[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
journey."
"I know you're anxious to go home, Homat, but we've come all this way to see
the source of the Skar and we're not leaving until we do so."
Homat sounded puzzled. "But have done so, de-Etienne." He gestured at the
Page 112
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
spacious cavern and the distant darkness. "What other source can there be?"
Etienne smiled as he turned to point into the blackness beneath the ice. "This
isn't the river's source. Somewhere back there it emerges from the mass of the
ice cap, probably in the form of a hot spring. I can't think of another
mech-anism which could have bored so deep a cave in the body of the ice. I
need to record it."
Homat's eyes grew wide. "You can't mean to go back in there, de-Etienne! This
is the top of the world. Who knows what devils and monsters lie in wait for us
in the night which lives throughout the day?"
"Why should any lie in wait," Lyra asked gently, "since no one ever comes
here?
If any did live back in there they'd long since have given up hope of any
meals coming to visit them."
"You argue very plausibly, de-Lyra. My mind wishes to believe you, but my
insides are not convinced."
"If you'd feel safer you can camp on the shore here and wait for us to return.
I
doubt the river runs very far back, hot springs or not."
"No, no, I will come with you," the Mai insisted bravely. "I would rather do
that than stay here alone. You are certain there is not far to go?"
"I can't be sure, but I'd be willing to bet we'll have less than an hour's
journey in the boat. If the water becomes too shallow, we'll travel the rest
of the way in on repellers."
"Why do your words not make me feel confident, de--Etienne?"
"Relax, Homat." He turned to Lyra. "When we reach the source I want to take
some
core samples. This must be very old ice and the geologic history of the planet
is stored here, conveniently waiting to be thawed out for study."
Lyra offered no objection. Their goal was within reach. Soon they would begin
the long journey back to warmer climes. Let Etienne enjoy his fieldwork for a
day or two. There was no reason to rush now that they'd arrived at their
intended and eventual destination.
He looked to his right, deeper into the cavern. "There's a nice wide spot. I'm
tired of rocking. The water them is gentle and shallow. I'll move us aver and
set the foils down on the gravel. Be nice to sleep without rocking for a
change."
"Second the motion," Lyra said. "It should be safe enough. There's no sign of
carnivores about, no bones or dung on the beach, and the water should keep any
small vermin clear of the boat, assuming this enviroment is benign enough to
permit their existence."
"I'll run a good charge through the hull. That ought to keep off any late-
night visitors."
"It would be delighted to sleep so quietly," Tyl agreed.
"Then it's settled. We owe ourselves the rest," Etienne declared. "First thing
tomorrow morning we'll go Upriver to the source so I can get my samples. With
luck this ice may predate the collision that created the Groalamasan. That
will give me plenty to do on the way back Downriver."
"You did enough griping about the heat down south to fill a book, and now you
can't wait to get back to it," Lyra chided.
"I've always been cold-natured, Lyra, you know that. It doesn't mean I enjoy
sweating down to skin and bones, though." For a change the argument was
friendly. In its own way that was as great an accomplishment for the two of
them as was reaching the head of the Skar.
Lyra was sound asleep when the muffled scream woke her. She blinked as her
head lifted from the pillow and she stared across the cabin. Soft green lights
from ship's instru-mentation lit the darkness. A soft wheeze alongside
indicated that her husband still slept.
The scream had barely faded and she was beginning to wander if she'd dreamed
Page 113
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
it when suddenly a cluster of the green tights changed to red and a warning
horn started to blare. Etienne woke instantly, slid off the bed and struggled
with his pants.
"False alarm?"
"I don't know," she told him, still straining to hear. "I thought I heard
something yell." The barn continued its racket as a soft knocking sounded at
the door. Lyre opened it as she fought with the seals of leer blouse.
"What is happening?" Tyl asked sleepily. The remaining Tsla clustered in the
corridor behind him. "There are strange noises outside and Swd thinks he
smells something even though we know we are protected from the air outside."
"Noises and smells and you think you hard something," Etienne muttered as he
sealed his coat. "'that settles it." He pushed past Tyl on his way to the
cockpit.
The light of three of Tslamaina"s four moons poured through the transparent
plexalloy. The horn continued to shout as Etienne strained to check the
instruments. "Don't see anything outside. No abnormal readings. We haven't
moved
from where I parked us yesterday evening and the hull's still electrified."
"I'll check astern," Lyra told him. She removed her pistol from its charging
slot.
"Watch yourself," Etienne admonished her.
With the Tsla following curiously she worked her way aft. There was no sign of
Homat, but that didn't worry her. Anything less than a complete upset of the
boat would not be enough to pry him from the comfort of his overheated
cubicle.
Cautiously she cracked the stern doorway. Freezing air brought her all the way
awake. The rumble and gurgle of the shallow river was the only sound as she
stepped out onto the rear deck.
A glance forward showed only darkness. There was no movement in the upper
reaches of the cavern. Outside only the moons moved in patient procession
against the sky. Something shorted out, she thought, wondering if some other
strange local critter was somehow playing havoc with their instrumentation.
A heavy weight landed on her right shoulder. She went down hard. The asyrrapt
went flying across the deck. A big chunk of dead log lay next to her.
The Na who had thrown it now peered over the gunwale, eyes glittering in the
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]