15_death_dance-第20章

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！


rystal；　revealing　a　dazzling　facet。　Teal　struck　again　and　again；　each　stroke　sure　of　its　mark；　each　rendering　the　inanimate　thing　gemlike　and　plete。　Crying　all　the　while；　Teal　took　the　infant　in　her　hands　and　began　to　carve　away　more　of　its　extraneous　crust。　Miriya；　Bela；　and　Jean　could　hardly　believe　their　eyes　when　a　polished　face　slowly　emerged；　then　a　miniature　torso　of　sorts。

It　was　Baldan。


If　the　Sentinels　remained　divided　on　any　one　issue；　it　was　what　was　to　be　done　with　Tesla。　While　certain　they　would　exercise　more　caution　the　next　time　the　Invid　volunteered　for　a　mission；　they　had　as　yet　no　clear…cut　policy　toward　him。　Was　he　a　prisoner；　a　hostage；　perhaps　an　ally　in　some　sense？　After　the　meeting　in　which　the　Sentinels'　direction　had　been　put　to　a　vote；　Tesla　and　Burak　had　had　a　chance　to　answer　the　〃charges〃　Wolff　brought　against　them。　They　were　acplices；　Wolff　maintained；　in　the　laconic　and　cynical　fashion　that　had　everyone　aboard　guessing。　（That　Minmei　was　the　cause　of　Wolff's　distress　was　no　secret；　but　he　kept　to　himself　the　fact　that　she　had　been　seeing　Edwards。）

Tesla　didn't　deny　that　he　had　tried　to　mandeer　the　module；　his　actions；　however；　had　not　been　directed　against　the　Sentinels。　In　fact；　quite　the　contrary。　〃I　am　your　rade　in　this　war　of　liberation；〃　he　told　the　Human　and　XT　assembly。　〃I　am　as　eager　for　peace　as　the　rest　of　you；　and　my　aim　in　taking　over　the　ship　was　simply　to　speed　to　Optera　to　convince　the　Regent　of　the　error　of　his　ways。〃

Burak；　though；　was　innocent　to　hear　Tesla　tell　it；　and　had　merely　been　overpowered；　as　Janice　had。　And　much　to　Tesla's　surprise；　Janice　backed　up　the　story。　But　what　Tesla　didn't　realize　was　that　Janice　had　briefed　the　Sentinels　beforehand　on　the　stand　she　would　take；　suggesting　that　they　allow　Burak　and　Tesla　their　partnership；　which　she　herself　would　monitor。　There　was　more　here　than　met　the　eye；　she　had　explained；　and　the　arrangement　would　have　the　added　benefit　of　keeping　the　Perytonian　out　of　everyone's　way。

This　was　the　voice　of　Lang's　reprogramming；　but　no　one　recognized　it　as　such；　least　of　all　Janice。　Tesla；　Lang　had　established；　was　worthy　of　study。

So　in　the　end　it　was　decided　that　things　would　remain　much　as　they　had　been　before　the　attempted　mutiny：　Tesla　was　neither　prisoner　nor　ally；　but　more　in　the　way　of　〃ambassador。〃　And　Burak　was　to　remain　the　Invid's　aide/jailer/　keeper。

The　two　XTs　were　in　one　of　the　ship's　cargo　holds　now；　a　place　well…suited　to　Tesla's　size。　Only　a　few　morsels　of　fruit　remained；　but　Tesla　knew　that　more　would　be　available　to　him　on　Garuda…a　crop　as　different　from　the　Praxian　variety　as　those　had　been　from　the　Karbarran。　He　still　hadn't　gotten　over　his　case　of　the　guilts；　and　was　in　fear　of　the　moment　the　Sentinels　learned　of　the　Regent's　assassination。　With　luck；　though；　that　news　could　be　months　off。　The　beauty　of　it　was　that　there　was　no　one　who　could　even　tie　him　to　the　act…not　as　long　as　the　SDF…7　remained　inmunicado。　Even　that　little　Zentraedi；　Exedore；　would　have　no　proof。　〃Circumstantial〃　was　the　Human　word　for　such　evidence。　So　in　spite　of　his　anxiety；　his　spirits　had　improved。

Burak's；　however；　had　not。　Although　pleased　（albeit　baffled）　that　he　had　been　absolved　of　any　wrongdoing；　he　felt　as　though　the　Sentinels　had　simply　dismissed　him　and　Peryton's　cause。

〃You　mustn't　be　so　glum　about　it；　my　friend；〃　Tesla　told　him；　while　he　contemplated　one　of　the　tidbits。　〃Your　world　is　as　good　as　freed。〃

〃What　makes　you　so　certain？〃　Burak　asked；　his　face　a　true　devil's　mask　now。

Tesla　popped　the　fruit　into　his　mouth。　〃Because。。。I　sense　something　wonderful　is　about　to　happen。〃

Burak　regarded　him　with　a　frown。

〃Truly；〃　Tesla　continued。　〃You　must　have　faith　if　you　are　to　assume　your　proper　place　in　this　world。　There　may　be　one　or　two　dark　spots　in　our　future；　but　afterward。。。〃　Tesla　offered　an　approximation　of　a　smile。

〃But　what　about　now；　Tesla？　All　these　grand　events　you　speak　of…they　are　always　one　step　ahead　of　us。〃

Tesla　threw　back　his　shoulders。　〃No；　my　young　friend；　you　have　it　backward。　It　is　we　who　are　one　step　ahead。　But　change　is　in　the　air。　Soon　the　reshapings　will　catch　up　with　us。　And　then　we　can　begin　to　transform　the　world。〃


CHAPTER　NINE

A　footnote　in　Kahler's　work　（The　Tirolian　paign；　Fantomadiscs；　third　issue；　2083；　scr。　1099）　refers　those　interested　in　Garudan　psychism　＇sic＇　to　a　series　of　twentieth…century　autobiographical　novels　written　by　a　young　anthropologist　recording　his　attempts　to　enter　into　various　states　of　altered　reality　through　the　guidance　of　an　Yaqui　Indian　〃man　of　power。〃　And　while　La　Pea　is　willing　to　concede　that　there　is　some　justification　for　Kahler's　remendation；　he　points　out　that　the　Garudans　required　nothing　in　the　way　of　extrinsic　agents　to　attain　〃non…ordinary　states。〃　Unless；　however；　one　views　the　planet's　atmosphere　in　this　regard。　It　is　hoped　that　the　much…awaited　translations　of　Haydon's　texts　will　shed　light　on　this　continuing　controversy。
Taken　from　the　〃Imminent　Immaterial〃　column　of　Psycho…physics　Digest

Garuda。　Kami　and　Learna　had　told　them　what　to　expect。　A　mostly　cold　and　barren　world　of　steppes　and　tundra；　with　vast　frozen　regions　and　glaciated　mountain　ranges。　What　little　there　was　in　the　way　of　flora　and　fauna　was　principally　confined　to　a　narrow　band　of　equatorial　forestland　of　evergreen　analogues。　There　were　two　seasons；　wet　and　dry；　Garuda　was　in　the　latter　now；　and　that；　Kami　explained；　would　account　for　the　differences　in　fur　coloration　the　Sentinels　would　notice　among　members　of　his　and　Learna's　tribe。　The　Garudans；　who　numbered　in　the　thousands；　were　not；　generally　speaking；　offworlders。　Some；　however；　had　volunteered　for　mining　work　on　Rhestad…system　moons　after　the　arrival　of　the　Zentraedi　generations　ago；　and　later　on；　the　Masters'　clones。　But　most　Garudans　feared　the　thought　of　having　to　leave　the　planet；　and　had　little　tolerance　for　the　breathing　harnesses　life　anywhere　else　would　require。　Their　society　was　a　simple　one；　organized　along　the　lines　of　any　hunter…gatherer　group；　however；　they　were　anything　but　nomadic；　and　kept　domesticated　animals　and　raised　some　crops。　Religion　was　of　a　decidedly　individual　variety；　with　each　clan　answering　to　a　different　totem；　and　each　member　his　or　her　own　shaman。　Oddly　enough；　neither　Kami　nor　Learna　had　the　slightest　knowledge　of　history　in　the　sense　that　most　of　the　Sentinels；　including　Burak　and　Lron；　understood　the　term。　Unlike　the　Karbarrans；　or　Praxians　for　that　matter；　the　Garudans　seemed　to　live　entirely　in　the　present。　This　is　not　to　say　that　they　were　a　placent　group…they　were　certainly　devoted　to　securing　a　free　future　for　their　world…but　at　the　same　time；　they　could　supply　no　answers　to　questions　concerning　their　racial　past。

This　enigma　had　bee　something　of　a　preoccupation　with　Cabell　during　the　four　months　the　Sentinels　had　remained　grounded　on　Praxis。　Cabell　was　different　than　the　Masters　in　this　regard。　Those　who　had　ousted　the　Tirolian　regime　after　the　Great　Transition　were　more　interested　in　expansion　and　conquest　than　in　the　accumulation　of　knowledge；　to　the　Elders　and　their　subordinate　Triumvirates；　knowledge　of　the　past　presented　something　of　an　impediment　to　change。　They　had　their　gaze　fixed　on　the　day　after　tomorrow；　on　issues　of　uncontested　rule；　ultimate　power；　and　selective　immortality。

The　rest　of　the　Sentinels；　though；　saw　Garuda　more　in　terms　of　its　tangible　challenges；　and　foremost　among　these　was　its　very　atmosphere：　though　Earthlike　in　position；　it　was　essentially　toxic　to　all　but　the　planet's　indigenous　life…forms。　There　were　one　or　two　exceptions　to　this；　but　only　Veidt　and　Sarna　among　the　Sentinels　qualified。　Surface　scans　verified　the　presence　of　dozens　of　varieties　of　airborne　spores　and　microorganisms　whose　chemistry　Jean　Grant　likened　to　certain　laboratory…produced　psychotropic　drugs。　According　to　Cabell…based　on　what　he　had　gleaned　from　Zor's　notes…the　vulpine　beings'　mental　processes　were　linked　to　the　planet　itself　in　a　kind　of　submolecular　partnership。　Life…forms　incapable　of　entering　into　this　long…established　microcosmic　symbiosis　were　not；　however；　simply　ignored　or　exempted；　rather；　they　were　sensed　as　potentially　disturbing　to　the　ecological　balance　and　consequently　counterattacked　by　those　same　microorganisms　responsible　for　the　Garudans'　nonordinary　psychic　states。

It　had　therefore　fallen　upon　the　med　group　to　outfit　the　landing　party　with　transpirators　and　resp　canisters。　But　if　logistics　was　about　to　hamper　the　operation's　effectiveness；　the　Sentinels　could　take　some　fort　in　the　fact　that　the　Invid　had　also　fallen　prey　to　the　planet's　proprietary　nature。　In　fact；　their　presence　on　Garuda　was　essentially　restricted　to　the　hemispherically　shaped　hives　they　had　erected　in　those　areas　where　Zor's　Flower　of　Life　seedlings　had　taken　root。　The　crop　was　a　mutant　but　bountiful　one；　and　it　was　believed　that　Garuda　provided　largely　defoliated　Optera　with　much　of　its　needed　supply　of　nutrient。　With　Karbarra　liberated；　the　Regent　had　lost　his　mecha　factories；　now　the　Sentinels　meant　to　strike　him　at　the　gut　level；　destroying　as　many　of　Garuda's　orchards　and　〃farms〃　as　they　could。


Rick；　Lisa；　Cabell；　Rem；　Jack；　Karen；　Burak；　Kam