[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

reasonable chance.
Unless in the melee he could release his Sculp host from the android body, and sneak across the floor and out the
window while the Amoebites took apart the android. They wanted the equipment that they thought enhanced his
aura so well, so they could not afford to smash it. Even if his quiescence made them think he had turned off, they
still would not want to rush it. That might give him time. Sculps had excellent climbing ability; he might scale the
outer wall. It was a serious risk, but-
He tried it, and discovered that it was difficult to open the android from inside; it was intended to be serviced from
the outside. And how could he escape this shell without being observed? Maybe he could arrange one more tangle....
Three -9's grabbed him, clamping on firmly. He could not free himself this time! The half-second advantage was
nullified by the mindless grip. Now the fourth -9 was returning to open his android, and he could not possibly avoid-
All the androids suddenly froze in place.
Herald shuddered with relief. His plea had been heard! The masters of the enclave had realized that something was
wrong, and had cut off the beamed power to the androids. The Amoebites might be in control of these units, but they
a
a
T
T
n
n
s
s
F
F
f
f
o
o
D
D
r
r
P
P
m
m
Y
Y
e
e
Y
Y
r
r
B
B
2
2
.
.
B
B
A
A
Click here to buy
Click here to buy
w
w
m
m
w
w
o
o
w
w
c
c
.
.
.
.
A
A
Y
Y
B
B
Y
Y
B
B
r r
would not be able to make them operate without that power. Maybe the Amoeba ship would be able to beam down
its own power, but that would be chancy because the local power monitors would light up and the ship would soon
be located and attacked. Probably by that time Herald and Hweeh would have escaped anyway, and the androids
would be in custody of the enclave authorities.
He heard help coming: the clack of Pins, the hum of Wheels. He had saved himself, but it would count for nothing if
he did not use his information to prepare the willfully blind Cluster for the battle against the Amoeba. The enemy
was handicapped by its lack of Transfer ability-but the enemy had a million heavily armed ships, and the means to
mattermit them across the Cluster. Only the science of the Ancients could stop such a thrust-and there was only one
way to achieve that science in time.
This was the third revelation he had suffered: to realize that he would have to take Melody of Mintaka's advice
seriously, subordinating his personal revulsion to the needs of his society. He would have to enter a functioning
Ancient site-the same one Melody had entered-and hope to learn its secrets before the Amoeba blasted it. He had
been resistant to the notion, because it seemed to constitute a betrayal of both his personal resolve to stay away from
Flame of Furnace, and his love for Psyche. But now he had to do it. In fact, he should have done it before, instead of
coming here.
Chapter 11 Cluster of Sites
X Contact by units S and 9 severed. Enemy has discovered our presence. X
& Then we must act. Accelerate full-scale mattermission to heartworlds of all Cluster sapients. Withhold final
action until placement is complete, unless individual ships are attacked. &
0 Mission proceeds, virtually complete. Overt action shall be coordinated by schedule. Is it still necessary to hold,
pending reverification for soul sapience? 0
& Correct. It is to be regretted that precipitous action is contemplated, but the outcome is not in question. We shall
reverify if events do not make this unfeasible. &
0 Problem of logistics. Unit 1, presently on watch by ancient site of planet £, now required for main thrust. 0
& The main thrust is preemptive. Reassign unit 1. The enemy has shown no sign of activating that site, and even if
this occurred now, there would not be time for them to draw sufficient advantage from it before our action hour. &
Herald lifted his three great feet in turn, getting the feel of his massive new host. This was a £, rather like the triped
Moderns skaters, but fully living, sapient, and much larger. The £ were the giants of Sphere Dash, Andromeda, and
were among the largest sapients anywhere in the Cluster. For a long time they had been treated as virtual slaves by
the more technological, but not more civilized, birds of Dash. But now they had come into their own, and though the
labors they performed were much the same as before, and many utilized the supervision of Dash mahouts, there was
no question to whom this world belonged. The £ still preferred lives of brute physical work coupled with esthetic
mental interactions. The birds were tolerated to the extent they facilitated this by assuming the tedious direction of
the physical program, but it was no longer against law or custom for individual £ to be without mahouts, or to
wander wherever they chose.
Here on Planet £ was the finest functioning Ancient site known. Herald only hoped it was not yet known to the
Amoeba. If it was, he was about to commit suicide. And maybe that would be fitting.
He whirled his body slowly, setting his feet down in order, progressing along the trail to the great bog of jelly.
Melody of Mintaka had trod a similar trail a thousand years ago, on her way to the first opening of this site, and the
resulting victory for her Galaxy. Could Herald do likewise?
Now he was descending into the bog. The atmosphere thickened into viscosity, impeding progress, but his host was
adequate to the need. Herald regretted leaving the prismatic feather trees behind. He knew they broke the sunlight
into its component hues so that each species could utilize its particular wavelength, but to him it was a tremendously
artistic thing, a wilderness mural in light. The bog, in contrast, was deepening into gray, then black, as all light was
excluded. He had to use senses other than sight to avoid the greater nether branches of the lattice that crisscrossed
the bog at different levels, and he also stayed clear of the aromatic scentwood trunks, so valuable for construction.
He was here for quite another purpose!
What, he wondered, had Melody discovered in this deep site that she refused ever to reveal? Every time he thought
a
a
T
T
n
n
s
s
F
F
f
f
o
o
D
D
r
r
P
P
m
m
Y
Y
e
e
Y
Y
r
r
B
B
2
2
.
.
B
B
A
A
Click here to buy
Click here to buy
w
w
m
m
w
w
o
o
w
w
c
c
.
.
.
.
A
A
Y
Y
B
B
Y
Y
B
B
r r
he had figured it out, he considered some more and was sure he was still ignorant. It was a bit like Hweeh of
Weew's reflex of shock, concealing important information to protect individual or society. Yet did any individual
have the right to make such a decision?
Hweeh had gone to a lot of trouble to make this venture of Herald's possible. The Weew had Transferred back to his
own Segment to "pull strings" as he put it, causing the Minister of Weew to confer with the Minister of Dash, who
in turn allowed this intrusion into this closely guarded region. Perhaps each had been motivated as much by private
curiosity about the site, as by the alleged threat to the Cluster that Herald hoped to abate. So he was here, and there
would be one other entity here-and he had resolved not only to save the Cluster, but to tell the truth, whatever it
might be. Knowledge was the root of all power. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

zanotowane.pl

doc.pisz.pl

pdf.pisz.pl

skierniewice.pev.pl