Ro…kenn speaks。
〃So； now the （dire） truth is known。 Learned。 Verified！
〃No accident； this （slaying） explosion。
〃No （unlikely） malfunction…nor any rejection by your （overly…vaunted） Egg。
〃Now it is known。 Verified。 That this was （foul； unprovoked） murder！
〃Murder by deceit； by subterfuge。
〃By use of subterranean explosives。 By sneak attack。
〃By you！〃
He points； stabbing with a long； graceful finger。 The crowd reels back from Ro…kenn's fierce wrath； and this news。
At once it is clear what the zealots have done。 Secretly； taking advantage of natural caverns lacing these hills； they must have laboriously burrowed deep beneath the station to lay chests of eruptive powder…crude but plentiful…which then awaited a signal； the right symbolic moment； to burst forth flame and destruction。
〃With scanners tuned for chemical sleuthing； we now perceive the depth of your shared perfidy。 How undeserved were the rewards we planned conferring on murderous half…beasts！〃
He might say more to the cowering throng； adding terrible threats。 But at that moment； a new disturbance draws our focus toward the smoldering pit。 The crowd parts for a phalanx of soot…stained rescuers； coughing and gasping as they bear pitiable burdens。
Rann cries out； bounding from his mount to inspect a crumpled form； borne upon a litter。 It is Besh； the other female sky…human。 From her mangled figure； our rewq reads no life flicker。
Again； the crowd divides。 This time it is Ro…kenn who exclaims a distinctly unhuman wail。 The litter brought before him bears the other of his race； Ro…pol； whom we guessed to be female。 （His mate？）
This time； a slim thread of breath swirls in the near infrared； from the victim's soot…stained but still splendid face。 Ro…kenn bends close； as if seeking some private munion。
The poignant scene lasts but a few moments。 Then the reed of living tension is no more。 A second corpse lies in the hollow； under bitter…bright stars。
The living Rothen stands to his full height； a terrible sight； emoting vast anger。
〃Now es the reward （foul） treachery deserves！〃 Ro…kenn cries； reaching skyward； his voice reverberating with such wrath that every rewq in the valley trembles。 Some humans drop to their knees。 Do not even gray queens whistle awe and dismay？
〃For so long you have feared （righteous） judgment from above。 Now behold its incarnate form！〃
Along with the others； we/i look up； our gaze following Ro…kenn's extended arm。
There； crossing the sky； we perceive a single glaring spark。 A pitiless glimmer that ponderously moves； passing from the Spider's Web into the constellation humans call The Sword。
The great ship is still a distant point； but it does not wink； nor does it twinkle。 Rather； it seems to throb with an intensity that hurts those who watch for long。
One can hardly fault the zealots' timing； suggests our ever…thoughtful second…torus…of…cognition。 If their objective was to bring an end to pretense； they could have chosen no better way。
Sara
SAGE TAINE WANTED TO SPEAK WITH HER BEFORE she left for Kandu Landing。 So did Ariana Foo。 Both wished she would delay her departure； but Sara was eager to be off。
Yet with just a midura to go before the gopher set sail； she decided on impulse to visit her old office； high in the cathedral…tower housing the Library of Material Science。
West from the Grand Staircase； her ascent first took her by the vast； rambling stacks of physics and chemistry； where the recent evacuation had taken a visible toll。 The maze of shelves showed frequent gaps。 Scraps of paper lay in place of absent volumes； to help staff put things back if the present crisis passed。 In places； the wood surface looked almost new； implying this was the first time a book had budged since the Great Printing。
Glancing down one crooked aisle； Sara glimpsed young Jomah； teetering under a load of heavy volumes； lumbering gamely behind his uncle to begin the ornate rituals…of…borrowing。 None too soon if they hoped to make the Gopher in time。 The explosers and quite a few others were bound the same way as Sara； first by boat； then donkey…caravan to the Glade of Gathering。
The winding labyrinth triggered plex emotions。 She used to get lost back in the early days； but never cared； so happy had she been to dwell in this splendid place。 This temple of wisdom。
Her long year away had hardly changed her little office； with its narrow window overlooking the green…flanked Bibur。 Everything seemed much as she had left it； except for the dust。 Well； I always figured I'd be back before this。 Many peted to be chosen by human sept for this life； subsidized by a race of farmers and gleaners whose one great sinful pride lay in their books。
Tacked to the far wall lay a chart showing the 〃devolution〃 of various dialects spoken on the Slope。 Like branches splitting off from parent roots； there were multiple downward shoots for each Galactic language in current use。 This older depiction showed the bias of scholars over in Linguistics； and was colored by one unassailable fact…the billion…year…old Galactic languages had once been perfect； efficient codes for munication。 Deviation was seen as part of a foretold spiral toward the innocence of animal…like grunts…the Path of Redemption already blazed by glavers…a fate variously dreaded or prayed for by folk of the Slope； depending on one's religious fervor。
Human tongues were also traced backward； not over a billion years but ten thousand。 Earthling authorities like Childe； Schrader； and Renfrew had carefully rebuilt ancestral languages and many of those grammars were more primly structured； better at error…correction； than the 〃bastard〃 jargons that followed。 What better evidence that human devolution began long before the landing on Jijo？ Did not all Earth cultures have legends of a lost Golden Age？
One conclusion…the missing Patrons of Earth must have been interrupted in their work； forced to leave humanity half finished。 True； the ensuing fall was masked by some flashy tricks of precocious technology。 Still； many scholars believed Earthlings had much to gain from any road leading toward re…adoption and a second chance； especially since they appeared to be heading that way anyway。
That's the orthodox view。 My model takes the same data； but projects a different oute。
Her most recent chart resembled this one…turned upside down； with lightless roots transformed into trees； showing the Six heading in a new direction。 In many directions。 If no one interferes。 Yesterday； she had shown her latest work to Sage Bonner； whose enthusiasm reignited the pleasure of a colleague's praise。
〃Well； my dear；〃 said Jijo's oldest mathematician； stroking his bald pate； 〃you do seem to have a case。 So let's schedule a seminar！ Interdisciplinary； of course。〃
He punctuated his enthusiasm with a sloppy GalTwo emotion trill of anticipation。
〃We'll invite those stuffy pedants from Linguistics。 See if they can bear to hear a bold new idea for a change。 Heh。 Heh…cubed！〃
Bonner probably hadn't much followed her discussion of 〃redundancy coding〃 and chaos in information theory。 The elderly topologist just relished the prospect of a brisk debate； one that might knock down some ensconced point of view。
If only you knew how good an example you are of my thesis； she had thought affectionately。 Sara hated to disappoint him。
〃We can have it when I get back from Gathering； with luck。〃
Alas； there might be no return from her ing journey。 Or else； it might be to find that the explosers had done their duty at last； bringing down the stony roof； and with it a prophesied age of darkness and purity。 She was turning to go； when a low thunk announced a message ball； landing on her desk。 Above the in…box； a fleshy tube bounced in recoil； having spit the ball from a maze of pipes lacing the Biblos plex。
Oh no。 Sara backed away； hoping to leave before the furry sphere unrolled。 If the messenger found no one home； it would simply reenter the tube and report the fact to whoever sent it。
But the ball uncoiled swiftly and a tiny mouselike form scrambled up the box to see her； squeaking delight over achieving the purpose bred into it by the ancient Buyur…to deliver brief messages via a network of cross…linked tunnels and vines。 With a sigh； Sara put out her hand； and the courier spat a warm pellet into her palm。 The pill squirmed。
Suppressing distaste； she raised the little symbiont…a larger cousin of a parrot tick…and let it writhe inside her ear。
Soon； as she feared； it began speaking with the voice of Sage Taine。
〃Sara； if this reaches you； I'd like to talk before you go。。。。 It is essential to clear up our misunderstanding。 〃
There came a long pause； then the voice hurried on。 〃I've thought about it and have lately e to believe that this situation is largely my fau…〃
The message stopped there。 The record bug had reached its limit。 It began repeating the message over again； from the beginning。
Fault？ Was 〃fault〃 the word you were about to say？ Sara tipped her head until the bug realized it wasn't wanted anymore and crawled out of her ear。 Taine's voi