lmb.shardsofhonor-第21章

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f　course。〃
　A　unanimous　chorus　put　themselves　forward。　〃Gottyan　and　Vorkalloner　are　both　out。　I　need　somebody　who　can　explain　things；　afterward。　Now　the　battle　order。　First　me；　then　Bothari；　then　Siegel's　patrol；　then　Kush's。　Stunners　only；　I　don't　want　stray　shots　smashing　up　engineering。〃　A　number　of　men　glanced　at　the　hole　in　the　wall　where　the　speaker　had　been。
　〃Sir；〃　said　Vorkalloner　desperately；　〃I　question　that　battle　order。　They'll　be　using　disruptors　for　sure。　The　first　men　through　the　door　haven't　got　a　chance。〃
　Vorkosigan　took　a　few　seconds　and　stared　him　down。　He　dropped　his　eyes　miserably。　〃Yes；　sir。〃
　〃Lieutenant　mander　Vorkalloner　is　right；　sir；〃　an　unexpected　bass　voice　put　in。　Cordelia　realized　with　a　start　it　was　Bothari。　〃The　first　place　is　mine；　by　right。　I've　earned　it。〃　He　faced　his　captain；　narrow　jaw　working。　〃It's　mine。〃
　Their　eyes　met　in　a　weird　understanding。　〃Very　well；　Sergeant；〃　conceded　Vorkosigan。　〃You　first；　then　me；　then　the　rest　as　ordered。　Let's　go。〃
　Vorkosigan　paused　before　her　as　they　herded　out。　〃I'm　afraid　I'm　not　going　to　make　that　walk　on　the　esplanade　in　the　summer；　after　all。〃
　Cordelia　shook　her　head　helplessly；　the　glimmer　of　a　terrifying　idea　beginning　in　the　back　of　her　brain。　〃I…I…I　have　to　withdraw　my　parole　now。〃
　Vorkosigan　looked　puzzled；　then　waved　it　aside　for　a　more　immediate　concern。　〃If　I　should　chance　to　end　up　like　your　Ensign　Dubauer…remember　my　preferences。　If　you　can　bring　yourself　to　it；　I　would　like　it　to　be　by　your　hand。　I'll　tell　Vorkalloner。　Can　I　have　your　word？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃You'd　better　stay　in　your　cabin　until　this　is　over。〃
　He　reached　out　to　her　shoulder；　to　touch　one　curl　of　red　hair　resting　there；　then　turned　away。　Cordelia　fled　down　the　corridor；　Radnov's　propaganda　droning　senselessly　in　her　ears。　Her　plan　blossomed　furiously　in　her　mind。　Her　reason　yammered　protest；　like　a　rider　on　a　runaway　horse；　you　have　no　duty　to　these　Barrayarans；　your　duty　is　to　Beta　Colony；　to　Stuben；　to　the　Rene　Magritte…your　duty　is　to　escape；　and　warn。。。
　She　swung　into　her　cabin。　Wonder　of　wonders；　Stuben　and　Lai　were　still　there。　They　looked　up；　alarmed　by　her　wild　appearance。
　〃Go　to　sickbay　now。　Pick　up　Dubauer　and　take　him　to　the　shuttle。　When　were　Pete　and　Mac　supposed　to　report　back　there　if　they　couldn't　find　him？〃
　〃In…〃　Lai　checked　his　time；　〃ten　minutes。〃
　〃Thank　God。　When　you　get　to　sickbay；　tell　the　surgeon　that　Captain　Vorkosigan　ordered　you　to　bring　Dubauer　to　me。　Lai；　you　wait　in　the　corridor。　You'd　never　fool　the　surgeon。　Dubauer　can't　talk。　Don't　act　surprised　by　his　condition。　When　you　get　to　the　shuttle；　wait…let　me　see　your　chrono；　Lai…till　0620　our　ship　time；　then　take　off。　If　I'm　not　back　by　then　I'm　not　ing。　Full　power　and　don't　look　back。　Exactly　how　many　men　did　Radnov　and　Darobey　have　with　them？〃
　〃Ten　or　eleven；　I　guess；〃　Stuben　said。
　〃All　right。　Give　me　your　stunner。　Go。　Go。　Go。〃
　〃Captain；　we　came　here　to　rescue　you！〃　cried　Stuben；　bewildered。
　Words　failed　her　utterly。　She　put　a　hand　on　his　shoulder　instead。　〃I　know。　Thank　you。〃　She　ran。
　Approaching　engineering　from　one　deck　above；　she　came　to　an　intersection　of　two　corridors。　Down　the　larger　was　a　group　of　men　assembling　and　checking　weapons。　Down　the　smaller　were　two　men　covering　an　entry　port　to　the　next　deck；　a　last　checkpoint　before　territory　covered　by　Radnov's　fire。　One　of　them　was　Yeoman　Nilesa。　She　pounced　on　him。
　〃Captain　Vorkosigan　sent　me　down；〃　she　lied。　〃He　wants　me　to　try　one　last　effort　at　negotiation；　as　a　neutral　in　the　affair。〃
　〃That's　a　waste　of　time；〃　observed　Nilesa。
　〃So　he　hopes；〃　she　improvised。　〃It'll　keep　them　tied　up　while　he's　getting　ready。　Can　you　get　me　in　without　alarming　anybody？〃
　〃I　can　try；　I　guess。〃　Nilesa　went　forward　and　undogged　a　circular　hatch　in　the　floor　at　the　end　of　the　corridor。
　〃How　many　guards　on　this　entrance？〃　she　whispered。
　〃Two　or　three；　I　think。〃
　The　hatch　swung　up；　revealing　a　man…width　access　tube　with　a　ladder　up　one　side　and　a　pole　down　the　middle。
　〃Hey；　Wentz！〃　he　shouted　down　it。
　〃Who's　that？〃　a　voice　floated　up。
　〃Me；　Nilesa。　Captain　Vorkosigan　wants　to　send　that　Betan　frill　down　to　talk　to　Radnov。〃
　〃What　for？〃
　〃How　the　hell　should　I　know？　You're　the　ones　who're　supposed　to　have　m　pickups　in　everybody's　bunks。　Maybe　she's　not　such　a　good　lay　after　all。〃　Nilesa　shrugged　an　apology　toward　her；　and　she　accepted　it　with　a　nod。
　There　was　a　whispered　debate　below。
　〃Is　she　armed？〃
　Cordelia；　readying　both　stunners；　shook　her　head。
　〃Would　you　give　a　weapon　to　a　Betan　frill？〃　Nilesa　called　back　rhetorically；　watching　her　preparations　in　puzzlement。
　〃All　right。　Put　her　in；　dog　the　hatch；　and　let　her　drop。　If　you　don't　close　the　hatch　before　she　drops；　we'll　shoot　her。　Got　that？〃
　〃Yo。〃
　〃What'll　I　be　looking　at　when　I　get　to　the　bottom？〃　she　quizzed　Nilesa。
　〃Nasty　spot。　You'll　be　standing　in　a　sort　of　niche　in　the　storeroom　off　the　main　control　room。　You　can　only　get　one　man　at　a　time　through　it；　and　you're　pinned　in　there　like　a　target；　with　the　wall　on　three　sides。　It's　designed　that　way　on　purpose。〃
　〃No　way　to　rush　them　through　it？　I　mean；　you're　not　planning　to？〃
　〃No　way　in　hell。〃
　〃Good。　Thanks。〃
　Cordelia　climbed　down　into　the　tube；　and　Nilesa　closed　the　hatch　over　her　with　a　sound　like　the　lid　of　a　coffin。
　〃All　right；〃　came　the　voice　from　below；　〃drop。〃
　〃It's　a　long　way　down；〃　she　called　back；　having　no　trouble　sounding　tremulous。　〃I'm　afraid。〃
　〃Screw　it。　I'll　catch　you。〃
　〃All　right。〃　She　wrapped　her　legs　and　one　arm　around　the　pole。　Her　hand　shook　as　she　jammed　the　second　stunner　into　her　holster。　Her　stomach　pumped　sour　bile　into　the　back　of　her　throat。　She　swallowed；　took　a　deep　breath　to　keep　it　there；　held　her　stunner　pointed　ready；　and　dropped。
　She　landed　face…to…face　with　the　man　below；　his　nerve　disrupter　held　casually　at　the　level　of　her　waist。　His　eyes　widened　as　he　saw　her　stunner。　Here　the　Barrayaran　custom　of　all…male　crews　on　warships　paid　her；　for　he　hesitated　just　a　fraction　of　a　second　to　shoot　a　woman。　In　that　fraction　she　fired　first。　He　slumped　heavily　over　her；　head　lolling　on　her　shoulder。　Bracing；　she　held　him　as　a　shield　before　her。
　Her　second　shot　laid　out　the　next　guard　as　he　was　bringing　his　disruptor　to　aim。　The　third　guard　got　off　a　hasty　burst　that　was　absorbed　by　the　back　of　the　man　she　held；　although　the　nimbus　of　it　seared　the　outer　edge　of　her　left　thigh。　The　pain　of　it　flared　screamingly；　but　no　sound　escaped　her　clenched　teeth。　With　a　wild　berserker　accuracy　that　seemed　no　part　of　herself；　she　felled　him　too；　then　looked　frantically　around　for　a　place　of　concealment。
　Some　conduits　ran　overhead；　people　entering　a　room　usually　look　down　and　around　before　thinking　to　look　up。　She　stuck　the　stunner　in　her　belt；　and　with　a　leap　she　could　never　have　duplicated　in　cold　blood；　pulled　herself　up　between　the　conduits　and　the　armored　ceiling。　Breathing　silently　through　her　open　mouth；　she　drew　her　stunner　again　and　prepared　for　whatever　might　e　through　the　oval　door　to　the　main　engineering　bay。
　〃What　was　that　noise？　What's　going　on　in　there？〃
　〃Throw　in　a　grenade　and　seal　the　door。〃
　〃We　can't；　our　men　are　in　there。〃
　〃Wentz；　report！〃
　Silence。
　〃You　go　in；　Tafas。〃
　〃Why　me？〃
　〃Because　I　order　you。〃
　Tafas　crept　cautiously　around　the　door；　stepping　over　the　threshold　almost　on　tiptoe。　He　turned　around　and　around；　staring。　Afraid　that　they　would　close　and　lock　the　door　at　another　firing；　she　waited　until　he　at　last　looked　up。
　She　smiled　winningly　at　him；　and　gave　a　little　wave　of　her　fingers。　〃Close　the　door；〃　she　mouthed　silently；　pointing。
　He　stared　at　her　with　a　very　odd　expression　on　his　face；　baffled；　hopeful；　and　angry　all　at　once。　The　bell　of　his　disruptor　seemed　large　as　a　searchlight；　pointed　quite　accurately　at　her　head。　It　was　like　looking　into　the　eye　of　judgment。　A　standoff；　of　sorts。　Vorkosigan　is　right；　she　thought；　a　disruptor　does　have　real　authority。。。
　Then　Tafas　called；　〃I　think　there　may　be　some　kind　of　gas　leak　or　something。　Better　close　the　door　a　second　while　I　check。〃　It　swung　closed　obediently　behind　him。
　Cordelia　smiled　down　from　the　ce