18_the_end_of_the_circle-第46章

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spot　the　flares。　Angelo　yelled　into　the　wintry　mist　through　cupped　hands；　and　Gnea　fired　three　spaced　shots；　but　there　was　no　response　of　any　kind。

〃I　suppose　we　could　reconnoiter　further；〃　Gnea　ventured。　〃Huh　uh；〃　Angie　said　firmly；　seating　himself　tailor　fashion　with　his　rifle　across　his　thighs。　He　dug　for　his　canteen。　〃Now　that　we　found　'em；　I'm　sittin'　my　butt　right　here　on　top　of　'em　till　they　take　us　home。〃

〃Yes；　I　thought　you　might　feel　that　way。〃

Oh；　yes；　la…de…da。　Like　she's　got　everything　doped　out。　He　stopped　himself　before　taking　the　swig　of　water；　though；　automatically　offering　her　the　first　drink。　〃Thirsty？〃

Gnea　canted　her　head　at　him。　〃I　have　water　of　my　own；　thank　you。〃　She　swiveled　her　hip　around　to　show　him　the　canteen　on　her　belt。　It　was　an　exquisite　hip；　in　keeping　with　the　rest　of　her。　〃Did　you　think　a　Praxian　would　be　unequipped？　〃

〃No。　Who　cares？　Suit　yourself。〃　He　slugged　at　the　canteen　in　an　evil　temper。

She　hunkered　down；　holding　her　halberd　upright。　Males　were　so　difficult　to　understand；　especially　human　males。　She　recalled　the　infatuation　between　Jack　Baker　and　herself。　Of　course；　that　had　had　a　lot　to　do　with　the　pulsion　Tesla　had　worked　on　them　both。　But　it　had　taught　her　something　of　the　confusing；　unsettling；　and　not　always　controllable；　nature　of　relationships　between　the　sexes。

〃If　I've　offended　you　somehow；　Sergeant；　I　ask　your　forgiveness。〃

Sweet　Baby　Jesus　cookies　on　Christmas！　Now　he　really　felt　like　dirt！　〃Naw；　y'　didn't　do　anything　wrong　ma'am…uh；　Gnea。　〃

She　nodded　sagely。　〃I'd　heard　you　were　heartsick　over　the　officer　Dana　Sterling。　Such　things　can　be　troublesome。〃　Angelo's　face　turned　purple。　〃What'd　they　do；　announce　it　over　the　PA？〃

Actually；　he　had　made　some　inroads　with　his　former　CO　on　the　trip　out　from　Earth。　They　had　always　had　a　sort　of　feuding　friendship；　and　when　Zor　Prime　died　in　the　final　explosion　that　released　the　Flower　of　Life　across　the　planet；　Dana　and　her　senior　NCO　seemed　to　e　together　as　natural　as　magnets。

Then；　of　course；　they　had　arrived　at　Tirol；　and　Dana　had　met　Rem。　Seeing　what　was　between　the　clone　and　Minmei；　Dana　had　forced　herself　to　stay　away　from　them。　Things　between　her　and　Angie　were　never　the　same　again；　though。　He　figured　that　part　of　the　reason　she　had　stayed　behind　with　her　folks　was　because　he…and　Rem　and　Minmei；　for　that　matter…were　going　on　the　SDF…3。

So；　now　that　was　general　gossip；　huh？　Angelo　considered　Gnea；　squatting　there　in　that　getup　of　hers…part　armor；　part　uniform；　mostly　skin…and　realized　morosely　what　truly　had　him　bristling　at　her。

〃Hai！〃　she　said；　making　it　sound　like　a　swear　word。　〃Now　I've　done　it　again！　I　didn't　mean　to　get　you　upset。〃

But　he　shook　his　head。　〃Drop　it；　okay？　It's　not　important。〃　He　stood　up　just　for　something　to　do。

Gnea　stood；　too；　and　they　were　face　to　face。　Almost　touching…he　could　see　the　pulse　beat　in　her　throat　and　feel　his　own。　She　smelled　exotic　and　exciting。

Looking　into　the　avian　eyes；　he　heard　himself　say；　〃I　don't　want　to　think　about　。　。　。　about　。　。　。〃

She　made　a　raptor's　hissing　sound　and　clutched　the　harness　at　his　shoulder。　Angelo　reached　his　hand　behind　her　neck　and　pulled　her　lips　to　his。　He　figured　they　probably　looked　funny；　running　their　free　hands　all　over　each　other；　kissing　and　panting　while　holding　on　to　their　weapons　and　trying　to　keep　lookout　with　one　eye…in　case　the　godless　XT　hordes　came　charging　over　the　hill。

〃Hey；　before　somebody　gets　killed；〃　he　got　out　of　the　side　of　his　mouth；　and　carefully　tossed　his　rifle　aside。　Her　halberd　landed　on　top　of　it。

They　threw　their　arms　around　each　other　with　a　passion　neither　of　them　had　ever　felt　before。　It　was　all　moans　and　fumblings；　neither　one　familiar　with　the　other's　outfit。

They　sank　to　the　surface　of　the　containment　casing；　still　kissing　and　caressing。　It　was　cold　and；　once　they　were　out　of　their　clothes；　slippery。　That　made　it　more　fun。

Angie　had　heard　of　transcendent　experiences；　but　nothing　like　this。　It　seemed　as　though　the　whole　world　were　getting　brighter；　going　nova。

Waitaminute；　waitaminute；　it　is！

〃Angelo！　〃　Gnea's　nails　dug　into　his　shoulder；　he　rolled　over　and　found　himself　staring　up　into　the　face　of　a　deity。　Out　of　uniform　in　the　presence　of　God。　He　wondered　if　it　was　a　court…martial　offense。

It　was　a　visage　formed　from　the　white　brume；　a　hairless；　humanoid　head；　vaguely　and　yet　unmistakably　feminine。　It　seemed　to　take　up　the　whole　sky。

They　heard　its　thought：　LIFE　IS　WASTED　ON　THE　LIVING！


CHAPTER　TWENTY…FOUR

Not　odd　to　note；　perhaps；　in　view　of　the　upheavals　in　that　particular　period　of　Aeon　Lanack。　But　the　truth　is　that　in　spite　of　the　laborious；　even　stern；　inquiries　made　by　the　Elders　and　their　servants；　no　one　ever　seemed　quite　certain　as　to　exactly　where　Zor　came　from。　We　know　that；　like　so　many　others　born　during　that　era　（for　that　matter；　like　many　born　before　and　after　it　and　many　born　into　other　races　on　other　planets）；　he　was　raised　in　a　succession　of　government　care　facilities　and　the　like　from　the　time　he　was　very　young。
But　no　record　of　his　birth　or　precise　origin　could　be　found。　This　frustrated　the　Elders；　who　wished　to　analyze　and　duplicate　the　secrets　of　his　genius　and　extraordinary　affinities；　beyond　words。
Cabell；　Zor　and　the　Great　Transition

She　had　often　crashed　through　enemy　fortifications　or　target　cities；　brushing　aside　buildings　or　shouldering　her　way　between　defensive　works。

But　now　Kazianna　Hesh　moved　easily　and　carefully　through　the　venerable　old　trees　on　the　planet　that　had　appeared　from　nowhere。　Her　enemy　had　not　chosen　to　reveal　itself　yet；　and　caution　was　warranted。

Rick　Hunter　had　assigned　the　Zentraedi　to　sweep　paths　accesible　to　their　mechaed　bulk；　the　humans　and　Sentinels　were　working　their　way　through　the　denser　growth；　and　a　few　Cyclone　outriders　advanced　along　the　wider　footpaths　and　streambeds。　Periodically；　she　heard　Jack　Baker　and　Rick　Hunter　trying　to　contact　Sergeant　Dante　or　Gnea　on　their　tactical　freq；　but　there　was　no　answer。

Like　Angelo；　she　tried　to　keep　her　mind　on　her　job　but　found　herself　distracted。　It　seemed　that　her　team　was　too；　she　snapped　at　them　to　stay　sharp。

What　was　it　about　the　place？　She　had　expected　to　have　Drannin　and　the　problems　with　the　children　on　her　mind；　had　recognized　that　she　would　have　to　make　sure　she　kept　full　concentration。　But　she　had　not　expected　what　she　was　feeling；　what　kept　running　through　her　mind。

Breetai；　oh；　my　Breetai　。　。　。

His　face　was　there　before　her；　his　phantom　arms　around　her；　his　kiss　pressed　on　her　lips。

Stop！　You're　a　war　leader　of　the　Quadronos！　But　it　did　no　good　castigating　herself。　A　moment　later　the　memories　were　there　before　her　again；　as　though　she　had　not　grieved　and　struggled　to　reclaim　her　life。

Breetai；　my　lord　and　my　love　。　。　。　What　was　it　about　the　place？

Kazianna　saw　the　sky　reflected　in　her　helmet　…facebowl　and　realized　as　if　from　afar　that　she　had　stopped　advancing；　was　standing；　swaying；　in　a　grove　of　trees　whose　tips　came　even　with　the　top　of　her　powered　suit。　A　leaf　the　shape　of　a　kite　came　loose　from　a　branch；　fluttering　down。

But　it　was　only　her　body　there。　Kazianna　Hesh　was　years　and　light…years　away。


It　was　her　first　major　action；　an　assault　landing　on　a　strategic　Invid　stronghold　on　icy　Tawkhan；　and　everything　had　gone　wrong：　more　Invid　than　anybody　had　projected；　fleet　deployment　from　fold　jump　hopelessly　snarled；　Lord　Dolza　s　flagship　missing　and　perhaps　lost。

Kazianna　was　pinned　down　with　what　was　left　of　her　battalion…her　battalion；　because　all　senior　officers　had　fallen　before　waves　of　Invid。　Scout　Shock；　Trooper；　and　Pincer　Ship；　they　seemed　to　spring　from　the　ground；　a　horde　for　every　individual　the　massed　Zentraedi　firepower　burned　down。

The　resources　of　an　entire　sector　had　been　marshaled。　Out　beyond　the　atmosphere　a　total　of　nearly　a　quarter　million　ships　of　all　classes　hammered　away　at　one　another。　They　were　at　virtual　point…blank　range　for　a　space　engagement；　Kazianna　and　the　other　ground　troops　could　look　for　little　help　from　that　quarter。　Even　on　the　daylight　side　of　the　planet；　the　incandescent　bursts　flashed　bright；　far　overhead。

The　giants　had　never　had　music　of　t