"You must recognize what is to be lost," Salamander said, waddling closer, fingers curling as if in threat.
"I know," Martin said.
"You are not capable of knowing, you are too small and limited," Salamander said. "I must teach you now, immediately, what can be lost. There is no time. What must I do? "
Martin did not want to confront Salamander. "We'll try to arrange another meeting."
"You have met with the superiors twice, and that has never happened in our history."
"Maybe there can be a third meeting."
"They have told you what you need. They will not speak to you again," Salamander said.
"How do you speak to them?"
"We send signals into this planet, and they respond, or do not respond."
Like calling monsters from the deep with songs. Leviathan, indeed; the staircase gods were great energy leviathans basking on the deep energy slopes of paradise, thinking unknown thoughts, disdaining surface creatures.
Noach blackout would end within hours. Martin had to speak with the other ships as soon as possible.
Salamander drew back its arms, dropped them to the floor, backed away, miter head bowed as if in supplication.
"I have been ordered to let you return," it said. It walked on all fours toward the opening of the tunnel. Martin followed, the timeless wash of the vast blue ocean growing louder.
With Martin's return and explanation of what had happened, Double Seedaltered radically in design and ability. The crews stayed on the bridge as the ship drew in its extensions, armored itself against possible direct assault, and shielded itself against transmissions into or out of the ship's interior. Martin knew the ship's transformation could be taken as a sign of aggression, but they had to take the risk.
While they waited, Hakim and Silken Parts selected and displayed some of the, huge volume of information sent to the Double Seedin the past two hours from the surface of Sleep.
Images of planet-spanning cities on the inner worlds, scenes of daily life whose meaning they could hardly guess without reference to hundreds of thousands of pages of text, expertly Englished; the varieties of races, sounds of over twenty spoken languages, biographies and portraits of highly accomplished individuals, including long sequences on Salamander and Frog, more than just diplomats or representatives—creative artists famous throughout the Leviathan system, experts in planetary architecture, responsible for Puffball's construction over the past few hundred years, as well as designers of philosophical systems regarded as complex games…
They're trying to personalize themselves, be more to us than unfamiliar creatures and opponents. It's a tactic almost human… and it implies some understanding of or congruence with our psychology.
"They have opened their archives," Eye on Sky said, and curled to face Martin. "They are very afraid of we us."
Martin nodded.
"He knows that," Paola said.
"They couldn't give me proof that the Killers have gone," Martin said.
"Is that kind of proof possible?" Ariel asked. "They could only prove the Killers are still here if the Killers themselves talked to us—admitted they were here. Right?"
"Right," Martin said. "I'm thinking of the decision Stonemaker and Hans have to make. We've tracked the Killers, we've found conclusive evidence they once lived here…"
Talented Salamander and Frog, betrayed by their physique; leftovers from centuries, millennia of frantic creativity—and to what end? To make up for the Killers' sins, creation to atone for destruction?
Hans would not see it that way. Martin could not predict Stonemaker's reaction, but Eye on Sky was clearly sympathetic to the pleas of innocence, the urgent appeal for multitudes of intelligent beings, far more than just the leftovers of Killer habitation.
Hakim touched Martin on the shoulder. "We will be able to noach in two minutes," he said. "We will communicate with Greyhounddirectly. Through them, of course, Shrikeas well, but Shrikeis still out of direct range."
"What would you do?" Martin asked Eye on Sky.
"As a group? We we must decide—"
"By yourself," Martin said. "If you had the choice."
"What would you do if you alone, as a braid—" Paola tried to interpret.
"I we understand," Eye on Sky interrupted her. "It is not a question I we enjoy answering."
Martin stared at him and gave the merest nod.
Paola looked between the Brothers, who had stopped moving, waiting for Eye on Sky's answer.
"I we have not reached a decision," he finally said.
"You're wavering," Cham said. Cham pushed off from the ceiling and rotated to a reverse, landing with his feet on the floor, then performed the maneuver in reverse, exercising with nervous energy. "I think it's a trap," Cham said. "The very worst trap, perfectly designed to snare us. I think you should tell Hans that."
Ariel curled in mid-air. Martin could not read her expression.
"Nobody's asked the mom or the snake mother what we should do," George Dempsey said.
"George, you've always been a little dense," Donna told him.
"Hell, I know they're not supposed to influence us…" George said with a pained expression. "But they brought us here, they've given us this opportunity, and if we screw it up, if we decide wrong…"He blocked Cham's accelerated exercise with an arm, causing Cham to tumble and grab a stanchion. Cham mumbled something unintelligible but stopped bouncing back and forth and curled beside Erin. "If we decide wrong…" George repeated, but did not finish.
"We're guilty of a crime worse than the death of Earth," Paola said.
"Right," George said.
"Just what they want us to think," Cham said. "Perfect disguise."
"I don't think it's a disguise," Martin said.
"Nor do I we," Silken Parts agreed.
"Nor do we all," Eye on Sky concluded. Cham pushed his lips together and shook his head.
"Well, I'm in myplace," he muttered.
"Stop it," Martin said. "We could argue for years and not know for sure. I'm goddamned confused myself."
"Amen," Erin said.
"But I'm not Pan. We don't make the decision alone. We present what we have to all the others…"
In the quiet, cool noach chamber, Hakim, Eye on Sky, and Martin sat, waiting for signals to be coordinated.
Stonemaker and Giacomo appeared first, three-dimensional noach images growing out of the air. Giacomo's face was pale and drawn, his eyes dark and tired. Stonemaker received Eye on Sky's report as Hakim prepared to transmit their findings.
"We're having trouble," Giacomo told Martin. "Hans will be here soon. He can tell you about it. I need to speak with Jennifer right away."
"After Hans and I talk," Martin said.
"Martin, this is really important. We've made some significant advances. The moms are making new equipment for us. I have to talk with Jennifer, and Silken Parts, too."
"I understand," Martin said. "Strategy first."
Giacomo's face reddened. "God damn it, Martin, Hans isn't here yet, and we don't have much time. We've learned a lot in the past few tendays, stuff I wouldn't have believed!"