18_the_end_of_the_circle-第28章

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The　Terran　legation　had　tried　to　convince　Karbarra　to　stay　its　warlike　hand；　if　only　until　Haydon　IV　had　a　chance　to　respond　to　the　charges　brought　against　it。　In　this；　the　Ark　Angel　promised　to　act　as　intermediary　and　arbiter。　But　it　had　been　plain　that　Karbarra　was　out　for　more　than　blood　vengeance。　The　ursinoids　had　agreed　not　to　obstruct　Earth's　representatives　from　municating　with　the　Haydonites　but　had　assured　everyone　that　a　flotilla　of　Karbarran　ships　would　be　folding　at　the　Ark　Angel's　stern　and　that　any　hostility　Haydon　IV　directed　against　them　would　be　met　in　kind。

Vince；　Jean；　Harry　Penn；　Scott；　Cabell；　and　Nichols　and　his　interface　addict　associates　had　passed　most　of　the　journey　from　Tirol　gathered　in　the　starship's　situation　room；　discussing　strategic　options　and　speculating　on　the　SDF…3's　present　whereabouts。

Scott；　his　body　hot…wired　on　an　assortment　of　liquid　stimulants；　thought　he　might　simply　spontaneously　bust　before　the　session　ended。　The　brief　reunion　with　his　parents　had　only　aggravated　the　concern　he　felt　for　his　missing　friends；　and　to　top　that　off　he　had　finally　taken　his　tortuous　relationship　with　Marlene　to　its　predictable　conclusion。

Back　on　the　Angel　after　the　nearly　disastrous　summit　in　Tiresia；　he　had　gone　to　her　cell…against　his　better　judgment…where　one　thing　had　led　to　another；　and　had　ultimately　found　the　two　of　them　pressed　against　a　spot　of　bulkhead　inaccessible　to　the　prying　eyes　of　the　security　cams；　making　love　with　animal　intensity。　Green　blood　or　no；　Marlene　was　a　woman　of　human　needs　and　passions。　And　while　Scott　was　still　deliciously　dazed　from　their　sensual　intertwining；　the　encounter　had　left　him　more　confused　than　ever。

〃I'm　sorry　to　make　it　sound　like　this；　Cabell；〃　Vince　was　saying；　〃but　we　didn't　make　the　jump　from　Earth　to　get　ourselves　entangled　in　Local　Group　affairs。　We　came　back　for　the　SDF…3；　not　to　assist　Karbarra　in　its　push　for　control　of　the　spaceways。〃

Cabell's　clear　eyes　narrowed。　〃Perhaps　not；　mander；　but　I　suggest　the　time　has　arrived　for　Earth　to　consider　itself　part　of　the　Local　Group。　After　all；　it　was　at　the　insistence　of　your　Plenipotentiary　Council　that　this　war　machine　was　built　to　begin　with。〃

The　Terrans　waited。

〃I　would　point　out　to　you　that　the　SDF…3　had　the　capacity　to　fold　to　Earth　shortly　after　the　end　of　the　Sentinels'　campaign。　You　could　have　returned　then；　with　the　Local　Group's　blessings　and　thanks；　instead　of　anchoring　yourself　in　Tirol璼pace　for　an　additional　three　years。〃

Vince　snorted。　〃Embark　on　a　five…year　voyage　to　find　our　homeworld　occupied　by　the　Invid　Regis？〃

〃So　you　chose　to　defeat　her　in　a　war；〃　Cabell　said　in　a　casual　way。　〃The　result　is　the　same。　You　perhaps　succeeded　in　chasing　her　off；　but　at　what　cost？　The　fleet　you　labored　to　construct　is　gone；　atomized。　Your　planet　is　devastated。　And　your　philosophy　of　answering　might　with　might　has　had　a　telling　effect　on　the　Local　Group　worlds。〃　The　Tiresian　raised　an　accusatory　finger。　〃You　knew　full　well　when　you　left　Tirol　what　you　had　set　in　motion　on　Karbarra。〃

Scott　was　grateful　for　the　momentary　silence　that　followed　Cabell's　remarks。　On　the　voyage　out　from　Earth；　Vince　had　brought　him　up　to　date　on　Local　Group　grudges；　but　Scott　had　not　expected　the　once　morose　Karbarrans　to　be　so　radically　affected　by　their　recent　economic　windfalls。　And　aside　from　problems　of　a　localized　sort；　there　were；　to　hear　Cabell　and　Nichols　tell　it；　problems　in　the　grand　scheme　of　things　as　well。　Scott　could　not　follow　half　the　mathematical　proofs　the　scientists　had　offered　up　as　evidence；　but　something　had　apparently　worked　a　bit　of　underhanded　universal　micro/macro　magic；　tugging　matter　in　both　realms　just　that　much　closer　together。　Cabell　had　even　said　something　about　pulsar　stars　disappearing　entirely　a　〃Big　Crunch〃　in　the　working。

〃I　don't　see　what　Karbarra　or　Haydon　IV's　got　to　do　with　us；〃　Scott　interjected。　〃General　Grant's　already　said　it；　Cabell：　It's　the　Regis　we're　after。〃

Scott　noticed　Nichols　and　Cabell　trade　looks。

〃We　were　hoping　you　could　update　us　on　that　score；　Colonel；〃　Nichols　said　at　last。

〃Me？　How　so？〃

〃Well；　you've　been　having　intimate　。。。　discussions　with　her　agent；　haven't　you？〃　Nichols　asked。　〃We　thought　maybe　Marlene　had　told　you　something　in　confidence。〃

Scott's　face　went　crimson。　He　might　have　known　it　was　not　that　easy　to　get　around　the　security　cams　in　Marlene's　cell。　〃She　hasn't　told　me　anything；〃　Scott　muttered；　eyes　averted　from　the　table。

Nichols　made　a　dismissive　motion。　〃All　the　more　reason　for　municating　with　Haydon　IV；　then。〃

〃If　we　only　knew　more　about　the　descendants　of　Haydon；〃　Jean　said。

Cabell　looked　at　her。　〃Descendants　of　Haydon？　Surely　you　don't　mean　Veidt's　brethren？〃

The　expression　on　Jean's　brown　face　flattened。　〃Well；　yes；　I　did。　〃

〃The　beings　we　call　Haydonites；〃　Cabell　said；　〃bear　no　more　relation　to　Haydon　than　do　Karbarrans；　Praxians；　or　any　other　Local　Group　race。〃　He　caught　sight　of　Jean's　puzzled　look　and　added；　〃Perhaps　I　should　explain。〃

Vince　said；　〃Perhaps　you　should。〃

Cabell　rubbed　the　side　of　his　nose。　〃The　one　we　call　Haydon　is　thought　to　have　been　a　member　of　an　ancient；　highly　evolved　spacefaring　group；　whose　collective　name…if　indeed　they　possessed　one…has　not　been　passed　down　to　us。　Nor；　for　that　matter；　can　we　be　certain　that　‘Haydon'　was　the　name　applied　to　a　single　entity　or　the　group　itself。

〃Jean；　Vince；　Scott；　you　have　all　seen　some　of　the　shrines　erected　to　Haydon；　and　certainly　you　recall　how　dissimilar　they　are　to　one　another；　save　for　their　age　and　gargantuan　size。　But　not　one　is　believed　to　represent　Haydon　as　a　living　being。〃

〃But　there　has　to　be　some　record　of　him；　or　them；〃　Jean　said。　〃Instruments；　tools；　artifacts；　that　sort　of　thing。〃　Cabell　chuckled　to　himself。　〃You're　familiar　with　Garudans；　Praxians；　Karbarrans；　and　such；　are　you　not？〃

Jean　nodded。

〃Well；　Haydon's　handiwork　is　these　very　races。〃　Cabell　adjusted　the　high　collar　of　his　cloak。　〃You　see；　each　planetary　race　was　in　a　sense　‘altered'　by　Haydon。　And　each　perpetuated　Haydon　in　a　form　appropriate　to　their　own　world　view。　So　one　hears　Spherisians　speak　of　‘the　Great　Shaper'　or　Karbarrans　mention　‘the　Great　Augury；〃　when　in　effect　they　are　all　talking　about　the　same　entity　or　group。〃

Cabell　shook　his　head　in　a　self…amused　way。　〃Where　that　group　came　from　we　cannot　begin　to　guess。　But　from　myths；　legends；　and　fanciful　historical　accounts　that　have　been　handed　down　to　us　emerge　'through　a　glass　darkly；'　if　I　may　borrow　a　Terran　phrase…two　versions　of　the　final　days　of　Haydon's　race。　In　one　we　are　told　that　they　were　on　the　threshold　of　an　incredible　turning　point　in　self…generated　evolution　when　they　were　destroyed　in　some　catastrophe　their　own　tamperings　may　inadvertently　have　brought　about。〃

〃And　the　second？〃　Nichols　asked。

Cabell　let　out　his　breath。　〃In　the　light　of　recent　developments；　this　version　is　by　far　the　more　interesting。　For　it　suggests　that　the　race　did　not　vanish…though　we　are　so　led　to　believe…but　placed　itself　in　a　state　of　what　I　once　heard　Dr。　Lang　refer　to　as　suspended　animation。〃

〃We're　all　familiar　with　the　term；　Cabell；〃　Vince　assured　him。　〃But　what　are　these　。　。　。　geniuses　supposed　to　be　waiting　for？〃

〃An　event；〃　Cabell　said　with　a　faraway　look。　〃A　cosmic　event　that　would　alter　the　fabric　of　spacetime。〃

Nichols　gaped　at　the　Tiresian　from　across　the　table。　〃The　Invid；〃　he　said；　gazing　at　everyone。　〃Don't　you　get　it？　Their　mating　with　the　Protoculture；　their　transubstantiation。　That's　what　Haydon's　race　was　waiting　for。〃

He　threw　his　head　back　and　laughed。　〃They're　getting　ready　to　wake　up。　They're　figuring　on　hooking　onto　the　Invid　phoenix　and　following　it　right　off　the　map！〃


CHAPTER　FIFTEEN

Of　course；　we　had　a　sizing　chamber　aboard　＇the　SDF…3＇；　but　Cabell's　suggestion　that　micronization　of　Drannin　or　the　other　Zentraedi　children　could　result　in　developmental　problems　had　naturally　filled　Kazianna　with　a　newfound　fear　of　the　device。　I　still　believe　the　suggestion　was　totally　unfounded；　but　because　it　was　taken　as　gospel　at　the　time；　it　meant　that　those　Zentraedi　who　had　elected　to　ship　with　us　had　done　so　full…size…not　to　mention　what　it　m