amccaffrey.theskiesofpern-第69部分

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th　a　boyish　delight；　but　Kenjo　had　made　sure　it　was　not　readily　accessible。　The　first　challenge　was　the　stairs　that　went　up　six　levels　inside　Honshu's　cliff。
　　〃Does　Golanth　watch　stars　with　you；　too？〃　she　asked。　Zaranth　affected　to　and　never　objected　when　Tai　spent　long　hours　on　her　green　back；　studying　the　night　sky。
　　〃He　pretends　to　be　interested；〃　F'lessan　said　in　a　mock…soft　voice；　turning　to　grin　down　the　metal　spiral　at　her。
　　I　hope　I　will　not　hurt　these　things　when　I　bring　them　to　you　so　high　up；　Golanth　said　facetiously。
　　〃Golanth；　you　will　carry　them　as　carefully　as　fire…lizard　eggs；〃　F'lessan　said；　his　voice　stern　as　he　winked　down　at　Tai。　〃When　I　found　the　place；　it　was　a　mess　and　outside　most　of　the　solar　panels　were　fouled　or　missing。　Worse　than　the　Admin　building。〃　He　took　a　deep　breath　before　the　next　step。　〃Golanth　was　very　good　about　helping　me　repair　and　reinstall　them。　He　doesn't　fit　in　the　observatory；　of　course；　but　he's　good　at　encouraging　me　to　work　hard。〃　He　chuckled　as　he　plodded　up　several　more　steps；　boots　clanking　on　the　metal。　She　could　feel　the　climb　pulling　at　her　muscles。　He　went　on。　〃Good　thing　the　cylinder　had　been　vacuum…wrapped…another　point　in　my　theory　that　they　intended　to　e　back！〃　She　could　see　that　he　was　using　the　handrail　to　pull　him　upward。　Good　idea！　She　followed　his　example。　〃So　we　cleaned　and　repaired　the　vents　and　solar　panels；　and　let　power　build　up。　I'd　the　finder　scope　to　use　to　see　if　the　instrument　still　worked。　It　did。〃　He　gave　a　deep　sigh　of　satisfaction。　〃We'll　have　to　run　a　pointing　recalibration　but　I've　got　the　files　for　the　stars　we　use。　Once　we've　hooked　up　the　puter　and　are　sure　it's　pointing　accurately；　we　can　proceed　to　search　whatever　part　of　the　sky　Erragon　wants　us　to　scan。　The　program　makes　it　possible　to　shift　the　primary　mirror。　We'll　get　pictures　on　the　monitor　and　decide　what　to　save。〃
　　He　paused；　taking　in　deep　breaths　before　he　started　upward　again。　She　wondered　that　he　didn't　save　his　breath　for　the　climb　but　F'lessan　loved　to　talk　and；　since　his　voice　was　very　pleasant　to　listen　to；　she　didn't　mind。　She　didn't　usually　have　much　to　say。
　　〃Got　the　generator　working；　too；　so　we　don't　have　to　limit　solar　panel　use。〃　He　had　breath　enough　for　a　chuckle。　〃Mighty　clever　those　Ancients　were　in　harnessing　renewable　energy。　When　we　told　Aivas　that　we'd　found　the　old　machinery；　I　swear　he　almost　laughed。〃
　　〃Laughed？〃　It　would　never　have　occurred　to　Tai　that　Aivas　had　been　endowed　with　a　sense　of　humor。　She　nearly　stumbled　on　the　steps　but　caught　herself　on　the　handrail。
　　〃Oh；　Aivas　had　a　powerful　sense　of　humor。　You　know　the　kind　of　pause　that　means　someone's　laughing　inside？　Well；　Aivas　would　pause；　wait　a　beat；　and　go　on　with　what　he　was　saying。　Piemur　was　sure　Aivas　laughed　to　himself　in　such　beats；　but　Jancis　was　horrified　by　the　mere　suggestion　of　a　machine　that　could　laugh。〃
　　Tai　couldn't　see　his　face　but；　though　sometimes　he　made　jokes　about　his　Turns　under　Aivas's　supervision；　his　voice　was　tinged　with　a　respect　that　he　didn't　accord　even　his　Weyrleaders。　She'd　been　so　young；　fresh　from　Keroonian　hills　when　her　mother　and　father　had　e　south　to　work　at　Landing；　and　painfully　naive。　Told　over　and　over　what　a　splendid　chance　she　was　getting　in　a　Landing　education；　she　had　concentrated　on　learning　as　much　as　she　could　to　avoid　disappointing　anyone；　including　Aivas。　She　had　never　questioned　anything　then。　Now；　and　in　the　presence　of　F'lessan；　she　felt　able　to　ask。
　　〃Why　would　Aivas　be　amused　that　you　had　discovered　this　valuable　instrument　and　a　power　generator？〃
　　〃I　suspect；〃　and　F'lessan　climbed　a　few　more　steps　before　answering；　〃because　Kenjo　had　been　very　clever　about　so　many　things。　Like　saving　fuel　in　sacks　each　trip　down　from　the　Yoko　so　he　could　fly　the　little　plane　he　built。　And　using　the　stone…cutters　far　more　extensively　than　any　other　colonist。　Yet　what　a　beautiful　place　he　designed…although；　e　to　think　of　it；　his　wife；　Ita；　was　artistic　and　it's　likely　she　did　the　murals　in　the　Hall　and　some　of　the　tapestries。〃
　　〃Here　we　are；〃　he　said　and　she　could　hear　the　relief　in　his　voice。　Dragonriders　were　more　accustomed　to　flying　heights　than　climbing　them。
　　She　didn't　mind　showing　that　the　narrow　winding　stairs　had　winded　her。　Her　thighs　felt　heavy；　and　she　had　an　ache　in　the　calf　of　her　left　leg。　She　gave　it　a　quick　massage　as　he　fiddled　a　key　into　the　locked　door　they　had　climbed　so　high　to　reach。
　　At　first；　Tai　saw　nothing　but　the　smooth　sides　of　the　vertical　shaft's　creamy　rock；　eerily　lit　from　small　guide　lights。　She　could　feel　a　light　breeze　sweeping　upward；　cooling　legs；　body；　and　even　the　sweat　on　her　forehead；　and　then　a　door　opened　just　above　her　eye　level。　F'lessan　lifted　himself　through；　for　a　moment　blocking　her　view。　He　moved　to　one　side　and；　in　the　light　from　the　shaft；　she　saw　more　creamy　rock。　She　clattered　up　the　last　few　steps　and　walked　into　such　a　splendid　space　that　she　just　stood；　looking　around　in　amazement。　A　large　dark　brooding　mass　dominated　the　center　of　a　wooden　floor。
　　F'lessan　pressed　plates　on　one　side　of　the　door　and　lights　blinked　on；　one　by　one；　girdling　the　room　about　F'lessan's　height　from　the　floor。　She　could　also　feel　more　fresh　air　circulating。
　　As　the　lights　came　up；　she　saw　the　long　barrel　of　Honshu's　telescope；　thicker　in　circumference　than　she　could　have　put　her　arms　about；　longer　than　F'lessan　was　tall。　A　U…shaped　fork　structure　held　the　barrel　and；　as　she　got　closer；　she　could　see　that　the　fork　was　itself　supported　by　a　heavy　metal　plate；　attached　to　a　metal　turntable。　This　tilted　arrangement　was　an　equatorial　mount　entirely　different　from　the　up…down；　left…right；　alt…azimuth　mounting　that　was　appropriate　for　Cove　Hold's　larger；　skeletal　type　scope　and　its　position　near　the　equator。　Honshu's　scope　was　a　dull　cream　of　a　posite　material；　slightly　longer　at　the　front；　with　a　blunt　rear　end　that　she　knew　sleekly　enclosed　the　620…millimeter　reflecting　mirror。　Unlike　the　Cove　Hold　scope；　where　the　mirror　was　clearly　visible　inside　the　supporting　skeleton；　this　mirror　was　hidden　within　the　opaque　cylinder。　Only　the　services　connecting　to　the　telescope　revealed　what　else　was　inside。　She　could　see　cooling　pipes　and　electrical　cables　feeding　through　the　cylinder　at　its　midpoint；　which　she　knew　led　to　the　camera　at　the　heart　of　the　telescope。　What　she　could　identify　as　the　finder　scope　was　attached　to　the　upper　surface　beside　two　other　anonymous　cylinders。　The　Cove's　instrument…one　of　the　Ancients'　classical　Cassegrains…was　half　again　as　long　as　this　one；　having　a　one…meter　lens；　its　optics　based　entirely　around　mirrors　and　enclosed　in　a　light　gray　posite　of　some　ancient　material。　Here；　too；　was　a　raised　wooden　floor；　to　keep　vibrations　from　being　transmitted　to　the　telescope　and　to　allow　people　to　walk　safely　around　while　observing。　Not　that　the　sheer　cliff　to　which　the　scope　was　attached　would　move：　Cove　Hold　had　a　cement　base　on　its　rocky　promontory；　high　above　the　sea。
　　Tentatively；　she　approached　the　cylinder；　saw　the　cover　at　the　top　and　controlled　her　impatience　to　see　it。　She　did；　however；　appreciate　F'lessan's　proprietary　feeling　for　the　scope。
　　That　he　was　willing　to　share　it　with　her　was　yet　one　more　unexpected　boon。
　　〃Now　watch！〃　he　said；　holding　up　his　left　hand；　grinning　with　anticipation。　With　the　fingers　of　his　right；　he　pressed　more　plates；　diverting　her　from　a　closer　inspection　of　telescope　and　mounting。
　　She　was　startled　when　a　crack　appeared　in　the　ceiling。　She　stepped　back；　close　to　him；　as　what　had　seemed　to　be　solid　rock　shifted。　Gears　whirred　and　the　halves　dropped　and　spread　slowly　apart；　continuing　to　sink　down；　out　of　the　way；　against　the　observatory　dome；　stopping　just　above　the　girdle　of　lights。
　　〃Full　range；〃　F'lessan　cried　in　a　proud　tone；　gesturing　to　the　opening　created　by　the　sliding　roof。　〃Golly　found　the　seam　in　the　rock　when　we　were　repairing　the　solar　panels。　No　rock　has　straight　seams；〃　he　said　with　a　snort。　〃Took　Jancis；　Piemur；　and　me　days　to　oil；　repair；　and　get　this　working　again。〃
　　Tai　knew　that　she　was　gawking　idiotically　at　the　superb　view　of　the　southern　night　sky　now　visible。　She　gasped　then；　wh