[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

Object will disappear into Guild vaults not even to be studied by Guild
researchers. The Guild is unanimous on this now. Bring it to us, Zref.
Rodeen."
"Don't be surprised if you don't hear from me for a while. Zref." The dominant
part of him didn't intend to follow more than the letter of that instruction.
When he relayed the Guild decision, Arshel called, "What are you going to do?"
As always, Arshel tapped his inspiration. "Shatter the in-
terior, so it looks like a crystal that's undergone severe thermal shock.
That'll disarm it so nobody could rearm it. Even we can't destroy it without
making a new Persuader!"
Arai called, "Arshel, join us as you always have. We can't do this without
you."
"Yes," agreed Zref. Arshel was the key. They had to have an aklal one member
more than that which had constructed the Selector, and that extra member had
to be an antagonist they'd embraced in harmony. It'd taken all these millennia
to do it. "Arshel, visualize our Maze as you colored it for us. All of
you think now we're in a chamber under the Mazeheart. Remember how it once
was alive, glowing. Remember how you walked it. Remember what you
discovered of yourself. Of the One. Be there with me now. Be here, with me
then about to activate the Selector and establish the Persuader Corps by
becoming the first Persuaders."
Page 113
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
Awareness narrowed to his richly feathered, athletic body. He looked down on
the Selector on its pedestal, circled it inspecting from all angles. When he'd
gone halfway, he looked back where he'd been standing and saw a short pale
stranger of some odd species. He shrugged, knowing the entity was friendly, a
sleeper's projection.
He turned the Selector until it was oriented exactly, and he was satisfied. He
rustled his feathers impressively, and proudly called in his aklal. The
multiple awareness settled about him. He was everywhere in the chamber,
looking in every direction. He was even in the exit tunnel which was only half
finished now. No, that one was a projection, too.
With a snap of his attention, he called the aklal to the work, giving them the
key image, the interior structure of the Selector with each sphere spinning,
and orbiting the center, while the ellipsoid spun first on its long axis, then
on its short axis, moving to the heartbeat of the observer. Within each
sphere, the pyramidal form inscribed within it rotated its colored sides this
way and that, reflecting the energy states of the observer.
In this case, "the observer" was not one being, but an aklal. It made no
difference in principle, for their minds beat as one, and all the mobile
sections of the Selector whirled smoothly in their appropriate patterns.
With dismay, he heard the thoughts and echoed them will-
ingly within his mind, adding his own power to it.
DISINTEGRATE! DISSIMILATE! DISSIPATE! DISLODGE! DISJECT! DISPEL!
The concept was one, the expression many, and the thought voices formed a
perfect chord. The silence rose to a crescendo that suspended in midair over
the Selector which glowed invisibly, whirling faster and faster, hotter and
brighter, and in the end the Selector screamed
No! That's Arshel! The contact fell away from his hands, and Zref whirled in
his tracks, stumbling toward the tunnel because his legs were too short. But
he recovered and raced to her while the others were still clutching at their
eyes to break the contact with the Selector.
Hand over her eyes, Arshel was pointing up the tunnel. Now Zref felt an
immense impact, a thud that shook the world.
"It's a pounder!" yelled Arshel.
Local traffic control indicated Thsee Rith's shuttle had grounded at the port
and she'd taken a hopper picked up the workers Zref had stranded and was now
at the tunnel.
The intensity in the chamber behind them had faded. The Selector was
quiescent, armed and able to self-destruct.
Zref squirmed out of his jacket, saying to Arshel, "Here, take the prybar.
Guard the tunnel until I call you. And don't look this way until I say it's
all right!"
He raced back to the chamber, pushing through those crowded around the
doorway. As he flung his jacket over the Selector and scooped it up, he said,
"That door isn't going to hold forever. We've drained a lot of the power that
was sustaining this place. Here take this now!"
He handed the Selector, wrapped in the black Interface's jacket, to Khelin. He
didn't take time to snatch his medallion from the pocket. Then he grabbed Ley
and Jocelyn, putting them on either side of Khelin and shoved them into a
position halfway between the pedestal and the open drawer.
He dropped to hands and knees, scrabbling in the dust. "Waysjoff! Quickly! [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]