tz.cobra strike-第9部分

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o　surprise　them；　though。〃　He　tapped　a　display　whose　rolling　image　showed　the　gait　of　a　mechanical　remote…
　The　camera　turned　a　corner　and　stopped；　the　blast　door　and　Justin　framed　in　its　view。　Justin　alone？　Corwin　thought。　But　Almo　was　there；　too。
　The　screen　flared　abruptly　and　went　black。　Corwin　shifted　his　gaze　to　the　fixed…camera　monitors　just　in　time　to　see　Pyre　drop　from　the　ceiling　to　land　in　a　crouch　beside　the　disabled　remote；　hands　curled　into　fingertip　laser　ready　position。　He　checked　around　the　corner；　then　lifted　the　remote　and　carried　it　back　to　the　door。　〃All　clear；〃　he　whispered　to　Justin。
　〃Just　about　ready　here；〃　Justin　whispered　back。
　〃Inside；〃　Sun　said；　〃is　a　key　missile　control　tracking　station。〃　He　leaned　over　to　touch　a　switch；　and　a　vacant　display　came　to　life　with　an　overhead　schematic　of　the　entire　test　area。　Corwin　quickly　located　the　dots　representing　his　brother　and　Pyre　。。。　and　with　a　stomach…wrenching　shock　saw　that　the　room　they　were　about　to　enter　was　far　from　unoccupied。　〃You'll　note；〃　Sun　continued　in　the　same　emotionless　voice；　〃that　there　are　eight　Qasamans　on　duty　in　there。　All　are　armed；　but　the　Cobras　ought　to　have　the　advantage　of　surprise。　Let's　see。。。。〃
　Justin　stood　up　and　pulled　on　the　door　。。。　and　an　instant　before　it　began　its　swing　the　tense　silence　was　shattered　by　the　blare　of　alarm　bells。
　Corwin　would　later　learn　that　Winward　and　Link　had　accidentally　triggered　the　alarm；　but　for　that　first　instant　it　seemed　horribly　obvious　that　Justin　and　Pyre　had　walked　into　a　trap。　The　two　Cobras　seemed　to　believe　that　as　well　and；　rather　than　charging　through　the　open　door；　they　hit　the　wall　on　either　side。　Beside　him；　Corwin　heard　Jonny　mutter　something　vicious　。。。　but　by　the　time　it　seemed　to　dawn　on　the　Cobras　that　they'd　make　a　mistake　it　was　too　late。　The　remotes　in　the　tracking　room　were　on　guard；　and　when　Pyre　risked　a　glance　around　the　door　jamb　he　nearly　caught　a　laser　blast　for　his　trouble。
　Corwin's　jaw　was　clenched　hard　enough　to　hurt；　but　the　figures　on　the　monitor　wasted　no　time　in　recriminations。　Pyre　sent　Justin　a　half　dozen　quick　hand　signals；　got　an　acknowledging　nod；　and　seemed　to　brace　himself。　Both　men　took　a　second　to　fire　apparently　random　fingertip　laser　shots　through　the　doorway　。。。　and　then；　gripping　the　jamb　for　leverage；　Pyre　hurled　himself　into　the　room。
　Into　and　up。　The　tracking　room　monitors　caught　a　perfect　view　of　him　arcing　spinning　into　the　air　like　an　oddly　shaped　gyroscope　ing　off　a　jump　board；　the　antiarmor　laser　in　his　left　leg　carving　out　a　traveling　cone　of　destruction。　He'd　just　reached　the　peak　of　his　jump　when　Justin　came　in　behind　him；　the　younger　Cobra's　flat　dive　and　somersault　landing　him　on　his　back　in　a　sort　of　spinning　fetal　position　。　。。　and　his　antiarmor　laser；　too；　began　its　deadly　sweep。
　It　was　a　classic　high…low　maneuver　Corwin　recognized　from　his　father's　stories　of　the　war。　Between　Pyre's　sensor…guided　air　attack　and　Justin's　lower　horizontal　spray；　effective　cover　simply　ceased　to　exist；　and　in　the　space　of　maybe　a　second　and　a　half　all　eight　of　the　remotes〃　displays　went　dark。
　Corwin　suddenly　realized　he　was　holding　his　breath　and　risked　a　quick　look　to　see　what　Winward　and　Link　were　up　to。　They'd　split　up　since　he'd　last　seen　them；　with　Link　at　what　was　obviously　an　open　outside　door　and　Winward　standing　guard　with　fingertip　lasers　ready　at　the　intersection　of　two　hallways。　Between　them；　the　overhead　schematic　showed　an　impressive　number　of　disabled　remotes。
　A　flash　and　thunderclap　jerked　Corwin's　attention　back　to　the　other　displays；　and　he　was　just　in　time　to
　watch　as　Justin　aimed　his　right　fingertip　laser　at　one　of　the　control　panels　in　the　tracking　room　and　triggered　his　arcthrower。　Corwin's　hands　curled　into　tight　fists　as　the　second　flash　and　crash　came；　he　had　been　burned　once　by　a　faulty　electrical　outlet　as　a　child；　and　the　arcthrower　with　its　high…amperage　current　flowing　along　an　ionized　laser　path　made　his　skin　crawl　in　a　way　the　far　more　powerful　antiarmor　laser　never　did。　But　he　forced　himself　to　watch　as　Pyre　and　Justin　worked　methodically　around　the　room；　destroying　every　scrap　of　electronic　equipment　in　sight。　Pyre　paused　once　before　a　large　shielded　display；　and　a　low　hum　abruptly　filled　the　room。　〃Sonic　disruptor；〃　Sun　murmured；　presumably　for　the　Troft's　benefit。　A　few　seconds　later　Corwin　thought　he　detected　a　muffled　crack；　and　the　hum　disappeared　as　Pyre　moved　on。
　Their　escape　from　the　room；　two　arcthrower　blasts　later；　was　so　straightforward　as　to　be　anticlimactic。　Link　and　Win　ward；　it　now　became　clear；　had　spent　most　of　their　time　clearing　the　exit　route；　and　Pyre　had　to　take　out　only　two　more　remotes。　Winward　joined　them　as　they　passed　his　crossroads　guard　post；　and　by　the　time　all　four　headed　into　the　woods　through　Link's　door　Corwin's　heartbeat　was　almost　back　to　normal。
　〃And　that；〃　Sun　said；　〃is　that。　All　remotes；　shut　down；　signal　the　team　to　return。〃
　Corwin　glanced　beyond　the　central　console　as；　in　the　darkened　areas　around　the　room；　displays　went　uniformly　black　and　the　remote　operators　began　to　stretch　and　stand　up。　Beside　him；　Corwin　felt　his　father's　hand　grip　his　shoulder。　〃I'd　forgotten　what　it　was　like　to　see　Cobras　in　genuine　bat　situations；〃　Jonny　said；　his　voice　showing　lingering　traces　of　his　tension。
　〃Amazing　how　much　adrenaline　the　human　body　can　put　out；〃　another　familiar　voice　said。　Corwin　looked　past　his　father　in　surprise。　So　engrossed　had　he　been　in　the　displays　that　he'd　never　even　noticed　Jonny's　old　teammate　Cally　Halloran　was　among　the　group　Sun　had　assembled。　Halloran　nodded　a　greeting　in　Corwin's　direction　and　then　shifted　his　attention　to　the　Troft　standing　silently　beside　him。　〃I　understand　the　Baliu'ckha'spmi　demesne　feels　the　cost　of　this　initial　expedition　is　too　high；　Speaker　One；〃　he　said。　〃Having　now　seen　Cobras　in　action；　do　you　agree？〃
　Speaker　One　stirred；　its　arm　membranes　stretching　out　like　bat　wings　for　a　moment　before　resettling　against　its　upper　arms。　〃The　Tlos'khin'fahi　demesne　has　always　been　aware　of　koubrah…warrior　fighting　skill；〃　it　said。
　Which　wasn't　exactly　an　answer；　Corwin　realized。　His　father　wasn't　fooled　by　the　evasion；　either。　〃But　not　sufficiently　impressed；　I　gather；　to　absorb　the　extra　costs　the　Baliu　demesne　isn't　willing　to　pay？〃　the　elder　Moreau　suggested。　〃Perhaps　your　demesne…lord　would　like　to　see　a　tape　of　this　exercise。〃
　〃It　would　be　likely　to　interest　him；〃　the　Troft　agreed。　〃Presuming　the　price　is　reasonable。〃
　〃Quite　reasonable；〃　Jonny　nodded。　〃Especially　as　you'll　be　able　to　recover　some　of　the　cost　by　selling　a　copy　to　the　Baliu'ckha'spmi　demesne。　I　think　perhaps　your　two　demesne…lords　will　be　able　to　e　to　a　new　agreement　afterwards　on　how　much　each　is　willing　to　spend　to　have　our　services。〃
　〃Yes；〃　Speaker　One　said；　and　Corwin　imagined　he　could　hear　a　note　of　thoughtfulness　in　the　flat　translator　voice。　〃Yes；　I　think　that　likely。〃
　The　prediction　proved　correct；　and　within　two　weeks　the　financial　quibbles　from　the　Troft　side　of　the　negotiation　table　suddenly　ceased。　It　made　little　difference　to　the　actual　planning　groups；　which　had　already　mitted　themselves　to　the　twin　goals　of　not　scrimping　on　vital　equipment　while　simultaneously　keeping　costs　to　a　bare　minimum。　But　emotionally；　the　tacit
　cane　blanche　was　a　big　boost　to　all　concerned；　and　politically　Corwin　found　in　the　action　a　not…so…subtle　enhancement　of　the　Cobra　Worlds〃　general　reputation。　A　good　thing；　to　a　point　。。。　but　he　still　had　vivid　memories　of　the　days　when　the　Trofts　considered　the　Worlds　a　threat。　The　closing　of　their　connection　with　the　Dominion　of　Man　had　ended　the　Troft's　fears　in　that　direction；　but　it　was　easy　to　see　how　a　rumor　of　power　could　wind　up　being　as　disquieting　to　the　aliens　as　the　real　thing。　For　the　first　time　he　began　to　understand　that　part　of　his　father's　twin…edged　reluctance　to　demonstrate　the　Cobras〃　true　war…making　capabilities。　But　it　was　far　too　late　to　back　out　now。
　Three　weeks　later…barely　eleven　since　the　Council's　approval　of　the　project…the　Cobra　Worlds〃　two　long…range　spacecraft　headed　out　from　Aventine。　On　the　Dewdrop；　bound　for　Qasama；　were　Justin　and　Joshua　Moreau；　aboard　the　Menssana；　destinations　as　yet　not　officially　named；　rode　Jonny　and　Chrys　Moreau。
　Corwin　watched　the　ships　leave；　and　was　left　to　wonder　how　a　planet　with　nearly　four　hundred　thousand　people　could　suddenly　feel　so　lonely。
　
　
　Chapter　7
　
　The　Dewdrop　had　been　Aventine's　only　interstellar　craft　in　the　days　when　the　planet　was　first　colonized；　and　since　its　sole　purpose　then　had　been　to　reconnoi…ter　nearby　systems　for　possible　future　habitation　it　made　little　sense　to　the　Dominion　planners　to　tie　up　anything　larger　than　a　long…range　scout　ship。　With　the　normal　plement　of　five　crewers　and　four　observers　the　Dewdrop　had　probably　seemed　adequately　roomy；　with　a　current　load　exactly　twice　that；　it　was　pretty　damned　crowded。
　Pyre　didn't　find　it　excruciatingly　unfortable；　but　then；　he'd　grown　up　under　conditions　that　were　in　their　own　way　equally　claustrophobic。　The　small　village　of　Thanksgiving；　ringed　by　spine　leopard…infested　forests；　had　by　reasons　of　physical　space　been　a　very　cozy　place；　and　though　Pyre　had　experienced　both　the　greater　anonymity　of　larger　cities　and　the　wide…open　spaces　of　Aventine's　frontier　regions　since　then；　he'd　never　lost　his　ability　to　create　mental　privacy　where　physical　privacy　didn't　exist。
　To　varying　degrees；　most　of　the　other　ten　passengers　also　seemed　to　adapt　reasonably　well。　Justin　and　Joshua；　of　course；　had　shared　a　room　for　most　of　their　lives；　and　even　in　a　cramped　stateroom　got　along　together　better　than　most　other　sets　of　brothers　Pyre　had　known。　The　other　two　Cobras；　Link　and　Winward；　had　survived　both　the　academy's　barracks　arrangement　and　the　intense　training　of　the　past　few　weeks；　and　Winward　mented　at　least　once　that　shipboard　life　was　almost　a　vacation　by　parison。　The　contact　team　members…who；　besides　Joshua；　consisted　of　Yuri　Cerenkov；　Marck　Rynstadt；　and　former　Dominion　Marine　Decker　York…had　been　screened　for　anything　vaguely　resembling　a　neurosis；　and　Pyre　doubted　much　of　anything　would　bother　them；　at　least　noticeably。　And　the　two　chief　scientists；　Drs。　Bilman　Christopher　and　Hersh　Nnamdi；　were　so　busy　testing　equipment；　programs；　and　contingency　branch　schemes　that　it　was　unlikely　they　even　noticed　the　lack　of　breathing　space。
　Which　left　Governor　Telek。
　To　Pyre　it　was　still　a　mystery　why　she　was　aboard　this　mission。　Arguments　about　high　Council　representation　notwithstanding；　it　seemed　to　him　incredible　that　Governor…General　Stiggur　should　allow　a　woman　on　what　was　looking　more　and　more　like　a　military　mission。　Pyre's　attitudes　were　as　healthy　as　anyone　else's；　and　he　had　no　qualms　whatsoever　about　female　doctors　or　engineers；　but　warfare　was　different；　and　Stigger　with　his　roots　back　in　the　Dominion　should　feel　that　even　more　strongly　than　Pyre　did。　Which　led　immediately　to　the　conclusion　that　the　decision　had　been　purely　political　。　。　。　which　led　even　faster　to　the　question　of　why　he；　Pyre；　was　aboard。
　And　that　was　the　really　troublesome　one。　Pyre　hadn't　had　as　much　access　to　closed…door　information　lately　as　he'd　had　when　he'd　been　li