tz.cobra strike-第30部分

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　Joshua　gritted　his　teeth　and　fell　silent；　and　as　he　did　so　Justin　entered　the　room；　clad　only　in　his　underwear。　For　a　moment　the　twins　gazed　at　each　other　。。　。　and　the　expression　on　Justin's　face　sent　half　the　weight　resting　on　Joshua's　shoulders　spinning　away　into　oblivion。　They　weren't　in　the　clear　yet…not　by　a　long　shot…but　there　was　a　satisfaction　in　Justin's　eyes　that　said　Joshua　had　done　his　job　well；　had　made　the　decisions　that　gave　them　all　a　chance。
　Justin　was　proud　of　him　。。。　and；　ultimately；　that　was　what　really　mattered。
　The　moment　passed；　and；　kneeling　before　his　brother；　Justin　began　to　remove　Joshua's　boots。　Joshua　unfastened　his　own　belt　and　slid　off　his　pants；　and　he　was　beginning　to　work　on　his　tunic　when　Christopher　gave　a　little　snort。　〃All　right；　here　it　is。　Let's　see　。。　…　bypass　here　and　here。　Dorjay？〃
　Joshua　felt　something　cool　slide　between　the　collar　and　his　neck。　〃Hold　still；〃　Link　muttered　from　behind　him。　There　was　the　soft　crackle　of　heat…stressed　plastic　。。。　and　suddenly　the　pressure　on　his　throat　eased；　and　Winward　lifted　the　broken　ring　over　his　head。　〃Out　of　the　chair；〃　Link　said　tersely。　〃Justin？〃
　Joshua's　place　was　taken　by　his　brother；　and　the　collar　lowered　carefully　around　Justin's　neck。　〃Time？〃　Christopher　asked　as　the　Cobras　eased　the　two　broken　ends　back　together　and　began　the　ticklish　job　of　reconnecting　them。
　〃Ninety　seconds；〃　F'ahl's　voice　came　over　the　room　inter。　〃Plenty　of　time。〃
　〃Sure；〃　Link　growled　under　his　breath。　〃e　down　here　and　say　that。　Easy；　Michael。〃
　Joshua　got　his　tunic　and　watch　off　and　waited；　heart　thudding　full　blast　again　as　he　watched　Christopher　and　the　Cobras　work。　If　they　weren't　able　to　do　it　in　time…
　〃Okay；〃　Christopher　announced　suddenly。　〃Looks　good。　Here　go　the　bypasses。。。。〃
　The　wires　came　off；　and　the　cylinders　remained　solid。　Cautiously；　Justin　stood　up　and　reached　for　Joshua's　tunic；　and　by　the　time　Christopher　had　eased　the　protective　ring　out　from　under　the　collar　he　was　nearly　dressed。　〃I　don't　know　where　Yuri　and　Marck　were　taken；〃　Joshua　told　him　as　he　fastened　on　the　other's　watch。
　〃I　know　that；〃　Justin　nodded。　〃I　was　you；　remember。〃
　〃Yeah。　I　just　meant…be　careful；　okay？〃　Justin　gave　him　a　tight　smile。　〃I'll　be　fine；　Joshua…　don't　worry　about　me。　The　Moreau　luck　goes　with　me。〃
　He　slipped　out　the　hatch；　and　Joshua　collapsed　back　into　the　chair　as　the　shock　of　all　that　had　happened　finally　caught　up　with　him　and　his　legs　turned　to　rubber。　The　Moreau　luck。　Great。　Just　great。　And　the　worst　part　of　it　was　that　Justin　really　believed　in　his　imaginary　immunity。　Believed　in　it；　acted　on　it　。。。　and　while　Joshua　sat　idly　by　in　the　Dewdrop's　relative　safety；　his　brother's　superstition　could　easily　get　him　killed。
　〃Damn　them；〃　he　hissed　at　the　universe　in　general…at　Moff　and　the　Qasamans；　the　Cobra　Worlds〃　Council；　who'd　sent　them；　even　his　own　brother　Corwin；　whose　idea　this　had　ultimately　been。　〃Damn　all　of　them。〃
　A　hand　fell　on　his　shoulder。　Looking　up　through　eyes　suddenly　tear…blurred；　he　saw　Link　standing　over　him。　〃e　on；〃　the　Cobra　said。　〃Captain　F'ahl　and　Governor　Telek　are　going　to　want　to　hear　your　analysis　of　the　situation　out　there。〃
　Sure　they　are；　Joshua　thought　bitterly。　The　sole　value　such　a　report　could　have　would　be　to　keep　his　mind　too　busy　to　dwell　on　Justin。　But　he　merely　nodded　and　got　to　his　feet。　He　was　too　tired　to　argue　。。。　and；　actually；　some　distraction　might　not　be　a　bad　idea　right　now。
　He　took　a　moment　to　stop　by　his　stateroom　first　and　get　dressed；　letting　Link　go　on　ahead　without　him。　York　was　nowhere　in　sight　when　he　finally　reached　the　lounge；　but　Telek　allayed　his　worst　fears　before　he　was　able　to　voice　them。　〃Decker's　stable；　at　least　for　now；〃　she　said；　glancing　up　at　him　before　returning　her　gaze　to　the　outside　monitor　display。　〃Monitors　and　I。V。S　are　all　hooked　up；　he'll　be　all　right　until　we　can　figure　out　what　to　do　about　his　arm。〃
　Translation：　where　exactly　it'll　need　to　be　amputated。　Swallowing　the　thought；　Joshua　stepped　behind　Telek　and　looked　over　her　shoulder。　Moff　and　Justin　were　just　getting　back　into　the　armored　bus。　The　explosive　collar；　he　noted　with　marginal　easing　of　tension；　had　been　removed；　as　had　the　〃self…destruct〃　watch　with　which　he'd　bluffed　the　Qasamans。　〃What's　he　supposed　to　do　now？〃　he　asked　Telek。　〃I　mean；　you　did　give　him　some　sort　of　plan　to　follow；　didn't　you？〃
　〃As　much　of　a　plan　as　we　could　e　up　with；〃　Winward　grunted　from　another　display。　〃We're　assuming　he'll　be　taken　to　wherever　they've　got　Yuri　and　Marck。　Once　he's　inside…well；　we're　hoping　Almo　will　have　followed　the　other　two　when　they　headed　south。　With　Cobras　inside　and　outside；　they　should　be　able　to　break　out　of　wherever　the　Qasamans　put　them。〃
　〃Almo　was　going　to　follow　us？〃
　〃He　was　going　to　try。　If　he　didn't　get　down　to　the　crossroads　in　time…〃　Winward　shrugged　fractionally。　〃We'll　hope　he'll　follow　the　road　and　try　to　catch　up。　It's　the　only　logical　thing　for　him　to　do。〃
　Follow　the　road　。。。　except　that　he　wouldn't　know　Moff　would　be　bringing　a　second　vehicle　up　from　behind。　Joshua　shivered　at　the　vision　of　Pyre　caught；　alone；　between　two　carloads　of　armed　Qasamans　and　mojos。　And　with　the　radios　still　jammed　there　was　no　way　to　alert　him　to　the　potential　pincer　closing　on　him。
　Telek　leaned　back　in　her　seat；　exhaling　a　hissing　sigh。　〃Well；　that's　it；　gentlemen；〃　she　said。　〃We've　done　everything　we　can　for　the　moment　for　Yuri　and
　Marck。　Next　job；　then；　is　to　figure　out　how　to　deactivate　the　defenses　around　the　Dewdrop　so　that　they've　got　a　ship　to　e　back　to。　Let's　get　busy　on　that　one；　shall　we？〃
　The　armored　bus　sped　past　Pyre's　place　of　concealment。　Though　the　windows　were　small　and　dark　his　enhanced　vision　enabled　him　to　identify　two　of　its　occupants：　Moff；　and　the　same　driver　who'd　earlier　taken　the　vehicle　toward　Sollas　with　Joshua　and　an　apparently　injured　Decker　York　aboard。　It　was　back　now；　following　the　same　road　Cerenkov　and　Rynstadt　had　taken　a　half　hour　or　so　ago。　And　the　major　question　of　the　hour：　who　exactly　was　in　there？
　Pyre　rubbed　a　hand　across　his　forehead；　smearing　the　sweat　and　dirt　there　as　he　tried　to　think。　York；　Joshua；　and　Moff　head　toward　Sollas；　Moff；　at　least；　heads　away　shortly　thereafter。　Had　they　decided　to　split　up　the　contact　team；　with　Cerenkov　and　Rynstadt　stashed　away　down　south　while　York　and　Joshua　were　hidden　in　Sollas？　Possible；　but　given　the　lengths　the　Qasamans　had　gone　to　to　keep　their　prisoners　as　far　away　as　possible　from　the　Dewdrop　it　didn't　seem　likely。　Had　they　taken　York　to　the　nearest　hospital　to　treat　what　had　looked　to　be　one　double　hell　of　an　arm　injury？　But　then　why　take　Joshua　along？
　The　sounds　of　the　bus　were　fading　away　down　the　road。　If　he　was　going　to　follow　it；　he　had　to　make　that　decision　fast。
　When　he'd　first　dashed　off　through　the　forest　on　this　crazy　rescue　attempt　the　question　hadn't　even　been　a　debatable　one。　But　since　then　he'd　had　time　to　think　it　all　through　。。。　and　though　it　wrenched　his　soul　to　admit　it；　he　knew　he'd　gotten　his　priorities　scrambled。
　The　contact　team　was；　at　least　from　a　purely　military　standpoint；　expendable。　The　Dewdrop；　with　all　the　data　they'd　collected　about　Qasama；　was　not。　The　Dewdrop　had　to　be　freed　。。。　and　three…quarters　of　her　Cobra　fighting　force　was　still　trapped　inside。
　To　the　southwest；　the　sounds　of　the　bus　had　vanished　into　the　forest。　Notching　his　optical　sensors　up　against　the　darkness。　Pyre　began　circling　cautiously　around　the　vehicles　and　men　that　still　straddled　the　crossroads。　He　could　stay　within　the　relative　cover　of　the　forest　for　a　few　kilometers；　but　long　before　he　got　to　the　airfield　area　he　would　have　to　move　into　the　city　proper　if　he　wanted　any　chance　of　approaching　the　Qasamans〃　tower　defenses　undetected。　The　contact　team　had　spent　little　time　on　the　streets　of　Sollas　at　night…and　none　of　it　near　the　edges　of　the　city。　Pyre　had　no　idea　what　sort　of　crowd　level　he'd　have　to　get　through　once　he　left　the　forest。　If　he　could　steal　some　Qasaman　clothing　。。。　but　he　couldn't　speak　word　one　of　their　language；　and　he　would　at　any　rate　be　instantly　conspicuous　by　his　lack　of　a　mojo　panion。
　The　crossroads；　he　judged；　were　far　enough　behind　him　now　to　risk　a　little　noise。　Senses　alert　for　forest　predators　as　well　as　wandering　Qasamans；　he　broke　into　a　brisk　jog。　Whatever　he　came　up　with；　the　inspiration　had　better　e　fast。　In　five　minutes；　ten　at　the　most；　Sollas　was　going　to　play　host　to　its　first　Cobra。
　
　
　Chapter　18
　
　Joshua's　implanted　sensors　were　reputed　to　be　the　best　the　Cobra　Worlds　had　available；　but　sitting　in　a　bouncing　vehicle　across　from　a　man　he'd　seen　almost　constantly　for　a　week；　Justin　recognized　with　an　unpleasant　shock　just　how　limited　his　piggybacked　experience　of　Qasama　had　really　been。　The　texture　of　the　seat　where　his　hands　rested　on　it…the　odd　paving　of　the　road　as　transmitted　by　the　bus's　vibration…　above　all　the　tangy　and　exotic　scents　filling　the　air　around　him…it　was　as　if　he'd　stepped　into　a　painting　and　found　that　the　world　it　depicted　was　real。
　And　the　whole　effect　made　him　nervous。　He　was　supposed　to　be　an　undetectable　substitute　for　his　brother；　and　instead　was　feeling　like　the　new　kid　on　the　block。　All　he　needed　now　was　for　Moff　to　pick　up　that　something　was　off…color　here　and　bury　him　a　hundred　kilometers　from　Cerenkov　and　Rynstadt　while　the　Qasamans　figured　out　what　was　going　on。
　When　your　defense　stinks；　attack。　〃I　must　say；　Moff；〃　he　remarked；　〃that　you　people　are　nothing　short　of　astonishing　at　learning　new　languages。　How　long　have　you　been　able　to　speak　Anglic？〃
　Moff's　eyes　flicked　to　the　old　man　two　seats　down；　who　let　loose　with　a　stream　of　Qasaman。　Moff　replied　in　kind；　and　the　translator　turned　back　to　Justin。
　　　〃We　will　ask　the　questions　today；〃　he　said。　〃It　will　be　your　position　to　answer　them。〃
　Justin　snorted。　〃e　on；　Moff…it's　hardly　a　secret　anymore。　Not　with　your　friend　here　speaking　as　well　as　I　do。　And　you　said　something　to　me　yourself；　right　after　you　switched　on　the　little　insurance　policy　you　had　around　my　neck。　So　e　on…how　did　all　of　you　learn　it　so　fast？〃
　He　kept　a　surreptitious　eye　on　the　old　man　as　he　spoke；　watching　for　hesitations　with　words　or　grammar。　But　if　t