Watson, Ian - Novel 08 (30 page)

 
          
But
the dialogue of self with self continued . . .

 
          
Out
in space, other linked elementals of the mind-horde continued, with a trivial
part of their beings, to track the various points of origin of the small number
of similar encyclopedic transmissions from alien sources which they had
intercepted over the past mega-eon. One elemental in particular monitored the
location of the ‘Earth’ point, a thousand parsecs away, though no further
transmissions were expected from that quarter. Why should they be, when a world
had already exerted itself to send out so much of its culture, biology and
purposes coded in data-bits? So it paid that point in the Void very little,
though adequate, attention. The majority of its attention it focused upon
events in the Gardens of Delight, and Hell, and
Eden
, where the embodied mind-horde danced in
alien dress the complex, irrational calculus of existence, constraining itself,
making mistakes, seeking a solution . . .

 
          
The
aerial shark flew on, with the merman on its back and upon the merman’s back in
turn the three people— resembling the archaic image of the world resting on the
back of an elephant who stood in turn upon a tortoise . . . though what did the
tortoise stand on? However, that image did not belong to this projected world;
Sean dismissed it from his mind.

 
          
Presently
the shark glided lower toward a vale enclosing a perfectly round pool already
crowded with sporting women. Around the pool at a discreet distance slowly rode
a band of men pacing their assortment of steeds. The backs of several of the
beasts were still unoccupied. Time enough for
Austin
to land and mount—a griffin, a unicorn or a
boar—and for Muthoni to run to the water before the circle of animals
accelerated.