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begin their own terrorist campaigns." "That seems very logical to me," an aide said. "Again, you've cut to the heart of the matter, Protector." No one paid the claque the slightest attention. "Yes," Redruth said. "A nice proper interrogation, and they'll certainly be ready to make full confessions that confirm my worst fears about traitors in our midst." "Not to mention," Celidon said dryly, "that certainly gives us reason enough to declare war, in the event we ever have to justify ourselves to& outsiders." "You mean if the Confederation ever returns?" Redruth snickered. "I doubt if that'll happen in your lifetime, nor in that of any of your descendants. But itiswell always to have a spare arrow in your quiver, isn't it? "Yohns, I'm going to detach you from the duties I assigned and make you part of the interrogation team. You'll be able to word questions in familiar ways to these terrorists, keep them from lying, and when they begin talking, to make sure the wording of their free confessions is appropriate, both for our citizens and for dissemination back to Cumbre." "You honor me, Protector," Njangu said, half-bowing. The room stank. It was nothing more than a win-dowless concrete cube, with a sealed air conditioner and two monitors on the ceiling, one barred double door at the end, and four mattresses on the floor. The four prisoners had been stripped, thoroughly searched, and every hideout device found. They were then given gray coveralls with a black cross on the back that looked suspiciously like an aiming point. Twice a day, the door opened, and ration paks and water were tossed in by empty-faced guards, and every now and then some hardly sterile dressings for the wounded. No other medical supplies had been given out, and requests for a doctor and proper treatment for Lir and Mahim were ignored. Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html Mahim tossed, feverish, barely conscious. Monique, ignoring her own superficial wounds, carefully unwrapped the dressings on Mahim's leg. Garvin knelt beside her, looked at the puffy, swollen limb. Lir wrinkled her nose, and Garvin smelled the sweetness as well. Gangrene was developing. Either Jil Mahim got treatment quickly, or she would lose her leg. Or else die. Mahim opened her eyes. "Hot," she said with difficulty. "They don't seem to have any controls on the environment settings around here," Garvin said. "How am I?" "Doing about as well as expected," Lir said. "Recovering nicely." "Giptelshit," Mahim said. "Remember, I've got the medical training." She winced as pain hit her. "And I've still got a nose." "We're still trying to get a doctor in," Garvin said. Montagna got up, went to the cell door, shouted. A muffled voice beyond the doors told her to shut up. "Nice folks," Mahim said. "If we had them in our claws, we'd at least let them die healthy, wouldn't we?" Garvin tried a reassuring smile, found it didn't fit well. "Away from the doors," someone shouted. Obediently Montagna moved back. Jaansma got to his feet, wondering if finally somebody was going to tell them what was going on. Since capture, none of their warders had said anything other than to get away from the door, and shut up. The outer door banged open, and a key buzzed in the second's lock. It opened, and Njangu Yoshitaro walked in. Garvin and Lir recovered most quickly. They knew where Njangu had disappeared to. But the other soldiers hadn't a need to know, so were told nothing. Montagna gaped, and Mahim came up to a sitting position. "Boss," she managed, before Lir jabbed her swollen leg, and she half screamed in agony, fell back, just as she realized Yoshitaro was wearing a dark brown uniform, hardly that of the Confederation. Behind him were three gun guards, one a rather striking woman, and a small, balding man who looked like a university don. "I am Ab Yohns," Njangu said. "LeiterAb Yohns. Protector Redruth has appointed me to oversee your interrogation and the preparation for your trial as war criminals as well." Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html "We committed no crimes," Garvin said. "And we were in proper uniform before your goons stripped and looted us." "No crimes?" the scholarly man said in some astonishment. "Murder, mass murder, attempted murder, destruction of state property, attacking government personnel, attempting to bring about revolution, conspiracy against a legal government, theft, possession of illegal devices, and& the list goes on and on. "Remember, no state of war exists between Cumbre and Larix/Kura. You are no more than the commonest of criminals. You shall be questioned until you decide it is wiser to give up the names of your accomplices here in the Kura system, and the conspirators in the Larix system as well. "Then you, and the others, shall be brought to trial and convicted. This trial shall be 'cast throughout Larix and Kura, for the education of those who aren't fully convinced of the evils of Cumbre, and probable eventual dissemination to your homeworlds as well, to discourage other banditry." "This gentleman," Yoshitaro said, "is your chief interrogator, Dr. Petteu Miuss. He has degrees in medicine, surgery, pharmacology, and psychology. Youwillconfess, needless to say. We are prepared to use any means necessary, physical and chemical, to reach this end. "My role is simple: I spent many years on D-Cumbre, and am most familiar with your military and society. So you needn't bother lying to me, Dr. Miuss, or his underlings. Such antisocial behavior will be severely punished." "What made you turn traitor, Yohns?" Garvin snarled, trying to sound outraged. "I am hardly a traitor," Njangu said. "In the Cumbre System, I remained a citizen of the Confederation, then renounced it and was granted citizenship on Larix/Kura. "I would suggest that your time might be better spent not accusing me of falsehoods, but considering your own crimes. The greater your cooperation, the better you will be treated." "Like this?" Garvin waved around the bare room. "This is merely a holding cell," Njangu said. "You are to be transferred immediately to Protector Red-ruth's flagship. You will be given complete medical examinations and whatever treatment is necessary, and issued standard military rations unless your behavior warrants otherwise." Njangu glared at the four. "By the time of the trial, we don't want any of our citizens to make the mistake of thinking you deserve pity because of your physical appearance. "That is all I have to say. Dr. Miuss?" The scholar considered each soldier carefully. He bent over Mahim, looked at her leg, tsked in seeming sympathy. Mahim stared coldly back. "This shall be an interesting period," he said. "Four disturbed ones who've participated in the same aberrational crimes. My examination shall be interesting, very interesting. Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html "I truly look forward to knowing each of you better." He smiled pleasantly, went back to Njangu's side. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] |