[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
darkness that resulted, the geyser reached its full height of fury, the
Page 136
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
distant rumbling, gushing sound overwhelming them, the frozen snow beneath
their feet shaking with the mighty roar. Barnard came out from behind Zuni to
illuminate the peak of the rising column of water, now reaching through the
upper atmosphere and out into space. Richard was intent, periodically
measuring the height of the geyser top with his sextant and calling out the
results to his imp for later analysis, while Deirdre had simply watched, and
now had to blink away tears of gratitude for the privilege of beholding this
wonder. Not until the waters had subsided, as swiftly as they had risen, was
she able to move, and return to the ship.
"That was great! I'm really pleased. I was able to get a good set of
data this time. Quite a show, hunh?" Deirdre could only nod, once, before
hurrying off, and Richard shrugged. "Just can't impress that girl," he
thought.
As Richard and Deirdre cycled through the airlock, they were surprised
that no one, not even Shirley, was there to help them out of their suits.
Helmets in hand, they went forward. Everyone was gathered around the
communications console, which showed the worried-looking face of Katrina.
"Something strange is happening here," she said. "When Thomas looked
out the viewport window during his mid-shift meal at midnight, he saw that the
nearby icerugs are gone!"
"Gone!" repeated George, concerned. "That _is_ strange. I don't like
it. I think perhaps it would be best if we came straight back and rejoined
forces, then find out what is going on."
* * * *
"My coring mole is on its repeat journey," said Richard. "We don't need to
stay here for my sake. We can cut it and go -- I've got more."
"Then let's head back to base," said George, starting for the cockpit.
"Shucks," said Cinnamon. "I was really hoping to find a whole
coelashark to dissect -- hopefully one with some vermicysts in it."
"It'll have to wait," said George, gruffly.
--------
*CHAPTER 12 -- WARRING*
As the _Dragonfly_ sped back towards the _Victoria_, Deirdre discovered
to her own surprise that she was eager to meet again with the icerugs of
Windward City. Carefully avoiding the thought of any sentiment, she was hoping
that the icerugs would have made some progress in figuring out their own life
cycle, and that she could learn something about it. She still regretted her
own "interferin'", as she privately regarded her explanation of evolution to
the icerug; however, if she had aroused the creature's curiosity, it might
perhaps prove fruitful.
George radioed to _Victoria_ as they neared.
"Glad you're nearly here," said Katrina. "Thomas and Sam have been out
looking around. They didn't learn much, but there must be some kind of serious
trouble here, and without the _Dragonfly_ we can't go find out what it is."
"What kind of trouble?" asked George.
"That's just it, we don't know," said Katrina, her concern clear in the
transmitted words. "All the adult icerugs have left the area around us,
abandoning the young ones and leaving them to shift on their own. Even the
local teacher, Smooth-Brown has left. But there's been no sign of any
disasters, major eruptions outside the normal tidal cycle, or storms." The
crew aboard the _Dragonfly_ were silent, considering this information. Arielle
turned to George.
"Fly by city center on way?"
"Good idea," agreed George. "Probably can't tell much from the air, but
it can't hurt." The slender plane turned gently to the right, and headed for
the center of the icerug city. The human eyes stared eagerly down at the bleak
landscape below, and as the first icerugs came into view, there were
exclamations of surprise. Instead of the large, triangularly-shaped blue-green
carpeted fields covering the ground, great sections of the ice now lay
uncovered. On the northern side of the city they could see some icerug
Page 137
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
carpets, but they were arranged in long strips to form a kilometers-long
tapered blue-green band of icerug flesh, with the wide ends of the carpets
based in fields around the city, and the narrow ends close together and all
pointing off into the distance toward the north. Far out on the horizon to the
north of the end of the tapered band, another darkened blue-green band was
visible, and without a word, Arielle turned the little craft in that
direction. As they neared the strange formation, they began to see what it
was.
"More icerugs! In those peculiar strips!" David's far-sighted eyes
picked out the elongated pointed shapes of the icerug bodies.
"The carpets are like spears," said Deirdre. "I know they're not
spears, but the shape of them is spear-like. And they're all pointed at the
city." Arielle swung the _Dragonfly_ in a wide arc above the line of tightly
grouped icerugs, and then headed back to _Victoria_ directly.
"As soon as we drop off the flouwen, we'll head right back to the city
and find out what's going on," commanded George. "Maybe this is an icerug
ceremony of some kind."
Back at _Victoria_, the flouwen returned to their habitat tank. The
humans, however, were anxious to learn what was happening and soon were back
in the air. Arielle floated the plane gently down on the ice shelf near the
center of the city. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl wyciskamy.pev.pl
darkness that resulted, the geyser reached its full height of fury, the
Page 136
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
distant rumbling, gushing sound overwhelming them, the frozen snow beneath
their feet shaking with the mighty roar. Barnard came out from behind Zuni to
illuminate the peak of the rising column of water, now reaching through the
upper atmosphere and out into space. Richard was intent, periodically
measuring the height of the geyser top with his sextant and calling out the
results to his imp for later analysis, while Deirdre had simply watched, and
now had to blink away tears of gratitude for the privilege of beholding this
wonder. Not until the waters had subsided, as swiftly as they had risen, was
she able to move, and return to the ship.
"That was great! I'm really pleased. I was able to get a good set of
data this time. Quite a show, hunh?" Deirdre could only nod, once, before
hurrying off, and Richard shrugged. "Just can't impress that girl," he
thought.
As Richard and Deirdre cycled through the airlock, they were surprised
that no one, not even Shirley, was there to help them out of their suits.
Helmets in hand, they went forward. Everyone was gathered around the
communications console, which showed the worried-looking face of Katrina.
"Something strange is happening here," she said. "When Thomas looked
out the viewport window during his mid-shift meal at midnight, he saw that the
nearby icerugs are gone!"
"Gone!" repeated George, concerned. "That _is_ strange. I don't like
it. I think perhaps it would be best if we came straight back and rejoined
forces, then find out what is going on."
* * * *
"My coring mole is on its repeat journey," said Richard. "We don't need to
stay here for my sake. We can cut it and go -- I've got more."
"Then let's head back to base," said George, starting for the cockpit.
"Shucks," said Cinnamon. "I was really hoping to find a whole
coelashark to dissect -- hopefully one with some vermicysts in it."
"It'll have to wait," said George, gruffly.
--------
*CHAPTER 12 -- WARRING*
As the _Dragonfly_ sped back towards the _Victoria_, Deirdre discovered
to her own surprise that she was eager to meet again with the icerugs of
Windward City. Carefully avoiding the thought of any sentiment, she was hoping
that the icerugs would have made some progress in figuring out their own life
cycle, and that she could learn something about it. She still regretted her
own "interferin'", as she privately regarded her explanation of evolution to
the icerug; however, if she had aroused the creature's curiosity, it might
perhaps prove fruitful.
George radioed to _Victoria_ as they neared.
"Glad you're nearly here," said Katrina. "Thomas and Sam have been out
looking around. They didn't learn much, but there must be some kind of serious
trouble here, and without the _Dragonfly_ we can't go find out what it is."
"What kind of trouble?" asked George.
"That's just it, we don't know," said Katrina, her concern clear in the
transmitted words. "All the adult icerugs have left the area around us,
abandoning the young ones and leaving them to shift on their own. Even the
local teacher, Smooth-Brown has left. But there's been no sign of any
disasters, major eruptions outside the normal tidal cycle, or storms." The
crew aboard the _Dragonfly_ were silent, considering this information. Arielle
turned to George.
"Fly by city center on way?"
"Good idea," agreed George. "Probably can't tell much from the air, but
it can't hurt." The slender plane turned gently to the right, and headed for
the center of the icerug city. The human eyes stared eagerly down at the bleak
landscape below, and as the first icerugs came into view, there were
exclamations of surprise. Instead of the large, triangularly-shaped blue-green
carpeted fields covering the ground, great sections of the ice now lay
uncovered. On the northern side of the city they could see some icerug
Page 137
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
carpets, but they were arranged in long strips to form a kilometers-long
tapered blue-green band of icerug flesh, with the wide ends of the carpets
based in fields around the city, and the narrow ends close together and all
pointing off into the distance toward the north. Far out on the horizon to the
north of the end of the tapered band, another darkened blue-green band was
visible, and without a word, Arielle turned the little craft in that
direction. As they neared the strange formation, they began to see what it
was.
"More icerugs! In those peculiar strips!" David's far-sighted eyes
picked out the elongated pointed shapes of the icerug bodies.
"The carpets are like spears," said Deirdre. "I know they're not
spears, but the shape of them is spear-like. And they're all pointed at the
city." Arielle swung the _Dragonfly_ in a wide arc above the line of tightly
grouped icerugs, and then headed back to _Victoria_ directly.
"As soon as we drop off the flouwen, we'll head right back to the city
and find out what's going on," commanded George. "Maybe this is an icerug
ceremony of some kind."
Back at _Victoria_, the flouwen returned to their habitat tank. The
humans, however, were anxious to learn what was happening and soon were back
in the air. Arielle floated the plane gently down on the ice shelf near the
center of the city. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]