tz.cobra strike-第40部分

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　〃It　was　enough　to　justify　questioning　you。　York's
　　similarly　undetectable　weapon…and　his　use　of　it…　proved　our　guess　was　correct。〃
　〃You　were　the　one　who　picked　up　on　our　hidden　camera；　I　suppose？〃
　Moff　nodded　once；　a　simple　gesture　that　admitted　the　fact　without　the　trappings　of　pride　or　false　modesty。　Justin　nodded　in　return　and　settled　down　to　wait；　the　last　piece　of　his　rationalization　plete。　He　had　no　desire　to　kill　any　more　people　than　absolutely　necessary　when　he　made　his　break；　and　leaving　someone　with　Moff　s　observational　skills　behind　as　witness　would　be　a　poor　idea。　No；　he　would　wait　until　they　reached　their　destination　and　Pyre　had　made　his　appearance。　Together；　the　two　Cobras　would　leave　the　Qasamans　wondering　for　a　long　time　just　how　the　escape　had　been　managed。
　So　he　settled　back　in　his　seat　and　tried　to　keep　track　of　the　bus's　path　through　the　wide　streets　of　Purma。　And　thought　about　his　father's　stories　of　his　own　war。
　The　strip　of　clear　land　that　would；　farther　north；　open　up　to　bee　the　airfield　was　barely　sixty　meters　wide　here　at　Sollas's　southwest　edge；　but　Pyre　found　little　fort　in　that　fact　as　he　raced　across　it　toward　the　darkened　building　that　was　his　target。　None　of　the　structures　at　the　city's　edge　seemed　to　be　showing　many　lights…another　concession　to　the　wandering　bololins；　perhaps？…but　he　felt　as　if　a　thousand　pairs　of　eyes　were　watching　him　the　whole　way。　Two　thousand　eyes；　one　thousand　guns。。。。
　But　he　reached　the　building　without　challenge；　and　for　a　minute　he　stood　in　relative　shadow　considering　his　next　move。　The　four…story　structure　beside　him　was　made　of　brick；　and　in　the　weeks　before　the　mission　the　First　Cobras　had　taught　him　how　to　scale　such　things。　Once　on　top；　he　could　theoretically　leap　from　rooftop　to　rooftop　until　he　reached　the　more　open　areas　near　the　airfield。
　Pyre　looked　up　the　flat　side　of　the　building；　grimacing。　Theoretically。　Most　of　the　streets　in　his　path　were　the　wider　bololin…speedway　type；　and　while　jumping　one　of　them　would　be　reasonably　within　his　servos〃　range；　he　wasn't　at　all　sure　he　wanted　to　try　it　a　dozen　or　more　times。
　Around　the　corner　of　the　building；　a　faint　scrape　reached　his　ears。　Notched　up　to　full　power；　his　audio　enhancers　pulled　in　the　sound　of　several　sets　of　footsteps。
　Sidling　to　the　corner。　Pyre　took　a　cautious　look　down　the　street。　Barely　two　hundred　meters　away；　at　the　next　intersection；　a　group　of　six　Qasamans　were　standing　in　a　loose　circle；　conversing　in　low　tones。　As　he　watched；　three　of　them　split　off　and　began　striding　purposefully　down　the　street　directly　toward　him。　Pyre　eased　back。　Sealing　the　city's　edge　with　a　sentry　net　was　a　precaution　he　hadn't　expected　even　the　Qasamans　to　bother　with；　given　they　thought　they　had　everyone　under　lock　and　key。　Unless　。。。
　Of　course。　They'd　found　the　men　he'd　killed　in　the　forest。
　He　mouthed　a　silent　curse。　With　all　that　had　happened　he'd　pletely　forgotten　that　glaring　evidence　of　his　presence。　And　with　the　sentry　patrols　/　alert　and　in　visual　contact　with　each　other；　he'd　now　。》V；run　out　of　choices。　Locking　his　fingers　around　the　；　bricks　facing　him；　he　began　to　climb。　》　It　was　a　long　way　to　go；　and　Pyre　had　had　very　；　little　practice　in　this　sort　of　thing；　but　the　Qasaman　^patrol　was　apparently　in　no　special　rush　to　take　up　Sits　post　and　he　was　nearly　to　the　top　before　they　^emerged　from　the　street。　He　froze；　holding　his　breath　｜｜i；。。　but　neither　the　men　nor　their　mojos　looked　up；　I…and　after　a　few　seconds　he　continued　his　climb；　tak…｜ing　care　not　to　make　even　the　slightest　sound。
　Which　probably　saved　his　life。　Reaching　the　low　pparapet　surrounding　the　roof；　he　raised　his　head　over
　　it…and　found　himself　eye　to　eye　with　a　kneeling　Qasaman　not　three　meters　away；　his　hands　in　a　small　cloth　bag　in　front　of　him。
　The　man's　eyes　and　mouth　went　wide　with　surprise。　But　his　hand　was　still　scrambling　for　his　gun　when　Pyre's　arm　swung　over　the　parapet　and　a　flicker　of　laser　light　caught　his　spread…winged　mojo　in　the　breast。　He　was　still　trying　to　draw　the　weapon　from　its　holster　when　the　second　flicker　caught　him　in　the　same　place　and　he　fell　gently　to　the　side；　his　astonishment　still　unvoiced。
　Pyre　was　over　the　parapet　in　a　second；　trembling　with　the　hair's…breadth　closeness　of　the　call　and　the　cold　knowledge　that　he　was　by　no　means　safe　yet。　If　the　ground　sentries　had　heard　anything…or　if　an　observer　on　the　next　roof　over　had　witnessed　the　incident…
　Activating　his　optical　enhancers；　he　raised　his　head　cautiously　and　checked　the　nearest　buildings。　The　roof　to　the　south　was　vacant。　The　one　to　the　north　held　another　figure；　some　sort　of　light…amp　binoculars　at　his　eyes　as　he　gazed　out　toward　the　forest。　A　quick　glance　over　the　parapet　showed　the　sentries　below　were　undisturbed。　Crawling　to　the　dead　Qasaman；　Pyre　reached　into　the　other's　bag；　found　a　set　of　the　same　light…amp　glasses　and　what　looked　like　a　water　container　and　some　sort　of　vegetable　cake。
　So　the　rooftop　guards；　like　those　on　the　ground；　had　apparently　just　now　taken　up　their　positions；　which　explained　how　he'd　made　it　safely　from　the　forest。　So　he　was　in；　and　behind　their　first　lines；　and　temporarily　undetected。　So　。。。　now　what？
　Pyre　found　himself　gazing　at　the　dead　mojo。　Whatever　he　did；　he　was　going　to　need　a　certain　amount　of　camouflage。。。；　Carefully；　trying　not　to　wince；　he　rolled　the　dead　man　over　and　eased　off　his　jacket。　Beneath　it　the　man　had　worn　a　knitted　sweater…like　garment；　cutting　and　unraveling　a　piece　of　it；　Pyre　used　the　yarn　to　tie　the　mojo's　talons　to　the　jacket's
　epaulet。　Smoothing　the　wings　back　in　place；　he　tied　them　together　with　more　yarn。　The　whole　effect　would　never　hold　up　even　under　moderately　close　scrutiny；　but　with　luck　it　wouldn't　have　to。　Keeping　close　to　the　roof；　he　struggled　into　the　jacket　which　was；　thankfully；　too　large　rather　than　too　smalt。　The　dead　man's　gun　belt　came　next；　and；　almost　as　an　afterthought；　he　scooped　up　the　light…amp　binoculars　as　well。　Then；　mentally　crossing　his　fingers；　he　headed　for　the　city…side　edge　of　the　roof。
　He　made　it；　again；　without　raising　any　obvious　alarm。　Below　him　was　one　of　the　narrower；　northeast…southwest　streets；　across　it；　the　building　roof　facing　him　appeared　deserted。　At　both　of　the　closest　street　intersections　he　could　see　triads　of　sentries；　their　attention　apparently　ground　level　and　outward。　Giving　all　the　rooftops　in　the　immediate　area　one　last　scan；　he　gathered　his　feet　beneath　him；　got　a　good　grip　on　his　mojo；　and　jumped。
　His　leg　servos　were　more　than　equal　to　the　task。　A　second　later　he　hit　the　far　rooftop；　rolling　on　his　right　shoulder　to　soften　the　sound　of　his　impact。　ing　up　on　one　knee；　he　lifted　the　light　amps　to　his　eyes　and；　trying　hard　to　look　like　a　Qasaman　sentry；　waited　for　a　reaction。
　It　didn't　e；　and　a　minute　later　he　eased　across　v　the　roof　and　repeated　the　procedure。　One　more　building　and　he　had　left　both　the　rooftop　and　the　groundside　sentries　far　behind　him。　Two　more；　and　he　began　to　breathe　again。
　And　finally　he　had　to　make　a　decision。　Each　move
　in　this　direction　angled　him　a　little　farther　from　the
　i　Dewdrop；　and　with　the　perimeter　penetrated　it　was
　：。：　time　to　head　north。　But　straight　north　now　would
　。；。　take　him　near　the　center　of　the　city；　and　while　the
　（；　streets　immediately　below　were　deserted；　he　had　no
　^　real　hope　that　things　would　be　that　easy　for　long。
　〃？g。。　The　city's　center　was　where　the　mayor's　office　and　：M；　presumably；　the　rest　of　Sollas　officialdom　were　lo…
　cated；　and　if　the　place　wasn't　crawling　with　people　he　would　be　very　surprised。　He　would　have　to　work　his　way　around　it；　threading　the　region　between　that　activity　and　the　sentry　line…
　Or　else　run　smack　through　the　middle　of　it。
　Pyre　paused　at　roof's　edge；　rolling　the　sudden　thought　through　his　mind　as　if　tasting　it。　Hitting　the　Qasamans〃　political　stronghold　would　be　a　grand　gesture；　a　message　of　Cobra　courage　and　power　the　leaders　here　couldn't　possibly　miss。　Tactically；　it　would　serve　to　split　the　Qasamans〃　attention；　drawing　fire…power　away　from　the　Dewdrop　and　perhaps　from　Cerenkov　and　the　other　prisoners　as　well。
　And　speaking　of　them；　if　he　could　manage　to　take　the　mayor　ca