tz.cobra strike-第3章

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　If　the　alien　didn't；　the　Council　certainly　did。　For　the　better　part　of　a　minute　the　room　was　silent　as　an　isolation　tank　as　each　member　apparently　tried　to　track　through　the　tangle　of　implications。　Finally；　Stiggur　cleared　his　throat。　〃While　we　of　course　have　no　intention　of　replying　to　this　offer　today；　or　even　to　fully　discuss　its　relative　merits；　I　would　nevertheless　appreciate　hearing　whatever　initial　reactions　you　might　have。〃
　〃I；　for　one；　would　like　a　little　more　information　before　we　listen　to　any　hard…wired…reflex　ments；〃　Governor　Lizabet　Telek　said。　Her　perennially　gravelly　voice　gave　no　clue　to　her　own　reaction。　〃Something　about　these　new　aliens　would　be　nice　for　starters…bio　specs；　tech　level；　specifics　of　their　alleged　threat；　that　sort　of　thing。〃
　Stiggur　shook　his　head。　〃Speaker　One　either　doesn't　have　any　more　data　or　won't　give　it　away　free…I've　already　pressed　him　on　that。　I　suspect　the　former；　personally；　there's　no　particular　need　for　the　Tlos　demesne　to　buy　what　would　be　little　more　than　abstract　knowledge　to　them。　Same　goes　for　information　on　these　five　alleged　worlds　the　Pua　demesne's　offering；　before　anyone　asks。〃
　〃In　other　words；　we're　being　asked　to　sign　an　essentially　blank　agreement？〃　one　of　the　newer　syndics　asked。
　〃Not　really。〃　Governor　Jor　Hemner　shook　his　head；　the　movement　looking　risky　on　one　so　frail。　〃There　are　lots　of　intermediate　possibilities；　including　buying　the　Baliu's　data　or　sending　our　own　survey　team　out　to　take　a　look。　Standard　Troft　trade　procedure　assumes　we'll　e　up　with　these　suggestions　ourselves。　What　I'm　worried　about　is　whether　setting　a　precedent　of　this　kind　is　a　good　idea。〃
　〃Why　not？〃　someone　else　spoke　up　from　Corwin's　side　of　the　room。　〃It's　the　fear　of　the　Cobras　that　keeps　the　Trofts　friendly；　isn't　it？　How　better　to　show　them　that　kind　of　caution　is　good　policy？〃
　〃And　if　we　lose？〃　Hemner　asked　stiffly。
　〃The　Cobras　haven't　lost　anything　yet。〃
　Corwin　glanced　at　Governor　Howie　Vartanson　of　Caelian；　wondering　if　he'd　ment。　But　the　other　merely　curled　his　lip　slightly　and　kept　silent。　Politicans　from　Caelian　tended　to　adopt　that　low…profile　position　when　they　came　to　Aventine；　Corwin　had　noticed；　but　the　point；　he　felt；　ought　to　be　made。　Subtly；　if　possible。。。。　〃I'd　like　to　point　out；〃　he　spoke　up；　〃that　one　or　more　new　planets　would　enable　us　to　solve　the　problem　of　Caelian　without　depriving　the　19；000　people　there　of　the　right　to　their　〃own〃　world。〃
　〃Only　if　they'd　be　willing　to　leave；〃　Stiggur　said；
　but　the　mention　of　Caelian；　as　Cowrin　had　planned；　seemed　to　bring　the　members〃　thoughts　to　the　current　stalemate　between　the　Cobras　and　that　strange　world's　hostile　ecology。　〃Fluid　genetic　adaptation；〃　the　official　reports　elegantly　called；　it。　The　Caelians〃　own　term　was　considerably　cruder：　Hell's　Blender。　Every　species　on　the　planet；　from　the　simplest　lichen　to　the　largest　predator；　seemed　mindlessly　determined　to　hold　onto　his　ecological　and　territorial　niche　against　all　efforts　to　dislodge　it。　Clear　some　land　and　soak　it　with　vegebarrier；　and　within　days　there　would　be　a　dozen　new　plant　variants　attempting　to　reclaim　it。　Build　a　house　where　a　thicket　had　been；　and　before　long　the　local　fungi　would　be　growing　on　the　walls。　Create　a　city；　or　even　a　small　town；　and　the　displaced　animals　would　find　their　way　in　somehow　。。。　and　not　only　the　small　ones。　A　world　under　perpetual　siege；　Corwin　had　once　heard　Jonny　call　it。　Only　the　Caelians　themselves　knew　how…or　why…they　put　up　with　it。
　For　another　long　moment　the　room　was　again　silent。　Stiggur　looked　around；　nodded　at　what　he　saw。　〃Well。　I　think　we　can　safely　agree　with　Governor　Telek　that　considerably　more　information　is　needed　before　we　can　even　consider　acting。　For　the　moment；　then；　you're　to　keep　this　proposal　a　secret　from　the　general　populace　while　you　work　out　the　various　pros　and　cons　for　yourselves。　Now；　then…one　final　item　and　we'll　be　adjourned。　I　have　a　list　of　Cobra　applicants　awaiting　final　Council　approval。〃　The　twelve　names…an　unusually　high　number…appeared　on　Corwin's　screen；　along　with　their　home　towns　and　districts。　All　the　names　were　familiar　ones；　the　Cobra　Academy　screeners　had　sent　in　their　test　results　nearly　a　month　ago。　Justin　Moreau　was　the　seventh　one　listed。
　〃Do　I　hear　any　votes　against　these　citizens　being　Cobras；　either　individually　or　as　a　group？〃　Stiggur　asked　the　standard　question。　A　couple　of　nearby　heads　turned　in　Corwin's　direction；　clamping　his　jaw　tightly；　he　kept　his　eyes　on　the　governor…general　and　his　hands　in　his　lap。　〃No？　Then　this　Council　affirms　the　decision　of　the　Cobra　Academy　officials；　and　hereby　directs　them　to　begin　the　irreversible　stages　of　the　Cobra　process。〃　Stiggur　pushed　a　button　and　the　room's　screens　blanked。　〃This　Council　session　is　adjourned。〃
　Irreversible　stages。　Corwin　had　heard　those　words　at　least　twenty　times　before　at　these　meetings；　but　somehow　they'd　never　sounded　so　final。　But　then；　he'd　never　heard　them　applied　to　his　own　younger　brother　before；　either。
　Justin　Moreau　let　the　car　roll　to　a　stop　in　front　of　the　house；　feeling　the　tension　in　his　shoulders　translate　along　his　arms　to　a　brief　white…knuckled　squeeze　on　the　wheel。　The　word　had　e　by　phone　only　an　hour　ago　that　the　Council　had　given　final　approval　to　his　application。　Tomorrow　the　surgery　would　begin　that　would　finally　and　firmly　set　him　down　in　his　father's　footsteps　。。。　but　tonight　he　would　have　to　face　his　mother's　pain。
　〃You　ready？〃　Joshua　asked　from　the　seat　next　to　him。
　〃As　ready　as　I'll　ever　be。〃　Opening　the　door；　Justin　got　out　and　headed　toward　the　house；　his　brother　falling　into　step　beside　him。
　Corwin　answered　Joshua's　knock；　and　despite　his　tension　Justin　found　himself　enjoying　the　inevitable　half…second　it　took　their　older　brother　to　figure　out　which　was　which。　Even　among　identical　twins　Joshua　and　Justin　were　unusually　hard　to　tell　apart；　a　fact　that　had　caused　untold　confusion　throughout　their　lives。　Family　and　close　friends　were　generally　able　to　manage　the　trick；　but　even　with　them　a　secret　swap　of　tunics　could　sometimes　go　undetected　for　hours。　They'd　pulled　such　stunts　innumerable　times　when　they　were　younger；　a　game　they'd　given　up　only　after　their　father　threatened　to　color…code　them　with　liberal　applications　of　paint。
　〃Joshua；　Justin；〃　Corwin　nodded；　looking　at　each　in　turn　as　if　to　prove　he'd　gotten　them　straight。　〃Abandon　all　hope　of　light　conversation；　you　who　enter　here。　The　Moreau　War　Council　is　in　session　tonight。〃
　Oh；　great；　Justin　groaned　inwardly。　But　Corwin　had　stepped　aside；　and　Joshua　was　already　heading　in；　and　it　was　too　late　to　back　out　now。　Squaring　his　shoulders；　Justin　followed。
　His　parents　were　already　seated　together　on　the　living　room　couch；　and　from　long　habit　Justin　gave　his　father　a　quick　once…over。　A　little　weaker…looking；　perhaps；　than　the　last　time　he'd　seen　him；　but　not　much。　Of　more　significance　was　the　slight　flicker　of　pain　that　crossed　Jonny's　eyes　as　he　gave　the　twins　an　abbreviated　wave　in　greeting。　The　pain　pills　for　his　arthritis　really　didn't　affect　his　mental　facilities　all　that　much；　if　he'd　opted　to　do　without　them　there　was　some　high…powered　thought　going　on　in　here　indeed。　A　glance　at　his　mother's　grim　face　confirmed　it；　and　for　a　long　minute　Justin　wondered　if　he'd　drastically　underestimated　the　level　of　family　opposition　to　his　Cobra　ambitions。
　But　that　assumption　didn't　last　long。　〃Dinner'll　be　ready　in　about　half　an　hour；〃　Jonny　told　the　twins　as　they　chose　chairs　and　sat　down。　〃Until　then；　I　want　to　feel　you　out　on　a　proposal　Stiggur　dropped　on　the　Council　session　today。　Corwin？〃
　Corwin　took　a　seat　where　he　could　see　all　the　others〃　faces。　〃This　is　all　to　be　kept　secret；　of　course；〃　he　said　。。。　and　then　launched　into　the　damnedest　story　Justin　had　ever　heard。
　Jonny　let　a　few　seconds　pass　after　his　eldest　had　finished　and　then　cocked　an　eyebrow　at　the　twins。　〃Well？　Reactions？〃
　〃I　don't　trust　them；〃　Joshua　said　promptly。　〃Especially　the　Tlos　demesne。　Why　shoud　they　offer　their　set…up　services　for　nothing？〃
　〃That　much　is　obvious；〃　Jonny　told　him。　〃　i　？　。is　what's　known　as　a　free　sample…and　running　both　ways。　If　we　take　the　job　and　the　Baliu　demesne　likes　our　work；　th