[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
"Mom!"
Ashley whirled to face the building. Jason stood in the blasted opening, a
bandage wrapped over his forehead. "Jason!"
She stood up and ran to him. They collapsed into each other's arms. "Oh,
honey, I'm so sorry." She hugged him hard to her chest.
"I love you, Mom."
Page 266
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
She just held him, rocking him in her arms.
Ben pointed to the large carcass. "I thought I had killed that bloody beast."
"Apparently it had a hide as thick as yours," Harry said.
Linda then stepped through the doorway, a smile on her face. Jason saw her
and wiggled out of Ashley's arms. He wiped at his nose and straightened his
bandage, obviously embarrassed at such a childish display of motherly
attention.
Ashley smiled. Was he already that old?
Harry suddenly called out, "Look!" He jabbed a finger toward the roof.
She stood up and joined the others, staring at where Harry pointed.
Lights, pirouetting downward.
In the feeble glow of a few remaining spotlights, ballooning parachutes
drifted downward. As she watched, more and more chutes flared open from the
top of the skeletal elevator shaft. The chutists each had a halogen light,
which they waved to and fro as they descended. Within minutes there seemed to
be hundreds of them, drifting in all directions to cover the entire base.
Like fireflies on a warm spring night.
"Who are they?" Jason asked.
"I believe that's the cavalry coming over the hill." Harry said.
Ben snorted. "About bloody time!"
EPILOGUE
Mount Erebus, Antarctica
BEN CRAWLED INTO BED, SIGHING. WHAT A DAY! HEsnuggled next to Ashley. She
moaned in her sleep and rolled onto her side. He placed his hand on her belly.
She was already showing. Four months along, and not a sign that she was ready
to cut back on her cultural study of themimi'swee . Knowing her, she would
wait until her water broke before finally putting pen and paper down.
He smiled in the darkness and lay back with an arm propping his head, staring
at the ceiling. Alpha Base had almost been put back together again. The sonic
repellents that Linda had developed were succeeding in keeping thecrak'an
away. Her team of biologists had also made another discovery: The erosion of
themimi'swee 's ring of protective fungus had not been due to the imbalance
ofumbo andohna , as Mo'amba had claimed, but rather to the introduction of and
competition from a modern fungus, carried here by humans. So Sin'jari had been
right after all humanswere to blame. At least indirectly.
Ben let out a rattling sigh and stretched, bone-tired. Asheri'huti , his
responsibilities with the tribe seemed endless. No wonder Mo'amba had wanted
to pass the baton on to him. Still, in memory of the old man, he felt an
obligation to carry on the position. At least until the tinymimi'swee
offspring gifted withheri'huti blood grew to maturity. Ben had overseen the
hatching of the child, another of his duties. The child, who had been named
Tu'shama by Mo'amba before his death, was a girl, the first femaleheri'huti of
the tribe. Her gender had shocked the community, but Ben didn't care. Male or
Page 267
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
female, here was his replacement!
Ben wiggled deeper under the blankets. He really shouldn't complain. The job
did have its perks. In his spare time, he could explore the vast trails of
caverns. The hunters who traveled the dark paths showed him sights so wondrous
that he sometimes thought he was dreaming.
Even if it was while collectingcrak'an dung.
Ben closed his eyes. Morning would come too soon. He rolled onto his side and
wrapped an arm around Ashley's waist.
As he drifted into slumber, something touched his dreams. Weak and tentative.
Someone calling to him.
He opened himself up, inviting, but the contact faded. Only a passing
connection, like a warm breeze wafting across a cold cheek.
Then nothing.
Who?
Under his hand, he felt the baby move in Ashley's belly. And Ben remembered
Mo'amba's words: "Blood runs true."
There are too many folks to thank for the production of this story. From
Pesha Rubinstein, my literary agent, who saw some glimmer in the rough-cut
draft; to Lyssa Keusch, my editor, who painstakingly polished this story into
its current form; to my writing group, who arduously picked apart the plot and
made it better (Chris Crowe, Dennis Grayson, Dave Meek, Jeffrey Moss, Jane
O'Riva, Stephen and Judy Prey, Caroline Williams); and a special thanks to
Carolyn McCray, for her support, criticism, love, and friendship.
And finally to two people for whom I must blame this all on: Thanks, Mom and
Dad!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
James Rollinsis the bestselling author of five previous novels:Subterranean,
Excavation, Deep Fathom, Amazonia, andIce Hunt . He has a doctorate in
veterinary medicine and his own practice in Sacramento, California. An amateur
spelunker and a certified scuba enthusiast, he can often be found either
underground or underwater.
Don't miss the next book by your favorite author! Sign up now for Author
Tracker at www.authortracker.com.
BOOKS BY JAMES ROLLINS
Subterranean
Excavation
Deep Fathom,
Amazonia
Ice Hunt
Sandstorm
COPYRIGHT
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are
the products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously and are not
Page 268
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales,
organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
SUBTERRANEAN. Copyright © 1999 by Jim Czajkowski. All rights reserved under
International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the
required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right
to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may
be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or
stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in
any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or
hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of PerfectBound®.
PerfectBound® and the PerfectBound® logo are trademarks of HarperCollins
Publishers, Inc.
Microsoft Reader June 2004 ISBN 0-06-0766344
First Avon Books paperback printing: June 1999
First Avon Books special printing: January 1999
20 19 18 17 16 15 14
ABOUT THE PUBLISHER
Australia
HarperCollins Publishers (Australia) Pty. Ltd.
25 Ryde Road (PO Box 321)
Pymble, NSW 2073, Australia
http://www.perfectbound.com.au
Canada
HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
55 Avenue Road, Suite 2900
Toronto, ON, M5R, 3L2, Canada
http://www.perfectbound.ca
New Zealand
HarperCollinsPublishers (New Zealand) Limited
P.O. Box 1
Auckland, New Zealand
http://www.harpercollins.co.nz
United Kingdom
HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
77-85 Fulham Palace Road
London, W6 8JB, UK
http://www.uk.perfectbound.com
United States
HarperCollins Publishers Inc.
10 East 53rd Street
New York, NY 10022
http://www.perfectbound.com
COPYRIGHT
Page 269
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are
the products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously and are not
to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl freetocraft.keep.pl
"Mom!"
Ashley whirled to face the building. Jason stood in the blasted opening, a
bandage wrapped over his forehead. "Jason!"
She stood up and ran to him. They collapsed into each other's arms. "Oh,
honey, I'm so sorry." She hugged him hard to her chest.
"I love you, Mom."
Page 266
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
She just held him, rocking him in her arms.
Ben pointed to the large carcass. "I thought I had killed that bloody beast."
"Apparently it had a hide as thick as yours," Harry said.
Linda then stepped through the doorway, a smile on her face. Jason saw her
and wiggled out of Ashley's arms. He wiped at his nose and straightened his
bandage, obviously embarrassed at such a childish display of motherly
attention.
Ashley smiled. Was he already that old?
Harry suddenly called out, "Look!" He jabbed a finger toward the roof.
She stood up and joined the others, staring at where Harry pointed.
Lights, pirouetting downward.
In the feeble glow of a few remaining spotlights, ballooning parachutes
drifted downward. As she watched, more and more chutes flared open from the
top of the skeletal elevator shaft. The chutists each had a halogen light,
which they waved to and fro as they descended. Within minutes there seemed to
be hundreds of them, drifting in all directions to cover the entire base.
Like fireflies on a warm spring night.
"Who are they?" Jason asked.
"I believe that's the cavalry coming over the hill." Harry said.
Ben snorted. "About bloody time!"
EPILOGUE
Mount Erebus, Antarctica
BEN CRAWLED INTO BED, SIGHING. WHAT A DAY! HEsnuggled next to Ashley. She
moaned in her sleep and rolled onto her side. He placed his hand on her belly.
She was already showing. Four months along, and not a sign that she was ready
to cut back on her cultural study of themimi'swee . Knowing her, she would
wait until her water broke before finally putting pen and paper down.
He smiled in the darkness and lay back with an arm propping his head, staring
at the ceiling. Alpha Base had almost been put back together again. The sonic
repellents that Linda had developed were succeeding in keeping thecrak'an
away. Her team of biologists had also made another discovery: The erosion of
themimi'swee 's ring of protective fungus had not been due to the imbalance
ofumbo andohna , as Mo'amba had claimed, but rather to the introduction of and
competition from a modern fungus, carried here by humans. So Sin'jari had been
right after all humanswere to blame. At least indirectly.
Ben let out a rattling sigh and stretched, bone-tired. Asheri'huti , his
responsibilities with the tribe seemed endless. No wonder Mo'amba had wanted
to pass the baton on to him. Still, in memory of the old man, he felt an
obligation to carry on the position. At least until the tinymimi'swee
offspring gifted withheri'huti blood grew to maturity. Ben had overseen the
hatching of the child, another of his duties. The child, who had been named
Tu'shama by Mo'amba before his death, was a girl, the first femaleheri'huti of
the tribe. Her gender had shocked the community, but Ben didn't care. Male or
Page 267
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
female, here was his replacement!
Ben wiggled deeper under the blankets. He really shouldn't complain. The job
did have its perks. In his spare time, he could explore the vast trails of
caverns. The hunters who traveled the dark paths showed him sights so wondrous
that he sometimes thought he was dreaming.
Even if it was while collectingcrak'an dung.
Ben closed his eyes. Morning would come too soon. He rolled onto his side and
wrapped an arm around Ashley's waist.
As he drifted into slumber, something touched his dreams. Weak and tentative.
Someone calling to him.
He opened himself up, inviting, but the contact faded. Only a passing
connection, like a warm breeze wafting across a cold cheek.
Then nothing.
Who?
Under his hand, he felt the baby move in Ashley's belly. And Ben remembered
Mo'amba's words: "Blood runs true."
There are too many folks to thank for the production of this story. From
Pesha Rubinstein, my literary agent, who saw some glimmer in the rough-cut
draft; to Lyssa Keusch, my editor, who painstakingly polished this story into
its current form; to my writing group, who arduously picked apart the plot and
made it better (Chris Crowe, Dennis Grayson, Dave Meek, Jeffrey Moss, Jane
O'Riva, Stephen and Judy Prey, Caroline Williams); and a special thanks to
Carolyn McCray, for her support, criticism, love, and friendship.
And finally to two people for whom I must blame this all on: Thanks, Mom and
Dad!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
James Rollinsis the bestselling author of five previous novels:Subterranean,
Excavation, Deep Fathom, Amazonia, andIce Hunt . He has a doctorate in
veterinary medicine and his own practice in Sacramento, California. An amateur
spelunker and a certified scuba enthusiast, he can often be found either
underground or underwater.
Don't miss the next book by your favorite author! Sign up now for Author
Tracker at www.authortracker.com.
BOOKS BY JAMES ROLLINS
Subterranean
Excavation
Deep Fathom,
Amazonia
Ice Hunt
Sandstorm
COPYRIGHT
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are
the products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously and are not
Page 268
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales,
organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
SUBTERRANEAN. Copyright © 1999 by Jim Czajkowski. All rights reserved under
International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the
required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right
to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may
be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or
stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in
any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or
hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of PerfectBound®.
PerfectBound® and the PerfectBound® logo are trademarks of HarperCollins
Publishers, Inc.
Microsoft Reader June 2004 ISBN 0-06-0766344
First Avon Books paperback printing: June 1999
First Avon Books special printing: January 1999
20 19 18 17 16 15 14
ABOUT THE PUBLISHER
Australia
HarperCollins Publishers (Australia) Pty. Ltd.
25 Ryde Road (PO Box 321)
Pymble, NSW 2073, Australia
http://www.perfectbound.com.au
Canada
HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
55 Avenue Road, Suite 2900
Toronto, ON, M5R, 3L2, Canada
http://www.perfectbound.ca
New Zealand
HarperCollinsPublishers (New Zealand) Limited
P.O. Box 1
Auckland, New Zealand
http://www.harpercollins.co.nz
United Kingdom
HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
77-85 Fulham Palace Road
London, W6 8JB, UK
http://www.uk.perfectbound.com
United States
HarperCollins Publishers Inc.
10 East 53rd Street
New York, NY 10022
http://www.perfectbound.com
COPYRIGHT
Page 269
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are
the products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously and are not
to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]