douglashill.galacticwarlord-第4部分

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　Until　it　was　broken　by　the　warning；　from　the　puter　in　his　helmet　municator；　that　the　sensors　had　picked　up　a　lone　ship；　approaching　fast　from　the　planet's　surface。
　Keill　was　back　at　his　controls　in　seconds；　readying　his　undamaged　weapons；　examining　in　his　screen　the　glinting　speck　of　metal　that　was　sweeping　towards　him。
　Then　it　was　close　enough　for　him　to　recognize　the　blue　circlet　embossed　on　its　side；　and　his　battle…readiness　relaxed。　It　was　one　of　the　ships　from　his　own　Strike　Group　…　the　ship　of　Oni　Wolda。
　Keill　waited　tensely　while　the　other　ship　slid　into　parallel　orbit。　Then；　as　he　expected；　the　municator　came　to　life。　It　did　so　with　a　cracking　buzz　that　indicated　strong　interference　…which　might　have　puzzled　Keill；　had　not　the　words　themselves　driven　all　other　thoughts　from　his　mind。
　'Oni　Wolda　to　Keill　Randor　Oni　to　Keill　The　planet　is　dead　The　whole　planet　Every　person　Every　living　thing　Nothing　left　alive　on　the　surface'
　The　horror　took　hold　of　Keill；　stopping　his　breathing；　seeming　to　squeeze　his　heart　in　its　icy　grip。　Even　the　municator　paused；　as　if　Oni　herself　could　not　find　words　to　follow　the　enormity　of　that　statement。
　'Attack　came　with　no　warning　Unknown　radiation　released　over　entire　planet　Central　mand　set　up　a　beacon；　before　they　died；　to　warn　groups　like　ours　But　too　much　interference　Too　weak　We　did　not　pick　up　the　warning　till　too　late'
　Too　late　？　The　words　echoed　in　Keill's　shocked　mind　as　Oni　went　on。
　'Keill　Pain　began　in　us　almost　at　once　Knew　what　it　meant　Nothing　to　be　done　Rest　of　Group　went　on　to　land　To　die　on　Moros　with　the　others　I　came　to　stop　you　Don't　know　if　you're　safe　even　this　far　out'
　Keill's　face　twisted；　his　body　hunched；　aching；　torn　with　a　grief　that　was　inconsolable；　a　fury　that　was　beyond　bearing。　Oni's　voice　went　on；　though　Keill　had　already　anticipated　the　rest　of　the　terrible　message。
　'This　is　a　recording　Keill　I　am　dying　too　Will　be　dead　when　you　hear　this　Go　Overlight　and　get　away　Do　not　approach　planet　Nothing　to　be　seen　or　done　Save　yourself　if　you　still　can　Warn　other　legionaries　if　there　are　any　alive
　'And　if　you　live　try　to　find　who　did　this　evil　Avenge　us　Keill　Avenge　the　murder　of　Moros'
　For　a　long　time　…　too　long　…　Keill　sat　motionless；　while　grief　and　horror　and　savage　rage　tore　at　his　sanity。　But　in　the　end　some　of　the　strength　of　his　mind　and　will　returned。　He　forced　his　numb　fingers　to　the　controls；　and　sent　his　ship　into　Over…light。
　Only　moments　later　he　re…emerged　into　normal　space；　far　beyond　the　outer　reaches　of　the　solar　system　that　contained　his　now　dead　and　deadly　world。　There　he　set　up　a　beacon　of　his　own；　instructing　his　puter　to　broadcast　a　message　on　a　wide　and　regular　sweep；　which　would　be　picked　up　by　any　other　late…ing　legionaries　and　save　them　from　the　deathtrap　that　awaited　them　on　Moros。
　Then　he　went　doggedly；　automatically；　back　to　the　labour　of　finishing　the　repairs　to　his　planetary　drive。
　The　work　was　pleted　quickly。　But　even　then　Keill　did　not　move　away。　Blank　and　unmoving；　he　sat　and　stared　out　at　space；　unaware　of　the　passage　of　time；　trying　to　e　to　terms　with　the　monstrous　reality　that　had　so　nearly　unhinged　his　mind。　Several　times　he　toyed　with　the　thought　that　Oni　might　have　been　wrong　…　or　that　it　had　not　been　Oni　at　all；　but　some　enemy's　trick　…　and　that　he　should　after　all　return　and　descend　to　Moros　to　see　for　himself。
　But　he　always　managed　to　resist　the　impulse。　It　had　been　Oni's　ship；　and　there　had　been　no　time　for　an　enemy　to　use　it　for　an　elaborate　deception。　And　he　knew　by　instinct　somehow　that　her　dying　message　had　been　real；　and　true。
　Meanwhile　his　municator　tirelessly　broadcast　his　warning　…　but　received　no　reply。　And　a　fearful　thought　began　to　grow　in　him　…　that　there　might　never　be　a　reply。
　What　if　his　Strike　Group　had　been　the　farthest　from　home　of　any　unit　of　the　Legions　？　What　if　they　had　been　the　very　last　to　arrive；　and　last　to　descend　into　the　fatal　aura　of　the　radiation　？　That　would　make　him。。。
　The　last　legionary。
　But　as　the　hours　passed；　something　else　…　not　intuition　but　physical　sensation；　from　within　his　body　…　told　him　that；　even　if　it　were　true；　that　he　was　the　only　one　left；　it　was　not　likely　to　matter　to　him　for　very　long。
　It　seemed　to　emanate　from　his　very　bones　…　faint；　but　tangible　and　definite。
　A　deep…lying　sensation　of　burning　pain。
　Oni's　gallant　attempt　to　save　him　had　not　worked。　Even　as　far　from　the　planet　as　he　had　been；　some　radiation　must　have　reached　him。　A　weaker　dose；　though；　which　would　let　him　live　a　while　yet。
　How　long　he　would　have　was　not　the　most　important　question　in　his　mind。　Far　more　urgent　were　the　questions　that　bore　with　them　the　full　power　of　his　sorrow　and　his　rage：　who　and　why？
　But　the　fact　that　he　would　have　only　a　limited　time　to　seek　the　answers　restored　him　to　himself；　a　legionary　again；　and　galvanized　him　into　action。
　He　turned　his　ship　away　from　the　solar　system　of　Moros；　and　began　the　slow；　frustrating　process　of　his　search。
　From　world　to　world　he　moved；　watching；　listening；　asking　his　careful　questions。　Whenever　he　was　in　space；　his　municator　kept　up　its　patient　broadcast。　And　the　weeks；　the　months；　passed　uselessly。
　Whoever　had　attacked　Moros　had　covered　their　tracks　well。　The　news　of　the　planet's　destruction　spread　round　the　Inhabited　Worlds　quickly；　as　such　news　always　did　…　but　Keill　could　find　not　one　grain　of　fact　or　hope　within　the　quantities　of　speculation　and　rumour。　So　he　had　e　to　Coranex；　just　one　more　stop　in。　his　random；　desperate　planet…hopping　…knowing　with　bitter　rage　how　rapidly　his　time　was　running　out。
　The　pain　within　him　had　grown　steadily　more　fierce；　though　in　the　legionary's　way　he　had　kept　it　firmly　under　control；　so　that　no　one　would　have　guessed　that　he　was　not　in　perfect　health。　But　at　last；　on　one　of　his　earlier　planetary　stops；　he　had　spent　a　few　galacs　to　consult　a　space　medic。
　The　medic　made　exhaustive　tests。　And　the　gloom　that　settled　on　his　brow　was　enough　to　tell　Keill　the　results。
　The　radiation　…　from　some　altered　isotope　unrecognized　by　either　Keill　or　the　medic　…　had　settled　in　Keill's　bones。　There　it　was　creating　cellular　changes　and　breakdowns　that　were　surely；　inevitably；　killing　him。
　A　month　more；　the　medic　had　said。　Two　at　the　most。
　More　than　half　of　that　month　had　passed　by　the　time　he　made　planetfall　on　Coranex。　Keill　had　almost　begun　looking　forward　to　the　end　…　not　only　as　a　release　from　the　pain。　It　would　also　release　him　from　the　dreams　that　came　to　torment　his　nights；　in　which　he　re…lived　the　terrible　day　when　he　thought　he　was　rushing　to　his　planet's　aid　and　found　he　had　e　to　join　it　only　in　death。
　And　it　would　release　him　from　the　despair　which　came　with　the　growing　realization　that　his　search　for　other　legionary　survivors　seemed　more　and　more　hopeless。
　But　now　。　。　。　hope　had　revived。　If　the　man　called　Crask　had　been　speaking　the　truth；　he　was　only　hours　from　a　meeting　with　other　survivors；　and　perhaps　some　answers　to　the　questions　that　plagued　him　as　fiercely　as　the　pain。
　（The　flavour　of　that　anticipation　reached　into　the　dream；　filled　it；　changed　its　nature。　The　tense　movements　of　his　closed　eyes　dwindled　as　the　dream　images　fragmented　again　and　scattered。　For　the　first　time　in　weeks；　Keill　sank　deeper　into　a　peaceful；　undisturbed　sleep。　And　his　ship　plunged　on　through　nothingness；　towards　a　planet　called　Saltrenius。）
　The　spaceport　at　Saltrenius　might　have　been　the　port　at　Coranex　…　the　same　plasticrete　surface；　scarred　and　crumbled　here　and　there　from　shoddy　maintenance　and　the　batterings　of　a　thousand　ships　…　the　same　low；　shabby　buildings　where　bored　officials　scanned　identification；　took　details；　yawningly　accepted　landing　fees。
　Even　the　town　clustered　near　the　port　might　have　been　transplanted　from　Coranex　and　all　the　other　small；　unimportant　worlds　like　it。　Of　course　there　were　differences：　the　shape　of　the　buildings；　the　appearance　and　dress　of　the　people。　Saltrenius　was　grimier　than　most　worlds；　for　much　of　the　planet　was　devoted　to　gathering　and　processing　a　dusty　residue　from　the　bark　of　a　native　plant；　used　on　many　worlds　in　medical　pounds。　The　dust；　Keill　found；　was　everywhere　…especially；　it　seemed；　on　the　usual　assortment　of　dingy　buildings　devoted　to　the　less　choosy　pleasure…seekers　among　space　travellers。
　This　time；　though；　Keill　avoided　those　streets。　He　was　looking　for　a　different　source　of　information　…　local　facts；　this　time；　rather　than　space　talk。　Every　world　naturally　had　its　own　forms　of　munications　media　…　holo…screen　or　the　more　out…dated　ultravid。　The　media　people　were　the　ones　most　likely　to　know　what　he　needed　to　know。
　A　few　questions；　and　he　located　the　building　he　wanted；　which　housed　the　local　office　of　the　munications　network。　Squat；　grey　and　dull　the　building　was；　and　Keill　spared　it　hardly　a　glance。　A　few　more　questions；　a　few　galacs　changing　hands；　and　a　secretary　was　going　in　search　of　a　network　newsman。　'Just　the　man　you　want；'　Keill　had　been　told。　'Knows　everything　going　on　in　Saltrenius。'
　Only　minutes　later　Keill　was　sitting　in　a　noisy；　crowded　reception　area；　with　a　beaker　of　some　unidentifiable　fluid　before　him；　while　across　the　table　a　grey　old　man　who　said　his　name　was　Xann　Exur　was　gulping　a　similar　beakerful　with　every　sign　of　deep　enjoyment。
　At　last　the　beaker　was　set　down；　empty。　Keill；　his　own　still　untasted；　signalled　a　bartender　for　another；　then　looked　hopefully　at　the　old　man。
　Exur　wiped　his　lips；　loose　grey　flesh　wobbling　at　jowl　and　throat。　'Sure　I　can　help　you；　boy。　Glad　to。　Always　thought　well　of　the　Legions　…　terrible　thing　that　happened。'
　Keill　nodded；　waiting。
　The　old　man　leaned　forward。　In　his　eyes　shone　the　eternal　hope　of　a　professional　newsman　scenting　a　story。　'Any　ideas　yourself　how　it　happened　？'
　Keill　shook　his　head。　'If　you　can　tell　me　what　I　want　to　know；　I　might　be　on　the　way　to　some　ideas。　But　I　haven't　much　time。'
　Exur　looked　disappointed。　'Ah　well；　imagine　it'll　all　e　out　someday。'　His　second　drink　came；　and　he　was　about　to　gulp　it　in　the　wake　of　the　first　when　Keill　leaned　forward　and　took　hold　of　the　skinny　wrist。　The　grip　was　light；　but　the　old　man　did　not　fail　to　sense　the　steely　strength　within　those　fingers。
　'I　sa