Book 3 - Ceremony Read Online Free PDF

physical, as it had been with the Degnan packstead,
Akard, Maksche, and TelleRai. She turned. “You really think
so?”
    “Yes.”
    “Given that, do you think it would be worth the
effort?”
    “Actually, I do. Because the alternative is a longer,
slower, more certain doom. This cooling cycle is going to continue
till the whole planet becomes too cold to support life. The
permafrost line is within three thousand miles of the equator
today. It shows no inclination to slow its advance, though I am
sure it will in time—after it is too late for us. I suspect
that we dare not waste many more years or for the meth it will be
too late for anything but awaiting the end. Which will not come in
our time, of course. But it will come.”
    Marika looked at Bel-Keneke and Kiljar.
“Mistresses?”
    Kiljar said, “I approve pushing ahead. Tentatively.
Trusting your judgment, Marika, and that of your friend. I will
want to see more solid data before I approach my Community with the
proclamation that this project is the only way we can save our
world.”
    “I understand. Bel-Keneke?”
    “You are outside my expertise. You know that. All I know
about the void is that it is cold and dark out there. I do very
much share the male’s social fears. I foresee great troubles
and terrible changes. But I am in your debt, and I respect the
opinion of mistress Kiljar. If you can convince her, I will follow
her lead and back you.”
    Marika walked back to the window and stared out at the chill
landscape. Once Ruhaack had been warm and lush. Now it was barren,
except where meth had planted vegetation adapted to a near arctic
climate. After a moment she turned.
    “Bagnel may be right, about the social upheaval. I plead
guilty to failing to consider that aspect. But we are in a corner
from which there is no escape. There is no future without trying.
If the race is to survive, we must pay the price.”
    She was amazed that the most seniors were so agreeable. Perhaps
the world had grown more desperate than she knew.
    “Bagnel, can the brethren provide the necessary
calculators?”
    “We call them computers. Yes, we have them. We may have to
develop a breed designed specifically for the project, but that
would not be an insurmountable problem. A matter of increasing
capacity, I expect.”
    “What about the engineering? Do you have anyone capable of
designing the mirrors?”
    “That I cannot say, but I can find out. Given adequate
time, I am sure, someone—more likely many
someones—could be trained. I will find out and let you
know.”
    “So that is that. We are agreed. We go ahead a
step.”
     
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III
    Marika gaped at Bagnel. “Eight years? Just to get the
materials together?”
    “It’s a big project, Marika. I think that’s
too optimistic a figure, myself. It assumes total cooperation by
all the Communities in providing the labor we’ll need for
getting the titanium out, building new plants to process the ore
and metal, building new power plants to provide energy for those
plants, and so on and so on and so on. I told you it would reshape
society. And it
will.
My guess is that we’ll be
extremely fortunate to get even one mirror functional within ten
years. There will be hitches, hang-ups, problems, delays,
personality conflicts, bottlenecks,
shortages . . . ”
    “I get the picture.”
    “The word is spreading already, just as I forecast. I keep
running into brethren who know before I consult them, though I
swear everyone to silence when I do consult them.”
    “We expected that. We chose to live with it.”
    “I have another scenario for you. In this one your old
enemies get wind of the project. As inevitably they
must.”
    “You think they would try to sabotage it?”
    “I am certain they’ll try. Wouldn’t you? The
cold is on their side.”
    “Then we must neutralize them.”
    “How, when no one has been able to find them?”
    “No one has tried hard enough. A truly major
effort . . . ”
    “There.