uplift4.brightnessreef-第50部分

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　　Beware　resumed　obsession　with　the　self。
　　To　those　who　have　tasted　vacuum　and　stardust；
　　that　way　lies　damnation。
　　…The　Scroll　of　Redemption
　　　
　　Alvin's　Tale
　　THE　OTHERS　ARE　ASLEEP　NOW。　IT'S　LATE；　BUT　I　want　to　get　all　this　down；　'cause　things　are　about　to　get　busy　and　I　don't　know　when　I'll　have　another　chance。
　　Tomorrow　we　head　back　down　the　mountain；　loaded　with　all　kinds　of　gear　lent　to　us　by　Uriel　the　Smith…so　much　good　stuff　that　we're　feeling　pretty　dumb　right　now　about　our　former　plans。
　　To　think　we　were　willing　to　trust　our　lives　to　some　of　the　junk　we　designed！
　　Uriel　already　sent　messages　to　our　parents；　calligraphed　on　heavy　cloth　paper　and　sealed　with　her　signet　as　a　sage　of　the　mons。　So　there's　not　much　Huck's　folks　or　mine　can　do　to　stop　us。
　　Not　that　I　looked　forward　to　facing　them；　anyway。　What　would　I　say？　〃Hey；　Pop。　It'll　be　just　like　Twenty　Thousand　Leagues　Under　the　Sea！　Remember　how　often　you　read　it　to　me；　when　I　was　little？〃
　　I　recall　now　how　that　tale　ended　for　Captain　Nemo's　submarine　crew；　and　I　can　see　why　Yowg…wayuo　regrets　what　a　humicker　I've　bee。　If　my　father　confronts　me　over　this；　I'll　discuss　it　in　a　language　other　than　Anglic；　to　show　that　I　really　have　thought　it　out　several　ways。　This　trip　is　more　than　a　passing　kid…obsession　but　something　meaningful　for　our　village　and　our　race。　Me　and　the　others　are　going　to　make　history。　It's　important　for　a　hoon　to　be　involved；　from　notion　to　motion　to　recollection。
　　Once　she　decided；　Uriel　really　got　things　rolling。　Pincer…Tip　headed　out　the　very　same　evening　after　Ziz　was　vlenned；　taking　the　newly　budded　traeki　to　his　home　hive　for　water…adapting　in　the　tidepools　south　of　Wuphon。　Pincer　will　also　use　the　smith's　authority　to　hire　some　red…shelled　cousins　to　haul　the　bathy's　wooden　hull　to　a　meeting　point　down　near　the　Rift。　The　rest　of　us　will　e　overland　with　supply　wagons。
　　Test　dives　start　in　just　five　days！
　　The　choice　of　a　site　was　vital。　There's　just　one　place　where　the　Midden's　deep　watery　trench　plunges　like　a　scythe　blade　toward　the　coast。　Where　it　sends　a　deep　rupture　of　jagged　canyons　passing　right　next　to　Terminus　Rock。　By　deploying　a　boom　from　an　overhanging　ledge；　we　won't　even　need　to　hire　a　ship。
　　It's　a　relief　to　have　a　decision　made　at　last。　Even　Huck　admits　the　die　is　cast；　accepting　destiny　with　a　shrugged　rubbing　of　two　eyestalks。
　　〃At　least　we'll　be　right　there　at　the　border；　where　I　want　to　be　anyway。　When　we　finish；　Uriel　will　owe　us。　She'll　have　to　write　us　a　warrant　to　go　over　the　line　and　visit　some　Buyur　ruins。〃
　　There's　an　Anglic　word…tenacity…that　es　out　as　stubbornness　when　I　translate　into　GalSix。　Which　is　one　more　reason　why　human　speech　best　describes　my　pal　Huck。
　　All　of　us；　even　Ur…ronn；　are　more　than　a　little　surprised　by　how　Uriel　is　throwing　resources　at　our　〃little　adventure〃　all　of　a　sudden。　We　talked　about　the　smith's　outbreak　of　helpfulness　during　our　last　evening　on　Mount　Guenn；　after　a　long　day　spent　packing　crates　and　going　over　inventory　lists；　waiting　for　the　factory　plex　to　settle　down　for　the　night。
　　〃It　nust　have　to　do　with　the　starships；〃　Ur…ronn　said；　lifting　her　muzzle　from　the　straw　of　her　sleeping　pallet。
　　Huck　turned　two　stalks　toward　Ur…ronn…leaving　just　one　buried　in　her　well…thumbed　copy　of　Lord　Valentine's　Castle。　She　groaned。　〃Not　that　again！　What　in　the　world　could　our　dumbass　little　diving　trip　have　to　do　with　Galactic　cruisers　ing　to　Jijo？　Don't　you　think　Uriel　would　have　more　important　things　on　her　mind？〃
　　〃Vut　Gyfz　said；　a　week　ago…〃
　　〃Why　not　just　admit　you　overheard　Gybz　wrong？　We　asked　er　again　today；　and　that　traeki　doesn't　recall　seeing　any　spaceships。〃
　　〃Not　that　traeki；〃　I　corrected。　〃We　never　had　a　chance　to　ask　Gybz　anything；　before　the　vlenning。　It's　Tyug　who　said　er　doesn't　remember。〃
　　〃Tyug；　Gybz。　The　difference　can't　be　that　great。　Not　even　a　vlenned　traeki　would　forget　something　like　that！〃
　　I　wasn't　so　sure　about　that。　Traeki　memory　wax　can　be　tricky　stuff；　I　hear。
　　Then　again；　I'm　hardly　ever　as　sure　of　anything　as　Huck　is　of　everything。
　　Of　course；　there　was　one　other　person　we　could　ask；　but　in　the　course　of　stowing　gear　and　going　over　plans；　I　guess　the　fiery　old　smith　dazzled　us　out　of　bringing　the　subject　up。　Intimidated　may　be　a　better　word；　though　I'm　not　sure；　since　I'm　writing　this　by　candlelight　without　my　handy　dictionary。　All　during　the　last　few　days；　Uriel　galloped　from　her　normal　duties；　to　talks　with　her　human　guest；　to　tending　her　precious　hall　of　disks；　to　flooding　us　with　more　details　we　never　thought　of　during　al1　our　long　months　planning　an　undersea　adventure…a　voyage　none　of　us　ever　really　expected　to　e　true。　In　all　the　rushing　about；　there　never　seemed　time　to　raise　other　questions。　Or　else　Uriel　made　it　plain　that　some　things　weren't　any　of　our　business。
　　At　one　point　I　did　try　to　ask　about　all　the　changes　she　had　made　in　our　plan。
　　〃We　always　figured　on　starting　by　exploring　the　shallows　near　home。　Then　redesign　and　refit　before　trying　deeper　water　from　a　boat。　Maybe　going　down　ten　or　twenty　cords。　Now　you're　talking　about　doing　thirty；　right　from　the　start！〃
　　〃Thirty　cords　is　not　so　very　nuch；〃　Uriel　dismissed　with　a　snort。　〃Oh；　I　agree　that　your　old　air　circulators　wouldn't　have　veen　uf　to　it。　That's　why　I　reflaced　the　systen　with　a　suferior　one　we　had　on　hand。　Also；　your　gaskets　would　have　leaked。　As　for　the　hull　itself；　your　design　will　do。〃
　　I　couldn't　help　wondering…where　did　all　the　equipment　e　from？　We　hadn't　figured　on　needing　a　gas　pressure　regulator；　for　instance。　Good　thing　Uriel　pointed　out　the　mistake　and　happened　to　have　a　beautiful　handmade　one　in　stock。　But　why　did　she　already　have　one？　Why　would　even　the　Smith　of　Guenn　Volcano　need　such　a　thing？
　　Huck　admitted；　it　wasn't　hurting　our　chances　to　have　Uriel's　petence　behind　us。　Yet　I　worried。　An　air　of　mystery　shrouded　the　enterprise。
　　〃All　will　ve　nade　clear　when　you　get　to　the　Rock；　and　everything　is　ready　to　go。　I'll　check　the　gear　out　nyself；　then　I'll　exflain　what　you　can　do　for　ne。〃
　　Barring　day　trips　to　Wuphon；　Uriel　hardly　ever　left　her　forge。　Now　she　wanted　to　take　two　weeks　off；　adventuring　with　us？　Never　in　my　life　has　a　single　piece　of　news　struck　me　the　way　that　one　did…at　once　both　reassuring　and　terrifying。　Perhaps　my　nick…namesake　felt　the　same　way　when；　exploring　the　deep　catabs　under　Bias…par；　he　found　something　unimaginable；　a　mystery　tunnel　leading　all　the　way　to　faraway　Lys。
　　So　there　we　were；　Huck；　Ur…ronn；　and　me；　all　packed　up　and　ready　to　set　off　in　the　morn；　on　an　exploit　that　would　either　make　us　famous　or　kill　us。　Before　that；　though；　there　was　one　bit　of　business　we　had　to　take　care　of。　We　waited　till　night　settled　fully　over　Mount　Guenn；　when　sunshine　no　longer　filled　the　hundred　clever　sky…lights；　leaving　nothing　to　pete　with　the　lava　pools　and　glowing　forges。　The　ore　buckets　and　casting　furnaces　went　silent　and　laborers　downed　tools。　Soon　after　evening　meal；　seven　gongs　clanged；　summoning　urrish　workers　to　perform　their　ritual　grooming　before　settling　down　to　sleep。
　　Ur…ronn　didn't　like　moving　about　at　that　hour…what　urs　does？…but　she　knew　there　was　no　other　choice。　So　we　set　forth　single　file　from　the　warehouse　chamber　where　Urdonnol　had　us　barracked；　picking　our　way　without　lanterns。　Huck　led；　with　two　eyestalks　stretched　ahead　as　she　spun　quickly　along　a　swooping　stone　ramp。　The　eyes　facing　backward　seemed　to　glare　at　us　each　time　she　passed　under　a　sky…duct；　catching　glimmers　of　moonlight。
　　〃e　on；　you　guys！　You're　so　jeekee　slow！〃
　　Ur…ronn　muttered；　〃Who　had　to　carry　her　across　rock…fields　for　three　days；　when　we　went　exfloring　the　Yootir　Caves？　I　still　have　sfoke　scars　in　ny　flanks。〃
　　An　exaggeration。　I　know　how　tough　urrish　hide　is。　Still；　Huck　does　have　a　way　of　recalling　only　whatever　seems　convenient　at　the　time。
　　She　had　to　stop　and　wait；　huffing　impatiently；　at　intersections　to　let　Ur…ronn　show　the　way。　Soon　that　meant　exiting　the　warren　of　underground　passages　and　following　a　trail　of　pounded　pumice　across　a　rocky　plain　that　looked　even　more　eerily　alien；　more　starkly　un…Jijoan；　by　nig