amccaffrey.theskiesofpern-第4部分

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　　〃There　was　no　good　reason　for　that。。。　thing　to　turn　itself　off　like　that；　just　when　it　was　beginning　to　be　useful；〃　First　said　resentfully。
　　〃But　it　left　plans！〃　And　Fourth　sounded　as　if　that　was　suspicious。
　　〃Too　many　plans；〃　Fifth　agreed；　deepening　his　voice　to　a　lugubrious　and　ominous　level。
　　〃What？〃　Third　prompted　him。　Fourth's　eyes　rounded　with　fear　and　anxiety。
　　〃Surgery！〃　In　that　expressive　deep　voice　the　three　syllables　were　dramatically　drawn　out　as　if　he　spoke　of　something　immoral。
　　〃Surgery？〃　Sixth　frowned。　〃What's　that？〃
　　〃Ways　of　mucking　inside　a　body；〃　First　replied；　lowering　his　own　voice　to　match　Fifth's。
　　Sixth　shuddered。　〃Mind　you；　sometimes　we　gotta　cut　a　foal　out　of　its　dam　or　it　strangles。〃　When　the　others　regarded　him　suspiciously；　he　added；　〃Only　a　very　well…bred　foal　we　can't　afford　to　lose。　And　I　saw　the　healer　once　remove　a　pendix。　Woman　would've　died；　he　said。　She　didn't　feel　a　thing。〃
　　〃　'She　didn't　feel　a　thing；'　〃　Fifth　repeated；　investing　that　statement　with　sinister　import。
　　〃The　healer　could　have　done　anything　else　he　liked；〃　Fourth　said　in　a　shocked　whisper。
　　Second　dismissed　that　with　a　grunt。　〃Didn't　do　her　any　harm　and　she's　still　alive　and　a　good　worker。〃
　　〃I　mean；〃　First　went　on；　〃there's　a　lot　of　stuff　being　tried　in　the　Crafthalls；　not　just　the　Healers…and　when　they　make　mistakes；　it　can　cost　a　man's　life。　I　don't　want　them　fooling　around　with　me；　inside　or　out。〃
　　〃Your　choice；〃　Second　said。
　　〃But　is　it　always　'your'　choice？〃　Fourth　wanted　to　know；　leaning　forward　across　the　table　and　tapping　her　finger　to　stress　her　point。
　　Third　also　leaned　forward。　〃And　what　choices　are　we　being　given…to　decide　what　we　want　and　need…out　of　all　those　files　Aivas　is　supposed　to　have　left　us？　How　do　we　know　we　want　all　this　technology　and　advanced　gadgets？　How　do　we　know　it'll　do　what　they　say　it　will？　Lot　of　people　saying　we　got　to　have　that；　ought　to　have　this。　They're　making　the　decisions。　Not　us。　I　don't　like　it。〃　He　nodded　his　head　to　emphasize　his　distrust。
　　〃For　that　matter；　how　do　we　know　that　all　that　hard　work…and　I　had　to　work　my　arse　off　some　days　down　at　Landing…will　work？〃　Seventh　asked　with　some　rancor。　〃I　mean；　they　can　tell　us　that　it's　going　to　work；　but　none　of　us　will　be　alive　to　see　if　it　does；　will　we？〃
　　〃Neither　will　they；〃　Third　said　with　black　humor。　〃Then；　too；〃　he　went　on　quickly　before　Fifth　could　start　in　again；　〃not　all　of　the　Masters　and　Lords　and　Holders　are　keen　to　just　latch　on　to　all　this　new　junk。　Why　I　heard　Master　Menolly　herself。。。〃　Even　Fifth　regarded　him　with　interest。　〃She　said　that　we　ought　to　wait　and　go　carefully。　We　didn't　need　a　lot　of　the　things　that　that　Aivas　machine　talked　about。〃
　　〃What　we　do　have；〃　Fifth　said；　raising　his　deeper；　oddly　inflectionless　voice　above　Third's　light　tenor；　〃has　worked　well　enough　for　hundreds　of　Turns。〃
　　Third　held　up　a　cautionary　finger。　〃We　gotta　be　careful　what　new　junk　gets　made　just　because　it's　new　and　seems　to　make　things　easier。〃
　　〃But　you　have　electricity？〃　Sixth　said　enviously。
　　〃It's　done　naturally…we　use　sun　panels；　and　they've　been　around　forever。〃
　　〃Ancients　made　'em；〃　First　said。
　　〃Well；　as　I　said；〃　Third　went　on；　〃some　things　will　be　useful；　but　we've　got　to　be　very　careful　or　we'll　fall　into　the　same　trap　the　Ancients　did。　Too　much　technology。　It's　even　in　the　Charter。〃
　　〃It　is？〃　Second　asked；　surprised。
　　〃It　is；〃　Third　said。　〃And　we　can　do　something　to　keep　us　traditional　and　unsullied　by　stuff　we　aren't　even　sure　we　need。〃
　　〃What？〃　First　asked。
　　〃I'm　going　to　think　about　it；〃　Fourth　said。　〃I　don't　hold　with　someone　hurting　people；　but　devices…things　we　neither　want　nor　need…can　be　broken　or　spilled　or　got　rid　of。〃　She　looked　to　Fifth　to　see　his　reaction。
　　Third　guffawed。　〃Some　folks　tried　that。　Got　their　ears　deafened。。。〃
　　〃The　machine's　dead；〃　First　reminded　him。
　　Third　snarled　at　being　interrupted。　〃Got　exiled　for　hurting　the　Masterharper…〃
　　〃I　did　hear　that　the　Masterharper　died　in　its　chamber。　Perhaps　the　Masterharper　had　realized　how　insidious　that　Abomination　was。　Could　he　have　terminated　it？〃　asked　Fifth。
　　The　woman　gasped。
　　〃That's　a　very　interesting　idea；〃　Third　said　softly；　leaning　forward。　〃Is　there　any　proof？〃
　　〃How　could　there　be？〃　First　responded　in　a　horrified　voice。　〃The　Healers　said　Master　Robinton's　heart　gave　out。　From　being　bounced　around　during　his　abduction。〃
　　〃He　was　never　the　same　after；〃　agreed　Second；　who　had　grieved　as　sincerely　as　the　rest　of　the　planet　for　his　death。　〃Heard　tell　there　was　a　line　printed　on　the　screen。　Stayed　there　for　a　long　time　and　then　disappeared。〃
　　〃　'And　a　time　for　every　purpose　under　heaven；'　〃　murmured　Sixth。
　　〃Couldn't　have　been　Master　Robinton　that　put　up　that　message。　Had　to　have　been　Aivas；〃　Seventh　said；　scowling　at　Sixth。
　　〃Something　to　think　about；　though；　isn't　it？〃　Third　said。
　　〃Indeed　it　is；〃　Fourth　said；　eyes　blazing。
　　〃There　are　other　matters　to　think　about：　what　that。。。　Aivas　machine〃…though　Fifth's　odd　voice　had　no　inflection；　his　scorn　for　Aivas　rippled　down　the　table…〃has　insinuated　into　our　way　of　life；　corrupting　the　traditions　by　which　we　have　survived　so　long。〃　Fifth　had　no　trouble　dominating　the　conversation　again。　〃I　do　not…〃　He　paused。　〃…approve　of　harming　a　living　thing。〃　Again；　he　left　a　significant　pause　before　he　continued。　〃But　permanently　removing　items　that　can　have　dangerous　effects　on　innocent　people　is　another　thing。　It　would　be　wise　to　make　certain　that　such　new　materials　and　objects　should　never　see　the　light　of　day。〃
　　〃Much　less　glowbaskets　or　electricity；〃　Third　said　in　a　facetious　tone　that　was　not　well　received　even　by　Second。　Fifth　and　Fourth　glowered　so　repressively　that　he　recoiled。
　　〃I　go　along　with　removing　some　of　those　gadgets　and　new　junk；〃　Second　murmured；　but　he　didn't　sound　entirely　convinced。　〃It's　more　that　some　of　us；〃　he　added；　glancing　from　one　face　to　another；　〃never　seem　to　get　our　fair　share。〃
　　〃I　agree　wholeheartedly。　Like　dragonriders　getting　what　they　want　first；〃　Third　said。　〃Get　our　share。〃
　　〃There　are　more　folk　than　you　might　think；〃　Fifth　said　in　his　pelling　voice；　〃who　have　genuine　doubts　about　improvements　from　all　this　Aivas　stuff。　Machine　oughtn't　to　know　more　than　a　human　being　does。〃
　　First　gave　another　emphatic　nod　of　his　head　and　rose。　〃Be　right　back　with　some　other　right…thinking　human　beings。〃
　　By　the　end　of　the　evening；　there　were　over　twenty　〃right…thinking〃　men　and　women；　discussing　in　low　voices　the　possibility　that　the　Aivas　machine…the　〃Abomination〃　seemed　as　appropriate　a　name　as　it　had　been　for　the　original　protestors…might　not　have　the　good　of　real　people　at　heart；　it　being　a　machine　and　all。
　　No　one　exchanged　names　and　hold　or　hall　affiliations；　but　they　all　agreed　to　meet　at　the　next　Gather；　if　they　could。　They　agreed　to　find　out　who　else　might　wish　to　organize　a　protest　about　undesirable　and　possibly　detrimental　changes　that　were　introduced　as　〃progress。〃
　　It　surprised　First　and　Second；　but　not　Third；　Fourth；　Sixth；　and　Seventh…and　especially　not　Fifth…who　continued　to　use　those　numbers　as　their　Gather　identities；　that　many　people　had　grievances；　small　and　large；　real　or　fancied；　that　needed　to　be　aired　and　perhaps　addressed。　Fifth　never　again　spoke　about　the　synchronicity　of　the　death　of　the　Masterharper　and　the　Abomination；　but　that　little　rumor　bound　many　to　the　cause　who　might　not　have　given　it　much　credence。　Master　Robinton　had　been　very　popular；　and　if…if…that　Abomination　had　been　responsible　in　any　way　for　the　Masterharper's　death；　then　that　was　cause　enough　to　ally　against　it。　If　devices　or　procedures　they　couldn't　understand　were　sponsored　or　suggested　by　the　Abomination；　distrust　or　fear…along　with　that　damaging　rumor　of　which　death　had　been　first…supplied　an　impetus　that　could　be　successfully　channeled　into　action。
　　There　were　those　who　found　fulfillment　within　the　group　and　in　the　planning；　and　with　a　certain　perverse　joy　in　subtly　thwarting　〃progress〃　with　minor　deeds　of　damage。　But　for　others；　such　〃minor〃　deeds…which　did　not　cause　real　alarm　in　Hold　and　Hall；　or　have　deeper　consequences　in　preventing　the　making　and　distribution　of　more　and　more　abominable　devices…were　not　enough。
　　Though　it　caused　some　distress　to　healers　to　find　the　latest　shipments　of　new　preparations　from　the　Healer　Hall　missing　from　their　shelves；　it　did　not　immediately　occur　to　them　that　none　of　the　older　remedies　were　ever　stolen。
　　If　a　Crafthall；　manufacturing　parts　for　new　devices；　found　work　damaged　by　〃accidents〃　or　acids　spilled　on　packing　crates；　they　put　stronger　locks　on　their　hall　doors　and　kept　eyes　open　for　strangers　visiting　in　the　area。
　　If　the　Printer　Hall　found　discarded　sheets　missing　from　the　bin　in　which　the　ruined　paper　had　been　placed　for　recycling；　none　of　the　apprentices　thought　to　report　the　matter。
　　Then　the　Lilcamp　traders；　who　were　transporting　some　valuable　ponents　from　one　Smith　Hall　to　another；　found　the　carefully　packed　crates　missing　one　morning　and　reported　it　to　Master　Fandarel　at　Telgar　Smithcrafthall。　Fandarel　sent　an　indignant　message　to　Masterharpe