tz.cobra strike-第69部分

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sed　to　someone　new。〃
　〃The　training　period　being　especially　dangerous　if　it's　breaking　in　a　new　krisjaw　instead；〃　Vartanson　said；　nodding　heavily。　〃Yeah；　I　see　now。　What　you're　saying　is　that　the　Qasamans　have　made　the　planet　a　little　slice　of　mojo…heaven。〃
　Telek　snorted　softly。　〃Hardly。　It　may　have　been　so　once；　but　the　mojos　are　rapidly　heading　down　a　deadend　street。〃　She　keyed　her　display；　and　an　aerial　map　of　the　Fertile　Crescent　region　appeared。　〃Down　here；〃　she　said；　tapping　white　spots　onto　the　image　with　a　pointer。　〃Here；　here；　and　here。　The　Qasamans　are　adding　on　to　their　chain　of　cities。〃
　〃So？〃　Vartanson　frowned　〃Don't　you　see？　Cities　are　lousy　places　for　a　predator　bird　to　live。　They've　got　to　fly　long　distances　to　do　their　own　hunting　or　accept　the　equivalent　of　pet　food　from　their　masters。　But　the　human　population　is　increasing；　and　their　cute　little　underground　munication　system　requires　them　to　stay　in　the　same　reasonably　limited　area　of　the　planet。　And　that　means　cities。〃
　〃But　I　thought　the　cities　were　laid　out　expressly　for　the　mojos〃　benefit；〃　Roi　growled。　〃That　was　your　whole　argument　for　the　second　study　trip；　remember？〃
　〃For　their　reproductive　benefit；　yes；〃　Telek　nodded。　〃But　not　for　their　feeding　benefit。　I　don't　think　we　ever　actually　got　to　see　a　mojo　hunting；　but　their　usual　prey　is　probably　small　birds　or　large　insects；　and　no　matter　what　the　bololins　and　tarbines　do；　small　birds　are　not　going　to　venture　into　the　cities　in　great　numbers。　The　city　design　is　essentially　a　promise；　and　if　I　were　a　mojo　I　think　I'd　be　feeling　definitely　cheated　by　it。〃
　〃Then　why　don't　they　switch　back？〃　Vartanson　demanded。　〃They　did　so　once…why　not　do　it　again？〃
　〃Switch　back　to　what？　Practically　since　they　landed　the　Qasamans　have　been　shooting　every　krisjaw　that　poked　its　head　out　of　the　grass。　They　must　have　the　entire　Fertile　Crescent　nearly　cleared　out　by　now；　and　they　still　pull　people　off　work　to　go　hunt　the　things　every　month　or　so。　It's　crazy。〃
　〃Maybe　not；〃　Jonny　put　in。　〃As　you　said；　the　Qasaman　leadership　knows　what's　going　on。　What　better　way　to　insure　their　bodyguards〃　continued　loyalty　than　to　make　sure　there's　nowhere　else　for　them　to　go？〃
　Telek　shrugged。　〃Could　be。　They're　certainly　devious　enough　to　e　up　with　something　like　that。〃
　〃Which　would　imply；　in　turn；〃　Jonny　continued；　〃that　they　recognize　the　benefits　of　having　mojos　around　to　keep　down　interpersonal　friction。　If　they　consider　that　factor　to　be　that　important；　perhaps　instead　of　considering　war　we　should　instead　be　concentrating　on　getting　rid　of　the　mojos。〃
　〃How？〃　Telek　snorted。　〃Kill　them　all　off？〃
　〃Why　not？　Whole　species　have　been　exterminated　before；　back　in　the　Dominion。　Species…specific　pesticides　can　be　made　for　any　animal；　can't　they？〃
　〃Theoretically；　once　enough　is　known　about　the　animal's　hormone　sequence　during　breeding。　We　haven't　got　anything　like　that　much　data　on　mojos。〃
　〃We've　got　the　time；　though；〃　Jonny　persisted。　〃The　tech　assessment　puts　them　at　least　fifteen　years　away　from　a　stardrive。〃
　〃Won't　help；〃　Roi　murmured。　〃The　cities；　Jonny。　Any　animal　that　would　prefer　a　good　breeding　setup　to　a　good　feeding　setup　is　going　to　be　incredibly　hard　to　kill　off。〃
　〃Especially　when　the　Qasamans　will　be　on　their　side；〃　Telek　said。　〃Remember；　whatever　input　the　mojos　had　on　the　design　of　the　cities；　it　was　the　humans　who　put　them　up。　Could　be　that　they　actually　didn't　need　much　prompting　after　all…this　arrangement　encourages　a　steady　supply　of　mojos　for　their　growing　population　while　at　the　same　time　keeps　them　on　a　short　enough　food　leash　that　they　won't　just　give　up　and　go　look　for　a　krisjaw　to　team　up　with。〃
　〃And　unlike　the　aviary　approach；　this　looks　more　natural　to　the　mojos；〃　Roi　mused。　〃Suckers　them　into　thinking　things　are　going　their　way　while　the　Qasamans　kill　off　every　krisjaw　for　a　thousand　kilometers　around。〃
　Stiggur　tapped　his　fingers　gently　on　the　tabletop。　〃The　ultimate；　crowning　irony：　the　puppets　conspire　to　keep　the　puppeteers　with　them。〃
　〃The　crowning　irony？〃　Hemner　shook　his　head。　〃No。　The　crowning　irony　is　Moff's　last　warning　。。。　and　the　fact　that；　given　their　cultural　paranoia；　they　might　very　well　have　cowered　there　on　their　one　little　world　forever；　afraid　to　venture　into　space　where　they　might　run　into　something　they　didn't　like。　If　the　Trofts　hadn't　poked　at　them；　and　persuaded　us　to　do　likewise；　they　might　never　have　bee　even　the　smallest　threat　to　either　of　us。　Consider　that　when　you're　tempted　to　congratulate　yourselves　on　how　well　we've　handled　this。〃
　A　long；　painful　silence　settled　on　the　table。　Jonny　shifted　quietly　in　his　chair；　the　dull　ache　in　his　joints　echoed　by　the　bitterness　in　his　mind。　Hemner　was　right；　had　been　right；　in　fact；　all　the　way　from　the　beginning。　And　now　the　threat　they'd　worried　and　argued　about　was　on　its　way　to　being　a　self…fulfilling　prophesy。
　And　it　was　far　too　late　to　go　back。
　Stiggur　broke　the　silence　first；　and　with　the　words　Jonny　knew　he　would　use。　〃Does　anyone　have　a　remendation　to　make？〃
　Vartanson　looked　around　the　table；　pressed　his　lips；　and　nodded　heavily。　〃I　do；　Brom。〃　He　took　a　deep　breath。　〃I　remend　we　accept　the　Baliu　demesne's　offer　of　five　new　worlds　in　exchange　for　eliminating　the　Qasaman　threat。〃
　Stiggur　nodded。　〃Anyone　else？〃
　Jonny　licked　his　lips　。。。　but　in　his　mind's　eye　he　saw　the　Qasamans　and　their　mojos　moving　on　Chata；　Kubha；　and　Tacta　。。。　and　from　there　to　the　Cobra　Worlds　themselves。　We　will　e　and　find　you；　Moff　had　said；　and　Jonny　knew　he'd　meant　it　。。。　and　the　objection　he'd　been　about　to　raise　died　in　his　throat。
　The　others　may　have　seen　similar　visions。　Certainly；　none　of　them　spoke。
　Three　minutes　later；　Vartanson's　remendation　became　official。
　It　had　been　a　long　time　since　Justin　had　been　in　his　Capitalia　apartment。　Standing　at　the　living　room　window；　gazing　out　at　the　city　lights；　he　tried　to　count　how　many　times　he'd　been　back　here　since　beginning　his　Cobra　training　。。。　four　months　ago？　Five？
　The　train　of　thought　petered　out　from　lack　of　interest。　Sighing；　he　stepped　back　to　his　desk　and　sat　down。　The　clean　paper　and　magdisks　he'd　put　there　an　hour　ago　were　still　untouched；　and　down　deep　he　knew　they　were　going　to　remain　that　way　for　a　while　longer。　Tonight　he　could　see　nothing　but　the　faces　of　the　three　men　who'd　been　buried　this　morning；　the　Cobras　who'd　died　getting　the　Dewdrop　off　Qasama。　He　hadn't　even　known　there'd　been　casualties　in　the　confusion　of　that　time；　hadn't　known　until　they　all　arrived　at　the　Menssana　and　he　saw　the　bodies　being　carried　by　their　friends。
　Tonight　was　not　the　night　to　begin　preparations　for　war。
　The　doorbell　twittered。　Governor　Telek；　most　likely；　e　to　check　on　his　progress。　〃e　in；〃　he　called。
　The　door　unlocked　and　opened。　〃Hello；　Justin；〃　Jonny　said。
　Justin　felt　his　stomach　tighten。　〃Hi；　Dad。　What're　you　doing　out　this　late？〃
　〃In　the　cold　rain？〃　Jonny　added　with　a　half　smile；　shaking　the　last　few　drops　off　his　coat　before　stepping　into　the　apartment　and　letting　the　door　close　behind　him。　〃I　wanted　you　to　e　by　the　house　tonight　and　your　phone　was　off。　This　seemed　the　logical　alternative。〃
　Justin　dropped　his　eyes　to　his　desk。　〃I'm　sorry；　but　I'm　supposed　to　be　working　on　。。。　something。〃
　〃A　battle　plan？〃　Jonny　asked　gently。
　Justin　grimaced。　〃Governor　Telek　told　you？〃
　〃Not　in　so　many　words；　but　it　wasn't　hard　to　figure　out。　You've　already　shown　yourself　to　have　a　surprisingly　good　tactical　ability；　and　she　was　bound　to　want　something　to　show　the　full　Council　tomorrow。〃
　〃Tactical　ability；〃　Justin　said　bitterly。　〃Oh；　sure。　A　great　plan；　wasn't　it？…except　for　the　minor　fact　that　Decker　and　Michael　had　to　improvise　an　ending　just　to　get　us　out。　And　even　at　that　we　lost　three　men。〃
　Jonny　was　silent　for　a　moment。　〃Most　military　plans　wind　up　being　changed　somewhere　along　the　line；〃　he　said　at　last。　〃I　wish　I　could　offer　some　words　of　fort　about　the　casualties；　too；　but　only　the　inadequate　line　about　them　sacrificing　themselves　to　save　everyone　else　es　to　mind。　That　one　never　satisfied　me；　either。〃
　〃So　they　sacrifice　themselves　for　the　mission；　and　the　next　thousand　sacrifice　tfzemselves　for　the　Worlds。　Is　that　how