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Beware resumed obsession with the self。
To those who have tasted vacuum and stardust；
that way lies damnation。
…The Scroll of Redemption
Alvin's Tale
THE OTHERS ARE ASLEEP NOW。 IT'S LATE； BUT I want to get all this down； 'cause things are about to get busy and I don't know when I'll have another chance。
Tomorrow we head back down the mountain； loaded with all kinds of gear lent to us by Uriel the Smith…so much good stuff that we're feeling pretty dumb right now about our former plans。
To think we were willing to trust our lives to some of the junk we designed！
Uriel already sent messages to our parents； calligraphed on heavy cloth paper and sealed with her signet as a sage of the mons。 So there's not much Huck's folks or mine can do to stop us。
Not that I looked forward to facing them； anyway。 What would I say？ 〃Hey； Pop。 It'll be just like Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea！ Remember how often you read it to me； when I was little？〃
I recall now how that tale ended for Captain Nemo's submarine crew； and I can see why Yowg…wayuo regrets what a humicker I've bee。 If my father confronts me over this； I'll discuss it in a language other than Anglic； to show that I really have thought it out several ways。 This trip is more than a passing kid…obsession but something meaningful for our village and our race。 Me and the others are going to make history。 It's important for a hoon to be involved； from notion to motion to recollection。
Once she decided； Uriel really got things rolling。 Pincer…Tip headed out the very same evening after Ziz was vlenned； taking the newly budded traeki to his home hive for water…adapting in the tidepools south of Wuphon。 Pincer will also use the smith's authority to hire some red…shelled cousins to haul the bathy's wooden hull to a meeting point down near the Rift。 The rest of us will e overland with supply wagons。
Test dives start in just five days！
The choice of a site was vital。 There's just one place where the Midden's deep watery trench plunges like a scythe blade toward the coast。 Where it sends a deep rupture of jagged canyons passing right next to Terminus Rock。 By deploying a boom from an overhanging ledge； we won't even need to hire a ship。
It's a relief to have a decision made at last。 Even Huck admits the die is cast； accepting destiny with a shrugged rubbing of two eyestalks。
〃At least we'll be right there at the border； where I want to be anyway。 When we finish； Uriel will owe us。 She'll have to write us a warrant to go over the line and visit some Buyur ruins。〃
There's an Anglic word…tenacity…that es out as stubbornness when I translate into GalSix。 Which is one more reason why human speech best describes my pal Huck。
All of us； even Ur…ronn； are more than a little surprised by how Uriel is throwing resources at our 〃little adventure〃 all of a sudden。 We talked about the smith's outbreak of helpfulness during our last evening on Mount Guenn； after a long day spent packing crates and going over inventory lists； waiting for the factory plex to settle down for the night。
〃It nust have to do with the starships；〃 Ur…ronn said； lifting her muzzle from the straw of her sleeping pallet。
Huck turned two stalks toward Ur…ronn…leaving just one buried in her well…thumbed copy of Lord Valentine's Castle。 She groaned。 〃Not that again！ What in the world could our dumbass little diving trip have to do with Galactic cruisers ing to Jijo？ Don't you think Uriel would have more important things on her mind？〃
〃Vut Gyfz said； a week ago…〃
〃Why not just admit you overheard Gybz wrong？ We asked er again today； and that traeki doesn't recall seeing any spaceships。〃
〃Not that traeki；〃 I corrected。 〃We never had a chance to ask Gybz anything； before the vlenning。 It's Tyug who said er doesn't remember。〃
〃Tyug； Gybz。 The difference can't be that great。 Not even a vlenned traeki would forget something like that！〃
I wasn't so sure about that。 Traeki memory wax can be tricky stuff； I hear。
Then again； I'm hardly ever as sure of anything as Huck is of everything。
Of course； there was one other person we could ask； but in the course of stowing gear and going over plans； I guess the fiery old smith dazzled us out of bringing the subject up。 Intimidated may be a better word； though I'm not sure； since I'm writing this by candlelight without my handy dictionary。 All during the last few days； Uriel galloped from her normal duties； to talks with her human guest； to tending her precious hall of disks； to flooding us with more details we never thought of during al1 our long months planning an undersea adventure…a voyage none of us ever really expected to e true。 In all the rushing about； there never seemed time to raise other questions。 Or else Uriel made it plain that some things weren't any of our business。
At one point I did try to ask about all the changes she had made in our plan。
〃We always figured on starting by exploring the shallows near home。 Then redesign and refit before trying deeper water from a boat。 Maybe going down ten or twenty cords。 Now you're talking about doing thirty； right from the start！〃
〃Thirty cords is not so very nuch；〃 Uriel dismissed with a snort。 〃Oh； I agree that your old air circulators wouldn't have veen uf to it。 That's why I reflaced the systen with a suferior one we had on hand。 Also； your gaskets would have leaked。 As for the hull itself； your design will do。〃
I couldn't help wondering…where did all the equipment e from？ We hadn't figured on needing a gas pressure regulator； for instance。 Good thing Uriel pointed out the mistake and happened to have a beautiful handmade one in stock。 But why did she already have one？ Why would even the Smith of Guenn Volcano need such a thing？
Huck admitted； it wasn't hurting our chances to have Uriel's petence behind us。 Yet I worried。 An air of mystery shrouded the enterprise。
〃All will ve nade clear when you get to the Rock； and everything is ready to go。 I'll check the gear out nyself； then I'll exflain what you can do for ne。〃
Barring day trips to Wuphon； Uriel hardly ever left her forge。 Now she wanted to take two weeks off； adventuring with us？ Never in my life has a single piece of news struck me the way that one did…at once both reassuring and terrifying。 Perhaps my nick…namesake felt the same way when； exploring the deep catabs under Bias…par； he found something unimaginable； a mystery tunnel leading all the way to faraway Lys。
So there we were； Huck； Ur…ronn； and me； all packed up and ready to set off in the morn； on an exploit that would either make us famous or kill us。 Before that； though； there was one bit of business we had to take care of。 We waited till night settled fully over Mount Guenn； when sunshine no longer filled the hundred clever sky…lights； leaving nothing to pete with the lava pools and glowing forges。 The ore buckets and casting furnaces went silent and laborers downed tools。 Soon after evening meal； seven gongs clanged； summoning urrish workers to perform their ritual grooming before settling down to sleep。
Ur…ronn didn't like moving about at that hour…what urs does？…but she knew there was no other choice。 So we set forth single file from the warehouse chamber where Urdonnol had us barracked； picking our way without lanterns。 Huck led； with two eyestalks stretched ahead as she spun quickly along a swooping stone ramp。 The eyes facing backward seemed to glare at us each time she passed under a sky…duct； catching glimmers of moonlight。
〃e on； you guys！ You're so jeekee slow！〃
Ur…ronn muttered； 〃Who had to carry her across rock…fields for three days； when we went exfloring the Yootir Caves？ I still have sfoke scars in ny flanks。〃
An exaggeration。 I know how tough urrish hide is。 Still； Huck does have a way of recalling only whatever seems convenient at the time。
She had to stop and wait； huffing impatiently； at intersections to let Ur…ronn show the way。 Soon that meant exiting the warren of underground passages and following a trail of pounded pumice across a rocky plain that looked even more eerily alien； more starkly un…Jijoan； by nig