tz.cobra strike-第19章

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　〃Oh；　hell；　I　don't　know；〃　Pyre　sighed。　〃I'm　not　sure　we　can　take　anything　they　say　or　do　at　face　value。　That　mayor；　for　instance。　Is　he　really　some　throwback　to　the　old　despot　tradition；　or　was　all　of　that　set　up　to　confuse　us？　Or　is　that　really　the　way　they　conduct　business　here？〃
　〃Oh；　e　on；〃　Justin　growled　around　a　mouthful　of　fried　balis。　〃Who　could　concentrate　in　a　din　like　that？〃
　〃It　was　only　a　din　because　you're　not　used　to　it；〃　Pyre　said。　〃The　music　could　actually　have　a　calming　effect　on　the　brain's　emotional　activity；　allowing　the　people　in　there　to　think　more　logically。〃
　Justin　replayed　the　scene　in　his　mind。　Possible；　he　decided…those　hunched　over　the　low　tables　had　been　doing　something。　And　the　smoke…？　〃Supplemented　by　tranquilizing　drugs；　maybe？〃
　〃Could　be。　I　wish　we'd　had　some　sampling　equipment　in　there　to　run　a　quick　analysis　on　the　air。〃　He　snorted。　〃Though　a　lot　of　good　it　would　have　done。〃
　Justin　grimaced。　Every　bit　of　the　contact　team's　recording　and　analysis　equipment　had　been　politely　but　firmly　confiscated　during　their　hospital　examination。　The　best　Cerenkov's　protests　had　done　was　to　elicit　Moff's　promise　that　the　gear　would　be　returned　when　they　left。　〃I　was　locked　into　Joshua's　sensors　at　the　time；　but　I　have　the　impression　Governor　Telek　was　pretty　mad　about　that。〃
　〃That's　putting　it　mildly。　She　was　on　the　edge　of　a　full…fledged　tantrum。〃　Pyre　shook　his　head　slowly。　〃But　I　think　maybe　she　was　right；　that　this　is　looking　less　and　less　like　it's　going　to　work。　Yuri　can't　find　out　anything　the　Qasamans　want　to　keep　hidden；　not　with　Moff　steering　them　around　like　tame　porongs　and　his　equipment　buried　in　some　back　room　somewhere。　And　we　sure　can't　do　anything　ourselves　stuck　out　here。〃
　Justin　eyed　him　suspiciously。　〃Are　you　leading　up　to　the　suggestion　that　someone　take　a　little　midnight　stroll　in　a　day　or　two？〃
　〃I　don't　know　how　else　to　find　out　their　true　threat　potential；〃　Pyre　shrugged。
　〃And　if　we're　caught　at　it？〃
　〃Trouble；　of　course。　Which　is　why　the　operation　would　have　to　be　handled　by　someone　who　knew　what　he　was　doing。〃
　〃In　other　words；　one　of　the　Cobras　or　Decker。　And　since　we're　in　plain　view　and　Decker　is　both　watched　and　unarmed；　not　getting　caught　starts　sounding　a　bit　unlikely。〃
　Pyre　shrugged。　〃At　the　moment；　you're　right。　But　maybe　something　will　change。〃　He　gave　Justin　a　long　look。　〃And　in　that　event　。。　。　you　weren't　supposed　to　know　this；　but　Decker　isn't　unarmed。　He's　carrying　a　breakapart　palm…mate　dart　gun　with　him。〃
　〃He's　what？　Almo；　they　said　no　weapons。　If　they　catch　him　with　that…〃
　〃He'll　be　in　serious　trouble；〃　Pyre　finished　for　him。　〃I　know。　But　Decker　didn't　want　the　party　pletely　helpless；　and　the　gun　did　make　it　through　the　big　inspection　okay。〃
　〃As　far　as　you　know。〃
　〃He's　still　got　it。〃
　Justin　sighed。　〃Great。　I　hope　the　Marines　taught　him　patience　as　well　as　marksmanship。〃
　〃I'm　sure　they　did；〃　Pyre　grunted；　pushing　himself　to　his　feet　with　an　ease　that　was　probably　due　solely　to　his　implanted　servos。　〃I'm　going　to　crash　for　a　few　hours…if　you're　smart　you'll　do　likewise　after　your　exercises。〃
　〃Yeah；〃　Justin　said　with　a　yawn。　〃Before　you　do；　though；　has　the　governor　said　when　she's　going　to　call　Joshua　back　in　for　our　switch？〃
　Pyre　paused　halfway　to　the　door；　a　look　of　chagrin　flicking　across　his　face。　〃Actually　。。。　her　current　plan　is　to　go　ahead　and　leave　Joshua　out　there　for　the　foreseeable　future。〃
　〃What？〃　Justin　stared　at　him。　〃That's　not　what　we　planned。〃
　〃I　know；〃　Pyre　shrugged　helplessly。　〃I　pointed　that　out　to　her…rather　strongly；　in　fact。　But　the　situation　seems　pretty　stable　at　the　moment　and。　。。。〃
　〃And　she　likes　having　Joshua's　visual　transmission　too　much　to　give　it　up。　Is　that　it？〃
　Pyre　sighed。　〃You　can　hardly　blame　her。　She'd　wanted　the　whole　contact　team　implanted　with　those　…　optical　sensors；　I　understand；　and　been　turned　down　on　grounds　of　cost…split…frequency　transmitters　that　small　are　expensive　to　make。　And　now　with　all　our　other　eyes　taken　away；　Joshua's　all　we've　got　left　if　we　want　to　see　what's　going　on。〃　He　held　up　a　hand　soothingly。　〃Look；　I　know　how　you　feel；　but　try　not　to　worry　about　him。　The　Qasamans　are　hardly　going　to　attack　them　now　without　a　good　reason。〃　；　〃I　suppose　you're　right。〃　Justin　thought　for　a　moment；　but　there　didn't　seem　anything　else　to　be　said。　〃Well　。。。　good　night。〃
　〃　〃Night。〃
　Pyre　left；　and　Justin　flexed　his　arms　experimentally。　Thirteen　hours　in　the　couch　had　indeed　left　the　muscles　stiff；　but　he　hardly　noticed　the　twinges　as　his　thoughts　latched　onto　Pyre's　last　ment。　Witk…。　out　a　good　reason　。。。　but　what　would　constitute　such　：；？　a　reason　in　the　Qasamans〃　minds？　An　aggressive　act　；　or　ment　on　Cerenkov's　part？　Discovery　that　the　t　ostensibly　voice…only　radio　link　to　the　ship　also　had　a　》；　split…freq　channel　that　was　carrying　the　visual　im…：　ages　they'd　obviously　tried　to　suppress？　Violent　use　％。；　of　York's　illegal　gun？　：t　Or　perhaps　even　the　outside　reconnaissance　Pyre
　had　clearly　already　decided　on？
　j…。〃　Eyes　on　the　darkened　display；　Justin　settled　into　C　his　exercises；　pushing　his　body　harder　than　he'd　orig…｜　tnally　intended　to。
　
　
　Chapter　9
　
　With　less　need　for　immediate　debarkation…and　more　fort　and　room　aboard　ship　in　which　to　wait…the　Menssana's　passengers　didn't　bother　with　filter　helmets；　but　simply　stayed　inside　until　the　atmospheric　analyzers　confirmed　the　air　of　Planet　Chata　was　indeed　safe　for　human　use。
　Long　tradition　gave　Jonny；　as　senior　official　aboard；　the　honor　of　being　the　first　human　being　to　step　out　on　the　new　world's　surface；　but　Jonny　had　long　since　learned　to　put　discretion　before　pomp；　and　the　honor　was　claimed　by　one　of　the　six　Cobras　who　went　out　to　set　up　a　sensor/defense　perimeter　about　the　ship。　Once　again　the　passengers　waited；　but　when　an　hour　of　Cobra　work　failed　to　entice　any　predators　out　of　the　nearby　woods…or　to　flush　out　anything　obviously　dangerous　within　the　perimeter　itself…Team　Leader　Rey　Banyon　declared　the　Menssana's　immediate　area　to　be　safe　enough　for　the　civilians。
　Jonny　and　Chrys　were　near　the　end　of　the　general　exodus　of　scientists　through　the　Menssana's　main　hatch。　For　Jonny　it　was　a　step　into　his　own　distant　past。　Chata　looked　nothing　at　all　like　Aventine；　really；　certainly　not　after　even　a　cursory　examination　of　plant　life　and　landscape。　Yet　the　simple　fact　of　Chata's　strangeness　relative　to　Aventine's　by…now　familiarity　gave　the　two　experiences　an　identity。　A　new　world；　untouched　by　man…
　〃Brings　back　memories；　doesn't　it？〃　Chrys　murmured　at　his　side。
　Jonny　took　a　deep　breath；　savoring　the　almost　spicy　aromas　wafting　in　along　the　light　breeze。　〃Like　Aventine　when　I　first　arrived；〃　he　said；　shaking　his　head　slowly。　〃A　kid　of　twenty…five；　just　about　overwhelmed　by　the　sheer　scope　of　what　we　were　trying　to　do　there。　I'd　forgotten　how　it　all　felt　。　。　。　forgotten　what　all　of　us　have　really　acplished　in　the　past　forty　years。〃
　〃It'll　be　harder　to　do　it　again；〃　Chrys　said。　Dropping　to　one　knee；　she　gently　fingered　the　mat　of　interlaced　vine…like　plants　that　seemed　to　be　the　local　version　of　grass。　〃Chata　may　only　be　thirty　light…years　from　Aventine；　but　we　don't　have　anything　like　the　Dominion's　transport　capability。　It　hardly　makes　sense　to　spend　our　resources　this　direction　with　so　much　of　Aventine　and　Palatine　still　uninhabited。　Especially…〃　She　broke　off　abruptly。
　〃Especially　when　this　whole　group　is　only　ten　to　fifteen　light…years　from　Qasama？〃　Jonny　finished　for　her。
　She　got　to　her　feet　with　a　sigh；　brushing　bits　of　greenery　off　her　fingers　as　she　did　so。　〃I've　heard　all　the　arguments　about　buffer　zones　and　two…front　wars；〃　she　said；　〃but　I　don't　have　to　like　it。　And　I　keep　ing　back　to　the　fact　that　the　only　reason　we　consider　Qasama　a　threat　is　because　the　Trofts　say　we　should。〃
　The　beep　of　his　phone　preempted　Jonny's　reply。　〃Moreau；〃　he　said；　lifting　the　device　to　his　lips。
　〃Banyon；　Governor；〃　the　Cobra　team　leader's　voice　came。　〃Got　something　off　our　satellite　I　think　you　should　look　at。〃
　Chrys's　presence　beside　him　was　a　silent　reminder　of　his　promise　to　play　passenger　on　this　trip。　〃Can't　you　and　Captain　Shepherd　handle　it？〃　he　said。
　〃Well。。。　I　s