uplift4.brightnessreef-第85节

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ff　by　some　earlier　generation　of　sooners。
　　〃But　dross　ships　never　e　into　the　Rift；〃　Huck　plained；　pushing　two　stalks　toward　my　face。　〃Ain't　that　right；　Alvin？〃
　　I　twisted　to　peer　past　her　damn　floating　eyes。
　　〃They　don't。　Still；　the　Rift　is　officially　part　of　the　Midden。　Another　section　of　the　same　down…sucking　whatsit。〃
　　〃A　tectonic　suvduction　zone；〃　Ur…ronn　put　in。
　　〃Yeah；　thanks。　So　it's　a　perfectly　legal　place　to　dump　dross。〃
　　〃But　if　no　ships　e；　how　did　it　get　here？〃
　　I　was　trying　to　make　out　which　kinds　of　coffins　were　present　and　which　were　missing。　That　could　help　pin　down　when　the　spill　had　been　made。　There　were　no　human…style　chests　or　urrish　reed　baskets；　which　wasn't　surprising。　So　far　I'd　only　seen　g'Kek　and　qheuenish　work；　which　could　make　the　site　pretty　darn　old。
　　〃The　cartons　arrived　the　same　way　we　did；　Huck；〃　I　explained。　〃Somebody　dumped　them　off　the　cliff　at　Terminus　Rock。〃
　　Huck　gasped。　She　started　to　speak；　then　paused；　and　I　could　almost　hear　wheels　turning　in　her　head。　Dumping　from　land　just　isn't　done。　But　she　must　have　already　reasoned　that　this　place　was　an　acceptable　exception。　If　a　portion　of　the　Midden　really　did　pass　right　underneath　Terminus　Rock；　and　assuming　there　must　have　once　been　settlements　nearby；　this　would　have　been　a　cheaper　way　of　burying　Grandpa　than　sending　his　coffin　out　to　sea　by　boat。
　　〃But　then　how　did　the　boxes　get　so　far　from　land？　We've　e　cables　and　cables　by　now。〃
　　〃Tides；　mudslides；〃　Pincer　answered。　But　I　rumbled　I　negation。
　　〃You　forget　how　the　Midden's　supposed　to　work。　It　sucks　stuff　in；　isn't　that　right；　Ur…ronn？〃
　　Ur…ronn　whistled　despair　over　my　insistent　oversimplifying。　She　motioned　with　two　hands。　〃One　tectonic　flate　slides　under　the　other；　you　see；　creating　a　trench　and　drawing　old　sea　floor　along　with　it。〃
　　〃To　be　dragged　underground；　melted；　and　renewed；　pushing　underneath　the　Slope　and　making　volcanoes。　Yeah；　I　get　it。〃　Huck　turned　all　four　stalks　forward；　pensively。　〃Hundreds　of　years　since　these　were　dumped；　and　the　dross　has　only　e　this　far　from　where　it　fell？〃
　　Only　few　seconds　ago；　she　had　been　amazed　by　how　great　a　distance　the　crates　had　e　from　the　cliff！　I　guess　it　goes　to　show　how　different　time　can　seem；　when　you　shift　from　the　perspective　of　a　person's　lifetime　to　the　life　cycles　of　a　world。　In　parison；　I　don't　suppose　humans　have　much　to　brag　about；　living　twice　as　long　as　urs。　We're　all　bound　for　Jijo's　slow　digestion　soon　enough；　whether　or　not　alien　invaders　leave　us　alone。
　　Pincer　and　Ur…ronn　consulted　their　maps；　and　shortly　we　were　under　way　again；　leaving　that　boneyard　where　another　generation　of　sinners　made　their　slow　way　toward　pardon　in　melted　stone。
　　About　half　a　midura　later；　with　a　sense　of　great　relief；　we　found　Uriel's　〃jack。〃
　　By　that　time　my　arms　and　legs　ached　from　row…boating　the　crank　handle　at　least　a　couple　of　thousand　times；　responding　to　Pincer's　insistent　mands　of　〃speed　up！〃　or　〃slow　down！〃　or　〃can't　you　go　any　faster？〃　Of　the　four　of　us；　he　alone　seemed　to　be　enjoying　himself；　without　any　qualms　or　physical　ague。
　　We　hoon　elect　our　captains；　then　obey　without　question　while　any　sort　of　emergency　is　going　on…and　this　whole　voyage　qualified　in　my　mind　as　a　screaming　emergency…so　I　tucked　away　any　resentment　for　later；　when　I　pictured　getting　even　with　Pincer　in　many　colorful　ways。　Maybe　the　gang's　next　project　should　be　a　hot…air　balloon。　Make　him　the　first　qheuen　to　fly　since　they　gave　up　starships。　It'd　serve　him　right。
　　By　the　time　Huck　finally　yelled　〃Eureka！〃　my　poor　muscles　and　pivots　felt　as　if　we'd　covered　the　entire　width　of　the　Rift；　and　then　some。　My　first　relieved　thought　was…No　wonder　Uriel　provided　so　much　hawser　and　hose！
　　Only　after　that　did　I　wonder…How　did　she　know　where　to　tell　us　to　look　for　this　jeekee　thing？
　　It　stood　half　buried　in　the　mud；　about　twelve　cables　south　of　where　we　first　touched　down。　Judging　from　the　portion　that　was　visible　from　my　〃vantage　point〃　way　in　back；　it　consisted　of　long　spikes；　each　pointed　outward　in　a　different　direction；　as　if　aimed　toward　the　six　faces　of　a　cube。　Each　spike　had　a　big　knob　at　the　end；　hollow　I　guessed；　to　prevent　sinking　in　the　muck。　It　was　obviously　meant　to　be　found；　being　colored　a　garish　swirl　of　reds　and　blues。　Red　to　really　stand　out　at　short　range；　since　the　color's　almost　totally　absent　underwater；　and　blue　to　be　visible　from　farther　away；　if　your　beam　happened　to　sweep　across　it　in　the　deep　darkness。　Even　so；　you　had　to　be　within　less　than　a　cable　to　see　the　thing；　so　we'd　never　have　e　across　it　without　Uriel's　instructions。　Still；　it　took　two　search　spirals　before　we　stumbled　on　the　jack。
　　It　was　the　strangest　thing　any　of　us　had　ever　encountered。　And　don't　forget；　I've　heard　a　g'Kek　umble　and　witnessed　a　traeki　vlen。
　　〃Is　it　Buyur…uyur？〃　Pincer　asked；　superstitious　awe　invading　his　voice　vents；　along　with　a　returned　stammer。
　　〃I　bet　a　pile　of　donkey　mulch　that's　not　Buyur…made；〃　Huck　said。　〃What　do　you　think；　Ur…ronn？〃
　　Our　urs　pal　stretched　her　neck　past　Pincer；　her　muzzle　drying　a　patch　of　the　bubble　window。　〃No　way　the　Vuyur　would've　vuilt　anything　so　frightful…ghastly；〃　she　agreed。　〃It's　not　their　style。〃
　　〃Of　course　it's　not　their　style；〃　Huck　continued。　〃But　I　know　whose　it　is。〃
　　We　all　stared　at　her。　Naturally；　she　milked　the　moment；　pausing　till　we　were　on　the　verge　of　pummeling　her。
　　〃It's　urrish；〃　she　concluded　with　a　tone　of　smug　conviction。
　　〃Urrish！〃　Pincer　hissed。　〃How　can　you　be　so…〃
　　〃Exflain；〃　Ur…ronn　demanded；　snaking　her　head　to　peer　at　Huck。　〃This　ovject　is　sophisticated。　Uriel　could　forge　nothing　like　it。　Not　even　Earthlings　have　such　craft。〃
　　〃Exactly！　It's　not　Buyur；　and　no　one　currently　living　on　the　Slope　could　make　it。　That　leaves　just　one　possibility。　It　must　have　been　left　here　by　an　original　sooner　star…ship；　when　one　of　the　Six　Races…seven　if　you　include　glavers…first　arrived　on　Jijo；　before　the　settlers　scuttled　their　craft　and　joined　the　rest　of　us　as　primitives。　But　which　one　left　it？　I'd　eliminate　us　g'Keks　on　account　of　we've　been　here　so　long　that　I'll　bet　the　jack　would've　moved　a　lot　farther　into　the　Rift　by　now。　The　same　probably　holds　for　glavers；　qheuens；　and　traeki。
　　〃Anyway；　the　clincher　is　that　Uriel　knew　exactly　where　to　find　it！〃
　　Fur　riffled　around　the　rim　of　Ur…ronn's　nostril。　Her　voice　turned　colder　than　the　surrounding　ocean。　〃You　suggest　a　conspiracy。〃
　　g'Kek　stalks　twined；　a　shrug。
　　〃Not　a　horribly　vile　one；〃　Huck　assured。　〃Maybe　just　a　sensible　precaution。
　　〃Think　about　it；　mates。　Say　you've　e　to　plant　a　sooner　colony　on　a　forbidden　world。　You　must　get　rid　of　anything　that'd　show　on　a　casual　scan　by　some　Institute　surveyor；　so　your　ship　and　plex　gear　have　to　go。　Nearby　space　is　no　good。　That's　the　first　place　cops'd　check。　So　you　sink　it　amid　all　the　stuff　the　Buyur　dumped　when　they　left　Jijo。　Sounds　good　so　far。
　　〃But　then　you　ask　yourself…what　if　an　unforeseen　emergency　crops　up？　What　if　someday　your　descendants　need　something　high…tech　to　help　'em　survive？〃
　　Ur…ronn　lowered　her　conical　head。　In　the　dimness　I　could　not　tell　if　it　denoted　worry　or　rising　anger。　I　hurried　to　cut　in。
　　〃Hr…rm。　You　imply　a　long　view　of　things。　A　secret　kept　for　generations。〃
　　〃For　centuries；〃　Huck　agreed。　〃Uriel　no　doubt　was　told　by　her　master；　and　so　on　back　to　the　first　urrish　ancestors。　And　before　Ur…ronn　snaps　one　of　my　heads　off；　let　me　rush　to　add　that　the　urs　sages　showed　great　restraint　over　the　years；　never　seeking　to　use　this　cache　during　their　wars　with　qheuens；　then　humans；　even　when　they　were　getting　their　tails　whipped。〃
　　That　was　meant　to　calm　Ur…ronn？　I　rushed　to　save　Huck　from　mutilation。　〃Perhaps…hrm…humans　and　qheuens　had　their　own　caches；　so　there　was　a　standoff。〃　Then　my　own　words　sank　in。　〃Maybe　those　caches　are　being　sought　now；　while　we　serve　as　Uriel's　dipping　claw；　in　search　of　this　one。〃
　　There　was　a　long　silence。
　　Then　Pincer　spoke。
　　〃Sheesh…eesh…eesh。　Those　aliens　up　at　the　Glade　must　really　have　the　grown…ups　spooked。〃
　　Another　pause；　then　Huck　resumed。　〃That's　what　I'm　hoping　all　of　this　is　about。　The　aliens。　A　mutual　effort　of　the　Six；　pooling　resources；　and　not　something　else。〃
　　Ur…ronn's　neck　twisted　nervously。　〃What　do　you　nean？〃
　　〃I　mean；　I'd　have　liked　Uriel's　word　of　honor　that　we're　down　here　seeking　powers　for　the　defense　of　all　the　mons。〃
　　Not　simply　to　arm　urrish　militia；　in　some　of　the　grudge　fights　we've　heard　rumors　about；　I　thought；　finishing　Huck's　implication。　There　was　a　tense　moment　when　I　could　not　predict　what　would　happen　next。　Had　tension；　worry；　and　Tyug's　drugs　strung　our　urrish　friend　to　the　point　where　Huck's　baiting　would　make　her　snap？
　　Ur…ronn's　neck　slowly　untwisted。　An　effort　of　will；　I　saw　by　the　dim　light　of　the　phosphors。　〃You　have。。。〃　she　began；　breathing　heavily。　〃You　have　the　oath　of　this　urs；　that　it　will　ve　so。〃
　　And　she　repeated　the　vow　in　Galactic　Two；　following　it　with　a　laborious　effort　to　spit　on　the　floor；　not　an　easy　act　for　one　of　her　kind。　A　sign　of　sincerity。
　　〃Hr…rm；　well；　that's　great；〃　I　said；　umbling　for　peace。　〃Not　that　any　of　us　eve