16_world_killers-第27章

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Minmei　watched　Edwards's　performance　with　a　trapped　animal's　dumb　despair。　The　appearance　of　Jonathan　Wolff　convinced　her　that　she　had　at　last　lost　every　shred　of　sanity。

But　it　was　too　real；　too　vivid；　to　be　a　dream　or　hallucination。　She　slowly　rose　from　her　narrow　bunk；　crossing　the　little　cell；　and　touched　her　fingertips　to　the　screen。　Tears　washed　her　cheeks。

She　heard　his　words；　〃You're。。。our　loved　ones。　We　haven't　played　you　false。〃　Minmei　closed　her　eyes　and　pressed　her　lips　to　Wolff's　lips　on　the　screen；　sobbing。


She　had　been　shut　away　in　her　quarters　on　the　Ark　Angel　all　through　the　Haydon　IV　campaign；　unable　to　break　away　from　her　own　private　struggle。

At　her　request；　the　ship's　techs　and　artisans　had　made　the　partment　as　much　an　imitation　of　her　crystal　world　as　they　could　with　mirrors；　prisms；　and　fanciful　formations　that　suggested　underground　strata。　There；　Teal　of　Spheris　labored　over　the　brilliant；　multifaceted　form　that　was　all　that　remained　of　her　fellow　Spherisian；　Baldan。

Teal　had　refused　to　touch　or　even　look　at　it　at　first；　after　Baldan　was　trapped　in　his　merging　with　the　geological　substance　of　Praxis。　Baldan　had　been　a　fellow　prisoner　of　hers；　in　the　clutches　of　the　Invid；　nothing　more！　To　touch　the　thing　that　had　looked　like　a　football…size　crystal　meant　taking　on　responsibility　for　it；　and　meant　entering　a　rapport　with　Baldan's　essence　that　would　make　them　mates。

It　wasn't　fair！　Teal　had　no　desire　to　be　responsible　for　a　child　or　be　in　rapport　with　Baldan。　She　had　never　asked　to　be　involved　in　this　mad　Sentinels　crusade！　Teal　had　her　own　plans；　her　own　life　to　live。

And　yet；　when　she　had　stood　looking　down　at　it；　Teal　had　known　that　if　she　failed　to　carry　out　the　rite　of　Shaping；　Baldan　would　pass　away　forever　and　the　egg　would　lose　the　forces　of　life　it　carried。　With　strange　tears　in　her　transparent　eyes；　she　took　up　her　ceremonial　blade　and　began　Shaping。

And　she　stayed　at　it　all　through　the　voyage；　and　the　battle　on　Haydon　IV；　when　the　SDF…7　flagship　could　do　little　but　hold　its　station。　Teal　laboriously　calculated　each　cut　and　guided　the　newly…carved　Spherisian　in　its　growth。　It　was　a　trial　as　taxing　as　any　gestation　period　or　rite　of　passage。　But　at　last；　near　the　end　of　her　strength；　Teal　looked　upon　a　healthy　adolescent　male　who　was　the　image　of　Baldan　and　still　growing　quickly。

She　wasn't　surprised　when　Bela；　returning　from　Praxis；　requested　entry　to　her　partment。　It　was　Bela；　along　with　Miriya　Sterling；　who　had　returned　to　the　Praxian　caverns　to　retrieve　the　egg　when　Teal　refused　to。　Bela　who；　absurdly；　had　threatened　to　raise　the　child　herself；　when　the　amazon　hadn't　the　first　idea　about　Humanoid　children；　much　less　creatures　of　living　mineral。

Teal　granted　permission　to　enter。　Bela；　usually　rowdy　and　often　gruff；　was　subdued　and　tentative。　But　when　she　looked　down　on　the　child；　she　was　aglow。　〃But…why　are　his　eyes　closed？　Why　does　he　not　move？〃

〃He　has　been　regaining　the　knowledge　that　Baldan　left　behind　in　him；〃　Teal　explained。　〃And　preparing　himself　for　true　birth。　I　waited；　hoping　you　and　Miriya　could　both　be　here。〃

Teal　explained　what　must　be　done。　Each　took　one　of　the　statuelike　figure's　cold　hands；　kneeling　by　him。　Where　a　Spherisian　parent　would　ordinarily　have　done　so　alone；　Teal　had　the　Praxian　lean　close；　their　heads　together；　so　that　they　could　both　breathe　upon　the　child's　mouth　together。

Once；　twice…and　on　the　third；　a　strange　aura　of　blue　radiance　leapt　from　Teal's　mouth　to　the　infant's。　Bela　felt　the　odd　sensation　of　Spherisian　life…force　stirring　about　and　through　her。

The　cold　hands　tingled　now；　not　with　heat　so　much　as　with　animating　force。　Some　eldritch　piezoelectric　effect；　Bela　wondered？　The　fingers　were　no　longer　stiff；　but　supple　in　the　manner　of　living　crystal。　Bela's　Praxian　eyes；　like　those　of　a　bird　of　prey；　grew　wide；　watching　the　boy's　eyes　flutter　open。

〃Wh…what　have　you　called　him？〃

Teal　held　her　son's　hand　in　her　own。　〃I　call　him　Baldan。　Baldan　II。　I　couldn't　bear　to　name　him　anything　else。〃

She　sighed。　〃Love　is　so　inconvenient。〃


Veidt　had　also　insisted　on　ing　along　on　the　continuation　of　the　mission；　saying　that　Haydon　IV　held　too　many　sad　memories。　No　one　had　any　objections；　but　every　other　Haydonite　had　elected　to　stay　behind　and　rebuild　the　planet。　Rick　suspected　Veidt　preferred　it　that　way。

Getting　the　new　Praxian　recruits　squared　away　was　something　the　Hunters　felt　safe　in　delegating　to　Gnea；　Bela；　and　the　other　amazon　veterans；　plus　ship's　officers。　The　couple　managed　to　get　free　of　other　official　responsibilities　after　the　initial　confusion　and　returned　at　long　last　to　the　quarters　they　shared。

Rick　leaned　his　head　back　against　the　hatch　once　it　closed。　〃A　lo…oong　day　at　the　beach；　babe。〃　Lisa　chortled　tiredly　and　nodded。

They　hadn't　been　there　since　the　start　of　the　Garudan　mission；　it　was　odd　to　be　back　in　the　quiet；　by　the　bed　they　had　shared　too　long　a　time　ago。

A　change　was　apparent　in　Lisa。　Though　she　still　wore　the　body…suit　uniform　of　the　REF；　her　damaged　government…issue　boots　had　been　replaced　with　a　pair　of　Praxian　footgear；　like　over…the…knee　moccasin　wrappings；　of　soft　hide　resembling　chamois。　Her　long　hair　was　held　back　with　a　knotted　band　of　crimson；　satiny　fabric　Bela　had　given　her。

She　also　wore　a　weapons　belt　around　her　hips；　with　a　pistol　tied　down　to　one　thigh　and　a　long　Praxian　fighting　knife　to　the　other。　Many　Sentinels　wore　sidearms　as　a　matter　of　course；　but　this　was　something　new　in　Lisa。

In　fact；　Rick　was　packing；　too。　〃We're　a　little　overdressed；　aren't　we？〃　he　asked；　unbuckling　his　gunbelt。

His　piratical…looking　wife　gave　him　a　heavy…lidded　gaze。　〃Well；　surely　some　up…and…ing　young　Robotech　admiral　can　figure　out　an　appropriate　plan　of　action　to　solve　that　problem；　can't　he？〃

He　smiled。　〃Haven't　you　heard？　Night　maneuvers　are　a　Hunter　specialty。〃


CHAPTER　SEVENTEEN

He　had　his　own　personal　bestiary　of　unacceptable　words；　and　chief　among　them　was　〃defeat。〃
Constance　Wildman；　When　Evil　Had　its　Day：　A　Biography　of　T。R。　Edwards

Spheris　presented　a　plicated　skein　of　problems　unlike　those　of　any　other　Invid…held　planet　on　the　Sentinels'　hit　list。

〃We　can't　take　any　Protoculture　weapons　down　there；〃　Teal　explained　at　a　strategy　meeting。　〃To　do　so　would　mean　disaster。〃

〃What're　we　supposed　to　fight　'em　with；　spit？〃　somebody　groused　from　the　sidelines。

Teal　looked　around　toward　the　source　of　the　voice；　her　eerie　transparent　eyes　flashing。　〃Spheris　is　a　planet　of　crystal　structures；〃　she　snapped。　〃Protoculture…weapons　emissions　evoke　certain　harmonics　from　the　very　texture　of　my　homeworld。　Fire　a　beam　and　you're　very　likely　to　find　that　it　will　e　back　to　hit　you。　Or　it　could　sunder　some　of　the　delicate　latticework　that　makes　up　the　planet；　and　cause　great　death　and　destruction　among　my　people。〃

〃Hold；　hold；〃　Lron　grumbled。　〃How　then　do　the　rattering　Invid　operate？　Do　they　not　use　mecha？〃

Teal　nodded。　〃As　I　said　in　the　intel　debriefing；　Protoculture…based　mecha　do　no　damage；　because　they're　not　as　focused；　as　concentrated；　as　a　weapons　beam。　But　even　the　Invid　dare　not　use　weapons　actuated　by　Protoculture；　and　so　they　employ　a　variety　of　conventional　armaments。　But　those　armaments　are　very　effective。〃

〃So　are　ours；〃　Bela　put　in；　casually　flicking　her　thumb　across　the　razor　edge　of　her　shortsword。　She　was　also　wearing　a　Badger　assault　pistol　and　a　few　grenades　to　plement　her　Praxian　arms。

Others　seconded　what　she　had　said：　the　Karbarrans　with　their　pneumatic　long…guns；　the　Garudans　who　had　taken　so　quickly　to　REF　conventional　infantry　weapons；　Jack　and　Karen；　who　had　seen　for　themselves　that　Invid　could　be　hurt　or　stopped　with　projectile　firearms　if　those　firearms　were　used　just　right。

〃You're　not　listening！〃　Teal　barked。　〃The　Invid　will　have　the　advantage　in　firepower。　So；　we　must　exploit　our　advantages　to　the　fullest。　And　the　Sentinels'　main　advantage　is　my　and　Baldan's　access　to　the　Crystal　Highways。〃

With　this　Teal　put　her　hand　on　the　shoulder　of　her　son；　Baldan　II。　He　sat　by　her　side；　gazing　around　at　the　Sentinels　gathered　at　the　meeting　table　and　standing　in　ranks　around　it。

In　mere　weeks；　he　had　grown　until　he　was　nearly　his　mother's　height；　a　broad…shouldered；　lean…waisted；　post…adolescent　wearing　a　loincloth。　People　had　simply　taken　to　calling　him　by　his　father's　name；　leaving　out　the　numerical。　Talking　to　him；　Lisa　had　found；　was　uncannily　like　talking　to　the　original　Baldan　at　times；　but　at　others　it　was　like　conversing　with　a　newborn。

〃But　you　won't　be　going　in　blind；〃　Teal　said。　〃My　son　and　I　will　descend　first；　to　scout　the　way　and　ferret　out　our　enemy's　weaknesses。〃

There　were　some　low…decibel　remarks　when　the　gathering　heard　that。　Teal　had　never　been　very　enthusiastic　about　the　Sentinels'　war…had　stayed　out　of　most　of　the　fighting　with　a　demeanor　that　had　won　her　the　nickname　〃Permafrost　Princess。〃

But　here　was　the　Permafrost　Princess；　in　the　wake　of　Baldan's　death　and　a　motherhood　she　had　detested　at　first；　ready　to　take　her　son　down　on　a　first…in　team　op。　Ready　to　lay　her　life　and　her　son's；　most　emphatically；　on　that　well…known　line。

Rick　rose　now；　in　the　midst　of　a　lot　of　murmured　debate　among