Click on image to enlarge.
|
A Fire Upon the Deep: Special Edition eBook [Secure eReader (recommended)/Microsoft Reader/Adobe]
eBook by Vernor Vinge
| |
Regular |
|
 |
|
Club |
| You Pay: |
$12.95 |
|
|
|
$11.01 |
| Micropay Rebate: |
10% |
|
|
|
10% |
| Cost After Rebate: |
$11.65 |
|
|
|
$9.91 |
| You Save: |
10.04% |
|
|
|
23.47% |
eBook Category: Science Fiction Hugo Award Winner
eBook Description:  After a spaceship crashes on an unfamiliar world, a rescue ship races against time to rescue the downed ship's only survivors--two children--and retrieve the weapon required to prevent the destruction of the universe. This special eBook edition adds hundreds of annotations from Vinge which were written during the time of his original composition of this groundbreaking Hugo Award winning novel.
eBook Publisher: St. Martin's Press, Published: 2002
Fictionwise Release Date: June 2002
Available eBook Formats [Secure eReader (recommended)/Microsoft Reader/Adobe - What's this?]: SECURE MICROSOFT READER FORMAT [1.0 MB] - Requires Microsoft Reader 2.1.1 for PCs, or Microsoft Reader 2.2.2 on Pocket PC 2002 handheld devices. Some older Pocket PCs can be upgraded. Learn More., SECURE EREADER (RECOMMENDED) FORMAT [1.0 MB], SECURE ADOBE READER 7 FORMAT [8.0 MB]
Secure Adobe: Printing DISABLED, Read-aloud DISABLED
Other formats: Printing DISABLED, Read-aloud DISABLED
Microsoft Reader ISBN, eReader (recommended) ISBN: 9780312703691
 
d arms akimbo,
staring across the sea. He glanced back at her, and the green twilight
gave his face an eerie fierceness. He flashed his old, lopsided smile.
"I think I owe you an apology."
Old One's gonna let you join the human race after all? But Ravna
was touched. She dropped her eyes from his. "I guess I owe you one too.
If Old One won't help, he won't help; I shouldn't have lost my temper."
Pham Nuwen laughed softly, "Yours was certainly the lesser error. I'm
still trying to figure out where I went wrong, and... I don't think I
have time now to learn."
He looked back at the sea. After a moment, Ravna stood and stepped
toward him. Up close, his stare looked glassy. "What's wrong?" Damn
you, Old One. If you're going to abandon him, don't do it in pieces!
"You're the great expert on Transcendent Powers, eh?"
More sarcasm. "Well -"
"Do the big boys have wars?"
Ravna shrugged. "You can find rumors of everything. We think there's
conflict, but something too subtle to call war."
"You're pretty much right. There is struggle, but it has more angles
than anything down here. The benefits of cooperation are normally so
great that.... That's part of the reason I didn't take the Perversion
seriously. Besides, the creature is pitiful: a wimpy cur that fouls its
own den. Even if it wanted to kill other Powers, something like that
never could. Not in a billion years...."
Blueshell rolled up beside them. "Who is this, my lady?"
It was the sort of Riderish conversation-stopper that she was only just
getting used to. If Blueshell would just get in synch with his skrode
memory, he'd know. Then the question truly hit her. Who is this?
She glanced at her dataset. It was showing transceiver status, had been
ever since Pham Nuwen arrived. And... by the Powers, three
transceivers had been grabbed by a single customer!
She took a quick step backwards. "You!"
"Me! Face to face once more, Ravna." The leer was a parody of Pham's
self-assured smile. "Sorry I can't be charming tonight." He slapped his
chest awkwardly. "I'm using this thing's underlying instincts.... I'm
too busy trying to stay alive."
There was drool coming down his chin. Pham's eyes would focus on her and
then drift.
"What are you doing to Pham!"
The Emissary Device stepped toward her, stumbled. "Making room," came
Pham Nuwen's voice.
Ravna spoke Grondr's phone code. There was no response.
The Emissary Device shook its head. "Vrinimi Org is very busy right now,
trying to convince me to get off their equipment, trying to screw up
their courage and force me off. They don't believe what I'm telling
them" He laughed, a quick choking sound. "Doesn't matter. I see now that
the attack here was just a deadly diversion.... How about that, Little
Ravna? See, the Blight is not a Class Two perversion. In the time I have
left, I can only guess what it is.... Something very old, very big.
Whatever it is, I'm being eaten alive."
Blueshell and Greenstalk had rolled close to Ravna. Their fronds made
faint skritching...
|
)
