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"One female really resents tasting her technique being employed by another," Heem sprayed with a
certain resigned mirth.
'So?' Jessica demanded indignantly. 'When did I ever employ-don't answer that!'
"Too bad she's competition," Heem continued. "She has a most enticing flavor."
'All right! I'd have flavor too, if I were-never mind. Just get back to your business.'
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r r
Sickh slithered up, investigated the ramp, and examined the globe. She seemed to be able to fathom
the dial as readily as Heem could; the indicator probably gave off sonic vibration too. Remarkable
device!
After a moment's experimentation, Sickh aimed the ball end of the line at the Star. She slithered onto
the ramp-and up it.
"The key!" Swoon sprayed, rolling close. She brushed against the globe, causing the line to change
orientation- and abruptly Sickh slid to the base of the ramp.
'That's the key, all right!' Jessica exclaimed. 'I wish I'd fathomed it! Set the pointer on the sun, and the
ramp freezes. Could be like a time clock, since the position of the sun indicates time of day. Move
that indicator, and you roll, ready or not. Oh, do you roll!'
Sickh made a pass at Swoon with one pincer, and Swoon retreated in haste. Sickh reset the pointer,
started up the ramp-and Swoon rolled in toward the globe. Sickh halted, and Swoon halted. They were
at an impasse; if the Squam mounted the ramp farther, the HydrO would arrange to dump her down
again.
'I begin to appreciate the dimension of the problem,' Jessica said. 'No one can make it to the top
without the cooperation of those at the bottom-who will lose if they do cooperate. Very neat
challenge!'
"So the early arrivals aggravated each other in exactly this fashion, and got embroiled in a fight, the
conclusion of which we tasted," Heem agreed. "Only the Erb survived-and he dared not betray the
secret to us, so had to retreat without attempting the ascent. Yet why didn't he merely set the dial and
rush up before we arrived? He was waiting for us."
'I don't think we've fathomed the whole mystery yet,' Jessica said. 'Maybe we should make another
deal with Sickh.'
"Maybe so," Heem agreed reluctantly. "But we can't communicate with her, without translation. Not
technically enough, fast enough."
'Oh, pooh! She will understand.'
Heem moved to the base of the ramp, blocking off Swoon. "Fair warning," he jetted at her. "We are in
competition, and my transferee means to compete. Roll back."
"But the Squam is on the ramp!" Swoon protested.
"You are perceptive."
"I refuse to sit still for this!" Swoon rolled toward him.
Heem needled her with a long-distance, accurate shot. She rolled back, surprised at his proficiency;
she was well beyond normal needle-range. Conversational jets required little physical cohesion, as
their flavor alone counted; needles lost their force much sooner.
Sickh, realizing that Heem was guarding the dial, giving her a chance, slithered rapidly up.
"You are rolling away my chance, and yours!" Swoon jetted. "You are betraying the Star you
represent. I can offer you so much more than any Squam can!" And she sprayed him with sexual
flavor.
She certainly did have a tempting taste! No doubt she had been selected for this quality, too. Her offer
would have been quite attractive, except for two things. First, Jessica's cynical laughter was echoing
through his system -a strange effect for one who could not hear. Second, he knew what happened to a
HydrO female who reproduced. Swoon was suggesting copulation, not reproduction, but still the
memory disturbed him. Heem stood firm, preventing her from interfering.
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r r
Suddenly Sickh came sliding down the ramp. Yet no one had touched the dial. 'I begin to glimmer
why the Erb did not race up,' Jessica said. 'The rules change halfway up. This is no minor, one-stage
challenge.'
Sickh slithered up beside Heem, her forepart aiming away from the tower. 'She is giving us our turn,'
Jessica said. 'I told you she would understand. She will guard the dial for us, now.'
Heem rolled to the dial. It was now mis-set-not a little, as might happen in time as the radiation from
the Star changed its angle, but a lot, as if jogged entirely out of place. Yet no one had touched it.
Sickh did not believe that he, Heem, had moved it either; her attitude suggested that she had failed,
not he.
He reset the dial to point at the sun; Jessica's visual image helped. The ramp firmed, and he rolled up
it. 'We're on our way-maybe!' Jessica said.
Halfway up the tower-one loop of the spiral-there was another globe. 'Uh-I don't think we can safely
ignore it,' Jessica said. 'Obviously we have to set it too, or the whole thing bounces out of whack. But
I doubt it aims at the sun; someone must have tried that already.'
Heem agreed. "But what else should it orient on?"
'I've got it! Is there a moon for this planet?'
"There are three. Only one is readily perceivable, however-and none have taste for me."
'Um. You have a mental ephemeris, don't you? A table of System bodies and times? You can calculate [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]