tz.cobra strike-第54章

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five　light…years　away；　remember…it'll　take　them　years　to　find　us；　even　if　they're　specifically　looking。　Long　before　that　they'll　run　into　the　Trofts；　and　whether　they　begin　trade　or　warfare　they'll　be　tied　up　with　them　for　generations。　By　then　they'll　have　forgotten　this　little　fiasco　and　we'll　be　able　to　start　fresh　with　our　brother　humans　as　if　this　had　never　happened。〃
　〃A　nice　speech；　Jor；〃　Telek　said　tartly；　〃but　you're　missing　a　few　rather　vital　points。　One：　What　if　they　hit　Chata　and　the　other　worlds　out　there　before　they　find　the　Trofts？〃
　〃What　of　it？〃　Hemner　replied。　〃If　we　quit　the　job　now　our　people　won't　be　out　there；　anyway。〃
　Telek's　lip　might　have　twitched；　but　her　voice　was　even　enough　as　she　continued。　〃Second　is　your　assumption　the　Qasamans　will　forget　us。　Wrong。　They'll　remember；　all　right；　and　whether　it's　a　year　or　a　century　they'll　brace　for　war　the　minute　they　run　into　us　again。　You　may　not　believe　that；〃　she　added；　glancing　around　the　table；　〃but　it's　true。　/　was　there；　/　saw　and　heard　the　way　they　talk。　You　wait　until　Hersh　Nnamdi's　final　report　is　in；　see　if　he　doesn't　agree　with　me　on　that。　And　third：　We　let　them　get　off　Qasama　and　we're　in　for　a　long　and　very　bloody　war　indeed。　Our　current　technological　edge　is　meaningless　with　brain…boosters　in　the　picture…a　few　months　or　years　of　warfare　and　they'll　be　at　our　level；　whatever　it　is　at　the　time。　And　if　you　think　they're　decentralized　now　wait'll　they're　dug　in　on　Kubha　and　Tacta　and　God　knows　where　else。〃
　〃Your　points　are　certainly　valid；〃　Stiggur　said　as　Telek　paused。　〃But　all　your　tactical　arguments　miss　the　one　big　emotional　stumbling　block　we're　going　to　face　here。　Namely；　are　the　Cobra　Worlds　really　going　to　fight　as　Troft　mercenaries　against　other　human　beings？〃
　〃That's　a　rather　inflammatory　way　of　putting　it；〃　Vartanson　accused。
　〃Of　course　it　is。　But　it's　the　way　that　side　of　the　issue　is　going　to　present　their　case。　And　in　all　honesty；　I　have　to　admit　it's　a　valid　point。　We　started　this　whole　affair　worrying　about　looking　weak　in　the　Trofts〃　eyes；　if　you'll　recall；　and　a　world's　ethics　are　certainly　part　of　its　total　strength。　Besides；　wouldn't　we　actually　be　adding　to　our　position　to　have　other　human　allies　on　the　Troft　border？〃
　〃You're　ignoring　history；　Brom；〃　Jonny　put　in　quietly。　〃Having　two　human　groups　on　their　borders　is　precisely　what　got　the　Troft　demesnes　worried　enough　to　jointly　prepare　for　war　fourteen　years　ago。〃
　Fairleigh　snorted。　〃There's　a　good…sized　difference　between　the　Dominion　of　Man　and　Qasama　as　far　as　border　threats　go。〃
　〃Only　in　magnitude。　And　remember　that　Trofts　don't　go　in　for　mass　destruction　from　starships。　They　make　war　by　going　in　and　physically　occupying　territory　。。。　and　Qasama　would　not　be　a　fun　place　to　go　in　and　occupy。〃
　〃Agreed；〃　Telek　murmured　with　a　slight　shudder。
　〃Or　in　other　words/〃　Hemner　said；　〃the　Trofts　can't　bring　themselves　to　slaughter；　so　they're　hiring　us　to　do　it　for　them。〃
　Several　voices　tried　to　answer；　Vartanson's　was　the　one　that　got　through；　〃forget　the　Trofts　for　a　minute…just　forget　them。　We're　talking　about　a　threat　to　MS；　damn　it。　Lizabet　is　right…we've　got　to　deal　with　them；　and　we've　got　to　deal　with　them　now。〃
　For　a　long　moment　the　small　room　was　quiet。　Jonny　glanced　at　Hemner；　but　the　old　man　was　staring　down　at　his　hands；　clenched　together　on　the　table。　Stiggur　eventually　broke　the　silence。　〃I　think　we've　done　about　as　much　as　we　can　with　the　data　at　hand；〃　he　said；　looking　at　each　of　the　others　in　slow；　measured　turn。　〃The　final　geological；　biological；　and　sociological　studies　are　due　in　ten　days；　we'll　meet　then…prior　to　a　hill　Council　meeting…and　try　to　e　to　a　decision。〃　Reaching　to　the　side　of　his　display；　he　shut　off　the　sealed　recorder。　〃This　meeting　is　adjourned。〃
　
　
　Chapter　25
　
　Stiggur's　prediction　of　the　opposition's　tactical　methods　took　only　a　few　days　to　be　borne　out；　and　as　he　had　when　the　Qasaman　story　first　broke　weeks　earlier；　Corwin　abruptly　found　himself　in　the　middle　of　the　whole　public　debate。
　But　with　a　difference。　Before；　Qasama　had　been　seen　as　little　more　than　a　mathematical　equation：　an　abstract　challenge　on　one　hand；　with　the　very　concrete　hope　of　more　than　doubling　the　Cobra　Worlds〃　land　holdings　on　the　other。　Now　the　fortable　fog　was　gone。　As　details　of　Qasama's　people　and　dangers　were　released；　a　growing　emotional　fire　began　to　simmer　within　even　the　most　logical　and　rational　arguments；　both　pro　and　anti。　Most　of　the　antis　Corwin　talked　to　were　only　marginally　mollified　by　the　assurance　that　Jonny　was　also　against　a　massive　war　with　other　humans；　their　attitude　usually　being　that　he　should　be　doing　more　to　bring　the　Council　over　to　that　point　of　view。　The　pros　tended　simply　to　ignore　such　sticky　ethical　questions　while　claiming　that　the　Cobra　Worlds〃　own　safety　should　be　Jenny's　first　priority。　It　made　for　a　verbal　no…win　situation；　and　within　three　days　Corwin　was　heartily　sick　of　it。
　But　it　wasn't　until　he　got　a　call　from　Joshua　that　he　realized　just　how　much　the　phone　and　public　information　net　had　again　taken　over　his　life。
　〃Have　you　had　a　chance　to　see　Justin　lately？〃　Joshua　asked　after　the　amenities　were　out　of　the　way。
　〃Not　since　the　evening　after　your　debriefing。〃　Corwin　winced　at　that　sudden　revelation。　Four　days；　it　had　been　now；　without　talking　to　anyone　in　his　family　except　his　father。　He　wasn't　used　to　getting　so　far　out　of　touch。　〃I　haven't　had　much　time　lately。〃
　〃Well；　I　think　you'd　better　find　the　time　for　this。　Soon。〃
　Corwin　frowned。　〃Why？　Something　wrong？〃
　Joshua's　phone　screen　image　hesitated；　shook　its　head　minutely。　〃I　don't　know。　It's　nothing　I　can　put　my　finger　on；　but　。　。　。　well；　he　hasn't　e　back　from　the　Academy　yet；　you　know。〃
　Corwin　didn't。　〃Medical　observation？〃
　〃No；　but　he's　spending　almost　all　his　time　alone　in　the　room　they've　given　him　out　there。　And　he's　doing　a　lot　of　puter　library　searches。〃
　Corwin　thought　back　to　Justin's　report；　which　he'd　hurriedly　skimmed　and　filed　away　two　days　ago。　His　brother　had　gone　through　hell's　own　porch　out　there　。。。　〃Maybe　he's　just　killing　time　while　the　emotional　wounds　heal　over　a　bit；〃　he　suggested。　But　even　as　he　said　them　the　words　rang　false　in　his　ears。　Justin　simply　wasn't　the　type　to　lick　his　wounds　in　private。
　Joshua　might　have　been　reading　his　mind。　〃Then　those　wounds　must　be　a　lot　deeper　than　he's　letting　on；　because　he's　never　holed　up　like　this　before。　And　the　library　search　stuff　bothers　me；　too。　Any　way　for　you　to　get　a　list　of　what　he's　been　researching？〃
　〃Possibly。〃　Corwin　scratched　his　cheek。　〃Well　。。。　did　you　remind　him　we're　having　a　Moreau　Family　war　council　this　evening？〃
　〃Yes；〃　the　other　nodded。　〃He　said　he'd　try　to　make　it。〃
　〃Okay；〃　Corwin　said　slowly。　〃Okay。　I　haven't　talked　to　you；　so　of　course　I　don't　know　he's　been　reminded。　I'll　call　him　up　like　a　good　big　brother　should；　and　while　I'm　at　it　I'll　see　what　else　I　can　get　out　of　him。　All　right？〃
　〃Fine。　Thanks；　Corwin…this　has　been　driving　me　just　barely　south　of　frantic。〃
　〃No　problem。　See　you　tonight。〃
　Joshua　disappeared　from　the　screen。　Scowling；　Corwin　punched　up　the　Cobra　Academy　and　asked　for　Justin。　A　moment　later　his　brother's　face　came　on。　〃Hello？…oh；　hi；　Corwin。　What　can　I　do　for　you？〃
　It　took　Corwin　a　second　to　find　his　tongue。　Seldom　if　ever　had　he　known　Justin　to　be　so　coolly　polite；　so…the　term　businesslike　leapt　to　mind。　〃Uh；　I　was　just　calling　to　see　if　you'd　be　ing　to　the　family　round　table　tonight；〃　he　said　at　last。　〃I　presume　Dad　told　you　about　it？〃
　〃Yes；　a　couple…days　ago；　and　Joshua　again　today。　I　understand　Aunt　Gwen's　going　to　be　there　too。〃
　Nuts；　Corwin　thought　with　a　mental　grimace。　He'd　been　planning　to　drop　that　tidbit　on　Justin　himself　as　a　surprise　bonus　incentive　to　attend。　Aunt　Gwen…　Jonny's　younger　sister…had　been　Justin's　favorite　relative　since　childhood；　but　her　visits　had　been　few　and　far　between　since　her　move　to　Palatine　six　years　earlier。　〃That's　right；〃　he　told　Justin。　〃She's　one　of　the　geologists　working　on　the　Qasama　data。〃
　Justin's　lip　might　have　twitched　at　the　name　Qasama；　Corwin　wasn't　sure。　〃Yes；　Dad　mentioned　that。　Well；　as　I　told　Joshua；　I'll　try　to　mak