tz.cobra strike-第60章

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tened　for　a　moment；　then　reached　to　his　pendant　and　covered　the　translator　mike。　〃Dorjay：　report。〃
　〃Situation　quiet　at　the　long…range　transmitter；〃　Link's　voice　came　promptly　through　his　earphone。　〃Uh　。。。　looks　like　the　mayor's　message　is　starting　to　stir　up　things　out　there　now。〃
　〃Look　sharp…we　don't　want　anyone　sneaking　in　there　to　send　an　SOS　off　to　Sollas。〃
　〃Particularly　as　they'd　catch　us　dismantling　and　studying　all　the　nice　equipment　in　here；〃　Link　added
　dryly。　〃We'll　be　careful。　You　want　me　to　continue　managing　the　gate　and　motor　patrols；　too？〃
　〃Yes。　It'll　get　pretty　hectic　here　once　the　psych　people　get　their　business　going。〃
　〃Okay。　Keep　me　posted。〃
　Winward　tapped　the　mike　once　to　break　the　private　connection　and　then　covered　it　again。　〃Governor　Telek？　How're　the　pickups　ing　over？〃
　〃Perfectly；〃　Telek's　voice　said　in　his　ear。　〃Got　some　good　baseline　readings　on　the　mayor　while　he　was　heading　through　the　building；　and　the　high…stress　ones　there　in　the　office　look　even　better。〃
　〃Good。　We'll　get　things　started　here　as　soon　as　we　〃can。　Any　word　yet　from　the　outrider　teams？〃
　〃Just　routine　check…ins。　Dewdrop's　not　reporting　any　obvious　troop　movements；　either。　Looks　like　we　sneaked　in　undetected。〃
　Which　should　mean　they'd　have　a　few　hours　or　even　a　day　or　two　before　the　rest　of　the　planet　realized　they'd　been　invaded。　After　which　things　could　get　sticky。　〃Okay。　Dorjay　says　the　tech　assessors　are　already　pulling　things　apart；　so　you'll　get　some　data　ing　in　on　that　front　soon。　Out。〃
　The　mayor　leaned　back　from　his　console　to　look　up　balefully　at　Winward。　〃They　will　ply　with　your　demands；〃　he　said。　〃For　now；　at　any　rate。〃
　Getting　his　courage　back？　That　was　fine　with　Winward…the　more　mood　swings　the　Qasamans　went　through；　the　more　useful　the　data　the　hidden　sensors　would　get。　Provided　the　mayor　didn't　get　too　courageous。　〃Fine；〃　the　Cobra　nodded。　〃Then　let's　go　out　and　join　them　while　our　people　get　things　organized。　After　you　give　me　your　gun；　of　course。〃
　The　Qasaman　hesitated　a　split　second　before　sliding　the　weapon　out　of　its　holster　and　laying　it　atop　the　console。　〃Okay；　let's　go；〃　Winward　said；　leaving　the　gun　where　it　was。　If　Telek's　theory　was　right；　chances　were　he　could　pick　up　the　weapon　without　drawing　a　mojo　attack　。。。　but　he　wasn't　ready　to　make　a　test　case　out　of　it；　not　yet。
　Silently　the　Qasaman　rose　to　his　feet；　and　together　the　two　men　left　the　office。
　The　section　of　forest　the　outrider…two　team　had　put　their　aircar　down　into　was　reasonably　sparse；　as　such　things　went；　reminding　Rey　Banyon　more　of　the　woods　they'd　seen　on　Chata　than　the　denser　forests　of　Aventine's　far　west　region　where　he'd　grown　up。　The　good　news　was　that　the　openness　aided　visibility；　the　bad　was　that　it　allowed　for　larger　animals　to　live　here。　By　and　large；　a　fairly　even　trade。
　But　for　the　moment　the　forest's　denizens；　large　and　small；　were　keeping　their　distance。　Eyes　sweeping　the　vicinity　of　the　aircar；　he　listened　with　half　an　ear　to　the　conversation　between　Dr。　Hanford　and　the　Dewdrop　in　orbit　above　them。
　〃Well；　we　didn't　spot　anything　when　we　swept　the　area；〃　Hanford　was　saying。　〃Are　you　still　showing　something　nearby？〃
　〃Negative；〃　the　voice　came　Back。　〃I　think　it　went　back　under　the　trees　and　we　lost　it。〃
　Hanford　exhaled　loudly。　Banyon　understood　his　irritation　perfectly：　this　was　the　third　time　in　the　six　hours　they'd　been　on　Qasama　that　they'd　made　a　mad　dash　to　the　possible　location　of　a　krisjaw；　only　to　e　up　empty。
　And　to　make　it　worse；　they　weren't　even　sure　that　a　krisjaw　was　what　they　needed　to　find。
　〃Any　idea　even　which　way　it　went？〃　the　zoologist　asked　at　last。
　〃Dr。　Hanford；　you　have　to　understand　the　Dew…drop's　infrareds　weren't　designed　for　such　pin…point　work；　at　least　not　from　this　distance。　Let　me　see　。　。　。　if　I　had　to　guess；　I'd　say　to　try　northwest。〃
　〃Thanks；〃　Hanford　said　dryly。　〃Call　if　you　spot　another　target。〃
　〃Northwest；〃　one　of　the　other　two　zoologists　mut…　tered　as　Hanford　broke　the　connection。　〃I'd　guess　northwest；　too；　if　I　had　to。　That's　the　direction　animals　run　on　this　crazy　planet。〃
　〃I　doubt　the　predators　do。〃　Hanford　sighed。　〃Well；　Rey？　On　foot　or　by　air？〃
　〃By　air；　I　suppose；〃　Banyon　said。　〃We'll　try　spotting　on　our　own　for　awhile。　See　if　we　can　do　any　better。〃
　〃Can't　possibly　do　any　worse。　Well；　let's　go。〃
　The　three　zoologists　climbed　back　into　the　aircar；　followed　by　Banyon　and　his　three　Cobra　teammates。　Rising　to　just　over　treetop　level；　they　headed　slowly　northwest。
　Christopher　flipped　off　the　mike　with　a　snort　and　settled　back　to　glaring　at　the　infrared　display；　muttering　under　his　breath。　Eyeing　him　over　his　own　screen；　York　chuckled。　〃Having　trouble；　Bil？〃
　〃This　isn't　even　my　job；〃　Christopher　growled　without　looking　up。　〃How　am　I　supposed　to　find　krisjaw　hot　spots　when　I　don't　even　know　what　they're　supposed　to　look　like？〃
　〃You　find　a　large　hot　spot　that's　moving…〃
　〃Yes；　I　know　all　that。　Elsner　just　better　hurry　up　and　get　back　here；　that's　all　I've　got　to　say。〃
　〃He　still　at　the　main　display　looking　for　a　bololin　herd　for　outrider…three？〃
　〃Yeah。〃　Christopher　visibly　shivered。　〃Those　guys　must　be　nuts。　You　sure　wouldn't　catch　me　chasing　bololins　around。〃
　〃You　wouldn't　catch　me　down　there　at　all；〃　York　murmured。
　Christopher　sent　him　a　quick　look。　〃Yeah。　I；　uh　。。。　I　understand　you　were　asked　to　be　on　the　Menssana　with　Lizabet；　Yuri；　Marck；　and　the　others。〃
　〃That's　right；〃　York　told　him　evenly。　〃I　refused。〃
　〃Oh。〃　Christopher's　eyes　strayed　to　York's　new　right　arm…his　new　mechanical　right　arm…then　slipped　guiltily　away。
　〃You　think　it's　because　of　this；　don't　you？〃　York　asked；　raising　his　arm　and　opening　his　hand。　The　fingers　twitched　once　as　he　did　so；　mute　reminder　of　the　fact　that　his　brain　hadn't　totally　adapted　to　the　neural/electronic　interfaces　yet。　〃You　think　I'm　afraid　to　go　down　there　again？〃
　〃Of　course　not…〃
　〃Then　you're　wrong；〃　York　told　him　flatly。　〃I'm　afraid；　all　right；　and　for　damn　good　reasons。〃
　Christopher's　face　was　taking　on　an　increasingly　unfortable　expression；　and　it　occurred　to　York　that　the　other　had　probably　never　heard　anyone　speak　quite　this　way　before。　〃You　want　to　know　why　Yuri　and　Marck　and　the　others　are　down　there　and　I'm　up　here？〃　he　asked。
　〃Well　。。。　all　right；　why？〃
　〃Because　they're　trying　to　prove　they're　brave；〃　York　said。　〃Partly　to　others；　but　mainly　to　themselves。　They're　demonstrating　that　they　can　stick　their　heads　in　the　spine　leopard's　mouth　a　second　time　if　they　have　to；　without　flinching。〃
　〃Whereas　you　feel　no　such　need？〃
　〃Exactly；〃　York　nodded。　〃I've　had　my　courage　tested　many　times。　Both　before　I　came　to　Aventine　and　since　then。　I　know　I'm　brave；　and　I'm　damn　well　not　going　to　take　unnecessary　chances　to　prove　it　to　the　universe　at　large。〃　He　waved　at　his　display。　〃If　and　when　the　Qasamans　make　their　move　I　can　assess　their　military　level　just　as　well　from　up　here　as　I　could　on　the　surface。　Ergo；　here's　where　I　stay。〃
　〃I　see；〃　Christopher　nodded。　But　his　eyes　still　looked　troubled。　〃Makes　sense；　certainly。　I'm…well；　I'm　glad　that's　cleared　up。〃
　He　turned　back　to　his　display；　and　York　suppressed　a　sigh。　Christopher　hadn't　understood；　any　more　than　the　rest　of　them　had。　They　still　thought　it　was　all　just　a　plicated　way　of　not　saying　he　was　a　coward。
　The　hell　with　all　of　them。
　Turning　back　to　his　own　screen；　he　resumed　his　watch　for　military　activity。　In　his　lap　his　mechanical　hand　curled　into　a　fist。
　It　was　shortly　after　noon　when　the　Dewdrop　finally　located　a　bololin　herd　within　the　specified　distance　of　the　village；　and　it　was　another　hour　before　outrider…three's　aircar　reached　it。　The　herd　had　paused　among　the　trees　to　graze；　and　as　the　aircar　drifted　by　overhead　Rem　Parker　whistled　under　his　breath。　〃Nasty…looking　things；〃　he　mented。
　One　of　the　other　three　Cobras　muttered　an　agreement。　〃I　think　I　can　see　the　tarbines…those　tan　spots　behind　the　heads；　inside　the　quills。〃
　〃Yeah。　Great　place　for　a　summer　home。〃　Parker　glanced　at　the　tech　huddled　over　his　instruments　in　the　next　seat。　〃Well；　Dan？　Possible？〃
　Dan　Rostin　shrugged。　〃Marginal。　We're　pretty　far　south　of　the　direct　route　here…it'll　take　a　large　d