Ancestor's World Read Free Page A

forty miles long by fifty miles wide, and inundate the upriver canyons.
    The Modernist faction of the Na-Dina considered the loss of their ancient heritage a fair trade for the hydroelectric energy that would power new factories, mills, and cities. The Traditionalist faction had deplored this, but they weren't in power. All they'd been able to do was send out a request for an archaeologist to help. Gordon Mitchell had responded with a small field crew of two assistants and a pile of thirdhand survey and excavation equipment.
    When he'd first reached Ancestor's World seven weeks ago, he'd hired twenty local laborers and set to work in Ancestor's Valley, where a score of dynasties had buried their Kings and Queens in tunnel-tombs cut into the canyon walls. It was a job to challenge even the resources of a great university---and all Gordon had was Khuharkk' and Sumiko Nobunaga, their Japanese Lab Chief. Plus the meddling claws of Beloran, the Na-Dina Liaison whose job it was to keep an eye on Gordon, his dig, and his discoveries.
    Khuharkk' looked down the tunnel toward the distant
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    entrance, then back to Gordon, his expression worried. "Will we have enough time to dig everything before it's all flooded?"
    "Time?" Gordon sighed and sifted ancient brown dust through his fingers.
    "No. Not to dig everything. But this discovery is bound to buy us extra time.
    We'll be able to properly excavate this chamber, and most likely the other tombs in the side canyons. With luck, we'll get through most of the City of White Stone."
    "We'll need a specialist to analyze these Mizari relics."
    "You're right. We're going to need a lot of specialists, in almost every field.
    But this"---he waved a callused, scarred hand at the opening in the tomb wall--"will bring them. Archaeologists can't resist the lure of an unplundered tomb."
    As he finished speaking, he saw Khuharkk's ears prick up; then the sound of a distant footfall reached him, too.
    Gordon gestured at the autocam, and the Simiu obediently turned it off with a wave of his hand.
    "We'll also need time to negotiate the political minefields on this world,"
    Mitchell said under his breath. "Nordlund won't take kindly to delays. This discovery is going to make Project Engineer Mohapatra very unhappy." He grinned unpleasantly. "I just wish I could see his face when he hears."
    His display of teeth made Khuharkk's mane ruffle up; then the Simiu relaxed.
    "Doctor Mitchell, I just had an idea. Why don't I call Professor Greyshine at StarBridge? That way, even if Beloran ties us up in bureaucratic tangles, we'd still have the word out in the proper circles. Help would be standing by."
    "Good idea." Gordon listened closely as the scrabbling footfall neared the dogleg angle in the tunnel, after which they'd be in sight of their visitor. They had only a few moments of privacy left. "Go ahead. Record a message and have Bill fly into Spirit and use the FTL transmitter at his embassy."
    "I'm sure he'd be delighted to do it," Khuharkk' said. "He's been almost as interested in this dig as we are."
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    Bill Waterston was the CLS Interrelator assigned to Ancestor's World. Bill and Gordon had come in on the same ship together, and both of them had struggled ever since to deal with the Nordlund Combine, whose Project Engineer had arrived ahead of any CLS official. Gordon liked the earnest young man. Bill had been a big help in cutting through Na-Dina bureaucracy in the capital city of Spirit, and, when his schedule had permitted, he'd been quick to grab a spade and help out with the excavation.
    Now the young Interrelator would have to deal with the cultural, historical, and political complications this discovery of alien artifacts was bound to generate for the intensely private, almost reclusive Na-Dina.
    Khuharkk' nodded, a gesture he'd picked up from humans, as the footsteps rapidly approached. As Gordon had suspected, the newcomer was Beloran.
    The Na-Dina stopped a few meters from them. Another tremor