uplift4.brightnessreef-第58章

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　　〃As　I've　missed　you；　master；〃　she　replied；　surprised　how　true　it　was。　Perhaps　in　the　numbness　after　Joshu's　passing；　she　had　closed　off　too　many　good　memories　as　well　as　bad。　The　warmth　of　the　old　savant's　hand　on　her　arm　recalled　their　many　walks；　discussing　the　arcane；　endlessly　fascinating　habits　of　shapes；　the　sort　that　could　be　described　with　symbols　but　never　seen　by　human　eyes。
　　〃Please　don't　call　me　master　anymore；〃　he　asked。　〃You　are　an　adept　now；　or　should　be　soon　enough。　e；　have　a　seat　between　us；　like　old　times。〃
　　A　bit　too　much　like　old　times；　Sara　realized；　meeting　the　eyes　of　the　other　mathematician…sage。　The　tall；　silver…haired　algebraist　seemed　unchanged；　still　distant；　enigmatic。　Taine　nodded　and　spoke　her　name；　then　sat　again　facing　the　windows。　Typically；　he　had　chosen　the　position　farthest　from　the　nonhumans　in　the　room。
　　Sage　Taine's　disfort　around　the　other　septs　was　not　rare。　A　minority　felt　that　way　in　every　race；　a　reaction　deep…rooted　in　ancient　drives。　What　mattered　was　how　you　dealt　with　it；　and　Taine　was　unfailingly　polite　to　the　urs　or　g'Kek　teachers　who　came　to　consult　him　about　the　binomial　theorem。　Given　the　handicap；　it　was　just　as　well　the　tall　savant　could　live　a　scholar's　cloistered　life。。。　like　the　one　Sara　herself　had　expected…
　　…until　a　visiting　bookbinder　became　an　unlikely　suitor；　filling　Sara's　heart　with　unexpected　possibilities。
　　…until　she　boldly　announced　to　her　confused　colleagues　a　new　focus　for　her　studies；　language；　of　all　things。
　　…until　Joshu　sickened　when　pepper　pox　swept　through　the　Valley　of　the　Bibur；　a　plague　that　took　its　victims　with　agonizing　suddenness；　and　she　had　to　watch　another　woman　perform　the　rites　of　mourning；　knowing　that　everyone　was　watching；　to　see　how　she'd　react。
　　…until；　after　the　funeral；　Sage　Taine　approached　her　with　stiff　formality　and　renewed　his　earlier　proposal　of　marriage。
　　…until；　in　a　rush；　she　fled　this　place　of　dust　and　memories；　running　home　to　her　treehouse　overlooking　the　great　dam　where　she　was　born。
　　Now　it　all　circled　around　again。　Taine　had　seemed　so　austerely　beautiful　when　she　first　came　to　Biblos　in　her　teens；　a　towering　figure；　impressive　beyond　pare。　But　things　had　changed　inside　her　since。　Everything　had　changed。
　　Abruptly；　Taine's　aristocratic　bearing　broke　as　he　cursed　and　slapped　his　neck；　then　peered　at　his　hand；　frowning　in　disappointment。　Sara　glanced　at　Bonner；　who　whispered；　〃Parrot　ticks。　Such　annoyances。　If　one　gets　in　your　ear；　Ifni　help　you。　I　heard　everything　double　for　a　week；　till　Vorjin　fished　the　damn　thing　out。〃
　　Ariana　Foo　made　an　emphatic　throat…clearing　sound；　drawing　their　attention　forward。　〃I've　already　explained　to　the　others；　Sara；　my　belief　that　your　Stranger　is　a　man　from　the　stars。　Further　research　illuminates　the　nature　of　his　injuries。〃
　　Her　chimp　assistant　passed　out　sheets　of　paper；　streaked　from　hasty；　hand…cranked　photocopying；　showing　the　stylized　profile　of　a　man's　head；　with　arrows　and　captions　pointing　to　parts。　Most　of　the　words　were　gibberish　to　Sara；　though　Lark　might　have　found　them　familiar。
　　〃I　recalled　reading　about　this　once　and　was　lucky　enough　to　find　the　reference　quickly。　It　seems　that　when　our　ancestors　departed　Earth；　experiments　had　been　taking　place　with　the　objective　of　creating　direct　connections　between　puters　and　living　human　brains。〃
　　Sara　heard　an　awed　hiss　from　somewhere　in　back。　To　many　of　the　Six；　the　word　puter　carried　superstitious　power。　The　crews　of　every　sneakship　to　reach　Jijo　had　melted　all　their　digital　calculating　engines；　down　to　the　very　smallest；　before　sinking　their　star…cruisers　in　the　depths　of　the　Midden。　No　other　possession　had　such　potential　for　betraying　illegal　sapience　on　a　forbidden　world。
　　Sara　had　read　a　few　gaudy　stories　from　Earth　days；　in　which　the　author　used　mind…to…puter　links　in　the　narrative。　She　had　always　dismissed　them　as　a　metaphor；　like　legends　of　humans　flying　with　feathers　glued　to　their　arms。　But　Ariana　said　the　notion　was　once　taken　seriously。
　　〃This　illustration　shows　some　of　the　brain　areas　being　proposed　for　neural…electronic　junctions　at　the　time　our　ancestors　departed；〃　Ariana　continued。　〃Research　surely　proceeded　during　the　three　hundred　years　since。　In　fact；　it's　my　belief　that　our　Stranger　possessed　the　product…an　aperture　which　let　him　mune　with　puters　and　other　devices；　inset　just　above　the　left　ear。〃
　　Now　it　was　Sara's　turn　to　gasp。　〃Then　his…〃
　　Ariana　held　up　a　hand。　〃It　is　a　safe　guess　that　his　burns　and　lesser　injuries　resulted　when　his　ship　or　flying　craft　crash…landed　in　the　Eternal　Swamp；　not　far　from　where　Sara　and　her　friends　found　him。　Alas；　his　miraculous　escape　from　fiery　death　was　spoiled　by　one　bit　of　bad　luck；　when　the　artificial　connector　attached　to　his　head　was　violently　ripped　away；　taking　with　it　portions　of　his　left　temporal　lobe。
　　〃I　needn't　add；　this　is　the　portion　of　the　human　brain　most　closely　identified　with　speech。〃
　　Sara　could　only　blink。　Through　the　glass；　she　saw　the　man　Ariana　referred　to；　eyes　bright　and　interested；　watching　the　g'Kek　doctors　prepare　their　apparatus。
　　〃I'd　have　thought　such　damage　would　kill　him；〃　Bonner　said；　summarizing　her　own　surprise。
　　〃Indeed；　he　seems　to　have　made　a　remarkable　recovery。　Were　he　not　adult　and　male；　with　a　rigid　synaptic　structure；　perhaps　he　might　have　roused　speech　from　the　semidormant　right　temporal　lobe；　as　some　children　and　women　do；　after　suffering　damage　to　the　left　side。　As　things　stand；　there　remains　one　possib…〃　She　paused；　noticing　a　waving　of　eyestalks　in　the　next　room。
　　〃Well；　I　see　our　good　doctors　are　ready；　so　let's　proceed。〃
　　Ariana　opened　a　listening　vent　under　the　nearest　pane　of　glass。　At　almost　the　same　moment；　Sara　felt　a　sudden　sharp　pain　on　her　thigh；　and　Taine　slapped　his　neck　again。　〃Damn　pests！〃　he　muttered；　and　glanced　sideways　at　Sara。　〃Things　have　been　going　to　hell　in　more　ways　than　one　around　here。〃
　　Good　old；　cheerful　Taine；　she　thought；　quashing　an　urge　to　brush　at　her　own　neck。　Parrot　ticks　were　generally　harmless…another　mysterious　vestige　of　Buyur　times。　Who　would　ever　want　the　〃symbiosis〃　of　a　creature　who　attached　itself　to　one　of　your　veins　and　repaid　you　by　reiterating　every　sound　you　heard？　The　Buyur　must　have　been　strange　beings　indeed。
　　In　the　next　room；　one　of　the　g'Kek　doctors　opened　a　large　album　whose　thick　sleeves　held　several　dozen　slim　black　disks。　The　physician　delicately　removed　one　and　laid　it　on　a　round　platform　which　began　to　spin。
　　〃An　elenentary　sfring　action　device；〃　Ulgor　explained。　〃Easily　constructed　fron　scraf　netal　and　slices　of　voo。〃
　　〃A　primitive　but　effective　analog　storage　and　retrieval　system；〃　Taine　elucidated。
　　〃Safely　nondigital；〃　Bonner　added。
　　〃Yesss；〃　the　blue　qheuen；　Blade；　hissed　in　agreement。　〃And　I　hear　it　plays　music。　Sort　of。〃
　　The　g'Kek　doctor　gently　lowered　a　wooden　armature　until　a　slender　stylus　touched　the　rim　of　the　spinning　disk。　Almost　at　once；　low　strains　of　melody　began　crooning　from　the　machine's　hornlike　speaker。　A　strange　tinny　melody…acpanied　by　faint　crackling　pops…which　seemed　to　tickle　the　roots　of　Sara's　hair。
　　〃These　disks　are　originals；〃　Ariana　Foo　said；　〃pressed　by　the　Tabernacle　colonists　at　the　same　time　as　the　Great　Printing。　Nowadays；　only　a　few　experts　play　them。　Earthly　musical　forms　aren't　popular　in　the　modern　mons；　but　I'm　betting　our　Stranger　won't　agree。〃
　　Sara　had　heard　of　the　disk…playing　device。　It　seemed　bizarre　to　listen　to　music　with　no　living　performer　involved。　Almost　as　bizarre　as　the　music　itself；　which　sounded　unlike　anything　she　had　heard。　Sara　quickly　recognized　some　instruments…violins；　drums；　and　horns…which　was　natural；　since　string　and　wind　instruments　had　been　introduced　to　Jijo　by　Earthlings。　But　the　arrangement　of　notes　was　strange；　and　Sara　soon　realized…what　seemed　most　eerie　was　its　orderliness。
　　A　modern　Jijoan　sextet　involved　the　blending　of　six　solo　performers；　each　spontaneously　merging　with　the　others。　Half　the　excitement　came　from　waiting　for　unpredictable；　felicitous　blendings　of　harmony；　emerging　and　then　vanishing　once　more；　much　like　life　itself。　No　two　performances　were　ever　the　same。
　　But　this　is　purely　human　music。　plex　chords　coiled　and　gyred　in　sequences　that　reiterated　with　utter　disciplined　precision。　As　in　science；　the　point　is　to　make　something　repeatable；　verifiable。
　　She　glanced　at　the　others。　Ulgor　seemed　fascinated；　twitching　her　left　hand…cluster…the　one　used　for　fingering　notes　on　a　violus。　Blade　rocked　his　heavy　carapace　in　bewilderment；　while　young　Jomah；　sitting　next　to　his　stolid　uncle；　seemed　twitchy　with　confused　ennui。
　　Although　she'd　never　heard　its　like；　something　felt　ineffably　familiar　about　the　orderly　sweep　and　flow　of　harmony。　The　notes　were　like。。。　integers；　the　phrases　like　geometric　figures。
　　What　better　evidence　that　music　can　be　like　mathematics？
　　The　Stranger　was　reacting；　as　well。　He　sat　forward；　flushed；　with　clear　recognition　in　his　squinting　eyes。　Sara　felt　a　wave　of　concern。　Too　much　more　emotional　turbulence　might　push　the　poor　exhausted　man　past　his　limit。
　　〃Ariana；　is　all　of　this　going　somewhere？〃　she　asked。
　　〃In　a　minute；　Sara。〃　The　sage　held　up　her　hand　once　more。　〃That　was　just　the　overture。　Here　es　the　part　we're　interested　in。〃
　　How　does　she　know？　Sara　wondered。　Apparently；　the　breadth　of　Ariana's　eclectic　knowledge　stretched　even　to　obscure　ancient　arts。
　　Sure　enough；　in　moments　the　instrumental　arrangement　crescendoed　and　paused。　Then　a　new　element　joined　in…the　unmistakable　twang　of　human　voices。　After　missing　the　first　few　stanzas；　Sara　bent　forward；　concentrating　to　make　out　queerly　accented　words。
　　For　today　our　pirate　'prentice　rises　from　indenture　freed；
　　Strong　his　arm　and　keen　his　scent　is；　he's　a　pirate　now　indeed。
　　The　effect　on　the　Stranger　was　profound。　He　stood　up；　trembling。　The　emotion　spilling　across　his　face　was　not　simply　recognition；　but　joyful　surprise。
　　Then…to　his　own　clear　amazement　as　much　as　Sara's…he　opened　his　mouth　and　sang　along！
　　Pour；　oh　pour；　the　pirate　sherry；
　　fill；　oh　fill；　the　pirate　glass。
　　And　to　make　us　more　than　merry；
　　let　the　pirate　bumper　pass！
　　Sara　stood　up；　too；　staring　in　astonishment。　From　Ariana　Foo　came　a　shout　of　satisfaction。
　　〃Aha！　A　hit　with　the　very　first　try！　Even　with　the　cultural　cue；　I　expected　to　work　through　many　before　finding　one　he　knew。〃
　　〃But　his　injury！〃　objected　Taine。　〃I　thought　you　said…〃
　　〃Quite　right；〃　Bonner　cut　in。　〃If　he　can't　speak；　how　can　he　sing？〃
　　〃Oh；　that。〃　Ariana　dismissed　the　miracle　with　a　wave。　〃Different　functions。　Different　parts　of　the　brain。　There　are　precedents　in　the　medical　references。　I'm　told　it's　even　been　observed　here　on　Jijo；　once　or　twice。
　　〃No；　what　startles　me　is　the　cultural　persistence　this　experiment　demonstrates。　It's　been　three　hundred　years。　I'd　have　thought　by　now　Galactic　influences　would　overwhelm　all　native　Earthly…〃　The　old　woman　paused；　as　if　realizing　she　was　running　off　on　a　tangent。　〃Well；　never　mind　that。　Right　now　what　matters　is　that　our　off…planet　visitor　seems　to　have　found　a　way　to　municate；　after　all。〃
　　Even　in　the　d