lmb.shardsofhonor-第33章

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　〃Helski　went　forward　with　the　Prince　and　Admiral　Vorhalas；　sir。　modore　Couer　is　here　now。　You're　the　ranking　flag　officer　aboard　now。〃
　〃The　Prince　was　quite　explicit。〃
　〃The　Prince…I　believe　the　Prince　is　dead；　sir。〃　Vorkosigan　closed　his　eyes；　and　a　sigh　went　out　of　him；　joylessly。　He　opened　them　again；　and　leaned　forward。　〃Is　that　confirmed？　Do　you　have　any　new　orders　from　Admiral　Vorhalas？〃
　〃It's…Admiral　Vorhalas　was　with　the　Prince；　sir。　Their　ship　was　hit。〃　Venne　turned　away　to　view　something　over　his　shoulder；　then　turned　back。　〃It's；〃　he　had　to　clear　his　throat；　〃it's　confirmed。　The　Prince's　flagship　has　been…obliterated。　There's　nothing　left　but　debris。　You're　in　mand　now；　sir。〃
　Vorkosigan's　face　was　cold　and　unhappy。　〃Then　transmit　Contingency　Blue　orders　at　once。　All　ships　cease　firing　immediately。　Put　all　power　into　shields。　This　ship　to　make　course　for　Escobar　now　at　maximum　boost。　We've　got　to　cut　down　on　our　transmission　time　lag。〃
　〃Contingency　Blue；　sir？　That's　full　retreat！〃
　〃I　know；　mander。　I　wrote　it。〃
　〃But　full　retreat。。。〃
　〃mander　Venne；　the　Escobarans　have　a　new　weapon　system。　It's　called　a　plasma　mirror　field。　It's　a　new　Betan　development。　It　turns　the　attacker's　burst　back　on　itself。　Our　ships　are　shooting　themselves　down　with　their　own　firepower。〃
　〃My　God！　What　can　we　do？〃
　〃Not　a　damn　thing；　unless；　we　want　to　start　boarding　their　ships　and　strangling　the　bastards　by　hand；　one　at　a　time。　Attractive；　but　impractical。　Transmit　those　orders。　And　order　the　mander　of　Engineers　and　the　Chief　Pilot　Officer　to　the　Tactics　Room。　And　get　the　guard　mander　down　here　to　relieve　his　men。　I　don't　care　to　be　stunned　on　the　way　out　the　door。〃
　〃Yes；　sir！〃　Venne　broke　off。
　〃Got　to　get　those　troopships　turned　around　first；〃　muttered　Vorkosigan；　rising　from　his　swivel　chair。　He　turned　to　find　both　Cordelia　and　Illyan　staring　at　him。
　〃How　did　you　know…〃　began　Illyan。
　〃…about　the　plasma　mirrors？〃　finished　Cordelia。
　Vorkosigan　was　quite　expressionless。　〃You　told　me；　Cordelia；　in　your　sleep；　while　Illyan　was　out。　Under　the　influence　of　one　of　the　surgeons　potions；　of　course。　You'll　suffer　no　ill　effects　from　it。〃
　She　stood　upright；　aghast。　〃That…you　miserable…torture　would　have　been　more　honorable！〃
　〃Oh；　smooth；　sir！〃　congratulated　Illyan。　〃I　knew　you　were　all　right！〃
　Vorkosigan　shot　him　a　look　of　dislike。　〃It　doesn't　matter。　The　information　was　confirmed　too　late　to　do　us　any　good。〃
　There　was　a　knock　on　the　door。
　〃e　on；　Illyan。　It's　time　to　take　my　soldiers　home。〃
　
　CHAPTER　TEN
　Illyan　came　back　promptly　for　Bothari；　barely　an　hour　later。　This　was　followed　for　Cordelia　by　twelve　hours　alone。　She　considered　escaping　the　room；　as　her　soldierly　duty；　and　engaging　in　a　little　one…woman　sabotage。　But　if　Vorkosigan　was　indeed　directing　a　full　retreat；　it　would　hardly　do　to　interfere。
　She　lay　on　his　bed　in　a　black　weariness。　He　had　betrayed　her；　he　was　no　better　than　the　rest　of　them。　〃My　perfect　warrior；　my　dear　hypocrite〃…and　it　appeared　Vorrutyer　had　known　him　better　than　she；　after　all…no。　That　was　unjust。　He　had　done　his　duty；　in　extracting　that　information；　she　had　done　the　same；　in　concealing　it　for　as　long　as　possible。　And　as　one　soldier　to　another；　even　if　an　ersatz　one…five　hours　active　service；　was　it？…she　had　to　agree　with　Illyan；　it　had　been　smooth。　She　could　detect　no　aftereffects　at　all　in　herself　from　whatever　he　had　used　for　the　secret　invasion　of　her　mind。
　Whatever　he　had　used。。。　What；　indeed；　could　he　have　used？　Where　had　he　cadged　it；　and　when？　Illyan　hadn't　brought　it　to　him。　He　had　been　as　surprised　as　she　when　Vorkosigan　dropped　that　bit　of　intelligence。　One　must　either　believe　he　kept　a　secret　stash　of　interrogation　drugs　hidden　in　his　quarters；　or。。。
　〃Dear　God；〃　she　whispered；　not　a　curse；　but　a　prayer。　〃What　have　I　stumbled　into　now？〃　She　paced　the　room；　the　connections　clicking　unstoppably　into　place。
　Heart…certainty。　Vorkosigan　had　never　questioned　her；　he　had　known　about　the　plasma　mirrors　in　advance。
　It　appeared；　further；　that　he　was　the　only　man　in　the　Barrayaran　mand　who　knew。　Vorhalas　had　not。　The　Prince　certainly　had　not。　Nor　Illyan。
　〃Put　all　the　bad　eggs　in　one　basket；〃　she　muttered。　〃And…drop　the　basket？　Oh；　it　couldn't　have　been　his　own　plan！　Surely　not。。。〃
　She　had　a　sudden　horrific　vision　of　it；　all　plete；　the　most　wasteful　political　assassination　plot　in　Barrayaran　history；　and　the　most　subtle；　the　corpses　hidden　in　a　mountain　of　corpses；　forever　inextricable。
　But　he　must　have　had　the　information　from　somewhere。　Somewhere　between　the　time　she　had　left　him　with　no　worse　troubles　than　an　engine　room　full　of　mutineers；　and　now；　struggling　to　pull　a　disarmed　armada　back　to　safety　before　the　destruction　they　had　unleashed　crashed　back　on　them。　Somewhere　in　a　quiet；　green　silk　room；　where　a　great　choreographer　designed　a　dance　of　death；　and　the　honor　of　a　man　of　honor　was　broken　on　the　wheel　of　his　service。
　Vorrutyer　of　the　demonic　vanity　shrank；　and　shrank；　before　the　swelling　vision；　to　a　mouse；　to　a　flea；　to　a　pinprick。
　〃My　God；　I　thought　Aral　seemed　twitchy。　He　must　be　half…mad。　And　the　Emperor…the　Prince　was　his　son。　Can　this　be　real？　Or　have　I　gone　as　crazy　as　Bothari？〃
　She　forced　herself　to　sit；　then　lie　down；　but　the　plots　and　counterplots　still　turned　in　her　brain；　an　gallery　of　betrayal　within　betrayal　lining　up　abruptly　at　one　point　in　space　and　time　to　acplish　its　end。　The　blood　beat　in　her　brain；　thick　and　sick。
　〃Maybe　it's　not　true；〃　she　consoled　herself　at　last。　〃I'll　ask　him；　and　that's　what　he'll　say。　He　just　questioned　me　in　my　sleep。　We　got　the　drop　on　them；　and　I'm　the　heroine　who　saved　Escobar。　He's　just　a　simple　soldier；　doing　his　job。〃　She　turned　on　her　side；　and　stared　into　the　dimness。　〃Pigs　have　wings；　and　I　can　fly　home　on　one。〃　Illyan　relieved　her　at　last；　and　took　her　to　the　brig。
　The　atmosphere　there　was　somewhat　changed；　she　noticed。　The　guards　did　not　look　at　her　in　the　same　way；　in　fact；　they　seemed　to　try　to　avoid　looking　at　her。　The　procedures　were　still　stark　and　efficient；　but　subdued；　very　subdued。　She　recognized　a　face；　the　guard　who　had　escorted　her　to　Vorrutyer's　quarters；　the　one　who'd　pitied　her；　seemed　to　be　in　charge　now；　a　pair　of　new　red　lieutenant's　tabs　pinned　hastily　and　crookedly　to　his　collar。　She　had　donned　Vorrutyer's　fatigues　again　for　the　trip　down。　This　time　she　was　permitted　to　change　in　to　the　orange　pajamas　in　physical　privacy。　She　was　then　escorted　to　a　permanent　cell；　not　a　holding　area。
　The　cell　had　another　occupant；　a　young　Escobaran　woman　of　extraordinary　beauty　who　lay　on　her　bunk　staring　at　the　wall。　She　did　not　look　up　at　Cordelia's　entrance；　nor　respond　to　her　greeting。　After　a　time；　a　Barrayaran　medical　team　arrived　and　took　her　away。　She　went　wordlessly；　but　at　the　door　she　started　to　struggle　with　them。　At　a　sign　from　the　doctor　a　corpsman　sedated　her　with　an　ampule　which　Cordelia　thought　she　recognized；　and　after　another　moment　she　was　carried　out　unconscious。
　The　doctor；　who　from　his　age　and　rank　Cordelia　guessed　might　be　the　chief　surgeon；　stayed　a　short　time　to　attend　to　her　ribs。　After　that　she　was　left　alone；　with　nothing　but　the　periodic　delivery　of　rations　to　mark　the　time；　and　occasional　changes　in　the　slight　noises　and　vibrations　from　the　walls　around　her　on　which　to　base　guesses　about　what　was　happening　outside。
　About　eight　ration　packs　later；　as　she　was　lying　on　her　bunk　bored　and　depressed；　the　lights　dimmed。　They　came　back；　but　dimmed　again　almost　immediately。
　〃Awk；〃　she　muttered；　as　the　bottom　dropped　out　of　her　stomach　and　she　began　to　float　upward。　She　made　a　hasty　grab　and　held　on　to　her　bunk　firmly。　Her　foresight　was　rewarded　a　moment　later　when　she　was　crushed　back　into　it　at　about　three　gees。　The　lights　flickered　on　and　off　again；　and　she　was　weightless　once　more。
　〃Plasma　attack；〃　she　murmured　to　herself。　〃Shields　must　be　overloaded。〃
　A　tremendous　shock　rattled　the　ship。　She　was　flung　from　her　bunk　across　the　cell　into　total　blackness；　weightlessness；　silence。　Direct　hit！　She　ricocheted　off　the　far　wall；　flailing　for　a　handhold；　banging　an　elbow　painfully　on…a　wall？　the　floor；　the　ceiling？　She　spu