tz.cobra strike-第6章

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　〃All　right…point　taken；〃　Stiggur　sighed。　〃Fine。　So　who's　got　anything　to　report？〃
　〃I'd　like　to　know　first　of　all　where　Governor　Emeritus　Moreau　is；〃　Caelian's　Governor　Howie　Vartanson　spoke　up。　〃It　seems　to　me　this　issue　should　take　priority　over　therapy　sessions　or　whatever。〃
　〃My　father's　in　the　hospital　at　the　moment；〃　Corwin　said；　resisting　the　urge　to　say　something　nasty　about　the　other's　unthinking　callousness。　He　knew　Jonny　was　a　first…generation　Cobra；　after　all。　〃Immune　system　trouble；　the　doctors　think。〃
　〃How　serious　is　it？〃　Stiggur　asked；　frowning。
　〃Apparently　not　very。　It　came　on　rather　suddenly　last　night；　though。〃
　〃You　should　have　let　someone　know；〃　Jor　Hemner　said；　one　frail　hand　playing　restlessly　with　his　wispy　beard。　〃We　could　have　postponed　this　meeting。〃
　〃Not　if　we　want　to　have　a　remendation　for　the　full　Council　meeting　this　afternoon；〃　Corwin　said；　glancing　at　Hemner　before　returning　his　gaze　to　Stiggur。　〃I　know　my　father's　thoughts　on　this　matter；　sir；　and　have　his　authority　to　act　for　him。　I　presume　you'll　accept　my　council　proxy　in　this　session？〃
　〃Well；　the　strict　legality…〃
　〃Oh；　for　heaven's　sake；　Brom；　let　him　sit　in　and　be　done　with　it；〃　Telek　put　in。　〃We've　got　a　lot　of　ground　to　cover　this　morning；　and　I　want　to　get　to　it。〃
　〃Fine。〃　Stiggur　raised　his　eyebrows　at　the　others。　〃Any　objections？　All　right。　Anyone　managed　to　find　out　anything　from　the　Trofts　about　this　Qasama？〃
　Olor　Roi　of　Palatine　cleared　his　throat。　〃I　tried　playing　the　old　independent…planets　routine　on　Speaker　One；　but　I　think　it's　starting　to　wear　thin。　They're　finally　tumbling　to　the　fact　that　we're　a　political　unit　even　though　we　can　all　make　our　own　trade　agreements。　Still；　I　think　he　was　being　honest　when　he　said　he'd　already　given　us　all　he　had。〃
　〃Maybe　he　was　just　holding　out　in　hopes　we'd　outbid　you；〃　suggested　Dylan　Fairleigh；　the　thirdAventine　governor。　It　was　a　rather　naive　ment；　Corwin　thought；　betraying　the　lack　of　experience　with　Troft　trade　that　almost　automatically　came　with　the　other's　Far　West　Region　jurisdiction。
　Vartanson；　predictably；　didn't　bother　to　take　that　into　account。　〃Don't　be　ridiculous；〃　he　snorted。　〃Trofts　don't　hold　out　without　making　it　known　that　they　have　something　for　sale。　Where've　you　been　the　past　14　years；　anyway？〃
　Fairleigh's　forehead　darkened；　but　before　he　could　speak　Telek　cut　in。　〃Okay…so　it's　established　the　Tlossies　haven't　got　anything。　Next　step　is　obviously　to　get　to　someone　who　does。　I　see　two　choices：　the　Baliu　demesne　or　Qasama　itself。〃
　〃Just　a　second；〃　Corwin　spoke　up。　〃Isn't　the　next　step　to　see　whether　we're　going　to　need　this　information？〃
　Telek　frowned　at　him。　〃Of　course　we　need　it。　How　else　can　we　make　a　rational　decision？〃
　〃The　most　rational　decision　would　be　to　give　the　Tlossies　a　simple　no　sale　right　now；〃　Corwin　answered。　〃If　we　do…〃
　〃Since　when　is　hiding　from　reality　a　rational　decision？〃　Telek　interrupted　tartly。
　〃Saying　no　now　is　a　statement　of　principle；〃　Corwin　told　her；　feeling　sweat　break　out　on　his　forehead。　Jonny　had　warned　him　this　view　was　unlikely　to　be　well　received；　but　Corwin　hadn't　been　prepared　for　so　strong　a　negative　reaction。　〃It　says　we're　not　interested　in　being　mercenaries　for…〃
　〃What　about　our　own　interests？〃　Vartanson　put　in。　〃If　Qasama　is　a　threat　to　the　Trofts　it's　probably　a　threat　to　us；　too。〃
　〃Yes；　but　。。。〃　Corwin　stopped　as　words　and　logic　suddenly　tangled　into　a　knotted　mess。　Relax；　he　ordered　himself。　No　one　here's　anyone　to　be　afraid　of。
　But　even　as　he　fought　his　sudden　shyness　Stiggur　came　to　his　rescue。　〃I　think　the　point　Corwin's　trying　to　make　is　that　we　can　still　send　expeditions　to　Qasama　or　wherever　once　we've　turned　down　the　Baliu　demesne's　deal；〃　he　said。　〃At　that　point　we're　not　constrained　by　what　the　Trofts　want　done；　but　are　free　to　take　action　as　we　see　fit。〃
　〃Sounds　very　noble；〃　Telek　nodded。　〃Unfortunately；　it　runs　very　quickly　into　one　important　practical　detail。　Namely；　who　pays　for　this　if　the　Trofts　don't？〃
　Fairleigh　shifted　in　his　seat。　〃I　was　under　the　impression　the　Trofts　were　offering　only　those　five　planets；　not　payment　of　costs　too。〃
　〃No　deal's　been　officially　struck…we　could　demand　costs　as　part　of　the　package；〃　Roi　pointed　out　thoughtfully。　〃But　it　would　still　take　a　lot　of　Cobras　out　of　circulation　for　up　to　several　years。　How　fast　can　the　academy　replace　them？〃
　〃Surgery　and　training　together　take　three　months；〃　Corwin　spoke　up；　feeling　better　on　balance。　〃Candidate　screening　adds　another　two　weeks。〃
　〃But　the　whole　process　can　be　shrunk　to　less　than　seven　weeks；〃　Telek　said；　brandishing　a　magcard　for　a　moment　before　dropping　it　into　her　reader。　〃In　the　past　few　days　I've　spoken　with　two　authorities　on　Cobra　matters：　Cally　Halloran；　who　was　Jenny's　old　teammate　in　the　Troft　War；　and　Almo　Pyre；　currently　head　of　Cobra　operations　in　Syzra　District。　Together　they've　provided　the　data　necessary　for　a　cost　analysis　of　both　the　initial　scouting　expedition　and　the　three　most　likely　types　of　military　operation。〃
　Corwin　stared　at　the　figures　that　appeared　on　his　display；　the　two　names　she'd　dropped　so　casually　into　the　discussion　bouncing　like　unexploded　grenades　around　his　numbed　brain。　Cally　Halloran…one　of　his　father's　oldest　and　most　trusted　friends；　and　Almo　Pyre…a　Moreau　family　friend　for　as　long　as　Corwin　could　remember。　Sneaking　a　glance　over　his　screen；　he　found　Tetek's　calm　eyes　on　him　。　。　。　and　suddenly　he　realized　what　she　was　trying　to　do。
　By　choosing　Jonny's　friends　as　her　experts；　she　hoped　to　stifle　any　disagreement　the　only　Cobra　in　this　inner　circle　might　have　had　with　her　numbers　。。。　and　as　he　began　studying　those　numbers　he　saw　the　conclusion　they　inevitably　led　to。
　For　even　the　smallest　of　the　projected　military　actions　the　costs　were　simply　staggering。　Halloran　and　Pyre　had　estimated　a　minimum　of　nine　hundred　Cobras…a　full　third　of　the　three　Worlds〃　current　contingent…on　or　near　Qasama　for　six　to　twelve　months。　Equipment；　transport；　supply；　replacement　of　casualties…it　was　far　more　than　the　Worlds　could　hope　to　scrape　together　from　their　modest　economies。　The　abrupt　loss　of　that　many　Cobras　alone　would　bring　to　a　dead　halt　all　territorial　expansion　on　Aventine　and　Palatine；　on　Caelian　it　could　easily　precipitate　the　final　destruction　or　abandonment　of　that　beleaguered　colony。
　Fairleigh　broke　the　silence　first。　〃We'd　better　hope　the　Oasamans　aren't　too　immediate　a　threat；〃　he　muttered。　〃'Nine　hundred　to　three　thousand　Cobras。　How　long　would　it　take　to　replace…？　Oh；　there　it　is。〃　Corwin　found　the　line　on　his　own　display。　〃That　assumes　an　unlimited　supply　of　qualified　candidates；〃　he　said。
　〃Well；　if　that　pool　doesn't　exist…or　can't　be　generated…we're　in　serious　trouble　already；〃　Roi　growled。　〃Our　safety　from　the　Trofts　themselves　depends　on　a　healthy　respect　for　Cobra　fighting　skills。　If　they　thought　our　paltry　twenty…eight　hundred　were　all　they'd　ever　have　to　deal　with　。　。。〃　He　shook　his　head。
　〃All　the　more　reason　to　show　them　how　easily　expandable　the　Cobra　program　is；〃　Telek　argued。　〃We　can　do　it…especially　with　the　Trofts　paying　for　the　demonstration。〃
　The　discussion　raged　on　for　a　half　hour　more；　but　Corwin　could　see　the　battle　was　lost。　Of　the　six　others　in　the　room；　only　Hemner　and　Roi　seemed　at　all　willing　to　consider　Jonny's　position。　If　neither　of　them　switched　sides；　Corwin's　double　vote　would　deadlock　the　issue　at　four　to　four；　which　would　mean　throwing
　it　to　the　full　Council　without　any　official　remendation。　The　Council's　handling　of　matters　even　with　a　remendation　was　chancy　enough；　without　one；　the　results　were　impossible　for　anyone　to　predict。
　And　as　the　probability　of　victory　slipped　ever　closer　to　zero；　Corwin　realized　that；　for　the　first　time　since　obtaining　his　father's　proxy；　he　was　going　to　have　to　make　a　deal　on　his　own　initiative。　A　deal　he　wasn't　at　all　certain　Jonny　would　approve　of。　。。。
　He　waited　until　the　last　minute；　hoping　against　the　odds；　but　as　the　governor…general　called　for　a　vote　he　raised　his　hand。　〃I'd　like　to　ask　for　a　short　break　before　we　go　any　further；〃　he　said。　〃It　seems　to　me　some　private　thought　or　discussion　might　be　useful　before　we　mit　our　votes　to　the