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inker heard the insult； she ignored it； carrying herself well for a youngish urs with just one husband pouch tenanted by a squirming bulge。 Among so many humans； the urs could not use a plains dialect of Galactic Two but made do with Anglic； despite the handicap of a cloven upper lip。
〃I can ve called Ulgor。 I thank you for your courtesy； which is vlessed among the Six。 I wish only to ask questions concerning the issues discussed tonight。 Ny first question follows…
〃Is this not a natter vest decided vy our sages？ Why not let those wise ones rule whether the great tine of judgnent has arrived？〃
With an exaggerated show of mannerly patience； Jop replied； 〃Learned neighbor； the Scrolls call on all villages to act independently； to erase all signs that might be seen from the sky！ The order's simple。 No plicated judgment is needed。
〃Besides；〃 he concluded。 〃There's no time to hear from the sages。 They're all far away； at Gathering。〃
〃Forgive；〃 Ulgor bowed her forelegs。 〃Not all。 A few linger in residence at the Hall o' Vooks； in Vivlos； do they not？〃
There was confusion as people looked at one another； then Fru Nestor cried out； 〃The Hall of Books； in Biblos！ Yes； that's true。 But Biblos is still many days away； by boat。〃
Again Ulgor bent her neck before dissenting。 〃Yet I have heard that； fron the highest tree in Dolo； one can see across the quicksand narsh to the glass cliffs overlooking Vivlos。〃
〃With a good telescope；〃 Jop acknowledged； wary that this was sapping the crowd's passionate momentum。 〃I still don't see how it helps…〃
〃Fire！〃
Faces turned toward Sara； who had shouted while the thought was still half formed。
〃We'd see flames as the library burned！〃
Muttering； the crowd stared at her； till she explained。 〃You all know I used to work at Biblos。 They have a contingency plan like everyone else。 If the sages mand it； the librarians are to carry off what volumes they can； then ignite the rest。〃
This brought on a somber hush。 Wrecking Dole's dam was one thing； but loss of Biblos would truly signal an ending。 No place was more central to human life on Jijo。
〃Finally； they are to blow the pillars holding up the roof…of…stone and bring it down on the ashes。 Ulgor's right。 We could see any change that big； especially with Loocen rising at this hour。〃
Fru Nestor spoke a terse mand。 〃Send someone aloft to see！〃
Several boys leaped up and vanished through the windows； acpanied by a string of hooting chimpanzees。 A nervous murmur ensued while the crowd waited。 Sara felt unfortable under the regard of so many； and lowered her eyes。
That was the sort of thing Lark would do。 Boldly taking over a meeting at the last minute； pelling others to act。 Joshu had that impulsiveness； too…till the sickness took him in those final weeks。。。。
Gnarled fingers grasped hers； halting the bleak gyre of her thoughts。 She looked up and saw that Nelo had aged in the last hour。 Now the fate of his beloved mill rested on news from above。
As the slow duras passed； the full import of her prediction sank in。
Biblos。
The Hall of Books。
Once already； fire had taken a terrible toll there。 Even so； the remaining archive was humanity's greatest contribution to the mons and a cause of both envy and wonder among the other races。
What will we bee； if it's gone？ True pastoralists？ Gleaners； living off remnants swiped from ancient Buyur sites？ Farmers all？
That was how the other five had seemed； when humans first came。 Bickering primitives with their barely functioning mons。 Humanity introduced new ways； changed the rules； almost as much as the arrival of the Egg several generations later。
Now shall we slide downslope faster？ Losing the few relics that remind us we once roamed galaxies？ Shucking our books； tools； clothes； till we're like glavers？ Pure； shriven innocents？
According to the Scrolls； that was one path to salvation。 Many； like Jop； believed in it。
Sara tried to see hope； even if word came back of flames and dust in the night。 At any time； hundreds of books were outside Biblos； on loan to far…flung munities。
But few texts in Sara's specialty ever left their dusty shelves。 Hilbert。 Somerfeld。 Witten and Tang。 Eliahu…names of great minds she knew intimately across centuries and parsecs。 The intimacy of pure； near…perfect thoughts。 They'll burn。 The sole copies。 Lately her research had swung to other areas…the chaotic ebb and flow of language…but still she called mathematics home。 The voices in those books had always seemed soul…alive。 Now she feared learning they were gone。
Then abruptly； another notion occurred to her； pletely unexpected； glancing off her grief at a startling angle。
If Galactics really have e； what do a few thousand paper volumes really matter？ Sure； they'll judge us for our ancestors' crime。 Nothing can prevent that。 But meanwhile； aboard their ships。。。
It occurred to Sara that she might get a chance to visit a pletely different kind of library。 One towering over the Biblos cache； the way the noon sun outblazed a candle。 What an opportunity！ Even if we're all soon prisoners of the galactic Lords of Migration； destined for some prison world； they can hardly deny us a chance to read！
In accounts of olden days she had read about 〃accessing〃 puter databases； swimming in knowledge like a warm sea； letting it fill your mind； your pores。 Swooping through clouds of wisdom。
I could find out if my work is original！ Or if it's been done ten million times； during a billion years of Galactic culture。
The thought seemed at once both arrogant and humbling。 Her fear of the great starships was undiminished。 Her prayer remained that it was all a mistake； or a meteor； or some illusion。
But a rebel corner of her roiling mind felt something new…a wakened hunger。
If only。。。
Her thought broke against an interruption。 Suddenly； high overhead； a boy stuck his head through a slit window。 Hanging upside down； he cried…〃No fires！〃
He was joined by others； at different openings； all shouting the same thing。 Chimps joined in； shrieking excitement across the crowded meeting hall。
〃No fires…and the roof…of…stone still stands！〃
Old Henrik stood； then spoke two words to the elders before departing with his son。 Amid the flustered babble of the throng； Sara read the exploser's expression of resolve and the decisive message of his lips。
〃We wait。〃
Asx
OUR CARAVAN OF RACES MARCHED TOWARD where the alien ship was last seen…a blazing cylinder…descending beyond a low hill。 Along the way； Vubben continued chanting from the Scroll of Danger。 Voices cried out ahead。 Crowds jostled along a ridgetop； hissing and murmuring。 We must nudge past men and hoon to win our way through。 Whereupon； did we not gaze across a nest？ A new clearing lined with shattered trees； still smoking from whatever ray had cut them down。
And poised amid this devastation…shimmering from its heat of entry…lay the cause。
Nearby； human and urrish crafters argued in the strange dialect of the engineering caste； disputing whether this nub or that blister might be weaponry or sensors。 But which of us on Jijo has the expertise to guess？ Our ships long ago went down to join this planet's melting crust。 Even the most recent arrivals； humans； are many generations removed from starfarers。 No living member of the mons ever saw anything like this。
It was a ship of the Civilization of the Five Galaxies。 That much the techies could tell。
Yet where was the rayed spiral？ The symbol required to be carried on the forward flank of every sanctioned ship of space？
Our worried lore…masters explain…the spiral is no mere symbol。 Silently； it rides。 Impartially； it records。 Objectively； it bears witness to everything seen and done； wherever the vessel may fly。
We peered and sought； but in the ordained place there lay only a burnished shine。 It had been rubbed away； smoother than a qheuenish larva。
That was when confusion gave way to understanding。 Realization of what this ship represented。
Not the great Institutes； as we first thought。
Nor the righteous； mighty； legalistic star…clans or