amc.killashandra-第4章

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Research　develop　an　efficient　portable　excavator？〃
　Lanzecki　cocked　his　head　slightly。　〃It　is　the　firm　opinion　of　Research　that　any　one　of　the　nine　efficient；　portable　and　durable；〃　a　significant　pause；　〃excavators　already　field…tested　ought　to　perform　the　task　for　which　it　was　engineered。。。　except　in　the　hands　of　a　crystal　singer。　It　is　the　opinion　of　Research　that　the　only　two　pieces　of　equipment　that　do　not　tax　the　mechanical　aptitude　of　a　singer　are　his　cutter　…　though　Fisherman　does　not　concur　…　and　his　sled；　and　you　have　already　heard　section　and　paragraph　from　the　Flight　Engineer　on　that　score。　Haven't　you？〃
　Killashandra　regarded　him　stolidly　for　a　few　moments；　then　remembered　to　chew　what　was　in　her　mouth。
　〃Overheard　him；〃　she　said；　with　a　malicious　grin。　〃Don't　try　to　distract　me　from　this　Optherian　business。〃
　〃I'm　not。　I　am　bringing　to　your　notice　the　several　overt　disadvantages　to　an　assignment　that　involves　a　long　absence　from　Ballybran　for　what　might；　in　the　long　run；　be　inadequate　pensation。〃　His　expression　changed　subtly。　〃I'd　rather　not　be　professionally　at　odds　with　you。　It　interferes　with　my　private　life。〃
　His　dark　eyes　caught　hers。　He　reached　for　her　hands；　lips　curved　in　the　one…sided　smile　that　she　found　so　affecting。　She　no　longer　shared　a　table　with　her　Guild　Master　but　with　Lanzecki　the　man。　The　alteration　pleased　her。　On　numerous　occasions；　during　sleepless　nights　in　the　Milekey　Ranges；　she　had　fondly　remembered　their　love…making。　Now；　seated　opposite　the　charismatic　Lanzecki；　she　found　that　her　appetite　for　more　than　food　had　been　pletely　restored。
　Her　smile　answered　his　and　together　they　rose　from　the　little　table　and　headed　for　the　sleeping　room。
　Chapter　2
　Killashandra　pushed　herself　back　from　the　terminal　and；　balancing　on　the　base　of　her　spine；　stretched　arms　and　legs　as　far　from　her　body　as　bone　and　tendon　permitted。　She　had　spent　the　morning　immersed　in　the　Optherian　entry　of　the　Encyclopedia　Galactica。
　Once　she　had　got　past　the　initial　exploration　and　evaluation　report　to　the　release　of　the　Ophiuchine　planet　for　colonization；　and　the　high…flown　language　of　its　charter　…　〃to　establish　a　colony　of　Mankind　in　plete　harmony　with　the　ecological　balance　of　his　adopted　planet：　to　ensure　the　propagation　thereon　of　the　Species　in　its　pure；　unadulterated　Form。〃　She　kept　waiting　for　the　fly　to　appear　in　the　syrupy　ointment　of　Optheria's　honey　pot。
　Optheria　was　an　old　planet　in　geological　terms。　A　near…circular　orbit　about　an　aging　sun　produced　a　temperate　clime。　There　was　little　seasonal　change　since　the　axial　〃wobble〃　was　negligible；　and　modest　glaciers　capped　both　poles。　Optheria　was　inordinately　proud　of　its　self…sufficiency　in　a　civilization　where　many　planets　were　so　deeply　in　debt　to　mercantile　satellites　that　they　were　almost　charged　for　the　atmosphere　that　encapsulated　them。　Optherian　imports　were　minimal。。。　with　the　exception　of　tourists　seeking　to　〃enjoy　the　gentler　pleasures　of　old　Terra　in　a　Totally　Natural　World。〃
　Killashandra；　reading　with　an　eye　to　hidden　significance's；　paused　to　consider　the　implications。　Although　her　experience　with　planets　had　been　limited　to　two　…　Fuerte；　her　planet　of　origin；　and　Ballybran；　she　knew　enough　of　how　worlds　wagged　to　sense　the　iron　idealism　that　probably　supported　the　Optherian　propaganda。　She　tapped　a　question　and　frowned　at　the　negative　answer：　Optheria's　Charter　Signers　were　not　proselytizers　of　a　religious　sect　nor　did　Optheria　recognize　a　federal　church。　As　many　worlds　had　been　colonized　for　idealist　forms　of　government；　religiously　or　secularly　oriented；　as　for　purely　mercial　considerations。　The　guiding　principle　of　foundation　could　not　yet　be　considered　the　necessary　criterion　for　a　successful　subculture。　The　variables　involved　were　too　numerous。
　But　the　entry　made　it　clear　that　Optheria　was　considered　efficiently　organized　and；　with　its　substantial　positive　galactic　balance　of　payments；　a　creditably　administered　world。　The　entry　concluded　with　a　statement　that　Optheria　was　well　worth　a　visit　during　its　annual　Summer　Festival。　She　detected　a　certain　hint　of　irony　in　that　bland　ment。　While　she　would　have　preferred　to　sample　some　of　the　exotic　and　sophisticated　pleasures　available　to　those　with　credit　enough；　she　felt　she　could　tolerate　Optheria's　〃natural〃　pastimes　in　return　for　the　sizeable　fee　and　a　long　vacation　from　Ballybran。
　She　considered　Lanzecki's　diffidence　about　the　assignment。　Could　he　be　charged　with　favoritism　if　he　gave　her　another　choice　off…world　assignment？　Who　would　remember　that　she　had　been　away　during　the　horrendous　Passover　Storms；　much　less　where？　She'd　been　peremptorily　snatched　away　by　Trag；　shoved　onto　the　moon　shuttle；　and　without　a　shred　of　background　data　about　the　vagaries　of　the　Trundomoux；　delivered　willy…nilly　to　a　naval　autocracy　to　cope　with　the　exigencies　of　installing　millions　of　credits'　worth　of　black　munication　crystal　for　a　bunch　of　skeptical　spartan　pioneers。　The　assignment　had　been　no　sinecure。　As　Trag　was　the　only　other　person　who　had　known　of　it；　was　he　the　objector？　He　very　easily　could　be；　as　Administration　Officer；　yet　Killashandra　did　not　think　that　Trag　could；　or　did；　influence　Guild　Master　Lanzecki。
　A　second　wild　notion　followed　quickly　on　the　heels　of　that　one。　Were　there　any　Optherians　on　the　roster　of　the　Heptite　Guild　to　whom　such　a　job　might　be　assigned？。。。　The　Heptite　Guild　had　no　Optherian　members。
　From　her　ten　years　in　the　Music　Department　of　Fuerte's　Culture　Center；　Killashandra　was　familiar　with　the　intricacies　of　Optherian　sensory　organ　instruments。　The　encyclopedia　enlarged　the　picture　by　stating　that　music　was　a　planetwide　mania　on　Optheria；　with　citizens　peting　on　a　planetary　scale　for　opportunities　to　perform　on　the　sensory　organs。　With　that　sort　of　environment；　Killashandra　thought　it　very　odd　indeed　that　Optheria　produced　no　candidates　with　the　perfect　pitch　that　was　the　Heptite　Guild's　essential　entry　requirement。　And；　with　petitions　on　a　worldwide　scale；　there　would　be　thousands　disappointed。　Killashandra　smiled　in　sour　sympathy。　Surely　some　would　look　for　off…world　alternatives。
　Her　curiosity　titillated；　Killashandra　checked　other　Guilds。　Optherians　did　not　go　into　the　Space　Services　or　into　galactic　mercantile　enterprises；　nor　were　embassies；　consulates　or　legates　of　Optheria　listed　in　the　Diplomatic　Registers。　There　she　lucked　out　by　discovering　a　qualifier：　As　the　planet　was　nearly　self…sufficient　and　no　Optherians　left　their　home　world；　there　was　no　need　for　such　services。　All　normal　inquiries　about　Optheria　had　to　be　directed　to　the　Office　of　External　Trade　and　merce　on　Optheria。
　Killashandra　paused　in　perplexity。　A　planet　so　perfect；　so　beloved　by　its　citizens　that　no　one　chose　to　leave　its　surface？　She　found　that　very　hard　to　believe。　She　recalled　the　encyclopedia's　entry　on　the　planet；　searching　for　the　code　on　Naturalization。　Yes；　well；　citizenship　was　readily　available　for　those　interested　but　could　not　be　rescinded。　She　checked　the　Penal　Code　and　discovered　that；　unlike　many　worlds；　Optheria　did　not　deport　its　criminal　element：　any　recidivists　were　acmodated　at　a　rehabilitation　center。
　Killashandra　shivered。　So　even　perfect　Optheria　had　to　resort　to　rehabilitation。
　Having　delved　sufficiently　into　Optheria's　history　and　background　to　satisfy　her　basic　curiosity；　she　turned　to　research　the　procedure　necessary　to　replace　a　fractured　manual。　The　installation　posed　no　overt　problems　as　the　bracketing　was　remarkably　similar　to　that　required　by　the　black　munications　crystal。　The　tuning　would　be　more　plex　because　of　the　broad…frequency　variable　output　of　the　Optherian　organ。　The　instrument　was　similar　to　early　Terran　pipe　organs；　with　four　manuals　and　a　terminal　with　hundreds　of　stops；　but　a　performer　on　the　Optherian　organ　read　a　score　containing　olfactory；　neural；　visual；　and　aural　notes。　The　crystal　manual　was　in　permanent　handshake　with　the　multiplex　demodulator；　the　synapse　carrier　encoder；　and　the　transducer　terminal　networks。　Or　so　the　manual　said；　no　schematic　was　included　in　the　entry。　Nor　could　she　remember　one　from　her　days　at　the　Fuerte　Music　Center。
　Dedicated　Optherian　players　spent　lifetimes　arranging　music　embe