Ted Chiang Tower of Babylon 特德姜 巴比伦塔.docx
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Ted Chiang Tower of Babylon 特德姜 巴比伦塔.docx
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TedChiangTowerofBabylon特德姜巴比伦塔
12TowerofBabylon
WerethetowertobelaiddownacrosstheplainofShinar,itwouldbetwodays’journeytowalkfromoneendtotheother.Whilethetowerstands,ittakesafullmonthandahalftoclimbfromitsbasetoitssummit,ifamanwalksunburdened.Butfewmenclimbthetowerwithemptyhands;thepaceofmostmenisslowedbythecartofbricksthattheypullbehindthem.Fourmonthspassbetweenthedayabrickisloadedontoacart,andthedayitistakenofftoformapartofthetower.
HillalumhadspentallhislifeinElam,andknewBabylononlyasabuyerofElam’scopper.ThecopperingotswerewerecarriedonboatsthattraveleddowntheKaruntotheLowerSea,headedfortheEuphrates.Hillalumandtheotherminerstraveledoverland,alongsideamerchant’scaravanofloadedonagers.Theywalkedalongadustypathleadingdownfromtheplateau,acrosstheplains,tothegreenfieldssectionedbycanalsanddikes.
Noneofthemhadseenthetowerbefore.Itbecamevisiblewhentheywerestillleaguesaway:
alineasthinasastrandofflax,waveringintheshimmeringair,risingupfromthecrustofmudthatwasBabylonitself.Astheydrewcloser,thecrustgrewintothemightycitywalls,butalltheysawwasthetower.Whentheydidlowertheirgazestotheleveloftheriver-plain,theysawthemarksthetowerhadmadeoutsidethecity:
theEuphratesitselfnowflowedatthebottomofawide,sunkenbed,dugtoprovideclayforbricks.Tothesouthofthecitycouldbeseenrowsuponrowsofkilns,nolongerburning.
Astheyapproachedthecitygates,thetowerappearedmoremassivethananythingHillalumhadeverimagined:
asinglecolumnthatmusthavebeenaslargearoundasanentiretemple,yetrisingsohighthatitshrankintoinvisibility.Allofthemwalkedwiththeirheadstiltedback,squintinginthesun.
Hillalum’sfriendNanniproddedhimwithanelbow,awe-struck.”We’retoclimbthat?
Tothetop?
”
“Goinguptodig.Itseems...unnatural.”
Theminersreachedthecentralgateinthewesternwall,whereanothercaravanwasleaving.Whiletheycrowdedforwardintothenarrowstripofshadeprovidedbythewall,theirforemanBelishoutedtothegatekeeperswhostoodatopthegatetowers,“WearetheminerssummonedfromthelandofElam.”
Thegatekeepersweredelighted.Onecalledback,”Youaretheoneswhoaretodigthroughthevaultofheaven?
”
“Weare.”
Theentirecitywascelebrating.Thefestivalhadbeguneightdaysago,whenthelastofthebricksweresentontheirway,andwouldlasttwomore.Everydayandnight,thecityrejoiced,danced,feasted.
Alongwiththebrickmakerswerethecart-pullers,menwhoselegswereropedwithmusclefromclimbingthetower.Eachmorningacrewbeganitsascent;theyclimbedforfourdays,transferredtheirloadstothenextcrewofpullers,andreturnedtothecitywithemptycartsonthefifth.Achainofsuchcrewsledallthewaytothetopofthetower,butonlythebottommostcelebratedwiththecity.Forthosewholiveduponthetower,enoughwineandmeathadbeensentupearliertoallowafeasttoextenduptheentirepillar.
Intheevening,HillalumandtheotherElamiteminerssatuponclaystoolsbeforealongtableladenwithfood,onetableamongmanylaidoutinthecitysquare.Theminersspokewiththepullers,askingaboutthetower.
Nannisaid,”Someonetoldmethatthebricklayerswhoworkatthetopofthetowerwailandteartheirhairwhenabrickisdropped,becauseitwilltakefourmouthstoreplace,butnoonetakesnoticewhenamanfallstohisdeath.Isthattrue?
”
Oneofthemoretalkativepullers,Lugatum,shookhishead.”Ohno,thatisonlyastory.Thereisacontinuouscaravanofbricksgoingupthetower;thousandsofbricksreachthetopeachday.Thelossofasinglebrickmeansnothingtothebricklayers.”Heleanedovertothem.“However,thereissomethingtheyvaluemorethanaman’slife:
atrowel.”
“Whyatrowel?
”
“Ifabricklayerdropshistrowel,hecandonoworkuntilanewooneisbroughtup.Formonthshecannotearnthefoodthatheeats,sohemustgointodebt.Thelossofatroweliscauseformuchwailing.Butifamanfalls,andhistrowelremains,menaresecretlyrelieved.Thenextonetodrophistrowelcanpickuptheextraoneandcontinueworking,withoutincurringdebt.”
Hillalumwasappalled,andforafranticmomenthetriedtocounthowmanypickstheminershadbrought.Thenherealized.“Thatcannotbetrue.Whynothavesparetrowelsbroughtup?
Theirweightwouldbenothingagainstallthebricksthatgoupthere.Andsurelythelossofamanmeansaseriousdelay,unlesstheyhaveanextramanatthetopwhoisskilledatbricklaying.Withoutsuchaman,theymustwaitforanotheronetoclimbfromthebottom.”
Allofthepullersroaredwithlaughter.“Wecannotfoolthisone,”Lugatumsaidwithmuchamusement.HeturnedtoHillalum.“Soyou’llbeginyourclimboncethefestivalisover?
”
Hillalumdrankfromabowlofbeer.”Yes.I’veheardthatwe’llbejoinedbyminersfromawesternland,butIhaven’tseenthem.Doyouknowofthem?
”
“Yes,theycomefromalandcalledEgypt,buttheydonotmineoreasyoudo.Theyquarrystone.”
“WedigstoneinElam,too,”saidNanni,hismouthfullofpork.
“Notastheydo.Theycutgranite.”
“Granite?
”LimestoneandalabasterwerequarriedinElam,butnotgranite.”Areyoucertain?
”
“MerchantswhohavetraveledtoEgyptsaythattheyhavestonezigguratsandtemples,builtwithlimestoneandgranite,hugeblocksofit.Andtheycarvegiantstatuesfromgranite.”
“Butgraniteissodifficulttowork.”
Lugatumshrugged.“Notforthem.Theroyalarchitectsbelievesuchstoneworkersmmaybeusefulwhenyoureachthevaultofheaven.”
Hillalumnodded.Thatcouldbetrue.Whoknewforcertainwhattheywouldneed?
”Haveyouseenthem?
”\
“No,theyarenothereyet,buttheyareexpectedinafewdays’time.Theymaynotarrivebeforethefestivalends,though;thenyouElamiteswillascendalone.”
“Youwillaccompanyus,won’tyou?
”
“Yes,butonlyforthefirstfourdays.Thenwemustturnback,whileyouluckyonesgoon.”
“Whydoyouthinkuslucky?
”
“Ilongtomaketheclimbtothetop.Ioncepulledwiththehighercrews,andreachedaheightoftwelvedays’climb,butthatisashighasIhaveevergone.Youwillgofarhigher.”Lugatumsmiledruefully.”Ienvyyou,thatyouwilltouchthevaultofheaven.”
Totouchthevaultofheaven.Tobreakitopenwithpicks.Hillalumfeltuneasyattheidea.“Thereisnocauseforenvy--”hebegan.
“Right,”saidNanni.”Whenwearedone,allmenwilltouchthevaultofheaven.”
Thenextmorning,Hillalumwenttoseethetower.Hestoodinthegiantcourtyardsurroundingit.Therewasatempleofftoonesidethatwouldhavebeenimpressiveifseenbyitself,butitstoodunnoticedbesidethetower.
Hecouldsensetheuttersolidityofit.Accordingtoallthetales,thetowerwasconstructedtohaveamightystrengththatnozigguratpossessed;itwasmadeofbakedbrickallthewaythrough,whenordinaryzigguratsweremeresun-driedmudbrick,havingbakedbrickonlythethefacing.Thebricksweresetinabitumenmortar,whichsoakedintothefiredclay,formingabondasstrongasthebricksthemselves.
Thetower’sbaseresembledthefirsttwoplatformsofanordinaryziggurat.Therestoodagiantsquareplatformsometwohundredcubitsonasideandfortycubitshigh,withatriplestaircaseagainstitssouthface.Stackeduponthatfirstplatformwasanotherlevel,asmallerplatformreachedonlybythecentralstair.Itwasatopthesecondplatformthatthetoweritselfbegan.
Itwassixtycubitsonaside,androselikeasquarepillarthatboretheweightofheaven.Arounditwouldagentlyinclinedramp,cutintotheside,thatbandedthetowerliketheleatherstripwrappedaroundthehandleofawhip.No;uponlookingagain,Hillalumsawthatthereweretworamps,andtheywereintertwined.Theouteredgeofeachrampwasstuddedwithpillars,notthickbutbroad,toprovidesomeshadebehindthem.Inrunninghisgazeupthetower,hesawalthernatingbands,ramp,brick,ramp,brick,untiltheycouldnolongerbedistinguished.Andstillthetowerroseupandup,fartherthantheeyecouldseelHillalumblinked,andsquinted,andgrewdizzy.Hestumbledbackwardsacouplesteps,andturnedawaywithashudder.
Hillalumthoughtofthestorytoldtohiminchildhood,thetalefollowingthatoftheDeluge.Ittoldofhowmenhadonceagainpopulatedallthecornersoftheearth,inhabitingmorelandsthantheyeverhadbefore.Howmenhadsailedtotheedgesoftheworld,andseentheoceanfallingawayintothemisttojointheblackwatersoftheAbyssfarbelow.Howmenhadthusrealizedtheextentoftheearth,andfeltittobesmall,anddesiredtoseewhatlaybeyonditsborders,alltherestofYahweh’sCreation.Howtheylookedskyward,andwonderedaboutYahweh’sdwellingplace,abovethereservoirsthatcontainedthewatersofheaven.Andhow,manycenturiesagon,therebegantheconstructionofthetower,apillartoheaven,astairthatmenmightascendtoseetheworksofYahweh,andthatYahwehmightdescendtoseetheworksofmen.
IthadalwaysseemedinspiringtoHilllalum,ataleofthousandsofmentoilingceaselessly,butwithjoy,fortheyworkedtoknowYahwehbetter.HehadbeenexcitedwhentheBabylonianscametoElamlookingforminers.Yetnowthathestoodatthebaseofthetower,hissensesrebelled,insistingthatnothingshouldstandsohigh.Hedidn’tfeelasifhewereontheearthwhenhelookedupalongthetower.
Shouldheclimbsuchathing?
Onthemorningoftheclimb,thesecondplatformwascovered,edgetoedge,withstouttwo-wheeledcartsarrange
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