amc.killashandra-第2节

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　〃Yes；　indeed。　An　entire　manual　was　fractured。〃　Enthor　awarded　her　another　of　his　beams。　〃Where　are　the　rest？　Quickly。　Get　them。　If　there's　so　much　as　one　with　a　cloud　…　〃
　Killashandra　obeyed；　stumbling　against　the　swinging　door。　By　the　time　the　crystal　was　sparkling　on　the　table；　she　was　shuddering　and　had　to　cling　to　the　bench　to　keep　upright。　It　took　a　century　for　Enthor　to　evaluate　her　cut。
　〃Not　a　single　cloudy　crystal；　Killashandra。〃　Enthor　patted　her　arm　and；　taking　up　his　little　hammer；　cocked　his　ear　to　the　pure　sweet　notes　each　delicate　rap　coaxed　from　the　crystal。
　〃How　much；　Enthor？　How　much？〃　Killashandra　was　hanging　onto　the　table；　and　consciousness；　with　difficulty。
　〃Not　as　much；　I　fear；　as　black。〃　Enthor　tapped　figures　into　his　terminal。　He　pulled　at　his　lower　lip　as　he　waited　for　the　altered　display。　〃Still；　10；054　credits　is　not　to　be　sneezed　at。〃　He　raised　his　eyebrows；　anticipating　a　pleased　response。
　〃Only　ten　thousand。。。〃　Her　knees　were　collapsing；　the　muscles　in　her　calves　spasming　painfully。　She　tightened　her　grip　on　the　table's　edge。
　〃Surely　that's　enough　to　take　you　off…planet。〃
　〃But　not　far　enough　or　long　enough　away。〃　Blackness　was　creeping　across　her　sight。　Killashandra　released　one　hand　from　the　table　to　rub　her　eyes。
　〃Would　Optheria　be　far　enough？〃　a　dry；　amused　voice　asked　from　behind　her。
　〃Lanzecki。。。〃　she　began；　turning　toward　the　Guild　Master；　but　her　turn　became　a　spin；　down　into　the　darkness　which　would　no　longer　be　evaded。
　〃She's　ing　round；　Lanzecki。〃
　Killashandra　heard　the　words。　She　could　not　understand　their　sense。　The　sentence；　and　the　voice；　echoed　in　her　mind　as　if　spoken　in　a　tunnel。　At　the　softest　repetition；　prehension　returned。
　The　voice　was　Antona's；　the　Chief　Medical　Officer　of　the　Heptite　Guild。
　Sensation　returned　then；　but　sensation　was　limited　to　feeling　something　under　her　chin　and　a　restraint　about　her　shoulders。　The　rest　of　her　body　was　deprived　of　feeling。　Killashandra　twitched　convulsively　and　felt　the　viscous　resistance　of　radiant　fluid。　She　was　immersed　…　that　explained　the　need　for　chin　support　and　the　shoulder　restraint。
　Opening　her　eyes；　she　was　not　surprised　to　find　herself　in　the　tank　room　of　the　Infirmary。　Beyond　her　were　several　more　such　tanks；　two　occupied；　judging　by　the　heads　visible　above　the　rims。
　〃So；　you've　rejoined　us；　Killashandra！〃
　〃How　long　have　you　been　soaking　me；　Antona？〃
　Antona　glanced　at　a　display　on　the　tank。　〃Thirty…two　hours　and　nineteen　rinses。〃　Antona　shook　a　warning　finger　at　Killashandra。　〃Don't　push　yourself　like　this；　Killa。　You're　stretching　your　symbiont's　resources。　Abuses　like　this　now　can　cause　degeneration　problems　later　on。　And　it's　later　on　you　really　need　protection。　Remember　that！〃　A　mirthless　smile　crossed　Antona's　classic　features。　〃If　you　can。　Well；　at　least　put　it　in　your　memory　banks　when　you　get　back　to　your　room；〃　she　added；　with　a　sigh　for　the　vagaries　of　singer　recall。
　〃When　can　I　get　up？〃　Killashandra　began　to　writhe　in　the　tank；　testing　her　limbs　and　the　general　response　of　her　body。
　Antona　shrugged；　tapping　out　a　code　on　the　terminal　of　the　tank。　〃Oh；　anytime　now。　Pulse　and　pressure　readout's　strong。　Head　clear？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　Antona　pressed　a　stud　and　the　chin　support　and　shoulder　harness　released　Killashandra。　She　caught　the　side　of　the　tank；　and　Antona　handed　her　a　long　robe。
　〃Do　I　need　to　tell　you　to　eat？〃
　Killashandra　grinned　wryly。　〃No。　My　stomach　knows　I'm　awake　and　it's　rumbling。〃
　〃You've　lost　nearly　two　kilos；　you　know。　Can　you　remember　when　you　last　ate？〃　Antona's　voice　and　eyes　were　sharp　with　annoyance。　〃No　use　asking；　is　it？〃
　〃Not　the　least　bit。〃　Killashandra　replied　blithely　as　she　climbed　out　of　the　tank；　the　radiant　fluid　sheeting　off　her　body；　leaving　her　skin　smooth　and　soft。　She　pulled　the　robe　on。　Antona　held　up　a　hand　to　balance　her　down　the　five　steps。
　〃How　much　crystal　resonance　do　you　experience　now？〃　Antona　poised　her　fingers　above　the　tank's　small　terminal。
　Killashandra　listened　attentively　to　the　noise　between　her　ears。　〃Only　a　faint　trace！〃　Her　breath　escaped　her　lips　in　a　sigh　of　relief。
　〃Lanzecki　said　that　you　cut　enough　to　go　off…world。〃
　Killashandra　frowned。　〃He　said　something　else；　too。　But　I　forget　what。〃　Something　important；　though；　Killashandra　knew。
　〃He'll　probably　tell　you　again　in　good　time。　Get　up　to　your　quarters　and　get　some　food　into　you。〃　Antona　gave　Killashandra's　shoulder　an　admonitory　squeeze　before　she　turned　away　to　check　on　the　other　patients。
　As　Killashandra　made　her　way　up　from　the　Infirmary　level；　deep　in　the　bowels　of　the　Guild　plex；　she　puzzled　over　the　memory　lapse。　She　had　been　reassured　that　most　singers　had　several　decades　of　unimpaired　recall　before　memory　deteriorated；　but　no　fast　rule　determined　the　onset。　She　had　been　lucky　enough　to　have　a　Milekey　Transition　ending　in　full　adaptation　to　Ballybran's　spore；　an　adaptation　that　was　necessary　for　those　inhabiting　the　planet　Ballybran。　That　kind　of　Transition　held　many　benefits；　not　the　least　of　which　was　avoiding　the　rigors　of　Transition　Fever；　and　was　purported　to　include　a　longer　span　of　unimpaired　memory。　In　this　one　instance；　she　could；　perhaps；　legitimately　blame　fatigue。
　As　the　lift　door　opened　on　the　deserted　lobby　of　the　main　singer　level；　not　a　singer　was　in　sight。　The　storm　had　blown　itself　out。　She　paused　to　glance　through　to　the　dining　area　and　saw　only　one　lone　diner。　Pulling　the　robe　more　tightly　about　her；　she　hurried　down　the　corridor　to　the　blue　quadrant　and　her　apartment。
　The　first　thing　she　did　was　call　up　her　credit　balance；　and　felt　the　knot　that　had　been　tightening　in　her　belly　dissolve　as　the　figures　12；790　rippled　onto　the　screen。　She　regarded　the　total　for　a　long　moment；　then　tapped　out　the　all…important　query：　how　far　away　from　Ballybran　would　that　sum　take　her？
　The　names　of　four　systems　were　displayed。　Her　stomach　rumbled。　She　shifted　irritably　in　her　chair　and　asked　for　details　of　the　amenities　in　each　system。　The　replies　were　not　exciting。　In　each　system　the　Terran…type　planets　were　purely　industrial　or　agricultural；　having；　at　best；　only　conservative　leisure　facilities。　From　ments　she　had　overheard；　Killashandra　gathered　that　because　of　their　proximity　the　locals　had　seen　quite　enough　of　their　neighbors　from　Ballybran　and　tended　to　be　either　credit　crunchers　or　rude　to　the　point　of　dueling　offense。
　〃The　only　thing　that's　good　about　any　of　them。〃　Killashandra　said　with　disgust；　〃is　that　I　haven't　been　there　yet。〃
　Killashandra　had　thought　to　take　her　long…overdue　holiday　on　Maxim；　the　pleasure　planet　in　the　Barderi　system。　From　all　she'd　heard；　it　would　be　very　easy　to　forget　crystal　resonance　in　the　sophisticated　amusement　parks　and　houses　of　hedonistic　Maxim。　But　she　hadn't　yet　the　credit　to　indulge　that　whimsy。
　Exasperated；　she　rubbed　her　palms　together；　noticing　that　the　thick　calluses　from　cutter　vibrations　had　been　softened　by　her　long　immersion。　The　numerous　small　nicks　and　cuts　that　were　a　singer's　occupational　hazard　had　healed　to　thin　white　scars。　Well；　that　function　of　her　symbiont　worked　efficiently。　And　the　white　crystal　would　assure　her　some　sort　of　an　off…planet　holiday。
　White　crystal！　Enthor　has　said　something　about　a　fractured　manual！　Optherian　sense　organs　used　white　Ballybran　crystals　and　she　had　cut　forty…four　from　the　half　centimeter　on　up　in　half…centimeter　gradients。
　Lanzecki　had　asked　her　a　question。
　〃Would　Optheria　be　far　enough？〃　The　words；　remembered　in　his　deep　voice；　sprang　to　mind。
　She　grinned　with　tremendous　relief　at　retrieving　that　question　and　turned　to　the　viewscreen　to　punch　up　his　code。
　〃　…　Killa？〃　Lanzecki's　hands　were　poised　over　his　own　terminal；　surprise　manifested　by　his　raised　eyebrows。　〃You　haven't　used　the　catering　unit。〃　He　frowned。
　〃Oh；　programmed　to　monitor　that；　did　you？〃　she　replied　with　a　genuine　smile　at　that　reminder　of　their　amorous　alliance　before　her　first　trip　into　the　Ranges。　On　her　return　from　the　Trundomoux　System；　they　had　had　only　a　few　days　together　before　Lanzecki　was　swamped　with　work　and　she　had　to　venture　back　into　the　Ranges。　Since　then；　she　had　returned　to　the　plex　only　to　replenish　supplies　or　wait　out　a　storm。　Their　reunions　had　consequently　been　brief。　It　was　reassuring　to　realize　that　he　wished　to　know　when　she　was　back。
　〃It　seemed　the　ideal　way　to　make　contact。　After　thirty…two　hours　in　a　tank；　you　should　be　ravenous。　I'll　just　join　you；　if　I　may。。。〃　When　she　nodded　assent；　he　typed　a　quick　message　on　his　console　and　pushed　his　chair　back；　smiling　up　at　her。　〃I'm　hungry；　too。〃
　As　further　reassurance　of　her　unimpaired　memory。　Killashandra　had　no　trouble　remembering　Lanzecki's　tastes。　She　grinned　as　she　ordered　Yarran　beer。　Though　her　stomach　gurgled　impatiently；　she'd　had　no　desire　for　food　in　so　long　that　she　was　as　glad　to　be　guided　by　Lanzecki's　preferences。
　She　was　just　slipping　a　brilliantly　striped　robe　over　her　head　when　her　door　chimed　an　entry　request。　〃Enter！〃　she　called。　On　the　same　voice　cue；　the　catering　slot　disgorged　her　order。　The　aroma　of　the　dishes　aroused　her　already　voracious　appetite。
　She　wasted　no　time　in　taking　the　steaming　platters　from　the　dispenser；　grinning　a　we