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nick of time。
What I probably won't admit in print is that I couldn't even tell the exact moment when our wheels touched down。 The event was； well； more than a bit murky。 Like sinking a probe fork into the rind of a shuro fruit and not being quite sure whether you've speared the core nut yet。
〃Murky〃 also described the scene around us as slime…swirls spiraled； slowly settling to reveal a dead…black world； except down twin corridors of dazzling blue cast by the eiks。 What I could see of those narrow tunnels snowed a slanting plain of mud； broken here and there by pale slim…stemmed 〃plants〃 that needed no sunlight to thrive； though I couldn't begin to guess what else they lived on。 Their leaves or fronds seemed to wave back and forth； as if in a breeze。 No animal life moved in our beams； which wasn't that surprising。 Wouldn't we top…dwellers hide if some weird vessel plunged into our midst from above； casting forth both noise and a searing gaze？
Forcing the parison； I wondered if any suboceanic locals thought their judgment day had just e。
With her telegraph key； Ur…ronn pulsed the message everyone above waited to hear。 We are down； she sent。 All is well。
Yes； it lacks the poetic imagery of flags planted； eagles landed； or infinitives boldly split。 I shouldn't plain。 Not all urs are born to recite epic sagas on demand。 Still； I think I'll change it in rewrite…if I ever get the chance； which right now seems pretty unlikely。
Again； sparks jumped the tiny gap； this time without Ur…ronn touching it。 A reply from above。
Wele news。 Proceed。
〃Ready； Alvin？〃 Pincer called back。 〃All ahead； one quarter。〃
I responded…〃Ahead one quarter； aye； Captain。〃
My back and arm muscles flexed。 The crank seemed reluctant at first。 Then I felt the magnetic clutch take hold…a strange sense of attachment to once…living g'Kek parts that I tried not thinking about。 The special mud treads worked as I felt resistance。 Wuphon's Dream shuddered forward。
I concentrated on maintaining a steady pace。 Pincer shouted steering instructions at Huck while holding Uriel's map for reference。 Ur…ronn correlated our bearing with her pass。 The hawser and air hose resumed transmitting the distant rumble of deployer drums； unreeling more tether so we might wander ever farther from safety。 The confined space resonated with my deep work umble； but no one plained。 The sound wrapped itself around me till I felt encircled by hoonish shipmates； making the cramped confinement more bearable。 Like a ship far at sea； we were all alone； dependent on Ifni's luck and our own resourcefulness to make it home again。
Time passed。 We fell into a rhythmic routine。 I pushed； Huck steered； Ur…ronn aimed the headlights； and Pincer was pilot。 Pretty soon； it began to feel like we were old hands at this。
Huck asked…〃What were you saying； Pincer； just before we landed？ Something you saw？〃
〃Sonething with lots of teeth； I vet！〃 Ur…ronn teased。 〃Isn't this just avout when we're suffosed to see nonsters？〃
Monsters； I thought。 My umble annexed a laugh…quaver。
Pincer took the teasing well。 〃Give it time； chums。 You never can tell when。。。 there！ Over to the left； that's what I saw before！〃
The Dream listed a bit as Huck and Ur…ronn leaned forward to look； causing the rear wheels to lose half their traction。 〃Hey！〃 I plained。
〃Well； I be despoked…〃 Huck murmured。
〃And I vee drenched；〃 Ur…ronn added。
All right； so I whined a bit…〃e on； you grass…fed bunch of sour…mulching…〃
Just then the ground slanted a bit more； and my narrow tunnel view finally swept across the scene they'd all been staring at。
〃Hr…rm…rm！〃 I exclaimed。 〃So that's what got you all stirred up？ A bunch of dross coffins？〃
They lay scattered across the ocean floor； canted at all angles； many half buried in the mud。 Scores of them。 Mostly oblong and rectangular； though a few were barrel…shaped。 Naturally； all traces had vanished of the ribbons that once bedecked them； honoring the bones or spindles or worn…out tools cast off 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