uplift4.brightnessreef-第102部分

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　　The　zealot　chief　replies…
　　〃Who　says　they　will　go　free？　Let　them　dwell　among　us　for　the　rest　of　their　natural　spans；　living　as　deterrents　to　alien　vileness。〃
　　〃And　after　that？　How　foolish　to　think　in　terms　of　mere　lifespans！　Star…gods　ponder　long　thoughts。　They　plan　long　plans。　To　slay　us　now　or　in　fifty　years；　what　difference　will　that　make；　in　the　grand　scheme　of　things？〃
　　Some　onlookers　murmur　agreement。　To　others；　however；　it　is　as　if　the　sage　has　made　a　fine　joke。　They　laugh　in　various　ways　and　shout；　〃It　makes　a　big　difference　to　those　now　alive！〃
　　〃Anyway；〃　the　urrish　leader　of　the　zealots　adds…〃You　are　wrong　to　say　they　had　not　yet　attacked　us；　or　attempted　（villainous）　harm。　To　the　contrary；　our　（justified）　explosive　feat　stopped　their　（vile）　scheme　just　in　time！〃
　　Soot…stained　and　fatigued；　Lester　Cambel　sits　on　a　nearby　boulder。　Now　he　lifts　his　head　from　his　hands；　and　asks…
　　〃What　do　you　mean　by　that？〃
　　〃I　mean　their　（foul）　intent　was　to　begin　a　program　of
　　annihilation　by　igniting　（fratricidal）　war　among　the　Six！〃
　　The　gathered　onlookers　absorb　this　silently。
　　Knife…Bright　Insight　demands…〃Can　you　prove　this？〃
　　〃Solid　（irrefutable）　evidence　is　on　the　way。　But　first；　should　you　not　hear　（supportive）　testimony　from　your　own　（highly　revered）　fellow　sage？〃
　　Confusion　reigns；　until　Phwhoon…dau　steps　forward　to　speak。　Our　hoonish　colleague　has　been　strangely　silent；　taking　little　part　in　events；　save　to　carry　Vubben　downhill　from　the　ill…starred　pilgrimage。　Now　his　long；　scaly　spine　unbends；　as　if　glad　to　pass　a　heavy　burden。
　　〃It　is　too　short　a　time　that　I　have　had　to　ruminate　upon　these　matters；〃　he　demurs。
　　〃You　would　ruminate　a　geologic　age；　dear　friend；〃　Lester　Cambel　jests　in　a　gentle　way。　〃Even　your　most　tentative　wisdom　is　greater　than　any　other；　except　the　Egg's。　Please　share　it　with　us。〃
　　A　deep；　rolling　sound　emanates　from　Phwhoon…dau's　pendulous；　vibrating　sac。
　　〃Hr…r…rm。。。。　For　almost　two　jaduras；　I　have　kept　careful　records　of　statements　made　by　our　guests　from　space；　especially　those　spoken　formally；　as　if　written　by　someone　else　for　the　sky…humans　to　say　aloud。　I　had　several　linguistic　reference　works　from　Biblos；　which　I　sometimes　consult　when　judging　disputes　between　individuals　of　different　races；　speaking　different　tongues。　Despite　our　local　dialect　devolution；　these　works　contain　useful　charts　regarding　syntax　and　variable　meaning。　I　do　not　claim　great　expertise…just　a　backwoods　practicality…in　scrutinizing　the　aliens'　statements。〃
　　〃But　you　reached　conclusions？〃
　　〃Hr…r。　Not　conclusions。　Correlations　perhaps。　Indicating　a　possible　pattern　of　intent。〃
　　〃Intent？〃
　　〃Intent。。。　r…r…rm。。。　to　incite　divisiveness。〃
　　Ur…Jah　ments　from　the　wallow　where　she　curls　in　exhaustion　from　the　futile　rescue　effort；　scratching　for　survivors　amid　the　smoky　ruin　of　the　aliens'　station。
　　〃This　is　not　the　first　tine　such　a　susficion　has　veen　raised。　We　all　have　anecdotes　to　tell；　of　innocent…sounding　renarks　which　sting　gently　at　first；　like　a　shaedo…fly；　laying　eggs　that　fester　a　wound　that　never　heals。　Now　you　say　there　is　a　consistent　fattern？　That　this　was　vart　of　a　deliverate　flan？　Why　did　you　not　sfeak　of　this　vefore？〃
　　Phwhoon…dau　sighs。　〃A　good　scholar　does　not　publish　provisional　data。　Also；　the　aliens　seemed　unaware　that　we　have　retained　this　skill；　charting　the　meaning　in　phrases。　Or　rather；　that　we　recovered　it　with　the　Great　Printing。　I　saw　no　reason　to　leak　the　fact　too　soon。〃
　　He　shrugs　like　a　traeki；　with　a　left…right　twist。　〃I　finally　became　convinced　when　Ro…kenn　spoke　to　us　all；　during　the　pilgrimage。　Surely　it　occurred　to　some　of　you　that　his　aim　was　to　strike　sparks　of　dissension　with　his　words？〃
　　〃It　sure　did！〃　Lester　Cambel　growls。　Assent　echoes　loudly　from　many　humans　present；　as　if　to　convince　others　of　their　sincerity。　Hoofed　urs　stamp　uncertainly；　their　hot　tempers　clearly　frayed　from　the　long　enervating　night。　Only　hard…won　habits　of　the　recent　Peace　have　kept　things　calm　till　now。
　　Phwhoon…dau　continues。　〃The　formal　dialect　of　Galactic　Six　used　by　the　Rothen　star…god　allows　little　room　for　ambiguity。　Ro…kenn's　disconcerting　words　can　have　but　two　possible　interpretations。　Either　he　is　tactless　to　a　degree　beyond　all　stupidity；　or　else　the　objective　was　to　incite　a　campaign　of　genocide　against　human…sept。〃
　　〃Against　their　own　veloved　clients？〃　Ur…Jah　asks；　incredulous。
　　〃That　is　irrelevant。　Even　if　the　Rothen　claim　of　patronhood　is　true；　why　should　they　care　about　one　small；　isolated　band　of　feral　humans；　long　cut　off　from　the　race　as　a　whole；　genetically　inbred　and　several　hundred　years　out　of　date；　perchance　even　defective；　psychologically　backward；　polluted　by…〃
　　〃You've　made　your　point；〃　Lester　interrupts　testily。　〃But　in　that　case；　why　pick　on　us？〃
　　Phwhoon…dau　turns　to　our　human　peer；　umbling　apologetically。　〃Because　among　the　Six；　man…sept　is　greatest　in　its　technic　lore；　in　its　imperfect…but…useful　recollection　of　Galactic　ways；　and　in　its　well…remembered　skill　at　the　art　of　war。〃
　　There　rises　a　muttering　from　some　qheuenish　and　urrish　listeners；　yet　no　actual　disagreement。　Not　from　anyone　who　knows　the　tale　of　Battle　Canyon；　or　Townsend's　Ambush；　or　the　siege　of　Tarek　Town。
　　〃All　of　these　factors　make　your　kind　the　obvious　first　target。　Moreover；　there　is　another　reason。　The　effect　your　race　has　had　upon　the　rest　of　us。　As　newers；　when　your　rank　was　lowest；　still　you　opened　your　sole　treasure；　your　library；　to　all。　After　your　great　victories；　when　your　status　towered　highest；　you　refused　many　privileges　of　dominance；　instead　bowing　to　the　sages；　accepting　limits　called　for　by　the　Great　Peace。
　　〃It　is　this　record　of　restraint　that　makes　you　dangerous　to　Rothen　plans。　For　what　good　is　it　to　incite　war；　if　your　intended　victims　choose　not　to　fight？〃
　　Yes；　my　rings；　we　observe/note　the　crowd's　reaction。　A　hush　as　Phwhoon…dau　evokes　images　of　reconciliation；　gently　dousing　still…simmering　sparks　of　resentment。　It　is　a　masterwork　of　mediation。
　　〃Once　men…sept　is　gone；〃　Phwhoon…dau　goes　on；　〃it　would　prove　simple　to　goad　disaffection　among　the　rest；　pretending　secret　friendships；　offering　assistance。　Handing　over　tailored　plagues；　for　instance；　letting　each　race　e　up　with　clever　ways　to　deliver　death　bugs　to　their　foes。　Within　less　than　a　generation　the　job　would　be　plete。　The　sparse　record　left　in　Jijo's　soil　would　show　only　that　six　sooner　races　once　sank　low　here；　never　reaching　redemption。〃
　　Uneasy　silence；　greets　this　scenario　painted　by　our　hoonish　sage。
　　〃Of　course；　none　of　this　is　proven；〃　Phwhoon…dau　concludes；　rounding　to　stab　a　finger　toward　the　zealot　chieftain。　〃Nor　does　it　justify　the　horrors　we　have　seen　this　night；　perpetrated　rashly；　without　consulting　the　sages　or　the　mons。〃
　　The　urrish　rebel　lifts　her　head　high；　in　order　to　peer　over　the　crowd　toward　the　east。　With　a　glad　snort；　she　turns　back　to　Phwhoon…dau。
　　〃Now　arrives　your　proof！〃　She　whistles　jubilantly；　helping　shove　an　opening　through　the　ranks　of　spectators；　as　dawn　reveals　dusty　figures　galloping　down　the　trail　from　the　Holy　Glade。
　　〃Here；　also；　is　your　justification。〃
　　
　　Lark
　　HARULLEN　CALLED　DOWN　FROM　THE　CRATER'S　edge。　〃You　two　had　better　e　up　now！〃　the　heretic　shouted。　〃Someone's　going　to　catch　you　and　it'll　mean　trouble。　Besides…I　think　something's　happening！〃
　　Physical　and　emotional　exhaustion　had　taken　their　toll　of　the　gray　aristocrat's　polished　accent。　He　sounded　frantic；　as　if　serving　as　reluctant　lookout　were　as　risky　as　poking　through　perilous　wreckage。
　　〃What's　happening？〃　Uthen　shouted　back。　Though　a　cousin　to　the　qheuen　above；　Lark's　fellow　biologist　looked　like　a　different　species；　with　his　scarred　carapace　streaked　by　gummy　ash。　〃Are　they　sending　a　robot　this　way？〃
　　Harullen's　leg…vents　fluted　overtones　of　worry。　〃No；　the　machines　still　hover　protectively　over　Ro…kenn；　and　the　two　servant…humans；　and　the　cadavers；　all　surrounded　by　a　crowd　of　local　sycophants。　I　refer　to　a　motion　over　where　the　sages　have　been　holding　court。　More　zealots　have　arrived；　it　seems。　There　is　ferment。　I'm　certain　we　are　missing　important　news！