[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
was careful to stay many miles away from The Skopolamander.
For a while he saw nothing unusual, which was in itself 34
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file:///G|/Program%20Files/eMule/Incoming/James%20Blish%20-%20Anywhen.txt
A Style in Treason fractionally reassuring. Either the Guild. was not alarmed
by Da-Ud's clumsy proposals, or was not letting it show' On several days in
succession, Simon saw the B~L;,;~ Traitor-in-Chief enter and leave, sometimes
with an en.
tourage, more often with only a single slave. Everything seemed normal,
although it gave Simon a small, ambiguous friison which was all the more
disturbing because he was unsure which of his personae he should assign it to.
Certainly not to his fundamental self, for although Valkol was here the
predestined enemy, he was nd more formidable than others Simon had defeated
(while, it was true, being in his whole and right mind).
Then Simon recognized the "slave"; and this time he did run. It was the
vombis, the same one who had been travelling as a diplomat aboard the
Aaras. The creature had not even bothered to change its face to fit its new
role.
This time hecould have killed the creature easily from his point of vantage,
and probably gotten away clean, but again, there were compelling reasons for
not doing so. Just ridding the universe of one of the protean entities (if it
did any good at all, for nobody knew how they reproduced)
Page 15
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
would be insufficient advantage for the hue and cry that would result.
Besides, the presence of an agent of the Exarchy so close to the heart of this
imbroglio was suggestive, and might be put to some use.
Of course, the vombis might be in Druidsfall on some other business entirely,
or simply paying a courtesy call on its way back from
"deeper,into the cluster"; but Simon would be in no hurry to make so dangerous
an assumption. No, it was altogether morelikely that the Exarch, who could
hardly have heard yet of Simon's arrival and disgrace, was simply aware in
general of how crucial Boadacea would be to any, scheme of High
Earth's-he was above all an efficient tyrant-and had placed his creature here
to keep an eye on things.
Yes, that situation mighVbe used, if Simon couldjust keep 35
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of 179) [10/31/2004 11:56:36 PM]
file:///G|/Program%20Files/eMule/Incoming/James%20Blish%20-%20Anywhen.txt
A Style in Treason his disquietingly percolating brains under control. Among
his present advantages was the fact that his disguise was better than that of
the vombis, a fact the creature had probably been made constitutionally
incapable of suspecting by the whole thrust of its evolution.
With a grim chuckle which he hoped he would not later be forced to swallow,
Simon flew back to the Gulf of the Rood.
CHAPTER SIX
Da-Ud met Simon in the Singing Gardens, a huge formal maze not much frequented
of late even by lovers, because the Rood-Prince in the throes of some new
religious crotchet had let it run wild, so that one had constantly to be
fending off the ardour of the flowers. At best, this made even simple
conversations difficult, and it was rumoured that deep in the heart of the
maze the floral attentions to visitors were of a more sinister sort.
Da-Ud was exultant, indeed almost manic in his enthusiasm, which did not
advance comprehension either, but Simon listened patiently.
"They bought it like lambs," Da-Ud said, naming a sacrificial animal of
High Earth so casually as to make one of Simon's personae shudder inside him.
"I had a little difficulty with the underlings, but not as much as I'd
expected, and I got it all the way up to Valkol himself."
"No sign of any outside interest?"
"No, nothing. I didn't let out any more than I had to until I reached His
Politeness, and after that he put the blue seal on everything-wouldn't discuss
anything but the weather while anyone else was around. Listen, Simon, I don't
want to seem to be telling you your business, but I think I
may know the Guild better than you do, and it seems to me that you're
underplaying your hand. This thing is worth money." 36
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file:///G|/Program%20Files/eMule/Incoming/James%20Blish%20-%20Anywhen.txt
A Style in Treason
"I said it was."
"Yes, but I don't think yoteve any conception how much. Old Valkol took my
asking price without a murmur-in fact, so fast that I wish I'd asked for twice
as much. Just to show you I'm convinced of all this, I'm going to give it all
to YOU."
"Don't want it," Simon said. "Money is of no use to me unless I can complete
the mission. All I need now is operating expenses, and I've got enough for
that."
This clearly had been what Da-Ud had hoped he would say, but Simon suspected
that had matters gone otherwise, the younger man might indeed have given over
as much as half the money. His enthusiasm mounted.
Page 16 [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl szamanka888.keep.pl
was careful to stay many miles away from The Skopolamander.
For a while he saw nothing unusual, which was in itself 34
file:///G|/Program%20Files/eMule/Incoming/James%20Blish%20-%20Anywhen.txt (28
of 179) [10/31/2004 11:56:36 PM]
file:///G|/Program%20Files/eMule/Incoming/James%20Blish%20-%20Anywhen.txt
A Style in Treason fractionally reassuring. Either the Guild. was not alarmed
by Da-Ud's clumsy proposals, or was not letting it show' On several days in
succession, Simon saw the B~L;,;~ Traitor-in-Chief enter and leave, sometimes
with an en.
tourage, more often with only a single slave. Everything seemed normal,
although it gave Simon a small, ambiguous friison which was all the more
disturbing because he was unsure which of his personae he should assign it to.
Certainly not to his fundamental self, for although Valkol was here the
predestined enemy, he was nd more formidable than others Simon had defeated
(while, it was true, being in his whole and right mind).
Then Simon recognized the "slave"; and this time he did run. It was the
vombis, the same one who had been travelling as a diplomat aboard the
Aaras. The creature had not even bothered to change its face to fit its new
role.
This time hecould have killed the creature easily from his point of vantage,
and probably gotten away clean, but again, there were compelling reasons for
not doing so. Just ridding the universe of one of the protean entities (if it
did any good at all, for nobody knew how they reproduced)
Page 15
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
would be insufficient advantage for the hue and cry that would result.
Besides, the presence of an agent of the Exarchy so close to the heart of this
imbroglio was suggestive, and might be put to some use.
Of course, the vombis might be in Druidsfall on some other business entirely,
or simply paying a courtesy call on its way back from
"deeper,into the cluster"; but Simon would be in no hurry to make so dangerous
an assumption. No, it was altogether morelikely that the Exarch, who could
hardly have heard yet of Simon's arrival and disgrace, was simply aware in
general of how crucial Boadacea would be to any, scheme of High
Earth's-he was above all an efficient tyrant-and had placed his creature here
to keep an eye on things.
Yes, that situation mighVbe used, if Simon couldjust keep 35
file:///G|/Program%20Files/eMule/Incoming/James%20Blish%20-%20Anywhen.txt (29
of 179) [10/31/2004 11:56:36 PM]
file:///G|/Program%20Files/eMule/Incoming/James%20Blish%20-%20Anywhen.txt
A Style in Treason his disquietingly percolating brains under control. Among
his present advantages was the fact that his disguise was better than that of
the vombis, a fact the creature had probably been made constitutionally
incapable of suspecting by the whole thrust of its evolution.
With a grim chuckle which he hoped he would not later be forced to swallow,
Simon flew back to the Gulf of the Rood.
CHAPTER SIX
Da-Ud met Simon in the Singing Gardens, a huge formal maze not much frequented
of late even by lovers, because the Rood-Prince in the throes of some new
religious crotchet had let it run wild, so that one had constantly to be
fending off the ardour of the flowers. At best, this made even simple
conversations difficult, and it was rumoured that deep in the heart of the
maze the floral attentions to visitors were of a more sinister sort.
Da-Ud was exultant, indeed almost manic in his enthusiasm, which did not
advance comprehension either, but Simon listened patiently.
"They bought it like lambs," Da-Ud said, naming a sacrificial animal of
High Earth so casually as to make one of Simon's personae shudder inside him.
"I had a little difficulty with the underlings, but not as much as I'd
expected, and I got it all the way up to Valkol himself."
"No sign of any outside interest?"
"No, nothing. I didn't let out any more than I had to until I reached His
Politeness, and after that he put the blue seal on everything-wouldn't discuss
anything but the weather while anyone else was around. Listen, Simon, I don't
want to seem to be telling you your business, but I think I
may know the Guild better than you do, and it seems to me that you're
underplaying your hand. This thing is worth money." 36
file:///G|/Program%20Files/eMule/Incoming/James%20Blish%20-%20Anywhen.txt (30
of 179) [10/31/2004 11:56:36 PM]
file:///G|/Program%20Files/eMule/Incoming/James%20Blish%20-%20Anywhen.txt
A Style in Treason
"I said it was."
"Yes, but I don't think yoteve any conception how much. Old Valkol took my
asking price without a murmur-in fact, so fast that I wish I'd asked for twice
as much. Just to show you I'm convinced of all this, I'm going to give it all
to YOU."
"Don't want it," Simon said. "Money is of no use to me unless I can complete
the mission. All I need now is operating expenses, and I've got enough for
that."
This clearly had been what Da-Ud had hoped he would say, but Simon suspected
that had matters gone otherwise, the younger man might indeed have given over
as much as half the money. His enthusiasm mounted.
Page 16 [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]