05_force_of_arms-第14章

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The　sheath　hissed　briefly　with　a　metallic　rasp　as　the　blade　glimmered　wickedly　under　the　soft　park　streetlights。　〃You're　such　a　fool！　Fight　for　your　life！〃

There　was　something　nauseatingly　vulnerable　and　adoring　in　his　eyes；　the　expression　with　which　he　regarded　her　was　unworthy　of　any　true　warrior…but　it　sapped　her　determination　so。

Yet　inside　her；　a　furnace　as　hot　and　powerful　as　any　Protoculture　engine　burned。　Kill　him！　Kill　him　now；　at　once！　Before。。。before　he　can。。。

〃My　life？　But　why　attack　me？〃　Max　asked　bewildered；　but　his　body　was　already　set…they　were　both　so　locked　into　the　physical　language　of　hand…to…hand　that　a　fight　was　inevitable。

She　brought　the　glitter　of　the　blade　up　into　their　line　of　sight　like　a　fencer　so　that　they　could　both　consider　its　cold　blaze。　〃I　will　have　my　revenge！〃

His　hand　went　to　the　hilt　of　the　knife　embedded　in　the　tree　trunk；　and　she　made　new　calculations　based　on　his　being　armed。　Sterling's　having　a　knife　was　so　much　the　better　as　far　as　Miriya　was　concerned；　she　wanted　to　kill　him　in　a　fight　on　equal　terms；　wanted　to　humble　him　as　he　had　humbled　her…before。。。before　he　could。。。

His　hand　came　away　from　the　haft　of　the　knife…very　reluctantly；　very　slowly；　very　deliberately。　He　turned　back　to　her。　〃I'm　afraid　I　don't　know　what　this　is　all　about。〃

He　left　the　weapon　aside　when　he　might　have　taken　it。　His　life　was　in　danger；　but　in　another　way　his　life　was　there；　staring　at　him；　a　knife　in　her　hand…the　person；　he　was　sure；　he　couldn't　live　without。

I　wonder　what　the　court…martial　punishment　is　for　falling　in　love　with　the　enemy？

〃What　d'　you　mean；　revenge？　If　you're　a　Zentraedi；　I　understand　why　we　have　to…to　fight。〃　He　barely　got　the　word　out。　〃But　why　d'　you　want　revenge？〃

She　held　the　short；　tanto…style　knife　high；　a　miniature　samurai　blade；　burnished　and　keen；　that　threw　the　light　back　like　a　mirror。　〃I。。。have。。。reasons！〃

With　that　she　sprang　at　him；　fast　as　any　jungle　cat。

But　Max　Sterling's　emotions　and　misgivings　were　subject　to　a　sudden　override；　body　and　reflexes　took　over。

An　edge　so　fine　that　it　would　have　cut　a　hair　floating　in　the　air　sliced　through　the　spot　where　he　had　been　standing；　with　a　curt；　sinister　sibilance。　Max　was　already　aloft。

She　spat　a　Zentraedi　oath　in　frustration；　watching　him　dive　and　flip　to　momentary　safety。　He　whirled　on　her　when　he　might　as　easily…and　more　sanely…have　run　for　it。　〃Miriya；　what'd　I　ever　do　to　you？〃

She　wasn't　blind　to　his　decision　to　stand　when　it　would　be　more　advisable　to　run。　Like　a　Valkyrie；　she　lifted　the　knife　blade　again；　so　that　it　threw　back　shards　of　light。

〃You　defeated　me。　And　you　don't　even　know　who　I　am；　do　you？〃

She　swirled　the　blade　around；　en　garde；　so　that　there　was　a　contoured　trail　of　light　between　them。　〃I　am　the　Zentraedi's　greatest　pilot！　And　I　will　not　be　humiliated　by　a　human　insect！〃

She　plunged　at　him；　the　razor…sharp　edge　slitting　the　air。　In　less　than　a　second　she　executed　two　masterful　infighting　moves　that　would　have　disembowled　a　lesser　opponent。

But　Max　Sterling　simply　wasn't　there。　He　made　no　countermoves；　but　he　avoided　the　cuts　and　thrusts　like　a　shadow。　Miriya　was　even　more　enraged　to　see　that　he　wasn't　terrified；　but　rather　mystified。　That　he　still　felt　weakling　human　emotions　for　her。

She　fought　down　the　chaotic　impulses　that　flared　up　within　her。　She　slashed　again；　but　the　knife　hissed　through　empty　space　once　more。

And　she　began　to　know　a　certain　fear。　By　the　Protoculture！　He's　so　fast！　Her　fear　had　nothing　to　do　with　dying；　she　was　Zentraedi。　In　this　strangest　battle　of　her　life；　she　wasn't　quite　sure　what　that　ultimate　and　most　dire　of　terrors　was；　the　dread　that　was　somehow　bound　up　in　Max　Sterling。　She　had　had　many　mental　images；　wondering　about　what　this　utter　demon　of　war　would　be　like；　none　of　them　were　anything　like　the　truth。

〃The　first　time　you　were　lucky！　The　second　time　was　your　final　victory！〃

She　cut　at　him；　barely　missing；　Max　dodging　with　that　same　uncanny　speed。　〃Nothing　can　save　you　now！〃　Miriya　hissed。　〃I　will　defeat　you！〃

She　hurled　herself　at　him；　the　blood　thirsty　edge　ing　around　in　an　eviscerating　arc。


CHAPTER　EIGHT

There　are　old　soreheads　and　young　soreheads　in　our　ranks　who　still　denounce　the　events　that　occurred　near　the　Peace　Fountain　that　night。　Chances　are；　they　won't　get　the　point　of　this　book；　either。
To　paraphrase　Robert　Heilbroner；　〃These　people　bring　lots　of　rigor　to　our　cause；　but　alas；　also　mortis。〃
Betty　Greer；　Post…Feminism　and　the　Robotech　War

Miriya　was　quick；　too；　nearly　as　quick　as　Max；　and　a　clever　knife　fighter。　She　maneuvered　the　next　sequence　of　cuts　so　that　his　route　of　evasion　would　be　past　the　tree's　great　roots；　and　sure　enough；　he　stumbled　and　went　down。

She　dove　at　him　gleefully；　the　white　throat　open　for　her　death　cut。　By　all　rights　the　duel　was　hers；　it　needed　only　the　flick　of　a　wrist　to　end　Sterling's　life　and　expunge　her　shame。　Nothing　could　explain　her　slight　hesitation；　she　who　had　never　hesitated　before　and　had　lost　to　no　other　foe。　Nothing　could　explain　it　except　the　sudden；　vivid　image　of　what　he　would　look　like　when　she　killed　him。

Flat　on　his　back；　Max　looked　up　at　her。　This　was　the　powered…armor　pilot　he　had　fought　to　a　standstill　days　before；　first　in　a　furious　dogfight　over　the　SDF…1；　then　in　a　toe…to…toe　confrontation　in　the　streets　of　Macross　itself。

He　should　have　been　afraid　for　his　life。　But　all　he　could　think　of　was　the　fact　that；　squaring　off　with　Miriya's　mecha；　he'd　kept　hearing　Tex　Ritter's　old　song　from　High　Noon；　〃Do　Not　Forsake　Me；　O　My　Darlin'；〃　echoing　through　his　head。　And　now　he　just　couldn't　help　hearing　that　haunting　line

on　this；　our　weddin'　day…ayy。。。

Miriya　sprang　at　him；　the　blade　cleaved　the　air；　aimed　at　his　heart。　His　body　responded　before　he　had　time　for　coherent　thought；　he　held　up　a　flat　disk　of　rock；　and　the　knife　point　skidded　from　it；　striking　sparks；　nearly　taking　two　of　his　fingers　off　but　missing　but　a　hair's　breadth。

The　miss　put　her　off　balance；　he　worked　a　leg　trip。　As　she　rolled　to　get　free　and　try　for　his　life　again；　he　catapulted　toward　the　first　knife；　which　was　still　buried　in　the　tree。

She　was　after　him　at　once。　To　kill　him　before。。。before　he　could。。。

〃It's　no　use！〃　she　cried　triumphantly；　slashing　at　him。　They　maneuvered　and　feinted；　the　other　knife's　haft　only　inches　beyond　Max's　reach。　〃You're　no　match　for　me！　Oh；　you　may　be　a　great　man；　but　what's　a　man　pared　to　a　Zentraedi？〃

He　faked　her　away　from　the　tree；　turned；　and　had　the　knife　in　his　hand　like　magic；　her　belated　cut　only　chipping　bark。

〃Now；　we'll　see。〃　He　held　the　knife　in　a　fencing　grip；　almost　hesitantly。　She　went　at　him。

Impossibly；　they　set　aside　any　sane　knife…fighting　style　to　fence　as　if　they　held　sabers。　The　knives　struck　scintillas　of　light　from　each　other。　Max　had　learned　to　fence　in　school　and　had　sharpened　his　bat　skills　in　the　Robotech　Defense　Force；　Miriya　was　a　Zentraedi…she　lived　and　breathed　warfare。

Amazingly；　Max　engaged　her　blade　in　a　bind；　whirling　it　around　and　around；　whisking　it　from　her　grip。　It　flew　high；　landing　yards　away。　The　point　buried　itself　in　the　ground；　tantalizingly　close　and　yet　so　far；　too　far。

Max　held　the　point　of　his　knife　close　to　her　throat。　She　raised　her　chin　proudly。　〃I　guess　I　win　again；〃　he　said；　yet　there　was　something　in　his　tone　that　made　him　sound　unsure。

It　was　the　moment　Miriya　Parino；　warlord　of　the　Quadrono；　had　never　thought　she　would　face。　And　yet　there　was　such　a　thing　as　dignity　in　defeat；　such　a　thing　as　her　warrior　code。　〃I've　lost　to　you。〃

This　is　a　shame　I　cannot　endure。　She　sank　to　her　knees；　pulling　the　scarf　down　and　baring　her　throat。　She　waited　for　the　cold　kiss　of　the　blade；　hoping　it　would　e　soon　to　end　her　suffering。　She　couldn't　help　it；　but　tears　welled　up　in　her　eyes…not　from　fear　or　even　anger　but　from　impulses　to　which　she　could　put　no　name。

He　was　hesitating　for　some　reason；　she　thought　that　perhaps　he　was　going　to　show　the　cruelty　a　Zentraedi　might　in　his　position。　She　didn't　blame　him　and　was　bravely　determined　to　endure　whatever　he　might　mete　out；　but　she　thought　that　perhaps　he　simply　needed　a　word　from　her　to　acknowledge　her