按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
r shiftless husband； whereupon she left her home village to bee one of the top lumberjack…sawyers on the river。
〃Highest…level alert；〃 Ozawa confirmed。 〃All panies activated。〃
〃What。。。 all？ Just to collect a little band of sooners？〃
Lena shook her head。 〃The girl's family beyond the Rimmers？ This goes far beyond that。〃
〃Then…〃
Memory assailed Dwer。 The blurry image of a hovering monster； firing bolts of flame。 He croaked； 〃The flying machine。〃
〃That's right。〃 Danel nodded。 〃The one you encountered…〃
〃Lemme guess。 Some hotheads dug up a cache。〃
Dreamers and ne'er…do…wells were always chasing rumors of a fabled hoard。 Not rubble but a sealed trove buried on purpose by departing Buyur。 Dwer often had to round up searchers who strayed too far。 What if some angry young urs actually found an ancient god…weapon？ Might they test it first on two isolated humans； trapped in a mule…spider maze； before going on to settle larger grudges？
Lena Strong laughed out loud。
〃Oh； he's a wonder； Danel。 What a theory。 If only it were true！〃
Dwer lifted a hand to his head。 The vibration of the water wheel seemed labored； uneven。 〃Well？ What is true？〃 he demanded testily； then stared at the expression on Ozawa's face。 The older man answered with a brief eye…flick heavenward。
〃No；〃 Dwer whispered。
He felt strangely remote； detached。
〃Well then iz all over； an' I'm out of a job…no？〃
The two humans grabbed his arms as he let go of the thing that had kept him going until now； the force that had dragged him upward out of unconsciousness in the first place： duty。
Galactics。 Here on the Slope； he thought as they bore his weight back down the hall。 So it's e at last。 Judgment Day。
There was nothing more to do。 No way he could make any difference at all。
Apparently； the sages didn't agree。 They thought fate might yet be diverted； or at least modified somehow。
Lester Cambel and his aides are making plans； Dwer realized the next morning as he met the two humans again； this time by the shore of the forest…shrouded mountain lake。 Even the dam wore trees； softening its graceful outline； helping root the structure firmly to the landscape。 Stretched out on an elegant wooden bench； Dwer sipped a cool drink from a goblet of urrish glass as he faced the two envoys who had been sent all the way to see him。
Clearly the leaders of Earthling…Sept were playing a plex； multilayer game…balancing species self…interest against the good of the mons as a whole。 Bluff； open…faced Lena Strong seemed untroubled by this ambivalence； but not Danel Ozawa； who explained to Dwer the varied reactions of other races to the invaders being human。
I wish Lark had stayed。 He could have made sense of all this。 Dwer's mind still felt woozy； even after a night's restoring sleep。
〃I still don't get it。 What are human adventurers doing out here in Galaxy Two？ I thought Earthlings were crude； ignorant trash； even in their own little part of Galaxy Four！〃
〃Why are we here； Dwer？〃 Ozawa replied。 〃Our ancestors came to Jijo just decades after acquiring star drive。〃
Dwer shrugged。 〃They were selfish bastards。 Willing to endanger the whole race just to find a place to breed。〃
Lena sniffed； but Dwer kept his chin raised。 〃Nothing else makes sense。〃
Our ancestors were self…centered scoundrels…Lark had put it one day。
〃You don't believe the stories of persecution and flight？〃 Lena asked。 〃The need to hide or die？〃
Dwer shrugged。
〃What of the g'Keks？〃 Ozawa asked。 〃Their ancestors claimed persecution。 Now we learn their race was murdered by the Inheritors' Alliance。 Does it take genocide to make the excuse valid？〃
Dwer looked away。 None of the g'Keks he knew had died。 Should he mourn millions who were slaughtered long ago and far away？
〃Why ask me？〃 he murmured irritably。 〃Can anything I do make a difference？〃
〃That depends。〃 Danel leaned forward。 〃Your brother is brilliant but a heretic。 Do you share his beliefs？ Do you think this world would be better off without us？ Should we die out； Dwer？〃
He saw they were testing him。 As a top hunter； he'd be valuable to the militia…if he could be trusted。 Dwer sensed their eyes； watching； weighing。
Without doubt； Lark was a deeper； wiser man than anyone Dwer knew。 His arguments made sense when he spoke passionately of higher values than mere animal reproduction…certainly more sense than Sara's weird brand of math…based； what…if optimism。 Dwer knew firsthand about species going extinct…the loss of something beautiful that would never be recovered。
Maybe Jijo would be better off resting undisturbed； according to plan。
Still； Dwer knew his own heart。 He would marry someday； if he found the right partner； and he would sire as many kids as his wife and the sages allowed； drinking like a heady wine the love they gave； in return for his devotion。
〃I'll fight； if that's what you're askin'；〃 he said in a low voice； perhaps ashamed to admit it。 〃If that's what it takes to survive。〃
Lena grunted with a curt； satisfied nod。 Danel let out a soft sigh。
〃Fighting may not be necessary。 Your militia duties will be taken up by others。〃
Dwer sat up。 〃Because of this？〃 He motioned toward the bandages on his feet and left hand。 Those on the right were already off； revealing that the middle finger was no longer the longest； a disconcerting but noncrippling amputation； healing under a crust of traeki paste。 〃I'll be up and around soon； good as ever。〃
〃Indeed； I am counting on it。〃 Ozawa nodded。 〃We need you for something rather arduous。 And before I explain； you must swear never to inform another soul； especially your brother。〃
Dwer stared at the man。 If it were anyone else； he might have laughed scornfully。 But he trusted Ozawa。 And much as Dwer loved and admired his brother； Lark was without any doubt a heretic。 〃It's for the good？〃 he asked。
〃I believe so；〃 the older man said； in apparent sincerity。
Dwer sighed unhappily。 〃All right then。 Let's hear what you have in mind。〃
Asx
THE ALIENS DEMANDED TO SEE CHIMPANZEES； then marveled over those we brought before them； as if they had never seen the like before。 〃Your chimps do not speak！ Why is that？〃
Lester proclaims mystification。 Chimpanzees are capable of sign language； of course。 But have other traits been added since the Tabernacle fled to Jijo？
The invaders seem unimpressed with Lester's demurral； and so are some of our fellow Sixers。 For the first time； i/we sense something hidden； deceitful； in the manner of my/our human colleague。 He knows more than he tells。 But our skittish rewq balk at revealing more。
Nor is this our sole such worry。 Qheuens refuse to speak further regarding lorniks。 Our g'Kek cousins reel from the news that they are the last of their kind。 And all of us are appalled to witness alien robots returning to base laden with gassed； sleeping glavers； kidnapped from faraway herds for analysis under those once…gay pavilions we lent our guests。
〃Is this the return of innocence； promised in the Scrolls？〃 Ur…Jah asks； doubt dripping like fumes from her lowered snout。 〃How could a blessing arise out of base crime？〃
If only we could ask the glavers。 Is this what they wanted； when they chose the Path of Redemption？
Lark
〃WELL； LOOK WHO IT IS。 I'M SURPRISED YOU HAVE the nerve to show your face around here。〃
The forayer woman's grin seemed at once both sly and teasing。 She peeled off elastic gloves； turning from a glaver on a lab bench with wires in its scalp。 There were several of the big trestle tables； where human； g'Kek； and urrish workers bent under cool； bright lamps； performing rote tasks they had been taught； helping their employers test animals sampled from sundry Jijoan ecosystems。
Lark had dropped his backpack by the entrance。 Now he picked it up again。 〃I'll go if you want。〃
〃No； no。 Please stay。〃 Ling waved him into the laboratory shelter； which had been moved to a shielded forest site the very night Lark last saw the beautiful intruder； the same evening the black station buried itself under a fountain of piled dirt and broken vegetation。 The basis for both actions was still obscure； but Lark's superiors now thought it must have to do with the violent destruction of one of the interlopers' robots。 An event his brother must have witnessed at close hand。
Then there was the testimony of Rety； the girl from over the mountains； supported by her treasure； a strange metal machine； once shaped like a Jijoan bird。 Was it a Buyur remnant； as some supposed？ If so； why should such a small item perturb the mighty forayers？ Unless it was like the tip of a red qheuen's shell； innocuous at first sight； poking over a sand dune； part of much more than it seemed？ The 〃bird〃 now lay in a cave； headless and mute； but Rety swore it used to move。
Lark had been ordered back down to the Glade before his brother could confirm the story。 He knew he shouldn't worry。 Danel Ozawa was qualified to tend Dwer's wounds。 Still； he deeply resented the recall order。
〃Will you be needing me for another expedition？〃 he asked Ling。
〃After you abandoned me the last time？ We found human tracks when we finally got to where our robot went down。 Is that where you rushed off to？ Funny how you knew which way to go。〃
He shouldered his pack。 〃Well； if you don't need me； then…〃
She swept a hand before her face。 〃Oh； never mind。 Let's move on。 There's plenty of work； if you want it。〃
Lark glanced dubiously at the lab tables。 Of Jijo's Six； all three of the races with good hand…eye coordination were employed。 Outside； hoons and qheuens also labored at the behest of aliens whose merest trinkets meant unimaginable wealth to primitive savages。 Only traeki were unseen among the speckled tents； since the ringed ones seemed to make the raiders nervous。
Sepoy labor。 That was the contemptuous expression Lena Strong had used when she brought Lark new orders at Tooth…Slice Shavings' Dam。 An old Earth term； referring to aborigines toiling for mighty visitors； paid in beads。
〃Oh； don't look so sour。〃 Ling laughed。 〃It would serve you right if I put you to work staining nerve tissue； or shoveling the longsnout pens。。。。 No； stop。〃 She grabbed Lark's arm。 All signs of mockery vanished。 〃I'm sorry。 There really are things I want to discuss with you。〃
〃Uthen is here。〃 He pointed to the far end of the tent； where his fellow biologist； a large male qheuen with a slate gray carapace； held conference with Rann； one of the two male forayers； a tall massive man in a tight…fitting uniform。
〃Uthen knows incredible detail about how different species relate to each other。〃 Ling agreed with a nod。 〃That's not easy on a planet that has had infusions of outsider species every twenty million years or so； for aeons。 Your lore is impressive； given your limitations。〃
Had she any idea how far Jijoan 〃lore〃 really went？ So far； the sages had not released his detailed charts； and Uthen must be dragging all five feet； cooperating just enough to stay indispensable。 Yet the aliens seemed easily impressed by sketchy glimmers of local acumen； which only showed how insultingly low their expectations were。
〃Thanks；〃 Lark muttered。 〃Thanks a lot。〃
Ling sighed； briefly averting her dark eyes。 〃Crampers； can't I say anything right； today？ I don't mean to offend。 It's just。。。 look； how about we try starting from scratch； all right？〃 She held out a hand。
Lark looked at it。 What was he expected to do now？
She reached out with her left hand to take his right wrist。 Then her right hand clasped his。 〃It's called a handshake。 We use it to signify respect； amicable greeting； or agreement。〃
Lark blinked。 Her grip was warm； firm； slightly moist。
〃Oh； yes。。。 I've rea… heard of it。〃
He tried to respond when she squeezed； but it felt so strange； and vaguely erotic； that Lark let go sooner than she seemed to expect。 His face felt warm。
〃Is it a mon gesture？〃
〃Very mon； I hear。 On Earth。〃
You hear？ Lark leaped on the passing phrase and knew it had begun again…their game of hints and revelations； mutual scrutiny of clues and things left unsaid。
〃I can se