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carpet of greenery that's supposed to hide our town against being seen from space。
I have doubts it'd really work； if The Day ever es that everyone frets about。 When sky…gods e to judge us； what good will a canopy of leaves do？ Will it spare us punishment？
But I don't want to be called a heretic。 Anyway； this ain't the place to talk about that。
So there we were； high over Wuphon； all exposed with the bare sun glaring down； and Huck blurts her remark like a sudden burst of hollow hail。
〃I know where there's something to read；〃 she says。
I put down the lath strips I was carrying； laying them across a clump of black iris vines。 Below； I made out the pharmacist's house； with its chimney spilling distinct traeki smells。 （Do you know that different kinds of plants grow above a traeki's home？ It can be hard working there if the pharmacist happens to be making medicine while you're overhead！）
〃What're you talking about？〃 I asked； fighting a wave of wooziness。 Huck wheeled over to pick up one of the laths； nimbly bending and slipping it in where the trellis sagged。
〃I'm talking about reading something no one on the Slope has ever seen；〃 she answered in her crooning way； when she thinks an idea's gloss。 Two eyestalks hovered over her busy hands； while a third twisted to watch me with a glint I know too well。 〃I'm talking about something so ancient； it makes the oldest scroll on Jijo look like Joe Dolenz just printed it； with the ink still wet！〃
Huck spun along the beams and joists； making me gulp when she popped a wheelie or swerved past a gaping hole； weaving flexible lath canes like reeds in a basket。 We tend to see g'Keks as frail beings； because they prefer smooth paths and hate rocky ground。 But those axles and rims are nimble； and what a g'Kek calls a road can be narrow as a plank。
〃Don't give me that；〃 I shot back。 〃Your folk burned and sank their sneakship； same as every race who skulked down to Jijo。 All they had were scrolls…till humans came。〃
Huck rocked her torso； imitating a traeki gesture that means； Maybe you're right； but i/we don't think so。
〃Oh； Alvin； you know even the first exiles found things on Jijo to read。〃
All right； so I wasn't too swift on the grok。 I'm plenty smart in my own way…steady and thorough is the hoonish style…but no one ever accused me of being quick。
I frowned； mimicking a human 〃thoughtful〃 expression I once saw in a book； even though it makes my forehead hurt。 My throat sac throbbed as I concentrated。
〃Hrrrrrm。。。。 Now wait just a minute。 You don't mean those wall markings sometimes found…〃
〃On the walls of old Buyur buildings； yes！ The few not smashed or eaten by mule…spiders when the Buyur left； a million years ago。 Those same markings。〃
〃But weren't they mostly just street signs and such？〃
〃True；〃 she agreed with one dipping eyestalk。 〃But there were really strange ones in the ruins where I first lived。 Uncle Lorben was translating some into GalTwo； before the avalanche hit。〃
I'll never get used to how matter…of…factly she can speak about the disaster that wiped out her family。 If anything like it happened to me； I wouldn't talk again for years。 Maybe ever。
〃Uncle swapped letters with a Biblos scholar about the engravings he found。 I was too little to understand much。 But clearly there are savants who want to know about Buyur wall writings。〃
And others who wouldn't like it； I recall thinking。 Despite the Great Peace； there are still folk in all six races ready to cry heresy and warn of an awful penance； about to fall from the sky。
〃Well； it's too bad all the carvings were destroyed when。。。 you know。〃
〃When the mountain killed my folks？ Yeah。 Too bad。 Say； Alvin； will you pass a couple more strips over to me？ I can't quite reach…〃
Huck teetered on one wheel； the other spinning madly。 I gulped and passed over the lengths of slivered boo。 〃Thanks；〃 Huck said； landing back on the beam with a shuddering bounce； damped by her shocks。 〃Now where was I？ Oh yeah。 Buyur wall writings。 I was going to suggest how we can find some engravings no one's ever seen。 At least none of us exile Sixers。〃
〃How could that be？〃 My throat sac must have fluttered in confusion； making burbly sounds。 〃Your people came to Jijo two thousand years ago。 Mine almost as long。 Even humans have been here a few hundred。 Every inch of the Slope is explored； and each Buyur site poked into； scores of times！〃
Huck stretched all four eyes toward me。
〃Exactly！〃
Floating from her cranial tympanum； the Anglic word seemed stressed with soft accents of excitement。 I stared for a long time and finally croaked in surprise。
〃You mean to leave the Slope？ To sneak beyond the Rift？〃
I should have known better than to ask。
All it would have taken was a shift in the roll of Ifni's dice； and this would be a very different tale。 Things came that close to going the way Huck wanted。
She kept badgering me； for one thing。 Even after we finished repairing the lattice and went back to loitering near the ships moored under huge； overhanging gingourv trees； she just kept at it with her special bination of g'Kek wit and hoonlike persistence。
〃e on； Alvin。 Haven't we sailed to Terminus Rock dozens of times and dared each other to keep on going？ We even did it； once； and no harm ever came！〃
〃Just to the middle of the Rift。 Then we scurried home again。〃
〃So？ Do you want that shame sticking forever？ This may be our last chance！〃
I rubbed my half…inflated sac； making a hollow； rumbling sound。 〃Aren't you forgetting； we already have a project？ We're building a bathy； in order to go diving…〃
She cut loose a blat of disgust。 〃We talked it over last week and you agreed。 The bathy reeks。〃
〃I agreed to think about it。 Hrm。 After all； Pincer has already built the hull。 Chewed it himself from that big garu log。 And what about the work the rest of us put in； looking up old Earthling designs； making that pressor pump and cable？ Then there are those wheels you salvaged； and Ur…ronn's porthole…〃
〃Yeah； yeah。〃 She renounced all our labors with a dismissive twirl of two stalks。 〃Sure； it was fun working on that stuff during winter； when we had to sit indoors anyway。 Especially when it looked like it'd never actually happen。 We had a great game of pretend。
〃But things are getting serious！ Pincer talks about actually making a deep dive in a month or two。 Didn't we agree that's crazy？ Didn't we； Alvin？〃 Huck rolled closer and did something I've never heard another g'Kek do。 She rumbled an umble at me； mimicking the undertone a young hoon female might use if her big； handsome male was having trouble seeing things her way。
〃Now wouldn't you rather e with me to see some uttergloss writings； so burnish and ancient they were written with puters and lasers and such？ Hr…rm？ Doesn't that beat drowning in a stinky dross coffin； halfway to the bottom of the sea？〃
Time to switch languages。 While I normally find Anglic more buff than smug old star…god tongues； even Mister Heinz agrees that its 〃human tempos and loose logical structure tend to favor impetuous enthusiasms。〃
Right then； I needed the opposite； so I shifted to the whistles and pops of Galactic Two。
〃Consideration of （punishable） criminality…this has not occurred to thee？〃
Unfazed； she countered in GalSeven； the formal tongue most favored by humans。
〃We are minors； friend。 Besides； the border law is meant to thwart illicit breeding beyond the permitted zone。 Our gang has no such intent！〃
Then； in a quick flip to Galactic Two…
〃…Or hast thee （perverted） designs to attempt （strange； hybrid） procreation experiments with this （virginal female） self？〃
What a thought！ Plainly she was trying to keep me off balance。 I could feel control slip away。 Soon I'd find myself vowing to set sail for those dark ruins you can dimly see from Terminus Rock； if you aim an urrish telescope across the Rift's deep waters。
Just then； my eye caught a familiar disturbance under the placid bay。 A ruddy shape swarmed up the sandy bank until a dappled crimson carapace burst forth； spraying saltwater。 From that pact pentagonal shell； a fleshy dome raised； girdled by a glossy black ring。
〃Pincer！〃 I cried； glad of a distraction from Huck's hot enthusiasm。 〃e over and help me talk to this silly…〃
But the young qheuen burst ahead； cutting me off even before water stopped burbling from his speech vents。
〃M…m…mo…mo…mon…〃
Pincer's not as good at Anglic as Huck and me； especially when excited。 But he uses it to prove he's as
humicking modern as anyone。 I held up my hands。 〃Easy； pal！ Take a breath。 Take five！〃
He exhaled a deep sigh； which emerged as a pair of bubble streams where two spiky legs were still submerged。 〃I s…s…seen 'em！ This time I really s…seen 'em！〃
〃Seen what？〃 Huck asked； rolling across squishy sand。
The vision band rimming Pincer's dome looked in all directions at once。 Still； we could feel our friend's intense regard as he took another deep breath； then sighed a single word。
〃Monsters！〃
II。 THE BOOK OF THE SLOPE
Legends
The better part of a million years has