按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
…the poised； cool face of Sage Taine； rimmed by a mane of hair like Buyur steel； approaching to graciously forgive Sara's year…long indiscretion。。。 her 〃fling〃 with a mere bookbinder。。。 renewing his offer of a more seemly union。。。
…her last sight of Biblos； the high walls； the gleaming libraries； with forest…topped stone overhead。 A part of her life； ing to an end as surely as if she had died。
The past is a bitter place； said the Scrolls。 Only the path of forgetfulness leads ultimately to redemption。
A sharp； horrified gasp was followed by a clatter and crash of fallen porcelain。
〃Miss Sara！〃 an aspirated voice called。 〃e quickly； please。 All of you！〃
She hurried from the starboard rail to find Pzora puffing in agitation； ers delicate arms…of…manipulation reaching out imploringly。 Sara's heart leaped when she saw the Stranger's pallet empty； blankets thrown in disarray。
She spied him； backed between three barrel…caskets of human dross； clutching a jagged pottery shard。 The wounded man's eyes gaped； wide and wild； staring at the traeki pharmacist。
He's terrified of Pzora； she realized。 But why？
〃Do not fear；〃 she said soothingly in GalSeven； stepping forward slowly。 〃Fear is inappropriate at this time。〃
Eyes showing white above the irises； his gaze swung from her to Pzora； as if unable to picture the two of them in the same frame； the same thought。
Sara switched to Anglic； since some coastal human settlements used it almost exclusively。
〃It's all right。 It is。 Really。 You're safe。 You've been hurt。 Terribly hurt。 But you're getting better now。 Really。 You're safe。〃
Some words prompted more reaction than others。 He seemed to like 〃safe；〃 so she repeated it while holding out her hand。 The Stranger glanced anxiously at Pzora。 Sara moved to block his view of the traeki； and some tension diminished。 His eyes narrowed； focusing on her face。
Finally； with a resigned sigh； he let the jagged sliver fall from trembling fingers。
〃That's good；〃 she told him。 〃No one's going to harm you。〃
Though the initial flood of panic was over； the Stranger kept glancing toward the Dolo Village pharmacist； shaking his head with surprise and evident loathing。
〃Bedamd。。。 bedamd。。。 bedamd。。。〃
〃Now be polite；〃 she chided； while sliding a folded blanket behind his head。 〃You wouldn't be taking a nice
boat trip to Tarek Town without Pzora's unguents。 Anyway； why should you be afraid of a traeki？ Who ever heard of such a thing？〃
He paused； blinked at her twice； then menced another pathetic attempt to speak。
〃A…jo。。。 A…joph。。。 j…j…jo…joph。。。〃
Frustrated； the Stranger abruptly stopped stammering and shut his mouth； squeezing his lips in a tight； flat line。 His left hand raised halfway to the side of his head…toward the bandage covering his horrible wound…then stopped just short； as if touching would make his worst fears real。 The arm dropped and he sighed； a low； tremulous sound。
Well； he's awake at least； Sara thought； contemplating a miracle。 Alert and no longer feverish。
The motion attracted gawkers。 Sara called for them to move back。 If a traeki could set off hysteria in the wounded man； what about the sight of a qheuenish male； with sharp clambering spikes up and down each leg？ Even these days； there were humans who disliked having other members of the Six close by。
So the next sound was the last thing Sara expected to hear…
Laughter。
The Stranger sat up； eyeing the gathered passengers and crew。 He gaped at Jomah； the exploser's son； who had climbed Blade's broad back； clasping the head…cupola jutting from the qheuen's blue carapace。 Blade had always been gentle and popular with the kids of Dolo； so Sara thought little of it。 But the Stranger sucked breath； pointed； and guffawed。
He turned and saw a sailor feeding tidbits to a favorite noor； while another hoon patiently let Prity； the chimpanzee； perch on his broad shoulder for a better view。 The Stranger let out a dry； disbelieving cackle。
He blinked in puzzled surprise at the sight of the g'Kek scriven…dancer； Fakoon； who had spun over to rest wheels between Pzora and the urrish tinker； Ulgor。 Fakoon ogled the injured human with a pair of waving eyestalks； turning the other two toward his neighbors as if to ask…〃What's going on？〃
The Stranger clapped hands like a delighted child； laughing uproariously as tears flowed tributaries down his dark； haggard cheeks。
Asx
IT WAS AS IF A CENTURY'S ENLIGHTENMENT BY OUR Holy Egg…and all the earlier hard work to establish the mons…were forgotten in the aftermath。 Few rewq could be seen anywhere； as suspicion…poisons drove them off our brows to sulk in moss…lined pouches； leaving us to rely on mere words； as we had done in ages past； when mere words often led to war。
my/our own folk brought samples of recent noxious rumors； and i laid our base segment over/upon the vileness； letting its vapors rise up our central core； bringing distasteful understanding of these odious thoughts…
…our human neighbors are not trustworthy anymore； if they ever were。
…they will sell us out to their gene…and…clan cousins in the foray party。
…they lied with their colorful tale of being poor； patronless wolflings； scorned among the Five Galaxies。
…they only feigned exile； while spying on us and this world。
Even more bitter was this gossipy slander
…they will depart soon with their cousins； climbing to resume the godlike life our ancestors forsook。 Leaving us to molder in this low place； cursed； forgotten； while they roam galaxies。
That was the foulest chattering stench； so repugnant that i/we vented a noisome； melancholy steam。
The humans。。。 might they really do that？ Might they abandon us？
If/when that happened； night would grow as loathsome as day。 For we would ever after have to look up through our darkness and see what they had reclaimed。
The stars。
Lark
THE FORAYER BIOLOGIST MADE HIM NERVOUS。 Ling had a way of looking at Lark…one that kept him I befuddled； feeling like a savage or a child。
Which he was； in parison； despite being older in duration…years。 For one thing； all his lifetime of study wouldn't fill even one of the crystal memory slivers she dropped blithely into the portable console slung over her one…piece green coverall。
The dark woman's exotic； high cheekbones framed large eyes； a startling shade of creamy brown。 〃Are you ready； Lark？〃 she asked。
His own pack held four days' rations； so there'd be no need to hunt or forage； but this time he would leave behind his precious microscope。 That treasure of urrish artifice now seemed a blurry toy next to the gadgets Ling and her rades used to inspect organisms down to the level of their constituent molecules。 What could we tell them that they don't already know？ he pondered。 What could they possibly want from us？
It was a popular question； debated by those friends who would still speak to him； and by those who turned their backs on any human； for being related to invaders。
Yet the sages charged a human…and a heretic at that…to guide one of these thieves through a forest filled with treasure。 To begin the dance of negotiating for our lives。
The Six had one thing to offer。 Something missing from the official Galactic Library entry on Jijo； collated by the Buyur before they departed。 That thing was recent data； about how the planet had changed after a million fallow years。 On that； Lark was as 〃expert〃 as a local savage could be。
〃Yes； I'm ready；〃 he told the woman from the starship。
〃Good； then let's be off！〃 She motioned for him to lead。
Lark hoisted his pack and turned to show the way out of the valley of crushed trees； by a route passing far from the cleft of the Egg。 Not that anyone expected its existence to stay secret。 Robot scouts had been out for days； nosing through the glens； streams； and fumaroles。 Still； there was a chance they might mistake the Egg for just another rock formation…that is； until it next started to sing。
Lark's chosen path also led away from the canyon where the innocents had been sent…the children； chimpanzees； lorniks； zookirs； and