18_the_end_of_the_circle-第75章

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I　got　a　sense　of　how　much　things　had　changed　when　we　（the　Hunters）　went　with　Scott　Bernard　and　Marlene　to　catch　up　with　old　friends　down　in　one　of　the　Restoration　Bureau's　South　American　reserves。　Young　Stone　Face　had　by　then　broken　down　and　faced　the　fact　that　he　loved　Marlene　（later；　Scott　even。　asked　and　got　a　reconciliation　with　Marlene　Rush's　parents；　who'd　survived　on　Tirol）　and　proposed　to　her。

But　he　still　felt　he　needed　a　little　moral　support　for　this　mission；　I　guess。

His　old　rade　Lunk　had　buried　his　bitterness；　however；　even　though　he　turned　his　face　away　and　was　shaken　by　sobs　when　he　saw　Marlene。　But　Lunk　gave　Scott　a　sincere　handshake　and　Marlene　a　heartbreakingly　chaste　kiss　on　the　cheek。　I'd　seen　old　pictures　of　him；　and　Lunk　had　changed　a　lot；　stomach　expanded；　hair　thinned　to　a　gray　fringe　around　his　bald　head。　He　looked　like　a　sad　old　simian。

Rand　and　Rook　Bartley　showed　up　with　little　Maria；　there　was　a　lot　of　ribbing　about　the　success　of　Rand's　Notes　on　the　Run；　Rook　doubting　he　could　cut　it　as　a　Forager　anymore。　He　did　seem　a　little　chagrined；　especially　since　his　wife　still　looked　like　she'd　kept　her　biker　edge。

Still；　it　was　plain　that　they　loved　each　other；　even　if　Rook　wasn't　happy　about　little　Maria's　preoccupation　with　her　word　processor。

Just　as　things　became　less　formal；　we　were　almost　run　over　by　a　dinosaur。　From　what　I'd　heard　of　Annie　LaBelle；　I　shouldn't　have　been　surprised　that　she　was　a　reckless　behemoth　driver。

Rick　and　I　were　looking　around　for　guns　that　we　weren't　carrying…since　nobody　has　any　on　Earth　anymore…but　Roy　II　thought　that　thunder　lizard　was　just　the　greatest　thing　since　crayons。

And　sitting　on　a　saddle　up　behind　its　head　was　Annie。　It　was　a　seismosaurus；　she　told　us　later；　biggest　of　the　herbivorous　heavyweights；　it　sure　impressed　me。

With　Annie　was　her　husband；　Magruder；　the　two　of　them　looking…and　dressed…like　a　new…tech　Tarzan　and　Jane。　Scott　made　some　ment　about　how　nicely　she'd　sprouted　up　and　filled　out；　and　Magruder　seemed　to　accept　that　with　great　pride。

At　the　local　Bureau　HQ；　Annie　and　Lunk　filled　us　in　on　all　the　strides　genetic　engineering　had　made　since　contact　with　the　Local　Group…and　especially；　of　course；　with　the　Tirolians。

Even　fossilized　genetic　models　could　be　revived；　and　existing　ones　cloned　and　varied；　differentiation　being　so　important　to　species　survival。　Not　only　were　pandas；　snow　leopards；　and　whales　thriving；　so　were　passenger　pigeons；　giant　sloths；　and　woolly　mammoths。

And　of　course；　the　biggest　debate　at　that　time　was　whether　it　would　be　immoral　to　bring　Neanderthals　back　from　extinction　（or；　to　put　it　another　way；　leave　them　extinct）。　Annie　and　Magruder…both　of　whom　had　advanced　degrees　in　neogenetics　were　passionate　about　opposite　sides　of　the　argument；　as　ready　to　punch　it　out　as　they　were　to　kiss　and　make　up。

At　any　rate；　Scott　and　Marlene's　strike　force　reunion　turned　gut　well；　but　I　had　my　first　real　exposure　to　the　fact　that　an　aging　SDF　skipper　wasn't　exactly　in　demand　anymore　in　this　brave　new　world。　I　was　out　of　phase；　bereft　of　background　data。　There　were　more　shocks　waiting　for　all　of　us。

What　hit　Scott　and　Marlene　hardest；　I　think；　was　news　of　he　death　of　the　freedom　fighter　named　Lancer；　also　known　as　Yellow　Dancer。　But　something　bore　them　up　when　they　beard　how　he　died　flying　a　disaster　relief　mission。　I　think　it　was　the　insights　of　the　Intersection；　where　we　all　saw　the　big　picture　a　little　more　clearly。

That；　plus　the　fact　that　his　music　lives　on　after　him；　as　popular　now　as　Minmei's。　People　started　to　talk　about　slipping　in　fingers　of　the　two…recreation　artists　for　〃The　Concert　That　Never　Was。〃　The　idea　was　almost　universally　ignored。　Perhaps　the　slimy…souled　people　who　came　up　with　it　would　feel　differently　if　they'd　gone　through　the　Intersection。

The　effects　of　that　passage　and　its　insights　were　pointed　up　electrifyingly　when　a　few　of　us　were　flown　out　for　a　tour　of　a　big　reforestation　program　in　Alaska。　It　was　an　especially　affecting　trip　for　Rick　and　me；　since　we　weren't　so　far　from　where　the　Grand　Cannon　installation　once　was。

We　were　shown　to　where　people　worked；　patiently　reseeding　the　restored　and　prepared　slopes　with　tiny　firs。　I　didn't　notice　anything　in　particular；　walking　past　a　bent　figure　that　seemed　to　be　giving　all　its　attention　lovingly　to　what　was　being　done。　It　was　Dana；　a　few　paces　behind；　who　let　out　a　yell。

Rick　and　I　turned　to　see　the　Sterlings　and　our　guide　looking　on　in　horror　as　Dana；　hauling　at　the　worker's　faded　coverall；　prepared　to　deal　him　a　blow　to　the　side　of　the　temple　with　the　heel　of　her　cocked…back　hand。　No　question　about　it；　she　was　out　to　kill。

Part　of　our　astonishment；　too；　was　the　appearance　of　the　worker。　I　have　never　seen　such　a　gnarled；　pitifully　scarred；　frightened　creature　in　my　life。　He　dropped　his　little　tray　of　seedlings；　and　all　he　could　do　was　cringe　and　whimper。　Yet　Dana；　eyes　bugging　from　her　head；　wasn't　deterred　a　bit。

Rick　and　I　were　revving　up；　trying　to　get　to　her　to　stop；　like　cartoon　characters　having　trouble　getting　into　motion。　Max　and　Miriya；　who'd　been　looking　the　other　way；　were　kind　of　tangled　up　with　each　other。

But　there　was　someone　else　to　intervene。　Not　that　Dana　was　overpowered…a　tough　proposition　at　any　time。　Still；　when　Aurora's　gentle　hand　came　to　rest　on　Dana's　tensed；　heelshot　one；　the　action　froze。

〃You　don't　want　to　do　that。　Sister…〃

And　with　that；　Aurora　went　up　on　tiptoes　to　whisper　something　into　Dana's　ear。　The　rest　of　us　had　stood　rooted；　and　we　saw　Dana's　hand　relax　as　she　released　the　man　cowering　in　her　grip。　Dana　looked　around　the　reseeded　slopes；　the　life　that　was　ing　back　to　a　devastated　wasteland；　and　turned　away。

As　Dana　walked　back　toward　our　shuttle；　one　of　the　program　supervisors　gently　got　the　man　back　to　work；　saying　reassuring　things；　calling　him　〃Alf。〃

I　ran　a　check　and　found　out　about　the　assassination　of　Milicent　Edgewick　and　the　disappearance　of　her　familiar。　Dana's　instincts　were　correct；　and　the　brainwiped；　hollow　wretch　she'd　been　about　to　kill　was　Farnham；　once　known　as　Senator　Alfonse　Napoleon　Russo；　though　now　he　only　answered　to　the　name　Alf。　How　he　found　his　way　into　a　custodial　rehab　program　for　marginally　functional　war　casualty　types；　no　one　was　able　to　say。

Heaven　knows；　Dana　had　good　cause　to　execute　him；　all　of　us　did。　But　seeing　what　he'd　e　to　in　the　end；　we　dropped　the　matter。　I've　never　presumed　to　ask　Aurora　what　it　was　she　whispered　into　her　sister's　ear；　but　I　imagine　it　was　to　the　effect　that　there　had　been　enough　death；　part　of　the　revivifying　process　we　and　the　planet　are　undergoing　has　to　do　with　putting　certain　things　behind　us。


SDF…3's　returnees　scattered　to　all　corners　of　the　world　in　those　weeks。　Louie　Nichols　and　his　team　were　quick　to　start　snooping　into　the　Post…Protoculture　technologies；　and　they　were　weled　with　open　arms　by　the　Earth's　top　researchers；　then　castigated　for　their　heretical　approach　to　things。　Nothing　new　there。

Nevertheless；　Louie　&　Co。　became　the　driving　force　toward　this　new　grail　called　Instru…Mentality。　Implants　that　will　give　every　intelligent　being　powers　of　teleportation；　psychokinesis；　telepathy；　and　the　rest　would　be　the　next　logical　step…a　new　dawn；　to　be　sure…but　I　can't　help　wondering　if　we're　ready　for　it。

But　as　Cabell　pointed　out；　no　one　was　ready　for　Robotech；　either；　when　you　e　right　down　to　it。

Anyway；　the　Robotech　Age；　with　its　mechamorphosis　and　Protoculture；　has　passed　away　forever；　and　something　else　must　now　e　onstage。


The　experiences　of　various　others　have　been　set　down　elsewhere；　by　themselves　and　third　parties。　Of　the　rollicking　group　（Dana；　Sean；　Marie；　Jack；　Karen；　and　several　more）　who　became　the　Crazy　Eights　Exploration　and　Development　Co。；　Unlimited；　much　has　already　been　written…a　good　deal　of　it　on　indictments。　And　why　they　took　on　Lunk　as　their　head　wrench　wrangler　and　mojo　hand；　I　cannot　guess…but　it's　probably　one　of　their　few　sources　of　good　karma。

Still；　they're　young　and　carefree；　and　they　keep　claiming　they've　got　the　galaxy　by　the　bustle。

If　you've　been　lucky　enough　to　get　a　seat　at　Bowie　Grant's　Blue　Harp　Lounge　to　hear　Musica　and　Allegra　sing　and