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seems。 There is ferment。 I'm certain we are missing important news！〃
Harullen may be right； Lark thought。 Yet he was reluctant to leave。 Despite the stench； heat； and jagged stubs of metal…all made more dangerous by his own fatigue…dawn was making it easier to prowl the ruins of the buried station in search of anything to help make sense of it all。
How many times had he seen Ling vanish down a ramp into these secret precincts； wondering what lay inside？ Now it was a blackened hell。
I aided the zealots； he recalled。 I gave them copies of my reports。 I knew they were going to do something。
But I never figured anything as brutal as this。
Neither had the star…gods； who clearly never guessed that angry primitives might still know how to make things go boom。
They never asked the right questions。
〃I tell you something's happening！〃 Harullen shouted again； making no effort at originality。 〃The sages are in motion…toward the aliens！〃
Lark glanced over at Uthen and sighed。 〃I guess he means it； this time。〃
His friend had been silent for some time； standing over the same spot。 When Uthen replied； it was in a low voice that barely disturbed the ash beneath his feet。
〃Lark； would you please e look at this？〃
Lark knew that tone from past field trips； exploring for evidence of Jijo's plex living past。 He picked his way toward the qheuen； slipping gingerly between torn metal braces and seared； buckled plating； lifting his feet to kick up as little of the nasty dust…ash as possible。
〃What is it？ Did you find something？〃
〃I am not sure。〃 Uthen lapsed into GalSix。 〃It seems I have seen this before。 This symbol。 This representation。 Perhaps you can confirm？〃
Lark bent alongside his friend； peering into a recess where the rising sun had yet to shine。 There he saw a jumble of rectangular lozenges； each thick as his hand and twice as long。 Uthen had scraped aside some half…melted machinery in order to reveal the pile。 One slab lay near enough to make out a symbol； etched across its dark brown surface。
A double spiral with a bar through it。 Now where have I seen…
Lark's hand reached where Uthen could not； stroked the rectangle； then picked it up。 It felt incredibly light； though now it dawned on him that it could be the weightiest thing he had ever touched。
〃Are you thinking what I'm thinking？〃 he asked； turning it in the light。
Uthen plucked the slab from his hand； holding it in a trembling claw。
〃How can I not be？〃 the qheuenish scholar replied。 〃Even half…animal； reverted primitives should recognize the glyph of the Great Galactic Library。〃
The 〃evidence〃 lay strewn across the trampled grass。 Ro…kenn's piercing eyes surveyed a tangle of wires and glossy spheroids that the zealots had recently brought down from the Valley of the Egg。 Clogs of dirt still clung to a necklace of strange objects； from where it had till lately been buried； next to the holiest site on Jijo。
Two clusters of onlookers formed semicircles； one backing the assembled sages； the other reverently standing behind the star…god。 Many in the second group had been patients at the forayers' clinic or believed their claims of righteousness above all law。 Among the humans on that side； faith in their rediscovered patrons seemed to glow； depicted by Lark's new rewq as intense red fire； surrounding their faces。
Gone was the Rothen's prior mien of furious wrath。 Ro…kenn's humanoid features once more conveyed charismatic poise； even serene indulgence。 He spent another dura looking over the jumble of parts； then spoke in prim Galactic Seven。
〃I see nothing here of interest。 Why do you show me these things？〃
Lark expected the young urrish radical…leader of the rebel zealots…to answer； as both plaintiff and defendant； justifying her group's violence by diverting blame to the aliens。 But the young dissenter kept well back； huddling with a crowd of humans and urs； consulting texts。
The hoonish sage； Phwhoon…dau； stepped forward to confront the Rothen emissary。
〃We seek to ascertain whether these tools of high acumen are yours。 Tools which some of our children found； within the last turning of Jijo's axis。 Tools which someone buried surreptitiously； in close contact with our beloved Egg。〃
Lark watched Ling's reaction。 Since he already knew her pretty well； no rewq was needed to translate her shock of recognition。 Nor the embarrassment that followed as she worked things out in her own head。 That's all I needed to know； Lark thought。
Ro…kenn seemed nonchalant。 〃I can only guess that some among you natives placed it there…as your foolish rebels placed explosives under our station。〃
Now Ling's reaction was to blink in surprise。 She didn't expect to hear him lie。 At least not so baldly； with no time to prepare a smooth performance。
Glancing to one side； the star…woman noticed Lark's scrutiny and quickly looked away。 Lark wasn't proud of the satisfaction he felt； over the reversal of their moral positions。 Now it was her turn to feel ashamed。
〃Use your instrumentalities；〃 Phwhoon…dau urged the tall Rothen。 〃Analyze these implements。 You will find the technology far beyond anything we Six can now produce。〃
Ro…kenn shrugged with an elegant roll of his shoulders。 〃Perhaps they were left by the Buyur。〃
〃In that place？〃 Phwhoon…dau boomed amusement； as if Ro…kenn had made a good…natured jest。 〃Only a century ago； that entire valley glowed white…hot from the Egg's passage to the upper world。 These tendrils would not have survived。〃
The crowd murmured。
Lark felt a tug on his sleeve。 He glanced around to see that a short blond figure…Bloor the Portraitist…had slinked up behind； bearing a box camera and tripod。
〃Let me shoot under your arm！〃 the photographer whispered urgently。
Lark felt a frisson of panic。 Was Bloor mad？ Trying this in the open； with the robots at their wariest？ Even if Lark's body shielded that angle； people on both sides would see。 Despite Phwhoon…dau's masterful performance； could they count on loyalty from everyone in the milling throng？
With a helpless sigh； he lifted his left arm enough for Bloor to aim at the confrontation on the Glade。
〃Then I have no other explanation for these items；〃 Ro…kenn answered； referring to the snarled mass of gear。 〃You are wele to speculate to the extent that you are able； until our ship arrives。〃
Ignoring the implied threat； the hoonish sage went on with an air of calm reason that made the Rothen seem edgy by parison。
〃Is speculation required？ It's been asserted that several sets of eyes observed your robots； on a recent foggy night； deliberately implanting these devices underneath our sacred stone…〃
〃Impossible！〃 Ro…kenn burst forth； temper once more flaring。 〃No life…forms were in any position to witness on that night。 Careful scans beforehand showed no sentient beings within range when…〃
The Rothen emissary trailed off midsentence； while onlookers stared； awed and amazed that an urbane star…god could be suckered by so obvious a ploy。
He must be awfully accustomed to getting his way； Lark thought； to fall for such a simple trap。
Then a strange notion occurred to him。 Many Earthly cultures； from ancient Greece and India to High…California； depicted their gods as spoiled； temperamental adolescents。
Could that be racial memory？ Maybe these guys really are our long…lost patrons； after all。
〃Thank you for the correction；〃 Phwhoon…dau answered； with a graceful bow。 〃I only said it was so asserted。 I shall rebuke those who suggested it。 We will take your word that there were no witnesses on the night that you now admit your robots planted these strange； alien devices next to our Egg。 Shall we leave that aspect now and proceed to why they were planted in the first place？〃
Ro…kenn appeared to be chewing on his mistake； working his jaw like a human grinding his teeth。 Lark's rewq showed a discolored swath that seemed to ripple across the upper part of the Rothen's face。 Meanwhile Bloor whispered contentment as he took another picture； pushing a cover slide over the exposed plate。 Go away； Lark silently urged the little man； to no avail