15_death_dance-第22章

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He　was　tempted　to　say　something　about　Lisa's　involvement　with　Gnea　and　Bela；　but　held　his　tongue。　〃I　won't　let　that　happen。〃

She　sighed　fretfully。　〃We　used　to　have　so　many　dreams…remember？〃

〃Of　course　I　remember；〃　he　said；　trying　to　sound　cheerful。　〃And　we'll　make　every　one　of　them　e　true。〃　He　squatted　down　to　face　her。　〃Look；　let's　just　see　what　happens　on　Garuda。　From　what　Kami　says；　the　Invid　never　actually　conquered　the　place。　And　from　what　Wolff　told　me；　it　sounds　like　they　pulled　all　their　troop　carriers　away。　They've　got　a　small　garrison　there；　and　that's　it。　Maybe　there　won't　have　to　be　much　fighting。　We'll　get　to　have　some　PT。〃

She　laughed　lightly。　〃Now　there's　a　dream　if　I　ever　heard　one。〃

〃You'll　see；〃　he　said；　bringing　her　up　into　his　embrace。


In　the　cruiser's　med　room；　Jean　Grant　was　trying　to　figure　out　what　to　do　with　the　now…smooth；　football…sized　crystal　on　the　gurney…the　Spherisian　infant　Miriya　and　Bela　had　brought　up　from　Praxis。　The　two　women　were　watching　Jean's　every　move；　while　Teal　sat　quietly　in　a　corner　of　the　room。　Jean　gave　the　crystal　a　gentle　turn；　it　felt　cool　to　the　touch　and　seemingly　inanimate；　but　scans　had　indicated　a　high　level　of　bioenergy；　or　at　least　an　approximation　thereof。　God　knew　the　thing　was　growing　fast　enough！　Jean　sensed　Miriya　and　Bela's　eyes　on　her　and　said；　〃Well；　what　do　you　two　expect　me　to　do　with　this；　this。。。child？　She　turned　sharply　to　Teal。　〃Teal；　get　over　here！　At　least　tell　me　what　I'm　supposed　to　do。〃

Wearily；　Teal　got　to　her　feet　and　joined　Jean　at　the　gurney。　She　glanced　down　at　the　crystal　and　fixed　her　transparent　eyes　on　the　infant's　saviors。　〃You　saved　him；　Bela。　You　raise　him。〃

〃It's　a　him？〃　Jean　asked；　peering　at　the　crystal　as　though　she　had　missed　something。　〃How　do　you　know　that？〃

〃Because　it　is　Baldan's　child。　It　is　Baldan。〃

Miriya　made　a　face。　〃Wait　a　minute；　let's　get　this　straight：　is　it　Baldan；　or　is　it　Baldan's　child？〃

〃It　is　both；〃　Teal　told　her。

〃Well；　it　sure　doesn't　look　like　Baldan；〃　Jean　pointed　out。　〃Is　it；　er；　he　in　a　state　of　gestation　inside　the　crystal？　Or　do　we　need　to　incubate　him？　Speak　to　me；　girl！〃

Teal　turned　away　from　the　gurney。　〃I　don't　want　to　care　for　it！〃　When　she　faced　them　again；　it　was　obvious　she　was；　in　some　Spherisian　fashion；　crying。　〃Baldan　was　not　my　mate；〃　she　explained。　〃It　was　the　Invid　Tesla　who　chose　us；　it　was　he　who　brought　us　together。〃

Jean　put　a　hand　on　Teal's　shoulder。　〃But　I　don't　understand；　honey。　What　does　all　this　have　to　do　with　caring　for　the　child？〃

〃He　must　be　shaped〃　Teal　answered　her。　〃And　to　do　so　I　must　enter　into　a　rapport　with　Baldan…I　must　bee　his　mate。〃

No　one　said　anything　for　a　moment。　〃And　if　we　do　nothing？〃　Bela　asked。

〃Baldan　will　die。〃　Teal　continued　to　cry；　muttering　to　herself　in　her　own　tongue…praying；　Jean　ventured。　Then　suddenly　she　produced　a　kind　of　crystalline　paring　knife　from　the　bodice　of　her　garment。

〃Teal；　no！〃　Jean　started　to　say；　but　before　she　could　stop　her；　Teal　had　struck　the　infant　with　the　edge　of　the　blade；　as　one　might　bring　a　tool　to　bear　on　a　piece　of　ore。　A　chip　broke　away　from　the　crystal；　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