[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
.Meaningless, but it felt right, as things sometimes did after an episode.Therock that sat on the edge of the crater had a name, but it wouldn't come.From the sides of Grandioso he could look back and see the Titanideencampment, a mad brawl like the tuning of a thousand orchestras, a turmoil ofcolor that trailed a dust plume far downwind.The interior of the bowl was another world.It held many Titanides, but theyhad none of the anarchic revelry of those outside.Grandioso was covered in acarpet of short green grass and had been marked off in a grid of white lines.The Titanides had arranged themselves in small groups, never more than four ina square, like counters in a game.Some of the squares held gaudy buttemporary-looking structures like floral floats.Others were nearly bare.Valiha entered the maze, went in three squares and over seven.She joined twoother Titanides in a square that held a few objects like holly wreaths and aselection of polished stones, all laid out in a pattern that meant nothing toChris.file:///G|/rah/John%20Varley%20-%20Gaea%2002%20-%20Wizard.txt (33 of 164)[2/14/2004 1:06:21 AM]file:///G|/rah/John%20Varley%20-%20Gaea%2002%20-%20Wizard.txtShe introduced him to the others, and he heard himself named as Long-OddsMajor.What had he been telling her? The two Titanides were a female namedPage 43ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlCymbal (Lydian Trio) Prelude and a male with the unlikely name of Hichiriki(Phrygian Quartet) Madrigal.Valiha, he learned, was also a member of theMadrigal chord.They were distinguished by their yellow skin and cotton-candyhair.Her middle, parenthetical name was Aeolian Solo.He gathered that the middlenames of Titanides designated breeding.Little was clear beyond that."And all this.?" Chris hoped that not completing the sentence wouldprotect the secret of his ignorance of things she thought he knew.He gesturedat the white lines, at the rocks and flowers."What mode did you say this wasgoing to be?""A Double-flatted Mixolydian Trio," she said, apparently nervous enough tochatter about anything, regardless of having discussed it before."It's on thesign there in front.You realize that's not really what it is-a Double-flattedMixolydian Trio is musically meaningless; it's just a string of English wordswe use for the real words that you can't sing.Oh, I guess I didn't say, butthat mode means that Cymbal was the foremother and Hichiriki was theforefather.If we get tapped, Cymbal will be the hindfather.""And you the hindmother," Chris said, feeling safe."Right.They produced the egg, and Cymbal will quicken it in me.""The egg.""Right here." She reached into her pouch-how handy to have a built-in pocket,Chris thought-and tossed him something the size of a golf ball.He almost dropped it, andValihaa laughed."It doesn't have a shell," she said."But haven't you seen one before?" Aslight frown creased her forehead.Chris had no idea.This one was quite hard, apparently solid.It was a perfectsphere, pale gold with brown whorls like fingerprint smudges.It had milkyareas in its translucent depths.Someone had printed a series of Titanide characters on it.He gave it back to her, then looked at the sign she had mentioned earlier.Itrested on the ground, a ten-centimeter metal plate engraved with symbols andlines:I FJVtF*|UF^ fF M M"The F stands for female," someone said, behind him.He turned and saw twohuman women talking to each other.They both were short and rather pretty.Thesmaller one had a green, staring Eye painted on her forehead.There were moredrawings partially visible on her legs and arms.She looked young.The other,darker one was the voice he had heard.He could not guess her age, though shedid not look older than her middle thirties."The M, of course, is male.The star at the right is the semifertilized eggproduced by the foremother, and the arrow pointing up from the bottom lineshows the first fertilization.This is a Double-flatted Mixolydian Trio, whichmeans the foremother is also the hindfather.Mixolydian ensembles are thosewith two females participating, except for Aeolian Duets, where the wholeensemble is female.All Aeolian modes are all-female.Lydian modes have onefemale and one, two, or three males, and the Phrygian mode, of which there isonly the quartet, has three females and one male, the forefather."Chris stepped out of the way as the smaller woman knelt to peer at the legendon the sign.He wanted to find out how he fitted into the picture and hoped hecould learn by eavesdropping.It was a tactic he had used well in the pastafter memory lapses, a common one among people with mental problems, whosealmost universal urge was not to reveal the extent of their condition.The woman sighed as she straightened up."I guess I'm still missing something," she said with a faint accent Chriscould not place.She pointed to Chris as if he were a statue."How does he fit in?"The older one laughed."Not at all, into a Mixolydian Trio.There are twoPage 44ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlmodes that include humans-the Dorian and Ionian - but there are none of thosehere today.You'll seldom see them.No, if anything, he's part of thedecorations.He's a fertility fetish.A good-luck charm.Titanides are verysuperstitious at Carnival."She had been looking at him while she spoke; now her eyes met his for thefirst time, searched for something, and did not seem to find it, and she brokeinto a smile.She extended her hand."I don't think you really are, though, anymore," she said."I'm Gaby Plauget.I hope I didn't offend you."Chris was surprised at the strength of her grasp."I'm-""Chris Major." She laughed again.It was innocent laughter, impossible to takethe wrong way.file:///G|/rah/John%20Varley%20-%20Gaea%2002%20-%20Wizard [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]