tz.cobra strike-第17章

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　〃Thank　you；〃　Cerenkov　managed。　〃We're　looking　forward　to　meeting　him。
　He　took　a　deep　breath　and　tried　not　to　stare　at　the　mojos。
　There　were　cultures　in　the　Dominion　of　Man；　Jus…tin　knew　from　his　studies；　that　went　in　heavily　for　artistic　expression　on　their　buildings；　and　his　first　thought　had　been　that　the　Qasamans　were　a　branch　of　such　a　society。　But　as　the　contact　team　was　driven　slowly　through　the　streets；　he　gradually　began　to　question　that　assumption。　There　were　no　murals　anywhere　that　he　could　see；　nor　were　there　any　recognizable　human　or　animal　drawings；　either　realistic　or　stylized。　The　splashes　of　color　seemed　to　have　been　thrown　up　more　or　less　randomly；　though　in　ways　the　Cobra　found　aesthetically　pleasing　enough。　He　wondered　if　Nnamdi　would　be　able　to　find　anything　significant　in　the　whole　thing。
　Cerenkov　cleared　his　throat；　and　it　was　quickly　obvious　the　contact　leader　had　other　things　than　the　Qasamans〃　artistry　on　his　mind。　〃Looks　like　a　lot　of　your　people　have　mojos　with　them；〃　he　mented。　〃Mojos　and　guns。　Are　conditions　in　Sollas　that　dangerous？〃
　〃The　weapons　aren't　often　used；　but　when　they　are　it's　a　matter　of　survival；〃　Moff　told　him。
　〃I　would　think　the　mojos　would　be　enough　protection；〃　York　put　in。
　〃From　some　things；　yes；　but　not　from　everything。　Perhaps　while　you're　here　you'll　have　the　chance　to　see　a　bololin　herd　or　even　a　hunting　krisjaw　enter　the　city。〃
　〃Well；　if　that　happens；　don't　forget　we're　unarmed；〃　Cerekov　said。　〃Unless　you　plan　to　issue　us　weapons　and　mojos　later　on。〃
　It　was　clear　from　his　tone　he　wasn't　exactly　thrilled　by　that　option；　but　Moff　laid　any　such　fears　to　rest。　〃As　strangers　I　don't　think　the　mayor　would　allow　you　to　carry　weapons；〃　he　said。　〃And　the　mojos　seem　too　unfortable　in　your　presence　to　serve　…　vour　protectors。〃
　〃Um；〃　Cerenkov　said　and　fell　silent。　Justin　shifted　his　attention　from　the　buildings　to　the　people　walking　along　the　sidewalks。　Sure　enough；　all　of　them　had　the　ubiquitous　mojos　on　their　shoulders。　A　light　breeze　came　up；　ruffling　human　hair　and　mojo　feathers　and　whistling　gently　in　his　ears。　Odd；　he　thought；　to　be　able　to　hear　the　wind　but　not　to　feel　it。
　Somehow；　on　a　gut　level；　that　seemed　stranger　even　than　the　fact　that　he　was　possibly　the　first　man　in　history　to　be　almost　literally　walking　in　his　brother's　shoes。
　From　somewhere　behind　him　a　new　voice　spoke　up。　〃Is　that　just　an　excuse？〃　Pyre　asked。
　〃I　don't　think　so；〃　Telek's　voice　replied。　〃The　nearest　mojos　do　look　a　bit　more　nervous　than　those　further　away。　I'd　guess　it　has　to　do　with　the　fact　that　we　smell　slightly　different　than　the　Qasamans。〃
　Pyre　grunted。　〃Genetic　drift？〃
　〃More　likely　dietary　differences。　Something；　Hersh？〃
　〃I　think　I've　got　their　departure　time　bracketed；〃　Nnamdi　said。　〃The　Agra　Dynasty　was　the　government　that　ruled　Reginine　from　central　Asia　on　Earth。　It　began　in　2097　and　ended　when　the　Dominion　of　Man　formally　took　over　in　2180。〃
　〃What　about　the；　uh；　the　Lords　of　Rajan　Putra？〃　Telek　asked。
　〃We'll　have　to　check　the　full　history　records　back　on　Aventine　for　that。　But　I　know　there　was　a　major　migration　from　Reginine　when　it　was　opened　to　general　colonization；　and　I　think　the　emigres　founded　the　world　Rajput。〃
　〃Hmmm。　Ethnic　separatists；　basically？〃
　〃No　idea。　My　guess；　though；　is　that　die　Qasamans　were　either　one　ship　of　that　group　or　a　separate　emigration；　in　either　case　overshooting　their　target　rather　badly。〃
　〃Badly　and　a　half；〃　Telek　snorted。　〃Where　were　the　Trofts　while　they　were　wandering　through　Assemblage　territory？〃
　〃Probably　never　saw　them　ing；〃　Christopher　spoke　up。　〃Really。　The　Dominion's　early　stardrives　were　nasty　unstable　things；　and　when　they　went　supercritical　they　hit　about　ten　times　the　speed　we　can　get　nowadays。〃
　〃Sounds　rather　handy；　actually；〃　Pyre　said。
　〃Only　if　you　didn't　need　to　stop；〃　Christopher　said　dryly。　〃ing　out　of　hyperspace　in　that　condition　would　fry　the　drive　and　most　other　electronics　on　the　ship。　There　are　literally　dozens　of　colony　ships…　colony　ships；　mind　you；　not　just　probes　or　scouts…　that　are　listed　as　simply　having　disappeared。　I　guess　Qasama　was　one　of　the　lucky　ones。〃
　〃Or　else　they　were　the　imlucky　ones　who　were　kidnapped　and　brought　here；〃　Nnamdi　put　in。　〃You'll　recall　we　haven't　scrapped　that　possibility　yet。〃
　〃We'll　keep　it　in　mind　if　we　see　any　sign　of　another　race；〃　Telek　assured　him。　〃But　it's　hard　to　imagine　slaves　being　allowed　to　carry　guns。〃
　Via　the　direct　feed　from　Joshua's　implanted　optical　sensors　to　his　own；　Justin　saw　that　the　car　carrying　the　contact　team　had　turned　onto　one　of　the　broad　streets　they'd　noted　from　orbit；　and　he　waited　for　Cerenkov　to　ask　about　it。　But　the　contact　leader　had　apparently　decided　to　hold　off　pumping　the　Qasamans　for　more　information；　at　least　for　the　moment。　Probably　just　as　well；　Justin　thought；　since　the　lull　enabled　him　to　continue　splitting　his　attention　between　the　cityscape　and　the　conversation　in　the　lounge　around　him。
　〃Any　indication　in　the　translator　program　as　to　what　bololins　or　krisjaws　are？〃　Pyre　asked。
　Justin　could　almost　see　Telek's　shrug。　〃Local　fauna；　I　gather；〃　she　said。　〃Obviously　pretty　nasty…those　guns　of　theirs　don't　look　like　target　pistols。〃
　〃Agreed。　So　why　didn't　they　put　up　a　wall　around　the　city；　like　they　did　around　the　villages？〃
　There　was　a　short　pause。　〃No　idea。　Hersh？〃
　〃Maybe　the　village　walls　aren't　there　to　keep　the　animals　out；〃　he　suggested；　not　sounding　particular^
　convinced。　〃Maybe　both　species　fly　or　jump　too　high　for　walls　to　be　effective。〃
　〃So　why　do　the　villages　have　them？〃　Pyre　persisted。
　〃/　don't　know；〃　Nnamdi　snapped。
　〃All　right；　take　it　easy；〃　Telek　put　in。　〃Finding　out　all　of　these　things　is　Yuri's　job。　Let's　just　relax　and　leave　it　to　him；　okay？〃
　There　was　another　pause。　Back　in　Sollas　Joshua　turned　his　head　to　follow　the　passage　of　a　particularly　attractive　woman。　Justin　admired　the　view　himself；　wondering　whether　it　was　her　appearance　or　the　feet　that　her　mojo　rode　her　right　shoulder　which　had　caught　his　brother's　attention。　He　tried　to　see　if　her　pistol　was　also　strapped　to　the　opposite　side；　but　Joshua　turned　back　to　face　forward　before　he　could　do　so。　Left…handed？　he　speculated；　making　a　mental　note　to　watch　for　others。
　From　the　other　reality　Christopher　spoke　up。　〃Hersh；　have　you　got　anything　like　a　population　estimate　for　Qasama　yet？　Given　that　they're　human；　I　mean；　and　that　human　personal　space　requirements　are　pretty　well　known。〃
　〃Oh；　I'd　guess　somewhere　between　fifty　and　three　hundred　million；〃　Nnamdi　said。　〃That　requires　them　to　have　bred　like　hamsters　over　the　past　three　centuries；　but　you　can　get　rates　that　high　on　new　worlds。　Why？〃
　〃Would　it　be　likely　that　you　could　keep　track　of　that　many　people　on　a　single…name　basis？〃
　〃Like　Moff；　for　instance？　Not　hardly。　Especially　since　they　originally　came　from　a　multi…name　background。〃
　〃Which　means　Moff　wasn't　giving　his　full　name；〃　Christopher　said。　〃Which　means　in　turn　that　the　mojos　aren't　the　only　ones　that　are　nervous　about　us。〃
　〃Yeah；〃　Nnamdi　said　heavily。　〃Well　。。。　suspicion　toward　strangers　is　part　of　the　heritage　of　lots　of　human　cultures。〃
　〃Or　else　the　Trofts　who　came　here　earlier　started　anew　tradition；〃　Telek　growled。　〃I　wish　to　hell　we　had　a　record　of　their　visit。　Either　way；　I　suppose　we　ought　to　remind　the　team　that　they　need　to　walk　on
　eggs…〃
　There　was　a　faint　click　and　Telek　delivered　a　short
　message　to　the　contact　team　along　the　translator　carrier…a　message　that；　for　Justin；　had　a　built…it　echo　as　bone　conduction　carried　part　of　the　sound　from　Joshua's　earphone　to　his　implanted　auditory　pickups。　The　car　seemed　to　be　slowing　now；　and　Justin　scanned　the　buildings　within　view；　wondering　which　one　housed　the　mayor's　office。　Fortunately；　the　rest　of　the　conversation　in　the　lounge　had　ceased　as　the　scientists　returned　to　watching　the　same　view　on　their　more　prosaic　displays；　so　there　was　no　risk　of　his　missing　anything　while　his　primary　attention　was　locked　into　Joshua's　implants。　There　was　a　lot　about　this　setup　that　annoyed　him；　but　he　had　to　admit　it　was　doing　its　job　well。　Whenever　he　wound　up　replacing　Joshua　out　there；　he　would　have　the　same　memori