rasalvatore.attackoftheclones-第13部分

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　〃You　will　pay　attention　to　my　lead。〃
　
　Anakin　could　hardly　believe　that　Obi…Wan　was　continuing　to　do　this　in　front　of　Padme。　〃Why？〃　he　asked；　turning　the　question　and　the　debate；　trying　desperately　to　regain　some　footing　and　credibility。
　〃What？〃　Obi…Wan　exclaimed；　as　taken　aback　as　Anakin　had　ever　seen　him；　and　the　young　Padawan　knew　that　he　was　pushing　too　far　and　too　fast。
　〃Why　else　do　you　think　we　were　assigned　to　her；　if　not　to　find　the　killer？〃　he　asked；　trying　to　bring　a　measure　of　calm　back　to　the　situation。　〃Protection　is　a　job　for　local　security；　not　for　Jedi。　It's　overkill；　Master；　and　so　an　investigation　is　implied　in　our　mandate。〃
　〃We　will　do　as　the　Council　has　instructed；〃　Obi…Wan　countered。　〃And　you　will　learn　your　place；　young　one。〃
　〃Perhaps　with　merely　your　presence　about　me；　the　mysteries　surrounding　this　threat　will　be　revealed；〃　offered　Padme；　ever　the　diplomat。　She　smiled　alternately　at　Anakin　and　at　Obi…Wan；　an　invitation　for　civility；　and　when　both　leaned　back；　shoulders　visibly　relaxing；　she　added；　〃Now；　if　you　will　excuse　me；　I　will　retire。〃
　
　They　all　bowed　as　Padme　and　Dorme　exited　the　room；　and　then　Obi…Wan　stared　hard　at　his　young　Padawan　again；　neither　seeming　overly　pleased　with　the　other。
　〃Well；　I　know　that　I'm　glad　to　have　you　here；〃　Captain　Typho　offered；　moving　closer　to　the　pair。　〃I　don't　know　what's　going　on　here；　but　the　Senator　can't　have　too　much　security　right　now。　Your　friends　on　the　Jedi　Council　seem　to　think　that　miners　have　something　to　do　with　this；　but　I　can't　really　agree　with　that。〃
　〃What　have　you　learned？〃　Anakin　asked。
　
　Obi…Wan　threw　him　a　look　of　warning。
　〃We'll　be　better　prepared　to　protect　the　Senator　if　we　have　some　idea　of　what　we're　up　against；〃　Anakin　explained　to　his　Master；　logic　he　knew　that　Obi…Wan　had　to　accept　as　reasonable。
　〃Not　much；〃　Typho　admitted。　〃Senator　Amidala　leads　the　opposition　to　the　creation　of　a　Republic　army。　She's　very　determined　to　deal　with　the　separatists　through　negotiation　and　not　force；　but　the　attempts　on　her　life；　even　though　they've　failed；　have　only　strengthened　the　opposition　to　her　viewpoint　in　the　Senate。〃
　〃And　since　the　separatists　would　not　logically　wish　to　see　a　Republic　army　formed　。　。　。〃　Obi…Wan　reasoned。
　〃We're　left　without　a　clue；〃　Typho　said。　〃In　any　such　incident；　the　first　questioning　eyes　turn　toward　Count　Dooku　and　the　separatists。〃　A　frown　crossed　Obi…Wan's　face；　and　Typho　quickly　added；　〃Or　to　some　of　those　loyal　to　his　movement；　at　least。　But　why　they'd　go　after　Senator　Amidala　is　anyone's　guess。〃
　〃And　we　are　not　here　to　guess；　but　merely　to　protect；〃　Obi…Wan　said；　in　tones　that　showed　he　was　finished　with　this　particular　line　of　discussion。　Typho　bowed；　hearing　him　clearly。　〃I'll　have　an　officer　on　every　floor；　and　I'll　be　at　the　mand　center　downstairs。〃
　
　Typho　left；　then；　and　Obi…Wan　began　a　search　of　the　room　and　adjoining　chambers；　trying　to　get　a　feel　for　the　place。　Anakin　started　to　do　likewise；　but　he　stopped　when　he　walked　by　Jar　Jar　Binks。
　〃Mesa　bustin　wit　happiness　seein　yousa　again；　Annie。〃
　〃She　didn't　even　recognize　me；〃　Anakin　said；　staring　at　the　door　through　which　Padme　had　departed。　He　shook　his　head　despondently　and　turned　to　the　Gungan。　〃I've　thought　about　her　every　day　since　we　parted；　and　she's　forgotten　me　pletely。〃
　〃Why　yousa　sayen　that？〃　Jar　Jar　asked。
　〃You　saw　her；〃　Anakin　replied。
　〃Shesa　happy；〃　the　Gungan　assured　him。　〃Happier　than　mesa　see'en　her　in　a　longo　time。　These　are　bad　times；　Annie。　Bombad　times！〃
　
　Anakin　shook　his　head　and　started　to　repeat　his　distress；　but　he　noted　Obi…　Wan　moving　toward　him　and　wisely　held　his　tongue。
　
　Except　that　his　observant　Master　had　already　discerned　the　conversation。　〃You're　focusing　on　the　negative　again；〃　he　said　to　Anakin。　〃Be　mindful　of　your　thoughts。　She　was　pleased　to　see　us…leave　it　at　that。　Now；　let's　check　the　security　here。　We　have　much　to　do。〃
　
　Anakin　bowed。　〃Yes；　Master。〃
　
　He　could　say　the　pliant　words　because　he　had　to；　but　the　young　Padawan　could　not　dismiss　that　which　was　in　his　heart　and　in　his　thoughts。
　
　　Padme　sat　at　her　vanity；　brushing　her　thick　brown　hair；　staring　into　the　mirror　but　not　really　seeing　anything　there。　Her　thoughts　were　replaying　again　and　again　the　image　of　Anakin；　the　look　he　had　given　her。　She　heard　his　words　again；
　
　〃。。。　grown　more　beautiful；〃　and　though　Padme　was　undeniably　that；　those　were　not　words　she　was　used　to　hearing。　Since　she　had　been　a　young　girl；　Padme　had　been　involved　in　politics；　quickly　rising　to　powerful　and　influential　positions。　Most　of　the　men　she　had　e　into　contact　with　had　been　more　concerned　with　what　she　could　bring　to　them　in　practical　terms　than　with　her　beauty；　or；　for　that　matter；　with　any　true　personal　feelings　for　her。　As　Queen　of　Naboo　and　now　as　Senator；　Padme　was　well　aware　that　she　was　attractive　to　men　in　ways　deeper　than　physical　attraction；　in　ways　deeper　than　any　emotional　bond。
　
　Or　perhaps　not　deeper　than　the　latter；　she　told　herself；　for　she　could　not　deny　the　intensity　in　Anakin's　eyes　as　he　had　looked　at　her。
　
　But　what　did　it　mean？
　
　She　saw　him　again；　in　her　thoughts。　And　clearly。　Her　mental　eye　roamed　over　his　lean　and　strong　frame；　over　his　face；　tight　with　the　intensity　that　she　had　always　admired；　and　yet　with　eyes　sparkling　with　joy；　with　mischief；　with。　。　。
　
　With　longing？
　
　That　thought　stopped　the　Senator。　Her　hands　slipped　down　to　her　sides；　and　she　sat　there；　staring　at　herself；　judging　her　own　appearance　as　Anakin　might。
　
　After　a　few　long　moments；　Padme　shook　her　head；　telling　herself　that　it　was　crazy。　Anakin　was　a　Jedi　now。　That　was　their　dedication　and　their　oath；　and　those　things；　above　all　else；　were　things　Padme　Amidala　admired。
　
　How　could　he　even　look　at　her　in　such　a　manner？
　
　So　it　was　all　her　imagination。
　
　Or　was　it　her　fantasy？
　
　Laughing　at　herself；　Padme　lifted　her　brush　to　her　hair　again；　but　she　paused　before　she　had　even　begun。　She　was　wearing　a　silky　white　nightgown；　and　there　were；　after　all；　security　cams　in　her　room。　Those　cams　had　never　really　bothered　her；　since　she　had　always　looked　at　them　clinically。
　
　Security　cams；　with　guards　watching　her　every　move；　were　a　fact　of　her　existence；　and　so　she　had　learned　to　go　about　her　daily　routines；　even　the　private　ones；　without　a　second　thought　to　the　intrusive　eyes。
　
　But　now　she　realized　that　a　certain　young　Jedi　might　be　on　the　other　end　of　those　lenses。
　
　Chapter　Seven
　
　　Clad　in　gray　armor　that　was　somewhat　outdated；　burned　from　countless　blaster　shots；　but　still　undeniably　effective；　the　bounty　hunter　stood　easily　on　the　ledge；　a　hundred　stories　and　more　up　from　the　Coruscant　street。　His　helmet；　too；　was　gray；　except　for　a　blue　ridge　crossing　his　eyes　and　running　down　from　brow　to　chin。　His　perch　seemed　somewhat　precarious；　considering　the　wind　at　this　height；　but　to　one　as　agile　and　skilled　as　Jango；　and　with　a　penchant　for　getting　himself　into　and　out　of　difficult　places；　this　was　nothing　out　of　the　ordinary。
　
　Right　on　time；　a　speeder　pulled　up　near　the　ledge　and　hovered　there；　Jango's　associate；　Zam　Wesell；　nodded　to　him　and　climbed　out；　stepping　lithely　onto　the　ledge　in　front　of　a　couple　of　bright　advertisement　windows。　She　wore　a　red　veil　over　the　bottom　half　of　her　face。　This　was　not　a　statement　of　modesty　or　fashion。　Like　everything　else　she　wore；　from　her　blaster　to　her　armor　to　her　other　concealed　and　equally　deadly　weapons；　Zam's　veil　was　a　practical　implement；　used　to　hide　her　Clawdite　features。　Clawdites　were　not　a　trusted　species；　for　obvious　reasons。
　〃You　know　that　we　failed？〃　Jango　asked；　getting　right　to　the　point。　〃You　told　me　to　kill　those　in　the　Naboo　starship；〃　Zam　said。　〃I　hit　the　ship；　but　they　used　a　decoy。　Those　who　were　aboard　are　all　dead。〃
　
　Jango　fixed　her　with　a　smirk；　and　didn't　bother　to　call　her　words　a　dodge。
　〃We'll　have　to　try　something　more　subtle　this　time。　My　client　is　getting　impatient。　There　can　be　no　more　mistakes。〃　As　he　finished；　he　handed　Zam　a　hollow；　transparent　tube　containing　a　pair　of　whitish　centipedelike　creatures　as　long　as　his　forearm。
　〃Kouhuns；〃　he　exp