16_world_killers-第29章

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Edwards　forgot　the　pain；　letting　his　hands　fall　to　his　sides。　〃You'll　find　out　when　the　oh…so…saintly　Hunters　do：　when　it's　too　late。〃

He　turned　his　back　on　Lang；　striding　out　of　the　room　so　fast　that　the　door　barely　had　time　to　get　out　of　his　way。

Lang　made　sure　the　door　was　secure；　then　turned　toward　a　dim　corner　of　his　sanctum。　〃Scott；　did　you　get　all　that？〃

Scott　Bernard；　Lang's　apprentice　and　godson；　emerged…a　slender；　dark…haired；　unsmiling　kid　of　thirteen　or　so；　small　for　his　age。　〃The　machines　are　in　some　sort　of　flux；　Doctor。〃


Heels　clacking　on　the　hardtop；　Edwards　walked　back　toward　his　limo　as　his　personal　bodyguards　fell　in　beside　him。　The　wrist　module　still　read　true；　he　laughed。

Nothing　I　say　can　be　held　against　me！

That　left　a　number　of　other　concerns；　but　suddenly　the　most　pressing　among　them　was　Minmei。　Edwards　made　a　rasping；　pantherish　sound　as　he　slid　into　his　limo。

God！　It　would　be　so　easy　to　break　her　will　by　physical　or　chemical　means…to　turn　her　into　something　that　would　obey　his　every　word　and　whim；　satisfy　his　every　hunger。

The　hell　of　it　was　he　wanted　Minmei；　not　some　brainwiped　zombie　that　looked　and　talked　like　her。　He　wanted　her　to　love　him。

And　she　would。　If　he　had　to　turn　the　universe　upside　down　and　shake　it　like　a　toy　to　make　her　do　so；　she　would　love　him。

The　limo　rolled　out　under　the　security　spotlights；　flanked　by　security　vehicles；　about　to　swoop　under　the　security　umbrella　of　Ghost　VTs。

〃Wait！〃

Surface…effect　braking　thrusters　blared；　people　pulled　guns　and　Guardian…mode　fighters　swooped　in；　while　the　security　net　crackled　with　confused　transmissions。

Edwards　was　out　of　the　limo　virtually　over　the　lap　of　a　hulking　bodyguard。　〃Did　you　see　him？　There；　up　there*〃

But　the　spot　to　which　he　was　pointing；　the　top　of　a　nearby　building；　was　empty。　Even　as　VT　spotlights　converged　on　it；　he　could　see　that。

Adams　was　out　of　the　front　seat。　〃What　was　it；　sir？〃

Edwards　kept　his　eyes　trained　on　the　spot。　Don't　let　them　see　you　sweat！　You　can't　afford　to　show　any　weakness！

〃Nothing；　a　trick　of　the　light。　Let's　get　'em　rolling。〃

When　the　convoy　was　moving　again；　he　replayed　the　split…second　glimpse　and　couldn't　convince　himself　that　he　had　been　wrong。

A　human　figure；　poised　on　the　roof　almost　nonchalantly。　Watching。

Waiting。。。


CHAPTER　EIGHTEEN

The　frictions　among　the　Sentinels　were　many；　and　the　Grail　of　defeating　the　Regent　was　sometimes　the　single　thing　that　kept　them　from　a　disastrous　falling…out。
It　is　noteworthy　that　none　of　them　noticed　how　immune　Tesla　grew　to　their　irritability；　frustration；　retribution；　and　so　on。　They　were　physical　warriors；　under　attack…though　they　didn't　know　it…from　a　metaphysical　foe　who'd　gotten　inside　their　own　lines。
Ann　London；　Ring　of　Iron：　The　Sentinels　in　Conflict

揥hat's　the　matter；　Lieutenant　mander　Baker？　Don't　I　look　'strac'？〃

Jack　Baker　eyed　Gnea。　〃I；　uh；　I　just　wish　my　academy　mandant　could　see　you；　is　all。〃

Such　an　encounter　would　offer　a　chance　to　brush　up　on　his　cardiopulmonary　resuscitation　technique；　Jack　figured；　because　modore　Steinfeld　would　certainly　have　a　heart　attack　if　she　ever　got　a　glance　at　Gnea。

Just　as　Lisa　had　taken　to　wearing　Praxian　accessories；　most　Sentinels　pretty　much　dressed　as　they　saw　fit。　Prolonged　campaigning　had　seen　to　it　that　virtually　nobody　had　a　regulation　wardrobe　anymore；　and　people　wore　what　came　to　hand　or　caught　their　fancy。

A　case　in　point　was　Gnea。　The　ringmail　G…string　and　studded　dragonskin　halter　top　were　in　keeping　with　Praxian　fashion；　but　the　REF　dress　uniform　jacket　was　a　bit　of　a　shock。　The　high…waisted　mess　jacket　was　decked　out　with　brush　epaulets；　decorations　and　ribbons；　fourrageres；　and　insignia。

She　pirouetted　to　show　off　her　new　acquisition。　〃mander　Grant's　exec　and　I　are　just　about　the　same　size；　so　we　swapped；〃　she　said；　brushing　the　embroidery　on　her　cuffs。　Jack　wondered　how　the　economy…size　Lieutenant　mander　Shimoda　was　enjoying　her　new　gryphon…fur　shawl。　Certainly　Gnea；　a　six…foot…four　teenager　with　legs　that　wouldn't　quit；　did　things　for　that　jacket　that；　in　Jack's　private　opinion；　merited　a　medal。

〃Anyway；　what　did　you　want　to　see　me　about；　Jack？〃

He　realized　guiltily　that　he　had　been　admiring　her　long…waisted　figure　and　gave　a　start；　glancing　around　by　reflex　and　expecting　Karen　Penn　to　be　scowling　at　him。　Dammit！　The　two　were　at　one　another's　throat　as　often　as　they　were　caught　up　in　their　romantic　friendship；　and　Karen　had　certainly　never　said　or　done　anything　proprietary。　But　somehow；　he　found；　he　couldn't　look　at　another　woman　anymore　without　the　fear　of　being　clobbered。

〃The　admiral's　noticed　that　Tesla's　been　keeping　a　low　profile　since　the　Haydon　IV　tea　party；〃　he　said。　〃In　fact；　nobody's　seen　him。　For　that　matter；　Burak's　been　conspicuously　out　of　sight；　too。　So　I　figured　I'd　sort　of　take　a　stroll　and　hunt　them　up。〃

Gnea　had　been　a　confidant　of　Burak's；　at　least　back　when　the　Sentinels　first　showed　up　on　Tirol。　So；　enlisting　her　in　the　project　was　one　of　the　first　things　that　had　e　to　Jack's　mind。

〃Yes；　I　noticed　that；〃　Gnea　said　with　a　pensive　look　on　her　face。　〃It's　time　someone　found　out　just　what　those　two　are　up　to；　isn't　it？〃　She　fell　in　next　to　him　and　they　started　off；　she　a　half…head　taller　but　both　of　them　fortable　with　each　other's　pany。

〃Burak　and　I　don't　talk　much　anymore；　you　know；〃　the　amazon　went　on。　〃I　just…once　he　became　acquainted　with　Tesla；　he　started　talking　like　some　kind　of　savior。　It　was　one　thing　to　sympathize　with　him　but　a　pletely　different　one　to　put　up　with　that…what　would　Humans　call　it？　Napoleonic　plex？〃

〃I　dunno；〃　Jack　said。　〃I　majored　in　Wood　Shop。〃

Gnea　let　that　pass　without　finding　out　what　it　meant；　one　had　to　understand　that　Jack　liked　to　be　obscure。

Burak　wasn't　in　his　quarters；　and　so　they　went　to　the　partment　that　had　been　assigned　to　Tesla。　The　Invid　wasn't　there…just　as　he　hadn't　been　there　for　days。　But　Jack　had　learned　the　unpleasant　facts　of　what　it　was　like　to　turn　in　an　unsatisfactory　report　to　Rick　Hunter；　and　so　he　snooped　around　the　place；　opening　empty　closets　and　looking　through　empty　drawers。

But　it　was　Gnea；　studying　the　deck　the　way　a　Praxian　huntress　was　expected　to　examine　the　ground；　who　came　across　something　that　merited　their　attention。　〃What's　this？〃

Jack　squatted　next　to　her。　〃Mung。〃　He　knew　the　look　and　smell　of　it　well：　a　mixture　of　dirt　and　grease；　moisture　and　machine　oil。　It　was　as　mon　to　certain　starship　ancillary　power　partments　as　it　had　been　a　generation　before　to　the　power；　plants　of　nuclear　submarines。　The　mung　looked　like　it　had　e　off　Tesla's　bare　footsole。


Finding　the　right　partment　didn't　take　long；　looking　for　places　near　the　ship's　power　section　where　the　security　monitors　were　out　of　service　narrowed　it　down。　On　the　third　try；　Jack　and　Gnea　stepped　through　a　hatch　and　found　themselves　facing　Burak。

Jack　was　one　of　those　who　wore　sidearms　aboard　ship　nowadays；　and　Gnea　had　always　practiced　the　habit。　He　had　his　Badger　out　and　cocked；　and　she　had　two　feet　of　glimmering　blue　blade　in　the　air。

Burak　looked　subdued；　almost　frightened。　But　he　bowed；　his　long　horns　dipping。　〃We　wondered　when　you　would　e。〃

Jack　waffled；　torn　between　the　urge　to　get　to　the　bottom　of　things　and　the　impulse　to　call　for　backup。　Then　something　moved　in　the　shadows　of　a　corner。

〃Yes；〃　a　voice　said。　〃We　looked　forward　to　it。〃

Two　slits　of　red　light；　like　miniature　furnace　mouths；　opened。　Laserlike　beams　leapt　out　at　lack　and　Gnea。　Jack　tried　with　all　his　might　to　pull　the　Badger's　trigger；　even　though　the　muzzle　was　pointed　away　from　Tesla；　he　was　hoping　the　sheer　shock　of　the　assault　pistol's　report　would　free　him　up；　let　him　slew　the　gun　around　at　the　Invid。

Gnea　had　raised　the　sword　high；　a　very　image　of　war；　but　she　was　as　immobile　as　Jack　while　the　rays　from　Tesla's　eyes　played　across　them　exactingly；　almost　intimately。

Rocked　as　he　was　by　the　numbing　impact　of　Tesla's　will；　Jack　still　saw　that　the　scientist　had　undergone　profound　changes。　He　now　resembled　the　artists'　sketches　that　had　been　made　to　the　Praxians'　descriptions　of　the　Regis。

The　snout　had　pulled　in；　the　mouth　was　now　conventionally　humanoid。　Tesla　was　much　bigger；　though　that　was　tough　to　judge　precisely　since　he　was　sitting　in　a　kind　of　lotus　position。　He　was　hairless；　his　musculature　so　well　defined　that　he　might　have　been　a　figure　from　an　anatomy　text；　his　nerves　and　blood　vessels　visible　in　a　way　that　suggested　he　had　no　skin；　no　epidermis　at　all。

〃Gaze　upon　me。〃

Jack　and　Gnea　found　that　they　had　no　choice。　The　emanations　from　the　Invid's　eyes　saw　to　that。　〃You　will　be　my　eyes　and　ears　in　the　ship；　and　among　the　councils　of　the　Sentinels；　and　on　Spheris；〃　Tesla　said。　It　sounded　to　the　dazzled　Jack　like　something　that　was　his　own　idea。

〃Keep　the　others　at　bay；〃　the　thing　sitting　on　the　deck　said。　〃I　need　time　to　plete　my　Transformation。　And　then。。。〃

The　being　in　the　corner　of　the　partment　began　to　rise；　like　a　Robotech　mechamorphosis　shape…shifting；　until　it　stood　with　the　top　of　its　skull　nearly　touching　the　overhead。

A　thread　of　saliva　was　dangling　from　Gnea's　chin；　Jack　Baker's　eyes　seemed　about　to　roll　up　in　his