18_the_end_of_the_circle-第21章

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emain　on　Tirol。　He　was　eager　to　see　them　again；　plans　for　a　meet　having　already　been　firmed　up　during　a　short　ship…to…surface　conversation　earlier　on。

Cabell…the　bald　and　bearded　wizard　who　had　seemed　such　a　sinister　figure　to　an　eleven…year…old　Scott　Bernard…was　on　hand　to　wele　the　landing　party　and　escort　them；　in　a　caravan　of　surface…effect　vehicles；　to　that　part　of　the　Royal　Hall　given　over　to　Local　Group　affairs。　There；　Vince　and　Jean　Grant；　Harry　Penn；　and　the　rest　were　greeted　by　planetary　envoys　from　Karbarra；　New　Praxis；　Spheris；　Garuda；　Peryton；　and　several　emerging　worlds　once　dominated　by　the　Robotech　Masters　and　Invid　that　had　never　been　visited　by　the　Sentinels。

The　Haydonite　foreign　minister　and　the　whole　of　the　ambassadorial　legation　had　been　placed　in　custody。

〃They　haven't　revealed　so　much　as　a　thought　since　their　arrest；〃　Scott　heard　Cabell　inform　Vince　while　a　Karbarran　representative　had　the　chamber's　floor。　〃And　of　course　we　know　of　no　way　to　force　them　to　send。　I'm　certain　they've　fallen　victim　to　the　same　programming　that　has　set　their　homeworld　in　motion。〃

〃First　the　Invid；　then　the　SDF…3；　now　Haydon　IV；〃　Jean　whispered　back。

Cabell　nodded；　flaring　white　eyebrows　bobbing。　〃And　these　disappearances　are　only　the　beginning。〃

〃How　so？〃　Vince　asked。

The　Tiresian　voiced　a　note　of　frustration。　〃The　very　fabric　of　the　continuum　has　been　affected　in　some　way。　It　would　require　a　plex　array　of　instruments　and　measuring　devices　to　demonstrate　my　findings。　But　I　will　say　this　much：　Our　universe　appears　to　be　shrinking。〃

Penn　blanched。　〃But…〃

〃Wait。〃　Cabell　cut　him　off；　holding　up　a　graceful　hand。　〃Hear　this　one　out。〃

There　was　motion　on　the　floor。　Scott　saw　that　the　Karbarran　who　had　been　growling　demands　at　everyone　had　been　issued　a　message　of　some　sort　and　was　pacing　before　the　amphitheater　seats；　waving　the　crumpled　thing　overhead　in　a　clenched　paw…hand。

〃Let　it　be　known　to　all　members　of　the　Local　Group　that　Karbarra　is　fully　prepared　to　go　to　war　unless　reparations　are　made　for　the　capture　of　our　citizens　and　the　destruction　of　three　of　our　vessels。〃

The　audience　of　diplomats　and　staffers　muttered　among　themselves。

〃And　how　many　more　ships　will　you　have　to　lose　before　you　see　the　error　of　interference？〃　a　Spherisian　shouted　from　the　hall's　upper　tier。

〃The　next　time　it　won't　be　a　single　ship　but　a　fleet　we　mit；〃　the　Karbarran　snapped。

〃Fleets　have　been　destroyed　in　the　past；　Nal；〃　a　Praxian　said。

〃Legends；〃　Nal　scoffed。　〃Karbarra　has　outgrown　such　things。〃

〃And　Karbarra　would　like　nothing　better　than　to　see　Haydon　IV　added　to　its　growing　list　of　indentured　worlds；〃　sneered　someone　from　the　Perytonian　contingent。　〃You　try　the　patience　of　the　mittee；　Nal。〃

Nal　gestured　with　a　paw…hand。　〃Such　accusations　from　the　chief　debtor　world　in　the　Local　Group。　Peryton　tries　our　patience；　Minister　Marak。〃

〃Silence！　All　of　you；〃　Cabell　said　loudly　enough　to　quiet　a　score　of　separate　arguments　that　had　broken　out。　He　looked　to　Nal。　〃Talk　of　reprisals　and　reparations　is　not　only　premature　but　pointless；　given　the　fact　that　Haydon　IV　has　managed　to　elude　us。　I　strongly　suggest…〃

〃No　longer；　Tiresian！〃　Nal　waved　the　message　sheet　in　Cabell's　direction。　〃Our　recon　forces　report　that　Haydon　IV　has　emerged　from　fold　and　inserted　itself　in　orbit　around　Ranaath's　Star。　〃

〃Ranaath？！　〃　Cabell　said；　struggling　to　his　feet。　〃Are　you　certain　of　this？〃

〃Our　reconnaissance　forces　pride　themselves　on　their　accuracy；〃　Nal　told　him。

〃But　Ranaath　is　a　。。。　black　hole　system；〃　Cabell　said　for　the　benefit　of　the　Terran　contingent。　He　had　yet　to　tell　Penn　or　Grant　about　Exedore's　determination　that　Ranaath　had　been　at　the　receiving　end　of　the　energy　pulse　that　had　acpanied　the　Invid　departure。　〃Why　would　the　Haydonites　willingly　place　themselves　in　such　a　godforsaken　place？〃

Nal　folded　powerful…looking　arms　across　his　massive　chest。　〃We'll　be　sure　to　ask　them；〃　he　said；　hurling　the　message　b　the　floor　and　storming　from　the　room。


CHAPTER　THIRTEEN

At　66：18：740；　mander　in　Chief　Dolza　mitted　the　last　of　the　Golthano　Fleet　ships　to　the　dark　maw　of　Ranaath's　Star；　and　once　more　the　ships　were　torn　asunder　by　（translator's　insert：　tidal　forces　encountered　at　the　event　horizon）。　Losses　to　this　date　number　670　ships；　42；000　Zentraedi　lives。　It　would　appear　that　the　Zentraedi　ships　are　of　insufficient　durability　to　negotiate　penetration　of　the　（horizon）　or　the　（realm　jump）　that　is　a　suggested　probability　should　such　a　penetration　be　effected。　Be　aware　that　mander　Khyron　of　the　Botoru　Battalion　is　fully　prepared　to　undertake　the　next　attempt。　He　would　have　it　made　known　to　you　that　he　in　fact　requests　to　be　afforded　the　honor。　
Exedore；　in　a　munique　to　the　Robotech　Masters；　as　quoted　by　Rawlins　in　his　Zentraedi　Triumvirate：　Dolza；　Breetai；　Khyron　

Max　Sterling　watched　Exedore　play　the　console　Veidt　had　delivered　to　their　cell；　stubby　fingers　pecking　away　at　mand　keys。　To　offset　any　suspicion　that　the　furtive　delivery　might　have　aroused　among　level　four's　cadre　of　humorless；　hovering　overseers；　the　terminal　had　been　designed　to　include　an　archaic　touchpad。　The　armless　Haydonites　had　no　call　for　such　a　tedious　approach；　and　in　truth　neither　did　Exedore；　who　had　grown　accustomed　to　the　Awareness　data　lab's　neural　headbands。　The　console　consequently　resembled　nothing　so　much　as　a　child's　learning　aid；　which　was　exactly　what　the　jailers　were　meant　to　make　of　it。　To　buoy　the　ploy；　Aurora　was　seated　alongside　Exedore；　ostensibly　under　the　Zentraedi's　tutelage；　issuing　appropriate　sounds　of　excitement　and　discovery　as　the　screen　displayed　responses　to　Exedore's　prompts。

Miriya　and　Dana　were　in　the　Praxians'　quarters；　trying　to　reassure　the　four　Amazons　that　Veidt's　sudden　turnaround　was　genuine。

Well；　Miriya　was；　Max　thought。　Dana　was　probably　encouraging　everyone　to　tunnel　beneath　the　walls。

The　former　Skull　Squadron　ace　found　himself　thinking　about　twentieth…century　prison　escapes　as　he　cast　a　wary　eye　at　the　cell's　laser…barred　threshold。　It　had　been　pastry　surprises　back　then；　files　and　hacksaw　blades　concealed　in　cakes　and　long　loaves　of　bread。　But　breakouts　now　required　break…ins　of　a　sort；　direct　data　links　to　the　security　system's　keymaster…in　this　instance；　Haydon　IV's　artificial　sentience；　the　Awareness。

Exedore　voiced　a　plosive　sound　of　frustration。　〃Another　mistake。　My　fingers　have　forgotten　just　who　it　is　that　does　the　thinking　for　them。　They　seem　convinced　they　have　a　mind　of　their　own。〃

〃Take　your　time；〃　Max　advised　under　his　breath。　〃Remember；　you're　supposed　to　be　a　teacher；　not　some　interloper。　〃

〃Teachers　have　been　known　to　lose　patience；〃　Exedore　retorted。　〃In　any　event；　keeping　watch　on　the　front　door　such　as　it　is…does　little　more　than　draw　attention　to　us。　I　suggest　to　you　that　the　Haydonites　would　have　filled　these　rooms　with　monitoring　devices　if　they　for　one　moment　suspected　wed　be　foolish　enough　to　attempt　an　escape。〃

Max　glanced　at　the　alloy　partitions　and　ceilings。　Veidt　had　been　responsible；　too；　for　the　holo…views　that　adorned　the　long；　rear　walls…vistas　of　rolling　hills　crisscrossed　with　hedgerows　and　low　stone　walls。　A　sun　shone　in　the　false　sky；　rising　and　setting　in　breathtaking　colors；　if　nothing　else；　it　had　at　least　returned　the　captives　to　a　semblance　of　circadian　normalcy。　Max　sometimes　felt　as　though　he　were　back　in　the　SDF…1；　carousing　after　a　mission　with　Rick　and　Ben　in　downtown　Macross　under　EVE'S　projected　cloudscape。

And　there　he　was；　the　only　full…blooded　Terran　in　the　room。　〃I'm　certain　of　one　thing；〃　Exedore　resumed。　〃Haydon　IV　has　defolded。〃

〃I　guessed　as　much；〃　Max　told　him；　gratified　that　he　could　still　rely　on　his　own　senses　to　differentiate　between　real　time　and　hyperspace。　〃Can　you　find　out　where　we　are？〃

〃I　have　already　established　that。　Although　I'll　confess　I　should　have　suspected　it　all　along。〃

Max　laid　a　protective　hand　on　Aurora's　shoulder；　the　doe　eyed　child　looked　up　at　him　and　smiled　as　Exedore　took　a　deep　breath。

〃We　are　inserted　in　orbit　around　a　small；　carbonaceous　moon　that　circles　this　system's　sixth　planet…an　equally　desolate　place；　I　might　add。　The　Zentraedi　knew　the　system's　dying　primary　as　Qalliph；　a　word　approximated　by　the　Panglish　term　dread。〃

Max　raised　an　eyebrow。　〃Go　on。〃

〃Actually；　it　isn't　so　much　the　star　itself　that　inspired　the　name　but　the　phenomenon　to　which　it　in　turn　pays　gravitational　obeisance。　The　Masters　named　it　Raanath's　Star；　after　an　especially　barbaric　warlord　from　Tirol's　pre…Transition　past。　Your　own　astrophysicists　have　labeled　such　phenomena　black　holes。〃

Max　whistled　lightly。　〃I've　always　wanted　to　get　a　look　at　one　of　those　things。〃

Exedore　frowned　at　him。　〃Yes；　I　recall　from　my　delvings　into　Terran　literature　that　your　race　has　endowed　these　black　holes　with　near…mystical　importance。　This　was　especially　true　among　your　so…called　science　fiction　writers；　I　believe。　A　blend　of　romantic　fascination　and　morbid　curiosity。　But　I　can　assure　you；　as　one　who　has　seen　an　entire　battle　group　swallowed　by　these　sinister　portals；　that　even　the　most　ghoulish　of　your　imaginings　doesn't　e　close　to　detailing　the　horrors　of　the　experience。〃

〃So　what　are　we　d