05_force_of_arms-第37节

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〃Must　you　keep　drinking？〃　Minmei　said。　〃It's　getting　out　of　hand！〃

Kyle　upended　the　bottle　and　let　the　last　few　droplets　fall　on　soil　that　hadn't　tasted　moisture　in　two　years。　Then　he　tossed　it　high；　launched　himself　through　the　air　in　a　reverse　spin　kick；　a　ki…yi　yell　ing　from　deep　within　him；　turning　twice；　and　popped　the　little　brandy　bottle　out　of　existence　like　a　trap　shooter。

Pieces　of　dark　glass　landed　at　Minmei's　feet。　She　watched　Kyle　steadily。　〃Did　that　make　you　feel　any　better　about　yourself？〃

How　can　she　wound　me　so　easily　with　just　a　word　or　two？　he　wondered　in　confusion。

His　mood　swung　again；　and　there　was　an　endless　affection　in　him　for　her。　She　was；　after　all；　the　sum　of　his　life。　All　he　had　ever　really　acplished；　Lynn…Kyle　saw　now；　was　getting　Minmei　to　love　him。

But　Minmei's　mood　was　riding　a　different　swing。　〃Whatever　you　think　of　the　RDF；　there　are　a　lot　of　fine　men　and　women　in　it；〃　she　said　levelly。　〃Much　better　people　than　you　are　right　now。〃

A　moment　that　might　have　been　a　reconciliation　and　a　new　start　was　gone　forever。　Kyle　ran　the　back　of　his　hand　across　his　mouth　again。　Al！　right；　we　might　as　well　have　it　all　out。

〃What's　that　crack　supposed　to　mean？〃

Minmei　was　actually　shaking　a　fist　at　him。　〃It　means　they're　trying　to　rebuild　Earth；　while　all　you　can　do　is　drink　and　feel　sorry　for　yourself！〃

〃Is　that　so？　Well；　I've　done　a　pretty　good　job　of　takin'　care　of　your　career；　little　Miss　Superstar！〃

She　had　been　loud　a　moment　before；　her　voice　was　quiet　now。　〃Maybe　we'd　better　split　up　then；　Kyle。　So　you　can　look　after　your　own　career。〃　She　gathered　her　pink　jacket　around　her。

She　had　been　hurt　until　her　endurance　was　all　gone；　and　now　she　only　wanted　to　hurt　in　retaliation。　〃I　didn't　realize　I　owed　it　all　to　you；　Kyle。〃

He　had　his　hands　out　in　fending…off　gestures。　〃Wait；　wait。　I　didn't　mean…didn't　mean　I　wanted　to　split　up　our　partnership。〃　〃Partnership〃　was　a　weak　word　for　what　they'd　had；　but　somehow　the　vocabulary　of　love　was　steamrollered　by　the　vocabulary　of　argument。　He　felt　something　slipping　away　even　as　he　made　the　choice　of　words。

She　drew　a　long；　deep　breath；　looking　him　in　the　eye。　〃Maybe　not；　but　it's　what　I　meant。〃

The　pass　of　Lynn…Kyle's　emotions　swung　a　last　time；　and　his　mouth　resolved　into　a　straight；　thin　line。　〃Okay；　go！　Who　needs　you？〃　He　kicked　the　empty　carton　high　into　the　air。


Rick　Hunter　didn't　know　exactly　what　to　feel。　The　fact　that　Kyle　had　alienated　Minmei　might　have　been　enjoyable　from　a　distance；　but　it　was　harrowing　to　see　at　close　range。

And　then　there　was　the　whole　question　of　going　out　and　intervening。　Rick　had　no　illusions　about　being　able　to　take　the　tall；　cobra…fast　martial…arts　expert　hand　to　hand；　and　he　had　forgotten　to　bring　along　the　survival　pistol　from　his　VT's　ejection　pack。

Suddenly　the　rover　radio　buzzed　in　its　thigh　pouch。　〃mander　Hunter；　e　in　please！〃　It　was　Vanessa's　voice；　sending　from　the　rusting；　soggy…footed　SDF…1。

He　had　turned　the　volume　down　low　when　he　came　out　to　the　edge　of　the　wastelands；　following　leads　to　find　Minmei。　Now　he　held　the　rover　up　to　his　ear。　Minmei　and　Kyle　didn't　seem　to　have　heard　a　thing。

He　thumbed　the　transmit　switch。　〃I'm　here。〃

〃Sir；　you're　directed　to　lead　your　flight　to　New　Portland。　A　residential　district　is　under　attack　by　several　Zentraedi　malcontents。〃

〃Malcontents。〃　That　was　what　the　new　world　government　was　calling　them　so　far。　But　those　who　had　sworn　the　Zentraedi　warrior　oath　and　turned　their　back　on　human　society　were　a　lot　more　than　malcontents。　They　had　only　to　walk　out　into　the　wasteland　and　keep　going；　find　the　right　wrecked　ship。　If　they　were　lucky；　they　would　find　arms；　mecha；　rations；　water；　and　shelter。

Rick　poised　for　a　moment　in　a　pain　so　precise　that　it　defied　any　random　theory　of　the　universe。　Most　of　what　he　had　e　to　believe　in　impelled　him　to　get　to　New　Portland　with　all　possible　speed。

Everything　else　told　him　to　stay　there；　because　this　was　the　moment　he　could　win　Minmei　back。

But　he　thumbed　the　rover's　transmit　button　again。　〃What　weapons？〃

〃Three　battlesuits　and　four　pods；　a　total　of　seven；〃　Vanessa's　voice　came　back。　That　wasn't　exactly　several；　the　way　Rick　saw　it；　but　he　had　to　admit　that　things　probably　looked　a　little　different　from　a　worldwide　coordinating　nerve　center　like　the　SDF…1。

These　were　Zentraedi　who　had　defected　to　the　human　side　in　the　Robotech　War。　They　were　onetime　allies。　He　held　the　rover's　voice　pickup　close　and　said　softly；　〃It'll　be　taken　care　of。　What's　the　status　on　Skull　flight？　Over。〃

〃They　are　curtailing　their　current　sweep　and　will　rendezvous　with　you　in　New　Portland。　Out。〃

He　shut　off　the　rover　before　the　sound　of　static　could　betray　him。　He　raced　off　toward　his　ship。　It　was　a　kind　of　liberation　to　have　some　crisis　so　pressing　that　he　could　forget　about　Minmei　for　a　while。　He　left　the　two　Lynns　to　their　own　devices；　and　somehow　he　couldn't　help　wishing　them　the　worst。

As　his　VT　took　off　in　Guardian　mode；　Rick　saw　the　tiny；　distant　figure　of　Kyle　go　down　on　both　knees　before　Minmei。　She　turned　and　opened　her　arms；　cradling　his　head　to　her　breast。　Rick　hit　the　throttle；　and　his　VT　left　a　trail　of　blue　fire　across　the　sky。


Lisa　stared　up　through　her　window　at　the　rotting　hulk　of　the　SDF…1。　Beneath　it　was　a　thriving；　growing　city；　but　its　presence　put　everyone　in　mind　of　the　war。

〃Hmmph！　What　a　view！〃　As　a　morale　builder；　she　was　wearing　a　tight　blouse　with　a　high；　upturned　collar。　Every　once　in　a　while　she　permitted　herself　to　catch　a　glimpse　of　herself　in　a　full…length　mirror　there　in　her　quarters　and　admit；　not　bad！

The　SDF…1　wasn't　bad　to　look　at　either；　really。　The　more　so　because　the　SDF…2　would　be　lowered　into　place；　back　to　back　with　it；　in　another　day　or　so。　Lang　and　his　disciples　had　worked　out　some　way　to　move　the　sealed　enigmatic　engines　from　one　to　the　other。　Lisa　had　heard　the　briefings；　could　sort　of　understand　the　mathematics　Lang　scrawled　all　over　every　flat　surface　that　came　to　hand；　and　had　faith　in　him；　but　she　still　thought　her　new　assignment　was　an　unknown　quantity。

The　set　birred　for　her　attention。　She　picked　up　the　handset。　In　seconds　she　had　word　of　the　New　Portland　raid　from　Vanessa　and　was　hurrying　for　the　door。


Sunset　had　e；　and　a　freezing　rain；　as　the　Zentraedi　ransacked　New　Portland。　They　had　cut　a　swath　of　destruction　from　the　diminished　Lake　Oswego　to　the　once　great　Columbia　River。

The　pods　fired　and　devastated　without　mercy。　Local　militia　and　police　were　victims　just　like　the　civilians；　in　the　first　hours　of　their　rampage；　the　alien　malcontents　slew　over　four　hundred　men　and　women　of　assorted　constabularies；　police　departments；　and　guard　units。

They　set　buildings　afire　with　a　mere　brush　of　their　plastron　cannon；　they　trod　houses　and　people　flat　underneath　their　pods'　huge；　hooflike　feet。

Now　they　loomed；　three　abreast；　in　the　center　of　New　Portland　as　black　smoke　roiled　around　them　and　the　screams　of　the　dying　echoed　through　the　rain…washed　streets。　Blood　ran　in　the　gutters。

Down　from　the　night　swooped　the　VTs　of　Skull　Team　under　Ransom's　mand。　Robotechnology　made　them　all…weather　fighters；　as　dangerous　in　blackness　as　they　were　in　light。

〃Nobody　fires　unless　they　have　a　confirmed　target；　there're　civilians　down　there；〃　Ransom　said。

Just　then　New　Portland　came　into　view；　burning　like　a　skillet　of　molten　metal；　smoke　funneling　up　from　it　to　form　thickening　layers　that　threw　back　red　light。

Bobby　Bell　began；　〃My　God！　This　is　horrible…〃

〃Shut　up；　Sergeant；〃　Ransom　cut　him　off。　〃All　VTs　form　up　on　me。　Let's　get　down　there　and　stop　this　thing。　And　watch　your　fare！〃


Jeanette　LeClair　and　her　best　friend；　Sonya　Poulson；　ran　through　the　rain…slick　streets　of　New　Portland　hand　in　hand；　shivering　in　the　frigid　rain；　crying　for　the　loved　ones　who　had　died；　pulses　hammering　because　death　was　at　their　heels。　Jeanette's　birthday　a　month　before　had　made　her　eight　years　old；　Sonya's；　four　days　later；　had　brought　them　even。

Behind　them；　a　Zentraedi　Battlepod　stumped　around　the　corner；　kicking　a　traffic　light　through　a　brick　wall　and　snapping　power　lines；　then　turned　its　guns　on　them。

Jeanette　fell；　and　Sonya　wanted　to　keep　running　but　found　that　she　couldn't。　She　dashed　back　to　her　friend；　trying　to　help　her　up；　but　she　fell　instead；　and　the　two　of　them　sprawled　on　the　rain…washed　cobblestone　street　as　a　huge　round　metal　hoof　came　down　at　them。　They　wept；　held　each　other　close；　and　waited　to　die。

The　pod　paused　in　the　act　of　trampling　yet　more　victims。　The　armored；　lightbulb…shaped　torso　turned；　as　if　listening　to　something。　Jeanette　and　Sonya　could　hardly　know　that　it　was　receiving　an　urgent　message　from　one　of　its　fellows。

〃Warning！　Warning！　Enemy　fightercraft　approaching！　Form　up　to　take　defensive　action！〃

The　two　little　girls　looked　up　at　the　ridges　and　features　of　the　huge　hoof　and　realized　it　was　pulling　away。　In　moments；　the　pod　had　turned　and　grasshoppered　off　for　some　destination　they　couldn't　even　guess　at；　riding　its　foot　thrusters。

Moments　later；　thunder　came　down　through　the　sky　as　Skull　Team　VTs　arrived　at　full　throttle。　The　two　girls　helped　each　other　up。　Buildings　shook　and　windows　broke　t