15_death_dance-第2章

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o　managed　to　find　its　way　into　the　council's　public　and　private　chambers；　and　into　many　of　the　fortress's　Robotechnological　labs　and　inner　sanctums。

There　was　a　smorgasbord　of　food　and　drink　awaiting　everyone　in　the　amphitheater's　antechambers；　the　Regent　nourished　himself　on　applelike　fruits　his　servants　brought　forth。　Edwards　noticed　that　Lang　was　doing　his　best　to　attach　himself　to　the　Invid　leader；　but　the　Regent　seemed　unimpressed；　refusing　to　discuss　any　of　the　topics　the　Earth　scientist　broached。　In　fact；　only　Minmei　succeeded　in　getting　a　rise　out　of　the　Regent。　Edwards　noted　that　the　Invid　could　barely　take　his　eyes　off　the　singer　after　she　had　pleted　her　songs；　and　he　retained　a　slightly　spellbound　look　long　after　the　introductory　addresses　had　menced。

Terms　for　a　truce　were　slated　for　follow…up　discussions；　so　civilians　and　members　of　the　press　were　permitted　to　enter　the　amphitheater　itself。　Edwards　saw　to　it　that　Minmei　was　seated　beside　him　in　the　front　row；　where　the　Regent　could　get　a　good　look　at　the　two　of　them。

The　alien's　initial　remarks　put　to　rest　any　doubts　that　may　have　lingered　in　Edwards's　mind　concerning　the　ongoing　impersonation。　The　Regent　spoke　of　misunderstandings　on　both　sides；　of　a　desire　to　bring　peace　and　order　to　a　section　of　the　galaxy　that　had　known　nonstop　warfare　for　centuries。　He　claimed　to　understand　now　just　what　had　prompted　the　Human　forces　to　undertake　their　desperate　journey；　and　he　sympathized　with　their　present　plight；　hinting　that　it　might　be　possible　to　accelerate　the　timetable　for　the　Human's　return　trip　to　their　homeworld…providing；　of　course；　that　certain　terms　could　be　agreed　upon。

〃It's　a　pity　there　has　been　so　much　loss　of　life；〃　the　Invid　continued　in　the　same　imperious　tone；　〃both　in　Tirolspace　and　during　the　so…called　'liberation'　of　Karbarra。　　But　while　we　may　have　no　cause　for　further　quarrel　with　your　forces　here；　it　must　be　understood　that　no　leniency　could　be　expected　for　those　of　your　number　who　chose　to　join　the　Sentinels。　And　despite　what　you　may　have　been　told　by　the　Tiresians；　those　worlds…Praxis；　Garuda；　and　the　rest…belong　to　me。　The　reasons　for　this　are　plex　and　at　present　irrelevant　to　the　nature　of　these　negotiations；　but　again　we　wish　to　stress　that　the　Sentinels'　cause　was　a　misguided　one　from　the　start。　It　was　inevitable　that　they　fail　sooner　or　later。〃

A　charged　silence　fell　over　the　auditorium；　and　Edwards　had　to　restrain　himself　from　laughing。　The　Sentinels　had　not　been　heard　from　for　four　months　now。　Official　word　had　it　that　the　Farrago　was　maintaining　radio　silence　for　strategic　reasons。　Then；　recently；　there　had　been　open　speculation　that　the　ship　had　been　badly　damaged　during　the　battle　for　Praxis。　But　Edwards　knew　better。　He　felt　Minmei's　trembling　grasp　on　his　upper　arm。　Colonel　Adams；　also　seated　in　the　front　row；　leaned　forward　to　throw　him　a　knowing　look。

〃We　have　only　recently　lost　contact　with　the　Farrago；〃　Professor　Lang　was　saying。　〃But　I'm　certain　that　once　munications　are　re…established　and　an　accord　of　some　sort　is　enacted；　Admiral　Hunter　and　the　others　will　abide　by　its　terms　and　return　to　Tirol。〃

The　Invid　crossed　his　massive　arms。　〃Yes；　I'm　sure　they　would　have　honored　it；　Dr。　Lang。　But　I'm　afraid　it's　too　late。　Four　months　ago　the　Sentinels'　ship　was　destroyed…with　all　hands　aboard。〃

A　collective　gasp　rose　from　the　crowd；　and　Edwards　heard　Minmei　begin　to　sob。　〃Rick。。。Jonathan；〃　she　said；　struggling　to　her　feet；　only　to　collapse　across　Edwards's　lap。

Someone　nearby　screamed。　Lang　and　the　rest　of　the　council　were　standing；　their　words　swallowed　up　in　the　noise　of　dozens　of　separate　conversations。　News　personnel　and　members　of　the　general　staff　were　rushing　from　the　room。　Edwards　snapped　an　order　to　his　aide　to　summon　a　doctor。　Adams；　meanwhile；　was　shoving　onlookers　aside。

Edwards　held　Minmei　protectively。　Once　again　he　sought　out　the　Invid's　lustrous　eyes；　and　in　that　glance　a　pact　was　affirmed。


But　on　Praxis　the　dead　walked…those　Sentinels　who　had　escaped　the　destruction　of　the　Farrago；　and；　unknown　to　them；　a　deadly　host　of　archaic　creatures　returned　to　life　in　the　bowels　of　the　planet's　abandoned　Genesis　Pits。。。

〃Take　a　look　for　yourself；〃　Vince　Grant　suggested；　stepping　back　from　the　scanner's　monitor　screen。　Rick　Hunter　and　Jonathan　Wolff　leaned　in　to　regard　the　image　centered　there：　an　intact　drive　module　that　had　been　blown　clear　of　the　ship　and　had　fallen　into　low　orbit　around　Praxis。　Vince　was　reasonably　certain　the　module's　Protoculture…peat　engines　were　undamaged。

〃And　there's　no　way　to　call　it　down？〃　Rick　asked。　〃A　hundred　miles　or　so　and　an　Alpha　could　reach　the　thing。〃　Normally；　one　could　fly　a　Veritech　to　the　moon　and　back；　but　not　one　of　the　Sentinels'　all…but…depleted　Alphas　was　capable　of　attaining　escape　velocity。

Vince　shook　his　head；　his　brown　face　grim。　〃We　barely　have　enough　power　to　keep　the　nets　alive。〃

〃Then　it　might　as　well　be　a　million　miles　away；〃　Wolff　thought　to　add。

Vince　switched　off　the　screen　and　the　three　men　sat　down　to　steaming　mugs　of　tea　one　of　the　Praxians　had　brewed　up　from　some　indigenous　grass。　After　four　months　it　had　e　down　to　this：　the　GMU's　stores　were　nearly　empty　and　foraging　had　bee　one　of　the　group's　primary　activities。　And　in　all　those　months　they　had　yet　to　e　up　with　an　explanation　for　the　disappearance　of　the　planet's　native　population。　What　was　left　of　the　central　city　and　all　the　surrounding　villages　were　deserted。　But　whether　what　Bela　called　〃the　Praxian　Sisterhood〃　had　chosen　to　leave　had　not　been　ascertained。

Puzzling；　too；　were　the　tectonic　anomalies　and　quakes　that　were　continuing　to　plague　the　planet；　as　often　as　three　times　a　day　now。　The　quakes　had　convinced　the　Sentinels'　Praxian　contingent　that　Arla…NonBela's　〃mother〃　and　the　leader　of　the　Sisterhood…had　struck　a　deal　with　the　Invid　to　move　the　planet's　population　to　some　other　world。　Rick　wasn't　sure　if　he　bought　the　explanation；　but　it　certainly　served　a　therapeutic　need　if　nothing　else。

〃Look；〃　Rick　said；　breaking　the　silence；　〃they're　probably　already　searching　for　us。　Lang's　not　about　to　write　us　off。　And　even　if　the　mining　operation　is　close　to　on…schedule；　they'll　have　at　least　one　ship　readied　with　the　capability　for　a　local　jump。　We　just　have　to　hope　the　Invid　have　lost　interest　in　this　place。〃

The　horde's　absence　these　months　bordered　on　the　conspicuous；　and　with　the　quakes　and　deserted　villages；　Cabell　had　speculated　that　it　was　possible　the　Invid　knew　something　the　Sentinels　didn't。

Rick's　optimism　in　the　face　of　all　this　had　Vince　smiling　to　himself。　Rick　would　always　be　a　mander　whether　he　liked　it　or　not。　〃It's　not　Lang　we're　worried　about；〃　he　said；　speaking　for　himself　and　Wolff。

Rick　caught　his　meaning。　〃Edwards　has　to　answer　to　the　council。〃　There　was　an　edge　to　his　voice　he　didn't　mean　to　put　there。　Lang　had　warned　Rick　about　Edwards　during　one　of　the　last　links　the　Farrago　had　had　with　Base　Tirol；　and　it　was　difficult　to　keep　the　memory　of　that　brief　deep…space　mo　from　surfacing。

〃Don't　underestimate　the　man's　ambitions；　Rick；〃　Wolff　cautioned。　〃I'm　sure　they're　going　to　e　looking；　but　I'm　willing　to　bet　that　Edwards　will　have　the　council　eating　out　of　his　hand　by　then。　Maybe　one　of　us　should　have…〃

〃I　don't　want　to　go　over　old　ground；〃　Rick　cut　him　off。　〃The　only　thing　that　interests　me　right　now　is　a　way　to　reach　that　drive　module。〃

Grant　and　Wolff　exchanged　looks　and　studied　their　cups　of　tea。　Rick　was　right；　of　course：　there　was　no　use　dwelling　on　the　choices　they　had　made；　individually　and　collectively。　Wolff　liked　to　think　that　at　least　Vince　had　Jean　by　his　side　and　the　precious　GMU　under　his　feet。　But　Rick　had　all　but　resigned　his　mission；　and　Wolff　himself　had　left　his　heart　behind。

A　rumbling　sound　broke　the　silence；　causing　the　mugs　to　skitter　across　the　tabletop。　The　tremor　built　in　intensity；　rattling　the　mand　center's　consoles　and　screens；　then　subsided；　rolling　away　beneath　them　like　contained　thunder。

No　one　spoke　for　a　moment。　Wolff　wore　a　wary　look　as　he　loosened　his　grip　on　the　edge　of　the　table　and　sat　back　to　exhale　a　whistle。　〃Course；　Praxis　could　do　us　in　long　before　the　Invid　or　Edwards。〃

〃Pl