uplift4.brightnessreef-第25部分

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Yet　those　dour；　pale　giants　claim　to　find　the　rest　of　us　equally　frantic　and　wild。
　　Something；　or　rather　two　somethings；　stirred　within　the　shadowy　airlock。　A　pair　of　bipedal　forms　stepped　forward…walkers…slim；　stick…jointed；　and　somewhat　tall。　Clothed　in　loosely　draped　garments　that　concealed　all　but　their　bare　hands　and　heads；　they　emerged　into　the　afternoon　light　to　peer　upward　at　us。
　　From　the　mons　there　erupted　a　low　collective　sigh　of　shock　and　recognition。
　　Was　this　a　hopeful　sign？　Out　of　all　the　myriad　spacefaring　races　in　the　Civilization　of　the　Five　Galaxies；　what　impossibly　remote　chance　decreed　that　our　discoverers　might　turn　out　to　be　cousins？　That　the　crew　of　this　ship　should　be　cogenetic　with　one　of　our　Six？　Was　this　the　work　of　our　capricious　goddess；　whose　luck　favors　the　anomalous　and　strange？
　　〃Hyoo…mans…s…s。。。〃　Ur…Jah；　our　eldest　sage；　aspirated　in　Anglic；　the　native　tongue　of　our　youngest　sept。
　　From　Lester　Cambel；　there　escaped　a　sound　i　had　never　heard　before；　which　these　rings　could　not　decipher　at　the　time。　Only　later　did　we　prehend；　and　learn　its　name。
　　It　was　despair。
　　
　　Dwer
　　RETY　LED　SINGLE　FILE　ALONG　A　TRACK　THAT　NOW　ran　atop　a　broad　shelf　of　bedrock；　too　hard　for　great…boo　to　take　root。　The　slanting；　upthrust　granite　ledge　separated　two　broad　fingers　of　cane　forest；　which　Dwer　knew　stretched　for　hundreds　of　arrowflights　in　all　directions。　Although　the　rocky　trail　followed　a　ridgetop；　the　boo　on　either　side　grew　so　tall　that　only　the　highest　peaks　could　be　seen　above　the　swaying　ocean　of　giant　stems。
　　The　girl　kept　peering；　left　and　right；　as　if　in　search　of　something。　As　if　she　wanted　something；　rather　urgently；　and　did　not　want　to　walk　past　it　by　mistake。　But　when　Dwer　tried　to　inquire；　all　she　gave　back　was　silence。
　　You'll　have　to　watch　it　with　this　one；　he　thought。　She's　been　bun　all　her　life；　till　she's　prickly　as　a　dartback　bare。　People　weren't　his　specialty；　but　a　forester　uses　empathy　to　grasp　the　simple　needs　and　savage　thoughts　of　wild　things。
　　Wild　things　can　know　pain。
　　Well；　in　another　day　or　so　she　won't　be　my　problem。　The　sages　have　experts；　healers。　If　I　meddle；　I　may　just　make　things　worse。
　　The　stone　shelf　gradually　narrowed　until　the　footpath　traced　a　slender　aisle　between　crowded　ranks　of　towering　adult　boo；　each　stem　now　over　twenty　meters　tall　and　as　thick　as　several　men。　The　giant　green　stalks　grew　so　close　that　even　Mudfoot　would　have　trouble　getting　far　into　the　thicket　without　squeezing　between　mighty　boles。　The　strip　of　sky　above　pinched　gradually　tighter　being　a　mere　ribbon　of　blue　as　the　trail　constricted。　At　some　points；　Dwer　could　spread　his　arms　and　touch　mighty　cylinders　on　both　sides　at　the　same　time。
　　The　pressed　site　played　tricks　with　perspective　as　he　pictured　two　vast　walls；　primed　to　press　together　at　any　instant；　grinding　their　tiny　group　like　scraps　of　cloth　under　Nelo's　pulping　hammer。
　　Funny　thing。　This　stretch　of　trail　hadn't　felt　nearly　so　spooky　on　his　way　uphill；　two　days　ago。　Then；　the　slender　avenue　had　felt　like　a　funnel；　channeling　him　briskly　toward　his　quarry。　Now　it　was　a　cramped　furrow；　a　pit。　Dwer　felt　a　growing　tightness　in　his　chest。　What　if　something's　happened　up　ahead。　A　landslide　blocking　the　way。　Or　a　fire？　What　a　trap　this　could　be！
　　He　sniffed　suspiciously；　picking　up　only　a　gummy　reek　of　greenness　given　off　by　the　boo。　Of　course；　anything　at　all　could　be　going　on　downwind；　and　he　wouldn't　know　of　it　until…
　　Stop　this！　Snap　out　of　it。　What's　gotten　into　you？
　　It's　her；　he　realized。　You're　feeling　bad　because　she　thinks　you're　a　bastard。
　　Dwer　shook　his　head。
　　Well；　ain't　it　so？　You　let　Rety　go　on　thinking　she　might　be　hanged；　when　it　would　have　been　easy　enough　to　say…
　　To　say　what？　A　lie？　I　can't　promise　it　won't　happen。　The　law　is　fierce　because　it　has　to　be。　The　sages　can　show　mercy。　It's　allowed。　But　who　am　I　to　promise　in　their　name？
　　He　recalled　his　former　master　describing　the　last　time　a　large　band　of　sooners　was　discovered；　back　when　old　Fallen　had　been　an　apprentice。　The　transgressors　were　found　living　on　a　distant　archipelago；　far　to　the　north。　One　of　the　hoon　boat…wanderers…whose　job　it　was　to　patrol　at　sea　the　same　way　human　hunters　roamed　the　forests　and　urrish　plainsmen　ranged　the　steppes…came　upon　a　thronging　cluster　of　her　kind；　dwelling　amid　ice　floes；　surviving　by　seeking　the　caves　of　hibernating　rouol　shamblers　and　spearing　the　rotund　beasts　as　they　slept。　Each　summer；　the　renegade　tribe　would　e　ashore　and　set　fires　across　the　tundra　plains；　panicking　herds　of　shaggy；　long…toed　gallaiters；　sending　the　frightened　ungulates　tumbling　over　cliffs　by　the　hundreds；　so　that　a　few　might　be　butchered。
　　Ghahen；　the　boat…wanderer；　had　been　drawn　by　the　smoke　of　one　mass　killing　and　soon　began　dealing　with　the　crime　in　the　manner　of　her　folk。　Patient　beyond　human　fathoming；　gentle　in　a　way　that　gave　Dwer　nightmares　to　hear　of　it；　she　had　taken　an　entire　year　to　winnow　the　band；　one　by　one；　painlessly　confiscating　from　each　member　its　precious　life　bone；　until　all　that　remained　was　a　solitary　male　elder；　whom　she　seized　and　brought　home　to　testify；　ferrying　the　dejected　captive　in　a　boat　piled　high　with　the　fifth　vertebra　of　all　his　kin。　After　reciting　his　tale…a　crooning　lament　lasting　fourteen　days…that　final　seagoing　sooner　was　executed　by　the　hoon　themselves；　expiating　their　shame。　All　the　impounded　vertebrae　were　ground　to　dust　and　scattered　in　a　desert；　far　from　any　standing　water。
　　The　forbidding　memory　of　that　story　filled　Dwer's　heart　with　leaden　worry。
　　Spare　me；　please；　from　being　asked　to　do　as　Ghahen　did。　I　couldn't。　Not　if　all　the　sages　ordered　it。　Not　if　Lark　said　the　fate　of　all　Jijo　hung　in　the　balance。　There's　got　to　be　a　better　way。
　　Just　where　the　rocky　shelf　seemed　about　to　narrow　down　to　nothing；　letting　the　divided　tracts　of　boo　converge　and　obliterate　the　trail；　a　clearing　abruptly　opened　ahead。　A　bowl…shaped　depression；　nearly　a　thousand　meters　across；　with　an　algae…crusted　lake　in　its　center　and　a　narrow　outlet　at　the　far　end。　A　fringe　of　great…boo　lined　the　crater's　outer　rim；　and　spindly　tufts　of　the　tenacious　plant　sprouted　from　crevices　between　jagged　boulders　that　lay　tumbled　across　the　silent　mountain　vale。　The　lake's　watery　shore　was　outlined　by　a　dense　hedge；　appearing　at　a　distance　like　rank　moss；　from　which　radiated　countless　twisted　tendrils；　many　of　them　broken　stumps。　Even　where　Dwer　stood；　ropy　fibers　could　be　seen　half…buried　in　the　dust；　some　as　thick　as　his　leg。
　　The　peaceful　quiet　was　belied　by　an　eerie　sense　of　lifelessness。　The　dust　lay　undisturbed　by　footprints；　only　the　scrape　of　wind　and　rain。　From　prior　visits；　Dwer　knew　why　prudent　creatures　avoided　this　place。　Still；　after　the　strangling　confinement　of　that　tunnel…trail；　it　felt　good　to　see　sky　again。　Dwer　had　never　much　shared　the　prevailing　dread　of　crossing　open　ground；　even　if　it　meant　walking　for　a　short　time　under　the　glaring　sun。
　　As　they　picked　their　way　past　the　first　boulders；　the　glaver　began　to　mew　nervously；　creeping　alongside　Rety　to　keep　in　her　shadow。　The　girl's　eyes　roved　avidly。　She　seemed　not　to　notice　drifting　off　the　trail；　at　an　angle　that　would　skirt　the　fringe　of　the　lake。
　　Dwer　took　several　long　strides　to　catch　up。　〃Not　that　way；〃　he　said；　shaking　his　head。
　　〃Why　not？　We're　headin'　over　there；　right？〃　She　pointed　to　the　only　other　gap　in　the　outer　wall　of　boo；　where　a　narrow；　scummy　stream　leaked　through　the　valley's　outlet。　〃Quickest　way　is　past　the　lake。　Looks　easier；　too；　except　right　by　the　shore。〃
　　Dwer　gestured　toward　a　relic　webbery　of　dun　strands；　draping　the　nearby　jagged　boulders。　〃Those　are…〃　he　began。
　　〃I　know　what　they　are。〃　She　made　a　face。　〃Buyur　didn't　only　live　on　the　Slope；　y'know；　even　if　you　westies　do　think　it's　simply　the　best　place　to　be。　We　got　mule…spiders　over　the　hill；　too；　eatin'　up　old　Buyur　ruins。
　　〃Anyway；　what're　you　so　scared　of？　You　don't　think　this　one's　still　alive；　do　you？〃　She　kicked　one　of　the　desiccated　vines；　which　crumbled　to　dust。
　　Dwer　controlled　himself。　It's　that　chip　on　her　shoulder　talking。　Her　people　must　have　been　awful