05_force_of_arms- 第10部分

Later；　as　they　sat　on　an　upholstered　bench　in　a　lift　car；　she　asked　him；　〃Is　anything　wrong；　Father？〃　He　had　been　staring　at　her　strangely　for　minutes。

〃I've　been　thinking　of　how　you　remind　me　of　your　mother。　And　how　proud　she'd　be。〃

Shy　blushed；　very　pleased。　〃Thank　you；　Father。〃

He　shocked　her　by　saying；　〃So；　tell　me　how　your　love　life's　going　these　days。　Are　you　going　out　with　anyone　special？　Anybody　I　should　know　about？〃

It　took　her　so　off　guard　that　she　found　herself　admitting；　〃Well；　there　is　a　young　man。。。〃

〃He's　military；　of　course？〃　her　father　said。

〃Yes；　he　is。　In　fact；　he's　the　one　who　rescued　me　from　the　alien　ship。〃

Admiral　Hayes　nodded　slowly。　〃Ah　yes。　Sounds　like　a　good　man。〃

They　walked　and　chatted　as　they　hadn't　done　in　more　than　three　years。　The　admiral　led　Lisa　through　the　enormous　base；　ing　at　last　to　a　vertical　shaft　nearly　a　mile　across。　It　was　lined　with　operations　ports；　energy　systems；　and　power　routing。　High　above；　at　ground　level；　a　faceted　dome　like　a　cyclopean　lens　covered　the　shaft。

〃Was　there　something　in　particular　you　wanted　to　show　me　out　here？〃　After　the　relative　confinement　of　the　base　passageways；　it　did　feel　like　being　outside。

Her　father　led　her　out　to　the　end　of　a　gantry　overlooking　the　cavernous　shaft。　They　could　see　down　for　miles；　see　up　almost　as　far。

He　waved　a　hand　at　it。　〃I　wanted　you　to　see　the　Grand　Cannon；　Lisa。　Before　we　enter　into　any　peace　negotiations　with　the　aliens；　we're　going　to　fire　it　at　them。〃

She　couldn't　believe　her　ears。　〃What？〃　The　cry　seemed　lost　in　the　abyss　that　was　the　cannon's　barrel。

Admiral　Hayes　wore　a　grim　look；　his　strong　jaw　set。　〃Even　though　the　satellite　reflector　system　isn't　in　place　yet；　we　expect　to　wipe　out　a　large　segment　of　the　enemy　fleet　by　pulling　off　a　surprise　attack　spearheaded　by　a　volley　from　the　Grand　Cannon。　Once　they've　seen　its　power；　we　think　they'll　enter　the　negotiations　in　good　faith。〃

The　original　plan　had　been　to　put　huge　orbiting　mirrors　in　place　to　direct　the　cannon's　bolts　as　needed；　otherwise；　its　field　of　fire　was　very　narrow　indeed。　But　with　the　alien　warships　so　numerous　and　so　close　to　Earth；　it　was　really　only　a　matter　of　time　before　part　of　their　fleet　drifted　into　range。

Lisa　spat；　〃This　Grand　Cannon　probably　couldn't　wipe　out　a　small　division　of　Battlepods；　much　less　one　of　their　nine…mile…long　mother　ships！　Don't　you　understand？　We　have　to　approach　them　without　trying　to　escalate　the　war！〃

〃Some　of　them　have　defected　to　us　already！　I'm　sure　the　Zentraedi　will　listen　to　our　peace　proposals　without　the　use　of　weapons。〃

The　admiral　looked　out　at　the　barrel　of　the　gun。　〃Lisa；　how　can　you　be　so　naive？〃　He　turned　to　her。　〃The　only　thing　a　warlike　power　understands　is　a　demonstration　of　greater　power！　We　can't　let　the　Zentraedi　mistake　our　peace　overtures　for　a　sign　of　weakness。　We　must　deal　from　strength！〃

He　paced　to　the　observation　platform　at　the　very　end　of　the　gantry；　hands　clasped　behind　him。　〃How　can　you　expect　peaceful　intentions　from　a　race　bred　and　trained　for　nothing　but　war？　Even　if　their　genetic　structure　is　identical　to　ours；　we　have　no　real　knowledge　of　what　factors　in　their　background　motivate　them；　or　how　strongly。〃

〃But　Father；〃　she　began　hopelessly。

He　forged　on。　〃No；　Lisa！　If　history　tells　us　anything；　it's　that　caution　and　strength　are　needed　when　dealing　with　an　unpredictable　foe。　We've　already　set　a　date　for　the　firing　of　the　cannon；　we'll　see　about　the　peace　talks　after　that。〃

She　stood　mutely；　hair　stirred　by　air　currents　in　the　yawning　shaft。　〃I'm　sorry；　dear；〃　he　told　her。　〃But　there's　nothing　more　to　discuss。〃

〃Yes。　So　I　see。〃


Even　with　strange　rumblings　of　unseen　events　on　the　war　front；　the　public　demanded　that　its　hunger　for　other　news　be　fed。　The　interest　in　celebrities　and　media　idols　was　never　satisfied　for　long。

A　press　conference　had　been　called　in　the　lobby　of　Macross　General　Hospital。　It　was　crowded　with　print　and　broadcast　journalists；　shoving　and　elbowing；　aiming　lights　and　lenses　and　microphones。　In　the　middle　of　it　all　was　Lynn…Minmei；　the　reigning　queen　of　Macross　and　the　SDF…1。

Not　even　nineteen　yet；　she　was　used　to　the　lights　and　attention；　a　gamine；　black…haired　lovely。　Her　tremendous　charm　and　vivacity　had　bolstered　the　ship's　morale　through　its　darkest　moments　and　won　the　heart　of　almost　everyone　on　board。

Next　to　her　sat　her　costar　and　third　cousin；　Lynn…Kyle；　a　saturnine；　sullen　young　man　with　flowing　black　hair　that　reached　down　past　his　shoulder　blades。　Kyle；　the　pacifist　who　was　nonetheless　an　unbeatable　martial…arts　expert；　wore　a　bandage　around　his　head。　He　was　pleting　his　convalescence　after　having　saved　Minmei　from　a　falling　spotlight　during　a　Zentraedi　attack　on　the　battle　fortress。

Lynn…Kyle　glared　at　the　reporters　and　the　camera　and　sound　people。　He　always　held　the　public　in　some　contempt；　scorning　them　for　their　willingness　to　let　the　military　prosecute　the　war。

〃Minmei；〃　one　man　was　saying；　waving　a　mike　at　her；　〃is　it　true　you've　been　helping　Kyle　recover；　remaining　right　beside　his　bed　for　the　whole　week？〃

Minmei　frowned　at　him；　and　Kyle　glowered；　but　they　were　used　to　that　kind　of　innuendo　by　now。　〃I　don't　think　I'd　put　it　quite　that　way；〃　she　replied。

A　woman　persisted。　〃Rumor　has　it　both　of　you　are　about　to　get　married。　Got　anything　to　say　about　that？〃

〃Absolutely　untrue！〃　she　fired　back。

That　didn't　keep　another　guy　from　asking；　〃Can　you　tell　us　how　your　ex…boyfriend　reacted　when　you　told　him　about　these　marriage　plans？〃

She　felt　like　blowing　her　stack；　then　saw　that　this　might　be　a　chance　to　divert　the　focus　of　the　interview。　〃Oh；　you　must　mean　Rick　Hunter。〃　She　gave　a　silvery；　laugh。　〃He　was　just　a　friend。〃


Sitting　up　on　his　bunk；　knees　clasped　to　himself；　watching　the　live　coverage；　Rick　made　a　sour　face；　shaking　his　head。　〃Yeah。　I　guess　that's　all　I　was。〃

He　felt　like　an　idiot；　a　plete　sucker。　Time　and　again　he　had　convinced　himself　that　Minmei　cared　for　him。

There　was　something　about　her；　something　flirtatious　and　impulsive。　It　was　something　that　didn't　want　to　release　anyone　who　had　fallen　under　her　spell　because；　he　supposed；　that　would　be　too　much　like　rejection。　So　every　time　he　had　e　close　to　getting　over　her；　she　had　shown　up　to　raise　his　hopes　all　over　again。

Well；　it　looked　like　that　wouldn't　be　a　problem　anymore。　A　little　trip　down　the　aisle　for　the　two　darlings　of　stage　and　screen　would　at　least　cut　Rick　free　once　and　for　all。

But　the　reporters　weren't　having　any　of　Minmei's　evasion。　〃Oh；　e　on；　now！　That's　not　what　we　heard！〃　〃You　used　to　be　pretty　close　to　him；　right？〃　〃You　mean　to　tell　us　you　and　Hunter　never　discussed　marriage　at　all。

Minmei　looked　vexed　but　didn't　answer。　Rick　thought　back　once　again　to　those　long　days　they　had　spent　together；　stranded　and　lost　in　a　remote　part　of　the　SDF…1；　when　they　first　met。　When　it　looked　like　they　weren't　going　to　make　it；　she　had　admitted　to　Rick　her　lifelong　desire　to　be　a　bride。

They　held　a　mock　ceremony；　marked　by　a　very　real　kiss；　only　to　be　interrupted　by　rescuers　before　they　could　say　their　vows。　Rick　wondered　if　any　of　that　was　passing　through　Minmei's　beautiful　head　or　if　she　had　dismissed　it　from　her　mind　as　she　seemed　to　dismiss　anything　that　didn't　fit　with　her　desires　and　attitudes　of　the　moment。

He　told　himself　that　he　would　probably　never　get　a　clearer　sign。　It　was　finally　time　to　put　her　out　of　his　thoughts　and　try　to　get　back　to　living　his　life。


In　other　quarters；　the　micronized　Zentraedi　defectors　were　gathered　around　a　screen；　utterly　enthralled　as　they　gazed　at　Minmei。

They　were　dressed　in　ordinary　work　clothes　and　came　in　the　assortment　of　sizes　and　shapes　that　any　random　group　of　human　males　might　include。　Except　for　a　few　skin　tones　that　seemed　a　little　odd…mauve；　albino…white；　a　pale；　pale　green…there　was　nothing　to　mark　them　as　alien。　Since　the　incident　with　Karita　and　the　muggers；　they　all　took　great　pains　to　avoid　trouble。　The　military's　decision　to　keep　them　all　confined　to　their　quarters　chafed　but　was　accepted。

The　SDF…1　authorities　had　provided　them　with　quarters　and　rations　and　so　forth　and　were　spending　long　hours　debriefing　them；　though　as　low…ranking　warriors　there　was　little　of　strategic　value　the　defectors　could　tell。　No　one　had　yet　begun　a　systematic　orientation　program　to　familiarize　them　with　human　life；　since　the　military　believed　there　was　always　the　chance　they　might　return　to　the　Zentraedi　fold；　the　less　they　knew；　for　now　at　least；　the　better。

But　they　could　watch　Minmei　and　listen　to　her　voice…the　voice　that　had　enticed　them　away　from　war　making。

Now；　one　of　them　said；　〃Rico；　what　do　they　mean　by　'marriage'？　Why　do　they　keep　talking　about　it？〃

There　was　some　grumbling；　as　others　were　troubled　by　the　enigma；　too。　Rico　considered　his　answer。　He　understood　only　a　little　more　about　human　existence　than　the　others；　but　they　looked　to　him　for　answers；　and　he　didn't　want　to　seem　at　a　loss。

〃Um；　because　marriage　is　something　important。　When　two　people　get　married；　they　go　off　someplace　private　and　spend　their　time　pressing　their　lips　together。〃

This　business　of　pressing　lips　had　been　mentioned　before　among　the　Zentra