uplift4.brightnessreef-第13节

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iends…ends…〃
　　〃To　go　anywhere　you　wouldn't　go？〃　Huck　retorted。　〃Big　of　you；　since　you're　talking　about　dragging　us　around　underwater；　where　you're　built　to　be　perfectly　fortable。〃
　　〃Only　at　first…irst！〃　Pincer　retorted。　〃After　some　test　dives；　we'll　go　deeper。　And　I'll　be　in　there　with　you；　taking　all　the　same　chances…ances！〃
　　〃e　on；　Huck；〃　I　put　in。　〃Give　the　poor　guy's　shell　a　buff。〃
　　〃Anyway…ay；〃　Pincer　retaliated；　〃what　about　your　plan？　At　least　the　bathy　would　be　lawful　and　upright。　You　want　to　break　the　rules　and　do　sooner　stuff…uff！〃
　　Now　it　was　Huck's　turn　to　go　defensive。　〃What　sooner　stuff？　None　of　us　can　breed　with　each　other；　so　there's　no　chance　of　mitting　that　crime　while　we're　over　the　border。　Anyhow；　hunters　and　inspectors　go　beyond　the　markers。〃
　　〃Sure。　With　permission　from　the　sages…ages！〃
　　Huck　shrugged　two　stalks；　as　if　to　say　she　couldn't　be　bothered　with　petty　legalistic　details。　〃I　still　prefer　a　misdemeanor　over　flat…out　suicide。〃
　　〃You　mean　you　prefer　a　silly　little　trip　to　some　broken…down　Buyur　ruin；　just　to　read　boring　ol'　wall　markings…ings；　over　a　chance　to　see　the　Midden…idden？　And　real　live　monsters？〃
　　Huck　groaned　and　spun　a　disgusted　circle。　Earlier；　Pincer　had　told　us　about　a　thing　he　glimpsed　that　morning；　in　the　shallows　south　of　town。　Something　with　silvery…bright　scales　swooped　by；　he　swore；　flapping　what　looked　in　the　murky　distance　like　underwater　wings。　After　hearing　similar　stories　almost　since　Pincer's　molting　day；　we　didn't　give　this　one　a　lot　of　credit。
　　That　was　when　both　of　them　turned　to　me　to　decide！
　　〃Remember；　Alvin；〃　Huck　crooned。　〃You　just　promised…〃
　　〃You　promised　me；　months　ago！〃　Pincer　cried；　so　avid　that　he　didn't　stutter。
　　Right　then　I　felt　like　a　traeki　standing　between　two　piles　of　really　ripe　mulch。　I　liked　the　notion　of　getting　to　see　the　deep　Midden；　where　everything　slick　and　Galactic　had　gone　since　the　Buyur　went　away。　An　undersea　adventure　like　in　books　by　Haller　or　Verne。
　　On　the　other　hand；　Huck　was　right　about　Pincer's　plan　being　Ifni…spit。　The　risk　might　seem　worth　it　to　a　low…kay　qheuen；　who　didn't　even　know　for　sure　who　his　mother　was；　but　I　know　my　folks　would　sicken　awful　if　I　went　off　and　died　without　leaving　even　my　heart…spine　behind　for　soul…grinding　and　vuphyning。
　　Anyway；　Huck　offered　a　prospect　almost　as　gloss…to　find　writings　even　more　ancient　than　the　books　humans　brought　to　Jijo。　Real　Buyur　stories；　maybe。　The　idea　set　off　tingles　in　my　sucker　pads。
　　As　it　turns　out；　I　was　spared　having　to　decide。　That's　because　my　noor；　Huphu；　arrived　right　then；　darting　under　Pincer's　legs　and　Huck's　wheels；　yapping　something　about　an　urgent　message　from　Ur…ronn。
　　Ur…ronn　wanted　to　see　us。
　　More　than　that…she　had　a　big　surprise　to　share。
　　Oh；　yes。　Huphu　needs　introducing。
　　First　off；　she's　not　really　my　noor。　She　hangs　around　me　a　lot；　and　my　rumble…umbles　seem　to　work；　getting　her　to　do　what　I　want　a　good　part　of　the　time。　Still；　it's　kind　of　hard　to　describe　the　relationship　between　hoon　and　noor。　The　very　word…relationship…implies　a　lot　of　stuff　that's　just　not　there。　Maybe　this　is　one　of　those　cases　where　Anglic's　flexibility；　usually　the　most　utterbuff　thing　about　it；　simply　falls　apart　into　vagueness。
　　Anyway；　Huphu's　no　talker…decider。　Not　a　sapient　being；　like　us　members　of　the　Six。　But　since　she　es　along　on　most　of　our　adventures；　I　guess　she's　as　much　a　part　of　the　gang　as　anyone。　Lots　of　folks　say　noors　are　crazy。　For　sure；　they　don't　seem　to　care　if　they　live　or　die；　so　long　as　they're　seeing　something　new。　More　have　probably　perished　of　curiosity　than　from　liggers　on　land　or　sea…starks　offshore。　So　I　knew　how　Huphu　would　vote　in　our　argument；　if　she　could　talk。
　　Fortunately；　even　Pincer　knows　better　than　to　suggest　ever　letting　her　decide　anything。
　　So　there　we　were；　arguing　away；　when　this　little　noor　bounds　up　the　jetty；　yipping　like　mad。　Right　off　we　can　tell　it's　a　semaphore　message　she's　relaying；　on　account　of　it　makes　sense。　Noors　can't　speak　Galactic　Two　or　any　other　language　anyone's　ever　grokked；　but　they　can　memorize　and　repeat　any　short　mirror…flash　signal　they　happen　to　pick　up　with　their　sharp　eyes。　They　can　even　tell　from　the　opener…tag　who　a　message　is　for。　It's　a　gloss　talent　that'd　be　awfully　useful…if　only　they　did　it　reliably；　instead　of　just　when　they　felt　like　it。
　　Huphu　sure　must've　felt　like　it；　'cause　next　thing　you　know　she's　yelping　the　upper　denotation　train　of　a　GalTwo　memorandum。　（I　figure　an　old　Morse　code　telegraph　operator　like　Mark　Twain　could've　managed　GalTwo；　if　he　tried。）
　　As　I　said　before；　the　message　was　from　our　urrish　pal；　Ur…ronn；　and　it　said…WINDOW　FINISHED。　E　QUICK。　OTHER　VERY　WEIRD　STUFF　HAPPENING！
　　I　put　an　exclamation　point　at　the　end　'cause　that's　how　Huphu　finished　reciting　the　bulletin　she'd　seen　flash　down　from　Mount　Guenn；　terminating　her　report　with　a　bark　of　ecstatic　excitement。　I'm　sure　the　phrase　〃weird　stuff〃　was　what　had　her　bounding　in　circles；　biting　at　her　shadow。
　　〃I'll　get　my　water　bag；〃　Pincer…Tip　said　after　a　short　pause。
　　〃I'll　fetch　my　goggles；〃　Huck　added。
　　〃I'll　grab　my　cloak　and　meet　you　at　the　tram；〃　I　finished。　There　was　no　need　for　discussion。　Not　after　an　invitation　like　that。
　　
　　IV。　THE　BOOK　OF　THE　SLOPE
　　Legends
　　There　is　a　fable　told　by　the　g'Kek；　one　of　the　oldest　handed　down　since　their　sneakship　came　to　Jijo；　passed　on　orally　for　almost　two　thousand　years；　until　it　was　finally　recorded　on　paper。
　　The　saga　tells　of　a　youth　whose　〃thread　skating〃　prowess　was　renowned　in　one　of　the　orbital　cities　where　g'Keks　dwelled；　arter　losing　their　homeworld　on　a　wager。
　　In　this　particular　city；　unhampered　by　the　drag　of　solid　ground；　young　wheel…lords　of　a　space…born　generation　fashioned　a　new　game…skimming　with　flashing　rims　along　the　thinnest　or　colored　strands…cables　that　they　strung　at　angles　throughout　the　vast　inner　cavity　of　their　artificial　world。　One　skater；　the　tale　says；　used　to　take　on　dare　after　dare；　relishing　risk；　hopping　among　gossamer　strands　and　sometimes　even　flying　free；　wheels　spinning　madly　before　catching　the　next　cord；　swooping　in　ecstatic　abandon。
　　Then；　one　day；　a　defeated　opponent　taunted　the　young　champion。
　　I'll　bet　you　can't　skim　close　enough　to　wrap　a　thread　round　the　sun！
　　Today's　Jijoan　scholars　find　this　part　of　the　tale　confusing。　How　could　a　sun　be　within　reach；　inside　a　hollow；　spinning　rock？　With　much　of　our　Space　Technologies　section　destroyed；　the　Biblos　Scholarium　is　ill…equipped　to　interpret　such　clues。　Our　best　guess　is　that　the　story　became　garbled　over　time；　along　with　most　other　memories　of　a　godlike　past。
　　The　technical　details　do　not　matter　as　much　as　the　moral　of　the　tale…the　imprudence　of　messing　with　forces　beyond　your　prehension。　A　fool　doing　so　can　get　burned；　like　the　skater　in　the　tale；　whose　dramatic　end　ignited　a　storm　of　slender；　blazing　trails；　crisscrossing　the　doomed　city's　suddenly　fiery　inner　sky。
　　…Collected　Fables　of　Jijo's　Seven；
　　Third　Edition。　Department　of　Folklore
　　and　Language；　Biblos；　Year　1867　of　Exile。
　　　
　　Dwer
　　SINCE　FINISHING　HIS　APPRENTICESHIP；　DWER　HAD　visited　nearly　every　village　and　farm　in　Jijo's　settled　zone；　including　the　islands　and　one　or　two　secret　places　he　was　sworn　never　to　speak　of。　He　had　met　a　great　many　settlers　from　every　race；　including　most　of　the　Slope's　human　population。
　　He　grew　more　certain　with　each　passing　dura　that　the　new　prisoner　wasn't　one　of　them。
　　Surprise　flustered　Dwer。　Irrational　guilt　made　him　doubly　angry。
　　〃Of　all　the　stupid　things　to　do；〃　he　told　the　girl　rubbing　her　head　by　the　cold　campfire；　〃stealing　my　bow　ranks　pretty　high。　But　pulling　a　knife　tops　all！　How　was　I　to　know　you　were　just　a　kid；　up　there　in　the　dark？　I　might've　broke　your　neck　in　self…defense！〃
　　It　was　the　first　time　either　of　them　had　spoken　since　her　skull　smacked　the　ground；　leaving　her　body　limp　to　be　slung　over　a　shoulder　and　lugged　back　to　camp。　Never　quite　losing　consciousness；　the　strange　youth　had　recovered　most　of　her　wits　by　the　time　he　sat　her　down　near　the　coals。　Now　she　kneaded　her　bruised　head；　watched　by　the　glaver　and　the　noor。
　　〃I。。。　thought　you　was。。。　a　ligger；〃　she　stammered　at　last。
　　〃You　stole　my　bow；　ran　away；　then　thought　you　were　being　chased　by　a　ligger？〃
　　This　much　could　be　said　in　her　favor…she　was　a　lousy　liar。　By　dawn's　light；　her　small　frame　sat　bundled　in　garments　of　poorly　tanned　leather；　stitched　with　sinew。　Her　hair；　tied　in　a　chopped…off　ponytail；　was　a　wavy　reddish　brown。　Of　her　face…what　could　be　made　out　under　smudges…the　stand…out　features　were　a　nose　that　had　once　been　broken　and　a　nasty　burn　scar　along　her　left　cheek；　marring　a　face　that　might　otherwise　have　been　pretty；　after　a　good　scrubbing。
　　〃What's　your　name？〃
　　She　lowered　her　chin　and　muttered　something。
　　〃What　was　that？　I　couldn't　hear。〃
　　〃I　said；　it's　Rety！〃　She　met　his　eyes　for　the　first　time；　her　voice　now　edged　with　defiance。　〃What're　you　gonna　do　with　me？〃
　　A　reasonable　question；　under　the　circumstances。　Rubbing　his　chin；　Dwer　couldn't　see　where　he　had　much　choice。　〃Guess　I'll　take　y