Ancestor's World by A. C. Crispin, T. Jackson King Page B
Authors: A. C. Crispin, T. Jackson King
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look at her. "When I was a kid I read a lot of old books about exotic alien cities." A faint smile
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touched his mouth. "Some of 'em were by a guy named Burroughs. Any relation?"
Mahree smiled back. "No. But of course I read his books, too."
"Then you know what it was like, reading about places like Helium and Gathol. I used to lie in bed at night in the Tennessee mountains, imagining ancient cities on alien worlds. As I got older, I was drawn to studying the past. I wanted to understand how long-ago people made their choices.
Whether they proved to be good choices or bad." Mahree nodded encouragingly. "Historians always like to think that learning about the past will provide a key to understanding the present."
"As I studied history and archaeology back on Earth, I kept wondering about alien worlds. I wondered about their past. Whether it had anything to teach us. So in grad school, I concentrated on xeno-archaeology. Got my doctorate, and went out to dig." Gordon grinned self-deprecatingly. "But I never found any answers, I'm afraid. Just a helluva lot more questions."
Mahree felt the air still between them as the sun disappeared behind the mesa. She could feel the temperature drop immediately.
Gordon was looking at her, and suddenly the moment had grown far too personal. She cleared her throat. "So, how about a tour? Is that your Base Camp?" She pointed to a cluster of tents and buildings.
Mitchell nodded. "The dome is the Refectory, where we eat potluck style.
Behind it is the Lab, where we analyze the artifacts, store them, and give thanks for the interior air- conditioning."
Mahree laughed softly. "I'll bet." The cool evening breeze brushed against her once more. "And the smaller domes encircling them?
"Dome-tents," Gordon replied. "Enough for private quarters, or double-up roomies, as people desire. Beyond them is our supply depot, and beyond that"--he pointed at a narrow sandstone canyon that led deep into the highlands--"is the Royal Tomb of A-Um Rakt, King of the
75
First Dynasty, founder of the City of White Stone. He's a personage revered by the Na-Dina as kind of a combination Galileo, Archimedes, and Quetzalcoatl."
Mahree gazed at the purple-shadowed canyon. "Why so?"
Gordon shrugged. "He gave his people monumental architecture. He gave them agriculture. And he was the first Na-Dina King to prevent a civil war--as best we can tell from the records of later Dynasties." He sighed. "As Etsane may have told you, the records of the first seven Dynasties are written in ideoglyphs quite different from the hieroglyphs of Classical High Na-Dina.
So we don't know what the first Na-Dina said about themselves. And the Revered Ancestors."
Mahree noticed her compatriots had all moved into the silvery dome of the Refectory. "Is it dinnertime?"
Gordon nodded. "Probably. I usually eat in my tent, while I read the daily reports, but tonight is different. We got back here early, thanks to your ship's arriving a day ahead of schedule. Sumiko will probably scold me for bringing you all back before she had a chance to prepare a six-course Japanese dinner."
"Sumiko Nobunaga? She's your Lab Chief, isn't she?" He nodded, beckoning to Mahree to follow him, and started down the remainder of the ramp. "She keeps this operation on track."
Shouldering her duffel bag, Mahree followed. "Actually," Gordon added,
"Sumiko organizes the data reporting. Axum runs the City of White Stone survey and excavations almost by herself."
"Axum?" Mahree felt her feet sink into the loose sand of the landing field.
"Oh, yes, the crew boss."
Ahead of her, Gordon nodded quickly. "She supervises the best crew I've ever seen."
"Krillen seemed nice, and so have the others I've met." Mahree made a face.
"Except for Beloran, of course."
"Sometimes he can be interesting to chat with," Gordon said. "We had a good discussion about the history of the Ninth Dynasty on the way over in the jumpjet. He's quite
76
an expert on Na-Dina history,
74
touched his mouth. "Some of 'em were by a guy named Burroughs. Any relation?"
Mahree smiled back. "No. But of course I read his books, too."
"Then you know what it was like, reading about places like Helium and Gathol. I used to lie in bed at night in the Tennessee mountains, imagining ancient cities on alien worlds. As I got older, I was drawn to studying the past. I wanted to understand how long-ago people made their choices.
Whether they proved to be good choices or bad." Mahree nodded encouragingly. "Historians always like to think that learning about the past will provide a key to understanding the present."
"As I studied history and archaeology back on Earth, I kept wondering about alien worlds. I wondered about their past. Whether it had anything to teach us. So in grad school, I concentrated on xeno-archaeology. Got my doctorate, and went out to dig." Gordon grinned self-deprecatingly. "But I never found any answers, I'm afraid. Just a helluva lot more questions."
Mahree felt the air still between them as the sun disappeared behind the mesa. She could feel the temperature drop immediately.
Gordon was looking at her, and suddenly the moment had grown far too personal. She cleared her throat. "So, how about a tour? Is that your Base Camp?" She pointed to a cluster of tents and buildings.
Mitchell nodded. "The dome is the Refectory, where we eat potluck style.
Behind it is the Lab, where we analyze the artifacts, store them, and give thanks for the interior air- conditioning."
Mahree laughed softly. "I'll bet." The cool evening breeze brushed against her once more. "And the smaller domes encircling them?
"Dome-tents," Gordon replied. "Enough for private quarters, or double-up roomies, as people desire. Beyond them is our supply depot, and beyond that"--he pointed at a narrow sandstone canyon that led deep into the highlands--"is the Royal Tomb of A-Um Rakt, King of the
75
First Dynasty, founder of the City of White Stone. He's a personage revered by the Na-Dina as kind of a combination Galileo, Archimedes, and Quetzalcoatl."
Mahree gazed at the purple-shadowed canyon. "Why so?"
Gordon shrugged. "He gave his people monumental architecture. He gave them agriculture. And he was the first Na-Dina King to prevent a civil war--as best we can tell from the records of later Dynasties." He sighed. "As Etsane may have told you, the records of the first seven Dynasties are written in ideoglyphs quite different from the hieroglyphs of Classical High Na-Dina.
So we don't know what the first Na-Dina said about themselves. And the Revered Ancestors."
Mahree noticed her compatriots had all moved into the silvery dome of the Refectory. "Is it dinnertime?"
Gordon nodded. "Probably. I usually eat in my tent, while I read the daily reports, but tonight is different. We got back here early, thanks to your ship's arriving a day ahead of schedule. Sumiko will probably scold me for bringing you all back before she had a chance to prepare a six-course Japanese dinner."
"Sumiko Nobunaga? She's your Lab Chief, isn't she?" He nodded, beckoning to Mahree to follow him, and started down the remainder of the ramp. "She keeps this operation on track."
Shouldering her duffel bag, Mahree followed. "Actually," Gordon added,
"Sumiko organizes the data reporting. Axum runs the City of White Stone survey and excavations almost by herself."
"Axum?" Mahree felt her feet sink into the loose sand of the landing field.
"Oh, yes, the crew boss."
Ahead of her, Gordon nodded quickly. "She supervises the best crew I've ever seen."
"Krillen seemed nice, and so have the others I've met." Mahree made a face.
"Except for Beloran, of course."
"Sometimes he can be interesting to chat with," Gordon said. "We had a good discussion about the history of the Ninth Dynasty on the way over in the jumpjet. He's quite
76
an expert on Na-Dina history,
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