douglashill.galacticwarlord-第2部分

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　not　quick　enough　to　follow　the　movement　of　the　legionary's　hand　as　it　flashed　up　and　plucked　the　knife　from　the　air　by　its　insulated　handle。
　In　a　continuation　of　the　same　blurred　movement；　Keill　pressed　the　stud　that　deactivated　the　blade；　and　with　a　snap　of　wrist　and　forearm　hurled　the　knife　back。
　He　had　thrown　to　deliver　the　knife　hilt…first；　for　he　had　no　wish　to　kill。　The　heavy　handle　made　a　dull　smack　as　it　struck　the　knife's　owner　exactly　between　the　eyes。　He　toppled　backwards　and　lay　still。
　Keill　stepped　past　the　crumpled　forms　of　the　two　club…wielders　and　took　hold　of　the　collar　of　Crask's　coverall；　effortlessly　jerking　the　bulky　form　to　a　sitting　position。
　'I　want　what　information　you　have；'　he　said　quietly；　'and　I　want　it　now。'
　'You　bust　m'　arm！'　Crask　groaned；　almost　sobbing。
　Keill　tightened　his　grip；　twisting　so　the　collar　bit　into　the　thick　neck。　'Your　neck　will　break　as　easily。'
　'Don't　…　wait！'　Crask　shouted；　half…choking。　'I'll　tell　y'　！'
　'Go　on。'　The　steely　grip　eased　a　fraction。
　'Don't　really　know　much；'　Crask　mumbled。
　Keill's　other　hand　came　round；　palm　under　Crask's　heavy　jaw；　bending　the　neck　back。　'After　all　this；　you　had　better　know　something；'　he　said　grimly。
　'Wait！　All　right！'　Again　the　grip　eased；　and　Crask；　gasping；　began　to　spill　out　words。　'Just　bar…talk；　see？　Weeks　back。　When　everybody　was　talkin'　about　your　planet；　wonderin'　how　it　happened；　lots　of　rumours。'
　'What　kind　of　rumours　？'
　'Just　space　talk。　You　know。　One　figures　a　sun　flare；　another　figures　a　collision　with　somethin'　from　space。　Nobody　knows。　Then　one　fella；　freighterman；　he　says　he's　seen　some　legionaries。　Two；　three　of　'em。　An'　they're　like　you　…　lookin'　for　others。'
　'What　did　this　freighterman　say　about　them　？'
　'Not　much。　He　didn't　talk　to　them。　One　of　them　was　a　real　big　son　…　dangerous　lookin'。　But　this　fella；　the　freighterman；　he　heard　that　these　legionaries　were　aimin'　to　set　up　a　base　somewhere。'
　Urgency　made　Keill's　grip　tighten　again　on　the　collar。　'Where？'
　'Listen；　go　easy；　will　y'　？'　Crask　pawed　weakly　at　the　fierce　grip。　'Somewhere　out　near　Saltrenius。　That's　all　he　said　…　truth。　Don't　know　nothin'　more。'
　Without　a　word　Keill　flung　the　man　aside　and　turned　to　move　swiftly　towards　his　ship。　Despite　his　control；　his　pulse　had　quickened；　his　eyes　were　bright；　tendrils　of　hope　rose　within　him。　He　had　heard　tales　of　legionaries　being　seen；　had　followed　them　all　down　to　their　ultimate　dead　ends。　But　this　was　different。　A　fixed　base；　of　course！　It　was　the　right　thing　to　do　…　and　then　from　it　send　out　the　word　to　be　picked　up　by　any　other　survivors　from　Moros；　to　gather　them　in。
　Above　him　the　blunt　wedge…shape　of　his　ship　loomed。　He　sprang　up　the　ramp　and　through　the　hatch　of　the　airlock；　sealing　it　behind　him　ready　for　space。　Strapping　himself　into　the　padded　slingseat；　he　swiftly　activated　the　control　panel；　feeding　details　into　his　guidance　puter。　Around　him　the　life…support　system　hummed　sweetly　into　action；　and　in　moments　the　ship　rose　howling　into　the　night；　on　a　towering　pillar　of　almost　invisible　energy。
　As　he　hurtled　through　the　territorial　space　of　Coranex；　Keill　brought　himself　under　control；　regaining　his　calm；　his　patience。　His　eyes　and　hands　automatically　monitored　the　precision　of　his　departure　orbit；　while　his　mind　just　as　automatically　sorted　through　the　details　of　the　journey　ahead。　He　knew　his　fuel　core　was　getting　near　to　needing　replenishment；　but　it　would　probably　last。　His　air　renewal；　food　concentrates　and　the　rest　would　also　hold　out。　Thankfully；　he　would　need　no　stopovers　till　he　reached　the　planet　Saltrenius。
　Idly　he　wondered　why　the　group　of　legionaries　…　two？　three？　…　would　choose　such　a　place。　A　sparsely　inhabited　world；　in　a　minor　system；　well　off　the　major　spaceways。　What　could　it　offer　？　And　who；　he　wondered；　was　the　big　legionary　whom　Crask's　freighterman　had　described　as　'dangerous　looking'？
　But　Keill　had　learned　long　before　the　futility　of　asking　questions　that　could　not　be　answered。　Answers　would　e　when　he　reached　Saltrenius。
　He　had　reached　deep　space　now；　the　planet　he　had　just　left　receding　into　a　small　disc　of　brightness　in　the　rear　viewscreen。　The　other　screens；　forward　and　side；　presented　the　familiar　panorama　…　the　unnumbered　points　of　light　that　made　up　mankind's　Inhabited　Galaxy。
　Keill's　fingertips　issued　more　instructions　to　his　puter；　which　searched　its　prodigious　memory　for　the　position　of　the　planet　Saltrenius；　found　it；　and　set　its　course。
　On　the　viewscreens　the　points　of　light　shimmered；　blurred。　The　puter　was　obediently　taking　the　ship　out　of　planetary　drive　and　into　'Overlight'　…　in　which　a　ship　could　cross　the　breadth　of　the　galaxy　in　only　days。
　The　viewscreens　went　blank。　A　formless　void　gathered　round　Keill　and　his　ship。　In　Overlight；　he　no　longer　existed　in　the　normal　universe。　Moving　unfathomable　times　faster　than　the　speed　of　light；　the　ship　had　entered　a　non…place；　leaving　space　and　time　behind　it。　Only　Keill's　inner　time　sense　remained；　to　note　the　puter's　estimate　of　arrival　at　Saltrenius　in　about　ten　hours。
　He　settled　back　against　the　slingseat；　letting　his　eyes　close　wearily。　It　had　been　a　long　and　active　night　…　and　somewhere；　behind　his　rigid　control；　the　pain　still　flamed　and　seared　throughout　his　body。
　Yet　he　felt　a　fierce　gladness　as　sleep　began　to　close　round　him。　At　least　there　was　a　chance　now　that　he　would　find　others　of　his　kind；　before　he　died。　And　perhaps　then　he　would　also　find　answers　to　all　his　questions。　Even；　if　fortune　willed　it；　a　chance　to　wreak　the　bitter；　hate…filled　vengeance　that　blazed　within　him　more　fiercely　than　any　physical　pain。
　But　that　thought；　all　thought；　faded　as　he　drifted　into　sleep。　And　with　sleep；　as　if　from　the　grey　emptiness　that　surrounded　his　speeding　ship；　came　the　dreams。
　
　Chapter　two
　The　dreams　were　fragmentary　at　first；　as　they　always　were。　Broken；　fleeting　visions　of　a　landscape　…　of　a　bleak　and　inhospitable　world；　dominated　by　chill　expanses　of　desert；　by　towering　ranges　of　rock…fanged　mountains。
　It　was　Keill　Randor's　world　…　the　planet　Moros；　in　the　system　of　a　white　star　on　the　outer　reaches　of　the　Inhabited　Galaxy。　A　harsh　world　it　was；　a　harsh　life　it　gave　to　the　space　colonists　who　had　made　it　their　home　so　long　ago；　during　the　centuries　of　the　Scattering　…　the　time　when　the　human　race　had　spread　itself　out　through　the　many　millions　of　planets　in　the　galaxy；　to　seek　those　thousands　that　could　support　human　life。
　Moros　was　one　of　them；　for　at　least　it　had　breathable　air；　with　water　and　thin　vegetation　grudgingly　available　in　its　central　regions。　It　also　had　a　variety　of　its　own　life　forms　…　the　venomous　reptiles　of　many　weird　shapes；　the　deadly　sand　cats；　the　huge；　horned　mammoths　of　the　mountains；　the　tangled　vine　growths　that　fed　on　flesh　…　all　as　dangerous　and　threatening　as　the　desert　itself。
　Yet　they　had　survived；　those　early　spacefarers　…　survived　and　adapted　to　their　new　home。　And　its　rigours　made　them　and　their　offspring　tough；　resourceful；　self…reliant　people；　who　even　so　had　learned　the　need　for　order；　stability　and　discipline　in　their　lives。　There　was　room　for　little　else；　from　the　beginning；　if　humans　were　to　survive　on　Moros。
　Yet　the　discipline　was　not　imposed；　from　above。　It　was　accepted；　as　a　religion　is　accepted；　by　every　human　inhabitant　of　that　world。　It　was　taught　to　the　children　before　they　were　weaned。　It　became　a　basic　reality　of　life。
　In　the　same　way；　as　they　learned　to　order　and　discipline　themselves；　so　the　humans　of　Moros　learned　to　fight　to　protect　themselves。　Fighting；　against　the　alien　beasts；　the　cruel　environment；　was　also　a　reality　of　life；　was　essential　for　life　itself。　The　people　of　Moros　taught　themselves　and　their　children　everything　they　needed　to　know　for　survival；　in　every　kind　of　deadly　circumstance。　And　that　included　a　strict　schooling　in　forms　of　self…defence　and　bat；　unarmed　or　with　a　wide　array　of　weaponry。
　So　the　people　lived；　their　numbers　grew；　even　finding　a　share　of　contentment　and　satisfaction　in　the　relentless　hardships　of　their　rugged；　austere　lives。　But　Moros　was　a　poor　planet；　with　little　to　offer　the　rest　of　the　galaxy　in　trade。　For　centuries　it　remained　mostly　alone；　unvisited。　And　all　that　time　its　people　developed　and　refined　their　special　way　of　life；　being　more　fiercely　independent；　self…sufficient；　at　one　with　themselves。　They　also　became　a　planetful　of　the　most　skilled；　most　effective　fighting　men　and　women　in　the　galaxy。
　Yet　the　people　of　Moros　never　lost　that　earliest　sense　of　total　mitment。　In　their　world；　munality　ruled　…　cooperation；　sharing；　mutual　aid　and　support。　The　people　of　Moros　did　not　fight　among　themselves。　All　petition　was　relegated　to　an　annual　festival；　the　Martial　Games。　In　their　way　of　life；　private　greed；　destructive　ambition；　selfish　indifference　to　the　needs　of　others　…　such　anti…social；　anti…survival　ways　were　almost　unknown。
　Slowly；　other　human…inhabited　planets　in　that　region　of　the　galaxy　became　aware　of　the　uniqueness　of　Moros。　And　others　saw　what　the　people　of　Moros　had　not　realized　…　that　theirs　was　not　truly　a　poor　planet；　for　it　had　a　special　and　valuable　natural　resource。
　It　had　the　martial　skills　of　its　population。
　Gradually；　the　people　of　Moros　were　invited　to　use　that　resource；　to　trade　with　it　as　if　it　were　minerals　or　food　products。　They　took　their　skills　out　into　the　galaxy；　small　groups　of　fighting　men　and　women；　hired　…　at　substantial　sums　…　to　fight　in　small　wars　on　this　planet　or　that。　They　became　what；　in　an　ancient　human　language；　had　once　been　called　mercenaries。　But　they　felt　no　shame　in　doing　so；　nor　was　any　put　upon　them。
　They　learned　just　how　supremely　skilled　they　were；　pared　to　other　soldiers　in　the　Inhabited　Worlds。　And　the　rest　of　the　galaxy　learned　as　well。　Soon　more　offers　were　ing　in　then　could　be　accepted；　and　Moros　began　to　know　a　measure　of　wealth。
　With　that　ine　…　held　in　mon；　like　most　property　on　the　planet　…　the　people　of　Moros　acquired　new；　up…to…date　equipment　and　weapons。　They　bought　spaceships；　from　one…man　fighters　to　vast　battle　cruisers；　and　created　a　formidable　fleet。　They　visited　other　worlds；　studied　other　advanced　bat　techniques　and　took　them　home　for　their　people　to　m