uplift4.brightnessreef-第98节

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ircle　of　close…pressed　beings。　Indeed；　the　bargain　contains　inherent　elegance。
　　〃How　shall　we　know　that　all　the　items　will　be　accounted　for　in　this　way？〃　Ro…kenn　asks。
　　〃To　some　extent；　you　must　trust　to　luck。　You　were　gamblers　ing　on　this　mission　in　the　first　place；　were　you　not；　mighty　Rothen？　I　can　tell　you　this。　We　have　no　grand　desire　to　have　these　images　arrive　across　the　ages　for　Institute　lawyers　to　pore　over；　looking　for　reasons　to　punish　our　own　species…cousins；　still　roaming　the　stars。　In　their　hardness　and　durability；　these　plates　are　an　insult　to　our　own　goal　on　this　world；　to　be　shriven　down　to　innocence。　To　earn　a　second　chance。〃
　　Ro…kenn　ponders　this。
　　〃It　seems　we　may　have　e　to　Jijo　a　few　thousand　years　too　soon。　If　you　succeed　in　following　your　Path；　this　world　will　be　a　treasure　trove。〃
　　His　meaning　is　not　clear　at　first；　then　a　mutter　passes　through　the　crowd；　from　urrish　snorts　to　qheuenish　hisses　and　finally　booming　hoonish　laughter。　Some　are　impressed　by　Ro…kenn's　wit；　others　by　the　implied　pliment…that　the　Rothen　would　wish　to　adopt　any　presentient　races　that　we　Six　might　bee。　But　that　reaction　is　not　universal。　Some　of　those　assembled　seethe　angrily；　rejecting　any　notion　of　adoption　by　Ro…kenn's　folk。
　　Don't　we/i　find　this　anger　silly；　my　rings？　Have　client　races　any　control　over　who　bees　their　patron？　Not　according　to　lore　we've　read。
　　But　those　books　will　be　dust　long　before　any　of　this　es　to　pass。
　　〃Shall　we　swear　oaths？〃　Ro…kenn　asks。　〃This　time　based　on　the　most　pragmatic　assurance　of　all…mutual　deterrence？
　　〃By　this　new　arrangement；　we　shall　depart　in　our　ship；　waiting　only　till　our　scout　craft　returns　from　its　final　mission；　choking　back　whatever　bitterness　we　feel　over　the　foul　murder　of　our　rades。　In　return；　you　all　vow　to　forget　our　intrusion　and　our　foolish　effort　to　speak　through　the　voice　of　your　Holy　Egg。〃
　　〃It　is　agreed；〃　replies　Knife…Bright　Insight；　clicking　two　claws。　〃Tonight　we'll　confer　and　choose　a　riddle　whose　secret　key　will　be　told　to　you。　When　next　your　kind　es　to　Jijo；　may　it　be　to　find　a　world　of　innocents。　That　key　will　guide　you　to　the　hiding　place。　You　may　then　remove　the　dross　images。　Our　deal　will　be　done。〃
　　Hope　washes　over　the　crowd；　striking　our　rewq　as　a　wave　of　soft　green　tremors。
　　Can　we　credit　the　possibility；　my　rings？　That　the　Six　might　live　to　see　a　happy　ending？　To　the　zealots　this　seems　all　that　they　desired。　Their　young　leader　dances　jubilation。　Now　there　will　be　no　punishment　for　their　violent　acts。　Rather；　they　will　be　known　as　heroes　of　the　mons。
　　What　do　you　say；　my　ring？
　　Our　second　cognition…torus　reminds　us　that　some　heretics　might　prefer　that　angry　fire　and　plagues　rid　Jijo　of　this　infestation　called　the　Six。　And　yes；　there　is　yet　another；　even　smaller　heretical　fringe。　Eccentrics　who　foresee　our　destiny　lying　in　a　different　direction…scarcely　hinted　by　sacred　scrolls。　Why　do　you　bring　this　up；　my　'ring？　What　possible　relevance　can　such　nonsense　have；　at　this　time　and　place？
　　Scribes　write　down　details　of　the　pact。　Soon　High　Sages　will　be　called　to　witness　and　assent。　（Prepare；　my　lower　rings！）　Meanwhile；　we　ponder　again　the　anomaly　brought　to　our　waxy　notice　by　the　rewq；　which　still　conveys　vexing　colors　from　Ro…kenn。　Could　they　be　shades　of　deceit！　Deceit　and　amusement！　Eager　gladness　to　accept　our　offer；　but　only　in　appearance；　buying　time　until…
　　Stop　it；　we　mand　our　second　ring；　which　gets　carried　away　all　too　easily。　It　has　read　too　many　novels。　We　do　not　know　the　Rothen　well　enough　to　read　subtle；　plex　meanings　in　his　alien　visage。
　　Besides；　don't　we　have　Ro…kenn　trapped？　Has　he　not　reason　to　fear　the　images　on　those　plates　of　hard　metal？　Logically；　he　dare　not　risk　them　being　passed　on　to　incriminate　his　race；　his　line。
　　Or　does　he　know　something　we　do　not？
　　Ah…what　a　silly　question　to　ask；　when　pondering　a　star…god！
　　While　hope　courses　the　crowd；　i/we　grow　more　nervous　by　the　dura。　What　if　they　care　nothing　about　the　photographs？　Then　Ro…kenn　might　agree　to　anything；　for　it　would　not　matter　what　vows　were　signed；　once　his　almighty　ship　arrives。　From　that　point　on；　with　his　personal　safety　assured。。。
　　。。。
　　we　never　get　a　chance　to　plete　that　dripping　contemplation。　For　suddenly；　something　new　happens！　Far　too　quickly　for　wax　to　ooze。
　　。。。
　　It　begins　with　a　shrill　human　cry…
　　One　of　the　sycophants；　a　devoted　Rothen…follower；　points　behind　the　star…beings；　toward　the　raised　bier　where　their　two　dead　rades　lie…
　　Silky　cloths　had　been　draped　across　the　two　who　were　slain　in　the　explosion。　But　now　we　see　those　coverings　are　pulled　back；　exposing　the　late　Rothen　and　the　late　sky…human…
　　Do　we　now　perceive　Bloor　the　Portraitist；　poised　with　his　recording　device；　attempting　to　photograph　the　faces　of　the　dead！
　　Bloor　ignores　growls　of　anger　rising　from　those…who…follow…the…Rothen…as…patrons。　Calmly；　he　slides　out　one　exposed　plate　and　inserts　another。　He　appears　entranced；　focused　on　his　art；　even　as　attention　turns　his　way　from　Rann；　then　an　outraged　Ro…kenn；　who　screams　in　terse　Galactic　Six…
　　Bloor　glimpses　the　swooping　robot　and　has　time　to　perform　one　last　act　of　professionalism。　With　his　fragile　body；　the　portraitist　shields　his　precious　camera　and　dies。
　　Have　patience；　you　lesser　rings　that　lie　farthest　from　the　senses。　You　must　wait　to　caress　these　memories　with　our　inner　breath。　For　those　who　squat　higher　up　our　tapered　cone；　events　e　as　a　flurry　of　muddled　images。
　　Behold…the　livid　anger　of　the　star…gods；　apoplectic　with　affronted　rage！
　　Observe…the　futile　cries　of　Lester；　Vubben；　and　Phwhoon…dau；　beseeching　restraint！
　　Witness…Bloor's　crumpled　ruin；　a　smoldering　heap！
　　Note…how　the　crowd　backs　away　from　the　violence；　even　as　other　dark…clad　figures　rush　inward　from　the　forest　rim！
　　Quail…from　the　roaring　robots；　charging　up　to　strike；　ready　to　slay　at　mand！
　　Above　all；　stare…at　the　scene　right　before　us；　the　one　Bloor　was　photographing　when　he　died。。。。
　　An　image　to　preserve　as　long　as　this　tower　of　rings　stands。
　　Two　beings　lie　side　by　side。
　　One；　a　human　female；　seems　posed　in　death；　her　newly　washed　face　serene；　apparently　at　peace。
　　The　other　figure　had　seemed　equally　tranquil　when　we　saw　it　last；　before　dawn。　Ro…pol's　visage　was　like　an　idealized　human；　impressive　in　height　and　breadth　of　brow；　in　strong　cheekbones　and　the　set　of　her　womanlike　chin；　which　in　life　had　sustained　a　winning　smile。
　　That　is　not　what　we　see　now！
　　Rather；　a　quivering　thing；　suffering　its　own　death　tremors；　creeps　off　of　Ro…pol's　face。。。　taking　much　of　that　face　with　it！　The　very　same　brow　and　cheek　and　chin　we　had　been　pondering…these　make　up　the　body　of　the　creature；　which　must　have　ridden　the　Rothen　as　a　rewq　rides　one　of　the　Six；　nestled　so　smoothly　in　place　that　no　join　or　seam　was　visible　before。
　　Does　this　explain　the　dissonance？　The　clashing　colors　conveyed　by　our　veteran　rewq？　When　some　parts　of　Ro…kenn's　face　relayed　tart　emotions；　others　always　seemed　cool；　unperturbed；　and　friendly。
　　It　crawls　aside；　and　onlookers　gasp　at　what　remains…a　sharply　narrower　face；　chinless　and　spiny；　with　cranial　edges　totally　unlike　a　human　being's。
　　Gone　is　the　mirage　of　heavenly　eliness　in　Earthling　terms。　Oh；　the　basic　shape　remains　humanoid；　but　in　a　tapered；　predatory　caricature　of　our　youngest　sept。
　　〃Hr…rm。。。　I　have　seen　this　face　before；〃　croons　Phwhoon…dau；　stroking　his　white　beard。　〃In　my　readings　at　Biblos。　An　obscure　race；　with　a　reputation　for…〃
　　Rann　whips　the　coverings　back　over　the　corpses；　while　Ro…kenn　shrilly　interrupts；　〃This　is　the　final　out…
　　Until　now。
　　The　Rothen　points　to　Rann；　manding…〃Break　radio　silence　and　recall　Kunn；　now！〃
　　〃The　prey　will　be　warned；〃　Rann　objects；　clearly　shaken。　〃And　the　hunters。　Dare　we　risk…〃
　　〃We'll　take　that　chance。　Obey　now！　Recall　Kunn；　then　clear　all　of　these　away。〃
　　Ro…kenn　motions　at　the　crowd；　the　sycophants；　and　all　six　sages。
　　〃No　one　leaves　to　speak　of　this。〃
　　The　robots　start　to　rise；　crackling　with　dire　strength。　A　moan　of　dread　escapes　the　crowd。
　　Then…as　is　sometimes　said　in　Earthling　tales…All　Hell　Breaks　Loose。
　　Our　rewq　now　clearly　show　Ro…kenn　as　two　beings；　one　a　living　mask。　Gone　is　the　patient　amusement；　the　pretense　at　giving　in　to　blackmail。　Until　now；　we　had　nothing　to　blackmail　with。
　　
　　The　Stranger
　　He　strums　the　dulcimer　slowly；　plucking　one　low　note　at　a　time；　feeling　nervous　over　what　he　plans　to　attempt；　yet　also　pleased　by　how　much　he　is　remembering。
　　About　urs；　for　instance。　Ever　since　first　regaining　consciousness　aboard　the　little　riverboat；　he　had　tried　to　pin　down　why　he　felt　so　friendly　toward　the　four…footed　beings；　despite　their　prickly；　short…tempered　natures。　Back　at　the　desert　oasis；　before　the　bloody　ambush；　he　had　listened　to　the　ballad　recited　by　the　traitor　Ulgor；　without　understanding　more　than　a　few　click…phrases；　here　and　there。　Yet　the　rhythmic　chant　had　seemed　strangely　familiar；　tugging　at　associations　within　his　battered　brain。
　　Then；　all　at　once；　he　recalled　where　he　heard　the　tale　before。　In　a　bar；　on　faraway…
　　on　faraway…
　　Nam