tz.cobra strike-第70章

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　〃So　they　sacrifice　themselves　for　the　mission；　and　the　next　thousand　sacrifice　tfzemselves　for　the　Worlds。　Is　that　how　it　goes？〃　Justin　shook　his　head。　〃Where　do　you　draw　the　line？〃
　〃Anywhere　you　can/〃　Jonny　said。　〃And　the　sooner　the　better。　Which　is　why　I　want　you　to　e　back　to　the　house　tonight。〃
　〃A　family　round　table？〃
　〃You　got　it。　We　have　until　the　Council　meeting　to　e　up　with　an　alternative　to　war。〃
　〃Like　a　blockade　or　something？〃　Justin　sighed。　〃It's　no　good；　Dad…I've　tried　already　to　e　up　with　a　way　to　do　that。　But　a　planet's　just　too　big　to　surround。〃　He　stared　down　at　his　hands。　His　Cobra…strong；　Cobra…deadly　hands。　〃We　just　don't　have　any　other　choice。〃
　〃We　don't；　huh？〃　Jonny　said；　and　Justin　looked　up　at　the　unexpected　fire　in　his　father's　voice。　〃People　have　been　saying　that　ever　since　the　Trofts　first　suggested　this　mess。　As　a　matter　of　fact；　people　have　been　telling　me　that　for　most　of　my　life。〃
　Carefully；　Jonny　got　to　his　feet　and　walked　to　the　window。　〃They　told　me　the　Trofts　had　to　be　thrown　bodily　off　Adirondack　and　Silvern。　Maybe　they　were　right　that　time；　I　don't　know。　Then　they　said　we　Cobras　had　to　stay　in　the　Army　because　we　wouldn't　fit　into　Dominion　society。　Instead；　we　came　to　Aventine　and　built　a　society　that　could　live　with　us。　Then　they　said　we　had　to　fight　the　Trofts　again　or　Aventine　would　be　destroyed　。。。　and　with　a　little　work　we　proved　them　wrong　that　time；　too。　Don't　ever　accept　that　something　bad　has　to　be　done；　Justin；　not　until　you've　explored　all　the　possibilities　yourself。〃　He　coughed；　twice；　and　seemed　to　slump　as　he　turned　back　to　face　his　son。　〃That's　what　I　want　you　to　help　me　do　tonight。〃
　Justin　exhaled　quietly。　〃What　about　Mom？〃
　〃What　about　her？　She　doesn't　want　war；　either。〃
　〃You　know　what　I　mean。〃　Justin　tried　to　get　the　words　out；　but　his　tongue　seemed　unwilling　to　move　〃You　mean　volunteering　for　the　second　mission　without　consulting　with　the　family？〃　Jonny　walked　back　to　his　chair　and　sank　into　it。　〃She　was　hurt　by　that；　yes。　We　all　were；　though　I　think　I　understand　why　you　did　it。　But　watching　her　children　go　their　own　way　has　been　one　of　the　silent　aches　of　being　a　mother　since　the　beginning　of　time。〃　He　sighed。　〃If　it　helps　any；　I　can　tell　you　her　fears　and　worries　about　you　aren't　entirely　based　on　what　you　yourself　have　done。　She's　been　。。。　well；　haunted；　I　guess；　by　the　memories　and　bitterness　of　the　path　/　took　after　I'd　done　my　service　as　a　Cobra。〃
　Justin　frowned。　〃You　mean　politics？　I　know　Mom　doesn't　care　that　much　for　politics；　but…〃
　〃You　understate　the　case　badly。〃　Jonny　shook　his　head。　〃She　hates　politics。　Hates　the　time　it's　taken　from　us　these　past　couple　of　decades。　Hates　what　she　sees　as　a　wastefully　high　work…to…result　ratio。〃
　〃But　you　were　needed。　She's　told　me　herself　you　helped　integrate　the　Cobras　into　the　political　system。〃
　〃Maybe　I　was　needed　once；　but　not　any　more。　And　with　you　seemingly　determined　sometimes　to　be　a　replay　of　me…well；　it's　brought　things　to　a　head。〃
　〃Well；　she　doesn't　have　to　worry　about　me　in　that　area；〃　Justin　said　emphatically。　〃Corwin　can　have　Aventinian　politics；　as　far　as　I'm　concerned。　I'd　rather　hunt　spine　leopards　any　day。〃
　Jonny　smiled　slightly。　〃Good。　Why　don't　you　e　with　me　and　tell　her　that　yourself？〃
　〃And　while　I'm　there；　e　up　with　a　way　to　stop　a　war？〃
　〃As　long　as　you're　there　anyway；　why　not？〃
　Justin　shook　his　head　in　mock　exasperation　and　got　to　his　feet。　〃Dad；　you　have　definitely　been　in　politics　too　long。〃
　〃So　I've　been　told。　Let's　go；　it's　likely　to　be　a　long　night。〃
　The　transfer　module　beeped　its　indication　that　the　magdisk　copying　was　plete。　Stifling　a　yawn；　Telek　turned　back　to　the　phone　and　Jonny's　waiting　image。　〃Okay；　I've　got　it；〃　she　told　him。　〃Now　you　want　to　tell　me　why　you　had　to　wake　me　at…uh…〃
　〃Four…forty；〃　Jonny　supplied。
　〃…at　four…forty　in　the　morning　to　receive　a　magdisk　you　could　have　sent　to　my　office　four　hours　from　now？〃
　〃Certainly。　I　wanted　you　to　have　those　four　extra　hours　to　see　if　we've　e　up　with　an　alternative　to　war。〃
　Telek's　eyes　focused　hard　on　his。　〃You've　got　a　viable　counterproposal？〃
　〃That's　what　you're　going　to　tell　me。　And　the　Council；　if　the　answer　is　yes。〃
　She　licked　her　lips。　〃Jonny　。。。〃
　〃If　it　works；　we　will　get　the　new　worlds；〃　he　added　quietly。　〃Corwin　and　I　have　already　worked　out　how　to　sell　the　whole　thing　to　the　Baliu　demesne　as　a　reasonable　fulfillment　of　their　contract。〃
　〃I　see。　Thank　you；　Jonny。　I'll　get　on　it　right　away。〃
　The　Moreau　Proposal；　as　the　plan　came　to　be　called；　eventually　was　given　an　eighty　percent　chance　of　success　by　the　experts　who　studied　it。　Lower　by　several　points　than　a　properly　managed　war　。。。　but　with　vast　savings　in　human　and　economic　costs。　After　two　weeks　of　public　and　private　debate；　it　was　accepted。
　And　two　months　later；　the　Menssana　and　Dewdrop；　acpanied　by　two　Troft　troop　carriers；　once　again　headed　for　Qasama。
　
　
　Chapter　31
　
　Night　on　Qasama。
　Again　they　dropped　down　silently；　with　only　gravity　lifts　visible；　but　this　time　there　were　three　ships　instead　of　just　one。　The　Troft　transports　set　down　in　two　widely　separated　wilderness　areas　along　the　inner　curve　of　the　Fertile　Crescent；　while　the　Menssana　landed　near　the　top　of　the　Crescent's　arc。　For　York；　aboard　the　latter　ship；　it　was　a　significant　location：　barely　ten　kilometers　from　the　road　connecting　Sollas　and　Huriseem。　A　suitable　place　indeed　for　him　to　repay　the　Qasamans　for　his　lost　arm。
　There　was　a　crackle　of　split…frequency　static　from　the　bridge　speaker。　〃Dewdrop　to　Menssana；　hurry　it　up。　We've　got　some　very　nasty…looking　supersonic　aircraft　ing　your　way。　ETA　no　more　than　fifteen　minutes。〃
　〃Acknowledged；〃　Captain　Shepherd　said　calmly。　〃The　Trofts　drawing　similar　attention？〃
　〃Not　specifically；　but　we've　got　other　aircraft　scrambling　in　what　looks　like　a　search　pattern　toward　their　general　location。　They've　been　alerted。〃
　〃Better　anti…radar　equipment；〃　York　grunted。
　〃There　they　go；〃　someone　said　from　the　bridge's　left　viewport。
　York　stepped　to　his　side。　The　Menssana's　outer　floods　had　been　dimmed　to　a　soft　glow；　but　there　was　enough　light　for　him　to　see　the　silent　exodus　from　the　ship's　cargo　holds。
　The　mass　exodus　of　spine　leopards。
　Most　of　the　animals　paused　a　moment　as　they　stepped　out　onto　the　unfamiliar　soil；　looking　around　or　visibly　fighting　for　balance　as　the　effects　of　their　long　sleep　dissipated。　But　none　lingered　long　by　the　ship。　They　loped　off　into　the　darkness　of　the　forest；　the　mass　already　beginning　to　spread　out　as　they　vanished　from　view；　and　York　could　almost　sense　the　eagerness　with　which　they　set　out　to　study　their　new　home。　However　they　knew　such　things；　they　must　surely　know　this　was　a　world　literally　full　of　unclaimed　territory。　How　large　would　their　first　litters　here　be；　he　wondered。　Fifteen　cubs？　Twenty？　No　matter。　An　ecological　niche　existed；　and　the　spine　leopards　would　do　what　was　necessary　to　fill　the　gap。
　And　with　luck；　the　mojos　would　soon　find　they　again　had　a　choice　of　partners。　York　hoped　to　hell　Telek　was　right　about　the　birds〃　distaste　for　cities。
　〃All　out；〃　a　voice　came　from　the　inter。　〃Hatches　sealed；　Captain。〃
　〃Prepare　to　lift；〃　Shepherd　said。　〃Let's　head　home。〃
　A　moment　later　the　ship　was　floating　toward　the　stars。　Peering　out　into　the　darkness；　York　sought　one　final　glimpse　of　the　almost　literal　seeds　of　discord　they'd　just　sown　on　an　unsuspecting　world。　Be　fruitful　and　multiply；　he　thought　the　ancient　mand　toward　the　spine　leopards　below；　and　replenish　the　land。　And　subdue　it。
　
　
　Chapter　32
　
　〃I　understand；〃　Joshua　remarked；　〃that　the　Baliu　Trofts　weren't　exactly　overwhelmed　by　our　solution　to　the　Qasaman　problem。〃
　Corwin　shrugged；　his　eyes　lingering　on　the　starfield　for　another　second　before　turning　to　face　his　brothers。　The　Menssana　was　due　to　load　at　any　minute　and　he　didn't　want　to　miss　seeing　that。　〃They　weren't　at　all　sure　it　was　going　to　work；　if　that's　what　you　mean/〃　he　told　Joshua。　〃We　had　to　pull　out　disks　and　disks　of　data　that　showed　how　really　uncooperative　humans　normally　were　and　how　any　progress　toward　space　would　be　dramatically　slowed　or　even　halted　altogether　once　the　mojo