Death World(科幻战争)-第43章

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first　to　find　the　ork　warboss。　Earning　his　name；　before　it　was　too　late。
There　were　lights　up　ahead—harsh；　like　the　lanterns　outside。　Lorenzo　switched　off　his　helmet　beam
and　crept　forward；　Armstrong　at　his　heels。
The　tunnel　they　were　following　took　a　sharp　dip；　its　gradient　so　steep　that　they　were　halfwalking；
half…sliding。　The　sounds　of　picks　and　shovels　were　unmistakeable　now；　and　there　was
something　else。　The　squeak　of　a　wheel。　Armstrong　tapped　Lorenzo　on　the　shoulder　and　indicated　a
side　passageway；　narrow　and　level；　also　well　lit。　Lorenzo　nodded；　and　they　slipped　into　it；　and
pressed　themselves　against　its　walls　so　the　light　wouldn’t　cast　their　shadows　across　the　junction。
An　ork　appeared；　grunting　as　it　strained　to　push　a　loaded　barrow　up　the　slope。　Lorenzo’s　hand
moved　to　his　lasgun；　knowing　that　if　the　creature　saw　them　their　cover　was　blown。　It　only　had　to
yell　out。　To　his　relief；　it　moved　on。　Let　Myers　and　Wildman　take　care　of　it　when　it　reached　them；　he
thought。
They　moved　further　down　the　side　passageway；　until　the　right…hand　wall　fell　away　and　they　were
in　a　natural　gallery；　looking　out　across　a　vast　cavern。　Its　floor　lay　some　ten　metres　below　them；　its
far　wall　was　four　times　that　distance。　The　cavern　was　swarming　with　orks；　hefting　tools；　battering　at
the　walls；　breaking　off　chunks　of　rock　that　gretchin　gathered　and　piled　into　waiting　barrows。　The
area　was　lit　by　six　lanterns；　squeezed　into　niches　at　varying　heights；　connected　by　tangles　of　thick
cabling。　There　was　a　lantern　beside　the　Jungle　Fighters；　on　the　gallery；　lying　on　its　side—and　they
crouched　behind　it　so　any　ork　that　glanced　their　way　wouldn’t　see　them　behind　its　intense　light。
Lorenzo　scanned　the　throng　with　his　eyes；　fervently　hoping　to　find　an　ork　with　cleaner；　better
armour　than　the　others；　an　ork　that　was　giving　the　orders；　an　ork　perhaps　a　little　larger　than　its
fellows。　He　was　disappointed。
“Another　nine；　ten　passageways　off　this　chamber；”　breathed　Armstrong。　“This　place　is　like　a
maze！”
“I　don’t　know；”　Lorenzo　muttered。　“Most　of　those　tunnels；　I　think　the　orks　dug　themselves—and
I　think　they’re　still　digging　them。　See　how　the　gretchin　keep　coming　back　along　them　with　more
rubble。　I’m　betting　most　of　them　are　dead　ends。”
“Doesn’t　mean　we　won’t　find　Big　Green’s　quarters　down　one　of　them。”
Lorenzo　conceded　the　point；　but　nodded　towards　a　wide　tunnel　entrance　below　them　to　the　left。
“Seems　to　be　a　lot　of　coming　and　going　through　there；”　he　remarked；　“and　the　passageway　we’re　in
heads　in　that　direction。　I　think　it’s　worth　a　look。”
“Your　call；”　said　Armstrong。
They　crept　on；　until　rock　closed　in　around　them　again　and　their　passageway　dipped　and
narrowed　and　came　to　an　abrupt　end。　Its　floor　didn’t　quite　meet　the　wall；　however；　and　Lorenzo
peered　through　the　gap　thus　created　and　saw　another　passageway　below。　Even　as　he　watched；　an　ork
passed　along　it；　he　could　almost　have　reached　down　and　touched　its　head。　He　listened　a　moment；　but
the　only　sounds　he　could　hear　came　from　the　main　chamber　behind　and　below　them。　He　glanced　at
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Armstrong；　who　nodded—and　Lorenzo　lowered　himself　through　the　hole；　until　he　was　hanging　from
his　fingertips；　then　let　himself　drop。
The　world　gave　another　spin　as　he　hit　the　ground；　and　he　lost　his　balance　and　fell。　He　picked
himself　up　quickly；　humiliated；　and　gestured　up　to　Armstrong　that　he　was　alright。　He　had　guessed
right。　This　tunnel　sloped　back　down　to　the　main　chamber　in　one　direction；　climbed　more　gently　into
darkness　in　the　other。　He　could　only　see　a　short　way　in　the　lantern　light　that　bled　up　from　below；　but
it　was　enough　to　see　that　the　tunnel　walls　were　riddled　with　openings。
At　Lorenzo’s　signal；　Armstrong　joined　him；　hampered　by　his　dead　arm　but　still　affecting　a　more
graceful　landing　than　his　comrade　had　managed。
Two　orks　were　coming　their　way。　Quickly；　they　clucked　into　the　nearest　of　the　openings；　and
found　themselves　pushing　through　a　tattered　curtain。　Beyond　this；　a　small　cave　was　littered　with
skins　and　debris；　and　Lorenzo　realised　that　orks　had　been　sleeping　here。　Fortunately；　there　were
none　present　at　the　moment。
A　little　further　up；　the　tunnel　levelled　out　and　split　into　three；　and　they　followed　the　left…hand
branch。　They　found　more　quarters；　some　rumbling　with　the　grunts　and　snores　of　sleeping　residents；
some　apparently　empty。　Some　had　lights　within；　spilling　around　the　edges　of　their　curtains—and　in
one；　the　curtain　was　pulled　aside　and　four　orks　sat　around　a　flat…topped　boulder；　playing　with
knuckle　dice。　Lorenzo　and　Armstrong　didn’t　dare　risk　passing　that　cave；　so　they　backtracked　and
chose　another　path　from　the　three…way　junction。
Lorenzo　felt　angry。　What　the　orks　were　doing　here—it　was　wrong。　At　least；　when　the　men　of
Catachan　tamed　a　deathworld；　it　was　a　fair　fight。　They　didn’t　burrow　under　its　skin；　try　to　destroy　it
from　within　like　a　virus。　The　thought　of　it　made　him　itch；　made　the　sickness　rise　in　his　stomach…
He　wasn’t　sure　why；　didn’t　know　where　these　feelings　were　coming　from；　because　it　wasn’t　as　if　the
Imperium　had　never　strip…mined　a　world。　Maybe　just　not　a　world　like　Rogar　III…
They　came　across　a　particularly　large　entranceway　and　Lorenzo　hesitated；　wondering　if　this
could　be　the　cave　to　house　the　warboss。　He　didn’t　want　to　poke　his　head　around　the　curtain；　though：
he’d　have　been　unlikely　to　see　anything　in　the　dark　and　he　might　have　disturbed　somebody。
Anyway；　he　could　hear　at　least　three　different　snores　from　within—and　it　was　probable；　he　thought；
that　the　orks’　warboss　had　a　cave　to　himself。
A　moment　later；　however；　more　footsteps—shuffling　unexpectedly　from　an　unseen　tunnel；　little
more　than　a　fissure　in　the　rock—forced　the　two　Jungle　Fighters　to　duck　into　another　cave。　And　this
one　was　occupied。
Lorenzo　held　his　breath；　and　not　just　because　of　the　stink　of　ork　bodies　around　him。　He　could
just　make　them　out：　three　festering　lumps　crammed　together　on　the　floor。　He　had　almost　stepped　on
one　as　he’d　entered；　and　he　eased　his　foot　away　from　it。　For　a　moment；　he　thought　he　had　left
Armstrong　behind　outside；　so　silent　was　he—but　then　he　saw　the　glint　of　a　single　eye　in　the
darkness；　and　was　comforted。
The　footsteps　shuffled　up　to　the　cave　entrance；　and　for　a　moment　Lorenzo　feared　he　might　have
had　the　bad　luck　to　have　taken　cover　in　the　wandering　ork’s　own　quarters—but　then　the　moment
passed　and　the　footsteps　were　receding。　Heading　for　the　main　chamber；　he　guessed。
But　there　was　still　something　wrong—badly　wrong—if　only　he　could　put　his　finger　on　it。
Lorenzo’s　spine　prickled　with　dread。
He　realised　what　was　about　to　happen　a　second　before　it　did；　and　he　knew　that　his　luck　had
turned　bad　after　all。　As　bad　as　it　could　have　been。
The　tremor　shook　the　soles　of　his　feet；　then　seemed　to　rise　through　the　walls　and　meet　again
above　his　head。　One　of　the　sleeping　orks　stirred　instantly；　and　Lorenzo　was　trapped。　He　didn’t　think
it　had　seen　him　or　Armstrong　yet；　but　that　could　change　in　an　instant；　if　they　moved—and　the
footsteps　outside　the　cave　had　come　to　a　halt；　so　where　could　they　have　gone　anyway？
The　waking　ork　was　fumbling　for　something；　and　Lorenzo　wondered　if　there　was　a　chance；　a
tiny　chance；　that　he　could　reach　it　and　muffle　it　before　it　yelled　out；　plant　his　hand　over　its　mouth
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and　his　knife　in　its　throat。　But　that　tremor　wasn’t　subsiding—and　as　he　took　his　first　step；　the　earth
bucked　underneath　him　and　he　fell；　put　out　his　hands　to　catch　himself；　ended　up　sprawled　across　one
of　the　two　sleeping　orks。　Which；　of　course；　was　awake　too　now。
The　first　ork　had　found　a　miner’s　helmet；　and　it　snapped　on　the　light；　shining　it　around　the　cave。
Armstrong　let　loose　with　a　las…bolt　volley；　which　kept　the　ork　pinned　down　but　didn’t　prevent　it
from　letting　out　an　alarm　howl。
So　now　the　third　ork　was　clambering　to　its　feet；　blinking；　reaching　for　its　weapon；　and　Lorenzo
was　still　trying　to　avoid　the　flailing　grasp　of　the　second。　It　caught　him　by　the　arm；　and　he　was　trying
to　pull　away　from　it；　dragging　it　to　its　feet　after　him；　its　fingers　digging　painfully　into　him。　He
turned；　braced　his　shoulder　against　the　ork’s　chest　and　tried　to　throw　it。　It