[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

ship turned out to contain a swimming pool, vast and deep. The central pillar
containing the elevator system pierced straight through the heart of it but
also supported several levels above the water on which a few Gringg lounged
while dozens of others swam and sported in the water.
"This is absolutely spectacular!" Todd exclaimed, astounded, letting his face
reflect his opinion. He bowed and grinned broadly at Grizz who seemed pleased
by his reaction. "That is some pool."
Page 76
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
"More a lake,' Hrriss said, staring about him at the sheer size and shaking
his head at the quantity of water put to such use.
"Greene'll never believe this is what the water was for.
Though what sort of a weapon requires water . ." Todd trailed off, shaking
his head.
"I zink he would prefer anozer explanation,' Hrriss said. "He is not a man to
appreciate gracious living. Ah, but I can!"
"And look at the range of colours in Gringgs,' Todd added, nudging
Hrriss. "Pied, patched, white, brown, black, tan, gold. See the black fellow
there with a white shirt-front and chin and white boots? My sister Inessa had
a cat who looked just like him." Then he craned his head about, able to take
in more details now that the first shock of the space-lake had passed.
The room was, indeed, remarkable. A full, curved ceiling of a soft blue
arched benignly over the lakelet that had been made to appear natural.
Hidden ventilators provided soothing breezes and the occasional surprise gust
that made the water's surface skip and quiver.
Except for the toroid shape and the fact there was an elevator shaft running
through it, it was hard to believe that it was situated in the heart of a
space-going craft. The elegant homes of the very rich on
Earth had once had such amenities, or so his father had told Todd, before
living space on the planet became so constricted that such luxuries had been
prohibited. Man-made lakes on the few resort areas were out-of-doors and few
would have been as large as this one. Todd wondered how close this
approximated the living style of Gringg on their home world. He knelt to dip
his fingers in the water and taste it.
"It's fresh, with only a slightly chemical taste,' he said to Hrriss.
From his pouch, Hrriss took a little bottle and filled it for later analysis.
Having enjoyed their reaction, Grizz now took off her collar, shoulder piece
and belt, placed them on a rack filled with other such accoutrements and slid
into the water. Beckoning with a long, slow wave of her arm, she signalled
them to join her. Todd started to strip and was distracted by the workmanship
of Grizz's adornments. He picked up the collar and felt the material. It was
smooth and supple like leather, though thin as vinyl.
"Is this snakeskin?" he asked, showing the way a snake moved.
"Morra,' said Grizz, and moulded her face around a gaping mouth.
She submerged, and Todd leaned close to the edge to see her. She opened and
closed her mouth, using exaggerated motions of her lower jaw, and flapped her
hands alongside her jowls for gills.
"Oh,' Todd cried, enlightened, as she surfaced. "Fish.
They must be whoppers!" He sketched a fish of great size with his hands.
"Reh, reh,' Grizz said, adding another length to Todd's.
He whistled.
"Oh, the one that got away,' he said.
Squealing, Weddeerogh bounced off the side and landed belly-first in the
water, splashing everyone. One of the adults swam quickly towards him, only
head and the line of a dark-brown-furred spine and rudder-like tail showing
above the water. The cub paddled noisily towards his dam, but his pursuer
caught up with him. As he made cries of mock distress, the larger bear picked
him up, lifted him bodily out of the water, and tossed him. Weddeerogh
laughed aloud all the way down.
The resultant splash caught Todd and Hrriss full in the chest.
"Agh!" Todd cried. "I'm soaked."
"Zen come in alrreddy,' Hrriss said, teasing his friend.
"You can get no wezzer zen you arrre." He undid his belt and threw it across
Grizz's, and jumped in near Weddeerogh.
"Here I come,' Todd said, hopping out of shoes and hastily pulling off his
clothes. "Damned nuisance. If I'd known I was going swimming . .
." Stripped again, he poised on the side of the pool. Then, as the
Page 77
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
Gringg audience watched with interest, he leaped up and cut a beautiful arc,
entering the water with scarcely a ri ple.
When he surfaced, halfway across the pool, the Gringg applauded him, batting
the water noisily with their palms.
"Very prezzy, Hrriss said. "I didn't know zat was possible in zis grravity.
I zink zey have not seen diving of zis sorrt."
"No,' Todd said, surveying his companions. "They're not really built for swan
dives and jackknives, are they?" At Grizz's encouragement, Todd demonstrated
more Hayuman-style dives, using the highest of the pillar islands to do a
half-gaynor. The Gringg were impressed, calling out their approval to him in
loud, gruff voices.
When he was worn out, he pulled himself on to a nearby level and lay around
listening to a youthful male with a stringed musical instrument gutturally
rendering songs requested by the other Gringg.
Todd asked to see the instrument, which was not unlike a guitar.
"But far heavier,' he told Hrriss. He bent his fingers around the long stem
as well as he could. They didn't reach the fretting, so he laid the
instrument in his lap as if it was a dulcimer and tried to make chords. The
resultant sounds were harmonious, but nearly inaudible.
"These strings are heavier than baling wire. It's more like playing tent
spikes." The doors swung open. Panda, followed by the scribe, padded into the
swimming room carrying a crescentshaped solid in one hand and, in the other, a
device not unlike Todd's recorder with a slot intended to take the moon-shaped
piece. The two bears settled down beside Todd and showed him diagrams on the
reader's round screen.
"That was quick,' Hrriss said.
"Let's hope it works,' Todd replied. With a little stretch of imagination,
Todd began to recognize the complex molecular structure of proteins.
Panda pointed to one. "Ayoomnnn."
"Yes, if you say so,' Todd said with a grin. "And that's Hrruban, right?" He
put his finger on the other pattern.
"Reh,' Panda said, and put a claw to a control on the viewer. The two
patterns moved towards and then overlay one another. Atoms stuck out to
either side of the chain, and Panda seemed puzzled.
"Hayuman and Hrruban,' Todd explained, pointing to himself and Hrriss.
The two Gringg conferred, and finally it fell to the scribe to draw pictures.
With care, he sketched Todd and Hrriss, then began to draw in lines around
them.
"The quality of artwork is magnificent for such quick drawings,' Todd said.
"Jilamey could make millions for this fellow in the Artists'
Corridor on Earth."
"And on Hrruba,' Hrriss added.
The scribe's sketch complete, he turned it towards them.
"It's a family tree,' Todd realized. The scribe dashed small symbols between
the images of the two of them, pointing at one, then another, and asking for
clarification.
"He's not sure if we are siblings or . . . mated?" Hrriss turned with
twinkling eyes to his friend, dropping his jaw in amusement.
"Uh, no,' Todd said, shaking both hands and head vehemently at the
misunderstanding. With the scribe's permission he took the tablet and stylus.
While Panda watched closely, Todd drew two different family trees and peopled
them with figures not much more detailed than stick figures, but clearly male [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]