uplift4.brightnessreef-第36节

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　　〃It　is　i/we。。。　who　shall　part…wise　acpany。。。　this　august　group；〃　Gybz　explained；　wheezing　through　the　topmost　ring。　With　that；　the　traeki　showed　us　something　none　of　us　expected；　shuffling　around　to　expose　an　oozing　blister　on　its　far　side；　halfway　up　the　fleshy　stack。　It　was　no　normal　swelling；　where　the　traeki　might　be　making　another　tentacle　or　readying　chemicals　for　the　mill。　A　crack　split　the　swollen　zone；　exposing　something　slick　and　wriggly　within。
　　Staring；　I　realized…the　traeki　was　vlen…budding　before　our　eyes！
　　While　the　crevice　widened；　the　Master　of　Mixes　seemed　to　flutter。　A　plex　gurgle　of　vaguely　sickening　noises　acpanied　something　that　began　to　emerge；　slithering　through　the　opening；　then　sliding　down　the　traeki's　sloping　flank；　trailing　loose　fibers　behind　it。
　　〃Gosh…osh…osh…osh…osh。。。〃　Pincer　repeated　in　turn　from　each　leg…vent；　his　sensor　strip　spinning　frantically。　Urdonnol　edged　away　nervously　while　Huck　rolled　back　and　forth；　torn　between　curiosity　and　revulsion。　I　felt　sharp；　biting　sensations　as　little　Huphu；　our　noor　beast　mascot；　scrambled　up　my　back　and　onto　my　shoulder；　growling　anxiously。　Half…consciously　I　stroked　her　sleek　pelt；　rumbling　an　umble　that　must　have　sounded　more　confident　than　I　felt。
　　Glistening　with　slime；　the　thing　landed　on　the　floor　with　a　plopping　sound　and　lay　almost　still；　ripples　coursing　around　its　quadruple　torus　of　miniature　rings。　Meanwhile；　realignments　quivered　under　the　flaccid　skin　of　the　traeki　parent。
　　〃Not　to。。。　be　concerned；〃　a　somewhat　altered　voice　burbled　from　the　oration　peak　of　the　old　stack　of　rings；　〃i/we　adjust。。。　reconfigure。〃
　　Reassuring　words；　but　everyone　knows　vlenning　is　a　dangerous　time　for　a　traeki；　when　the　unity　of　the　former　stack　is　challenged　and　sometimes　fails。　For　that　reason；　most　of　them　reproduce　externally；　growing　new　rings　singly；　in　pens；　or　buying　them　from　expert　breeders；　exchanging　and　swapping　for　the　full　set　of　traits　they　want　in　an　offspring。　Still；　vlenning　has　advantages；　I　hear。　Mister　Heinz　claims　to　have　witnessed　several；　but　I　bet　he　never　saw　a　four…tier　bud　emerge　like　this；　already　stacked　and　moving　on　its　own！
　　〃This　newly　detached　self　may　be　addressed…for　the　time　being…as　Ziz。　To　that　word…phrase　it　might　answer；　if　engraved　training　patterns　take　hold。　After　performing　its　function　with　merit；　it　may　then　return　for　augmentation　as　a　candidate　for　full　life。　Meanwhile；　it　is　schooled。。。　to　serve　your　quest；　ing　with　traits　you　may　require。〃
　　〃I　don't　know。〃　Ur…ronn's　head　swayed　an　oval　of　confusion。　〃Do　you　mean…〃
　　Huck　muttered；　〃Gybz；　what　are　we　supposed　to…〃
　　The　traeki　cut　in。
　　〃i/we　no　longer　answer　to　that　name。　Our　rings　vote　among　ourselves　now。　Please　do　not　speak　or　interfere。〃
　　We　fell　silent；　watching　in　awe　as　the　creature　literally　wrestled　with　itself；　within　itself。　A　rippling　seemed　to　rise　from　the　base　segment　all　the　way　up；　terminating　in　a　belch　of　yellow　vapor。　Waves　flowed　back　and　forth；　crosswise　as　well　as　vertical。　This　went　on　for　many　duras；　while　we　feared　Gybz　was　about　to　tear　erself　apart。
　　Finally；　the　tremors　lessened；　then　faded　away。　The　traeki　sensory　organs　refocused。　Words　bubbled　from　the　puckered　speech　mouth；　in　a　voice　transformed。
　　〃It　is　decided。
　　〃Provisionally；　you　may　call　us/me　Tyug　and　have　good　odds　that　this　stack　will　answer。。。〃
　　Another　pulse　of　throbbing。
　　〃That　i　will　answer。　Please　inform　Uriel　that　this　thing　is　done。　Furthermore；　tell　her　that　my/our　major　skill　cores　seem　to　be　intact。〃
　　Only　then　did　I　realize　what　had　been　at　risk　during　the　vlenning。　The　Master　of　Mixes　is　a　vital　member　of　Uriel's　team。　If　Gybz…if　Tyug…failed　to　remember　all　of　its　tricks　of　the　trade；　Mount　Guenn　alloys　might　not　shine　or　cut　as　well；　or　decay　so　pletely　with　the　passage　of　time。
　　Foolish　me。　I'd　been　worried　the　whole　time　about　the　poor　traeki's　life。
　　Huphu　slithered　down　my　back　and　approached　the　new…formed　traeki　half…entity；　which　was　already　gathering　an　array　of　flipperlike　feet　under　its　bottommost　segment；　waving　clumsy　tentacles　from　its　stubby　top　ring。　The　noor　sniffed　suspiciously；　then　settled　back　with　a　satisfied　trill。
　　Thus　Huphu　was　first　to　wele　Ziz…newest　member　of　our　band。
　　Now　if　only　we　had　a　human　kid；　we'd　be　a　true　six。
　　Omens　can　be　good　things；　as　any　sailor　knows。　Luck　is　uttergloss。　Fickle；　but　a　damn　sight　better　than　the　alternative。
　　I　had　a　feeling　we　were　going　to　need　all　of　Ifni's　help　we　could　get。
　　
　　X。　THE　BOOK　OF　THE　SLOPE
　　Legends
　　Among　qheuens　it　is　said　that　fleeing　to　Jijo　was　not　as　much　a　matter　of　survival　as　of　culture。
　　There　is　dispute　among　the　legends　that　have　been　passed　down　by　the　armored　ones；　since　their　landing　on　Jijo　over　a　thousand　years　ago。　Grays；　blues；　and　reds　each　tell　their　own　versions　of　events　before　and　after　their　sneakship　came。
　　Where　they　agree　is　that　it　all　began　in　Galaxy　One　where　the　sept　found　itselt　in　trouble　with　its　own　alliance。
　　According　to　our　surviving　copy　of　Basic　Galactic　Socio…Politics；　by　Smelt；　most　starfaring　races　are　members　of　clans…a　relationship　based　on　the　great　chain　of　uplift。　For　example；　Earthclan　is　among　the　smallest　and　simplest；　consisting　of　humans　and　their　two　clients…neo…chimps　and　neo…dolphins。　If　the　patrons　who　supposedly　raised　up　Homo　sapiens　are　ever　found；　it　could　link　Earthlings　to　a　vast　family　stretching　back　ages；　possibly　even　as　far　back　as　the　Progenitors；　who　began　the　uplift　cycle　a　billion　years　ago。
　　With　membership　in　such　a　clan；　Earthlings　might　bee　much　stronger。
　　They　might　also　bee　liable　for　countless　ancient　debts　and　obligations。　Another；　quite　separate　network　of　allegiance　seems　to　be　based　on　philosophy。　Any　of　the　bitter　feuds　and　ornate　wars…of…honor　dividing　Galactic　culture　arose　out　of　disputes　no　member　of　the　Six　can　now　recall　or　prehend。　Great　alliances　fought　over　arcane　differences　in　theology；　such　as　the　nature　of　the　long…vanished　Progenitors。
　　It　is　said　that　when　qheuens　dwelled　among　the　stars；　they　were　members　of　the　Awaiters　Alliance…a　fealty　they　inherited　from　their　Zhosh　patrons；　who　found　and　adopted　primitive　qheuens　from　sea…cliff　hives；　dominated　by　fierce　gray　queens。
　　Things　might　have　been　simpler　had　the　Zhosh　only　uplifted　the　grays；　but　they　gave　the　same　expansion　of　wit　and　mind　to　the　servant　castes　as　well。　Nor　was　this　the　end；　for　according　to　lore；　the　Awaiter　philosophy　is　egalitarian　and　pragmatic。　The　alliance　saw　useful　talents　in　the　reds　and　blues。　Rulings　were　made；　insisting　that　the　bonds　of　obeisance　to　the　grays　be　loosened。
　　Certain　qheuens　fled　this　meddling；　seeking　a　place　to　preserve　their　natural　way　in　peace。
　　That；　in　brief；　is　why　they　came　here。
　　On　Jijo；　the　three　types　disagree　to　this　day　over　who　first　betrayed　whom。　Grays　claim　their　colony　began　in　harmony；　discipline；　and　love。　All　went　well　until　urs　and　then　humans　stirred　up　blue　discontent。　Other　historians；　such　as　River…Knife　and　Cuts…Coral；　forcefully　dissent　from　this　view。
　　Whatever　the　cause；　all　agree　that　Jijo's　qheuenish　culture　is　now　even　more　untraditional　than　the　one　their　ancestors　fled。
　　Such　are　the　ironies　when　children　ignore　their　parents'　wishes　and　start　thinking　for　themselves。
　　…Collected　Fables　of　Jijo's　Seven。
　　Third　Edition。　Department　of　Folklore　and
　　Language；　Biblos。　Year　1867　of　Exile。
　　
　　Asx
　　SUDDENLY；　THEIR　QUESTIONS　TAKE　A　NEW　TURN。　An　edge　of　tension…not　quite　fear；　but　a　cousin　to　that　universal　passion…abruptly　colors　the　invaders'　speech。
　　Then；　in　a　single　night；　their　apprehension　takes　hasty　physical　form。
　　They　have　buried　their　black　station！
　　Do　you　recall　the　surprise；　my　rings？　At　dusk　there　it　was；　serene；　arrogantly　uncaring　of　the　open　sky。　A　cubic　shape；　blatant　in　its　artificiality。
　　When　we　returned　at　dawn；　a　great　heap　of　dirt　lay　there　instead。　From　the　size　of　the　mound；　Lester　surmised　the　station　must　have　scooped　a　hole；　dropped　itself　inside；　and　piled　the　detritus　on　top；　like　a　borer…beetle　fleeing　a　digbat。
　　Lester's　guess　is　proven　right　when　Rann；　Kunn；　and　Besh　emerge　from　below；　ascending　a　smooth；　dark　tunnel　to　resume　discussions　under　the　canopy…of…negotiation。　This　time　they　choose　to　focus　on　machines。　Specifically…what　devices　remain　from　Buyur　days？　They　want　to　know　if　ancient　relics　still　throb　with　vital　force。
　　This　happens　on　some　fallow　worlds；　they　say。　Sloppy　races　leave　countless　servant　drones　behind　when　they　depart；　laying　their　worlds　down　for　an　aeon　of　rest。　Near…perfect　and　self…repairing；　the　abandoned　mechanisms　can　last　a　long　time；　wandering　masterless　across　a　terrain　void　of　living　voices。
　　They　ask…have　we　seen　any　mechanical　orphans？
　　We　try　to　explain　that　the　Buyur　were　meticulous。　That　their　cities　were　dutifully　scraped　away；　or　crushed　and　seeded　with　deconstructors。　Their　machine　servants　were　infected　with　meme…pulsions；　driving　those　still　mobile　to　seek　nests　in　the　deep　trench　we　call　the　Midden。　All　this　we　believe；　yet　the　sky…humans　seem　to　doubt　our　word。
　　They　ask　（ag