David Brin - Infinity's Shore

to

Ariana Mae, our splendid envoy,

who will speak for us at the threshold of the fantastic

twenty-second century.

Alvinthe humicker nickname of Hph-wayuo, an adolescent hoon of Wuphon Village.

Asxmember of the Jijo Council of High Sages, representing the traeki race.

Baskin, GillianTerragens agent and physician, acting captain of the dolphin survey vessel Streaker.

Bladea blue qheuen, son of Log Biter; a wood-carver and friend of Sara Koolhan.

Bloordeceased photographer who discovered the secret Rothen identity.

Brookidadolphin metallurgist on Streaker.

Cambel, LesterHigh Sage of Earthlings on Jijo.

Chuchkidolphin engineering mate on Streaker.

Creideikia dolphin, former captain of the dolphin vessel Streaker. Lost on Kithrup years ago.

Dedingerhuman zealot who wishes all races of Jijo to devolve so one day they may be uplifted from innocence.

Dwerson of the papermaker Nelo Koolhan, chief tracker of the Commons of Six Races.

Emerson DAnitea human engineer, once part of the Terragens spacecraft Streakers crew, until he crashed on Jijo.

Ewasxa Jophur ring stack transformed from the old sage Asx by the imposition of a new master ring.

Fallona retired tracker; Dwers former mentor.

Foo, Arianathe emeritus High Sage of Human Sept (retired).

Harullengray qheuen intellectual. Leader of a heretical sect that believes illegal settlers should voluntarily stop breeding and let Jijo return to its time of fallow rest.

Hikahiformer third-in-command of Streaker, lost at Kithrup.

Hph-wayuoAlvins formal hoonish name.

Huckhumicker nickname of a gKek orphan raised in Wuphon. Alvins friend.

HuphuAlvins pet noor beast.

Jassyoung hunter of the Gray Hills band. Retys past tormentor.

Jimithe blessed, born higher along the Path of Redemption.

Jomahthe young son of Henrik the Exploser.

JopDolo Village tree farmer, believer in the old Sacred Scrolls.

JoshuSara Koolhans late suitor, an itinerant bookbinder who died in Biblos of the pepper pox.

Kaadolphin, pilot of Streaker. Formerly known as Lucky Kaa.

Karkaettengineering mate on Streaker.

Keepiruformer chief pilot of Streaker, lost at Kithrup.

Knife-Bright Insighta blue qheuen, High Sage for the qheuen race.

Kunnhuman pilot of the Rothen-Danik ship.

Kurta leader of the Explosers Guild. Jomahs uncle.

Larka naturalist, junior sage of the Commons, and heretic.

LingDanik crewwoman of the Rothen ship. A skilled biologist.

Makaneefemale dolphin, ships surgeon on Streaker.

MelinaNelo Koolhans late wife; mother of Lark, Sara, and Dwer.

Mopola male dolphin, spacer second class on Streaker.

Mudfoota wild noor, named by Dwer Koolhan.

Nelopapermaker of Dolo Village, patriarch of the Koolhan family.

Nissa sapient computer lent to Streaker by Tymbrimi intelligence agents.

Old Onesgeneral term for the retired races of the Fractal World.

One-of-a-Kindan ancient mulc spider assigned to decompose a ruin high in the Rimmer mountains.

Orley, Thomasa Terragens agent assigned to Streaker, lost at Kithrup. Husband of Gillian Baskin.

Ozawa, Daneldeputy sage, knowing hidden secrets of Human Sept.

Peepoea female dolphin; geneticist and nurse on Streaker.

Phwhoon-dauthe hoonish High Sage.

Pincer-Tipa red qheuen friend of Alvins, who carved the bathyscaphe Wuphons Dream out of a tree trunk.

Pritya neo-chimpanzee; Saras servant, skilled at math imagery.

Purofskya sage of Biblos, specializing in arcane physics.

Rannleader of the Danik humans aboard the Rothen ship.

Retya human sooner, she fled her savage bands hidden offshoot colony in the Gray Hills.

Ro-kenna Rothen lord whose human followers included Rann, Ling, Besh, and Kunn.

Ro-polpossibly Ro-kenns mate, killed before Battle of the Glade.

Shen, Jenia human militia sergeant.

Strong, Lenapart of Danel Ozawas expedition to the Gray Hills.

Suessi, Hannesengineer on Streaker, cyborg modified by Old Ones.

Tainea Biblos scholar who once courted Sara Koolhan.

Tshta female dolphin, once Streakers fifth-in-command, now sharing command with Gillian Baskin.

Tyugthe traeki alchemist of Mount Guenn Forge, a vital assistant to Uriel the Smith.

Ulgoran urrish tinker and supporter of the Urunthai.

Urdonnolurrish apprentice serving Uriel.

Urielurrish master smith of the Mount Guenn Forge.

Ur-Jahthe urrish High Sage.

Ur-ronnAlvins urrish friend. Part of the Wuphons Dream expedition. Uriels niece.

Uthengray qheuen naturalist. Helped Lark write field guide to Jijoan species.

Vubbenthe gKek High Sage.

Worley, Jeninpart of Danel Ozawas expedition to the Gray Hills.

yeean urrish male ejected from his pouch home by his former mate. Later married to the sooner girl Rety.

Zhakia male dolphin, spacer third class on Streaker.

Those who hunger after wisdom often seek it

in the highest heights, or profound depths.

Yet, marvels are found in shallow sites

where life starts, burgeons, and dies.

What pinnacle, or lofty mount,

offers lessons as poignant

as the flowing river

a crashing reef

or the grave?

from a Buyur wall inscription,

found half-buried in a marsh

near Far Wet Sanctuary

Kaa

What strange fate brought me,

Fleeing maelstroms of winter,

Past five galaxies?

Only to find refuge,

On a forlorn planet (nude!)

In laminar luxury!

SO HE THOUGHT WHILE PERFORMING SWOOPING rolls, propelling his sleek gray body with exhilarated tail strokes, reveling in the caress of water against naked flesh.

Dappled sunlight threw luminous shafts through crystal shallows, slanting past mats of floating sea florets. Silvery native creatures, resembling flat-jawed fish, moved in and out of the bright zones, enticing his eye. Kaa squelched the instinctive urge to give chase.

Maybe later.

For now, he indulged in the liquid texture of water sliding around him, without the greasiness that used to cling so, back in the oily seas of Oakka, the green-green world, where soaplike bubbles would erupt from his blowhole each time he surfaced to breathe. Not that it was worth the effort to inhale on Oakka. There wasnt enough good air on that horrid ball to nourish a comatose otter.