uplift4.brightnessreef-第81节

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ty　dankness。　But　judging　from　Mudfoot's　arched　spines；　the　noor　felt　it　too。
　　Someone's　here；　he　thought；　moving　swiftly　inland　to　get　under　the　first　rank　of　trees。　Or　was　here；　recently。　Away　from　the　shore；　the　place　stank　with　a　terrible　muddle　of　scents；　which　was　natural　next　to　the　only　river　crossing　for　many　leagues。　Animals　would　e　to　drink；　then　leave　territorial　markings。　But　Dwer　sensed　something　else；　inserting　a　wary　hint　of　threat。
　　Painfully　aware　that　open　water　lay　at　his　back；　he　moved　deeper　into　the　forest。
　　I　smell。。。　burnt　wood…someone　had　a　fire；　not　too　long　ago。
　　He　scanned。　Sniffing　and　peering。　It　was　over。。。　there。
　　Amid　the　shadows；　half　a　stone's　throw　away；　he　made　out　the　remnants；　set　in　a　modest　clearing。　A　large　pit　of　black　ashes。
　　Some　of　Rety's　band？　He　worried。　Might　Jass　and　Bom　be　watching　right　now；　picking　their　best　shot　at　an　intruder　from　the　dreaded　west？
　　Clues　lay　in　the　brushing　rustle　of　wind　in　the　branches；　the　furtive　movements　of　insects　and　birds。　But　this　terrain　and　wildlife　were　strange　to　him；　and　the　racket　from　the　waterfall　would　drown　out　a　militia　pany　on　maneuvers。
　　Mudfoot　made　a　low　chuffing　growl　and　sniffed　close　to　the　ground　while　Dwer　scanned　the　plex　dimness　beyond　the　next　rank　of　trees。　〃What　is　it？〃　he　asked；　kneeling　where　Mudfoot　scratched　a　layer　of　freshly　fallen　leaves。
　　A　familiar　odor　struck　him　fully。
　　〃Donkey　shit？〃
　　He　risked　a　quick　glance…and　didn't　need　a　second　look。
　　Donkeys？　But　Rety　said　the　sooners　didn't　have　any！
　　With　dark…adapting　eyes　he　now　picked　out　traces　of　pack　beasts　all　over　the　clearing。　Hoofprints　and　droppings　from　at　least　a　dozen　animals。　A　stake　where　a　remuda　line　was　tethered。　Flattened　spots　where　cargo　carriers　must　have　lain。
　　He　lowered　the　bow。　So　a　second　expedition　had　set　out；　passing　the　first　by　a　better　route；　no　doubt　led　by　Rety　herself。
　　Well；　at　least　we　won't　be　quite　so　outnumbered　by　the　sooners；　even　if　contact　doesn't　happen　in　the　order　Danel　planned。
　　An　element　of　relief　was　more　personal；　if　ungallant。　My　choice　in　a　future　mate　might　go　beyond　Jenin；　Lena；　or　some　surly　cousin　of　Rety's。
　　Something　still　nagged　at　Dwer；　however；　making　him　reluctant　to　put　down　the　bow。　He　was　counting　wallows…the　depressions　made　by　donkeys　as　they　lay…and　realized　there　were　just　too　many。　Or　rather；　there　were　two　different　kinds　of　wallow。　Nearer　the　fire　they　were　smaller；　closer。。。。
　　No。　It　can't　be。
　　Anywhere　else；　scent　would　have　hit　him　long　before　this。　Now　a　sharp；　familiar　pungency　smacked　Dwer　in　his　sinuses。　He　bent　to　pluck　a　clump　of　stringy　fur；　still　coated　from　when　the　owner　rolled；　in　ash　after　an　unpleasantly　wet　river　crossing。
　　Glossy　strands　from　an　urrish　mane。
　　It　had　been　generations　since　the　last　war。　Regardless；　instinctive　fear　surged　in　Dwer's　chest…a　heart…pounding　wave　of　angst。
　　An　urrish　caravan　in　these　parts　could　not　be　up　to　anything　good。
　　Here　in　the　wilderness；　far　from　the　restraint　of　sages　and　the　mons；　with　the　Six　possibly　already　extinct　back　home；　all　the　old　rules　were　clearly　moot。　As　in　days　before　the　Great　Peace；　Dwer　knew　how　dangerous　these　beings　would　be　to　have　as　enemies。
　　Silent　as　a　ghost；　he　crept　away；　then　crossed　the　river　in　a　zigzag　dash；　leaping　behind　a　boulder；　then　swiveling　to　cover　the　opposite　bank　while　Mudfoot　came　splashing　behind；　clearly　as　eager　to　get　out　of　there　as　he　was。
　　Dwer　kept　wary　watch　for　a　whole　midura；　till　long　after　his　pounding　pulse　finally　settled。
　　At　last；　when　it　seemed　safe；　he　slung　his　bow　and　set　off　downstream；　running　when　and　where　he　could；　hurrying　southward　with　news。
　　
　　Asx
　　CAN　YOU　SEE　THE　SMOKE；　OH　MY　RINGS？　Spiraling　from　a　fresh　cavity　in　Jijo's　ruptured　soil？　Two　moons　cast　wan　beams　through　that　sooty　pall；　piercing　a　crater　wherein　twisty　metal　shapes　flicker　and　burn。
　　Distracting　thoughts　rise　from　our　second　torus…of…cognition。
　　What　is　that　you　say；　my　ring？　That　this　is　a　very　large　amount　of　dross？　Dross　that　will　not　degrade　back　to　nature　on　its　own？
　　Indeed　it　is。　Shall　we　hope　that　the　aliens　themselves　will　clean　up　the　mess？　It　would　take　a　hundred　donkey…caravans　to　haul　so　much　hard　waste　down　to　the　sea。
　　Another　ring　suggests　a　stream　be　diverted；　to　form　a　lake。　A　transplanted　mule…spider　might　dissolve　the　sinful　wreckage　over　the　course　of　centuries。
　　By　mass　vote；　we　send　these　thoughts　to　waxy　storage　for　later　reflection。　For　now；　let　us　watch　events　flow　in　real　time。
　　A　roiling　mob　of　onlookers　teems　the　slopes　overlooking　this　savaged　vale；　held　in　check　by　stunned；　overworked　proctors。　Higher　on　tree…shrouded　hills；　we　glimpse　murky　ranks　of　disciplined　silhouettes；　wheeling　and　maneuvering…militia　units　taking　up　positions。　From　here　we　cannot　tell　the　panies'　intent。　Are　they　preparing；　counter　to　all　hope；　to　defend　the　mons　against　overpowering　vengeance？　Or　else　have　inter…sept　grudges　finally　torn　the　Great　Peace；　so　that　we　hasten　doomsday　tearing　each　other　apart　with　our　own　bloody　hands？
　　Perhaps　even　the　manders　of　those　dark　battalions　don't　yet　know　for　sure。
　　Meanwhile；　closer　to　the　heat；　Ur…Jah　and　Lester　Cambel　supervise　teams　of　brave　urs；　men；　hoon；　and　gray　qheuens；　who　descend　into　the　pit　armed　with　ropes　and　tools　of　Buyur　steel。
　　Ro…kenn　protests　at　first；　does　he　not；　my　rings？　In　hasty　GalSeven；　the　Rothen　emissary　decries　those　he　calls　〃wanton　looters。〃　One　of　the　remnant　robots　rises；　unfolding　spiky　organs　of　punishment。
　　Vubben　urges　that　Ro…kenn　look　again。　Can　he　not　recognize　sincere　efforts　at　rescue？　For　two　tense　duras　we　poise　on　a　precipice。　Then；　with　a　grudging　mutter；　the　Rothen　recalls　his　death　machine…for　now。
　　From　Ro…kenn's　charismatic；　human…handsome　face；　our　steady　old　rewq　translates　undertones　of　grief　and　rage。　True；　this　race　is　new　to　us；　and　rewq　can　be　fooled。　Yet　what　else　should　we　expect　from　one　whose　home/campsite　lies　in　ruins？　Whose　rades　languish；　dead　or　dying；　in　the　twisted　tangle　of　their　buried　station？
　　The　male　sky…human；　Rann；　wears　torment　openly　as　he　rides　the　other　robot；　shouting　at　those　working　through　the　rubble；　directing　their　efforts。　A　tense　but　encouraging　sign　of　cooperation。
　　Ling；　the　other　sky…human；　appears　in　shock；　leaning　against　young　Lark　as　he　pokes　his　foot　through　debris　at　the　crater's　rim。　He　bends　to　lift　a　smoldering　plank；　sniffing　suspiciously。　We　perceive　his　head　rock　back；　exclaiming　surprise。
　　Ling　draws　away；　demanding　an　explanation。　Through　our　rewq；　we　perceive　Lark's　reluctance　as　he　shows　her　the　smoky　plank；　a　strip　of　burned　wood　from　a　Jijoan　box　or　crate。
　　Ling　drops　her　hand　from　his　arm。　She　spins　about；　hurrying　toward　Rann's　hovering　robot　steed。
　　Much　closer　to　this　stack　of　rings；　Ro…kenn　has　bee　embroiled　in　argument。　A　delegation　accosts　the　Rothen　emissary；　demanding　answers。
　　Why　did　he　earlier　claim　the　right　and　power　to　mand　the　Holy　Egg；　since　it　is　now　clear　that　the　sacred　stone　violently　rejects　him　and　his　kind？
　　Furthermore；　why　did　he　seek　to　sow　dissension　among　the　Six　with　his　baseless　calumny　about　the　human　sept？　His　groundless　lie；　claiming　that　our　Earthling　brethren　are　not　descendants　of　sinners；　just　like　the　other　Five。
　　〃You　Rothen　may　or　may　not　be　the　high　patrons　of　humanity；〃　the　spokesman　contends。　〃But　that　takes　nothing　from　our　ancestors　who　came　here　on　the　Tabernacle。　Not　from　their　crime；　or　their　hope；　when　they　set　us　on　the　Path　of　Redemption。〃
　　There　is　anger　in　the　voice　of　the　human　intercessor。　But　we/i　also　descry　thick　brushstrokes　of　theater。　An　effort　to　smother　the　fire　of　disharmony　that　Ro…kenn　ignited　with　his　tale。　Indeed；　urrish　voices　rise　in　approval　of　his　anger。
　　Now　our　second　cognition…torus　vents　yet　another　thought…hypothesis。
　　What　is　it；　my　ring？　You　suggest　disharmony　was　Ro…kenn's　intent；　all　along？　A　deliberate　scheme　to　create　strife　among　the　Six？
　　Our　fourth　ring　rebuts…what　purpose　might　such　a　bizarre　plot　serve？　To　have　Five　gang　up　on　One？　To　cause　vendetta　against　the　very　sept　these　Rothen　claim　as　beloved　clients？
　　Store　and　wick　this　weird　postulate；　oh　my　rings。　Argue　it　later。　For　now　the　Rothen　prepares　to　respond。　Drawing　himself　up；　he　surveys　the　crowd　with　an　expression　that　seems　awesome　both　to　humans　and　to　those　who　know　them…to　rewq…wearers　and　those　without。
　　There　is　kindness　in　his　expressive　gaze。　Overstrained　patience　and　love。
　　〃Dear；　misguided　children。　This　explosive　manifestation　was　not　rejection　by　Jijo；　or　the　Egg。　Rather；　some　malfunction　of　the　mighty　forces　contained　in　our　station　must　have　released…〃
　　Abruptly；　he　stops　as　Rann　and　Ling　approach；　each　riding　a　robot。　Each　wearing　looks　of　dark　anger。　They　murmur　into　devices；　and　the　Rothen　stares　back；　listening。　Again；　my　rewq　reveals　dissonance　across　his　features；　coalescing　at　last　in　raging　fury。
　　Ro…kenn　speaks。
　　〃So；　now　the　（dire）　truth　is　known。　Learned。　Verified！
　　〃No　accident；　this　（slaying）　explosion。
　　〃No　（unlikely）　malfunction…nor　any　reje