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The creature, force or phenomenon, what ever it was, had
no physical rest mass but it did have pressure. As a mind, it
existed on the brink of insanity, he was sure of that; its
catalogue was the obsession that had driven it there. That
might have started as a work of love, but if Light was as old
as this universe, the rich diversity of its work had become
an unrelenting task and then a tortuous, grinding labour;
it could never be relinquished. There would always be
more new subjects to catalogue. It could never cease while
the superstrings of existence grew ever more diverse.
Madness in so awesome a creature meant that more than
one world would get hurt: Earth would be only the first
planet crushed by Light s frenzied wings. Searching
frantically for a defence, the Doctor saw only one
alternative to Light s antagonized fury of revenge and that
was cold despair.
You evolve too, Light, he said quietly.
Nonsense! Light s voice immediately took on an edge.
At the heart of the aura, the image of the angel tremored
slightly. The Doctor felt the full concentrated force of its
analytical scrutiny.
Of course you do. All the time you adapt and change:
your attitude, your place, your mind. Just look at you now.
That s not your original shape.
Ace could only watch the showdown. Light loomed over
the Doctor, its eyes darting in confusion. The monstrous
presence was clumsy and unimaginative compared with the
quiet goading of its adversary, but it still might crush him
in a fit of pique.
I don t think much of your catalogue either, added the
Doctor. It s full of gaps.
All organic life is recorded! Light threw an angry
glance at Josiah, who swallowed hard.
The Doctor sniffed dismissively. Then where are the
griffins and the basilisks? You missed the dragons and
bandersnatches!
Light s aura died away, or retracted, leaving the bitter
cold shape of the angel like a silvered husk staring as the
Doctor backed out through the doorway. The prospect of
yet more subjects to index and more errors to correct
deadened its weary soul.
And what about the slithy toves and the Crowned Saxe-
Coburg?
The tormentor s voice faded down the passage leading
to the hall, where Light was already scanning its chattering
index on the stained-glass window.
Where are these items!
Really Light was pretty dim. It had about as much
imagination as a pocket calculator. I can t think how you
missed them, goaded the Doctor. You must complete the
catalogue before you destroy all life here.
Streams of data began to spill from the area of the
window screen across the walls and into the air. Control!
shouted Light. It could force the rebellious creature to
supply the answers.
She s no good to you any more, needled the Doctor.
She s evolved as well!
Light snarled and the relentless data chattered louder
around it, pressing in on its mind like the voices of all the
teeming life on this vile, infested planet. No! All slipping
away!
The Doctor leaned nonchalantly against the banisters
and asked, Excuse me, Light, but weren t you in the
dining room just now? You haven t changed your location,
have you?
He braced himself as Light s trembling head turned to
fix him with its deadly stare, but the nerve-jangling pulse
of the data drew its gaze back to the screen. What s the
matter, Light? Change your mind again? he taunted.
You are endlessly agitating, unceasingly mischievous!
Will you never stop!
I suppose I could. It would make a change.
Light was giving way, but its fate still focused on the
Doctor alone. He couldn t maintain this attack for ever:
the monster might rally its angry thoughts enough to crush
him under its foot like a disconsolate ant. He needed
another element now to tip Light s teetering paranoia over
the edge. He searched desperately for it and found nothing.
Nimrod! pleaded Light in anguish, seeing its confidant
watching from the shadows by the lift. I can rely on you!
Assist me now!
The manswervant loped slowly towards his god and
said, I m sorry, sir. My allegiance is to this planet my
birthright.
A deep growl rose into a helpless cry of exasperation.
Everything is changing! All in flux! Nothing remains the
same!
Even remains decay, added the Doctor. It s this planet.
It just can t help itself!
The data from the ship grated through Light s teeming
mind. Its thoughts eluded its grasp; its concentration [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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The creature, force or phenomenon, what ever it was, had
no physical rest mass but it did have pressure. As a mind, it
existed on the brink of insanity, he was sure of that; its
catalogue was the obsession that had driven it there. That
might have started as a work of love, but if Light was as old
as this universe, the rich diversity of its work had become
an unrelenting task and then a tortuous, grinding labour;
it could never be relinquished. There would always be
more new subjects to catalogue. It could never cease while
the superstrings of existence grew ever more diverse.
Madness in so awesome a creature meant that more than
one world would get hurt: Earth would be only the first
planet crushed by Light s frenzied wings. Searching
frantically for a defence, the Doctor saw only one
alternative to Light s antagonized fury of revenge and that
was cold despair.
You evolve too, Light, he said quietly.
Nonsense! Light s voice immediately took on an edge.
At the heart of the aura, the image of the angel tremored
slightly. The Doctor felt the full concentrated force of its
analytical scrutiny.
Of course you do. All the time you adapt and change:
your attitude, your place, your mind. Just look at you now.
That s not your original shape.
Ace could only watch the showdown. Light loomed over
the Doctor, its eyes darting in confusion. The monstrous
presence was clumsy and unimaginative compared with the
quiet goading of its adversary, but it still might crush him
in a fit of pique.
I don t think much of your catalogue either, added the
Doctor. It s full of gaps.
All organic life is recorded! Light threw an angry
glance at Josiah, who swallowed hard.
The Doctor sniffed dismissively. Then where are the
griffins and the basilisks? You missed the dragons and
bandersnatches!
Light s aura died away, or retracted, leaving the bitter
cold shape of the angel like a silvered husk staring as the
Doctor backed out through the doorway. The prospect of
yet more subjects to index and more errors to correct
deadened its weary soul.
And what about the slithy toves and the Crowned Saxe-
Coburg?
The tormentor s voice faded down the passage leading
to the hall, where Light was already scanning its chattering
index on the stained-glass window.
Where are these items!
Really Light was pretty dim. It had about as much
imagination as a pocket calculator. I can t think how you
missed them, goaded the Doctor. You must complete the
catalogue before you destroy all life here.
Streams of data began to spill from the area of the
window screen across the walls and into the air. Control!
shouted Light. It could force the rebellious creature to
supply the answers.
She s no good to you any more, needled the Doctor.
She s evolved as well!
Light snarled and the relentless data chattered louder
around it, pressing in on its mind like the voices of all the
teeming life on this vile, infested planet. No! All slipping
away!
The Doctor leaned nonchalantly against the banisters
and asked, Excuse me, Light, but weren t you in the
dining room just now? You haven t changed your location,
have you?
He braced himself as Light s trembling head turned to
fix him with its deadly stare, but the nerve-jangling pulse
of the data drew its gaze back to the screen. What s the
matter, Light? Change your mind again? he taunted.
You are endlessly agitating, unceasingly mischievous!
Will you never stop!
I suppose I could. It would make a change.
Light was giving way, but its fate still focused on the
Doctor alone. He couldn t maintain this attack for ever:
the monster might rally its angry thoughts enough to crush
him under its foot like a disconsolate ant. He needed
another element now to tip Light s teetering paranoia over
the edge. He searched desperately for it and found nothing.
Nimrod! pleaded Light in anguish, seeing its confidant
watching from the shadows by the lift. I can rely on you!
Assist me now!
The manswervant loped slowly towards his god and
said, I m sorry, sir. My allegiance is to this planet my
birthright.
A deep growl rose into a helpless cry of exasperation.
Everything is changing! All in flux! Nothing remains the
same!
Even remains decay, added the Doctor. It s this planet.
It just can t help itself!
The data from the ship grated through Light s teeming
mind. Its thoughts eluded its grasp; its concentration [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]