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.He'll be better looked afterthan in one of our second-rate hospitals."A warning tremor ran down Rimerley's spine.He said in a voice suddenlyfainter than normal, "Ahwhere is he, then?""In the Corps Galactica hospital.He was taken there after some fishermanrescued him from the water."Page 19ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlSilence."Dr Rimerley?" Quist demanded at last, sounding alarmed.She was not half as alarmed as Rimerley himself.He could barely choke out hisanswer."On uh-on second thoughts, perhaps it would be better to have him broughthere.At once, the sooner the better." He gulped the rest of the drink he hadbeen sip-ping while he relaxed for the evening."Yes, certainly not later than tomorrowmorning, on any account!"He was sweating like a river when he cut the con-nection.VISoraya was woridng as vsaal at the waterworks, and having the inevitableargument with Firdausi about mar-rying him, which he had been urging on her ever since she achieved puberty,when she heard her name being frantically shouted.She motioned Firdausi to be silent, and peered through the wraiths of steamfrom the main cauldron, trying to make out who it was.The voice was achild's, but so hoarse with agitation she could not recognise its owner.The waterworks consisted of three parts.First, there was the dipper whichbrought water from the natural pool; this was a chain of buckets on two bigwooden pulleys, driven by a yorb which seemed quite content to walk around allday in a circle and get an evening re-ward of food for its trouble.The dipper emptied its water into the maincauldron, under which a hot fire burned all the time, raising sluggishlybursting bubbles in the contents.Although the water seemed perfectly clearand pure when it was raised from the pool, a scum al-ways formed during boiling, and it was in removing this scum with woodenladles that Soraya and Firdausi were engaged.Then the water was run off, a little at a time, into the cooling tank, atapered cylindrical container of heavy-stones mortared with natural cement, whence the towns-folk could fetch it in bucketfuls for use at home."Can you see who it is?" Soraya demanded.Firdausi clambered down from the ladder on which they were working, to getbelow the clouds of steam, and reported."It looks like the youngest from nextdoor to youBaby Hakim.""Oh no\" Soraya gulped, and dropped to the ground with a lithe flexing of herlong legs.Firdausi's eyes fol-lowed her hungrily.She was by far the most beautiful unmarried girl in thewhole town: sloe-eyed, olive-skinned, with long dark hair and supple, graceful limbs.file:///F|/rah/John%20Brunner/Brunner,%20John%20-%20Repairmen%20of%20Cyclops.txt (21 of 86) [1/17/03 6:50:30 PM]file:///F|/rah/John%20Brunner/Brunner,%20John%20-%20Repairmen%20of%20Cyclops.txtHe wished achingly that his parents were not so con-cerned with mundanities like a dowry and would give him permission to marryher anyway.He was sure she would make an excellent wife."Hakim baby!" she cried, dropping on her knees and sweeping her arms aroundthe tearful youngster who came charging up to her."What's wrong?"Between sobs of exhaustion and terror, the child forced out the news: Soraya'smother had been taken ill yet again."You go straight home," Firdausi instructed."I'll bring Marouz to you there."She shot him a smile of gratitude and went racing back to the town.It consisted of two rows of wattle-and-daub houses facing one another, widelyspaced, with large vegetable gardens and runs for livestock surrounding them.Teth-Page 20ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlered yorbs regarded her incuriously as she sped past, feet splashing inpuddles left by the overnight rain which the sky threatened to let flood downagain at any moment.In the fifth house from the left was her home; she slammed back the crudewooden gate in the fence en-closing its garden, and ran indoors.Hakim's elder sister, Yana, was bending over the bed on which lay the wheezingform of apparently an old woman.In truth, Soraya's mother was no more thanthirty-seven, but in this harsh environment age descend-ed with the swiftness of tropical night.And yet it was not mere ageendurable, because vis-ited on everyonewhich afflicted her.It was something random, and more deadly.There was a name for it; the quakes.But simply to have a name was no help.What was needed was a cure.Sick with despair, Soraya glanced at Yana."Has she been like this long?""I found her on the floor by the hearth," the other girl answered in lowtones."See, her dress is scorchedit was lucky I chanced to look in, or shemight have been burned to death."Soraya shuddered."When? Just now?""So long ago as it took Hakim to reach you." Yana shrugged."I sent him atonce."Soraya clutched her mother's hand, feeling the uncon-trollable trembling that racked her weak body, and railed mentally against thecapriciousness of fate."Shall I go for Marouz?" Yana suggested."Thank you, but Firdausi was with me at the water-works, and he has gone already.Not that he'll be any help," Soraya addedbitterly."You shouldn't talk so.He's the wisest man among us as well as the oldest!"Yana sounded horrified."What use is wisdom without practical applications?He can tell us to be duriful children and loving parents, and we do ourbestand my mother who is the kindest of women has the quakes." Soraya put upher hand to wipe away a tear."Sssh! He's coming now," Yana murmured, and turned to bow as Marouz dippedhis white-bearded head under the low lintel."Honour and profit upon this house," the mage said infile:///F|/rah/John%20Brunner/Brunner,%20John%20-%20Repairmen%20of%20Cyclops [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]