Chapter 20 Chapter Nineteen

Duvaly drove north until night fell.Lise studied him carefully while she was less distracted. The most important point is that he is very protective of the child Isaac. Lise and Turk were herded into a large utility vehicle with sprung metal tires for all kinds of terrain.The car was originally designed to carry six people comfortably, but they squeezed seven people into it.Liz, Turk, Diane, Mrs. Rebuka, Su Lianne.Moai and Isaac. Turk originally advocated taking the King's plane, but was dismissed by Duvale and Mrs. Rebuka's argument.Airplanes are easier to track and less easy to hide than cars amid traffic.Dr. Duvali said they were going to fly the tiger away.Four of the oldest fourth-years in the paddock volunteered to get on the plane to fly west, one of whom was a certified pilot.Chances are they'll be arrested, but they know what they're doing.Dr. Duvali firmly said that even if they will die, they are not afraid.One of the many ironies of Mars therapy is that while it prolongs life, it also removes the fear of death.Turk asked if there was a cure for bankruptcy.

So they left in a car, and a dozen other cars followed, either on the established road or across the desolate desert, each heading in a different direction.They did not want the paddock to fall into the hands of the government authorities, so dynamite was planted to blow it up along with any evidence that would lead to their arrest.Lisi and her group walked away first, and did not see the explosion with their own eyes, but somewhere on the road, she did see a plume of smoke rising from the horizon.She asked Dr. Duval if anyone would be injured, wouldn't they be killed if the Genetic Security staff arrived before the timed detonation?

The people at Genetic Safety knew what to expect in this situation.If the paddock is found to be abandoned, they will know that explosives have been placed there to detonate it. But what if they are careless, or the time to go is just unlucky? Duvally shrugged.Nothing in life is guaranteed. I thought fourth year people were supposed to be non-violent. We are more sensitive to the suffering of others than are the unreformed.This makes us more vulnerable, but it doesn't make us dumber or less adventurous. Even at the risk of sacrificing someone else's life? Su Lian.Moy smiled grimly at this.According to Diane, she was a deformed Martian; but to Lise, she looked like a skinny Appalachian doll carved out of apples.She said: "We are not saints, that should have been obvious by now.We also make moral choices, often wrong ones.

☆ Duvaly wanted to drive late at night, but was persuaded by Turk, so the group camped in an open field.The clearing is surrounded by a forest of low finger pine trees.The mountains of Equatorial Continent are continuous, and this place is located on the western slope of the Equatorial Continent Divide.Due to the altitude, the rainfall here is quite regular, and there is even a clear stream for drinking water.The water was cold, Lise thought, must have come down from the glacial rivers in the valleys below those high passes.The heart-wrenching cold brought back happy memories for her: when she was ten years old, her father took her to ski in Gstaad, the sun shone on the snow, and the creaking and laughing of the climbing chair pierced through the freezing cold. Air.Now it is so far away, several worlds away, several years away.

Liz helped Turk heat a can of ragout on the gas stove.He wanted to make dinner and turn off the fire before nightfall, before any drones felt the heat in the sky.Dr. Duvali said he doubted their hunters would have traveled that far, especially since much of this monitoring equipment has been diverted to deal with the oilfield crisis.Turk nodded, but still said: Don't be afraid of ten thousand, just in case, it's better to be careful. On the way north up the hills, they discussed plans, at least Turk's, and the fourth-years were more reserved.Turk and Liz planned to take the ride to the northern town of New Cumberland, and from there take a bus across Pharaoh's Pass to the coast.Fourth-year people continue to walk where they want to go.

Go somewhere where you can take care of the boy, Liz hoped.It was a strange-looking child with rust-red hair cut very short with a pair of kitchen shears by someone who was supposed to be the paddock barber (Mrs. Rebuka, perhaps).His eyes are set very far apart, giving him a bit of a bird-like appearance.There is still a golden light in the pupil.He didn't talk much all day, and when he did, it was mostly in the morning.He was rather disturbed in a way, and Liz found it strange that whenever the road turned, he either frowned and groaned or breathed a sigh of relief.Towards evening, he developed a fever.I have a fever again.She heard Mrs. Rebuka say.

Isaac was sleeping in the back seat of the car at the moment with the windows open to let alpine air circulate through the car.It was very hot during the day, but the sun had gradually slanted. I heard that at night, the air would be uncomfortably cold.There are only six sleeping bags in the car, and these sleeping bags are all high-grade and have thermal insulation effects.People can also sleep in the car if necessary.It didn't look like it was going to rain, but Turk hung tarps from tree to tree, if only for a little protection or shade. Liz stirred the stew and Turk made the coffee.What a pity the plane.

I can't keep it anyway. What are you going to do when you get back to the coast? it depends.He said. What's the situation? Watch many things.He narrowed his eyes and looked at her, as if looking at her from afar.Maybe back at sea if nothing else happens. Or we can go back to America.she said, wondering what he would mean by the word us.Your previous legal problems are basically over, right? It might as well be hot again. So we have to find another way.The pronoun we hang in the air like an unbroken piñata, the brightly colored dolls that hang in the air and are filled with candy treats that Mexican kids break with their clubs at festivals while blindfolded.

I think we have to. us. ☆ As the sun set against the horizon in a reddening twilight, they began to eat their dinner.Turk ate quickly and didn't talk much.Diane.Dupree and Su Lian.Moy sat on a distant log, concentrating on talking, but couldn't hear what they were saying, while Mrs. Rebuka walked up and down beside Isaac, coaxing him to eat. Dr. Duvale was left alone, and this was the first real opportunity for Lise to speak to him in private.Turk stayed by the camp fire and pots, and Liz walked over by herself to sit next to Duval.Duvaly looked at her complainingly, like a big brown bird, but he didn't move away.You want to talk about your father.He said.

She nodded. We are friends.What I admire most about your father is that he loves his work, but not in a narrow sense. He loves it because he looks at it in a broader way.Duvaly said as if he had rehearsed it beforehand.do you understand my words not understand.Of course she understood, but she wanted to hear Duvali's explanation.do not understand. Duvale bent down and grabbed a handful of dirt.What is in my hand? Topsoil, dead leaves, and maybe a few bugs. Topsoil, mineral residues, silt, layers of decaying biomass that decomposes and supplies nutrients, bacteria, fungi spores, and of course a few bugs.He brushes the soil away.It's like Earth, but a little different.Geologically, the two planets are very similar: granite is granite and schist is schist, though not in the same proportions here.There is less volcanic activity here than on Earth.Continental plates move and erode at different rates, and the thermocline is less steep at the equator and between the poles.The only thing that is certain is how much it resembles Earth!

Because hypothetical intelligent beings made this planet for us. Maybe it wasn't made for us.But yes, they made the planet, or at least modified it.This makes our study of the world a whole new kind of science, not just biology or geology, but a kind of planetary archaeology.This planet was heavily influenced by hypothetical intelligent beings long before modern humans evolved, millions of years before the time loop, and millions of years before the Arch was erected.This can tell us a little about their methods, and their special ability to plan for the long term; if we ask the right questions, it might also give us a little idea of ​​what their ultimate goals are.It was with this realization that your father conducted his research.He never lost sight of the greater truth, never ceased to be amazed by it. Planet crafts.Lise said. That's the book he's writing.Duvali nodded.Have you seen it? I only read the introduction to the book.And some notes, snatched from one of her mother's occasional thorough cleanings. Wish there were more.That would be a very important book. Is this the book you were talking to him about? Yes, it's quite common. But not all the time. Of course, we talked about the Martians and what they knew about hypothetical intelligent beings.He knows I'm a 4th year guy you told him I will tell him my secret. why? Because he is interested; because he is trustworthy; because he understands the nature of the world.Duvale smiled.Basically, because I like him as a person. Does he accept your 4th year status? He is very curious. Did he mention wanting to undergo this therapy as well? I can't say he didn't think about it, but he never asked me about it.Nor, as far as I know, has spoken to anyone.He loves his family, Miss Adams, and I don't need to tell you that.I was also shocked by his disappearance. Did you tell him about Isaac's plan? have.I talked to him when it was still in the planning stages.Duvaly took a sip of his coffee.he does not like. But he didn't report on you, and he didn't try to stop? No, he didn't denounce us, but we had a big fight about it.At that time our relationship was a little tense. Tight, but not cracked? Because although we disagreed, he could understand why it was necessary.urgent need.Duvaly moved closer to her, and for a moment, Lise was afraid that he would reach out and grab her.She wasn't sure she could stand the motion.The idea of ​​being able to make any physical contact with hypothetical intelligent beings, or minds that make this vast web of machines work, fascinated him as much as I did.He knew how important that was, not just for our generation, but for future generations, for the human species. You must be very disappointed if he refuses to cooperate. I don't need his cooperation, but I do hope he will.I was disappointed when he had reservations about it.Afterwards we talked about other things, not this matter at all.When this project was in earnest, I left Port Magellan and have not seen your father since. That was six months before he disappeared? Yes. Do you know anything about the circumstances of that incident? About his disappearance?have no idea.At that time, the Department of Genetic Safety was also looking for me in Port Magellan, because they had already heard about the plan.When I heard that RobertAdams disappeared, and I assumed he was being interrogated by someone from Genetic Security.I'm not sure though.I'm not there. Most of the people who have been interrogated by the Department of Genetic Safety have survived, Dr. Duvali.Although she knew it wasn't. not all.Duvally said. He's not a fourth year guy, why would they hurt him?What she wanted to say was to kill him, but she didn't have the courage to say it. He has his principles, and he will fight to the end out of this persistence. Based on your friendship, are you sure you can say that? Miss Adams, I was in therapy twenty years ago in Bangalore, India.I don't know everything, but I'm good at reading people.Robert.Adams is not a man of mystery, his sincerity is literally written on his face. He was murdered.This has always been the most likely explanation, but the details may be more sinister than Liz imagined.Robert.Adams was murdered, and his killers will never be brought to trial.But there was another story within the story: it was about his curiosity, his idealism, the strength of his convictions. These thoughts must have been written all over her face.Dewar said in a deeply sympathetic tone: I know this isn't going to help.terribly sorry. Liz stood up.All she felt was cold at the moment.can i ask you one more thing Excuse me. What good reason do you have?Putting an innocent child in Isaac's place, regardless of the fate of mankind, how do you justify your reasons? Duvaly tipped his cup back and drank the last of his coffee on the spot.Isaac was never an innocent child.Isaac has always been this way.If possible, I would like to switch places with him, and I can't wait to hurry! ☆ She walked across the camp to a circle of light where Turk was sitting, fiddling with a pocket telecommunications receiver.Turk, the concrete representative of the disappearance; Turk, the one who disappeared from many lives.The radio does not work? Nothing came from the aerostat.There has been no news from Port Magellan. The last time I heard that there was another microearthquake deep in the west.Oil revenue is of course the perpetual concern of Port Magellan.Everyone believed in Torres.Turk gave her another look.How are you? just tired.she says. ☆ She made another pot of coffee to keep herself alert.Everyone else began to prepare to go to bed.Finally, as she wished, apart from her and the Martian woman Su Lian.Except Moai, everyone is asleep. Lisi to Su Lian.Moai was a little apprehensive, even though she looked like the kind of old lady who would try to help her across the street.Her age and the distance she travels are like an invisible atmosphere surrounding her.She sat by the campfire, the logs burning red and hollow, dying.She mustered up the courage to come up to her. do not be afraid.said the old woman. Lise was startled.Can you read my mind? I can read your expression. I'm actually not that scared.is a little scared. Su Lian smiled, showing her small white teeth.I think if I were you, I'd be terrified, after all the rumors I've heard.I know what they say: grim old Martian, child wounded victim.She tapped her head.My morals stand.My legendary past. Do you see yourself as such? No, but I recognize the way the world paints me.You spent a lot of time and trouble looking for me, Miss Adams. Please call me Liz. All right, Liz.Do you still have that photo you carry around showing people around? there is none left.At Diane's urging, she destroyed the photo in Minangkabau village. very good.Now we are here, no one will hear, we can talk. When I started looking for you, I didn't think Will it cause me any inconvenience?Or will it attract the attention of the Department of Genetic Safety?no need to say sorry.What you know is what you know, and what you don’t know, you can’t even think about it.You want to ask me Robert.Adams thing?And why and how he died. You do know he's dead? I didn't see him killed, but I've spoken to people who saw him kidnapped, and I can't imagine anything else going on.If he could go home, he would have gone home long ago.I'm sorry if this was too abrupt. Although it is abrupt, it is also the truth that is becoming more and more clear, Lisi thought to herself.Is it true that he was taken away by people from the Department of Genetic Safety? Taken away by what they call the executive team. They are also on the trail of Dr. Duvale and his group. Yes. The same to you. Yes, but for slightly different reasons. You want to stop him from making Isaac. I want to prevent him from conducting an unnecessary human experiment, one that is both cruel and possibly unhelpful.That's right. Isn't that what the Department of Genetic Safety wants? That's just what their press release says.Do you really believe that organizations like the Department of Genetic Safety do what they publicly claim?If they could obtain the manufacturing tools, their secret bunker would have been filled with duplicated Isaacs, each connected to the machine with wires, and guarded by heavy soldiers! Liz shook her head and collected her thoughts.How did you meet my father? The first person I met who worked for me in Equatoria was Diane.Dupre.Earth Fourth Yearns do not have formal hierarchies, but within each Fourth Year group there is a central figure who makes every major decision.Diane played this role on the coast of Equatoria.I told her why I wanted to find Duvale, and she gave me names of people who might be useful, not all of them fourth year.Dr. Duvaly is friends with your father, and I am also friends with your father. Dr. Duvali said my father was very trustworthy. Your father had an astonishing faith in the inherent goodness of human beings, but it wasn't all in his favour. Do you think Duvale took advantage of him? I think it took him a long time to see Dr. Duvale for what he really is. That is? Vain ambitions, deep insecurities, and uncertain consciences are dangerous.Your father doesn't want to reveal Dr. Duval's plans or his whereabouts, not even to me. Did he say it later? He told me when we got to know each other well.Let's spend a lot of time talking about cosmology first.I guess that's your dad's unique way of judging people.He once said that many things can be seen from the way one looks at the stars. If he told you what he knew, why couldn't you find Duvali and stop him? Because Duvaly was smart enough to change his plan as soon as he left Port Magellan.Your father believes that Duvali is building a paddock on the far western coast of Equatoria, which is still mostly wasteland, save for a few small fishing villages.But he did tell me that at the time, and he must have said that when the Department of Genetic Safety interrogated him. Duvali thinks my dad won't tell, he thinks that's why they killed him. I believe he has resistance.However, based on my knowledge of their interrogation methods, I doubt that he can resist.I know you'll be sad to hear that, Liz, and I'm sorry, but it's the truth.Your father told me what he knew because he thought Duvali should be stopped.He believed that I had the power to intervene and would treat Duvali and the fourth year group in a nonviolent manner.He would only tell the Department of Genetic Safety these things if he was under duress.But, Lise, it doesn't matter if your father said it or not.Duvale isn't on the West Bank, he's never been there.The Department of Genetic Safety had no idea where he had gone, and by the time I found out about his whereabouts, it was too late.Many years have passed, and Isaac is already a living child, and he will never go back to the womb. oh. In the silence, Lise could only hear the crackling of the campfire. Liz, Su Lian.Moai said softly that my parents died when I was very young.I guess Diane told you that too.I lost my parents, but, worse, I lost my memory of them, as if they never existed. I regret. I'm not asking for your sympathy, what I'm trying to tell you is that at a certain age I made up my mind to find out about them.I wondered who they were, how they managed to live by a river that was going to flood, and whether they might have heeded the warnings, or ignored them altogether.I guess what I want to know is whether to love them for trying to save me or hate them for not being able to.I discovered many things, mostly unrelated, including some painful truths about their private lives.Most importantly, I finally understand that the responsibility is not theirs.It was a small consolation, but it might be the only consolation, and in a way it was enough.Liz, your father too, it's not his fault. Thank you.Lise said hoarsely. We should go to sleep now, Su Lian.Moy said, before the sun came out. ☆ Despite sleeping in a sleeping bag, on uneven ground, and in an unfamiliar forest, Liz slept better than she had in the past few nights.But it wasn't the sun that woke her up, it was Turk who put his hands on her shoulders and shook her awake.She realized drowsily that it was still dark.We must go, Turk said, come on, Liz. Why? There's dust falling again in Port Magellan, denser this time, and coming over the mountains before long.We must find a place to hide.