tz.cobra strike-第13章

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aft　headed　out　from　Aventine。　On　the　Dewdrop；　bound　for　Qasama；　were　Justin　and　Joshua　Moreau；　aboard　the　Menssana；　destinations　as　yet　not　officially　named；　rode　Jonny　and　Chrys　Moreau。
　Corwin　watched　the　ships　leave；　and　was　left　to　wonder　how　a　planet　with　nearly　four　hundred　thousand　people　could　suddenly　feel　so　lonely。
　
　
　Chapter　7
　
　The　Dewdrop　had　been　Aventine's　only　interstellar　craft　in　the　days　when　the　planet　was　first　colonized；　and　since　its　sole　purpose　then　had　been　to　reconnoi…ter　nearby　systems　for　possible　future　habitation　it　made　little　sense　to　the　Dominion　planners　to　tie　up　anything　larger　than　a　long…range　scout　ship。　With　the　normal　plement　of　five　crewers　and　four　observers　the　Dewdrop　had　probably　seemed　adequately　roomy；　with　a　current　load　exactly　twice　that；　it　was　pretty　damned　crowded。
　Pyre　didn't　find　it　excruciatingly　unfortable；　but　then；　he'd　grown　up　under　conditions　that　were　in　their　own　way　equally　claustrophobic。　The　small　village　of　Thanksgiving；　ringed　by　spine　leopard…infested　forests；　had　by　reasons　of　physical　space　been　a　very　cozy　place；　and　though　Pyre　had　experienced　both　the　greater　anonymity　of　larger　cities　and　the　wide…open　spaces　of　Aventine's　frontier　regions　since　then；　he'd　never　lost　his　ability　to　create　mental　privacy　where　physical　privacy　didn't　exist。
　To　varying　degrees；　most　of　the　other　ten　passengers　also　seemed　to　adapt　reasonably　well。　Justin　and　Joshua；　of　course；　had　shared　a　room　for　most　of　their　lives；　and　even　in　a　cramped　stateroom　got　along　together　better　than　most　other　sets　of　brothers　Pyre　had　known。　The　other　two　Cobras；　Link　and　Winward；　had　survived　both　the　academy's　barracks　arrangement　and　the　intense　training　of　the　past　few　weeks；　and　Winward　mented　at　least　once　that　shipboard　life　was　almost　a　vacation　by　parison。　The　contact　team　members…who；　besides　Joshua；　consisted　of　Yuri　Cerenkov；　Marck　Rynstadt；　and　former　Dominion　Marine　Decker　York…had　been　screened　for　anything　vaguely　resembling　a　neurosis；　and　Pyre　doubted　much　of　anything　would　bother　them；　at　least　noticeably。　And　the　two　chief　scientists；　Drs。　Bilman　Christopher　and　Hersh　Nnamdi；　were　so　busy　testing　equipment；　programs；　and　contingency　branch　schemes　that　it　was　unlikely　they　even　noticed　the　lack　of　breathing　space。
　Which　left　Governor　Telek。
　To　Pyre　it　was　still　a　mystery　why　she　was　aboard　this　mission。　Arguments　about　high　Council　representation　notwithstanding；　it　seemed　to　him　incredible　that　Governor…General　Stiggur　should　allow　a　woman　on　what　was　looking　more　and　more　like　a　military　mission。　Pyre's　attitudes　were　as　healthy　as　anyone　else's；　and　he　had　no　qualms　whatsoever　about　female　doctors　or　engineers；　but　warfare　was　different；　and　Stigger　with　his　roots　back　in　the　Dominion　should　feel　that　even　more　strongly　than　Pyre　did。　Which　led　immediately　to　the　conclusion　that　the　decision　had　been　purely　political　。　。　。　which　led　even　faster　to　the　question　of　why　he；　Pyre；　was　aboard。
　And　that　was　the　really　troublesome　one。　Pyre　hadn't　had　as　much　access　to　closed…door　information　lately　as　he'd　had　when　he'd　been　living　near　the　Moreaus；　but　even　so　it　was　pretty　obvious　that　Stiggur　wouldn't　have　let　Telek　e　unless　he　expected　her　report　and　remendations　on　Qasama　to　fall　more　or　less　in　line　with　his　own　expectations。　Pyre　was　a　good　friend　of　Jonny　Moreau；　who　had　both　as　governor　and　governor　emeritus　locked　horns　regularly　with　Telek　。　。　。　and　yet　it　was　Pyre's　team　she'd　asked　to　observe　in　the　field　back　on　Aventine；　and　it　was　Pyre　whose　cost/manpower　estimates　she'd　solicited　for　presentation　to　the　governors；　and　it　was　Pyre　she'd　sponsored　to　be　Cobra　team　leader　on　this　mission。
　Why？　Did　she　expect　to　flatter　him　into　support　for　her　more　aggressive　stance　on　the　Qasama　issue？　To　offer　him　one　last　chance　at　real　Cobra　action　before　the　implant…related　diseases　began　their　slow　but　inevitable　crippling　of　his　body；　in　the　hope　that；　in　gratitude；　he'd　bee　a　political　ally　when　he　retired　to　advisory　positions　on　the　sidelines？　Or　had　she　simply　concluded　he　was　the　best　man　for　the　job　and　to　hell　just　this　once　with　politics？
　He　didn't　know　the　answer　。。。　and　it　quickly　became　clear　he　wasn't　going　to　figure　it　out　en　route。　Telek's　field　biology　background　had　left　her　little　prepared　for　the　Dewdrop's　overcrowded　zoo；　and　though　she　gamely　tried　to　maintain　both　minimal　sociability　and　her　responsibilities　as　official　head　of　the　mission；　it　was　obvious　there　weren't　going　to　be　any　opportunities　to　sound　her　out　properly　on　her　thoughts　and　motivations。　Perhaps　when　they　reached　Qasama　and　the　contact　team　disembarked　there'd　be　time　for　that。　Assuming　there　was　time　for　anything　at　all。
　So　he　spent　his　time　working　out　contingency　plans　with　his　team；　renewing　his　friendship　with　the　Moreau　twins；　and　listening　to　the　dull　background　drone　of　the　Dewdrop's　engines　as　he　tried　to　think　of　anything　he'd　forgotten。　The　nightmares　of　sudden；　overwhelming　disaster　he　did　his　best　to　ignore。
　Taken　at　low…power；　high…efficiency　speeds；　the　forty…five　light…years　to　Qasama　would　have　run　them　a　shade　over　a　month；　at　the　Dewdrop's　top　speed；　with　frequent　refueling　stops　at　Troft　systems；　they　could　have　made　it　in　six　days。　Captain　Reson　F'ahl　chose　a　reasonably　conservative　middle　course；　both　out　of　fears　for　the　Dewdrop's　aging　systems　and　also…Pyre
　suspected…out　of　an　old；　lingering　distrust　of　the　Trofts。
　So　for　fifteen　days　they　were　cooped　up　in　the　blackness　of　hyperspace；　with　only　the　deep…space　refueling　stops　every　five　days　to　break　the　viewport's　monotony　。。。　and　on　the　sixteenth　day　they　arrived　at　Qasama。
　Purists　had　claimed　for　centuries　that　no　photographic　emulsion；　holographic　trace…record；　or　puterized　visual　reproduction　ever　made　had　quite　the　same　range　and　power　as　the　human　eye。　Intellectually；　Joshua　tended　to　agree；　but　on　a　more　visceral　level　he　discovered　it　for　the　first　time　in　gazing　out　his　stateroom　viewport。
　The　poets　were　indeed　right：　there　were　few　sights　more　majestic　than　that　of　an　entire　world　spinning　slowly　and　serenely　beneath　you。
　Standing　with　his　face　practically　welded　to　the　small　triple…plate　plastic　oval；　he　didn't　even　notice　anyone　had　e　into　the　room　behind　him　until　Justin　said；　〃You　going　to　build　a　nest　there？〃
　He　didn't　bother　to　turn　around。　〃Go　find　your　own　viewport。　I've　got　land…use　rights　on　this　one。〃
　〃e　on…move；〃　Justin　said；　tugging　with　token　force　on　his　arm。　〃Aren't　you　supposed　to　be　with　Yuri　and　the　others　anyway？〃
　Joshua　waved　a　hand　in　the　general　direction　of　the　inter　display。　〃There's　no　room　up　there　for　anyone　bigger　than　a　hamster…oh；　all　right。〃　Snorting　feigned　exasperation；　he　stepped　aside。　Justin　took　his　place　at　the　viewport　。。。　and　Joshua　waited　for　the　other's　first　awe…filled　whistle　before　turning　toward　the　inter。
　The　display　showed　the　room　euphemistically　called　the　lounge…and　〃crowded〃　was　far　too　mild　a　term　for　it。　Packed　in　among　the　various　displays　and　equipment　monitors　were　Yuri　Cerenkov；　the　scientists　Christopher　and　Nnamdi；　and　Governor　Telek。　Back　near　the　viewport；　almost　out　of　the　inter　camera's　range；　Pyre　and　Decker　York　stood　together；　occasionally　sharing　inaudible　ments。　Joshua　turned　the　volume　up　a　bit；　just　in　time　to　catch　Nnamdi's　thoughtful　snort。　〃I'm　sorry；　but　I　simply　don't　see　what　in　blazes　the　Trofts　are　so　worried　about；〃　he　said；　apparently　to　the　room　at　large。　〃How　can　a　village…level　society　be　a　threat　to　anyone　outside　its　own　atmosphere？〃
　〃Let's　show　a　little　patience；　shall　we？〃　Telek　said；　not　looking　up　from　her　own　bank　of　displays。　〃We　haven't　even　finished　a　plete　orbit　yet。　All　the　high…tech　cities　may　be　on　the　other　side。〃
　〃It's　not　just　the　matter　of　technology；　Governor；〃　Nnamdi　countered。　〃The　population　density　is　too　low　to　be　consistent　with　an　advanced　society。〃
　〃That's　anthropomorphic　thinking；〃　Telek　shook　her　head。　〃If　their　birth　rate's　low　enough　and　they　like　lots　of　room　around　them　they　could　still　be　high…tech。　Bil；　what're　you　getting？〃
　Christopher　sat　in　silence　another　moment　before　answering。　〃Nothing　conclusiv