The Eisenhorn TrilogyXenos(科幻战争)-第21章

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＋＋Hear？　Where？＋＋
'Round　and　around；'　said　Nayl。
＋＋Uh　huh。　And　you　are？＋＋
'Just　two　twists　s'gonna　earn　us　a　deal；'　I　said。
＋＋That　right？＋＋
We　sat　in　silence　for　a　moment　as　Phant　called　for　more　drinks。　The　girl　was　now　combing　and　fixing　her　hair　and　doing　her　make…up。
One　of　her　many　hands　was　on　my　knee　under　the　table。
She　winked　at　me。
With　an　eye　growing　from　the　end　of　her　tongue。
＋＋What　I　got；　ain't　no　section…alpha；　twists。　S'section…alpha…plus＋＋
'That　is　s'why　we　came　to　you；　Phant！　S'why！　No　upper　limit　for　our　buy！'
＋＋How　U　gonna　pay？＋＋
Nayl　dropped　one　of　the　ingots　onto　the　table。
'Pure　mellow…yellow。　And　we　got　the　bars。　Much　as　it　takes。　So…？　S'when…where？'
＋＋I　gotta　talk　to　some　people＋＋
'Kay。'
＋＋Where　can　I　reach　U？＋＋
'The　Twist　and　Sleep。'
＋＋You　sleep　tight。　Maybe　I　call　you＋＋
THE　AUDIENCE　WAS　over。　We　took　a　table　of　our　own　near　the　raised　stage　and　stayed　for　a　couple　more　rounds；　making　a　show　of
appreciating　the　indecent　writhings　of　the　girl　with　the　belly　mouth。
After　an　hour　or　so；　we　saw　Phant　and　his　retinue　leave　by　a　side　door。　'Let's　go；'　I　said。　We　finished　our　drinks　and　rose。　Nayl　gave
porcupine　girl　a　handful　of　coins　and　patted　her　bottom。　Her　quills　bristled；　but　she　smiled。
The　minder　didn't　spare　us　a　look　with　either　of　his　heads　as　we　left。　Out　of　sight；　round　the　corner　of　the　dreary　barstoop；　I　handed
Nayl　one　of　a　pair　of　brass　stimm…injectors　and　we　detoxed　quickly　to　rid　our　bodies　of　the　alcohol　dulling　our　systems。
It　was　the　dead　of　night；　but　there　was　little　darkness。　The　great　curve　of　Eechan's　ring　systems　glowed　with　reflecting　sunlight　and
shone　like　bands　of　diamond…crusted　platinum。
The　main　street　of　the　shanty　was　a　rutted；　water…logged　morass；　and　flaking　boardwalk　pavements　edged　the　rows　of　slumping；　dingy
buildings。　Glowing　signs　and　the　few　street　lamps　reflected　in　the　street　puddles。
Beyond　the　shanty；　to　the　west；　the　alpine　slopes　of　the　mainhive　rose　against　the　stars；　like　a　dark　mountain　of　trash　decorated　with　a
million　little　lights。　To　the　east　were　the　stacked；　grubby　mushrooms　of　the　mill…farms　and　the　distilleries；　venting　brown　steam　and
yellow　pollutants　into　the　wind。
To　the　south；　in　the　verdant　farm　lands；　plains　of　thick；　rubbery　growth；　we　could　see　the　running　lights　of　several　vast　harvesters。
They　were　segmented　juggernauts；　beetle…like　machines　the　size　of　small　starships；　chewing　up　the　greenbelt　with　massive　reaping
mandibles　and　digesting　it　through　vast　interior　vats　and　worklines。　Flues　lined　their　backs　like　spines　and　spewed　moisture　waste　and
atomised　sap　up　high　into　the　atmosphere；　where　it　drifted　and　fell　again　like　rain。　Everything　in　the　twist　shanty　was　sticky　with　sapfall。
The　rain　was　tacky　and　thick　like　syrup。　The　street　puddles　were　viscous。　Downpipes　glugged　and　throbbed　rather　than　pouring。
Everywhere；　there　was　a　stench　of　decomposing　plantfibre　and　liquefied　cellulose。
'Do　you　think　he　took　the　bait？'　I　asked。
Nayl　nodded。　'You　could　see　he　was　interested。　Gold's　rare　on　Eechan。　His　eyes　lit　when　I　showed　him　that　ingot。'
'He'll　want　to　check　us；　though。'
'Of　course。　He's　a　businessman。'

We　walked　along　the　street；　hoods　raised　against　the　sticky　rain。　There　were　a　few　mutants　around；　all　of　them　dressed　in　rancid
tatters。　They　shambled　along；　lurked　in　doorways　around　covered　braziers；　or　shared　obscura　bottle…pipes　out　of　the　rain　in　dim
breezeways。
A　squirt　of　sirens　warbled　down　the　main　street　and　Nayl　pulled　me　into　an　alley…end。　A　black　armoured　land　speeder　with　blazing
grilled　lamps　crept　past。
I　saw　the　crest　motif　of　the　mainhive　arbites　on　the　side　and　an　armoured　officer　sat　in　the　top　hatch　manipulating　a　spotlight。
The　beam　played　across　us　and　passed　along。　Another　flute　of　siren…noise　sounded　and　we　heard　a　vox…amplified　voice　demand；
'Idents　and　papers；　you　five。　Now！'
Moaning　and　grumbling；　a　pack　of　twists　moved　out　into　the　street；　lit　by　the　spot…beam；　as　the　officers　dismounted　to　shake　them
down　and　run　their　gene…prints　through　the　system。
Something　we　couldn't　afford　to　let　happen。　Not　if　we　wanted　to　maintain　our　position　as　anonymous　mutants。　One　flash　of　my
credentials　would　speed　us　past　any　arbites　red…tape。　But　it　might　also　alert　Lyko。
I'd　insisted　on　full　concealment　for　the　mission。　No　one　knew　we　were　here；　officially。　Aemos　had　done　some　surreptitious　checking；
and　there　was　no　official　trace　of　Lyko　either。　But　that　was　to　be　expected；　and　there　was　no　telling　how　many　mainhive　officials　he
might　have　back…handed　to　alert　him　of　any　Inquisitorial　presence。
Nayl　and　I　turned　west　at　the　next　junction；　and　followed　the　maze　of　alleys　and　breezeways　between　the　rents　and　mill…habs　to　reach
the　Twist　and　Sleep　by　a　circuitous　route　that　would　keep　us　off　the　main　thoroughfares　and　away　from　arbites　patrols。
And；　as　it　turned　out；　bring　us　right　into　trouble。
IT　DIDN'T　LOOK　like　trouble　at　first。　A　short；　flat…browed　runt　in　rags　stepped　into　our　path；　grinning　like　a　salesman。　He　held　his　hands
open；　as　if　he　was　going　to　curtsy。　Twists；　my　twists；　my　friends…　spare　a　few　'perials　for　a　poor　badgene　down　on　his　luck；'　I　heard
Nayl　begin　to　say；　'Not　tonight；　twist。　S'get　you　to　one　side。'　But　I　had　already　tensed。　How　had　this　scabscum　known　to　ask　for
Imperial　coins　if　he　hadn't　seen　us　at　the　bar　and　followed　us　on　purpose？
His　accomplices　came　out　of　the　gloom　and　sap…rain　behind　us。
I　rammed　the　word　Evade！　hard　into　Nayl's　mind　with　a　'pathic　surge　and　dropped。
A　massive；　spiked　weapon　sailed　through　the　space　our　heads　had　just　been　occupying　and　connected　with　nothing　but　air。
The　rant　who　had　ost　obscene　series　of　curses　I　have　ever；　ever　heard　and　dived　on　me。　He　had　a　doubleheaded
dagger　with　a　nurled　hand…guard。
I　caught　his　upflung　wrist　as　he　made　to　gouge　at　me；　broke　his　elbow　and　kicked　him　through　a　nearby　fence　while　he　was　still
screaming　in　pain。
'Boss！　Move！'　I　heard　Nayl　sing　out　and　I　rolled　hard　aside　in　the　mud　as　the　spiked　weapon　slammed　down　into　the　mire。
It　was　a　thick　length　of　timber　with　dozens　of　nails　and　knife　blades　hammered　through　it。
The　friendly　end　of　it　was　held　by　two　amazingly　large　paws。　The　paws　belonged　to　a　hulk；　a　two　hundred　kilo　monster　covered　with
blistered　fish…scales　and　bony　scutes。　It　wore　only　a　pair　of　ragged　blue　trousers　held　in　place　around　its　midriff；　almost　comically；　by
a　pair　of　red　braces。
It　swung　the　spike…post　at　me　again；　and　I　had　to　dive　and　shoulder…roll　to　escape　it。
Nayl　was　going　toe…to…toe　with　two　others：　a　snouted　female　in　black　leather　whose　mouth　and　nose　were　hideously　combined　into
one　drooling；　snarling　organ；　and　a　tall；　thin　male　with　a　face　peculiarly　distorted　by　bone　and　gristle。
The　female　had　a　reaping　sickle　in　each　hand；　and　the　tall　male　was　armed　with　a　mace　made　out　of　a　reinforced　strut　toothed　with　the
rusting　blades　of　two　wood　saws。
Nayl　had　drawn　his　serrated　shortsword　and　duelling　knife　and　was　fending　off　thrusts　and　strikes　from　both　of　them。
A　power　sword；　a　boltgun；　a　lascarbine…　they　would　all　have　finished　this　unnecessary　encounter　fast　enough。　But　we　had　agreed　to
carry　nothing　that　would　mark　us　out　from　the　twist　population。　Tech…levels　were　low　in　the　shanty。　A　plasma　gun　might　have　ended
this　quickly；　but　stories　would　have　got　round。
The　scaly　giant　was　on　me　again；　and　I　fell　through　the　rotting　flakboard　of　a　fence　in　my　efforts　to　evade　his　swing。　I　found　myself
lying　amid　the　debris　in　the　back　yard　of　one　of　the　loathsome　hab…rents。　A　light　went　on　in　an　upper　window　and　abuse；　stones　and
the　contents　of　a　chamber　pot　were　hurled　at　me。
The　giant　came　on；　swinging　his　club　from　side　to　side。　The　nails　and　blades　were　darkly　caked　with　dried　blood。
He　backed　me　towards　the　rear　of　the　rent　dwelling　and　made　to　swing　again。
No！　I　commanded；　using　the　will。　He　stopped　dead。　The　rain　of　abuse　and　excrement　from　above　stopped　too。
It　would　take　him　a　moment　to　reconfigure　his　mind　and　find　his　anger　again。　I　moved　right　at　him；　punching　a　knuckle…curved　fist　at
the　place　where　his　nose　should　have　been。　There　was　a　crack　of　bone　and　a　spray　of　blood。
The　giant　went　down　hard　on　his　back；　his　nasal　bone　slammed　back　into　his　brain。
Nayl　seemed　to　be　enjoying　his　uneven　duel。　He　was　jeering　at　his　attackers；　deflecting　the　sickles　with　his　sword　and　blocking　the
strenuous　attacks　of　the　mace　with　his　knife。　I　saw　him　spin　and　belly…kick　the　male　away；　then　turn　to　give　the　ghastly；　snorting
female　his　full　attention。
But　more　figures　were　emerging　from　the　night。
Ugly；　abhuman　scum　dressed　in　rags。　Three；　four　of　them。

I　called　a　warning　out　to　Nayl　and　pulled　out　my　blackpowder　pistol。　It　　the　black　market　on
Front's　Planet；　but　even　so　I'd　dumbed　it　down　to　Eechan　tech　levels　by　replacing　the　engraved　furniture　with　a　shaped　piece　of
packet…wood。
The　flintlock　mechanism　was　in　good　order；　though。　It　cracked　loudly　with　a　fizz　and　a　flash；　the　recoil　punishing　my　wrist；　and　the
ball　went　point…blank　through　the　forehead　of　the　nearest　twist；　exploding　the　rear　of　his　cranium　in　a　surprisingly　messy　fountain。
But　it　was　a　one…shot　piece　and　there　was　no　time　for　reloadi