tz.cobra strike-第57章

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　。。。　killed　a　couple　of　teen…agers。〃
　Justin　felt　his　mouth　go　dry。　〃I've　never　heard　this；〃　he　said　carefully。
　〃It's　nothing　we're　anxious　to　talk　about；〃　she　sighed。　〃Basically；　the　kids　pretended　they　were　going　to　run　him　over　with　their　car　and　his　Cobra　reflexes　countered　in　a　way　that　wound　up　indirectly　killing　them。　But　the　details　don't　matter。　He　wanted　to　run　away　afterwards…had　a　whole　bunch　of　off…world　university　applications　filled　out　and　ready　to　go。　But　he　stayed。　He　stayed；　and　along　with　helping　the　rest　of　us　cope　with　the　ostracism；　he　just　happened　incidentally　to　save　a　few　men　from　a　fire。〃
　〃So　he　stayed　。。。　until　he　left　for　good　and　came　here　to　Aventine？〃
　Gwen　blinked。　〃Well　。。。　yes；　but　that's　not　the　same。　The　Dominion　government　wanted　the　Cobras　to　e　help　open　up　the　colony…〃
　〃Could　he　have　refused？〃
　〃I…can't　say。　But　he　wouldn't　have；　because　his　skills　and　abilities　were　needed　out　here。〃
　Justin　spread　his　hands。　〃But　don't　you　see？…you're　giving　my　own　argument　back　at　me。　Dad's　Cobra　abilities　were　needed；　so　he　came；　my　Cobra　abilities　are　needed　on　Qasama；　so　I'm　going。　It's　the　exact　same　thing。〃
　〃But　it's　not〃　Gwen　said；　her　voice　and　eyes　almost　pleading。　〃You　don't　have　the　training　and　experience　to　be　a　warrior。　You're　just　trying　to　cleanse　your　conscience　through　an　act　of　revenge。〃
　Justin　sighed　and　shook　his　head。　〃I'm　not　out　for　revenge；　really　I'm　not。　Between　the　ride　back　and　my　time　here　I've　had　two　weeks　to　work　through　my　emotions　on　the　matter；　and　。。。　I　think　I　understand　myself　and　my　motives。　Qasama　has　to　be　stopped；　we　need　more　information　to　do　that…〃　he　took　a　deep　breath…　〃and　if　I'm　not　a　real　warrior；　I'm　probably　the　closest　thing　to　one　left　on　Aventine。〃
　〃Jonny　has　worked　hard　to　make　the　Cobras　a　force　for　peace　and　development　in　the　Worlds。〃
　〃But　he　had　to　go　through　his　war　first；〃　Justin　told　her　quietly。　〃And　I　have　to　go　through　mine。〃
　For　a　long　minute　the　room　was　silent。　Then　Justin　gave　his　aunt　a　passable　attempt　at　a　smile。　〃Your　turn　now。　What's　your　secret？〃
　Gwen　sighed；　a　long　hissing　sound　of　defeat；　〃If　you　look　at　a　topographical　map　of　Qasama；　you'll　see　that　all　the　cities　and　villages　are　scattered　along　a　low；　roughly　boomerang…shaped　ridge　four　thousand　kilometers　or　so　in　total　length　and　maybe　six　hundred　at　its　largest　diameter。　There's　evidence　that　it　was　caused　by　an　upwelling　of　basaltic　magma　in　the　fairly　recent　geological　past。〃
　〃That's　a　tot　of　magma；〃　Justin　murmured。
　〃Granted；　though　there　are　even　larger　examples　of　this　sort　of　thing　back　on　some　of　the　Dominion　worlds。　Anyway；　I've　done　some　puter　modeling；　and　it　looks　very　possible　that　the　basalt　intruded　into　some　highly　metallic　rock　layers。　If　that's　the　case　the　Oasamans　have　a　ready…made　waveguide　for　low…frequency　radio　waves　a　hundred　meters　below　them；　ready　to　dig　antennas　into。　That　sort　of　system's　been　used　before；　but　with　the　metallic　ore　around　it　the　basalt　would　keep　nearly　all　of　the　signal　inside　it；　leaking　very　little　of　it　out　for　anyone　to　pick　up。〃
　Justin　whistled　under　his　breath。　〃Cute。　Very　cute。　A　planet　already　wired　for　sound。〃　And　if　true；　it　would　eliminate　the　last　lingering　doubts　he　had　about　mojo　long…distance　telepathic　abilities。　That　was　worth　a　lot　right　there。　〃When　will　you　know　for　sure　if　you're　right？〃
　She　sighed　again。　〃I　suppose　it　won't　be　certain　until　your　intelligence　raid　finds　the　antennas。〃　She　gazed　at　him　another　moment；　then　got　to　her　feet。　〃I'd　better　be　going；〃　she　said；　backing　toward　the　door。　〃Almo's　waiting　to　take　me　back　to　my　hotel。　I'll　。。。　talk　to　you　later。〃
　〃Thanks　for　ing　by；〃　Justin　said。　〃Don't　worry…　this'll　be　done　in　a　day　or　two；　and　after　it's　submitted　I'll　have　more　time　to　spend　with　the　family。〃
　〃Sure。　Well　。　。　。　good　night。〃
　〃
　〃Night；　Aunt　Gwen。〃
　For　a　long　minute　after　she　left　he　stayed　where　he　was；　eyes　on　the　closed　door。　A　hundred　meters　down　to　the　Qasamans〃　basaltic　waveguide。　Thirty　stories；　more　or　less　。。。　approximately　the　depth　of　the　Purma　building　he'd　escaped　from。　Had　that　been　all　the　place　was？…the　local　munications　center；　not　the　industrial　plex　that　he'd　thought？　If　so…
　If　so；　he'd　missed　little　of　truly　vital　importance　by　his　premature　break　for　freedom。
　He　was；　perhaps；　not　a　failure；　after　all。　Or　at　least　not　as　much　of　one　as　he'd　thought。
　It　was　nice　to　know。　But；　ultimately；　it　made　little　practical　difference。　There　was　still　the　job　on　Qasama　to　do；　and　he　and　his　fellow　Cobras　the　only　ones　who　could　do　it。
　Turning　to　his　desk　once　more；　he　got　back　to　work。
　
　
　Chapter　26
　
　Stiggur　was　neither　impressed　nor　convinced　by　Jonny's　arguments。　Neither；　very　obviously；　were　most　of　the　others。
　〃A　telepathic　bird；〃　Vartanson　snorted。　〃e　on；　now…don't　you　think　you're　reaching　just　a　little　too　far　for　this　one？〃
　Jonny　kept　his　temper　with　an　effort。　〃What　about　the　design　of　the　cities？〃　he　asked。
　〃What　about　it？〃　Vartanson　shot　back。　〃There　are　any　of　a　hundred　explanations　for　that。　Maybe　the　mojos　get　sick　if　they　don't　breed　regularly　and　the　city　dwellers　don't　want　to　take　trips　into　the　woods　for　the　purpose。　Maybe　they　can't　wall　out　the　bololin　herds　and　this　was　the　best　promise　available。〃
　〃Then　why　build　cities？〃　Jonny　said。　〃They　like　being　decentralized…why　not　just　stick　with　villages？〃
　〃Because　there　are　social　and　economic　advantages　to　a　certain　amount　of　population　concentration；〃　Fairleigh　spoke　up。　〃Masking　any　trace　of　their　underground　industry　would　be　a　good　reason　all　by　itself。〃
　〃And　before　you　bring　up　the　Tactan　spookies；〃　Roi　said；　〃your　correlation　between　those　and　the　mojos　is　tentative　at　best…and　the　conclusions　you
　　　e　to　about　the　spookies　is　ridiculous。　I'm　sorry；　but　it　is。〃
　〃That's　a　rather　blanket　assessment　for　someone　who　doesn't　know　a　thing　about　biology；〃　Jonny　told　him　tartly。
　〃Oh；　is　it？　Well；　perhaps　we　ought　to　ask　our　resident　biologist；　then。〃　Roi　turned　to　Telek。　〃Lizabet；　what　do　you　think？〃
　Telek　favored　him　with　a　cool　look；　which　she　sent　slowly　around　the　table。　〃I　think；〃　she　said　at　last；　〃that　we'd　damn　well　better　find　out　for　sure。　And　that　we'd　better　do　it　fast。〃
　There　was　a　stunned　silence。　Jonny　stared　at　Telek；　her　unexpected　support　throwing　his　brain　off…line。　〃You　agree　the　mojos　are　influencing　the　Qasamans〃　actions？〃　he　asked。
　〃I　agree　they're　more　than　they　seem；〃　she　said。　〃How　much　more　is　what　we've　got　to　find　out。〃
　Stiggur　cleared　his　throat。　〃Lizabet　。。。　I　understand　that　your　professional　interests　here　are　naturally　directed　more　toward　the　mojos　than　the　Qasaman　technological　base。　But…〃
　〃Then　let　me　put　it　another　way；〃　Telek　interrupted　him。　〃I've　known　about　Jonny's　theory　since　yesterday…never　mind　how…and　I've　used　that　time　to　do　a　couple　of　new　studies　on　the　visual　record　the　team　brought　back。〃　She　looked　at　Roi。　〃Olor；　I　would　say　that　the　Palatinian　glow…nose　is　probably　the　most　popular　pet　anywhere　in　the　Worlds…you　agree？　Good。　How　many　people　on　Palatine　own　one？〃
　Roi　blinked。　〃I　don't　know；　off　hand。　Eighty　percent；　I'd　guess。〃
　〃I　looked　up　the　numbers；〃　Telek　said。　〃Assuming　only　one　per　customer　the　figure　is　actually　under　sixty　percent。　If　you　include　all　other　pets　the　number　of　owners　is　still　only　about　eighty…seven　percent。〃
　〃What's　your　point？〃　Stiggur　asked。
　Telek　focused　on　him。　〃Thirteen　percent　of　an　admittedly　pet…crazy　people　don't　own　pets。　But　every　single　damn　Qasaman　has　a　mojo。〃
　Jonny　frowned　into　the　thoughtful　silence；　trying　to　visualize　the　scenes　he'd　seen　from　the　records。　It　was　possible；　he　decided　with　some　surprise。　〃No　exceptions？〃　he　asked　Telek。
　〃Only　three　the　puter　scan　came　up　with；　and　two　don't　really　count：　children　under　ten　or　so；　and　dancers　and　duelists。　The　duelists　get　their　birds　back　after　their　curse　ball　game；　though；　and　I　suspect　the　dancers　have　them　waiting　backstage；　too。　At　which　point　we're　back　to　one　hundred　percent　of　the　adult　population　with　mojos。　The　floor　is　open　for　speculation。〃
　〃They're　living　in　a　dangerous　environment；〃　Vartanson　shrugged。
　〃Not