge；　at　the　end　of　the　old　wars？　What　human　has　not　read　moving　accounts　of　some　great…grandfather　who　escaped　the　slaughter　at　Truce　Gorge；　during　the　Year　of　Lies？〃
　　He　turned　back　to　Ro…kenn。　〃Our　knowledge　of　deceit　es　self…taught。　Peace　was　hard…won…its　lessons　not　forgotten。
　　〃No；　mighty　Rothen。　With　apologies；　we　decline　simply　to　take　you　at　your　word。〃
　　This　time　a　mere　flick　of　one　slender　hand　holds　back　the　outraged　Rann；　checking　another　outburst。　Ro…kenn　himself　seems　amused；　although　the　strange　dissonance　once　more　cuts　his　visage。
　　〃Then　what　guarantee　have　we　that　you　will　destroy　these　items；　and　not　leave　them　in　a　place　where　they　may　be　found　by　future　tenants　of　this　world？　Or　worse；　by　Galactic　Institutes；　as　little　as　a　thousand　years　from　now？〃
　　Lester　is　prepared　with　an　answer。
　　〃There　is　irony　here；　Oh　mighty　Rothen。　If　we；　as　a　people；　remember　you；　then　we　are　still　witnesses　who　can　testify　against　your　crime。　Thus；　if　we　retain　memory；　you　have　reason　to　act　against　us。
　　〃If；　on　the　other　hand；　we　successfully　follow　the　path　of　redemption　and　forgetfulness；　in　a　thousand　years　we　may　already　be　like　glavers；　innocuous　to　you。　No　longer　credible　to　testify。　If　so；　you　will　have　no　cause　to　harm　us。　To　do　so　would　be　senseless；　even　risky。〃
　　〃True；　but　if　you　have　by　that　time　forgotten　our　visit；　would　you　not　also　forget　the　hiding　places　where　you　cached　these　images？〃　Ro…kenn　holds　up　a　plate。　〃They　will　lie　in　ambush；　like　lurker　missiles；　patiently　awaiting　some　future　time　to　home　in　on　our　race。〃
　　Lester　nodded。　〃That　is　the　irony。　Perhaps　it　can　be　solved　by　making　a　vow　of　our　own…to　teach　our　descendants　a　song…a　riddle；　as　it　were…something　simple；　that　will　resonate　even　when　our　descendants　have　much　simpler　minds。〃
　　〃And　what　function　will　this　puzzle　serve？〃
　　〃We　will　tell　our　children　that　if　ever　beings　e　from　the　sky　who　know　the　riddle's　answer；　they　must　retrieve　these　items　from　sacred　sites；　handing　them　over　to　the　star…lords…your　own　successors；　Oh　mighty　Rothen。　Naturally；　if　we　Six　retain　detailed　memory　of　your　crime；　we　sages　will　prevent　the　hand…over；　for　it　will　be　too　soon。　But　that　memory　will　not　be　taught　to　children；　nor　passed　on　with　the　same　care　as　we　teach　the　riddle。　For　to　remember　your　crime　is　to　hold　on　to　a　poison；　one　that　can　kill。
　　〃We　would　rather　forget　how　and　why　you　ever　came。　Only　then　will　we　be　safe　from　your　wrath。〃
　　It　is　an　ornately　elaborate　bargain　that　Lester　offers。　In　council　he　had　been　forced　to　explain　its　logic　three　times。　Now　the　crowd　mutters；　parsing　the　idea　element　by　element；　sharing　bits　of　understanding　until　a　murmur　of　admiration　flows　like　molten　clarity　around　the　circle　of　close…pressed　beings。　Indeed；　the　bargain　contains　inherent　elegance。