16_world_killers-第33章

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A。　Jow；　The　Historical　Haydon

〃Max！　Pay　attention！〃

〃Uh？〃　He　blinked。

Jean　Grant；　infinitely　patient；　still　had　a　way　of　letting　someone　know　that　she　wouldn't　put　up　with　their　shortings。

〃Just　take　it　easy；　Max；　babies've　been　getting　themselves　born　for　ages　now。　Besides；　this　is　only　a　drill；　capisch？　All　you　have　to　do　is　help　a　little。〃　She　smiled　down　at　Miriya。　〃Relax；　soldier。〃

Miriya　stopped　her　breathing　exercises　and　chuckled　tiredly。　She　was　pale　and　drawn　from　the　ordeal　that　her　second　pregnancy　had　bee。　But　she　squeezed　Max's　hand；　their　I　love　you　code。

Max　squeezed　back　twice；　but　he　was　still　worried。　This　pregnancy　shouldn't　even　have　happened。　Apparently；　conventional　birth…control　methods　didn't　apply　to　a　Human…Zentraedi　union。

Her　first　pregnancy　had　worked　changes　on　Miriya's　body　that　Jean　still　hadn't　figured　out　pletely。　The　physical　readouts　on　her　were　getting　more　and　more　peculiar；　and　nobody；　not　even　the　saintly；　floating　Haydon　IV　healers；　could　say　why。

Max　resisted　the　impulse　to　sigh；　there　where　Miriya　could　hear　it。　Instead　he　crouched　by　her；　pointing　at　the　window　that　ran　from　floor　to　ceiling　in　her　bedroom。

〃See　there？　The　urban　core's　almost　rebuilt；　and　about　seventy　percent　of　the　underground　systemry's　back　up　to　snuff。　Vowad　says　the　whole　planet'll　be　like　new　in　less　than　two　months。〃

〃It's　good　that…〃　A　sudden　spasm　of　pain　overcame　her；　and　she　clamped　down　on　Max's　hand　with　a　grip　so　hard　that　he　involuntarily　yelped　in　pain。

Jean　was　there　in　an　instant；　reading　the　bed　monitors。　The　Haydonites　had　built　Miriya's　room　so　that　it　was　a　virtual　duplicate　of　the　quarters　she　and　her　husband　had　shared　back　in　rebuilt　Macross　City…their　happiest　home…but　the　place　was　actually　a　well…camouflaged　intensive…care　unit。

〃Code　red；〃　Jean　called　into　the　empty　air；　not　two　seconds　passed　before　the　wall　slid　aside　and　Haydonite　healers　floated　in。　Miriya　was　losing　consciousness。

〃Talk　to　her；　Max；〃　Jean　whispered　to　him；　then　turned　to　her　own　job。

What　to　say？　He　wasn't　used　to　making　conversation；　that　was　one　of　the　reasons　he　had　been　a　loner　until　he　and　Miriya　found　each　other。

〃And…and；　the　interstellar　trade's　already　starting　up　again；〃　he　babbled；　squeezing　her　hand　but；　to　his　terror；　getting　no　response。　〃I've　got　a　place　all　fixed　up　for　you　and　me　and　the　kid；　outside　of　town…〃

〃Sorry；　Max。〃　Jean　moved　him　away　from　the　bedside　and　he　didn't　resist。　She　and　the　Haydonite　healers；　and　medical　machines　that　looked　like　hovering　seashells　and　airborne　spores；　all　clustered　around　his　wife。

Max　Sterling　stood　at　the　foot　of　the　bed。　〃We're　losing　her；〃　one　of　the　faceless　healers　said；　and　Max　bit　his　lower　lip　until　blood　ran；　so　that　he　wouldn't　scream。

〃Talk　to　her；　Max；〃　Jean　repeated；　without　looking　up　from　her　work。　〃Keep　her　with　us。〃

〃I。。。I。。。〃

〃You're　fixing　up　a　place　for　her；〃　Jean　prompted　him；　still　without　breaking　her　own　concentration。

He　drew　a　deep　breath。　〃We　can　stay　there　until　you're　ready　to　go　home；　Mir。〃　He　felt　like　crying；　but　Jean　gave　him　one　quick　look。

〃C'mon；　ace；〃　she　told　him；　and　went　back　to　what　she　was　doing。

C'mon；　ace。。。

〃Dana's　gonna　be　some　big　girl　when　we　get　back；　huh？〃　he　found　himself　saying。

The　lifesign　monitors　made　a　slightly　different　sound；　Miriya　managed　to　form　a　word。　〃Dana。。。〃

〃Uh…huh！　God；　she　wants　so　much　to　go　to　the　academy；　and　Emerson　says　if　she　doesn't　behave；　he's　gonna　put　her　in　a　convent；　remember？〃　He　was　wiping　the　tears　from　his　face　and　his　glasses。　〃And　Bowie　said　that　if　Dana　goes；　he　goes。〃　He　was　laughing　and　crying　at　the　same　time。

〃She'll　be。。。a　big　girl；〃　Miriya　said。

The　lifesigns　were　stabilizing。　With　effort；　Max　swallowed　and　said；　〃Think　of　all　the　things　we'll　have　to　tell　her　when　we　get　home；　Mir。　She's　gonna　be　waiting　to　hear　them。〃

Miriya　Parino　Sterling　smiled　as　she　hovered　on　the　edge　of　a　a　then　came　back　to　him。

He　stood　looking　down　on　her　as　she　slept；　after　Jean　and　the　healers　and　the　machines　left。　Miriya's　pregnancy　had　seven　months　yet　before　it　came　to　term。

But　that　was　only　by　Human　calculation。　According　to　the　lab　workups；　it　could　happen　any　time　now。


In　the　barracks　of　the　security　forces　posted　to　Dr。　Lang's　plex；　the　officer　of　the　day　lost　patience　with　pounding　on　the　door。

〃Linc？　Lincoln？　Goddamn　you；　fall　in！〃

But　Right　Officer　Isle；　REF　Service　#　666…60…937；　wasn't　there。　The　duty　OD　looked　around　and　found　the　man's　flight　suit　missing。　Oddly；　there　were　also　hair　clippings　and　shaving…lather　residue　in　the　cramped　quarters'　tiny　sink。

Isle　always　was　a　strange　one；　but　this　was　pushing　it　some。　〃Isle；　you　sumbitch；〃　the　OD　muttered。　〃What　now？〃


They　were　like　dolphins　in　the　sea；　or　eagles　cutting　the　winds。

Baldan　soared；　following　his　mother；　through　the　netherworld　of　the　Crystal　Highways。　The　mineral　lattices　stretched　away　in　every　direction；　making　their　own　landscape　for　the　beings　who　swam　in　the　bosom　of　Spheris。

Baldan　found　that　he　knew　his　way　around　there。　The　emanations　from　the　various　pounds　and　strata　were　like　signposts　and　streets…a　three…dimensional　highway　system。

He　zoomed　over　to　catch　up　with　Teal　on　a　thoroughfare　layed　down　from　the　molten　condition。　There　was　a　lot　of　veering　and　dodging　because　of　the　magma　chambers；　but　the　scenery　was　spectacular。

Disembodied；　they　flew　through　the　very　structure　of　their　world。　Baldan　found　that　he　knew　how　to　avoid　metamorphic　structures；　knew　how　to　slide　along　the　crystallographic　axes。

There　was　no　gravity；　except　as　a　somewhat　abstract　force；　electromagnetic　and　thermal　and　nuclear　imperatives　were　the　rules　of　the　road。

And　before　long；　he　could　hear　the　voices　of　his　people。

Baldan　understood　that　he　was　nothing　but　a　disembodied　intellect；　seeping　along　the　boulevards　that　molecular　forces　had　drawn。　But　it　seemed　that　he　was　corporeal；　flying　like　some　character　out　of　the　Humans　absurd　ic　books；　in　an　element　that　was　his　to　mand。

It　was　a　world　suspended　in　space：　here；　the　juttings　of　a　tectonic　rift；　there；　the　sweep　of　a　rhodonite　seam　that　virtually　girded　the　planet。　They　navigated　currents　of　chrysoberyl；　emerald　and　corundum；　rode　the　piezoelectric　waves；　fought　through　schist　and　body　surfed　in　tourmaline。

Then　he　became　aware　of　the　songs；　and　they　drew　him。　Teal　noticed　that　he　was　veering　away；　and　followed。　They　understood　through　unspoken　munication　that　the　longing　he　felt　wasn't　to　be　questioned。　She　gave　in　to　an　impulse　that　she　had　only　marginally　resisted　until　then；　and　found　she　wasn't　one　person　anymore：　she　was　two。　Herself　and　her　son。

In　a　place　like　a　cathedral　made　of　living　mineral；　or　a　megaplex　encysted　in　a　jewel　of　perfect　clarity；　he　encountered　the　first　of　his　race　he　had　ever　met　aside　from　his　mother　and　a　few　shipmates。

Their　voices　drew　him；　the　sound　resonating　through　the　world。　Baldan　found　to　his　surprise　that　emerging　from　the　warp　and　woof　of　the　planet　was　harder　than　melding　with　it；　and　understood　a　little　better　how　his　father　died。

There　was　a　tremendous　strain　as　he　fought　to　free　himself　from　the　Crystal　Highway；　it　was　as　if　Spheris　didn't　want　to　let　him　go。　Baldan　came　forth　halfway；　like　some　tormented　cameo；　he　was　sucked　back　again　and　nearly　consumed。　He　fought　and　kicked　and　flailed　his　way　clear；　reborn　once　more。

Teal　was　standing　nearby；　and　he　knew　instinctively　why　she　hadn't　been　able　to　help；　there　was　only　one　road　test　for　riders　of　the　Crystal　Highways；　and　it　was　very　Darwinian。

Their　very　substance　was　changed。　They　were　now　of　smokier　stuff；　harder　and　more　given　to　sharp　angles；　than　they　had　been　above　and　in　the　ship。　Baldan　understood　that　each　time　he　emerged　from　the　Crystal　Highways；　he　would　be　of　different　position…would　be　of　the　stuff　that　made　up　the　area　from　which　he　exited。

So；　I'm　truly　part　of　my　world　now。

Teal　and　Baldan　had　e　into　a　place　that　was　dazzling　with　shards　of　pure　light　in　a　million　shades　and　haunting　in　the　tones　that　sprang　from　every　cusp　and　facet。　It　was　like　heaven's　own　house　of　mirrors；　a　sound…and…light　show　that　no　non…Spherisian　would　ever　be　able　to　prehend。

There　were　thousands　upon　thousands　of　his　father's　people　there；　contemplating　eternity　and　the　Universe　in　small　nichelike　chambers；　or　muning　with　one　another；　or　working　to　enlarge　the　boundaries　of　their　sanctuary。　Some　looked　around　in　surprise　at　the　arrival　of　newers。

One　in　particular　dropped　a　caving　tool　that　rang　like　a　bell　on　the　vitreous　floor　of　the　place。　〃Baldan！〃

It　was　an　elderly　female　of　his　race；　Baldan　II　could　see。　Before　she　had　taken　two　more　steps；　her　posture　and　the　aura　she　emitted　changed。　Joy　and　disbelief　gave　way　to　uncertainty。　〃But…you're　not　Baldan；　are　you？〃

〃I'm　his　son。〃　On　Spheris；　it　went　without　saying　that　a　great　deal　of　the　parent　was　born　again　in　the　child。　〃Baldan　is　dead。　I　am　Baldan　II。〃

〃My　son　is　dead；〃　the　old　one　said　as　if　the　words　were　inprehensible。　〃But　then…who　shaped　you？〃

Teal　stepped　forward。　〃I　knew　you　would　want　to　meet　the　boy；　Tiffa。〃

〃You！〃　Everyone　knew　the　story：　how　a