Страница 93 из 114
"Ah, Sebell," Robinton cried, raising his arm in welcome, his expression so merry that Sebell thought the Harper was perversely enjoying his jeopardy. "Any more news of this scurrilous scheme?"
Sebell shook his head, gri
"You know as much as anyone, though Nurevin has assured me he'll keep in touch with Brestolli, by fire-lizard, in case the man hears more to the point."
"I've sent Zair with a message to Master Idarolan," Robinton said, "in the hope that he can intercept the conspirators."
"We've had quite enough of petty vandalism and wanton destruction of property," Lytol said, a deep angry scowl on his face. "This time we must catch the scofflaws and discover everyone who has aided and abetted them. For anyone to even contemplate harming Master Robinton, a man to whom all Pern owes a very great debt..."
"Now, now, Lytol," Robinton said, circling Lytol's stiff shoulders with a soothing arm, "don't carry on so. You're embarrassing me. And this whole scheme only shows how basically stupid our detractors are. As if they had a chance of penetrating my loyal minions." The Harper gestured to the storm of fire-lizard fairs outside the window.
"I know they can't reach you, Robinton," Lytol said, banging his fist on the table and making the goblets jump, "but the fact that they would dare..."
Robinton gri
Lytol's expression turned to resignation and disgust. "You should take this seriously, my friend."
"I do. I really do!" Robinton altered his mobile face. "I'm deeply saddened that I, or anyone, on Pern could be victimized in this horrendous fashion. But," he added, holding up one finger, "it's more ingenious than trying to burn space-engine fuel or sabotage Aivas. We really ought to ask his advice, you know."
"If it weren't for Aivas-" Lytol began heatedly, then broke off when he realized what he had said. T'gellan and Sebell tried to smother their spontaneous guffaw. Lytol abruptly got to his feet and strode out of the room.
When Sebell made to go after the old Warder, Robinton held up his hand, and the younger harper settled back into his chair.
"He has every right to be upset," D'ram said in a slow, sad voice. "It is terrible to think that there are people who oppose all the good that Aivas has done for us and would go to such great lengths to destroy him and those of us who have the vision to appreciate the potential."
"Look, I see no real chance of anyone reaching Master Robinton," T'gellan said, leaning forward on his elbows across the table. "They ca
"Have you forgotten the raid on Landing?" Sebell asked. "Horses, gear, experienced mercenaries. If Aivas hadn't his own defenses, that could have succeeded. We can't allow ourselves to be complacent."
"Well said, Sebell," D'ram replied. "However, what Robinton suggested so glibly has merit. If we wish to find the ones behind these attempts, it would be smart of us to set no apparent"-and he held up his hand to emphasize that adjective "reinforcements, make no obvious alterations of our daily routines."
"Agreed..."
"All the while making certain that Robinton is never left alone."
"As if I ever am," Robinton said, feigning an outraged glower.
"I apologize in advance," Sebell said in a contrite tone, "for suggesting this. But if G'lanar was disaffected..."
D'ram raised his hand in understanding, but it was T'gellan who answered, his expression bleak.
"Ramoth herself spoke to the remaining Oldtimer, dragons they're the only ones who might still be contentious enough to cause problems. But every one of them was appalled by G'lanar's action," the bronze rider said, "and none can dissemble before Ramoth!"
Sebell looked immensely relieved. "Then we can rule out that possibility."
"Somehow that doesn't greatly reassure me," D'ram said in a lugubrious voice. "We're not dealing with fools."
"No, we're dealing with fearful men, and they're more dangerous."
The silicone fluid, worked well into the joints of the waldo gloves, restored mobility-except in the third finger of the left hand, a limitation that posed no great problem.
"What would we have done if the silicone fluid didn't work?" Manotti asked, winking at his colleagues to indicate that he was teasing their mentor.
"There is always an alternative course of action, though it may be less efficient and productive," Aivas replied. "Now, Sharra, be good enough to place a Thread section in the chamber and, using a blade, slice the specimen at a slant, thus exposing all layers. Now, what do you see?"
"Rings, springs, and the shapes you called toruses," Sharra said. "An odd goo, a yellow liquid, some strange pastes in peculiar shades of yellow, gray, and white, and some other substances that seem to change color."
Tamara made a revolted noise deep in her throat and turned away.
"You must all realize," Aivas began in a stern tone, "that the most important piece of apparatus in the laboratory is your brain. Just as you made the microtools to effect this dissection, you must make your brains the right instrument for this task. The most useful thing is the moment-by-moment interaction of your brain seeing these things for the first time. Even your reaction, Tamara, has a certain validity. Now, set that reaction aside, and observe. What else do you see, Sharra?"
She tapped her microblade on a ring. "This feels like metal."
"Then excise it and any more like it that you see, and have the items sent to Master Fandarel for analysis. What else?"
"There're a lot of particles lodged in the pasty parts, and-and it's hollow in the center. Could that yellow be liquid helium?" Sharra went on. "It's just like the stuff you showed us in the liquid gas experiments, and it boils as soon as it's exposed to the -150 ° atmosphere. We haven't yet tried it at 3K."
"There is no reason why it ca
"This whole thing resembles those micrographs you displayed, Aivas," Mirrim said.
"You are quite right, Mirrim. This is the real thing, though, not a slide. Continue, Sharra."
"How?"
"Dissect another ring. Slice it so that you go through more than half the torus. That will show more of its composition."
"That's odd," Brekke said. "Compare that ring with the other one. The first has all kinds of springy-like things sort of layered, while in the other they're all twisted up-oooh, shells!"
Sharra had prodded one of the rings, and suddenly it flipped away from the tool, sticking to the wall of the examination enclosure.
"This could be their method of reproduction," Aivas said. "Or it could be a parasite, escaping from the dying organism. But this is quite interesting. Try another ring to see if the reaction is the same."
Though Sharra's second prod was more tentative, there was another eruption.
"Now, apply your blade to the springs in the first torus," Aivas instructed. "Nothing happens. Now you have seen two entirely different facets of this organism. You are investigating a wholly new creature, and we must see everything that it is."