tz.cobra strike-第49章

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uction；　Winward　didn't　bother　〃　to　let　him　finish。　〃Almo？〃　he　called。　〃Listen…remember　the　idea　someone　had　that　a　lot　of　the　Qasaman　industry　was　underground？　I　think　this　tower　is　an　entrance　to　the　place。　Shall　I　go　out　and　get　Dorjay　and　head　down　to　take　a　look？〃
　He　waited；　heart　pounding；　hoping　Pyre　would　know　how　to　use　the　opening　he'd　just　given　him。　Winward　had　a　dim　idea；　but　his　mind　was　beginning　to　fog　over；　and　he　knew　instinctively　he　couldn't　trust　it　to　follow　any　straight　logical　lines。　He　hoped　Pyre　was　in　better　shape。
　〃You　seem　upset；　Mr。　Mayor；〃　Pyre's　voice　came　through　the　fog。　〃May　I　assume　your　underground　facilities　are　something　you'd　rather　we　not　see？〃　There　was　no　response；　and　after　a　moment　Pyre　went　on；　〃We　can　get　down　there；　you　know。　You've　seen　what　we　can　do；　and　how　little　effect　your　guns　have　on　us。　With　our　ship　free　and　clear；　we　can　go　down　the　tower；　take　a　good　look；　and　still　get　off　Qasama　alive。〃
　〃We　will　kill　you　all；〃　Kimmeron　said。
　〃You　know　better　than　that。　So　I'll　offer　you　a　deal：　release　all　our　people　unharmed　and　we'll　leave　without　seeing　what　you've　got　down　there。〃
　Kimmeron's　laugh　was　a　harsh　bark。　〃You　seek　to　trade　something　for　a　lack　of　something。　Even　if　I　wanted　to　agree；　how　could　I　persuade　others　to　do　so？〃
　〃You　explain　that　we　take　home　details　of　city　and　village　life；　or　we　take　home　every　secret　you've　got；〃　Pyre　told　him　coldly。　〃And　your　time　is　running　out。　Winward　will　start　down　the　tower　in　three　minutes；　and　I　can't　guarantee　Link　won't　find　his　way　underground　even　sooner。〃
　It　took　the　mil　three　minutes　and　a　little　more；　but　in　the　end　Kimmeron　agreed。
　
　
　Chapter　22
　
　It　took　another　fifteen　minutes　for　Kimmeron　to　get　the　agreement　of　the　Purma　officials　who　were　holding　Cerenkov　and　Rynstadt。　The　radio　jamming　wasn't　lifted　for　five　minutes　longer；　but　Pyre　had　already　been　allowed　to　send　Link　a　message　via　the　tower's　outside　speakers；　warning　the　other　Cobra　to　lie　low　and　hold　off　on　any　attack。　Telek；　when　Pyre　was　finally　allowed　through　to　her；　agreed　to　the　arrangement　and　directed　Link　to　wait　in　the　tower　with　Winward　until　Pyre　made　it　back。　Then；　with　Kimmeron　his　reluctant　panion；　Pyre　got　into　a　car　and　headed　down　the　broad　avenues　toward　the　airfield　。　。　。　and　waited　with　lasers　ready　for　the　inevitable　ambush。
　It　didn't　e。　The　car　passed　through　several　sets　of　sentries；　none　of　whom　even　raised　a　weapon；　passed　beneath　tall　buildings　without　so　much　as　a　brick　being　thrown；　passed　even　among　the　grim　mass　of　Qasamans　at　the　base　of　the　airfield　tower。　Nothing。　They　pulled　up　to　the　Dewdrop's　main　hatch；　and　Pyre　waited　with　Kimmeron　close　beside　him　until　Winward　and　Link　returned。
　The　two　Cobras　entered　the　ship；　and　Pyre　turned　to　Kimmeron。　〃We've　pleted　our　part　of　the　deal；〃　he　said；　putting　as　much　quiet　steel　as　he　could　into　the　words。　〃You've　done　half　of　yours。　I　trust　you　won't　be　tempted　to　back　out。〃
　〃Your　two　panions　will　be　waiting　when　you　land　at　Purma；〃　Kimmeron　said　coldly。
　〃Good。　Now　take　the　car　and　get　clear　before　we　lift。〃　Pyre　stepped　into　the　hatchway；　and　the　airlock　door　closed。
　The　inner　door　slid　open；　and　in　that　same　moment　the　Dewdrop　lurched　slightly　and　they　were　airborne。
　Link　was　waiting　as　Pyre　stepped　into　the　ready　room。　〃Looks　like　we　might　actually　pull　this　off；〃　the　younger　Cobra　said　quietly。
　〃Heavy　emphasis　on　the　might；〃　Pyre　nodded。　〃How's　Michael？　He　looked　in　pretty　bad　shape　when　you　passed　me　out　there。〃
　〃I　don't　know…the　governor's　looking　at　him　now。　Probably　in　better　shape　than　Decker。〃
　〃Yes；　what　happened　to　him？　I　saw　him　carried　away　from　the　bus　on　a　stretcher；　but　I　couldn't　tell　anything　more。〃
　Link's　lip　twitched　in　a　grimace。　〃He　tried　to　break　the　contact　team　out　of　the　bus　at　the　beginning　of　all　this。　The　mojos　flayed　his　arm；　practically　down　to　the　bone。〃
　Pyre　felt　his　neck　muscles　tighten。　〃Oh；　God。　Is　he…？〃
　〃Too　soon　to　tell　anything；　except　that　he'll　probably　live。〃　Link　Hcked　his　lips。　〃Listen　。。。　did　Kimmeron　say　anything　about　Justin？　He　switched　with　Joshua　when　they　brought　Decker　in　and　was　taken　off　toward　Purma。〃
　For　the　unprovoked　deaths　in　Purma；　Kimmeron　had　said；　sentencing　the　Dewdrop　to　death。　Justin's　work？　Undoubtedly。　But　Kimmeron　hadn't　mentioned　him　in　negotiating　the　other　prisoners〃　release。　Was　he；　then；　free　somewhere　out　in　the　Qasaman　night？
　Or　was　he　dead？
　〃Kimmeron　didn't　say；〃　he　told　Link　slowly。　It　had　happened；　his　mind　told　him　vaguely；　the　danger　to　Justin　he'd　worried　about　all　the　way　back　at　the　beginning　of　this　mission。　〃Well。　First　things　first；　I　suppose。　We'll　land　at　Purma；　get　Yuri　and　Marck　safely　aboard　。。　。　and　then　try　to　find　out　what　we　can　about　him。〃
　〃Yeah。〃　Link　searched　his　face　another　moment；　then　nodded。　〃Yeah。　e　on；　let's　get　back　to　the　lounge；　find　out　what's　happening。〃
　〃Sure。〃　Back　to　the　lounge；　where　Joshua　would　be　waiting。　。　。　。　But　Pyre　wouldn't　have　to　tell　him　his　brother　might　be　dead。　Not　yet；　anyway。
　Strapped　tightly　into　the　highly　unfortable　interrogation　chair；　Rynstadt　stared　at　the　door　through　which　his　questioners　had　left；　trying　to　keep　his　expression　neutral　for　the　cameras　he　could　see　focused　on　him。
　It　wasn't　an　easy　task。　The　questioning　had　been　loud　and　brutal；　and　it'd　been　a　relief　when　the　four　Qasamans　abruptly　switched　off　the　painful　strobe　lights　and　left　the　room。　But　as　the　minutes　had　dragged　on　and　he'd　had　time　to　pull　himself　together；　their　continued　absence　began　to　seem　increasingly　ominous。　What　were　they　preparing　for　him　that　took　a　half　hour　to　set　up？　Shock　treatments？　Sonics？　Maybe　even　something　as　crude…and　horrible…as　slow　dismemberment？　His　stomach　churned　at　the　thought。　Death…fast　death…he'd　been　willing　to　risk　for　the　opportunity　of　ing　to　Qasama。　Slow　torture　was　something　else　entirely　。。。　and　he　knew　far　more　about　Aventinian　technology　than　he　really　wanted　to　tell　them。
　Without　warning　the　door　swung　open；　causing　Rynstadt　to　jerk　against　his　restraints。　Two　of　the　four　interrogators　entered　and　stepped　over　to　him。　For　a　moment　they　stared　down　at　him；　Rynstadt　forcing　himself　to　return　their　gaze。　Then；　still　wordlessly；　they　bent　down　and　began　unstrapping　him。　Here　it　es；　Rynstadt　thought；　steeling　himself。　The　torture　chamber　had　been　readied；　and　he　was　about　to　find　out　what　they'd　e　up　with。
　The　Qasamans　finished　their　task；　but　even　as　Rynstadt　uncramped　his　legs　and　got　them　under　him　the　men　turned　and　left。　The　door　banged　shut；　and　he　was　left　standing　there；　alone。
　It　made　no　sense　to　his　befuddled　mind；　but　they　didn't　give　him　time　to　wonder。　〃Rynstadt/〃　a　hidden　speaker　boomed；　〃your　panions　have　bargained　for　your　release。　You　will　be　allowed　to　eat　and　drink　and　then　be　taken　to　city's　edge。〃
　The　speaker　went　off　with　a　loud　click；　and　simultaneously　a　slot　in　the　base　of　the　door　opened　and　a　steaming　tray　was　pushed　through。
　None　of　this　made　any　sense；　either。　What　did　the　Dewdrop　have　to　bargain　with　that　the　Qasamans　would　consider　worth　Rynstadt's　life？　But　at　the　sight　of　the　food；　one　clear　thought　cut　through　the　confusion　in　his　mind。
　Poison。
　The　stew　and　hot　berry　juice　were　poisoned　。。。　and　he　would　soon　tell　them　anything　they　wanted　to　know　in　exchange　for　the　antidote。　Or　else　he　really　was　being　released；　in　which　case　he'd　be　dead　before　the　Dewdrop　cleared　the　system；　in　a　final　act　of　Qasaman　vengeance。
　His　stomach　rumbled；　reminding　him　he　hadn't　eaten　since　lunch　in　Huriseem；　a　medium…sized　eternity　ago　。。。　and　on　closer　examination；　poisoning　him　did　seem　a　little　melodramatic。
　Again　his　stomach　growled。　Suppose　he　simply　refused　to　eat？　If　the　food　was　indeed　safe；　probably　nothing；　except　that　he'd　go　hungry。　If　it　was　poisoned　。。。　presumably　they'd　e　and　hypospray　the　stuff　into　him。
　Walking　over　to　the　tray；　he　picked　it　up　and　sniffed　cautiously　at　the　bowl　and　mug。　He'd　had　the　stew　and　juice　several　times　before　during　the　contact　team's　tour；　and　both　smelled　just　the　way　he　remembered。　For　a　long　moment　he　was　tempted　。。。　but　if　there　was　really　a　chance　for　freedom；　he