tz.cobra strike-第29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！


　〃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…
　play。　〃You　missed　the　bargaining　session　at　a　jewelry　store　half　a　block　back。　These　guys　would　put　Troft　businessmen　to　shame。〃
　〃Hmm。　Probably　a　logical　avenue　to　channel　it　into；　given　the　mojo　ban　on　fighting。　That　and　politics；　maybe。。。。〃
　She　trailed　off。　〃Something　wrong？〃　Nnamdi　asked。　〃I'm　not　sure；〃　she　said；　picking　up　the　mike。　〃Joshua；　do　a　slow　three…sixty；　would　you？〃
　The　scenery　shifted　as　Joshua　plied；　pausing　occasionally　as　he　pretended　to　look　at　some　booth　or　other　。。。　and　by　the　time　he'd　pleted　his　circle　Telek's　odd　feeling　had　bee　a　cold　certainty。　〃Moff　is　missing；〃　she　told　Nnamdi　quietly。
　〃What？〃　He　frowned；　hunching　his　chair　closer　to　the　display　as　if　that　would　do　him　any　good。　〃e　on；　now…Moff　doesn't　even　go　to　the　bathroom　unless　the　contact　team's　off　in　some　corner　where　they　won't　get　into　anything。〃
　〃I　know。　Yuri；　everyone…Moff's　gone。　Anyone　know　where　he　went　or　notice　him　leave？〃
　There　was　a　short　pause。　Then；　at　the　edge　of　the　display；　Telek　saw　Cerenkov　raise　a　hand　to　his　pendant。　〃I　hadn't　even　noticed；　Governor；〃　he　said。　〃There're　so　many　people　around　us　here…〃
　〃Which　may　be　precisely　why　he　picked　this　place/〃　Telek　cut　him　off　with　a　grunt。　〃Has　he　said　or　done　anything　unusual　this　morning？　Anyone？〃
　There　were　four　quick　negatives。　〃All　right。　Everyone　keep　an　eye　out　for　him；　without　being　too　conspicuous　about　it；　and　try　to　notice　his　expression　when　he　shows　up。〃
　She　turned　off　the　mike　and　sat　glaring　for　a　moment　at　the　noisy　market　scene。　〃What　do　you　think　it　means？〃　Nnamdi　broke　into　her　thoughts。
　〃Maybe　nothing。　I　hope　nothing。　But　I　think　I'm　going　to　replay　this　morning's　tapes；　see　if　I　can　spot　anything　in　Moff's　behavior　myself。　Keep　an　eye　on　things；　let　me　know　if　anything　happens。〃　Picking　up　her　cahve；　she　stepped　to　an　unused　display　in　the　corner　and　keyed　for　the　proper　records。
　〃Should　we　alert　Almo　and　the　bridge？〃　Nnamdi　asked。
　〃The　bridge；　yes…but　don't　make　too　big　a　deal　of　it。〃　She　hesitated。　〃