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.Ordier’s first impression of Parren was unfavourable: he was a short, overweight and intense man who shook Ordier’s hand with nervous, jerky movements, then turned away at once to resume the conversation with Jenessa that Ordier’s arrival had interrupted.Normally, Ordier would have bridled at such graceless behaviour but Jenessa flashed him a soothing look.He poured himself a drink and went to sit beside Luovi.During the apéritifs and main course the conversation stayed on general subjects, with the islands of the Archipelago the main topic.Parren and Luovi had only recently arrived from the north and were anxious to learn what they could about some of the islands where they might make their home.The only places they had so far been to were Muriseay – which was the island where many immigrants disembarked when heading for this part of the Archipelago – and Tumo itself.Ordier noticed that when he and Jenessa described any of the other islands with which they were familiar it was Luovi who showed the most interest.She always asked how far such-and-such an island would be from Tumo, how long it might take to commute from there.‘Jacj must be close to his work,’ she said to Ordier.‘I think I told you, Yvann,’ Jenessa said conventionally.‘Professor Parren is here to study the Qataari.’‘Yes, of course.Then why don’t you simply move here to Tumo?’‘Naturally, we’ve thought of that,’ said Parren quickly.‘But among the theories I’ve been developing about the Qataari, and it will come as no surprise to Jenessa, is the proposition that they are acutely sensitive to smell.There are of course essential background odours associated with every location, the product of soil, vegetation, agriculture, industry, all that sort of thing, and it occurs to me that part of the sensory warning apparatus used by the Qataari might be olfactory recognition of place.If we were to make our home here, we would become identifiable in the same way as everyone else who approaches them with the dust of Tumo, so to speak, on them.Our ideal location would therefore be one that is within reasonable commuting distance of Tumo, yet which has a completely different olfactory signature.’‘I think you might have something there,’ said Ordier, sipping his drink, and sensing an inconsistency in the argument.‘So which island would you suggest?’ Luovi said to him.‘Let me think about it.’Parren was regarding him aggressively.‘I think I know what you’re thinking, Ordier,’ Parren said.‘Why should I succeed where others have failed?’‘The Qataari represent a substantial challenge to researchers,’ Ordier replied neutrally.‘I wouldn’t have given up my career in Jethra if I’d thought it was a challenge I couldn’t respond to.’‘Of course not.’‘There are a number of ways that haven’t been tried before.’‘Can you give an example?’‘I can give you the main one.I make no secret of my ideas.’ Parren was sitting forward intently.‘There is one feature of the Qataari settlement that no one seems to pay any regard to.It’s so obvious, in fact, that like everyone else involved in the subject I almost missed it.The Qataari habituate the equator.’‘Almost the whole of Tumo is on the equator,’ Jenessa said, but she sounded intrigued.‘The island does indeed straddle the equator, but the valley where the Qataari have made their settlement is exactly on the line itself.Have you ever wondered why that might be so, Ordier?’‘It’s happenstance, surely? I assume they were installed in the valley by the authorities after they left their homeland.Presumably it was one of the few places large enough to accommodate such an influx of homeless immigrants.’‘No, sir,’ said Parren.‘The Qataari went to that valley because they asked to go there, indeed demanded to go there.’‘Tumo isn’t the only island on the equator.Why should they choose this one?’‘Because the other islands either didn’t want them or weren’t for one reason or another suitable.I’ve looked into it closely, Ordier, and I can tell you that the settlement on Tumo wasn’t found for them straight away.The Qataari were relocated many times around the Archipelago, and for several years, before they settled on Tumo.In all that time they never strayed more than a degree or two away from the equator.’‘They were from the south originally, weren’t they?’‘Yes, but you must surely know the position of the Qataari Peninsula.’At last Parren’s remarks began to make sense to Ordier.The Qataari Peninsula was part of the southern continental landmass, the long northernmost tip of a huge triangular plain reaching into the Midway Sea at what was consequently its narrowest point.This subcontinental promontory, known as the Tenkker Wilderness, extended so far to the north that part of it, the Qataari Peninsula, actually crossed the equator.As a result some of its land lay, uniquely for the southern continent, in the northern hemisphere.Although most of the Tenkker was uninhabited except by nomads, the mountainous portion beyond a swampy, mangrove-ridden isthmus – which virtually created an island – was where the Qataari originated.‘With respect, Jacj,’ Jenessa said, ‘all this has been known for years.It’s one of the features of the Qataari that makes them of interest, but no one has ever shown what effect the equatorial source has on their culture.’‘That’s right.And no one has ever tried observing them from the air.’Jenessa looked back at him blankly.‘From the air,’ she repeated.‘I intend to fly over them.The temporal vortex enables stationary flight above any point on the equator.I intend to observe them from above.’Jenessa reached across the table to start collecting the empty dishes, stacking them up before her with an absent expression.‘Surely that would never work, Professor Parren,’ she said.‘I fail to see why.’‘Because the presence of any aircraft flying low enough for you to observe them would induce the same reaction as always [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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.Ordier’s first impression of Parren was unfavourable: he was a short, overweight and intense man who shook Ordier’s hand with nervous, jerky movements, then turned away at once to resume the conversation with Jenessa that Ordier’s arrival had interrupted.Normally, Ordier would have bridled at such graceless behaviour but Jenessa flashed him a soothing look.He poured himself a drink and went to sit beside Luovi.During the apéritifs and main course the conversation stayed on general subjects, with the islands of the Archipelago the main topic.Parren and Luovi had only recently arrived from the north and were anxious to learn what they could about some of the islands where they might make their home.The only places they had so far been to were Muriseay – which was the island where many immigrants disembarked when heading for this part of the Archipelago – and Tumo itself.Ordier noticed that when he and Jenessa described any of the other islands with which they were familiar it was Luovi who showed the most interest.She always asked how far such-and-such an island would be from Tumo, how long it might take to commute from there.‘Jacj must be close to his work,’ she said to Ordier.‘I think I told you, Yvann,’ Jenessa said conventionally.‘Professor Parren is here to study the Qataari.’‘Yes, of course.Then why don’t you simply move here to Tumo?’‘Naturally, we’ve thought of that,’ said Parren quickly.‘But among the theories I’ve been developing about the Qataari, and it will come as no surprise to Jenessa, is the proposition that they are acutely sensitive to smell.There are of course essential background odours associated with every location, the product of soil, vegetation, agriculture, industry, all that sort of thing, and it occurs to me that part of the sensory warning apparatus used by the Qataari might be olfactory recognition of place.If we were to make our home here, we would become identifiable in the same way as everyone else who approaches them with the dust of Tumo, so to speak, on them.Our ideal location would therefore be one that is within reasonable commuting distance of Tumo, yet which has a completely different olfactory signature.’‘I think you might have something there,’ said Ordier, sipping his drink, and sensing an inconsistency in the argument.‘So which island would you suggest?’ Luovi said to him.‘Let me think about it.’Parren was regarding him aggressively.‘I think I know what you’re thinking, Ordier,’ Parren said.‘Why should I succeed where others have failed?’‘The Qataari represent a substantial challenge to researchers,’ Ordier replied neutrally.‘I wouldn’t have given up my career in Jethra if I’d thought it was a challenge I couldn’t respond to.’‘Of course not.’‘There are a number of ways that haven’t been tried before.’‘Can you give an example?’‘I can give you the main one.I make no secret of my ideas.’ Parren was sitting forward intently.‘There is one feature of the Qataari settlement that no one seems to pay any regard to.It’s so obvious, in fact, that like everyone else involved in the subject I almost missed it.The Qataari habituate the equator.’‘Almost the whole of Tumo is on the equator,’ Jenessa said, but she sounded intrigued.‘The island does indeed straddle the equator, but the valley where the Qataari have made their settlement is exactly on the line itself.Have you ever wondered why that might be so, Ordier?’‘It’s happenstance, surely? I assume they were installed in the valley by the authorities after they left their homeland.Presumably it was one of the few places large enough to accommodate such an influx of homeless immigrants.’‘No, sir,’ said Parren.‘The Qataari went to that valley because they asked to go there, indeed demanded to go there.’‘Tumo isn’t the only island on the equator.Why should they choose this one?’‘Because the other islands either didn’t want them or weren’t for one reason or another suitable.I’ve looked into it closely, Ordier, and I can tell you that the settlement on Tumo wasn’t found for them straight away.The Qataari were relocated many times around the Archipelago, and for several years, before they settled on Tumo.In all that time they never strayed more than a degree or two away from the equator.’‘They were from the south originally, weren’t they?’‘Yes, but you must surely know the position of the Qataari Peninsula.’At last Parren’s remarks began to make sense to Ordier.The Qataari Peninsula was part of the southern continental landmass, the long northernmost tip of a huge triangular plain reaching into the Midway Sea at what was consequently its narrowest point.This subcontinental promontory, known as the Tenkker Wilderness, extended so far to the north that part of it, the Qataari Peninsula, actually crossed the equator.As a result some of its land lay, uniquely for the southern continent, in the northern hemisphere.Although most of the Tenkker was uninhabited except by nomads, the mountainous portion beyond a swampy, mangrove-ridden isthmus – which virtually created an island – was where the Qataari originated.‘With respect, Jacj,’ Jenessa said, ‘all this has been known for years.It’s one of the features of the Qataari that makes them of interest, but no one has ever shown what effect the equatorial source has on their culture.’‘That’s right.And no one has ever tried observing them from the air.’Jenessa looked back at him blankly.‘From the air,’ she repeated.‘I intend to fly over them.The temporal vortex enables stationary flight above any point on the equator.I intend to observe them from above.’Jenessa reached across the table to start collecting the empty dishes, stacking them up before her with an absent expression.‘Surely that would never work, Professor Parren,’ she said.‘I fail to see why.’‘Because the presence of any aircraft flying low enough for you to observe them would induce the same reaction as always [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]