tz.cobra strike-第56章

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…never　reacted　as　if　I　was　armed　until　I　started　shooting。〃
　〃Did　you　ever　see　how　they　reacted　to　a　conventional　weapon；　though？〃　Gwen　asked。
　Pyre　nodded。　〃Outside　the　ship；　the　first　contact。　The　team　had　to　leave　their　lasers　in　the　airlock。〃
　〃And　Decker；〃　Joshua　murmured。
　〃And　Decker；〃　Pyre　acknowledged；　swallowing　with　the　memory　of　York's　sacrifice。　〃In　fact；　I'd　go　so　far　as　to　say　the　mojos　don't　even　sense　the　presence　of　danger；　at　least　not　the　way　you　claim　your　spookie　does。　When　I　climbed　up　a　building　at　the　edge　of　Sollas　that　last　night　I　surprised　both　a　Qasaman　sentry　and　his　mojo。　The　bird　should　at　least　have　been　in　the　air　if　it　felt　me　ing。〃　He　cocked　an　eyebrow　at　Justin。　〃You　notice　anything；　one　way　or　the　other？〃
　The　young　Cobra　shrugged。　〃Only　that　the　group　mind　thing　goes　out　the　window　with　at　least　the　mojos…none　of　them　learned　anything　about　us　no　matter　how　many　of　their　friends　we　slaughtered。〃　He　paused；　and　a　haze　of　emotional　pain　seemed　to　settle　over　his　face。　〃And　。。。　there　may。　be　one　other　thing。〃
　The　others　sensed　it　as　well；　and　a　silence　rich　in　sympathy　descended　on　the　room。　It　took　Justin　a　couple　of　tries　to　get　started；　but　when　he　finally　spoke　his　voice　was　steady　and　flat　with　suppressed　emotion。　〃You've　all　read　my　report；　I　expect。　You　know　I…well；　I　panicked　while　I　was　being　taken　underground　in　Purma。　I　killed　all　the　mojos　and　some　of　the　Qasamans　in　the　elevator；　and　a　few　minutes　later　I　killed　another　group　in　the　hallway　upstairs。　What　。。。　what　some　of　you　don't　know　is　that　I　didn't　just　panic。　I　literally　lost　my　head　when　each　set　of　mojos　attacked。　I　don't　even　remember　fighting　them　off；　just　sort　of　ing　to　with　them　dead　around　me。〃
　He　stopped；　fighting　for　control　。。。　and　it　was　Joshua　who　spotted　the　key　first。　〃It　was　only　when　the　mojos　were　attacking　you？〃　he　asked。　〃The　Qasamans　themselves　didn't　bother　you？〃
　Justin　shook　his　head。　〃Not　to　the　same　extent。　At　least　not　those　in　the　elevator。　The　others　。。。　well；　I　don't　remember　killing　them；　either；　I　guess。　I　don't　know…maybe　I'm　just　rationalizing　for　my　failure。〃
　〃Or　maybe　you're　not；〃　Jonny　said　grimly。　〃Almo；　did　you　experience　anything　like　that　when　you　were　fighting　the　mojos？〃
　Pyre　hesitated；　thinking　back。　He　wished　he　could　admit　to　such　a　thing；　for　the　sake　of　Justin's　self…esteem。　If　the　mojos　actually　had　been　fueling　the　younger　man's　reaction。。。。
　But　he　had　to　shake　his　head。　〃Sorry；　but　I'm　afraid　not；〃　he　told　Jonny。　〃On　the　other　hand；　I　never　faced　mojos　who'd　already　seen　I　was　dangerous；　either。　I　was　always　in　a　position　to　target　and　eliminate　them　in　the　first　salvo。　Perhaps　we　could　talk　to　Michael　Winward；　see　what　he　went　through。〃
　Joshua　was　gazing　into　space。　〃The　cities。　They're　designed　for　the　mojos〃　benefit。　You　suppose　there's　more　significance　to　that　than　we　thought？〃
　Gwen　stirred。　〃I　have　to　admit　I　don't　understand　this　〃designed　city〃　bit；　especially　the　lunacy　of　letting　herds　of　bololins　charge　up　your　streets。　Wouldn't　it　have　been　simpler　to　just　go　out　on　hunting　trips　when　you　wanted　to　let　your　mojo　breed？〃
　〃Or　else　set　up　tarbine　aviaries　in　the　cities；〃　Chrys　suggested。　〃I　would　think　it　harder　to　go　out　and　trap　wild　mojos　than　to　breed　tame　ones；　anyway。〃
　〃That　would　certainly　make　the　most　sense；〃　Pyre　said。
　〃Assuming；〃　Convin　said　quietly；　〃that　the　Qasa…mans　were　the　ones　making　those　decisions。〃
　And　there　it　is；　Pyre　thought。　What　all　the　rest　of　us　are　skating　around；　out　in　the　open　at　last。　He　looked　around　the　circle；　but　superimposed　on　the　view　was　an　unsettling　image：　a　Qasaman　as　marionette；　its　strings　in　the　beak　of　its　mojo。。。。
　It　was　Justin　who　eventually　broke　the　silence。　〃It's　not　as　simple　as　the　mojos　being　able　to　take　control　of　people；〃　he　said。　〃We　had　mojos　all　around　us　that　last　night　and　still　were　able　to　escape。〃
　Pyre　thought　back。　〃Yes；〃　he　agreed　slowly。　〃Both　outside　of　Purma　and　in　Kimmeron's　office　in　Sollas　the　mojos　should　have　been　able　to　influence　me。　If　they　could。〃
　〃Maybe　they　need　a　longer　association　with　a　person；〃　Corwin　said。　〃Or　there's　a　distance　or　stress　factor　that　inhibits　them。〃
　〃You're　talking　degrees　now；〃　Chrys　spoke　up；　her　voice　low。　〃Does　that　mean　we're　all　agreed　that　somehow；　on　some　level；　the　mojos　are　influencing　events　on　Qasama？〃
　There　was　a　brief　silence；　and；　one　by　one；　they　nodded。　〃The　cities；〃　Joshua　said。　〃That's　the　key　indicator。　They've　gone　to　enormous　trouble　to　duplicate　the　mojos〃　natural　breeding　patterns；　even　when　simpler　ways　exist。　Funny　none　of　us　picked　up　on　that　before。〃
　〃Maybe　not；〃　Pyre　told　him　grimly。　〃Maybe　the　mojos　were　able　to　dampen　our　curiosity　that　much；　at　least。〃
　〃Or　maybe　not；〃　Joshua　retorted。　〃Let's　not　start　giving　these　birds　too　many　superhuman　abilities；　all　right？　They're　not　even　intelligent；　remember。　I　think　we　humans　are　all　perfectly　capable　of　missing　the　obvious　without　any　outside　help。〃
　The　discussion　went　back　and　forth　for　a　while　before　turning　to　others　matters　。。。　and　so　engrossed　did　they　all　bee　that　Pyre　alone　noticed　Justin's　quiet　departure。
　The　desk　in　his　temporary　Cobra　Academy　room　was　small　and　several　centimeters　shorter　than　he　liked；　but　it　was　equipped　with　a　puter　terminal；　and　that　was　all　Justin　really　cared　about。　He'd　just　punched　in　a　new　search　mand　and　was　waiting　for　the　results　when　there　was　a　tap　at　the　door。　〃e　in；〃　he　said　absently。　Probably　someone　here　to　plain　about　his　late　hours　again…
　〃No　one　ever　tell　you　it　was　impolite　to　leave　without　saying　good…bye？〃
　Justin　spun　his　chair　around；　surprise　and　chagrin　flooding　his　face　with　heat。　〃Oh　。。。　hi；　Aunt　Gwen；〃　he　managed　to　say　without　stuttering。　〃Uh…well；　you　were　all　busy　discussing　the　mojos；　and　I　had　work　to　do　here。。。。〃
　He　trailed　off　under　her　steady；　no…nonsense　gaze；　the　look　that　since　childhood　had　been　more　effective　on　him　than　any　amount　of　brimstone　or　lecture。　〃Vh…huh；〃　she　said。　〃Well；　it's　too　bad　you　took　off　when　you　did。　You　missed　my　report。〃
　〃The　one　on　the　Qasaman　strategic　material　situation？〃
　〃That's　the　one。　And　the　surprise　bonus：　the　Qasa…mans〃　long…range　munication　method。〃
　Justin　blinked；　his　heartbeat　speeding　up。　〃You've　figured　it　out？　Well；　e　on…how　do　they　do　it？〃
　〃I'll　trade　you；〃　she　said；　waving　at　the　desk　and　its　scattering　of　papers　and　maps。　〃You　tell　me　your　secret　first。〃
　He　felt　his　mouth　twist　into　a　grimace　。。。　but　he'd　have　to　tell　someone　soon；　anyway。　Aunt　Gwen　he　could　at　least　hope　to　be　sympathetic。　〃All　right；〃　he　sighed。　〃I'm　trying　to　work　up　a　tactical　plan　for　the　next　intelligence　raid　on　Qasama。〃
　Gwen's　eyes　remained　steady　on　his。　〃What　makes　you　think　there'll　be　another　mission？〃
　〃There　has　to　be；〃　he　said。　〃The　first　mission　ended　with　too　many　critical　facts　still　unknown。　Those　underground　manufacturing　centers；　at　the　very　least；　and　if　Dad's　right　the　mojos　as　well。〃
　〃Uh…huh。　I　presume　you　plan　on　leading　this　expedition？〃
　Justin's　lip　quirked。　〃Of　course　not。。。　but　I　wilt　be　one　of　the　team。〃
　〃Um。〃　Gwen　glanced　around　the　room；　snared　a　chair　from　beside　the　door　and　pulled　it　over　to　face　her　nephew's。　〃You　know；　Justin；〃　she　said；　sitting　down；　〃if　I　didn't　know　better；　I'd　think　you　were　running　away　from　something。〃
　He　snorted。　〃Heading　to　Qasama　hardly　qualifies　as　running　away；　in　my　opinion。〃
　〃Depends　on　what　you　have　here　to　face。　Staying　put　when　you　feel　real　or　imagined　public　animosity　isn't　easy。　But　sometimes　any　other　option　is　the　coward's　way　out。〃
　Justin　took　a　deep　breath。　〃Aunt　Gwen　。。。　you　can't　possibly　know　what　this　situation　is　like。　I　failed　on　Qasama…pure　and　simple…and　it's　my　job　now　to　make　up　for　it　if　I　can。〃
　〃You're　not　listening。　Failure　or　not　isn't　the　issue。　Rushing　ahead　with　a　premature　course　of　action　qualifies　as　running　away；　period。　And　yes；　I　do　know　what　you're　facing。　When　your　father　came　back　from　the　war　he…〃　She　stopped；　lips　pressed；　then　quietly　continued。　〃There　was　an　accident　in　town　one　night；　and　he　。。。　killed　a　couple　of　teen…agers。〃
　Justin　felt　his　mouth　go　dry。　〃I've　never　heard　this；〃　he　sa