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Pour； oh pour； the pirate sherry；
fill； oh fill； the pirate glass。
And to make us more than merry；
let the pirate bumper pass！
Sara stood up； too； staring in astonishment。 From Ariana Foo came a shout of satisfaction。
〃Aha！ A hit with the very first try！ Even with the cultural cue； I expected to work through many before finding one he knew。〃
〃But his injury！〃 objected Taine。 〃I thought you said…〃
〃Quite right；〃 Bonner cut in。 〃If he can't speak； how can he sing？〃
〃Oh； that。〃 Ariana dismissed the miracle with a wave。 〃Different functions。 Different parts of the brain。 There are precedents in the medical references。 I'm told it's even been observed here on Jijo； once or twice。
〃No； what startles me is the cultural persistence this experiment demonstrates。 It's been three hundred years。 I'd have thought by now Galactic influences would overwhelm all native Earthly…〃 The old woman paused； as if realizing she was running off on a tangent。 〃Well； never mind that。 Right now what matters is that our off…planet visitor seems to have found a way to municate； after all。〃
Even in the dimness； Ariana's smile was broad and anything but humble。
Sara laid her hand on the glass； feeling its cool slickness vibrate to the music in the next room； which had passed on to a new song。 The cadence slowed and melody changed； though apparently not the topic。
She closed her eyes and listened as the Stranger plunged ahead with throaty joy； outracing the recording in his eagerness to be heard at last。
Away to the cheating world go you；
where pirates all are well…to…do。
But I'll be true to the song I sing。。。
and live and die a Pi…i…rate King！
XIX。 THE BOOK OF THE SEA
Scrolls
Of galaxies； it is said；
there were once seventeen；
linked and bound together；
by tubes of focused time。
One by one； those frail tubes snapped；
sundered as the universe
stretched its aging seams。
Of galaxies； the Progenitors
knew eleven。
Six more have parted ways；
in the ages since； stranding
distant cousins to unknown fates。
Of galaxies； our immediate ancestors
knew five。
What if it should happen
once again； while we seek redemption
in this fallow spiral？
Will anyone e down to claim us；
once our innocence is restored？
In our own sky； of Galaxies we see but one。
…The Scroll of Possibilities
Alvin's Tale
I DON'T WISH TO DWELL TOO MUCH ON MY OWN role in what came next。 Let's just say that as a young male hoon； I seemed best suited to dangle at the end of the redeployed hawser； sitting in a makeshift sling while the crew lowered me toward the dark blue waters of the Rift。
After dropping below the edge； all I could see of the others were a few hoon and urrish faces； plus a pair of g'Kek eyestalks； peering down at me。 Then even those blended into the rocks and I was alone； dangling like bait on a hooked line。 I tried not to look at the long drop below； but soon a gusting wind set the hawser swaying； reminding me of the slender support overhead。
During the lonely descent I had time to ask myself…〃What the heck am I doing here？〃
It became a kind of mantra。 （If I recall that word right； since it's not in the dictionary I have with me in this cold； hard place。） Repeated often enough； the phrase soon lost some of its horrid fascination； instead taking on a queerly pleasant cadence。 By the halfway point； I was umbling…
〃What the heck。 I am doing。 Here！〃
In other words； a deed is being done； and I'm the one doing it； so why not do it right？ An Anglic way of phrasing a very hoonish thought。
Anyway； I guess I did a good job of convincing myself； 'cause I didn't panic when they overshot at the end。 My furry legs got well dunked before the brakes firmed and the tether stopped jouncing。 It took a moment to gather breath and start umbling at Huphu； calling her to swim over from Wuphon's Dream； almost an arrowflight away。 Haste was vital； since the bathy was slowly drifting out from the placid water under Terminus Rock。 Soon she'd hit the Rift Current； and we might never see her again。
This time Huphu didn't make me wait。 She dove in and swam toward me like a little black dartfish； clearly not badly harmed by her plummet off the bluff。
What's that sick joke they tell about noors？ If you ever have to kill one； it will take a quart of traeki poison； a qheuen's claw； a human's arrow； and a rack of urrish insults。 That assumes a hoon first distracts the beast with a first…class umble； and even so； it's best to have a g'Kek roll back and forth over the corpse a few times； just to be sure。
All right； it's juvenile humor； but also respectful in a way。 I couldn't help spine…laughing over it while waiting for our indestructible Huphu。 Finally； she clambered up my leg and into my arms； wallowing in my happy umble。 I sensed she was still frightened； since for once she made no effort to pretend nonchalance or to hide her happiness to see me。
Still； time was short。 Soon as I could； I slipped a harness of tough cord over Huphu's shoulders and urged her back down to the sea。
Urdonnol's plan seemed a good one。。。 that is； if Huphu understood my instructions。。。 if the Dream hadn't already drifted beyond reach。。。 if Huphu managed to hook the cable's end onto the bathy's grommet fixture。。。 if the subtraeki； Ziz； could hold on awhile longer in its hugely distended form； bearing up the weight of all that dangling metal。。。 if the re…spliced hawser would bear the burden when the crew above hauled away。。。
There were so many ifs。 Is this why Earthlings chose to call their goddess of luck and chance Ifni？ Her capricious whims sure do swing back and forth。 As on that day； when she first cursed our enterprise with calamity； then tossed her dice again the other way。 Throughout the following tense midura； we all worried and wondered what her next clattering roll would bring…till at last Huphu and I stood atop the cliff together； dripping beside the beautiful flank of Wuphon's Dream； staring in amazement as Tyug carefully deflated and tended Ziz。 Meanwhile； Pincer and Huck rolled round and round the bathy； inspecting nervously for damage； and Ur…ronn supervised the crew hauling in the rest of the dangling cable。
Finally； the two severed ends lay side by side on the stony mesa； burned； frayed； and torn。
〃This will not haffen again！〃 I overheard our urrish friend mutter。 It was in that tone of voice an urs uses when she makes a prediction； a vow； and means she'll rip the neck off anyone who tries to make a liar out of her。
The next day Uriel returned； galloping into camp acpanied by armed assistants and a retinue of pack donkeys。 With her came messages that had arrived by semaphore…and…runner relay from the far north； which she read aloud that evening； with the Dandelion Cluster as a shimmering backdrop above the glistening Rift。 Wearing the robes of a lesser sage； the smith summarized what had occurred at Gathering…the ing not just of starships but star…criminals。 Beings capable of bringing an end to the Great Peace； the mons； and perhaps eve