Rama 4: Rama Revealed by Arthur C. Clarke

Author:Arthur C. Clarke [Clarke, Arthur C.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2015-03-28T04:00:00+00:00

“I have never seen Max so solemn or so tense,” Richard said to Nicole.

“Nor have I,” she answered. They were taking an exercise walk an hour after having finished dinner with their family and friends. A lone firefly kept pace above Richard and Nicole as they repeated multiple times the walk from the end of their cul-de-sac to the plaza at the other end of the street.

“Do you think Max will change his mind about leaving?” Richard asked as they circled the fountain again.

“I don’t know,” Nicole replied. “I think he’s still in shock, in a way. He detests the fact that the octospiders are able to watch everything we do. That’s why he insists that he and his family will return to New Eden, even if everyone else stays here.”

“Have you had a chance to talk with Eponine alone?”

“The day before yesterday she brought Marius over just after naptime. While I was putting some medication on his diaper rash, she asked me if I had mentioned to Archie that they wanted to leave. She seemed frightened.”

They marched briskly into the plaza. Without stopping, Richard pulled out a small cloth and wiped the sweat from his brow. “Everything has changed,” he said, as much to himself as to Nicole.

“I’m certain it’s all part of the octospider plan,” Nicole replied. “They didn’t show us those videos only to demonstrate that all is not well in New Eden. They knew how we would react after we had had time to assess the real significance of what we had seen.”

The pair walked silently back in the direction of their temporary home. On the next swing around the fountain, Richard said, “So do they observe everything we do, including even this conversation?”

“Of course,” Nicole replied. “That was the primary message the octospiders transmitted to us by allowing us to see the videos. We can have no secrets. Escape is out of the question. We are completely in their power. I may be the only one, but I still do not believe that they intend to harm us. And they might even allow us to return to New Eden . . . Eventually.”

“It will never happen,” Richard said. “Then they would have wasted a lot of resources for no measurable return, a decidedly nonoptimal situation. No, I’m certain the octospiders are still trying to figure out our proper placement in their overall system.”

Richard and Nicole walked at top speed on their final lap. They finished at the fountain and both of them drank some water. “How do you feel?” Richard asked.

“Fine,” Nicole answered. “No pains, no shortness of breath. When Dr. Blue examined me yesterday, she found no new pathology. My heart is just old and weak. I should expect intermittent problems.”

“I wonder what niche we’ll occupy in the octospider world,” Richard said a few moments later when they were washing their faces.

Nicole glanced at her husband. “Aren’t you the one,” she said, “who laughed at me some months ago for making inferences about their

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