Fifteen Hours(科幻战争)-第38章

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thought　no　more　about　it。”
“Not　really；　Scholar；”　Davir　said。　“Even　though　years　had　passed　by　then；　he　could’ve　still　been
worried　about　his　crime　being　found　out。　Maybe　he　thought　it　was　better　to　let　bad　dogs　lie；　and
never　mention　the　name　ever。　Either　way；　it　doesn’t　really　make　any　difference。　Your　greatgrandfather
killed　the　man；　new　fish；　and　stole　his　ticket。　That’s　all　there　is　to　it。　So　much　for
miracles。”
“No。　You’ve　got　it　wrong；”　Larn　said。　“There　must　be　another　explanation。　One　you　haven’t
thought　of。　Surely　you　can　see　that　my　great…grandfather　wouldn’t　have　done　anything　like　that？”
But　as　Larn　looked　at　them　it　was　clear　to　him　that　was　exactly　what　they　did　believe。　Davir；
Scholar；　Bulaven；　Zeebers。　All　of　them。　Looking　at　the　faces　of　each　man　in　the　trench；　Larn　could
see　their　minds　were　made　up。　There　had　been　no　miracle。　No　example　of　the　Emperor’s　grace。　To
them；　it　was　a　simple　matter。　His　great…grandfather　had　killed　a　man；　then　lied　about　it　afterwards。
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“No；”　Larn　said　at　last；　hating　how　weak　his　voice　sounded　and　way　it　wavered。　“No。　You　are
wrong。　You　are　wrong　and　I　don’t　believe　you。”
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CHAPTER　TWELVE
18：58　hours　Central　Broucheroc　Time
Sector　Command　and　the　Portents　of　a　Coming　Storm　—　Larn　Sulks　—　Davir　at　Last　Finds　a
Reason　to　be　Cheerful　—　Meal　Time　in　Barracks　Dugout　One　—　The　Culinary　Arts　as　According　to
Trooper　Skench　—　A　Discussion　as　to　the　Advantages　of　Artillery　in　the　Hunting　of　Big　Lizards
“Here　are　the　raw　contact　reports　for　the　last　half…hour；　sir；”　Sergeant　Valtys　said；　holding　out　a
sheaf　of　papers　as　thick　as　his　thumb　in　his　outstretched　hand。　“You　said　you　wanted　to　see　them
immediately；　before　they　were　collated。”
Sitting　at　his　desk　in　his　small　office　at　Sector　Command　Beta　（Eastern　Divisions；　Sectors　1…10
to　1…20）；　Colonel　Kallad　Drezlen　turned　to　take　the　papers　from　Valtys　and　begin　to　read　them。
There　must　be　two　hundred　reports　here　at　least；　he　thought。　Each　one　recording　a　separate
incident　of　contact　with　the　enemy。　Two　hundred；　when　usually　at　this　time　of　day　we　would　expect
to　get　no　more　than　eighty　or　so　in　an　hour。　It　looks　like　the　orks　are　getting　restless　hereabouts　and
that　is　never　a　good　sign。　Something　must　he　coming。
“How　bad　is　it；　Jaak？”　he　asked；　raising　his　eyes　from　the　reports　to　look　at　the　sergeant。
“Bad　enough；　sir；”　Valtys　replied；　still　standing　ramrod…straight　beside　the　colonel’s　desk　as
though　he　thought　he　was　on　a　parade　ground　muster。　“Five　of　our　sectors　report　coming　under
heavy　shellfire　from　the　orks。　Another　two　report　incidents　of　massed　assaults。　Then；　we　have
received　something　like　a　hundred　different　reports　from　across　all　sectors　of　contacts　ranging　from
raiding　parties　to　an　increase　in　the　number　of　gretch　snipers　and　scouts　in　no…man’s　land。　Looks
like　there’s　a　real　shitstorm　brewing；　colonel；　if　you　pardon　my　language。”
“Hhh。　You　are　pardoned；　Jaak；”　Drezlen　said；　looking　up　at　the　non…com’s　grizzled　face　with　a
quiet　amusement　born　of　long　familiarity　with　his　ways。　“What　about　Sector　Commands　Alpha　and
Gamma？　Are　they　having　the　same　problem　with　flying　faeces？”
“No　and　I　have　to　admit　that’s　what　put　the　wind　up　me；　sir。　Our　neighbouring　Sector
Commands　say　they’re　having　a　quiet　time　of　it。　Too　quiet；　if　you　ask　me。”
“As　though　the　orks　were　planning　something；　you　mean？”　Drezlen　said；　his　face　serious　now　as
he　gave　voice　to　the　thought　hanging　communally　in　the　air　between　them。　“Concentrating　their
forces　here；　as　though　they　are　about　to　launch　a　major　offensive？”
“Yes；　sir。　Course；　I　know　that’s　not　supposed　to　happen。　I　know　General　HQ　say　the　orks　aren’t
smart　enough　to　coordinate　something　like　that。　But　I’ve　got　a　metal　pin　in　me；　holding　my　left　knee
together　from　the　time　an　ork　shot　blew　a　fist…sized　hole　in　it。　Ever　since　I　got　it；　that　pin　has　always
started　itching　whenever　the　orks　were　up　to　something。　And　right　now　it’s　itching　worse　than　a　redarsed
monkey　that’s　been　sitting　in　a　mound　of　firebugs。”
“I　know　what　you　mean；　Jaak；”　Drezlen　said。　“My　gut’s　the　same　way。　All　the　same；　I　wouldn’t
want　to　go　to　General　Pronan　asking　him　to　order　an　alert　based　on　the　combined　evidence　of　your
pin　and　my　digestion。　I’ll　need　something　a　bit　weightier　than　that。　Get　me　the　collated　statistics　and
summaries　for　these　contact　reports　ASAP。　Then；　I’ll　go　see　the　general　and　see　if　we　can　get　him　to
take　some　action。”
“Begging　your　pardon；　sir；　but　the　general’s　not　on　site。　He　still　hasn’t　returned　from　the　Staff
Briefing　at　General　HQ。”
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“Spectacular；”　Drezlen　said；　sighing　in　irritation。　“The　one　time　we　really　need　the　old　man　he’s
off　enjoying　flatcakes　and　recaf　with　Grand　Marshal　Kerchan。　All　right；　then。　Looks　like　I’ll　have　to
be　the　one　to　put　my　head　in　the　cudbear’s　mouth。　Get　comms　to　vox　General　HQ。　Tell　them
Colonel　Drezlen　wants　to　put　Sectors　1…10　through　to　1…20　on　Alert　Condition　Red。”
“You　should　try　not　to　take　it　so　much　to　heart；　new　fish；”　Bulaven　had　said；　going　over　to　join　Larn
as　he　sat　alone　in　a　corner　of　the　trench。　“So；　your　great…grandfather　killed　a　man　and　stole　his　ticket。
What　of　it？　It　hardly　matters　now；　does　it？　It　was　a　long　time　ago；　after　all；　and　anyone　it　might　have
been　important　to　is　long　dead　by　now。”
“It　is　not　as　though　we　meant　anything　by　it；　new　fish；”　Bulaven　had　said　then；　once　it　had
become　clear　Larn　was　not　going　to　answer　him。　“We　were　just　talking　is　all。　You　have　to　find　some
way　of　passing　the　time　in　the　trenches。　So；　sometimes　we　tell　stories　and　afterwards　everyone　gives
their　opinion。　You　have　to　understand　it　is　nothing　personal。”
“Granted；　maybe　we　should　not　have　been　so　forthright；”　Bulaven　had　said　next；　while　Larn
stared　fixedly　ahead　and　refused　to　look　at　him。　“Your　story　was　important　to　you；　I　can　see　that
now。　We　should　have　been　kinder　perhaps。”
“Perhaps　you　are　right；　new　fish；”　Bulaven　had　said　at　last。　“Perhaps　it　was　a　miracle　and　we　are
all　full　of　manure。　I　am　not　a　preacher。　I　don’t　know　about　such　things。　But　really；　new　fish；　it　is
making　your　own　life　hard　on　yourself　if　you　just　keep　sitting　there　in　silence。”
“Ach；　leave　him；　Bulaven；”　Davir　had　said。　“All　your　feeble…fabbling　around　the　new　fish　is
giving　me　a　headache。　If　he　wants　to　sulk；　let　him。　Emperor　knows；　it’ll　be　a　damn　sight　more　quiet
around　here　without　all　his　stupid　questions。”
Time　passed。　Sitting　alone　in　his　corner　of　the　trench　while　Zeebers　stood　on　watch　and　the　others
played　cards；　Larn　found　the　heat　of　his　anger　had　slowly　cooled。　With　it；　he　became　gradually
aware　of　other　things；　sensations　that　until　then　had　been　masked　from　him　by　the　intensity　of　the
emotions　boiling　within　him　ever　since　the　Vardans　had　defamed　his　great…grandfather’s　memory
and　ridiculed　his　story　of　the　miracle。
Emperor’s　tears；　but　it　is　cold；　Larn　thought；　suddenly　realising　he　had　been　sitting　in　the　same
spot　so　long　his　backside　had　gone　to　sleep。　Just　as　he　was　about　to　stand　and　stretch；　to　move　about
in　the　trench　in　the　hope　of　getting　his　circulation　working；　some　lingering　residue　of　his　anger
stopped　him。
I　get　up　and　move　now　the　others　will　think　I　have　forgiven　them；　he　thought；　hating　how
childish　the　thought　made　him　feel　and　yet　at　the　same　time　helpless　to　resist　it。　It　would　be　like
giving　in；　he　thought。　Like　I　was　admitting　I　believed　all　the　nonsense　they　talked　before　about　my
great…grandfather　stealing　the　ticket。　Then；　his　anger　re…igniting　at　the　thought　the　others　might
think　him　weak；　he　resolved　to　sit　where　he　was　in　silence　a　while　longer。
Of　course　it　doesn’t　really　matter　what　they　think；　he　thought　after　some　further　time　had　passed。
It　doesn’t　matter　if　they　think　I　have　given　in。　It　doesn’t　matter　whether　they　think　my　greatgrandfather
stole　the　ticket　or　murdered　anyone。　All　that　matters　is　that　I　know　those　things　aren’t
true。　So　long　as　I　know　that；　they　can　believe　whatever　they　like。　Still；　he　was　not　content。
Something　deep　inside　him　refused　to　let　him　move。
They　have　all　been　in　this　place　too　long；　he　thought　at　last。　T