tz.cobra strike-第23部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


e　Qasaman　escorts　left　the　bus　they　stepped　forward。　〃Mayor　Ingliss；〃　Moff　nodded　in　greeting；　〃may　I　present　to　you　the　visitors　from　Aventine：　Cerenkov；　Rynstadt；　York；　and　Moreau。〃
　Where　Mayor　Kimmeron　of　Sollas　had　been　almost　cheerful；　Ingliss　was　gravely　polite。　〃I　wele　you　to　Huriseem；〃　he　said　with　a　nod。　〃I　understand　you　seek　to　learn　about　village　life　on　Qasama。　To　what　end；　may　I　inquire？〃
　So　Qasaman　suspicion　isn't　limited　to　the　big　cities。　Somehow；　Joshua　found　that　more　of　a　disappointment　than　the　lack　of　thatched　huts。
　Cerenkov　went　into　his　by…now　familiar　spiel　about　trade　and　cultural　exchange；　and　Joshua　allowed　his　gaze　to　drift　around　the　area。　Huriseem　seemed　to　have　none　of　the　taller　six…story…plus　buildings　of　Sollas；　and　the　colorful　abstract　wall　paintings　were　also　absent；　but　otherwise　the　village　could　have　been　a　transplanted　chunk　of　the　larger　city。　Even　the　wall's　presence　was　not　intrusive；　and　it　took　him　a　moment　to　realize　the　structure's　inside　surface　was　painted　with　effectively　camouflaging　pictures　of　buildings　and　forest　scenes。　So　why　is　the　outside　painted　black？　he　wondered…and　with　a　flash　of　inspiration　it　hit　him。　Black…the　same　color　as　the　tree　trunks。　A　charging　bololin　must　see　the　village　as　a　giant　tree　and　therefore　goes　around　it。　And　that　meant…
　Reaching　to　his　neck；　he　covered　the　pendant's　translator　mike。　〃I've　got　it；〃　he　murmured。　〃The　Sollas　street　paintings　make　the　place　look　sort　of　like　a　clump　of　forest…same　colors　and　everything。　Keeps　the　bololins　from　shying　away。〃
　There　was　a　long　enough　pause　that　he　began　to　wonder　if　no　one　on　the　Dewdrop　was　monitoring　the　〃　circuit。　Then　Nnamdi's　voice　came　in　over　the　earphone。　〃Interesting。　Weird；　but　entirely　possible。　Depends　partly　on　how　good　the　bololins〃　eyesight　is；　I　suppose。　Governor　Telek's　still　asleep；　but　I'll　suggest　this　to　her　when　she　wakes　up；　see　if　she　got　any　data　on　that　last　night。〃
　〃Fine；〃　Joshua　said；　〃but　in　the　meantime　can　you　find　any　sociological　rationale　for　wanting　those　herds　to　e　trampling　through　Sollas？〃
　〃That　does　put　into　doubt　Moff's　assertion　that　they　simply　can't　keep　the　bololins　out；　doesn't　it？〃　Nnamdi　agreed　thoughtfully。　〃I'll　work　on　it；　but　nothing　es　immediately　to　mind。　Wait　a　second…　face　left　a　bit；　will　you？〃
　Joshua　obediently　turned　his　head　a　few　degrees　in　the　requested　direction。　〃What　is　it？〃
　〃That　red…bordered　sign　near　the　gate…haven't　seen　anything　like　it　anywhere　in　Sollas。　Let　me　get　the　visual　translator　going。。。。〃
　Joshua　held　his　head　steady　for　a　moment　to　give　the　tape　a　good　image；　then　turned　back　to　face　the　others。
　〃Okay；〃　Nnamdi　said　after　a　moment。　〃It　says；　〃Krisjaw　hunts　this　month：　the　8th　and　22nd　atiO。〃　Today's　the　eighth；　I　think；　if　the　numbers　we've　seen　elsewhere　are　accurate。　Wonder　why　they　bother　to　post　a　sign　with　the　other　m　lines　they　have。〃
　〃Maybe　a　village　this　small　doesn't　have　the　same　wiring　as　Sollas　does；〃　Joshua　suggested。　It　looked　at　like　Cerenkov　and　the　Qasamans　had　about　finished　the　preliminaries；　Mayor　Ingliss　was　gesturing　toward　the　an　open　car　of　the　sort　they'd　used　in　Sollas　all　week。
　〃I'll　try　to　find　out；〃　he　added　and　let　his　hand　fall　to　his　side。
　Its　mike　open　again；　the　translator　came　back　online。　〃…will　be　able　to　visit　the　farming　areas　later；〃　Ingliss　was　saying。　〃At　the　moment　many　of　the　workers　are　out　hunting；　so　there　would　be　little　to　see。〃
　〃Is　that　the　krisjaw　hunt？〃　Joshua　spoke　up。　Ingliss　focused　on　him。　〃Yes；　of　course。　Only　krisjaws　and　bololins　are　worthy　of　mass　hunts；　and　you　would　have　heard　a　warning　siren　if　a　bololin　herd　were　approaching。〃
　〃Yes；　Moff　has　mentioned　krisjaws　once　or　twice；〃　Cerenkov　said。　〃I　get　the　impression　they're　dangerous；　but　we　don't　know　anything　more。〃
　〃Dangerous？〃　Ingliss　barked　a　laugh。　〃Immensely　so。　Two　meters　or　more　in　length；　half　that　from　paws　to　shoulder；　with　wavy　teeth　that　can　shred　a　man　in　seconds。　Savage　hunters；　they　threaten　both　our　people　and　our　livestock。〃
　〃Sounds　a　little　like　our　spine　leopards；〃　Rynstadt　mented　grimly。　〃Native　Aventinian　predators　that　we've　been　fighting　ever　since　we　landed。〃
　〃It　wasn't　always　that　way　here；〃　Ingliss　said；　shaking　his　head。　〃The　old　legends　say　that　krisjaws　used　to　be　relatively　peaceful；　avoiding　our　first　settlements　and　willing　to　share　the　bololin　herds　with　us。　It　was　only　later；　perhaps　as　they　realized　we　intended　to　stay；　that　they　began　to　turn　on　us。〃
　〃Or　as　they　found　out　humans　were　good　to　eat；〃　York　suggested。　〃Did　this　happen　all　at　once　or　gradually？〃
　Ingliss　exchanged　glances　with　Moff；　who　shrugged。　〃I　don't　know；〃　the　latter　said。　〃Records　of　those　early　years　are　spotty…the　malfunction　that　stranded　us　here　ruined　much　of　our　electronic　recording　equipment；　and　interim　historical　records　did　not　always　survive。〃　Nnamdi's　voice　clicked　in　on　the　circuit。　〃Pursue　this　point；　Yuri；　everyone；〃　he　said。　〃If　the　krisjaws　are　really　showing　signs　of　intelligence　we　need　to　know　that。〃
　〃The　reason　I　asked；〃　Cerenkov　said；　〃was　that　if　they　really　did　〃realize〃　you　were　settling　here；　they　might　be　a　sentient　species。〃
　〃Our　own　biologists　have　studied　that　question；〃　Moff　said；　〃and　they　think　that　unlikely。〃
　〃They　don't　show　any　great　ability　to　learn；　for　example；〃　Ingliss　offered。　〃All　the　villages…and　some　of　the　cities；　too…hold　periodic　hunts　in　which　often　as　many　as　fifty　villagers　and　visitors　participate。　Yet　the　krisjaws　haven't　learned　to　stay　away　from　civilized　areas。〃
　The　light　dawned。　〃Ah…so　that's　why　you　post　a　krisjaw　hunt　notice　by　the　gate；〃　Joshua　said。　〃So　anyone　passing　through　will　know　about　it；　as　well　as　just　the　local　population。〃
　Ingliss　nodded。　〃Yes。　It's　an　opportunity　to　practice　the　human　predator's　own　hunting　skill；　and　all　who　wish　to　e　are　wele。　Krisjaw　hides　are　also　very　prestigious；　and　many　people　find　the　meat　superior　to　that　of　bololins。　If　you'd　arrived　an　hour　sooner…but；　no；　you　haven't　got　mojos；　of　course。　Nor　weapons；　I　see。〃
　〃Sounds　like　you　should　be　close　to　wiping　the　things　out　by　now；〃　York　grunted。
　〃Actually；　we　are；〃　Ingliss　nodded；　〃at　least　in　the　inhabited　regions　of　Qasama。　I　speak　of　them　as　dangerous　and　numerous；　but　in　fact　a　50…man　hunting　group　is　fortunate　to　return　with　one　or　two　trophies。　In　the　days　when　Huriseem　was　first　built　a　man　could　stand　atop　the　wall　and　shoot　one　each　hour。〃
　〃You're　lucky　any　of　you　survived；〃　York　said。
　Ingliss　shrugged；　a　more　deliberate　gesture　than　the　Aventinian　version。　〃As　I　said；　we　were　fairly　well　established　before　they　began　threatening　us　in　earnest。　And　by　then　our　adoption　of　the　mojos　as　bodyguards　was　also　well　underway。　Ironically　enough；　that　program　was　stimulated　in　large　part　by　concerns　over　the　krisjaws。〃
　〃But　that's　enough　about　ancient　history；〃　Moff　put　in。　〃We　have　a　limited　amount　of　time；　if　you　wish　to　observe　the　village　we'll　need　to　begin　at　once。〃
　For　just　a　second　Joshua　thought　he　saw　something　odd　in　Moff　s　face。　But　then　the　Qasaman　had　turned　away　toward　the　open　car　pulled　up　behind　Ingliss　and　his　panions；　and　Joshua　decided　he'd　imagined　the　whole　thing。
　Looking　around　curiously；　he　followed　the　others　to　the　car。
　It　had　been　literally　decades　since　Telek　had　pulled　the　kind　of　all…night　lab　work　she'd　done　the　previous　night…and　never　had　she　done　it　via　the　waldoes　of　a　remote　analyzer。　Clumping　into　the　Dewdrop's　lounge　around　noon；　she　felt　like　a　good　puter　simulation　of　death。　〃What's　happening？〃　she　asked　Nnamdi；　heading　immediately　for　the　cahve　dispenser　in　the　corner。
　〃What're　you　doing　here？〃　he　frowned　up　from　the　displays　at　her。　〃You're　supposed　to　be　in　bed　doing　some　REMs。〃
　〃I'm　supposed　to　be　running　a　mission；〃　she　growled　back；　bringing　her　steaming　mug　over　and　dropping　into　the　seat　beside　his。　〃I　can　sleep　next　year。　Bil　still　down？〃
　〃Yes。　Left　a　call　with　the　bridge　for　four　o'clock。〃
　And　Christopher　had　done　little　except　watch　and　make　occasional　suggestions。　Amazing　how　tiring　it　can　be　to　kibitz；　she　thought　acidly；　then　put　him　from　her　mind。　〃Is　this　the　village　Moff　promised　us？〃
　〃Yes；　Huriseem。　The　stately　fellow　screen　left　is　Ingliss；　the　mayor。　This　seems　to　be　their　version　of　the　marketplace　we　saw　in　Sollas。　Minus　the　bololins。〃
　〃Then　the　place　is　walled？〃
　〃Solidly。　And　Joshua　brought　up　an　interesting　point　about　Sollas's　wild　color　scheme　a　while　ago。〃
　Telek　listened　with　half　an　ear　as　Nnamdi　described　Joshua's　idea　about　the　cities　seeming　like　clumps　of　forest　to　the　bololins；　the　remainder　of　her　attention　on　the　scent　and　taste　of　her　cahve　and　on　the　organized　chaos　on　the　displays。　With　the　smaller　marketplace　of　the　village；　she　realized　for　the　first　time　that　services　as　well　as　goods　were　on　display。　One　booth　seemed　to　be　manned　by　a　builder；　with　wood　and　brick　samples　on　a　back　table　and　what　looked　like　a　floor　plan　on　a　puter　display　screen　set　on　the　front　counter。　So　why　don't　they　do　the　whole　thing　via　puter？　she　wondered。　They　like　the　personal　contact？　Could　be。
　Nnamdi　finished　his　recitation　and　she　shrugged。　〃Could　very　well　be。　I'll　check　later　and　see　if　the　puter　can　make　an　estimate　of　the　bololins　visual　resolution。　Sure　seems　stupid　to　help　the　bololins　stampede　your　city；　though。〃
　〃That's　almost　exactly　what　Joshua　said；〃　Nnamdi　nodded。　〃Could　there　be　something　we're　missing　here？　About　the　bololins　and　people；　I　mean？〃
　〃I　don't　think　we've　got　the　whole　society　figured　out　after　a　week　here；　no；〃　she　said　dryly。　〃What　exactly　did　you　have　in　mind？〃
　〃Well　。。。〃　He　waved　a　hand　vaguely。　〃I　don't　know。　Some　symbiotic　relationship；　like　the　people　have　with　the　mojos。〃
　〃I'd　call　the　mojos　more　pets　than　symbionts；　myself；　but　given　the　bololin…tarbine　arrangement　the　point　is　well　taken。〃　Telek　frowned　into　space；　trying　to　remember　all　the　forms　of　symbiosis　that　existed　on　the　Worlds。　〃About　the　only　possibility　I　can　think　of　is　that　banging　away　at　the　bololins　helps　drain　off　the　city…dwellers〃　aggressions。　Keeps　them　peaceful。〃
　〃Oh；　their　aggressions　aren't　drained　off；　just　rerouted；〃　Nnamdi　snorted；　gesturing　toward　the　dis…
　pla