18_the_end_of_the_circle- 第4部分

Above　them　rose　crystal　palaces　and　translucent　spires；　mansions　of　white…frost　gingerbread　and　platforms　of　smoky　blue　glass；　elfin　halls　and　minarets；　stately　columns；　onion　domes；　and　ethereal　towers。

Above　them　were　alloy　plains　three　hundred　miles　wide　and　burnished　smooth　as　a　looking　glass；　idyllic　landscapes　dotted　with　sea…green　lakes；　and　skies　of　gold　filled　with　conediers；　hovercraft；　and　outsize　magical　carpets。　A　dreamy　world　of　perfect　days　and　tranquil　nights；　of　exotic　biota　and　Eliding　beings　in　high…collared　robes　whose　silent　speech　was　a　gentle　thought　carried　on　the　wind。

And　below　them　。　。_　。　below　them　was　that　which　had　given　shape　to　the　illusion　above：　the　ultratech　plexities　of　a　planet…sized　artifact；　birthed　in　the　mind　of　an　alien　genius　who　had　left　his　mark　on　half　the　far…flung　worlds　of　the　Fourth　Quadrant。　A　genius　met　in　lore　and　legend　or　encountered　in　towering　shrines　that　masked　the　being　himself。

He　had　perhaps　imparted　his　name　to　the　artifact　or　left　that　for　others　to　do；　but　that　his　very　essence　was　there　erected…in　those　spires　and　domes　and　artificial　lakes…was　not　to　be　denied。

And　suspended　between…in　the　boundless　chamber　that　confined　them…was　this　place　of　instrumentality　nodes　and　info…networks；　the　material　interface　with　the　Awareness…Haydon　had　set　in　place　to　mind　his　clever　works。　So　this　place　was　neither　one　nor　the　other　but　a　middle　ground　from　which　to　know　creator　and　created；　sacrosanct；　then；　truly　suspended。　For　from；　where　else　could　one　take　the　proper　measure　of　things？

Exedore　ceased　his　mystical　musings　even　before　he　sensed　the　soft　intrusion　of　Veidt's　sendings。　This　was　what　mingling　with　humans　and　Garudans　had　wrought；　he　told　himself；　a　penchant　for　the　metaphysical。　Questions　mencing　with　why。

How　far　he　had　e　from　the　directed；　purposeful　nature　of　the　Imperative！　he　would　catch　himself　thinking。　Feeling　as　remote　from　that　now　as　his　recontoured　physical　self　was　from　the　genetic　vats　that　had　conceived　him。　Normalized　in　both　size　and　aspect　and　drained　of　the　conquering　urge；　the　pulsion　to　obey　without　question。　Given　to　metaphysical　ponderings。　How　un…Zentraedi；　indeed！　And　how　Great　Breetai　would　have　mocked　him！

〃A　moment　more　and　the　requested　correlations　will　be　available；〃　Veidt　sent　from　the　data　column。

Exedore　swiveled　in　his　chair　to　regard　the　limbless　Haydonite…his　partner　these　past　years。　A　response　formed　on　the　tip　of　his　tongue；　though　there　was　little　need　of　it。　An　old　habit；　difficult　to　break。　〃I；　um　。　。　。〃

Veidt　hovered　through　a　quarter　turn　to　face　him　with　what　nearly　approximated　a　smile。

〃I　am　well　aware　that　my　workings　please　you；　Lord　Exedore。　Your　words　are　an　echo；　you　understand…an　unnecessary　redundancy。〃

Exedore　favored　him　with　a　genuine　grin；　as　difficult　to　suppress　as　the　habit　itself。　This　was　as　close　as　they　came　to　jesting　or　arguing；　he　still　was　not　sure　which。　Veidt's　face　had　already　resumed　its　normal　configuration；　which　was　to　say；　blank。　As　featureless　as　an　unfinished　mannequin's；　a　tech　aboard　the　SDF…3　had　once　mented　in　Exedore's　presence。

〃Featureless；　yes；〃　Veidt　sent；　〃but　hardly　unfinished；　Exedore：〃

Early　on　Exedore　had　found　it　somewhat　unnerving　to　have　his　thoughts　scanned　on　a　moment…to…moment　basis；　but　he　was　long　past　concern　or　misgiving。　It　was　logical；　in　fact；　that　he　open　his　mind　to　Veidt；　if　only　to　expedite　the　unraveling　of　the　cosmic　puzzles　someone　had　seen　fit　to　send　their　way。

And　〃baffling〃　only　began　to　describe　them。

The　SDF…3　was　missing；　not　merely　disappeared　into　hyperspace　but　vanished　from　the　Quadrant。　The　ship　had　not　emerged　from　fold　anywhere　in　known　space；　nor　was　it　trapped　in　the　netherscape　of　the　hyperdomain。　Haydon　IV's　Awareness　had　told　them　that　much　already。　But　what　the　artificial　sentience　could　not　tell　them　was　where　the　ship　was　or　whether　it　existed　at　all。　The　SDF…3　had　simply　ceased　to　be；　and　yet　there　were　no　indications　that　it　had　met　with　any　of　the　thousand　ills　matter　was　heir　to。

That　the　dematerialization　had　coincided　with　a　reawakening　of　a　myriad　slumbering　puter　ponents；　Exedore　initially　read　as　a　sign　that　the　artifact　planet　had　been　in　some　sense；　responsible　for　the　event。　Subsequent　investigation；　however；　had　led　him　to　the　conclusion　that　the　Awareness　had　not　been　responding　to　the　SDF…3's　plight；　after　all；　but　to　a　concurrent　phenomenon　that　had　taken　place　clear　across　the　Quadrant：

Along　a　spacetime　curve　that　led　to　Earth。

Something　originating　there　had　sent　an　energy　pulse　through　the　fabric　of　the　continuum；　whose　destination　seemed　to　be　the　distant　collapsed　giant　the　Tiresians　knew　as　Ranaath's　Star。

Haydon…he　has　returned　to　our　world！　Veidt　had　sent　at　the　time；　and…novice　astrophysicist　that　he　was…Exedore　had　taken　him　literally。　But　literalness　was　not　something　the　Haydonites　practiced　with　regularity；　and　the　expression…for　that　was　what　it　was…was　best　translated　by　the　Terran　self　condemning　phrase　Well；　I'll　be　damned！

The　very　one　Exedore　had　used　sometime　later　when　he　bad　learned　of　the　Invid's　departure…months　ago；　Earthrelative；　after　a　series　of　mostly　interrupted　exchanges　between　Earth　and　Tirol　and　between　Tirol　and　Haydon　IV。　Since　then；　the　Awareness　had　been　spewing　out　a　steady　stream　of　mathematical　calculations　and　puzzling　data　readers；　conversing　with　itself　on　an　information　level　the　likes　of　which　Exedore　had　never　encountered。　Veidt　had　been　successful　in　eavesdropping　on　the　Awareness's　inner　dialog　and　enticing　it　to　display　some　of　its　findings…in　holographics；　projecbeam；　and　the　occasional　verbalization；　remarkably　enough；　issued　forth　in　fluent　Tiresian　（linga　franca）。　But　little　of　it　made　any　sense　to　Exedore；　on　whose　shoulders　the　search　for　the　missing　flagship　had　fallen。　The　Zentraedi　could　almost　smile；　recalling　Zor's　original　fortress；　the　SDF…1。　He　had　been　successful　in　tracing　that　one；　but　that　hardly　qualified　him　as　an　expert　in　the　field。

Cabell　had　promised　to　tear　himself　away　from　Tiresia　to　join　in　plying　the　Awareness　with　questions；　but　Exedore　thought　the　coded　outpourings　might　outdistance　even　the　master　himself。

They　needed　Emil　Lang　or　the　Zor…clone；　Rem；　who　had　contributed　so　much　to　the　facsimile　matrix　fashioned　by　the　REF　to　empower　its　fleet。　They　needed　the　bined　intellect　of　the　SDF…3's　Robotechnicians。

Better　still；　they　needed　Haydon。　〃My　thought　exactly；　Lord　Exedore。〃

Exedore　chuckled　to　himself。　〃Yes；　Veidt。　The　Earthers　have　a　saying；　I　believe。　‘Great　minds　think…'〃

The　chamber　had　begun　to　vibrate。　That　in　itself　was　nothing　unusual。　In　fact；　during　the　five　years　Exedore　had　been　on…world　he　had　known　instances　where　the　vibrations　were　strong　enough　to　rattle　the　alloy　walls　and　rumble　data　discs　out　of　their　holders。　But　the　sudden　tremor　was　more　intense　than　any　he　had　experienced。

〃Another　atmospheric　cleansing？〃　the　Zentraedi　asked　in　a　quavering　voice。　〃A　seasonal　change？　An　internal　overhaul；　the　upwelling　of　a　new　lake　or　the　damming　of　a　stream…send　something；　will　you！〃

Veidt　had　glided　back　to　his　station　by　the　central　data　pillar；　his　high…collared　cape　a　screen　for　projecbeam　schematics；　a　dizzying　light　show　of　flashing　alphanumeric　analogues　and　equational　abstracts。

〃An　intruder；　perhaps；〃　Exedore　continued；　his　stubby　hands　spread　atop　leaping　sheets　of　hard　copy　like　some　Ouija　board　reader。　〃An　unannounced　ship…〃

〃I　heard　you；〃　Veidt　sent　with　a　sting。　〃It　is　none　of　those　things。　Something　novel；　unprecedented。〃

Exedore　ceased　his　futile　efforts　to　steady　his　work　and　with　some　difficulty　swiveled　to　regard　the　strobing　databanks　of　the　Awareness；　data　scrolls　and　cards　tattooing　to　the　floor　at　his　feet。　The　information　traffic　displayed　was　enough　to　render　the　Invid　leave…taking　a　minor　itch。

〃What　is　it；　Veidt？〃　Exedore　pressed；　a　note　of　alarm　in　his　voice。　A　deep…space　view　of　Haydon　IV　advanced　through　the　3…D　field　of　a　projecbeam；　a　variegated　ball　in　time…lapse　motion。　〃Veidt；〃　he　repeated。

〃Primary　activation　sequences　have　menced；〃　the　Haydonite　sent　with　curious　detachment。　〃Atmospheric　integrity　is　constant　for　the　moment。　Surface　damage　is　projected　to　be　well　within　accepted　parameters。　Casualties　among　offworlders　are　not　expected　to　exceed　a　thousand。〃

〃Casualties？〃　Exedore　said；　up　on　shaky　legs；　bulging　eyes　darting　between　Veidt　and　the　projecbeam　field。

Veidt　rotated　to　face　him；　a　lavender　brightness　pulsating　from　the　center　of　his　smooth　forehead。　〃The　crossing　is　achieved。　The　Event　is　occurred。　Praise　Haydon。〃

Careful　not　to　be　too　literal；　Exedore　reminded　himself。　Praise　Haydon　could　mean　almost　anything。　〃The　Event？〃　he　asked　cautiously。

Veidt　nodded。　〃Haydon　IV　is　leaving　orbit。　Shortly；　we　will　depart　the　Briz'dziki　system　entirely。〃

Exedore's　mouth　fell　open。　〃Haydon；〃　he　muttered。　〃He　has　returned　to　our　world。〃


CHAPTER　THREE

The　motion　to　leave　Earth　irradiated　rather　than　leave　it　to　the　Invid　Regis　was　carried　by　a　narrow　margin。　Balloting　was　kept　secret；　and　there　has　yet　to　be　discovered　a　person…by…person　breakdown　of　the　vote。　Of　the　ten　members