tz.cobra strike-第58章

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　open　for　speculation。〃
　〃They're　living　in　a　dangerous　environment；〃　Vartanson　shrugged。
　〃Not　really；〃　Telek　shook　her　head。　〃The　villages　ought　to　be　safe　enough；　with　the　walls　and　the　scarcity　of　the　krisjaw　predators　that　were　mentioned。　And　with　the　bololin　alarms　even　Sollas　and　the　other　cities　aren't　all　that　hazardous　any　more。　The　big　〃danger〃　argument　strikes　me　as　a　convenient　but　flimsy　rationale。〃
　〃What　about　all　their　fellow　humans　running　around　with　guns？〃　Roi　snorted。
　〃Yes；　what　about　that？〃　Jonny　put　in。　Across　the　table　Hemner　muttered　something　and　began　fiddling　with　his　display。　Jonny　waited　a　second；　but　he　didn't　say　anything；　so　Jonny　turned　to　Vartanson。　〃Howie；　do　you　allow　your　people　to　carry　their　weapons　inside　the　fortified　pounds？〃
　Vartanson　shook　his　head　slowly。　〃The　Cobras　are　armed；　of　course；　but　alt　hand　weapons　are　checked　inside　the　inner　doors。〃
　〃The　Qasamans　have　grown　up　with　a　tradition　of　carrying　their　guns；　though；〃　Fairleigh　argued。　〃You　couldn't　get　them　to　just　give　them　up　overnight。〃
　〃Why　not？〃　Telek　asked。　〃They've　also　got　a　tradition　of　not　attacking　each　other；　remember。〃
　〃Besides　which；〃　Hemner　added　without　looking　up；　〃banning　in…city　weapons　has　been　done　successfully　in　dozens　of　places　in　the　Dominion。〃
　〃The　Qasamans　wouldn't　put　up　with　that；　in　my　opinion；〃　Roi　shook　his　head。
　〃Let's　get　back　to　the　point；　shall　we？〃　Telek　said。　〃The　question　is　why　the　Qasamans　are　still　bothering　to　carry　these　birds　around　with　them　when　it's　not　necessary　to　do　so。〃
　〃But　we've　answered　that　question；〃　Stiggur　said　with　a　sigh。　〃As　long　as　anyone　carries　a　gun　and　a　mojo；　everyone　has　to　do　so。　Otherwise　they　won't　feel　safe。〃
　〃The　cultural　conditioning…〃
　〃Will　be　adequate　for　most　of　them；〃　Stiggur　said。　〃But　not　for　all。　And　if　I　were　a　Qasaman；　I'd　want　protection　against　even　that　small　group　of　dangerous　people。〃
　Telek　grimaced；　clearly　hunting　for　a　new　approach。　〃Brom…〃
　〃All　right；　we've　talked　long　enough；〃　Hemner　said　firmly。　〃We're　going　to　vote　on　Lizabet's　proposal。　Now。〃
　All　eyes　shifted　to　the　frail　old　man。　〃Jor；　you're　out　of　order；〃　Stiggur　said　quietly。　〃I　know　emotions　are　running　high　on　all　this…〃
　〃You　do；　do　you？〃　Hemner　smiled　thinly。　His　hands；　Jonny　noted　with　a　vague　twinge　of　uneasiness；　had　left　their　usual　place　on　top　of　the　table　and　were　hidden　from　view　in　his　lap。　〃And　you　prefer　words　to　actions；　I　suppose。　It's　so　much　easier　to　manipulate　people's　emotions。　Well；　the　time　has　e　for　action。　We're　going　to　vote；　and　we're　going　to　pass　Lizabet's　mojo　study。　Or　else。〃
　〃Or　else　what？〃　Stiggur　snapped；　irritation　finally　breaking　through。
　〃Or　else　the　nay　votes　will　be　eliminated；〃　Hemner　said　harshly。　〃Beginning　with　him。〃
　And　his　right　hand　came　up　over　the　edge　of　the　table；　the　small　flat　handgun　clutched　in　it　swiveling　to　point　at　Roi。
　Someone　gasped　in　shock　。　。　。　but　even　before　the　pistol　had　steadied　on　its　target；　Jonny　was　in　motion。　Both　fingertip　lasers　spat　fire；　one　into　the　pistol；　the　other　tracing　a　line　directly　in　front　of　Hemner's　eyes。　The　old　man　jerked　back　with　a　cry　as　the　heat　and　light　reached　his　hand　and　face；　the　pistol　swinging　away　from　the　others。　Gripping　the　table　edge　with　both　hands；　Jonny　kicked　back　and　up　with　his　feet；　sending　his　chair　spinning　across　the　room　and　flipping　his　body　to　slam　onto　his　back　on　the　table。　His　legs　caught　Hemner's　arm　full　force；　eliciting　a　second　yelp　from　the　other　and　sending　the　gun　sailing　into　the　far　wall。
　〃Get　the　gun！〃　Jonny　snapped　through　the　agony　the　sudden　violence　had　ignited　in　his　arthritic　joints。　He　swung　up　to　a　sitting　position；　grabbed　both　of　Hemner's　wrists。　〃Jor；　what　the　hell　was　that　supposed　to　acplish？〃
　〃Just　proving　a　point；〃　Hemner　said　calmly；　the　harshness　of　a　minute　earlier　gone　without　a　trace。　〃My　wrists　…　easy　…　〃
　〃You　were　what？〃
　〃I'll　be　damned。〃　The　voice　was　Roi's　and　Jonny　turned　to　look。
　Roi　was　standing　by　the　far　wall；　holding　Hemner's
　Which　was　nothing　more　than　a　pen　and　an　intricately　folded　magcard。
　Jonny　looked　down　at　Hemner。　〃Jor　。　。　。　what's　going　on？〃
　〃As　I　said；　I　was　proving　a　point；〃　the　other　said。　〃Uh　…　if　you　wouldn't　mind　。　。　。　？〃
　Releasing　his　grip；　Jonny　climbed　carefully　off　the　table　and　walked　around　back　to　his　seat。　Roi　sat　down；　too；　and　Stiggur　cleared　his　throat。　〃This　had　better　be　good/〃　he　warned　Hemner。
　The　other　nodded。　〃Olor；　were　you　armed　just　now　when　I　pretended　to　pull　a　weapon　on　you？〃　he　asked。
　〃Of　course　not；〃　Roi　snorted。
　〃Yet　even　with　a　real　gun　I　wouldn't　have　been　able　to　shoot　you。　True？　Why　not？〃
　〃Because　Jonny　was　here　and　he's　faster　than　you　are。〃
　Hemner　nodded　and　turned　to　Stiggur。　〃Security；　Brom。　You　don't　need　everyone　carrying　mojos　for　your　citizens　to　be　protected。　The　mojos　attack　anyone　drawing　a　gun；　whether　their　own　masters　are　specifically　threatened　or　not。〃　He　waved　at　his　display。　〃The　records　of　the　bus　attack　on　York　clearly　show　that…I've　just　checked。　Even　if　everyone　wants　to　carry　a　gun；　you　still　don't　need　that　many　mojos。　Twenty　percent；　or　even　less；　bined　with　the　cultural　bias　against　fighting　would　be　more　than　adequate。〃
　〃Assuming　they're　that　peaceful　without　that　tal…oned　reminder　on　their　shoulders；〃　Fairleigh　growled。　〃Maybe　they're　more　violent　without　mojos　nearby。〃
　Vartanson　laughed　abruptly。　〃Dylan；　did　you　hear　what　you　just　said？　Almost　exactly　what　Jonny's　been　suggesting。〃　He　nodded　at　Jonny。　〃All　right；　I'm　convinced　the　mojos　need　more　study。　But　we　need　to　learn　about　the　Qasaman　technological　base；　too；　and　I'm　not　sure　which　is　more　important。〃
　〃Then　let's　do　both；〃　Telek　spoke　up。　Reaching　to　the　stack　of　magdisks　in　front　of　her；　she　selected　one　and　slid　it　into　her　reader。　〃This　is　a　plete　tactical　plan　that　was　submitted　to　my　office　yesterday　via　Almo　Pyre。　I'd　like　us　all　to　read　it　through　and　seriously　consider　it　as　a　basis　for　the　next　mission　to　Qasama；　Brom？〃
　〃Any　ments　or　objections？〃　Stiggur　asked；　his　eyes　sweeping　the　table。　〃All　right；　then。　Let's　take　a　look。〃
　Telek　sent　the　report　to　the　other　displays　and　they　all　settled　down　to　read。　Jonny　felt　memories　of　his　own　tactical　training　rising　to　the　surface　as　he　studied　the　plan　。。。　memories；　and　a　growing　respect　for　Pyre's　work。　Granted　that　there　were　some　military　manuals　and　histories　in　the　puter　library；　it　still　took　a　great　deal　of　raw　talent　to　put　together　a　scheme　this　prehensive；　especially　with　only　the　limited　training　the　First　Cobras　had　been　able　to　give　Pyre　and　his　team。
　It　wasn't　until　he　reached　the　end　that　he　found　the　author's　name　。。。　and　he　stared　at　it　for　nearly　a　minute　before　he　finally　could　believe　it。
　Justin　Moreau。
　The　wait　in　Telek's　office　had　stretched　into　nearly　two　hours；　but　Pyre　had　been　almost　too　busy　to　notice。　Justin's　plan　was　highly　detailed；　but　the　boy　naturally　had　not　done　any　actual　personnel　assignments；　a　task　that　would　fall　to　Coordinator　Sun　and　the　Cobra　upper　echelon　if　the　plan　was　accepted。　Nothing　said　Pyre　couldn't　submit　his　own　roster　for　their　approval；　though。　He'd　finished　the　main　group　and　was　working　on　the　first　of　the　three　outrider　teams　when　Telek　returned。
　〃Well？〃　he　asked　as　she　closed　the　door　and　sank　into　her　desk　chair。
　〃They　bought　it；〃　she　said　with　tired　satisfaction。　〃Brom　wants　to　submit　it　to　a　review　board　of　First　Cobras；　but　I　doubt　they'll　change　it　too　much。　You　still　hold　with　two　weeks　to　equip　and　train　the　task　force？〃
　Pyre　nodded。　〃All　they'll　need　is　the　multiple…targeting　enhancers　and　some　tactical　training。　For　a　change；　all　the　experience　we've　logged　hunting　down　spine　leopards　is　going　to　do　some　of　us　some　good。〃
　〃Um。　You　。。。　ah　。。。　plan　to　be　out　in　the　forest；　then？〃
　〃I　had；　yes。　Unless　you　wanted　me　on　the　village　force。〃
　Telek　pursed　her　lips。　〃Might　be　better　for　you　to　stay　aboard　the　ship；　actually。　To　coordinate　things。〃
　〃Oh？〃　Pyre　eyed　her。　〃You'd　rather　I　not　be　down　on　Qasama？〃
　〃I'd　rather　you　not　risk　your　life；　if　you　must　know；〃　she　said　grudgingly。　〃You've　done　your　bit。〃
　〃Ah。　You　feel　the　same　wa