Ennien Ashbrook <ashbrook@spots.ab.ca>
/ Ennien Ashbrook<ashbrook@spots.ab.ca>
Yep, they're at it again. "Time Squared" is a multi-part fanwork
by / Yep,¥L̦A¤@¦¸¬O¦b¥¦¡C "³Q¤@Pªº®É¶¡" ¬O¦h³¡¥÷ fanwork ³Q
Ennien Ashbrook and Kat Boykin (aka Harlock), with input from Kathleen
Coventry. / Ennien Ashbrook ©Mªü©Ô§B¯ù Boykin(aka Harlock),ÂǥѨӦ۳ͫäµY¬ìªâ¯S¨½ªº¿é¤J¡C
Part 1, "Landing", follows. "Landing" contains coarse
language and explicit violence (but no sex). / ³¡¥÷ 1,µn³°,¸òÀH¡C "µn³°"
¥]§t²ÊÁWªº»y¨¥©M©ú¥Õªº¼É¤O¡C ( ¦ý¬O¨S¦³©Ê§O)
Time Squared a Gatchaman fanfic by Ennien Ashbrook and Kat Boykin (Harlock)
/ ®É¶¡ÂÇµÛ Ennien Ashbrook ©Mªü©Ô§B¯ù Boykin ¤@P¤F Gatchaman fanfic(Harlock)
Part I: Landing / ¤À¶}§Ú: µn³°
"Ken!" Jun screamed, "It's not stopping! Nothing we do
is having any effect!" / "ªÖ®¦"! ¤»¤ë¦y¥s,"¥¦¨S¦³¦b°±¤î! §ÚÌ©Ò°µªº³£¤£¥¿¦b¦³¥ô¦óªº®ÄªG!"
Owashi no Ken stared as the Black Hole machine ground on and on, implacable,
unstoppable. Feeling a rising rage, he turned to where / ¨S¦³ªº Owashi ªÖ®¦¤£°±¦aª`µø¦p¶Â¦âªº¬}¾÷¾¹¦a±,Ãø¼e®¤ªº,µLªk¨î¤îªº¡C
·Pı¤W¤Éªº¼««ã, ¥LÂà¦V¨ì¦bþ¸Ì
Galactor's forsaken Leader had fallen. / ³Q©ß±óªº»â³S¤w¸g¸¨¤Uªº Galactor's¡C
"There isn't any way to stop it," the whisper should have been
drowned out by the terrible noise, yet all of them heard it as clearly
as if s/he had spoken through a megaphone, "I trusted the Overlord..
and there isn't any failsafe. There's no way to stop it." Raising
hir bloody, tear-stained face, Berg Katze started to laugh. The sound
was broken and manic and Ken shivered. "Die!" s/he cried, "Everyone,
everything, DIE!!" S/he bolted towards the magma pit. / "¨S¦³¥ô¦óªº¤èªk°±¤î¥¦",¦Õ»yÀ³¸Ón³Q¥i©Èªº¾¸µ²T¨Sªº,
µM¦Ó¥LÌ¥þ³¡³£Å¥¨ì¤F¥¦·í°µ²M·¡¦a¦n¹³ s/¥L¤w¸g¸g¹L¤@ÓÂXµ¾¹Á¿ ",§Ú«H¿à¤F¤j§g¥D¡C¡C ¦Ó¥B¨S¦³¥ô¦óªº failsafe¡C ¨S¦³¤èªk°±¤î¥¦¡C"¤É°_
hir ¦å¸{¤S²\ºwªg¬VªºÁy,¦B¤s Katze ¶}©l¯º¡C Ánµ¬OÃa±¼ªº©M¨gļªº¡A¦Ó¥BªÖ®¦¥´Å¸¡C "¦º"! s/¥Lú,"¨CÓ¤H¡A¨C¥ó¨Æª«,»ë¤l!!"S/¥L¦V©¥¼ß²`§|¬¦í¡C
"KATZE!" Ken hurled himself at hir legs, tackling hir, dragging
hir down. S/he pummeled him with hir fists, then shifted hir weight, lurching
backwards. Ken heard Jun scream as they tumbled over the edge. / "KATZE"!
ªÖ®¦¦b hir »L¥Î¤O§ëÂY¥L¦Û¤v,³B²z hir ¡A§â hir ©ì©Ô¤U¨Ó¡C S/¥L¥Î hir ®±ÀY¥Î®±ÀY¥´¥L,µM«á§ïÅܤF hir «¶q,¦V«á¬ðµM¦V¤@Ãä¶É±×¡C
·í¥L̦bÃä½t¤§¤W¶^¸¨ªº®ÉÔ¡AªÖ®¦Å¥¨ì¤»¤ë¦y¥sÁn¡C
Something cool drifted across his face. He heard birds chirping, felt
the optic pressure of sunlight through his closed eyelids. Ken groaned.
He remembered falling with the struggling mutant, remembered heat and
a sickening stench, then the wild colours and the nauseating feeling of
falling away from himself. His ears had rung with the mutant's two-voiced
scream. / ¬Y¨Æ§N«oº}¬y¾î¹L¥LªºÁy¡C ¥LÅ¥¨ì¤F³¾§s³å¦Ó»ï,¸g¹L¥LªºÃö³¬²´¥Ö·Pı¤F¤é¥úªº¥ú¾ÇÀ£¤O¡C ªÖ®¦©D§u¡C ¥L¥H§V¤Oªº¬ðÅܲ§ºØ°O±o¤w¸g¸¨¤U,°O±o¤F¼ö©M¤@Ó¥O¤H§@¹Ãªº´c¯å,
µM«á»·Â÷¥L¦Û¤vªº³¥©ÊÃC¦â©M¸¨¤Uªº§@¹Ã·Pı¡C ¥Lªº¦Õ¦·¤w¸g¥H¬ðÅܲ§ºØ¤G- ¦³Ánªº¦y¥sÁn»ïÅT¡C
He opened his eyes. He was in a wildflower glade in a valley, surrounded
by high mountain peaks. The sun was just peeking over the shoulder of
an easterly mountain - morning, then. No snow, he realized, and the air
smelled fresh and pure. The mountains did not look familiar. / ¥L¥´¶}¤F¥Lªº²´·ú¡C
¥L¦b¤@Ó¤s¨¦¤¤ªº¤@Ó¶}ªáªº³¥¥Í´Óª«ªL¶¡ªÅ¦a¤¤,³Q°ªªº¤s®pÅq¥]³ò¡C ¤Ó¶§¥¿¦b¶È¶È¦bªFªº¤sªÓ¤§¤W°½¬Ý -¦±á,µM«á¡C ¨S¦³³·, ¥L¤F¸Ñ¡A¦Ó¥BªÅ®ð»D°_¨Ó·sÂA©M¯Âºéªº¡C
¤s¨S¦³¬Ý°_¨Ó¼ô±x¡C
Sitting up, Ken took stock of himself: His visor had shattered and his
wings were tattered and burned. His birdstyle was a wreck. He ached all
over from pulled muscles, bruises and burns. He had few weapons; his birdrang
(Ken closed his eyes briefly) he'd given to Joe.. / ¼õ©],ªÖ®¦±a¤F¥L¦Û¤vªº¦s³f: ¥Lªº±ÀU¤w¸g¥´¸H¡A¦Ó¥B¥Lªº¯Í»H¬O¯}Äꪺ¦Ó¥B¿U¿N¡C
¥Lªº birdstyle ¬O´ÝÀe¡C ¥L¨ì³Bµh±q©Ô¤F¦Ù¦×¡A·ï¶Ë©M¿N¶Ë¡C ¥L¦³¤F«Ü¤ÖªºªZ¾¹; ¥Lªº birdrang(ªÖ®¦Â²µu¦aÃö³¬¤F¥Lªº²´·ú)
¥L¤w¸gµ¹³ì¡C¡C
wherever Joe might be now. Another look around revealed no sign of the
/ ³ì¥i¯àµL½×¨º¸Ì¬O²{¦b¡C ¥t¯«±¡¦bªþªñ¨SÅã¥Ü¸ñ¶H¨º
God Phoenix.. or of the Galactor base, for that matter. Ken stood up and
took a few steps. / ¤W«Ò»ñ°Ä«°¡C¡C ©Î Galactor °ò¦,´N¨º¥ó¨Æ¦Ó½×¡C ªÖ®¦¯¸°_¨Ó¦Ó¥B±Ä¨ú¤F¤@¨Ç¨BÆJ¡C
Movement attracted his attention and he mounted a small hillock. / ¹B°Ê§l¤Þ¤F¥Lªºª`·N¡A¦Ó¥B¥L®i¶}¤F¤@Ó¤pªº¤p¥C¡C
Most of hir mask had been burned away, along with part of hir uniform.
/ hir °²±¨ãªº¤j³¡¤À¤w¸g³Q¿U¿NÂ÷¶},³s¦P hir ¨îªAªº³¡¥÷¤@°_¡C
Hir cape was as shredded as his wings. Hir hair was tangled, bloody and
singed. / Hir Ìa¬O¨Ì·Ó¼¹¦¨¸H¤ù¦p¥Lªº¯Í»H¡C Hir ÀY¾v³Q¨ÏÄñµ², ¦å¸{ªº¦Ó¥B°Û¡C
"How did you get here? And where *is* 'here' anyways?" Ken asked.
The mutant startled and looked around, hir expression crestfallen and
dreading. / "§A¨ì¹F¦b³o¸Ì°_¨Ó¦p¦ó? ¦Ó¥B¦bþ¸Ì *¬O*'³o¸Ì' µL½×¦p¦ó?"ªÖ®¦°Ý¡C ¬ðÅܲ§ºØ¾_Åå¦Ó¥B¥|³B¬Ý¬Ý,««ÀY³à®ðªº¨Ã¥B¥¿¦b®£Äߪº
hir ªí¹F¡C
"No... oh no... not you..." s/he said wearily, "Is *nothing*
going right today? Can I not even die right? Or have I died and just had
the *incredible* misfortune to take you with me..?? Kuso.." S/he
slumped back onto the wildflowers. / "¸¹½X¡C¡C ªí¥ÜÅå³Y¸¹½X¡C¡C ¤£¬O§A¡C¡C¡C"s/¥L¯h¦a»¡
", ¬O *¨S¨Æ*¤µ¤Ñ¥¿½T¦a¥h? §Ú¤£¯à¬Æ¦Ü¥¿½T¦a¦º? ©Î¦º§Ú¨Ã¥Bè観¨º *Ãø¥H¸m«Hªº* ¤£©¯©M§Ú±a§A¡C¡C?? Kuso¡C¡C"S/¥L¦V«á¦a¦b¶}ªáªº³¥¥Í´Óª«¤§¤W²rµM±¼¸¨¡C
"Wouldn't that be just your luck, Berg Katze," Ken smirked.
/ " ¤£±N·|¨º¬O¥¿ª½ªº§A¹B®ð,¦B¤s Katze",ªÖ®¦¼H¼H°µ¯º¡C
"Oh wouldn't it," s/he said sourly. S/he sat up again, pulling
the remains of the mask off hir face and wrapping hir tattered cape around
hirself. S/he rose to hir feet and staggered down the hill. Ken rose to
follow hir. / " ®@¤£±N·|¥¦",s/¥L»Ä»Ä¦a»¡¡C S/¥L¦A¤@¦¸¼õ©],¦b hir Áy¥~©Ô°²±¨ãªº¿òÀe©M¦b hirself
ªº©P³ò¥]³òk down on hir ¯}ÄꪺÌa¡C S/¥L¤W¤É¨ì hir ¸}¦Ó¥BÂÚ¶\¤U¨Ó¤p¤s¡C ªÖ®¦¤W¤É¸òÀH hir ¡C
Following the sound of a stream to its source, s/he fell to hir knees
beside it and ripped off hir gloves. After inspecting the water, s/he
drank, then washed away the worst of the blood from hir face and chest.
/ ¦b¹ï¥¦ªº¨Ó·½¤ô¬yªºÁnµ¤§«á,s/¥L¸¨¨ì hir ¦b¥¦®ÇÃ䪺½¥¨Ã¥B°½ hir ¤â®M¡C ¦bÀˬd¤ô¤§«á,s/¥L³Ü, µM«á¨R¨«¨Ó¦Û hir Áy©M¯Ýªº¦å³ÌÃa¡C
"Are you alright?" Ken asked gently. / " §A¬O¦nªº"? ªÖ®¦³vº¥¦a°Ý¡C
S/he turned to stare at him incredulously, "Do I *look* alright??
What the hell kind of question is that?" "I didn't ask if you
looked alright, I wanted to know if you were hurt!" / S/¥L·Ç³ÆÃhºÃ¦a¨nµÛ¥L¬Ý,"
°µ§Ú *¯«±¡*¦nªº?? ¨º¬O¤°»ò°ÝÃDªº¦aº»Ãþ«¬?" "§Ú¨S¦³°Ý¡A¬O§_§A³Q¶Ë®`¡A¦pªG§A¦nªº¬Ý, §Ú·Qnª¾¹D"!
"Well of course I'm hurt! You tried to kill me!" Ken shut up:
/ "«Ü¦n¦a·íµM§Ú³Q¶Ë®`! §A¸ÕµÛ±þ§Ú!"ªÖ®¦³¬¼L:
He couldn't deny that without being a bald-faced liar. Katze returned
to splashing water over hir wounds, "I've got at least three busted
ribs, a fractured tibia, a broken nose and maxilla and what the hell's
keeping me from Changing is fucking beyond me!" / ¥LµLªk¤£»Ýn¨¬°Áy¥Õªº»¡ÁÀªÌ´N§_»{¨º¡C
Katze ¦^¨ìÂqÀã¦b hir ³Ð¶Ë¤Wªº¤ô," §Ú¤w¸g¦³¦Ü¤Ö¤T®Ú³Q¥´¯}ªº¦Ø°©¡A¤@Ó³Q¯}¸Hªº×H°©¡A¤@ÓÃa±¼ªº»ó¤l©MÃE°©©M¤°»ò¦aº»ªº«OºÞ§Ú±q§ïÅÜ¥¿¦b¶W¹L§Ú©Ê¥æ"!
Ken said nothing, but knelt to wash is own face. Katze got up and staggered
a little distance away, falling again to the grass. The sound of vomiting
reached Ken's ears. / ªÖ®¦¤°»ò¤]¤£»¡¡A¦ý¬O¬~ªº knelt ¬O¦Û¤vªºÁy¡C Katze °_§É¦Ó¥BÂÚ¶\¤p¤pªº¶ZÂ÷¤§»·, ¦A¤@¦¸¨ì¯ó¸¨¤U¡C
¹Ã¦RªºÁnµÁpµ¸¤FªÖ®¦ªº¦Õ¦·¡C
Ken rose and knelt beside hir, rubbing hir back gently. S/he was throwing
up blood, Ken saw, then looked closer. There were glints of metal in the
gore. Bullets. Ken stared at them in shock. / ¦b hir ®ÇÃ䪺ªÖ®¦ª´ºÀ©M knelt,³vº¥¦a§â
hir À¿¦^¨Ó¡C S/¥L¥¿¦b¹Ã¦R¦å¡AªÖ®¦¿÷¤l,µM«áÅܱo¤ñ¸û¾aªñ¡C ¦³¬y¥Xªº¦åª÷Äݪº°{Ã{¡C ¤l¼u¡C ªÖ®¦¦bÅåÀ~¤¤¨nµÛ¥L̬ݡC
The effort of vomitting had sapped most of Katze's strength and s/he sagged
to the grass. Ken caught hir before s/he would have fallen into hir gore,
drawing hir into his arms. S/he struggled weakly. / ¦R¥Xªº§V¤O¤w¸g¨Ï Katze's ªº¤O¶q¤j³¡¤À©M
s ÅÜ®z/¥L¤U««¨ì¯ó¡C ªÖ®¦®·®»¤F hir ¦b s¤§«e/¥L·|¶^¤J hir ¬y¥Xªº¦å,µe hir ¶i¥Lªº¤âÁu¤§¤º¡C S/¥L·L®z¦a§V¤O¡C
"Easy," he breathed softly, "Just take it easy, Katze..
I'm not going to hurt you." / "®e©öªº",¥L¬X©M¦a©I§l ",¶È¶È©ñ»´ÃPÂI,Katze¡C¡C
§Ú¤£±N¶Ë®`§A¡C"
"Th't's a sw'tch," s/he managed, hir voice sounding pitifully
weak. Ken managed to maneuver them back to the stream bank. He eased hir
into his arms, wrapping the remains of his wings around them both, then
dipped his hand into the water and brought it to hir lips. / "Th't's
ªº sw'tch",s/ ¥L³B²z, hir «Åz´úÁè´ú±oªºµ²ªG·O´d®z¡C ªÖ®¦³]ªk§â¥L̽ջº¦^¤ô¬y»È¦æ¡C ¥L½w©M hir ¶i¥Lªº¤âÁu¤§¤º,¦b¥L̨âÓ©P³ò¥]³òk
down on ¥Lªº¯Í»H¿òÀe, µM«á®û¥Lªº¤â¶i¤ô¤§¤º¦Ó¥B±a¥¦¥h hir ®B¡C
"I don't know about you," Ken began, dipping his hand a second
time, "But I have a feeling we're not in Cross Karakoram anymore."
/ "§Ú¤£ª¾¹D§A",ªÖ®¦¶}©l,®û¥Lªº¤â²Ä¤GÓ¦¸ ",¦ý¬O§Ú¦³§Ṳ́£¦A¤£¦b¥æ¤eªº Karakoram ¤¤ªº·Pı".
"I know," s/he whispered, rinsing hir mouth and spitting bloody
water onto the grass, "The water's too pure, air's too clean.."
S/he coughed, wracking hir whole body. Ken patted hir gently. / "§Úª¾¹D",s/¥L¦Õ»y,¦b¯ó¤§¤W¨R¬~
hir ¼L¦Ó¥B³è¦R¦å¸{ªº¤ô ", ¤ôªº¤Ó¯Âºéªº,ªÅ®ð¤Ó²M²z¡C¡C"S/¥L«y¹Â,·´Ãa hir ¾ãÓªº¨Åé¡C ªÖ®¦³vº¥¦a»´©ç¤F
hir ¡C
"And there's no sign of the God Phoenix.." he was interrupted
by a heavy groan. Ken looked down; Katze's face was tight with pain, "What
is it? Are you alright?" / " ¦Ó¥B¨S¦³¤W«Ò»ñ°Ä«°ªº¸ñ¶H¡C¡C"¥L³Q¤@Án«ªº©D§u¥´Â_¤F¡C
ªÖ®¦¬Ý¤U¨Ó; Katze's ªºÁy¹ïµhW·P¨ìºò,"¥¦¬O¤°»ò? §A¬O¦nªº¶Ü?"
Katze groaned again and a few minutes went by before s/he was able to
reply, "Will be.. 'f I s'vive this.." / Katze ¦A¤@¦¸©D§u¡A¦Ó¥B¼Æ¤ÀÄÁ¹L¥h¦b
s¤§«e/¥L¯à°÷µªÂÐ,"±N¬O¡C¡C ' ²Ä¤@ f s'vive ³o¡C¡C"
"What? Survive what?" But Katze cried out sharply, kicking spasmodically.
Ken looked around at their surroundings again, trying to find some place
of shelter. He looked back at Katze. / "¤°»ò? Ä~Äò¥Í¦s¤°»ò?"¦ý¬O Katze
¾U§Q¦a¤j¥s,Â_Äò©Ê¦a½ð¡C ªÖ®¦¦A¤@¦¸¦b¥L̪ºÀô¹Ò¥|³B¬Ý¬Ý, ¹Á¸Õµo²{¤@¨Ç§ÈÅ@©Òªº¦a¤è¡C ¥L¦^¬Ý Katze ¡C
Hir face was bathed in sweat and hir breathing was hoarse and rasping.
Foam was forming on hir lips and for an instant Ken thought of rabies.
He held hir carefully, wondering what was wrong. Hir body jerked and shuddered
in his arms, drawing ragged cries from hir throat. / Hir Áy¦b¦½©M©I§l ªº hir
³Q¨N¯D¬O¨F°×ªº¦Ó¥B¥Î²Ê¾V¤M¾V¡C ªwªj¥¿¦b hir ®B¤W§Î¦¨¨Ã¥B¹ï©ó¤@ӥߧYªºªÖ®¦¨g¤ü¯fªº·Qªk¡C ¥L¤p¤ß¦a®³µÛ¤F hir, ı±o©_©Ç¤°»ò¬O¿ù»~ªº¡C
Hir ¨Åé¦b¥Lªº¤âÁu¤¤µjÅ˦ӥB¾Ô·X,¹ÏµeÀ¸§Ë¤F¨Ó¦Û hir «|³ïªºúÁn¡C
Soon, the valley echoed with two voices. "Katze.." Ken breathed,
realizing what was happening. / «Ü§Ö¡A¤s¨¦¥H¤GºØÁnµÀHÁnªþ©M¡C "Katze¡C¡C"ªÖ®¦©I§l,¥¿¦bµo¥Íªº¤F¸Ñ¡C
The process was very slow and very painful. By the time it was over, the
sun had long passed zenith, but finally Ken was holding / µ{§Ç«D±`ºCªº©M«D±`µhW¡C
·í¥¦µ²§ôªº®ÉÔ,¤Ó¶§¤w¸g³Q¤[³q¹L³»ÂI¡A¦ý¬O³Ì«áªÖ®¦¥¿¦b´¤¦í
Galactor's woman captain in his arms. S/he had passed out from the pain.
/ ¥Lªº¤âÁu Galactor's ªº¤k¤H²îªø¡C S/¥L¤w¸g±qµhW©üË¡C
Ken wrapped hir clothes around hir again, taking off his wings and wrapping
hir in them as well, then he scooped hir up into his arms. / ªÖ®¦¦A¤@¦¸¦b hir
ªº©P³ò¥]¸Ë¤F hir ¦çªA, ²æ±¼¥Lªº¯Í»H¦Ó¥B¦b¥Ḻ̸¥]³òk down on hir ¤]¡AµM«á¥L¶i¤J¥Lªº¤âÁu¤§¤º¦V¤W¨V¨ú hir ¡C
Heading back along the stream, he looked for a suitable place to make
shelter. Finding one, he settled hir under a tree then searched through
hir pockets and pouches, seeking some sort of blade. He came up with a
dagger, using it to cut evergreens to make a lean-to. After settling /
¦V«á¦aªuµÛ¤ô¬y´Â¦V,¥L§ä´M¤@Ó¾A·íªº¦a¤è§@§ÈÅ@©Ò¡C µo²{¤@,¥L¦w¹y¤F¦bµM«á¸g¹L hir ³Q·j´M¤f³U©M¤p³Uªº¤@´Ê¾ð¤U±ªº hir,´M¨D¤@¨ÇºØ¤M¾W¡C
¥L´£¥X¤@§â¤Pº, ¨Ï¥Î¥¦´î¤Ö±`ºñ¾ð»s³y¤@Ó³æ¶É±×±ªº¤p«Î¡C ¦b¸Ñ¨M¤§«á
Katze in it on a bed of evergreens, he set about making a fire with the
lighter he'd found in Katze's pocket. He had it blazing nicely when he
realized that Katze had regained consciousness and was watching him through
slitted eyes. / ¦b¤@±i±`ºñ¾ðªº§É¤W¥¦¸Ì±ªº Katze,¥LµÛ¤â±q¨Æ¥HÂI¤õªÌ¥Í¤õ¥L±N·|¦b Katze's ªº¤f³U¤¤µo²{¡C ¥L«Ü¦n¦a¦³¥¦¿K¿U·í¥L¤F¸Ñ
Katze ¤w¸g¨ú¦^·NÃѨåB¥¿¦b¸g¹LÁa¤Áªº²´·ú¬Ý¥L¡C
"Katze?" Ken said softly, coming over to kneel beside hir. S/he
made a vague sound of acknowledgement. "Is there anything I can do?"
/ "Katze"? ªÖ®¦¬X©M¦a»¡, ¹L¨Ó¦b hir ®ÇÃä¸÷¡C S/¥Lµo¥X¤F¤@ºØ½T»{ªº§t½kÁnµ¡C " ¦³§Ú¯à°µªº¥ô¦ó¨Æ"?
"N't 'nls y' c'n c'nj'r 'p ' f'ft'n c'rs d'nr." Ken thought
about that, eventually translating it as "Not unless you can conjure
up a fifteen course dinner." S/he was terribly gaunt and thin; Ken
realized that the Change must have used up a lot of hir body's resources,
that s/he would need to replenish. {Shimatta!} he thought to himself,
{What am I to do?} "I would," he replied, "But without
any other weapons to hunt with, or any game.. I'd like to see if we can
find a village.." he trailed off. He didn't even know if there were
any villages close by, or if there was, how would they react to their
appearances, or Katze's mutant abilities? He shook his head, "I think
we should stay here for the night. It'll get dark soon and there's no
guarantee we won't end up walking off a cliff." / "N't'nls y'
c'n c'nj'r' p' f'ft'n c'rs d'nr". ªÖ®¦·Q¨º, ³Ì«á½Ķ¥¦·í°µ " ¤£°£«D§A¯à·Q¥X¤@¥÷¤Q¤½Òµ{±ßÀ\".
S/ ¥L¥i©È¼¬±|©M½G; ªÖ®¦¤F¸Ñ¡A§ïÅܤ@©w´¿¸g¥Î¥ú³\¦h hir ¨Å骺¸ê·½¹L, ¨º s/¥L±N·|»Ýn¦A¸É¨¬¡C {Shimatta!}¥L¹ï¥L¦Û¤v·Q,{
§Ú¬O§@¤°»òªº°µ?} " §Ú±N·|",¥LµªÂÐ ", ¦ý¬O¨S¦³¥ô¦ó¨ä¥LªºªZ¾¹¬¼Ây¥Ñ©ó, ©Î¥ô¦óªº¤ñÁÉ¡C¡C §Ú·Qn¬Ý¬Ý¬O§_§Ú̯àµo²{¤@Ó§ø²ø¡C¡C"¥L¨«¶}°lÂÜ¡C
¥L¨S¬Æ¦Üª¾¹D¶Ü¦pªG¦³¥ô¦óªº§ø²øµ²§ô³Q, ©Î¦pªG¦³, ¥L̦p¦ó±N·|²£¥Í¤ÏÀ³¥L̪º¥~ªí , ©Î Katze's ªº¬ðÅܲ§ºØ¯à¤O? ¥L·nÀY,"§Ú»{¬°§ÚÌÀ³¸Ó¦b³o¸Ì°±¯d¹L©]¡C
¥¦±N«Ü§Ö±o¨ì¶Â·t¨Ã¥B¨S¦³§Ú̱N¤£³Ì«á¦bÄa±V¥~¨B¦æªº«OÃÒ¡C"
S/he nodded. With difficulty, s/he managed to pull hir pistol out of its
holster. Ken's eyes widened, knowing he himself was too weak to dodge.
/ S/¥LÂIÀY¡C ¤£®e©ö,s/¥L³]ªk§â hir ¤âÂò±q¥¦ªº¥Ö®M©Ô¥X¨Ó¡C ªÖ®¦ªº²´·úÂX¤j,³Õ¾Çªº¥L¦Û¤v¬O¤Ó®z¦ÓµLªkÁ׶}¡C
"H're.." s/he said, proffering it, "Dn't kn'w h'w m'ny
r'nds 'r l'ft. M'ght be 'mpty, f'r all I kn'w.." / "H're¡C¡C"s/¥L»¡,´£¨Ñ¥¦
", Dn't kn'w h'w m'ny r'nds'r l'ft¡C M'ght ¬O 'mpty, f'r ¥þ³¡§Ú kn'w¡C¡C"
Ken took it and opened the chamber, "There's five left." S/he
nodded. He looked back at hir, then tucked the cape and wings around hir
again, "Katze... rest. I'll stay up and keep watch." / ªÖ®¦±a¤F¥¦¦Ó¥B¥´¶}¤F·|ij«Ç,"³Ñ¤U¤"
¡C S/¥LÂIÀY¡C ¥L¦^¬Ý hir, µM«á¥´¾îÁ·¤FÌa¦Ó¥B¦A¤@¦¸¦b hir ªº©P³ò¸Ë¥HÁl,"Katze¡C¡C¡C ¥ð®§¡C §Ú±N¼õ©]¦Ó¥Bĵ§Ù¡C"
S/he looked at him, untrusting. The sky was dimming as the sun sank behind
the mountains. "Dn't h've a ch'se, do I.." s/he said finally.
/ S/¥L¬Ý¥L,¤£«H¿à¡C ¤ÑªÅ¬O¨Ï¦p¤Ó¶§¦b¤s«á±ªº¬~ª«¼Ñ·t²H¡C " Dn't h've ch'se,°µ§Ú¡C¡C"s/¥L³Ì«á»¡¡C
"Nope," Ken grinned, "Sleep, Katze.." / "¤£"
¡AªÖ®¦ÅS¾¦¦Ó¯º ",ºÎ¯v,Katze¡C¡C"
S/he stayed awake a while longer, wondering if there'd be a bullet in
hir head the instant s/he closed hir eyes, but eventually sleep won out.
/ S/ ¥L°±¯d³ê¿ô¤@·|¨à§ó¤[, ı±o©_©Ç¦pªG there'd ¬O hir ªº¤@Ó¤l¼u«e¶i¥ß§Yªº s/¥LÃö³¬¤F hir ²´·ú¡A¦ý¬O³Ì«áºÎ¯v¾Æ±o¥X¡C
Dawn found Ken standing outside the lean-to, his hair damp from a wash,
watching the sun rise. He scoured the surrounding terrain for edibles,
trying to remember all of his survival training. He ate sparingly of his
trophies, putting most of them in a pile for Katze. / ¯}¾åµo²{ªÖ®¦¥¿¦b³æ¶É±×±ªº¤p«Î
, ¨Ó¦Û¬~ªº¥LÀY¾v·Ã®ð¤§¥~¯¸¥ß,¬Ý¤Ó¶§¼W¥[¡C ¥L¬°¹«~«ø¿i¤F©P³òªº¦a±a, ¹Á¸Õ°O±o¥Lªº¥þ³¡¥Í¦s°V½m¡C ¥L«O¦u¦a¥Lªº¼ú®y¦Y,¬° Katze §â¥L̤j³¡¥÷©ñ¤J°ï¡C
S/he needed it more than he did. When s/he woke, s/he went to the brush-screened
section of the stream and bathed, then returned to sit opposite him, hir
uniform sticking to hir wet body. / S/ ¥L»Ýn¤F¥¦¶W¹L¥L°µ¡C ·í s/¥L³ê¿ô,s/¥L¥h¤ô¬yªº¨ê¤l¼f¬d³¡¤À¦Ó¥B¨N¯D,
µM«á¦^¨ì§¤µÛ¦b¥L¹ï±,hir ¨îªA¹ï hir ªº«O¯dÅÜÀã¨Åé¡C
"I saw the stars last night," s/he said, picking up a boletus
mushroom. / " §Ú¬Q±ß¬Ý¨£¬P",s/¥L»¡,¬B°_¤@Ó boletus ¿¸¡C
Ken nodded, "As did I." / ³QÂIÀYªºªÖ®¦," ·í°µ°µ¤F§Ú".
"Were you able to extrapolate the horizon line?" Ken nodded
again. "So you know where we are." / " §A¹ï¥~±Àªk¬OÁo©úªº¦a¥½u½u"?
ªÖ®¦¦A¤@¦¸ÂIÀY¡C " ¦]¦¹§Aª¾¹D§Ú̦bþ¸Ì".
"Somewhere in Pakistan, I think," Ken confirmed. He handed hir
some lamb's quarters, then offered hir the skewer of roasted fruits, roots
and mushrooms he'd been toasting over the fire. S/he ate in silence. /
"¬Y³B¦b¤Ú°ò´µ©Z¡A§Ú·Q",ªÖ®¦½T»{¡C ¥L¶Ç»¼¤F hir ¤@¨Ç¤p¦Ïªº¥|¤À¤§¤@, µM«á´£¨Ñ¤F hir ¯Nªº¤ôªG¡A®Ú©M¿¸ªº¦ê¥L¦b¤õ¤§¤W¤w¸g·q°s¡C
S/¥L¦b¨HÀq¤è±¦Y¡C
"Did you notice anything wrong with the stars?" s/he asked finally.
/ "§A¿ù»~¥H¬Pª`·N¥ô¦ó¨Æ¶Ü"? s/¥L³Ì«á°Ý¡C
"They were more visible than usual.." Ken drawled, watching
hir. / " ¥L̬ݱo¨£¥±`ªº¡C¡C"ªÖ®¦Ãi¬v¬v¦a»¡,¬Ý hir ¡C
Their eyes met, burning intensely. {S/he knows}, he thought. / ¥L̪º²´·ú¸I¨ì,±j¯P¦a¿U¿N¡C
{S/¥Lª¾¹D},¥L·Q¡C
"Some of them were in the wrong place," s/he stated. / "¥L̨䤤ªº¤@¨Ç¿ù¤F¦a¤è",s/¥L³¯z¡C
"And some were where there were none," he agreed. / " ¦Ó¥B¤@¨Ç¬O¨º¸Ì¬O¨S¦³¤Hªº¦a¤è",¥L¦P·N¡C
S/he swung hir arm around to point, "Neptune was over there a few
nights ago. Now its over there," s/he swung hir arm to point to a
different section of the sky. / S/¥L¹ïÂI·nÂ\¤F hir ¦bªþªñªº¤âÁu,"®ü¤ý¬P©]±ß¥H«e¬O¦b¨º¸Ì¡C
²{¦b¥¦ªº¤W±¨º¸Ì,"s/¥L·nÂ\¤F hir ¤âÁu«ü¦V¤ÑªÅªº¤@Ó¤£¦P³¡¤À¡C
"Orion's also in the wrong spot." / "¤]¦b¿ù»~ªº¦aÂIÂy¤á¬P®y".
"You know what that means, don't you?" / " §Aª¾¹D¤°»ò¤èªk,§A¤£¤£¶Ü"?
Ken met hir agitated gaze, his own equally troubled, "We'd better
find a calendar." He looked around the mountains again, totally lost,
"Any idea which way to head?" / ªÖ®¦¹J¨£¤F³Q¨Ïª`µø·n°Êªº hir, ¥L¦Û¤vªº¬Ûµ¥²V¶Ã,"§Ú̳̦nµo²{¤@Ó¤é¾ä"
¡C ¥L¦A¤@¦¸¥|³B¬Ý¬Ý¤s,§¹¥þ¦a¥¢¥h,"¥ô¦óªº·Qªk«e¶iþ¤@¤èªk"?
The mutant took another look around then shrugged, "Your guess is
as good as mine. I don't recognise these mountains." / ¬ðÅܲ§ºØµM«á¦bªþªñ±a¤F¥t¯«±¡ÁqªÓ,"
§Aªº²q´ú¬O·í°µ¦nªº·í°µ§Úªº¡C §Ú¤£©Ó»{³o¨Ç¤s¡C"
"I'm not familiar with the country," Ken sighed, "We could
follow the stream; most villages are built near a source of water."
/ "§Ú¤£¹ï°ê®a·P¨ì¼ô±xªº",ªÖ®¦¼Û®§ ",§ÚÌ¥i¥H¸òÀH¤ô¬y; ¤j¦h¼Æªº§ø²ø¦b¤@Ó¤ôªº¨Ó·½ªþªñ³Q«Ø³y¡C"
The look Katze gave him screamed 'very good, Dumbo.' S/he snorted, "Lord,
what kind of rocket scientist did I have to hook up with.. I'd've been
better off with Finger." / ¯«±¡ Katze µ¹¤©¥L¦y¥s '«D±`¦nªº,Dumbo¡C'S/¥L¼QµÛ®ð§ËÅT»ó¤l,"²ÎªvªÌ,
¤°»òÃþ«¬ªº¤õ½b¬ì¾Ç®a°µ§Ú¥²¶·¹_¦í¦b¥Ñ©ó¤W±¡C¡C I'd've ¥H¤â«ü¹Òªp§ó¦n¡C"
Ken glared, "Well you're stuck with me." / ªÖ®¦µo¯t¥ú,"«Ü¦n¦a§A©M§Ú³Q´ÛÄF"
¡C
"Mm," Katze grunted, "I'm more concerned with *when* we
are. / "¤½Âç",Katze ó ", §Ú·P¨ì§óÃö¤ß *·í*§Ú̬O¡C
The stars indicate a considerable lapse of time, but in which direction?"
/ ¬P«ü¥X¤@¶µ®É¶¡ªº¬Û·í¦h¹L¥¢, ¦ý¬O¦b¤è¦V?"
"How much, do you figure?" Ken asked nervously. / "¦h¤Ö,§Aºtºâ¶Ü"?
ªÖ®¦ºò±i¦a°Ý¡C
"I don't know. Quite a lot. A few decades, maybe." / "§Ú¤£ª¾¹D¡C
¬Û·í«Ü¦h¡C ¼Æ¤Q¦~,¤]³\¡C"
"DECADES??" Ken gasped. / "¤Q¦~??"ªÖ®¦³Ý®ð¡C
The mutant frowned at him, "You saw the stars." / ¬ðÅܲ§ºØ¦b¥L½K¬ÜÀY,"§A¬Ý¨£¬P"
¡C
Ken went very quiet, thinking. "If it's been that long.. / ªÖ®¦ÅÜ«D±`¦wÀR,·Q¡C
"¦pªG¥¦³Q¤[¬O¨º¡C¡C
then.." / ·í®É¡C¡C"
"You are not eating," Katze observed, jerking hir chin towards
the still-moderate pile of foodstuffs beside the fire, "Why?"
/ " §A¤£¬O¦Y",Katze Æ[¹î,µjÅ˹ï©ó¦b¤õ®ÇÃ䪺¹«~ÀR¤î- ·Å©M¥D¸qªÌ°ïªº hir ¤U¤Ú ",¬°¤°»ò"?
"Oh," Ken blushed, then grabbed a mushroom to nibble, "You..
you needed it more.." / "®@",ªÖ®¦Áy¬õ,µM«á§ì¨ú¤F¤@Ó¿¸¤@ÂI¤@ÂI¦a«r ",§A¡C¡C
§A»Ýn¤F¥¦§ó¦h¡C¡C"
"'Need it more'? What do you mean? What do you care?" / "'»Ýn¥¦§ó¦h'?
§A·N¿×¤°»ò? §AÃö¤ß¤°»ò?"
"You're hurt.." Ken trailed off, still rocking from the impact,
/ "§A³Q¶Ë®`¡C¡C"ªÖ®¦¨«¶}°lÂÜ, µM¦Ó¨Ó¦Û½ÄÀ»ªº·nÂ\,
"We may be the only ones here.." He broke off. Katze was staring
at him with an expression of complete bafflement. He pitched his mushroom
into the fire and stood up, agitated, "I know.. I'm the one who did
this to you.. but....it was different.. and now..." He paced, not
sure what he was saying, what he was thinking. Katze stared at him, deciding
perhaps the unexpected trip had snapped the Gatchaman's mind. Finally
/ "§ÚÌ¥i¯à¦b³o¸Ì¬O°ß¤@ªº¤@¨Ç¡C¡C"¥L¤¤Â_¡C Katze ¥¿¦b¥H§¹¥þ¥¢±Ñªºªí¹F¨nµÛ¥L¬Ý¡C ¥L²Ï¨c¥Lªº¿¸¶i¤õ¤§¤º¦Ó¥B¯¸°_¨Ó,·n°Ê,"§Úª¾¹D¡C¡C
§Ú¬O¹ï§A°µ¤F³oªº¨º¤@Ó¡C¡C ¦ý¬O....¯u¬O¤£¦P¡C¡C ¦Ó¥B²{¦b¡C¡C¡C"¥L¿â¨B, ¤£¬O½T«H¥L¥¿¦b»¡¤°»ò,¥L©Ò¥¿¦b·Qªº¡C Katze
¨nµÛ¥L¬Ý,¤]³\¨M©w·N·Q¤£¨ìªº®È¦æ¤w¸g«rÂ_ Gatchaman's ªº¤ß¡C ³Ì«á
Ken stopped pacing, digging his toe into the dirt, "I'm.. gonna look
around a little." He started towards the woods. / ªÖ®¦°±¤î¿â¨B,«õ¥Lªº¸}³k¶i¦Ã«¯¤§¤º,"§Ú¬O¡C¡C
¥hµy·L¥|³B¬Ý¬Ý¡C"¥L¦V´ËªL¶}©l¡C
Katze sat silent for several minutes, watching him. "Thank you for
the food," s/he said at length. Glancing over his shoulder, the /
Katze §¤µÛ¨HÀqªº¦n´X¤ÀÄÁ,¬Ý¥L¡C "ÁÂÁ§A¹ª«",s/¥L³Ì«á»¡¡C ÂsÄý¥LªºªÓ,¨º
Gatchaman tossed a soft "You're welcome" at hir. Katze watched
him go. / ³Q§ëÂY¬X³nªº Gatchaman ¦b hir" §A¬O¨üÅwªïªº" ¡C Katze ¬Ý¥L¥h¡C
Ken mounted a slight rise and walked down the slope, perching by a low
tree. He sat down, thinking. [He's.. she's.. the Leader of / ªÖ®¦®i¶}¤F¤@Ó·L¤pªº¼W¥[¦Ó¥B¨«¤U¨Ó¶É±×,Âǵۤ@´Ê§Cªº¾ð´Ï®§¡C
¥L§¤¤U,·Q¡C [¥L¬O¡C¡C ¦o¬O¡C¡C »â³S
Galactor.. killed hundreds of people.. ] His ears twitched at a low, throbbing
sound rising to the west. [Heh.. s/he's tried to kill me several times..
and now I'm worried about hir welfare..] The sound rose in volume, disturbing
his thoughts. Ken looked up, apprehension welling in his chest. He knew
what the sound was. / Galactor¡C¡C ±þ¤F¼Æ¥H¦Êp¤H¡C¡C ]¥Lªº¦Õ¦·¦b¤@Ó§CÂI²r©Ô,¦è³¡ªº¤@¸õ¤@¸õªº°·¥þ¤W¤É¡C
[Heh¡C¡C s/¥L³Q¹Á¸Õ±þ§Ú¦n´X¦¸¡C¡C ¦Ó¥B²{¦b§Ú¬° hir ºÖ§Q¾á¼~¡C¡C]Åé¿nªº°·¥þª´ºÀ,·ÐÂZªº¥L·Qªk¡C ªÖ®¦¬Ý¦b,¤W±¦b¥Lªº¯Ý¤¤´é¥X
ªº²z¸Ñ¡C ¥Lª¾¹D¤FÁnµ¬O¤°»ò¡C
"Katze!" he called in a hoarse whisper, bolting back. The fire
had been kicked into the stream and only a slight leaf movement betrayed
the Galactor leader, flat on her belly beneath a bush, eyes watching the
skies. Ken melted into the shadow of an evergreen. / "Katze"!
¥L¦¬¦^¨F°×ªº¦Õ»y,¦V«á¦a¬¦í¡C ¤õ¶i¤J¤ô¬y¤§¤º¤w¸g³Q½ð©M¥u¦³¤@¤ù·L¤pªº¸³Q¥X½æ¦b¸G¾ðÂO¤§¤U¬O¥©Zªº¦b¦o¸¡¤Wªº Galactor »â³Sªº¹B°Ê,ª`·N¬Ý¤ÑªÅ¡C
ªÖ®¦¶i¤J±`ºñ¾ðªº¼v¹³¤§¤º¿Ä¤Æ¡C
The sound Dopplered, manifesting into a helicopter. It cruised overhead
and carried on eastward without pausing. As soon as it had disappeared,
Ken darted towards hir, "Katze!" / Ánµ³£´¶°Ç,¶i¤J¤@¬[ª½ª@¾÷¤§¤ºÅã¥Ü¡C ¥¦¦b°ª³B¨µ¯è¨Ã¥BÄ~ÄòªF¤èªº¤£¼È°±¡C
¤@¥¹¥¦¤w¸g®ø¥¢¡AªÖ®¦¦V hir §ë®g,"Katze"!
"We've got to get out of here," Katze said urgently, "And
we've GOT to find a calendar!" / "§ÚÌ¥²¶·Â÷¶}³o¸Ì",Katze ºò«æ¦a»¡
",¦Ó¥B§ÚÌ¥²¶·µo²{¤@Ó¤é¾ä"!
Ken stared at hir, not understanding hir wild eyes or agitated movements,
"Why?" / ªÖ®¦¨nµÛ hir ¬Ý,¤£¬O²z¸Ñ hir ¯î³¥?
"We *are* in Pakistan and I think we're here during the occupation!"
/ " §ÚÌ *¬O*¦b¤Ú°ò´µ©Z¦Ó¥B§Ú»{¬°§Ú̦b¦û¦³´Á¶¡¦b³o¸Ì"!
Ken looked after the copter, "That was a military one, ne? / ªÖ®¦·Ó®Æ
copter,"¨º¬Ox¶¤¤@,©mªº?
Umm," he glanced back at hir, "Are you well enough to travel?"
/ Umm,"¥L¦V«á¦a¦b hir ¿h°{ ",§A°÷¦n¨Ó®È¦æ¶Ü?"
"Don't have much choice," s/he responded, "I can forage
while I walk." / " ¨S¦³¦hºë¿ï",s/ ¥L¦^À³ ",·í§Ú¨«ªº®ÉÔ¡A§Ú¯àÁý".
Ken eyed both hir costume and his own birdstyle, "Is there any way
you can look less... menacing? In case we run into anyone.." / ²´ªº
hir ¸Ë§ô©M¥L¦Û¤vªº birdstyle ªºªÖ®¦," ¦³¥ô¦óªº¤èªk§A¯àÅܱo¤ñ¸û¤Ö¡C¡C¡C «ÂÀ~? ¥H¨¾¸U¤@§ÚÌ°¸¹J¥ô¦ó¤H¡C¡C"
S/he gave him an arch look, "What would you suggest, a leopard skin
bikini??" / S/¥Lµ¹¤©¤F¥L«ýªù¯«±¡,"§A±N·|«Øij¤°»ò? ¤@®M°\¥Ö½§¤ñ°ò¥§ªa¸Ë?"
Ken gave a half-chuckle, "No, its.. you're a bit.. noticeable."
/ ªÖ®¦µ¹¤©¤F¤@¥b-¦Y¦Yªº¯ºÁn,"¤£,¥¦ªº¡C¡C §A¬O¤@ÂIÂI¡C¡C ¤Þ¤Hª`¥Øªº¡C"
Immediately s/he crossed hir arms, turned hir head to one side and thrust
hir nose into the air indignantly, "Says the man dressed like / ¥ß¨è
s/¥L¥æ¤e¤F hir ¤âÁu,¼««ã¦a±N hir ÀYÂà¦VÃä¦Ó¥B´¡¤J hir »ó¤l¶iªÅ®ð¤§¤º," »¡¨k¤H¬ïµÛ¬Û¦üªº
Sam the Eagle Visits Krakatoa!" / ¤s©iÆN«ô³X Krakatoa!"
Ken grinned, reaching for the clasp on his bracelet, "Close your
eyes." / ªÖ®¦ÅS¾¦¦Ó¯º,¤Î©ó¦b¥Lªº¤âÅN¡A "Ãö§Aªº²´·ú" ¤Wªº³§¤l¡C
"Why? Afraid I'll see your Underoos?" Katze grinned her poison
smile, "Or does it turn you naked for a split second and you're afraid
/ "¬°¤°»ò? ®`©È§Ú±N¬Ý¨£§Aªº Underoos?"Katze ÅS¾¦¦Ó¯º¤F¦oªº¬rÃÄ·L¯º ", ©Î¥¦¹ï©ó¤À´²ªº¬í¬O¨ª»rªºÂà§A¡A¦Ó¥B§A«Ü®`©È
I'll get a thrill." She snorted derisively. / §Ú±N±o¨ì¤@°}¾_Ÿ¡C"¦o¼J¯º¦a¼QµÛ®ð§ËÅT»ó¤l¡C
"So I don't blind you, nim," Ken retorted, "Bad enough
you're injured and healing; I don't want to have to lead a blind bat through
this country." Katze shrugged and looked away. Ken whooped with joy
as his civvies returned, undamaged, "That's one worry off my mind!"
/ " ¦]¦¹§Ú¤£ª¼¥Øªº§A,nim",ªÖ®¦¤Ï»é ", §A¨ü¶ËªºÃa¥R¨¬¦Ó¥Bªv¡; §Ú¤£·Qn¥²¶·±a»â¤@Óª¼¥Øªº½¿½»¸g¹L³o¤@Ó°ê®a¡C"Katze
ÁqªÓ¦Ó¥B¬ÝÂ÷¶}¡C ·í¥Lªº¥¥ÁÂkÁÙ,¤£·l®`ªº®ÉÔ¡AªÖ®¦¥HÅw³ß¥s³Û,"¨º¨«¶}¬O¤@·Ð´o§Úªº¤ß"!
Katze gave him a withering once-over, "Kuso! And I always told /
Katze µ¹¤©¤F¥L¤@Ó¨ÏÂsÄý¤@¹MäÁÂ,"Kuso! ¦Ó¥B§ÚÁ`¬O§i¶D
Soosai the numbered t-shirts were too obvious, that Nambu was too smart
for that. Shut my mouth." / Soosai ¦³ªº T«ò¤Ó©úÅã, ¨º Nambu ¹ï¨º¬O¤ÓÁo©úªº¡C Ãö¤W§Úªº¼L¡C"
Ken glared at hir but ignored the dig, "Okay, now for you. Can you
take down the tops of those boots?" / ªÖ®¦°£¤F©¿²¤¤§¥~¦b hir µo¯t¥ú¨º«õ,"¦n,²{¦b¬°§A¡C
§A¯à±a¤U¨Ó¨º¨Çªø¹uªº³»ºÝ¶Ü?"
S/he drew herself up to hir full female height, staring him haughtily
in the eye, "I can do my own disguises, Gatchaman!" s/he snapped.
/ S/¥L®¼¯Ý¯¸¥ß¨ì hir §¹¾ãªº¤k©Ê°ª«×,¦b²´·ú¤¤¶ÆºC¦aª`µø¥L,"§Ú¯à°µ§Ú¦Û¤vªº°²±¥Ø¡A Gatchaman"! s/¥L«rÂ_¡C
"Fine!" Ken barked, losing patience, "Go ahead, disguise
artist -- show me!" / "¦nªº"! ªÖ®¦§p,¥¢¥h@©Ê,"«e¶i , °°¸ËÃÀ³N®a --
Åã¥Ü§Ú!"
Katze did so, turning hir outfit into a stylized version of what had to
be native dress, by some means Ken was ready to call miraculous. / Katze
³o»ò°µ,Âà hir ¶i¤J¤@Ó¥²¶·¬O¥»°êªºªA¸ËªF¦èªº³Qª©¥»Ó©Ê¤Æªº¤§¤º°t³Æ, Âǵۤ@¨Ç¤èªkªÖ®¦·Ç³Æ¦n©I¥s©_Âݪº¡C
He dropped his jaw, shook his head and recovered, "Good. Can we go
now?" / ¥L°§C¤F¥LªºÃE, ·nÀY¦Ó¥B§ä¦^,"¦nªº¡C §Ú̯à²{¦b¥h¶Ü?"
"Whine, whine, whine. Fine." / "©ê«è¡A©ê«è,©ê«è¡C »@´Ú¡C"
Ken started off in one direction, then realized Katze wasn't following
him. He turned back, "Aren't you coming?" / ªÖ®¦¦b¤@Ó¤è¦V¤¤¥Xµo, µM«á¤F¸Ñ
Katze ¨S¦³¦b¸òÀH¥L¡C ¥L§é¦^," §A¤£¬O¨ÓÁ{"?
Katze stared at him from the other side of the clearing, "Wot, with
*you*??" / Katze ±q²M±½ªº¥t¤@Ãä¨nµÛ¥L¬Ý,"Wot, ¥Ñ©ó *§A*??"
"It *would* be better if we stick together for the moment,"
he trailed off, throwing up his hands in the face of hir withering stare,
/ " ¥¦ *±N·|* ¬O¤ñ¸û¦nªº¦pªG§Ú̬°¤ù¨è¤@°_ÂH¦í",¥L¨«¶}°lÂÜ,Á|°_¨Ïª`µøäÁ ªº hir ªº±»ª¥L¤â,
"Fine, be that way.. Don't complain to me when you're lost."
"I don't *get* lost," Katze replied archly. Ken resisted the
urge to smack his forehead, "Alright, McDuff.. lead on," he
surrendered. / "«Ü¦n, ¬O¨º¼Ë¡C¡C ·í§A³Q¥¢¥hªº®ÉÔ , ¤£n¦V§Ú©ê«è¡C" " §Ú¤£ *±o¨ì*¥¢¥hªº",Katze
¬¾·â¦aµªÂСC ªÖ®¦©è§Ü¤F©IÆ~¦³¨ý¹D¥Lªº«eÃB,"¦nªº,McDuff¡C¡C ±a»â¦b,¤§¤W"¥L§ë°¡C
Without another word the Galactor turned and headed into the forest. Ken
followed, pulling out a feather shuriken and sticking it in his mouth
to chew on. He thought of Joe. / ¨S¦³¥t¤@Ó¦r Galactor Âà¦Ó¥B±a»â¶i¤J´ËªL¡C ªÖ®¦¸òÀH, ©Ô¥X¦Ð¤ò
shuriken ¦Ó¥B¦b¥Lªº¼L¤¤ÂH¦í¥¦©CÄZ¦b¤§¤W¡C ¥L·Q¨ì³ì¡C
The mountain air was crisp and fresh, smelling of evergreens. / ¤sªÅ®ð¬O¯Üªº©M·sÂAªº,±`ºñ¾ðªº»D¡C
Ken gazed up through the canopy of trees, identifying their species, watching
birds fly overhead against the azure dome of sky. The forest was so beautiful
that he almost forgot the mutant skulking ahead of him and nearly ran
hir down when s/he stopped. / ªÖ®¦ª`µø¦b¸g¹L¾ðªº¤ÑÁO¤W±,ÃѧO¥L̪º«~ºØ¡A¤Ï¹ï¤ÑªÅªº½«ÂŶ곻¦b°ª³B¬Ý³¾»aÃÇ¡C
´ËªL¬O¦p¦¹ªº¬üÄR¥HP©ó¥L´X¥G§Ñ°O¤F¦b¥L¤§«e°½Ãi ªº¬ðÅܲ§ºØ¦Ó¥B´X¥G§â hir ¶]¤U¨Ó·í s/¥L°±¤î¡C
His innocent what's-up was drowned in a viciously hissed "Shh!"
/ ¥LªºµL¶dªÌ«ç»ò-¦b¨¸´c¦aµo¥X¼NÁnªº "Shh" ¦V¤W³Q²T¦º!
Ken quieted and listened: There were voices, only a few hundred feet away.
/ ªÖ®¦ÀR¤î¦Ó¥BÅ¥: ¦³Ánµ,¥u¦³¼Æ¦Ê¸}¤§»·¡C
"People!" he gasped in surprise. Katze turned and gave him a
look of utter disgust. / "¤HÌ"! ¥L¦b·N¥~¤¤³Ý®ð¡C Katze Âà¦Ó¥Bµ¹¤©¤F¥L¥þµM¹½´cªº¯«±¡¡C
"What do you think I've been doing all this time?? I've been tracking
footprints!" Ken cringed with shame, colouring; some ninja.. / "§A»{¬°§Ú¤w¸g³o¦¸°µ¥þ³¡¤°»ò??
§Ú¤w¸g°lÂܨ¬¸ñ!"ªÖ®¦¥H²Û·\¬ÈÁY,¦â±m; ¤@¨Ç§ÔªÌ¡C¡C
he hadn't even noticed. / ¥L¨S¦³¬Æ¦Üª`·N¡C
Katze snaked silently through the trees, hir eyes intent on the small
farm in the clearing ahead. S/he strained hir ears to catch the conversation.
/ Katze ÀqÀq¦a¦±§é¦Ó¦æ¹L¾ð,hir ¦V«e¦aª`·N¦b²M±½ªº¤p¹A³õ¤Wªº·N¹Ï¡C S/ ¥Lºò±iªº hir ¦Õ¦·¤Þ°_¥æ½Í¡C
"I thought the amps were in the ears of the costume," Ken whispered
snidely. / "§Ú·Q¡A¦w°ö¬O¦b¸Ë§ôªº¦Õ¦·¤¤",ªÖ®¦°²¦a¦Õ»y¡C
Hir answer was almost inaudible, but crystal clear, "Will you shut
the fuck up, you moron?? Why don't you yell 'Bird Spy' while you're at
it??" Ken blushed again and swallowed hard. He slid up into a tree,
trying to get a better look at the farm. / Hir µª®×´X¥GÅ¥¤£¨£, ¦ý¬O«D±`²M·¡,"
±N§AÃö¤W¨º©Ê¥æ¦b,¤W±§A§C¯à?? §A¦ó¤£¤j¥s '³¾°»¹î'·í§A¬O¦b¥¦? ªº®ÉÔ?"ªÖ®¦¦A¤@¦¸Áy¬õ¦Ó¥B§V¤O¦a§]¡C ¥L slid ¦V¤W¶i¤J¤@´Ê¾ð¤§¤º,
¹Á¸Õ±o¨ì¹A³õªº¤ñ¸û¦nªº±»ª¡C
Mushrooms were being loaded onto a truck that was poised to go down what
passed for the road. Katze slipped around from shadow to shadow, trying
to get close enough to a discarded piece of paper to see what it said.
Ken watched the people, trying to read their mouths. / ¿¸¥¿¦b³Q¸ü¤J¤@½øÀH®É·Ç³Æ¤U¨Ó¤°»ò³Q¬Ý§@¬O¹D¸ôªº¥d¨®¡C
Katze ±q¼v¹³¨ì¼v¹³¦bªþªñ·ÆË, ¹Á¸Õ§â±µªñªº¥R¨¬µ¹¯Èªº³Q¥á±óªº¶ô¬Ý¨£¥¦©Ò»¡ªº¡C ªÖ®¦¬Ý¤F¤H, ¹Á¸ÕŪ¥L̪º¼L¡C
Their language was unfamiliar; they looked impovershed and afraid. / ¥L̪º»y¨¥¬O¤£¼ô±xªº;
¥L̬ݤF impovershed ©M®`©È¡C
As the truck's ignition turned, Katze launched back into the undergrowth,
rocketting through the bracken as fast as s/he could, utterly noiseless.
Ken slid from tree to tree, following hir and trying to see what had startled
hir so. Finally, a safe distance away from the farm, s/he crouched beneath
an evergreen, watching the skies with wary eyes and a pale face. / ·í¥d¨®ªº³QÂàÂI¤õ¡A³Qµo®gªð¦^¤U¼hÂOªLªº
Katze¤§®É, ¦P¼Ë¦a§Ö³t¦aµo®g¤õ½b¹L¦Ï¾¦¦p s/ ¥L¥i¥H,§¹¥þµLÁn¡C ±q¾ð¨ì¾ðªºªÖ®¦ slid, ¸òÀH hir ¦Ó¥B¹Á¸Õ¬Ý¨£¤w¸g¦p¦¹¾_Åå
hir ªºªF¦è¡C ³Ì«á, ¦w¥þªº¶ZÂ÷»·Â÷¹A³õ,s/¥L¦b¤@´Ê±`ºñ¾ð¤§¤UÃÛ¤U,¥Î¤p¤ßªº²´·ú©M¤@Ó»a¥ÕªºÁy¬Ý¤ÑªÅ¡C
"We've got to get out of here!" s/he whispered urgently as Ken
dropped down beside hir, "We're more than twenty years back from
where we were! We're during the occupation.. In Pakistan during the occupation!
We've got to get out of here, get out of this country.." / "§ÚÌ¥²¶·Â÷¶}³o¸Ì"!
s/·íªÖ®¦¦b hir ®ÇÃä°§C¤U¨Óªº®ÉÔ¡A¥Lºò«æ¦a¦Õ»y," §Ú̬O¶W¹L¤G¤Q¦~I±±q§Ú̦bþ¸Ì! §Ú̦b¦û¦³´Á¶¡¡C¡C ¦b¦û¦³´Á¶¡¦b¤Ú°ò´µ©Z!
§ÚÌ¥²¶·Â÷¶}³o¸Ì,Â÷¶}³o¤@Ó°ê®a¡C¡C"
"Twenty years...!?" Ken breathed in shock. / "¤G¤Q¦~¡C¡C¡C!?"ªÖ®¦¦bÅåÀ~¤¤©I§l¡C
"We'll wait 'til its dark. That road leads to a town, it was / "
§Ú̱Nµ¥Ô ' J³Â¥¦ªº¶Â·t¡C ¨º¤@±ø¹D¸ô³q©¹¤@Ó«°Âí,¥¦¬O
Market day, there's be crowds, clubs.. clients.." / ¥«¶°¤é, ¨º¸Ì¬O¸s²³¡AѼֳ¡¡C¡C
«È¤á¡C¡C"
"Twenty years.. How? I don't understand.." Ken turned to Katze,
his eyes wide. / "¤G¤Q¦~¡C¡C ¦p¦ó? §Ú¤£¤F¸Ñ¡C¡C"ªÖ®¦Âà¦V Katze,¼sÁï¦aªº¥L²´·ú¡C
"What're you looking at me for??" Katze hissed, totally misinterpretting
his look, "This isn't MY fault!" / " What're §A¬Ý§Ú??"Katze
µo¥X¼NÁn,§¹¥þ¦a»~¸Ñ¥Lªº¯«±¡ ",³o¤£¬O§Úªº¹L¥¢!"
Ken blinked, "Huh? I don't understand.. How did it happen? We fell
into a pit.." / ªÖ®¦¯w²´,"ó!? §Ú¤£¤F¸Ñ¡C¡C ¥¦¦p¦óµo¥Í? §Ú̶^¤J¤@Ó²`§|¡C¡C"
"We must have fallen through some effect of Soosai X's travel.."
/ "§Ṳ́@©w´¿¸g¥¢±Ñ¤@¨Ç Soosai X's ªº®È¦æ®ÄªG¹L¡C¡C"
"But.. we're here.. in occupied Pakistan?" / "¦ý¬O¡C¡C §Ú̦b³o¸Ì¡C¡C
¦b¦û»âªº¤Ú°ò´µ©Z?"
"Soo da," Katze confirmed, "And we haven't any ID."
/ "Soo da",Katze ½T»{ ", ©M§Ṳ́£¤w¸g¥ô¦óªº¨¥÷ÃÒ".
Ken reached for his wallet, then clued in, "Oh.. right. My ID won't
do any good now. Are you sure town is such a good idea? How the hell does
it teleport??" / ªÖ®¦¤Î©ó¥Lªº¥Ö§¨, µM«á½u¯Á¦b,"®@¡C¡C Åv§Q¡C §Úªº¨¥÷ÃÒ±N¤£°µ¥ô¦óªº¦n²{¦b¡C §A¬O½T«H«°Âí¬O¤@Ó¦p¦¹¦n·Qªk?
¥¦¦p¦ó§Q¥Î¤ßÆF¶Ç°Ê??"
Katze felt like s/he was talking to a frog, "I don't know how he
teleports, he just *does*, alright? No, town is NOT a good idea, but in
comparison to hiding out in the sticks, it'll do." / Katze ·Pı¹³ s/
¥L¥¿¦b©M¤@°¦«Cµì»¡¸Ü,"§Ú¤£ª¾¹D¥L¦p¦ó§Q¥Î¤ßÆF¶Ç°Ê, ¥L¶È¶È *°µ*,¦nªº? ¤£¡A«°Âí¤£¬O¤@Ó¦n·Qªk, ¦ý¬O¦b¤ñ¸û¤¤¨ìÂæb¾ðªK¤¤ªº,¥¦±N°µ¡C"
"Hey don't get huffy with me, I'm just a little out of it right now,
okay??" Katze's look said s/he thought he'd been out of it for ages.
Ken sighed wearily, "So.. have you done this procuring of ID thing
before?" / " ¶Ù¤£©M§Ú±o¨ì huffy, §Ú¶È¶È¬Oµy·L¥ß¨è±q¥¦,¦n??"Katze's ªº¯«±¡»¡¤F
s/¥L·Q¤F¥L¤w¸g¬°¦~ÄÖ¶W¥X¥¦¡C ªÖ®¦¯h¦a¼Û®§,"¦p¦¹¡C¡C ¥H«e§A°µ³o¨¥÷ÃҨƪ«ªºÀò±o¤F¶Ü?"
"Yes." / "¬Oªº".
Ken glanced up at the darkening sky, "Then.. what's our next move?
I'm afraid I've never really had to do this." / ªÖ®¦¿h°{¦b§Ë·t¤ÑªÅ¤W±,"·í®É¡C¡C
§Ú̪º¤UÓ²¾°Ê¬O¤°»ò? ®£©È§Ú¤w¸g±q¤£¯uªº¥²¶·°µ³o¡C"
Now Katze gave him a curious look, "Then stay back and let me do
what I'm good at." / ²{¦b Katze µ¹¤©¤F¥L¦n©_ªº¯«±¡,"µM«á°±¯d«á±¦Ó¥BÅý§Ú°µ§Ú¾Õªøªº".
"But I won't be far away." Katze just grunted. Ken looked at
the darkening sky again, "We need shelter..?" / " ¦ý¬O§Ú±N¤£¦b»·³B"
¡C Katze èèó¡C ªÖ®¦¦A¤@¦¸¬Ý§Ë·t¤ÑªÅ,"§ÚÌ»Ýn§ÈÅ@©Ò¡C¡C?"
"No. As soon as its dark enough to cast thick shadows, we'll leave."
/ " ¸¹½X¹³¥¦ªº¶Â·t¥R¨¬¤@¼Ëªº«Ü§Ö«p¦a§ë¼v¹³,§Ú̱NÂ÷¶}".
Perhaps an hour later, dusk had fallen. The female members of the farm
had put their laundry out and retired indoors. Katze eyed the clothes
speculatively. / 1 ¤p®É¤§«á¤]³\¡AÁ¡¼Ç¤w¸g¸¨¤U¡C ¹A³õªº¤k©Ê¦¨û¤w¸g¦b¤á¤ºº¶·À¥L̪º¬~¦ç©±¦Ó¥B°h¥ð¡C ²´ªº Katze «ä¯Á©Ê¦aªº¦çªA¡C
"You're not thinking... what I think you're thinking?" Ken said.
/ "§A¤£¬O«ä¦Òªº¡C¡C¡C §Ú©Ò·Qªº§A¥¿¦b·Q?"ªÖ®¦»¡¡C
"That depends on what you think I'm thinking," Katze replied
distantly. / "¨º¦b§A©Ò·Qªº¤W¾a¡A§Ú¥¿¦b·Q",Katze »·¦aµªÂСC
"I suppose it'd be a good idea.. look more normal, like them.."
/ "§Ú±À·Q¥¦±N·|¬O¤@Ó¦n·Qªk¡C¡C Åܱo§ó¥¿±`,¹³¥LÌ¡C¡C"
"Mm," Katze evaded. Ken started to commiserate about stealing,
remembering a time when he'd stolen a civilian's car to give chase to
some Galactors. Nambu termed it "appropriation" but it was still
stealing and he still felt kinda guilty about it.. He glanced up and realized
that Katze had nicked a few garments while he was pontificating, and was
half way down the road. Ken followed, shadowing hir into town. / "¤½Âç",Katze
°kÁסC ªÖ®¦¶}©lÃö©ó°½ÅѼ¦¼§, °O±o¦¸¥L¦ó®É¤w¸g°½¥¥Áªº¨T¨®§â°l¨Dµ¹¤@¨Ç Galactors¡C ¤´µM³QºÙ¥¦ "¼·¥Î" ¦ý¬O¥¦ªº
Nambu ¥¿¦b°½¡A¦Ó¥B¥L¤´µM¹ï¥¦·P¨ì¦³¤@ÂI¦³¸oªº¡C¡C ¥L¿h°{¦b¦Ó¥B¤W±¤F¸Ñ·í¥L¥¿¦b¸Ë¼Ò§@¼Ëªº»¡¸Ü®ÉÔ¡A Katze ¤w¸g¨è²ª©ó¤@¨Ç¦çªA,
©M¤@¥bªº¤èªk¬O¤U¨Ó¹D¸ô¡C ªÖ®¦¸òÀH,¾B½ª hir ¶i«°Âí¡C
"Fuck you can move!" Ken gasped when he caught up to her. He
stared at her; she had changed her clothes, the thigh boots were back
and it looked like she had something for sale that definately wasn't mushrooms,
"I think I liked the other outfit better.." "I outran you
nearly every time, didn't I? I'm going on alone. / " ©Ê¥æ§A¯à²¾°Ê"!
·í¥L®·®»ªº®ÉÔ¡AªÖ®¦³Ý®ð¥Ñ¦o¨M©w¡C ¥L¨nµÛ¦o¬Ý; ¦o¤w¸g§ïÅܦoªº¦çªA, ¤j»Lªø¹u¦^¨Ó¡A¦Ó¥B¥¦¬Ý°_¨Ó¹³¦o¤@¼Ë¦³¬Y¨Æ¦]¬°©ú½T¦a¤£¬O¿¸ªº°â½æ,"
§Ú»{¬°§Ú³ßÅw¥t¤@Ó°t³Æ§ó¦h¡C¡C" "§Ú¨C¤@¦¸´X¥G¶W¹L¤F§A,¤£¬O¶Ü? §Ú¥¿¦b¿W¦Û¦aÄ~Äò¡C
Stay out of sight. If I'm not back by sunset tomorrow, try to get out
overland." / µø¤O¥~¥X¡C ¦pªG§Ú©ú¤ÑÂǵۤ鸨¤£¬O«á±,¸ÕµÛ°k¶]³°¸ô¡C"
Ken seized her arm, "What do you mean, *if* you're not back?"
/ ªÖ®¦§ì¦í¤F¦oªº¤âÁu," §A·N¿×¤°»ò,*¦pªG* §A¤£¬O«á±"?
Her voice was so steady it chilled Ken, "If I'm not back, it means
I've fucked up. But you should be used to that by now," she grinned
her poison grin. / ¦oªºÁnµ¬O¦p¦¹Ã©w¥¦¤w§NªºªÖ®¦," ¦pªG§Ú¤£¬O«á±, ¥¦·N¿×§Ú¤w¸g©Ê¥æ¦b¤W±¡C ¦ý¬O§AÀ³¸Ó¨ì¦p¤µ²ßºD©ó¨º,"¦oÅS¾¦¦Ó¯º¤F¦oªº¬rÃÄÅS¾¦¯º¡C
"Katze.. be careful," Ken's voice was soft. S/he eyed him once,
hmphed, then turned and headed towards a posh-looking nightclub amid the
squalorous town. / "Katze¡C¡C n¤p¤ß,"ªÖ®¦ªºÁnµ«Ü³n¡C S/ ¥L²´ªº¥L¤@¦¸¡A hmphed,µM«á¦b
squalorous «°Âí¤§¤¤Âà¦Ó¥B«e©¹¤@Ӭݦüº}«Gªº©]Á`·|¡C
In the wee hours of the morning, an explosion shook Ken out of his light
sleep. He cursed, staring as another fireball went up from a posh mansion
on the side of a mountain on the other side of the town. / ¦b¦±áªº«Ü¤p¤p®É¤¤¡A¤@ÓÃz¬µ¥Ñ©ó¥Lªº»´ºÎ¯v·n°Ê¤FªÖ®¦¡C
¥L¶A©G, ª`µø·í¥t¤@Ó¤õ²y±q¦b«°Âíªº¥t¤@Ãä¤Wªº¦b¤sÃä¤Wªº¤@Óº}«Gªº¤j·H¤Wº¦¡C
As people started trickling out of their homes, a car pulled up near him,
its window open. / ·í¤H¶}©l²¾°ÊÂ÷¥L̪º®a®ÉÔ,¤@½ø¨T¨®¦b¥Lªºªþªñ©Þ¥X ,¥¦ªºµ¡¤á¥´¶}¡C
"Gatchaman! Come on!" / "Gatchaman! §ÖÂI !"
"Katze??" Ken darted forward and hopped into the car, "Hot
wheels?" / "Katze??"ªÖ®¦¦V«e¦a§ë®g¦Ó¥B¶i¤J¨T¨®¤§¤º³æ¸}¸õ ",¼öªº½ü¤l?"
"Scorching," the mutant grinned. She turned in her seat and
a flash of light blinded him for an instant. She tucked the camera away
and put the car in gear, roaring off into the night. / "¨`¼öªº",¬ðÅܲ§ºØÅS¾¦¦Ó¯º¡C
¦o¦b¦oªº®y¦ì©M¥úªº°{¥ú¤¤Âà¦V¬°¥ß§Yª¼¤H¤F¥L¡C ¦o¥´¾îÁ·¬Û¾÷¤§»·¦Ó¥B§â¨T¨®©ñ¤J¤u¨ã,¨«¶}¶i¤J©]±ß¤§¤ºªº§qÁn¡C
"Don't suppose you'd tell me what that was all about?" Ken jerked
his thumb in the direction of the explosions. / " ¤£n±À·Q§A±N·|§i¶D§Ú¤°»òþ¤@¬O¥þ³¡¤j¬ù"?
ªÖ®¦µjÅˤFÃz¬µªº¤è¦V¥L©æ«ü¡C
"Nope." She waited for the polaroid to develop, then pulled
over to attack it with an exacto knife, laminating the picture to a small
card. Ken watched with rapt attention, noticing the bruises on the mutant's
face. There was a thread of crusted blood on her lip and her hair was
tangled. / "¤£". ¦oµ¥Ô¤H³y°¾¥úªOµo®i,µM«á¶}¨ì¤@®Ç¥Î¤@¤ä exacto ¤M§ðÀ»¥¦,»s¦¨Á¡ªO¹ï¤@±i¤pªº¥d¤ù·Ó¤ù¡C
ªÖ®¦¥H¥þ¯«³eª`ªºª`·N¬Ý,ª`·N¦b¬ðÅܲ§ºØªºÁy¤W·ï¶Ë¡C ¦³¦b¦oªº®B¤W¤@±ø»\¥Hµw¥Öªº¦å½u¡A¦Ó¥B¦oªºÀY¾v³Q¨ÏÄñµ²¡C
"Your clothing got better," he said, observing her more sedate
dress, "..are you okay?" / "§Aªº¦çªAÅܱo¤ñ¸û¦nªº",¥L»¡,Æ[¹î¦oªº¸û¨HµÛªºªA¸Ë
",.¡C§A¬O¦n¶Ü?"
Katze grinned again, her eyes unnaturally bright, "I'm fine. / ¦A¤@¦¸³QÅS¾¦¦Ó¯ºªº
Katze, ¤£¦ÛµM©ú«Gªº¦o²´·ú,"§Ú¬O¦nªº¡C
*Much* better," she handed him the small card, "Here, Watanabe-san."
/ *«Ü¦h*¦b³o¸Ì§ó¡A "¦o¶Ç»¼¤F¥L¤pªº¥d¤ù ",Watanabe-san¡C"
"Watanabe-san?" / "Watanabe-san"?
"Watanabe Satoshi, gardener to Senor Alvarez. You've been at your
post only four months and haven't fully learned the lingo." / "Watanabe
Satoshi,¥ý¥Í Alvarez ªº¶é¤B¡C §A´¿¸g¨ì¹L¦b§AªºÂ¾¦ì¥u¦³¥|Ó¤ë¦Ó¥B¨S¦³§¹¥þ¾Ç²ß»y¨¥¤£ª¾©Ò¤ª¡C"
Ken nodded, "And who are you, now?" / ªÖ®¦ÂIÀY,"¦Ó¥B§A¬O½Ö,²{¦b"?
"Gretchen Steinberger, cook," Katze put the car back in gear
and rolled leisurely out onto the highway, heading away from the town.
/ "Gretchen Steinberger,µN",Katze ¦b¤½¸ô¤§¤W¦b¥~¦b¤u¨ã¤¤§â¨T¨®©ñ¦^ì³B¦Ó¥B±q®e¦a±²,´Â¦V»·Â÷«°Âí¡C
"Where did you get all of this?" Ken gestured, indicating the
car and the back-seat full of clothes, weapons, food and what looked like
drug paraphenalia. / " §A¦bþùرo¨ì©O³o¥þ³¡"? ªÖ®¦§@¤â¶Õ, «ü¥X¨T¨®©M¥Rº¡¦çªA¡AªZ¾¹ªº«á®y¡A¹ª«©M¤°»ò¬Ý°_¨Ó¹³ÃÄ
paraphenalia ¤@¼Ë¡C
"These were so generously gifted to me by Senor Alvarez, the governor
of this little hamlet." / "³o¨Ç¦p¦¹ªººB´n¹ï§Ú³Q¥ý¥Í Alvarez ½á¤©,³oÓ¤p¤p§øªººÞ²zªÌ".
"Gifted?" Ken arched his eyebrow. Katze ignored him, then kicked
the car into overdrive and burned down the mountain pass. Ken rummaged
through the backseat to find some clothes to change into. / ½á¤©? ¤}§Îªº¥L¬Ü¤òªºªÖ®¦¡C
Katze ©¿²¤¤F¥L,µM«á½ð¨T¨®¶i¹L³t¸Ë¸m¤§¤º¦Ó¥B¿N·´¤s³~®|¡C ªÖ®¦Â½¹M¹L«á®yµo²{¤@¨Ç¦çªA´«¦¨¡C
"Want me to drive for a while?" Ken asked an hour later. He
frowned as Katze pitched another something out the window. She'd been
doing this intermittantly for miles now. "What are you doing?"
/ "·Qn§Ú¶}¨®¤@°}¤l"? ªÖ®¦ 1 ¤p®É¤§«á°Ý¡C ·í Katze ¥X¦Ûµ¡¤á²Ï¨c¤F¥t¥~¤@¬Y¨Æªº®ÉÔ¡A¥L½K¬ÜÀY¡C ¦o¤w¸g²{¦b¬°ù°µ³o
intermittantly ¡C "§A¥¿¦b°µ¤°»ò"?
"Nothing," she said innocently, fishing another something out
of the bag beside her and tossing it. This time Ken caught a glimpse of
it, but couldn't believe what he'd seen, "Katze???" / "¨S¨Æ"
¡A¦oµL¸o¦a»¡,±q¦b¦o®ÇÃ䪺³U¤l³¨³½¥t¥~¤@¬Y¨Æ©M§ëÂY¥¦¡C ³o¦¸ªÖ®¦¿h¨£¥¦, ¦ý¬OµLªk¬Û«H¥L¤w¸g¬Ý¨ìªº,"Katze???"
"You don't want to be asking, Gatchaman. Yes, you can drive if you
like. I'm getting tired, I need a smoke and women drivers aren't looked
upon very kindly around here." Another object went flying. / "§A¤£·Qn¬O°Ý,Gatchaman
¡C ¦pªG§A³ßÅw¡A¬Oªº¡A§A¯à¶}¨®¡C §Ú¥¿¦b«Ü¯h²Ö, §Ú»Ýn·Ï©M¤k¤H¾r¾pû¨S³Q¬Ý¦b«Ü©Mħ¤§¤W¦b³o¸Ì©P³ò¡C"¥t¤@Óª«Åé¥h¸¡C
Ken blinked, "Was that a..?? Katze?!" / ªÖ®¦¯w²´," ¬O¨º¤@¡C¡C??
Katze?!"
"The less you know the more they'll believe you if they catch us."
She stopped the car and they traded places. As Ken resumed driving, she
tossed another object. It was definately what Ken thought it was. / "
¤ñ¸û¤Ö¶q§Aª¾¹D§ó¦h¦pªG¥LÌ®·®»§ÚÌ¡A¥ḺN¬Û«H§A". ¦o°±¤î¤F¨T¨®¡A¦Ó¥B¥LÌ¥æ©ö¤F¦a¤è¡C ·íªÖ®¦«·s¶}©l¤F»°ªº®ÉÔ,¦o§ëÂY¤F¥t¤@Óª«Åé¡C
¥¦©ú½T¦a¬OªÖ®¦©Ò·Qªº¡A¥¦¬O¡C
"I think I'd rather know if you don't mind." / "§Ú»{¬°¡A¦pªG§A¤£¤¶·N¡A§Ú±N·|¹ç¥iª¾¹D"
¡C
"Nope." Another molar went flying. / "¤£". ¥t¦Ý¾¦¥h¸¡C
"You killed them, didn't you." / "§A±þ¤F¥LÌ,§A¤£¨S¦³¶Ü".
"Of course." Fling, went an incisor. Ken slammed on the brakes.
"FUUUUCK!!" Katze hollared, nearly going through the windshield,
"What in hell's your problem??" Ken had gotten out of the car.
She opened the door and got out as well. / " ·íµM". §ëÂY,¥h¤F¤@Óªù¤ú¡C
ªÖ®¦¦b·Ù¨®¤W²rµMÃö¤W¡C "FUUUUCK!!"Katze hollared,´X¥G¸g¹L¾×·¬Á¼þ ", ¤°»ò¦b¦aº»ªº§A°ÝÃD¤¤??"ªÖ®¦¤w¸gÂ÷¶}¨T¨®¡C
¦o¤]¥´¶}¤Fªù¦Ó¥BÂ÷¶}¡C
"We can't go around *killing* people! I'm not like that!" /
" §Ṳ́£¯à¨«¨Ó¨«¥h *±þ®`ªº*¤H! §Ú¤£¹³¨º!"
"Do you have any better ideas??" / "§A¦n¤@ÂI¦³·Qªk¶Ü??"
"There's got to be another way.. I can't go around killing innocent
people.. And we can't leave a trail of corpses, we'd be found in no time.."
/ " ¨º¸Ì³Q¶}©l¬O¥t¤@Ó¤èªk¡C¡C §Ú¤£¯à¨«¨Ó¨«¥h±þ®`ªºµL¸o¤H¡C¡C ¦Ó¥B§Ṳ́£¯àÂ÷¶}¤@±ø«ÍÅ骺Âܸñ, §Ú̱N·|¦b¥ß¨è³Qµo²{¡C¡C"
"BAKA YO!" Katze's shout brought Ken up short, "Didn't
you study history? Are you dense? We're in *occupied Pakistan* -- you
can't even *breathe* without having a picture ID! Do you think we can
just walk up and whimper 'Oh Mr. Policeman, they took all our gear and
all our ID won't you give us new ones'?" "I don't know!"
Ken screamed, "But this is wrong! Can't you understand that?"
"I don't think *you* understand, Gatchaman, these people took lessons
from Hitler and Bosnia! They put people like us in *concentration camps*!"
Ken thumped his head against the car roof and moaned. "My trail of
corpses won't be that easy to follow: That's why I pulled all the teeth
and set fire to the bodies. I'm *hoping* that by the time they identify
the bodies we'll be long out of here. / "BAKA YO"! Katze's ªº©I³Û¼¾¾iªÖ®¦µu,"§A¨S¦³¾Ç²ß¾ú¥v¶Ü?
§A¬O±K¶°ªº¶Ü? §Ú̬O¦b *¦û»â¤F¤Ú°ò´µ©Z*-- §A¤£¯à¬Æ¦Ü *©I§l*¤£¦³¤@Ó·Ó¤ù¨¥÷ÃÒ! §A»{¬°§Ú̯à¶È¶È¨«¤W¦Ó¥B¶ã«| ' ®@ĵ¹î¥ý¥Í,
¥Ḻa¤F§ÚÌ©Ò¦³ªº¤u¨ã©M§ÚÌ©Ò¦³ªº¨¥÷ÃÒ§A¤£±Nµ¹§ÚÌ·sªº¤@¨Ç¶Ü'?" "§Ú¤£ª¾¹D"! ªÖ®¦¦y¥s,"¦ý¬O³o¬O¿ù»~ªº!
§A¤£¯à¤F¸Ñ¨º?" " §Ú¤£·Q * §A*¤F¸Ñ,Gatchaman,³o¨Ç¤H°Ñ¥[¤F¨Ó¦Û§Æ¯S°Ç©Mªi¤h¥§¨È¦@©M°êªº½Ò! ¥LÌ©ñ¤H³ßÅw§Ú̦b
*¶°¤¤ÅSÀç*!"ªÖ®¦§â¥LªºÀY¼²À»¨T¨®«Î³»¦Ó¥B©D§u¡C "§Úªº«ÍÅéÂܸñ±N¤£¨º»ò®e©ö¸òÀH: ¨º¬O§Ú¬°¤°»ò©Ô¤F©Ò¦³ªº¤ú¾¦¦Ó¥BÁa¤õ¿N¨Åé¡C
§Ú¬O *§Æ±æ* ¨º·í¥LÌÃѧO§Ú̱N¬Oªøªº¦b¥~¨Å骺®ÉÔ¦b³o¸Ì¡C
Now can we *go*?" / ²{¦b¯à§ÚÌ *¥h*?"
"We.. we need some ground rules.. if we're to survive each other.."
/ "§ÚÌ¡C¡C §ÚÌ»Ýn¤@¨Ç¦a±³W«h¡C¡C ¦pªG§ÚÌn¬¡ªº¤ñ©¼¦¹¤[¡C¡C"
Katze snorted, then smirked snidely, "If you're *that* upset, let
me assure you that Senor Alvarez was in NO WAY 'innocent'." She twitched
aside her skirt and pulled up one thigh. / Katze ¼QµÛ®ð§ËÅT»ó¤l, µM«á°²¦a¼H¼H°µ¯º,"
¦pªG§A¬O *¨º* ¥[²`®Ø, Åý§Ú«OÃÒ§A¥ý¥Í Alvarez ¥H¨S¦³¤è¦¡¬O 'µL¶dªÌ'". ¦o²r©Ô¦b¤@Ãä¦oªº¸È¤l¨Ã¥B©Þ¥X¤@±ø¤j»L¡C
"Katze?" Ken blinked, then gasped. He stared at her bleeding,
mutilated femininity, "You're..... he did..." he turned grey,
"Oh god..!" Ken turned away from her quickly, leaning over and
clutching his stomach. / "Katze"? ¯w²´ªºªÖ®¦,µM«á³Ý®ð¡C ¥L¨nµÛ¦oªº¥X¦å¬Ý,¤ÁÂ_¤F°ü¤k¯S½è,"§A¬O.....
¥L°µ¡C¡C¡C"¥LÅܦǦ⪺ ", ®@¯«¡C¡C!"ªÖ®¦«Ü§Ö¦aÂà¦V»·Â÷¦o, ¶É±×¦b¦Ó¥B¤§¤W§ì¨c¥LªºG¡C
"Oh relax," Katze egged him on, "It was just a little knife.
I hardly even felt it. I've had much worse." / " ®@©ñÃP",
Katze ¬Dö¤F¥L¦b "¤§¤W,¥¦¥u¬O¤@¤ä¤p¤M¡C §Úèè¬Æ¦Ü·Pı¤F¥¦¡C §Ú¤w¸g§ó¥[§ó§óÃa¦a¦³¡C"
"Worse?" Ken whispered, "Are you.. Should we stop somewhere?
/ "§óÃaªº¨Æ"? ªÖ®¦¦Õ»y," ¬O§A¡C¡C §ÚÌÀ³¸Ó¬Y³B°±¤î¶Ü?
Get.. help?" / ±o¨ì¡C¡C À°¦£?"
"I'll be fine," Katze closed her legs and let her skirt fall
back, "I've gotten this far, haven't I? Now come on, quit being a
wimp and lets get going. We aren't out of Pakistan yet." / "§Ú±N¬O»@´Ú",Katze
Ãö³¬¤F¦oªº»L¦Ó¥BÅý¦oªº¸È¤lºM°h ",§Ú¤w¸g±o¨ì³o»·,¤£¬O¶Ü? ²{¦bµo¥Í , Â÷¶}¨¬°³n®zªÌ¦Ó¥BÅý¬y¦æ¡C §Ṳ́£¬OÂ÷¶}¤Ú°ò´µ©Z¤´µM¡C"
Ken nodded silently and started the car. They resumed their journey. /
ªÖ®¦ÀqÀq¦aÂIÀY¦Ó¥B¶}©l¤F¨T¨®¡C ¥LÌ«·s¶}©l¤F¥L̪º®Èµ{¡C
"Oh by the way," Katze tossed him an object covered with rusty
stains. She grinned maliciously, "Here's the knife." Ken pitched
the horrible thing out the window, nearly retching with disgust. "Awwww,
I thought you'd want to keep it. A souvenier." / " ®@Âǵۤèªk",Katze
¥Î¥Íùתº¦Ã¬V§ëÂY¤@Óª«Åé²[»\ªº¥L¡C ¦oÃh´c·N¦aÅS¾¦¦Ó¯º,"³o¸Ì¬O¤M" ¡C ªÖ®¦¥X¦Ûµ¡¤á²Ï¨c¤F¥i©Èªº¨Æª«,´X¥G¥H¹½´c§@¹Ã¡C
"Awwww,§Ú·Q¤F§A±N·|·Qn«O¦s¥¦¡C souvenier¡C"
Ken gave her a horrifed look, "What?? Why?" / ªÖ®¦µ¹¤©¤F¦o horrifed
¯«±¡,"¤°»ò?? ¬°¤°»ò?"
Katze winked coquettishly, "A memory of what you know you've always
wanted to do to me." / Katze ®R¦h«º¦a¯w²´,"§A©Òª¾¹Dªº§AÁ`¬O¤w¸g·Qn¹ï§Ú°µªº°O¾Ð".
Ken blanched, then got angry, "I may have beat the living hell out
of you and wanted you to die slowly.. but I never.. I would *never* do
anything like that or even *wish* that on you!" Katze snorted. "I
hated you.. still may.. But I would *never* do something like that."
/ ³Qº}¥ÕªºªÖ®¦,µM«á«Ü¥Í®ð,"§Ú¥i¯à¤w¸g§A¼³·À¥Í¬¡¦aº»¦Ó¥B·Qn§A¦º±oºCºC¡C¡C ¦ý¬O§Ú±q¤£¡C¡C §Ú±N·| *±q¤£* ¥ô¦ó¨Æ³ßÅw¨º¶Ü©Î¬Æ¦Ü
*§Æ±æ* ¦b§A¤Wªº¨º!"Katze ¼QµÛ®ð§ËÅT»ó¤l¡C "§Ú¼¨«ë§A¡C¡C ¼@·Ó¥i¯à¡C¡C ¦ý¬O§Ú±N·| *±q¤£*¬Y¨Æ³ßÅw¨º¶Ü¡C"
"So noble." / "¦p¦¹°ª¶Q".
"No.. I'm not noble," Ken said darkly, "I just don't believe
that anyone deserves.. that. Even after what you did to me and the others.
Even after my father." / "¸¹½X¡C §Ú¤£¬O°ª¶Qªº,"ªÖ®¦·t»¡ ",§Ú´N¬O¤£¬Û«H¥ô¦ó¤H¸Ó±o¨ì¡C¡C
¨º¡C ¬Æ¦Ü¦b§A©Ò¹ï§Ú©M¨ä¾lªÌ°µªº¤§«á¡C ¬Æ¦Ü¦b§Úªº¤÷¿Ë¤§«á¡C"
"Father?" Katze said blankly. / "¤÷¿Ë"? Katze ¯íµM¦a»¡¡C
Ken took a deep breath, hatred in his voice, "My father was captain
of the Red Impulse squadron. The one who took the V2 missile to his death,
instead of me." / ªÖ®¦§@¤F²`ªº©I§l , ¥LªºÁnµ¼¨«ë,"§Úªº¤÷¿Ë¬O¬õ¦âªº½Ä°ÊÃM§LÀ窺²îªø¡C ±a¤F¹ï¥Lªº¦º¤`
V2 ¸¼uªº¨º¤@Ó,¨ú¦Ó¥N¤§ªº¬O§Ú¡C"
Katze turned a look of surprised delight to him, "Ohhhh, honto??"
/ Katze ±NÅå³Y°ª¿³ªº¯«±¡Âà¦V¥L,"Ohhhh,honto??"
Ken gripped the steering wheel tightly, almost wishing it were / ªÖ®¦ºòºò¦a§ìºò¤F´x²ë½ü¤l,
´X¥GÄ@¥¦¬O
Katze's neck, "Yes." / Katze's ªº²ä¤l,"¬Oªº".
"Oh what a surprise," she turned back to the window, still grinning.
Presently a little giggle rose from her throat. / " ®@¤°»ò·N¥~",¦o§é¦^¨ìµ¡¤á,¤´µMÅS¾¦¦Ó¯º¡C
¥Ø«eµy·L¦Y¦Y¦a¯º¨Ó¦Û¦oªº«|³ïª´ºÀ¡C
"What's. So. Funny." "I thought he was your lover."
/ " ¤°»ò¬O¡C ¦p¦¹¡C ¦n¯ºªº¡C" "§Ú·Q¤F¥L¬O§Aªº·R¤H" ¡C
"NANI??" / "NANI??"
"After what you said later.." / "¦b§A©Òµy«á»¡ªº¤§«á¡C¡C"
Ken turned about seven shades of red, "He was my father! I thought
he'd died when I was a child!" / ªÖ®¦Âà¦V¤F¤j¬ù¬õ¦âªº¤CÓ½®²D³B,"¥L¬O§Úªº¤÷¿Ë! §Ú·Q¡A·í§Ú¬O«Ä¤lªº®ÉÔ¡A¥L¦³¦º!"
"Oh." Katze was stifling giggles, "I'd thought he was a
little old for you, but.." she shrugged, "Plenty of people in
the world into pretty youngflesh." / "®@". Katze ¬O¥O¤Hµo´eªº¦Y¦Y¦a¯º,"§Ú¦³·Q¤F¥Lµy·L¹ï§A¬Oªº,¦ý¬O¡C¡C"¦oÁqªÓ
",¶i¤Jº}«Gªº youngflesh ¤§¤ºªº¦b¥@¬É¤¤ªº³\¦h¤H¡C"
"What do you mean by that?? Pretty young.." Comprehension. /
"§A³Q¨º·N¿×¤°»ò?? ¬Û·í¦~»´¡C¡C"²z¸Ñ¡C
"Ugh!" Katze dissolved in giggles. "Didn't you have parents?"
Ken asked, turning the topic. / "Ugh"! ·»¸Ñªº Katze ¦b¦Y¦Y¦a¯º¡C "§A¨S¦³¶Ü¤÷¥À"?
ªÖ®¦°Ý,Âà¥DÃD¡C
"No." / "¸¹½X"
"No?" / "¤£"?
S/he looked at him and shook hir head, "No." / S/¥L¬Ý¥L¦Ó¥B·n°Ê¤F hir
ÀY¡A "¸¹½X"
"You're an orphan?" / "§A¬O©t¨à"?
"I suppose," S/he shrugged, "They were eliminated after
they had served their purpose and it was clear I would survive."
/ "§Ú±À·Q",S/¥LÁqªÓ ",¦b¥L̤w¸gªA¨Í¥L̪º¥Øªº¡A¦Ó¥B¥¦¬O²M·¡ªº¤§«á¡A¥L̳Q°£¥h§Ú±N·|Ä~Äò¥Í¦s".
"Eliminated after... By whom?" / "¦b°£¥h¤§«á¡C¡C¡C ³Q½Ö?"
"Soosai." / "Soosai".
S/he said it so matter-of-factly. Ken was silent, not sure what to say.
"I'm sorry," he said finally. Katze looked confused, wondering
what he was apologizing for. "That's awful.. not even to have known
them.. and to find out they were murdered..." He broke off; Katze
was staring at him as though he'd lost his mind. "Katze.. one thing."
/ S/¥L»¡¤F¥¦¦p¦¹¦³«¤jÃö«Y--¨Æ¹ê¡C ªÖ®¦¨HÀq, ¤£½T«H¸Ó»¡¤°»ò¡C "¹ï¤£°_",¥L³Ì«á»¡¡C Katze ¬Ý°_¨Ó«Ü§x´b,
ı±o©_©Ç¥L¥¿¦b¹Dºp¤°»ò¡C "¨º¬O¥i©Èªº¡C¡C ¤£¬Æ¦Ü¨ì¤w¸g»{ÃÑ¥LÌ¡C¡C ¦Ó¥Bµo²{¥L̳Q¿Ñ±þ¡C¡C¡C"¥L¤¤Â_ ; ¦n¹³¥L¦³¥¢¥h¤F¥Lªº¤ß¡A
Katze ¥¿¦b¨nµÛ¥L¬Ý¡C "Katze¡C¡C ¤@¥ó¨Æª«¡C"
"Yes?" / "¬Oªº"?
"Whatever happens, we're together. Partners. I'm in on whatever plans
you have, you're in on mine. If we kill, we do it together, and no innocents.
Got it?" / "¤£½×¤°»òµo¥Í, §Ṳ́@°_¡C ¦X¹Ù¤H¡C §Ú¬O¦b¥ô¦óªºp¹º¤W§A¦³, §A¬O¦b¦b§Úªº¤§¤W¡C ¦pªG§Ú̱þ,§Ṳ́@°_°µ¥¦,
©M¨S¦³µL¶dªÌ¡C ±o¨ì¥¦?"
S/he gave him a long, thoughtful look. / S/¥Lµ¹¤©¤F¥Lªø¤S²`«äªº¯«±¡¡C
They continued driving. Katze, having found a news station on the radio,
was listening to it while smoking a much-needed cigarette. / ¥LÌÄ~Äò¤F»°¡C Katze,
¦³µo²{¦b¦¬µ¾÷¤Wªº¤@Ó·s»D¨®¯¸, ¥¿¦bÅ¥¨ì¥¦·í©â·Ï¤@®Ú«D±`»Ýnªº»·Ï®ÉÔ¡C
"Still sounds like gibberish to me," Ken remarked. Katze gave
him a black look and he changed the subject, "You hungry?" /
"¤´µM¹ï§ÚÅ¥°_¨Ó¹³¶Ã»y¤@¼Ë",ªÖ®¦µû½×¡C Katze µ¹¤©¤F¥L¤@ÓÃø¬Ýªº²´¥ú¡A¦Ó¥B¥L§ïÅܤF¥DÃD," §AÄȾjªº"?
"Starving." / ¾j±on¦º¡C
"Maybe we can find a shop or something.." Ken trailed off as
/ "¤]³\§Ú̯àµo²{°Ó©±©Î¬Y¨Æ¡C¡C" ªÖ®¦¨«¶}°lÂÜ·í°µ
Katze sat up suddenly, cranking the volume on the radio, "Nani?"
/ Katze ¬ðµM¼õ©], °_°Ê¦b¦¬µ¾÷¤WªºÅé¿n,"Nani"?
"Forget about breakfast," Katze said, "Burn for the border."
/ "§Ñ°OÃö©ó¦À\ªº¨Æ",Katze »¡ ",¬°Ãä¹Ò¿U¿N".
"Nani?" Ken said again. / "Nani"? ªÖ®¦¦A¤@¦¸»¡¡C
"Just GO!" / "¶È¶È¥h"!
Ken shrugged and floored the accelorator, "What's wrong? What's got
you so spooked?" / ªÖ®¦ÁqªÓ¨Ã¥B¾Q¦aªO accelorator,"«ç»ò¦^¨Æ? ³Q±o¨ì§Aªº¦p¦¹ÅåÀ~?"
"We're a hot item, you and I," Katze smiled lazily, "Are
you sure you want to be partners, 'Clyde'?" / "§Ú̬O¤@Ó¼öªº¶µ¥Ø,§A©M§Ú",Katze
Ãi¬v¬v¦a·L¯º ",§A½T©w§A·Qn·í¦X¹Ù¤H¡A 'Clyde' ¶Ü"?
Ken shrugged and gave hir a sloppy grin, "Bonnie, there's none better
than you. Brace yourself." / ªÖ®¦ÁqªÓ¦Ó¥Bµ¹¤©¤F hir ³Q¼â¤ô§ËÀ㪺ÅS¾¦¯º,"º}«Gªº,§ó¶W¹L§A¨º¸Ì¬O¨S¦³¤H¡C
¤ä¼µ§A¦Û¤v¡C"
They tore down the road at a speed far from safe, hitting bumps and tossing
up gravel without mercy on the car's occupants. Katze bit off hir curses,
knowing time was of the essence. / ¥LÌÂ÷«OÀI½c«Ü»·¥H³t«×ªu¹D¸ô¦V¤U¼¹¯},¦b¨S¦³¦b¨T¨®ªº¥e¦³ªÌ¤Wªº¤¯·O¸H¥Û¤W±¸I¼²¼²À»¦Ó¥B§ëÂY¡C
Katze «rÂ_ hir ¶A©G, ª¾¹D®É¶¡¬O¥»½è¡C
"Joe'd love this," Ken observed. / " Joe'd ·R³o",ªÖ®¦Æ[¹î¡C
Katze smiled a little wistfully, "It's too bad about him." /
Katze µy·L´÷±æ¦a·L¯º,"Ãö©ó¥L¥¦¤ÓÃa" ¡C
"Yeah," Ken sighed, "Then again, we *are* twenty years
in the past. If we make it out of here alive I can hang around in Sicily
and prevent what happened to him." A thought struck him and he spared
the mutant a glance, "How old would you be, now?" / "¬Oªº",ªÖ®¦¼Û®§
",¦A¤@¦¸µM«á, §ÚÌ *¬O*¹L¥hªº¤G¤Q¦~¡C ¦pªG§Ú̬¡µÛ¥Î³o¸Ì»s°µ¥¦§Ú¯à¦b Sicily ¤¤¹C¿º¦Ó¥BÁקK¥Lµo¥Í¤F¤°»ò¨Æ¡C"¤@Ó·Qªk¥´¤F¥L¡A¦Ó¥B¥L¼e®¤¤F¬ðÅܲ§ºØ¤@¿h
",§A¬O¦h»òªºÂÂ,²{¦b?"
Katze thought... and thought, hir face growing paler. "oh my god.."
s/he breathed almost inaudibly. / Katze ·Q¡C¡C¡C ¦Ó¥B·Q, hir ¼W¥[ ªºÁyµ²¬°¤Í¡C "
ªí¥ÜÅå³Y§Úªº¯«¡C¡C"s/¥L´X¥GÅ¥¤£¨£¦ü¦a©I§l¡C
Ken looked at hir curiously, "What?" / ªÖ®¦¦n©_¦a¬Ý hir,"¤°»ò"?
S/he sat up, suddenly looking determined, "The border should be only
a few more kilometers. If we pass that, we're safe, they can't touch us.
After that.. We go to Greece." / S/¥L¼õ©],¬ðµM¬Ý°_¨Ó°í¨M,"Ãä¹ÒÀ³¸Ó¥u¬O¦A¹L´X¤½¨½¡C
¦pªG§Ú̳q¹L¨º, §Ú̬O¦w¥þªº,¥L̤£¯à¸I§ÚÌ¡C ¦b¨º¤§«á¡C¡C §ÚÌ¥h§Æþ¡C"
"Greece?? What's going on in Greece??" Ken was suddenly reminded
of something Nambu had said once, about the Galactor syndicate having
had a stronghold near Greece, once. With more anger in his voice than
he'd thought, he snapped, "Planning to join up with Galactor again?"
/ "§Æþ?? ¤°»ò¥¿¦b§ÆþÄ~Äò??"ªÖ®¦¬Y¨Æ¬ðµM³Q´£¿ô Nambu ¤w¸g»¡¤@¦¸,¤j¬ù Galactor Áp¦X²Õ´¦³¦³¦b§Æþªþªñªº¤@Ón¶ë,¤@¥¹¡C
¦b¥LªºÁnµ¤¤¦³§ó¦hªº©Á«ã¶W¹L¥L¦³·Q,¥L«rÂ_,p¹º¦A¤@¦¸¥H Galactor ¤J¥î?
If Katze hadn't been so distracted, s/he'd've realized that replying with
"in a manner of speaking" was definately the wrong thing to
say. Ken felt rage boiling up inside him and was about to turn on hir,
when he caught a glimpse of something in the rear-view mirror, / °²¦p Katze
¤£¬O¦p¦¹¤ß·Ð·N¶Ã,s/ he'd've ¤F¸Ñ¤F¥H "¥H»¡ªº¤èªk" ©ú½T¦aµªÂЬO¿ù»~ªº¨Æª«»¡¡C ·í¥L¦b«á±- µø³¥ªºÃè¤l¤¤¿h¨£¬Y¨Æªº®ÉÔªÖ®¦·Pı¤FµNªm´£°ª¤º³¡¥L¦Ó¥B¥¿n¥´¶}
hir ªº¼««ã,
"Wha..? Kuso! We've got company!" / "Wha¡C¡C? Kuso! §Ṳ́w¸g±o¨ì¤½¥q!"
"Shit!" Katze looked behind them, "Stay calm, have your
ID ready. You are Satoshi Watanabe, gardener, you don't speak Urdu well.
/ "©Ô«Ë"! Katze ¦b¥L̫ᱬÝ,"°±¯d¥ÀR,¦³§Aªº¨¥÷ÃÒ²{ª÷¡C §A¬O Satoshi Watanabe
¡A¶é¤B,§A¤£»¡¡A Urdu ´é¥X¡C
We have been sent by Senor Alvarez to acquire silks for his new toy. /
§Ṳ́w¸g³Q¥ý¥Í Alvarez °e¬°¥Lªº·sª±¨ãÀò±oµ·¡C
I've his papers here." / §Ú¦b³o¸Ì¦³¥Lªº³ø§i¡C"
"Ladies and gentlemen, please place your trays in the upright position,
we are about to experience turbulance." / "²Q¤k©M²Ô¤h,½Ð§â§Aªº½L¤l©ñ¦bª½¥ßªº¦ì¸m,§ÚÌ¥¿n¸g¾ú
turbulance" ¡C
Katze cracked a grin, palming a gun and slipping another to Ken. / Katze
§Ë¸HÅS¾¦¯º,¹ïªÖ®¦Âä@°¦ºj©ó´x¤¤¦Ó¥B·ÆË¥t¥~¤@¡C
Swallowing hard and sending a silent prayer to his ancestors, Ken pulled
over and stopped the car. / §V¤O¦a§]©M°e¤@Ó¨HÀqªº¬èëµ¹¥Lªº¯ª¥ý,ªÖ®¦¶}¨ì¤@®Ç¦Ó¥B°±¤î¤F¨T¨®¡C
The MP vehicle pulled up behind them. Four big soldiers got out and approached,
armed with machine guns. Two took up positions on either side of the doors,
one at the back of the car, one near the MP vehicle. One grunted something,
gesturing unmistakably with his machine gun. Katze pasted hir best annoyed-but-innocent
expression to hir face and got out. Ken followed hir lead. / ijû¨®½ø¦b¥L̫ᱩޥX¡C
Â÷¶}¦Ó¥B±µªñªº¥|Ó¤jªºx¤H, ¥H¾÷ÃöºjªZ¸Ë¡C ¤G¦û¾Ú¦bªùªº¥ô¤@Ãä¤Wªº¦ì¸m, ¤@¦b¨T¨®ªºI±, ¤@¦bijû¨®½øªºªþªñ¡C ¤@ó¤F¬Y¨Æ, ©ú¥Õ¦a¥H¥Lªº¾÷Ãöºj§@¤â¶Õ¡C
Katze ¥Î¼ß½kÂH¤F³QW´oªº hir ³Ì¦n-¦ý¬O-¹ï hir ªºµL¸oªí¹F±¹ï¦Ó¥BÂ÷¶}¡C ªÖ®¦¸òÀH¤F hir ½u¯Á¡C
The guard looked over Katze's papers and listened to hir explanation.
He tossed a contemptuous look at Ken and jabbered at him. / ¦u½Ã¹ï hir ¸ÑÄÀÂsÄý
Katze's ªº³ø§i¦Ó¥BÅ¥¡C ¥L¦b¥L§ëÂY¤FªÖ®¦ªº»´½°±»ª¦Ó¥B§Ö¦Ó§t½k¦a»¡¡C
Ken swallowed and croaked out "I don't understand" the way Katze
had taught him. The guards laughed. / ªÖ®¦§]¦Ó¥BÜÓÜÓ¥s¥X "§Ú¤£¤F¸Ñ" Katze
¤w¸g±Ð¥Lªº¤è¦¡¡C ¦u½Ã¯º¡C
The first guard turned back to Katze and growled at hir some more. S/he
produced more papers, bleated more explanations; Ken thought s/he was
quite convincing, humble servant following orders, not certain why they'd
been stopped, why they weren't being allowed to go on their way. Then
he saw the way the guard was looking at hir, as though undressing hir
with his eyes. One of the others made a suggestion which was greeted with
coarse sniggers and nods. / ²Ä¤@Ó¦u½Ã¨ì Katze §é¦^¦Ó¥B¦b hir ¦A¦h¤@¨Ç«ã§p¡C S/¥L¥Í²£¤F§ó¦hªº¯È,»ï¥s§ó¦hªº¸ÑÄÀ;
ªÖ®¦·Q¤F s/¥L¬O¦b¦¸§Ç¤§«á¬Û·í¦³¤O¤S¨õ¤Uªº¹²¤H, ¤£¬O½T©w¥L̬°¤°»ò¤w¸g³Q°±¤î,¥L̬°¤°»ò¦b³~¤¤¨S¦³¦b³Q¤¹³\¥h¡C µM«á¥L¬Ý¨£¦u½Ã¥¿¦b¬Ý hir
ªº¤è¦¡, ¦n¹³¥Î¥Lªº²´·ú¨Ï hir ²æ¥h¦çªA¡C ¨ä¾lªÌ¤§¤@§@¤F¤@Ó»P²ÊÁWªº¦Y¦YÅѯº©MÂIÀY¤@°_Åwªïªº«Øij¡C
"Ka.. Gretchen.. What do they want?" Ken murmured, seeing the
mutant's eyes narrow. / "¤d¦w°ö¡C¡C Gretchen¡C¡C ¥LÌ·Qn¤°»ò?"ªÖ®¦§C»y,¬Ý¨£¬ðÅܲ§ºØªº²´·ú®ü®l¡C
Katze was weighing the situation. The other guard had suggested killing
Ken and raping Katze and it was received far too favourably for hir comfort.
/ Katze ¬O¯¯«±¡§Î¡C ¥t¤@Ó«O½Ã¦³«Øij±þ®`ªºªÖ®¦¦Ó¥B»´ºV Katze ¡A¦Ó¥B¥¦³Q¬° hir ¦w¼¢»»»·¦a¤Ó¥iÃÙ¦P¦a¦¬¨ì¡C
The first grunt crushed the papers in his hand, "To the MP truck.
Now. Your master's house has been destroyed. You'll be wanted for questioning."
And he shoved hir into the grunt behind hir, who locked his arms around
hir. / ²Ä¤@Ó©BÂP©BÂPÁnÀ£¯}¤F¥Lªº¤â³ø¯È,"¹ïijû¥d¨®¡C ²{¦b¡C §Aªº¥D¤H©Ð¤l¤w¸g³Q¯}Ãa¡C §A±N³Q¬°¸ß°Ý·Qn¡C"¦Ó¥B¥L±ÀÀ½
hir ¶i¦b hir «á±ªº©BÂP©BÂPÁn¤§¤º,¦b hir ªº©P³òÂê¥Lªº¤âÁu¡C
S/he let out a piercing cougar's shriek and slammed hir high heel into
the grunt's instep. Slamming hir fist into his throat, s/he managed to
twist out of his grasp. / S/¥L©ñ¥X¤@Án¨ë°©ªº¬ü¬w°\ªº¦y¾UÅTÁn¨Ã¥B²rµMÃö¤W hir °ª¸ò¾c¶i©BÂP©BÂPÁnªº¸}I¤§¤º¡C
²rµMÃö¤W hir ®±ÀY¶i¥Lªº«|³ï¤§¤º,s/¥L³]ªkÀ¾Â÷¥Lªº§â´¤¡C
"Kuso! Leggo my shoe!" The man roared with pain as Katze tugged,
trying to free her heel from his foot. Ken tore himself free from the
men holding him, whipped out his gun and capped off a few shots, putting
the man out of his misery. Katze whirled to the ground and fired, wounding
another man who was trying to garrotte Ken. The ninja knocked a third
one down with the butt of his gun, plugging the last in the back of the
head. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw / "Kuso! Leggo §Úªº¾c!"¨k¤H¥H¦p³Q¥Î¤O©Ô,¹Á¸Õ¨ì¨Ó¦Û¥Lªº¸}¦Û¥Ñªº¦o¸}«á¸òªº
Katze ªºµhW§q¡C ªÖ®¦¼¹¯}±q®»¦í¥L ªº¨k¤H¬O¦Û¥Ñªº¥L¦Û¤v,¨«¶}Ã@¥´¥X¥Lªººj¦Ó¥B³Ó¹L¤@¨Çª`®g¡A¥Lªº´dºG¨Ï¨k¤H´o«ã¡C Katze ¹ï¦a±±ÛÂà¦Ó¥BÂI¿U,¨ü¶Ë¥¿¦b¹ï
garrotte ªÖ®¦¹Á¸Õªº¥t¤@Ó¨k¤H¡C §ÔªÌ©M¥Lªººj·ÏÀYÀ»Ë²Ä¤TÓ, ¶ë¦í¦bÀYªº«á±³Ì«áªÌ¡C ±q¥Lªº²´·ú¨¤¸¨¡A¥L¬Ý¨£
Katze grappling with the wounded man, then go down under him. There was
a gunshot and a startled yelp, then all movement stilled. / ©M¨ü¶Ëªº¨k¤H§ì¦í ªº
Katze,µM«á¦b¥L¤§¤U¤U¨Ó¡C ¦³¤@Ó®gÀ»©M¤@Án³Q¾_Å媺¥s³Û,µM«á©Ò¦³ªº¹B°Ê¦wÀR¡C
"Katze!" Ken screamed. He finished off the unconscious man with
his own bayonet and ran to the spreading pool of blood. / "Katze"!
ªÖ®¦¦y¥s¡C ¥L¨«¶}§¹¦¨¦³¥L¦Û¤vªº¨ë¤MµL·NÃѪº¨k¤H¦Ó¥B¶]¦V¦åªº¶Ç§G¦À¡C
"Get this lug OFF of me!" / "§Ú±H¥X³o¤@Ó¬`"!
"Are you alright? Are you hurt?" Ken dragged the body off the
disshevelled mutant. She sat up with a grimace, extracting a length of
razor-edged steel from her side. "Katze!!" / "§A¬O¦nªº¶Ü? §A³Q¶Ë®`¶Ü?"ªÖ®¦¦b
disshevelled ¬ðÅܲ§ºØ¥~©ì©Ô¨Åé¡C ¦o¥H¤@Ó±³¡ªº¬n§á¼õ©],§l¨ú¨Ó¦Û¦oªº¨Ãä«c¤M¤M¤fªºªø«×¿û¡C "Katze!!"
"Oh for fuck's sake, Gatchaman, I'll be fine! Are they dead? / "
®@¦]¬°©Ê¥æ½t¬G¡A Gatchaman,§Ú±N¬O»@´Ú! ¥L̬O¦º¶Ü?
Did they get a chance to call for backup?" / ¥Ḻo¨ìn¨D«á´©ªº¤@Ó¾÷·|¶Ü?"
Ken stared at her, dumbfounded, "No, they didn't get to the radio..
You're bleeding.. heavily..." / ªÖ®¦¨nµÛ¦o¬Ý,À~,"¤£¡A¥L̨S¦³¨ì¹F¦¬µ¾÷¡C¡C §A¥¿¦b¥X¦å¡C¡C
«Ü«¦a¡C¡C¡C"
"Get to the fuckin' car." Ken tried to press his wadded shirt
onto the wound but she shooed him away, "Just gimme a couple of super
maxis and I'll be fine." / "¨ì¹F fuckin'¨T¨®". ªÖ®¦¸ÕµÛ¦b³Ð¶Ë¤§¤WÀ£¥Lªº¶ñ¶ëŨm¡A¦ý¬O¦oµo¥X¼NÁn»°¨«¥LÂ÷¶},"
¥¿ª½ªº gimme ¤@¨Ç¶W¯Å°g¼^¸Ë¦Ó¥B§Ú±N¬O»@´Ú".
Ken opened the back door of the car, shoving stuff out of the way, "Do
you want me to dress it? I do a mean field stitch." / ªÖ®¦¥´¶}¤F¨T¨®ªº«áªù,
±À¨Æ±¡±q¤è¦¡,"§A·Qn§Ú¬ïµÛ¥¦¶Ü? §Ú°µ§C¦Hªº»â°ì¤@°w¡C"
Katze regarded him as he rummaged for the med kit, "I'll be fine.
It's a small wound. Let's just get out of here." / Katze §â¥Lµø¬°¥L¬°ÂåÃĪº°t®M½¹M,"§Ú±N¬O»@´Ú¡C
¥¦¬O¤pªº³Ð¶Ë¡C ¦b³o¸Ì´N¦bÅý§ÚÌÂ÷¶}¡C"
Ken ignored her, sliding into the cramped back seat with her, / ªÖ®¦©¿²¤¤F¦o,¥Ñ©ó¦o¶i¤J¯U«Pªº«á®y¤§¤º·Æ,
"Here, let me see.." he grimaced, "Small wound, my ass:
That's at least four inches long, ditz!" / "³o¸Ì,Åý§Ú¬Ý¨£¡C¡C"¥L§ê°Áy
",¤pªº³Ð¶Ë,§ÚªºÆj: ¨º¬O¦Ü¤Ö¥|¦Tªø,ditz!"
"It'll heal in no time," Katze snorted, "I've been hurt
worse." / " ¥¦¥ß¨è±Nªv¡",Katze ¼QµÛ®ð§ËÅT»ó¤l ",§Ú§ó§óÃa¦a¤w¸g³Q¶Ë®`".
"I can have you stitched and clean in two minutes flat," Ken
said, spraying hir skin with anaesthetic spray. He made quick work of
the tiny stitches needed then covered the wound with antiseptic ointment
and gauze. "Okay, stay put for a sec. Get comfortable." He bolted
outside and dragged the bodies into the truck, removing the teeth and
neck chains. After stripping the truck of weapons and useful paraphenalia,
he set charges to the bodies, then ran back to the car. / "§Ú¦b¤G¤ÀÄÁ¤¤¯à¤@°w§A¦Ó¥B²M²z¤½´J",ªÖ®¦»¡,¥Î³Â¾Kªº¤ôªá¼QÅx
hir ¥Ö½§¡C ¥L¨ÏµM«á³Q»Ýnªº·¥¤p¤@°wªº§Ö¤u§@¥H±þµßªºÃÄ»I©MÁ¡¯½²[»\³Ð¶Ë¡C "¦n¡A°±¯d©ñ¡A¦]¬°¤@Ó¬í«ÜµÎªA" ¡C ¥L¬¦í¦b¦Ó¥B¤§¥~©ì©Ô¨Åé¶i¥d¨®¤§¤º,°£¥h¤ú¾¦©M²ä¤lÃì¡C
¦b²æ¥hªZ¾¹ªº¥d¨®©M¦³¥Îªº paraphenalia ¤§«á¡A¥L±N¶O¥Î³]©w¬°¨Åé,µM«á¦V«á¦a¶]¨ì¨T¨®¡C
He tossed his prizes to Katze then dashed for the driver's seat. / ¥L§ëÂY¤F¹ïµM«á³Q¬°¾r¾pûªº®y¦ì²rÂYªº
Katze ªº¥L¼ú¡C
"Thought we could use these." / " ·Qªk§ÚÌ¥i¥H¨Ï¥Î³o¨Ç".
"And you complain about me," s/he smirked. Ken gunned the engine
and sped down the road as the charges went off behind them. / "¦Ó¥B§A©ê«è§Ú",s/¥L¼H¼H°µ¯º¡C
·í¶O¥Î¦b¥LÌ«á±Ãz¬µªº®ÉÔ¡AªÖ®¦ªu¹D¸ô¦V¤U¥Î¬¶®gÀ»¤F¤ÞÀº¦Ó¥B¥[³t¡C
"It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.." a voice sang
sillily from the back seat. / "¥¦¥¿¦b¶}©l¬Ý°_¨Ó©M¸t½Ï¸`«Ü¦h¹³¡C¡C"¤@ºØÁnµ·MÄø¦a±q«á®y°Û¡C
Ken chuckled, "Joe and Jinpei that morning.." / ªÖ®¦¦Y¦Yªº¯º,"¨º¤Ñ¦±áªº³ì©M
Jinpei¡C¡C"
"Hm?" / "Hm"?
"I'll never forget the day he first got that cable gun," Ken
shook his head, grinning, "Said it was like Christmas.. and Jinpei
with those damned bolos.. We had the things wrapped around our necks for
weeks!" Katze listened in silence as Ken continued, "Jun was
always sticking that yo-yo in the ceiling.. Ryu got snared up in.. well,
everything," he broke up in giggles, "And I broke all of Nambu's
windows - repeatedly!" Ken lapsed into silence, missing his team
badly. / "§Ú±N±q¤£§Ñ°O¥Lº¥ý±o¨ì¤F¨º¤@°¦¹qÆlºjªº¨º¤Ñ",ªÖ®¦·nÀY,ÅS¾¦¦Ó¯º ",¥¦¹³¸t½Ï¸`»¡¡C¡C ¦Ó¥B©M¨º¨Ç¸Ó¦ºªº¤j¤M
Jinpei¡C¡C §Ú̦³¤F¦b§Ú̪º²ä¤l©P³ò³Q¥]¸Ëªø¹F¼ÆÓ¬P´Á¤§¤[ªº¨Æª«!"·íªÖ®¦Ä~Äòªº®ÉÔ¡A Katze ¦b¨HÀq¤è±Å¥ ",¤»¤ëÁ`¬OÂH¦í¤ÑªáªOªº¨º¤@ӷȷȲy¡C¡C
Ryu ±o¨ì¥H³´¨À®·Àò¦b¤W±¡C¡C ¦n§a,¨C¥ó¨Æª«," ¥L¥Ë¸Ñ¦b¦Y¦Y¦a¯º ", ¦Ó¥B§ÚÂ_±¼¤F©Ò¦³ªº Nambu's ªºµ¡¤á
-«½Æ¦a!" ªÖ®¦¹L¥hªº¶i¤J¨HÀq¤§¤º,ÄY«¦a¥¢¥h¥Lªº¤p²Õ¡C
"Were you punished?" Katze's voice broke into his thoughts.
/ " §A³Q³B»@"? Katze's ªºÁnµÂô¤J¥Lªº·Qªk¡C
"Yeah.. Lost the toy for a week, then had to go into training to
learn to use it. After that, it was 'harder, faster, be more accurate',"
he sighed deeply, "It never seemed to be enough, no matter how well
I did." Katze's expression cleared and s/he nodded sagely. / "¬Oªº¡C¡C
¬°¤@Ó¬P´Á¥¢¥h¤Fª±¨ã,µM«á¥²¶·¶i¤J±Ð¨|¾Ç²ß¨Ï¥Î¥¦¡C ¦b¨º¤§«á, ¥¦¬O '¤ñ¸ûÃøªº¡M¤ñ¸û§Ö³tªº, ¬O§ó¥¿½Tªº',"¥L²`²`¦a¼Û®§ ",
¥¦±q¤£¦ü¥G¬O¥R¨¬ªº,µL½×§Ú°µ¦h¦n¡C"Katze's ªº³Q²M°£ªºªí¹F©M s/¥L½å¯à¦aÂIÀY¡C
Several minutes went by. Ken glanced out the window, then back at Katze
through the rear view mirror, "We're here. The border. How are you
doing, can you get up front?" / ¦n´X¤ÀÄÁ¹L¥h¡C ªÖ®¦¿h°{¥Xµ¡¤á,µM«á¦V«á¦a¦b Katze ¸g¹L«á±ªºµø³¥Ãè¤l,"§Ú̦b³o¸Ì¡C
Ãä¹Ò¡C §A¦p¦ó°µ,§A¯àÄw³Æ«e±¶Ü?"
"'Course," Katze replied and slithered somewhat clumsily into
the front seat, grimacing. / "'½Òµ{",Katze ¶i¤J«e®y¤§¤ºµªÂЦӥB²¤·L²Â©å³s¨«±a¶]¦a·Æ,§ê°Áy¡C
"Don't rip out my nice stitches, you." / "¤£n¼¹¶}¥X§Úªº¬ü¦n¤@°w,§A".
"Awww but I wanted to bleed all over you." / "Awww ¦ý¬O§Ú·Qn¨ì³B¬y¦å§A"
¡C
Ken gacked, "Ohh gee thanks." He composed himself as the road
narrowed, rocky cliffs towering on either side of a narrow ribbon of road,
barricaded and blocked, with a smallish sentry hut to one side. / ªÖ®¦ gacked,"Ohh
¦V¥kÂàÁÂÁÂ" ¡C ·í¹D¸ôÁY¤pªº®ÉÔ¡A¥L²Õ¦¨¤F¥L¦Û¤v,¦b¤@±ø¹D¸ôªº¯U¯¶½v±aªº¥ô¤@Ãä¤W°ªµ¾ ªº¦h©¥¥ÛªºÄa±V,¥H»Ùꪫªý¶ë¦Ó¥Bªý¶ë,»P¤@Ó¦³ÂI¤pªº¨Bï¦í¦bTªÙ¨ìÃä¡C
The bored looking sentry demanded to see their IDs. As he looked them
over, demanding to see their papers, Ken drummed his fingers on the steering
wheel. He tried not to get too fidgetty; the gun was snug against his
thigh. / µL½ìªº¬Ý¨Bïn¨D¬Ý¨£¥L̪º¨¥÷ÃÒ¡C ·í¥Lµ²§ô¬Ý¤F¥LÌ, n¨D¬Ý¨£¥L̪º³ø§i,ªÖ®¦¥´¹ª¤F¦b´x²ë½ü¤l¤Wªº¥L¤â«ü¡C ¥L¹Á¸Õ¤£n¤]±o¨ì
fidgetty; ¤Ï¹ï¥Lªº¤j»Lºj¬OµÎ¾Aªº¡C
"Senor Alvarez's place is destroyed. Senor Alvarez is missing. /
"¥ý¥Í Alvarez's ªº¦a¤è³Q¯}Ãa¡C ¥ý¥Í Alvarez ¤£¨£¡C
Maybe you have something to do with it, hmm?" Ken hid his horror
at / ¤]³\§A»P¥¦¦³Ãö,hmm?" ªÖ®¦ÂäF¥LªºÅåÀb¦b
Katze's translation. "Or maybe if you have money.. you don't."
/ Katze's ªºÂ½Ä¶¡C "©Î¤]³\¦pªG§A¦³¿ú¡C¡C §A¤£¡C"
Katze pulled out hir wallet and counted bills, speaking in a clipped voice
to the sentry. The sentry spoke again and s/he replied, sounding like
s/he was negotiating. "I will never gripe about a corrupt government
official again," Ken muttered under his breath. He looked up as Katze
got out of the car, wincing, "What does he want? Katze, what does
he want?" / Katze ©Ô¥X hir ¥Ö§¨¦Ó¥Bpºâ¤F±b³æ, ¦b¤@ºØ¬Ù²¤¤@³¡¤ÀªºÁnµ¤¤»¡¨ì¨Bï¡C ¨Bï¦A¤@¦¸»¡©M s/¥LµªÂÐ,´úÁè´ú±oªºµ²ªG¹³
s/ ¥L¥¿¦b½Í§P¡C "§Ú¦A¤@¦¸±NµLªkµo¨cÄÌÃö©ó¤@Ó»G±Ñªº¬F©²¨Æ©xû",ªÖ®¦¦b¥Lªº©I§l¤§¤U³ä³ä¦Û»y¡C ¥L¬Ý¦b·í¤W± Katze
Â÷¶}¨T¨®,¬ÈÁY,"¥L·Qn¤°»ò? Katze,¥L·Qn¤°»ò?"
S/he didn't reply. Ken watched in horror as the sentry kissed hir on the
mouth, then guided hir into the shack. He felt sick, wondered if he should
follow.. He fondled the gun, wondering what he should do. / S/¥L¨S¦³µªÂСC ·í§k¦b¼L¤Wªº
hir ªº¨Bï,µM«á«ü¾É hir ¶i¤p«Î¤§¤ºªº®ÉÔ¡AªÖ®¦Å宣¦a¬Ý¡C ¥Lı±o¤£µÎªA, ÃhºÃ¬O§_¸U¤@¥L¸òÀH¡C¡C ¥L·R¤Fºj, ı±o©_©Ç¥LÀ³¸Ó°µ¤°»ò¡C
S/he wasn't long, maybe fifteen minutes. The gate swung open and Katze
got back into the car. Ken noticed pink fluid dripping down hir legs -
blood and semen. / S/¥L¤£ªø,¤Q¤¤ÀÄÁ¤]³\¡C ªù·nÂ\¶}©ñªº¦Ó¥B Katze ±o¨ìªð¦^¨T¨®¡C ªÖ®¦ª`·N¤FºwåP¸¨ hir »Lªº¯»¬õ²GÅé
-¦å©Mºë²G¡C
"Go," s/he ordered, then twisted and rummaged in the back seat,
/ ¥h,s/¥L©R¥O, µM«á¦b«á®y¤¤À¾¦Ó¥B½¹M,
"Gah.. mouthwash.." / "Gah¡C¡C ¬~¤fÃÄ¡C¡C"
"You didn't have to," Ken drove through the gates and out into
freedom. Katze grabbed a flask of water and rinsed hir mouth, then hir
thighs, muttering under hir breath about how s/he never thought s/he'd
have to do shit like that again. "You didn't have to do that,"
Ken said again. / " §A¤£¤@©wn", ªÖ®¦¶}¨®¹Lªù©M¦b¥~¶i¤J¦Û¥Ñ¤§¤º¡C Katze §ì¨ú¤F¤@Ó¤ôªº²ÓÀV²~¦Ó¥B¨R¬~¤F
hir ¼L, µM«á hir ¤j»L, ¦b hir ©I§l¤§¤U³ä³ä¦Û»yÃö©ó¦p¦ó s/¥L±q¤£·Q¤F s/¥L±N·|¥²¶·¦A¤@¦¸°µÁT¦PÃþ¨º¡C "§A¤£¤@©wn°µ¨º",ªÖ®¦¦A¤@¦¸»¡¡C
"Look, you said a minimum of corpses, right?" s/he snapped.
/ "¬Ý,§A»¡¤F¦Ü¤Ö«ÍÅé,¹ï¤£¹ï"? s/¥L«rÂ_¡C
Ken was silent for several minutes. "I'm sorry," he said at
last, "I shouldn't have made you promise. I didn't think you'd have
to do anything like that. I.. I'm sorry," he finished lamely. Katze
gave him an unfathomable look. "It uh.. reopened your other wound?"
S/he nodded and Ken blushed but continued, "I uh.. I don't know much
about.. / ªÖ®¦¨HÀq¦n´X¤ÀÄÁ¡C "¹ï¤£°_", ¥L³Ì«á»¡ ",§ÚÀ³¸Ó¤£n¨Ï§AµªÀ³ªº¡C §Ú¨S¦³»{¬°§A±N·|¥²¶·°µ¥ô¦ó¨Æ¦PÃþ¨º¡C
§Ú¡C¡C ¹ï¤£°_,"¥L¤@¿a¤@©ä¦a§¹¦¨¡C Katze µ¹¤©¤F¥LÃø´úªº¯«±¡¡C " ¥¦ uh¡C¡C «¶}§Aªº¨ä¥L³Ð¶Ë?"S/
¥LÂIÀY¡A¦Ó¥BªÖ®¦Áy¬õ¦ý¬OÄ~Äòªº ", §Ú uh¡C¡C §Ú¤£§ó¥[¤j¬ùª¾¹D¡C¡C
um.. Can I do anything for..?" / um¡C¡C §Ú¯à°µ¥ô¦ó¨Æ¶Ü¡C¡C?"
"What're you gonna do, kiss it better?" Katze smirked that malicious,
poison smirk, making Ken blush furiously. / " What're §A¥h°µ,§k¥¦§ó¦h"?
Katze ¼H¼H°µ¯º¤F¨ºÃh´c·Nªº, ¬rÃļH¼H¯º,¨g¼É¦a¨ÏªÖ®¦Áy¬õ¡C
"Seriously, can I help some how?" / " ÄY«¦a¡A§Ú¯àÀ°§U¤@¨Ç¶Ü¦p¦ó"?
"Doubtful," Katze replied curtly then changed the subject, "He
gave me a road map. Let me check our route." S/he plotted a route
that would take them through small towns at first. / "¥iºÃªº",Katze
µM«á²²¤¦aµªÂЧïÅÜ¥DÃD ",¥Lµ¹¤©¤F§Ú¤@Ó¸ô½u¹Ï¡C Åý§ÚÀˬd§Ú̪º¸ô®|¡C"S/¥Lpµe½Ķ¤F¤@±ø°_¥ý±N·|±a¥L̸g¹L¤pªº«°Âí¸ô®|¡C
Ken drove, hoping to see signs of a restaurant or inn of some kind.. somewhere
to eat and maybe shower. He mentioned this to Katze, who agreed, candidly
admitting that s/he was running mostly off of adrenalyn now and was badly
in need of food and sleep. / ªÖ®¦¨Ï , §Æ±æ¬Ý¨£¤@®aÀ\ÆUªº²Å¸¹©Î¬Ý¨£¤@¨ÇÃþ«¬ªº®ÈÀ]¡C¡C ¬Y³B¦Y©M¤]³\°}«B¡C ¥L´£¨ì¤F³o¨ì
Katze ²vª½¦a©Ó»{ s/¥L²{¦b¬O adrenalyn ªº¨«¶}¤j³¡¥÷¶]¨Ã¥BÄY«¦a»Ýn¹ª«©MºÎ¯v,¦P·N¡C
Ken grinned, "Boy I can just see Joe now," he deepened his voice,
producing a moderate imitation of Joe's deep bass, "'I see, shacking
up now, huh.'" Katze gave him a puzzled look. "Sorry. You'd
have to understand Joe's sense of humour.. and my," Ken blushed,
"Lack of dates." The puzzled look didn't vanish. "Never
mind," Ken pointed, / ªÖ®¦ÅS¾¦¦Ó¯º," ¨k«Ä§Ú¯à¶È¶È²{¦b¬Ý¨£³ì",¥L¥[²`¤F¥LªºÁnµ,²£¥Í¤@ӳ쪺²`§Cµªº¾A«×¼Ò¥é
",'§Ú¬Ý¨£,²{¦b¦V¤W§ë±J,ó!¡C'"Katze µ¹¤©¤F¥L³Q§x´bªº¯«±¡¡C "Ãø¹Lªº¡C §A±N·|¥²¶·¤F¸Ñ³ìªº«ÕÀq·P¡C¡C
¦Ó¥B«u§r,"ªÖ®¦Áy¬õ ",¯Ê¥F¤é´Á¡C"³Q§x´bªº¯«±¡¨S¦³®ø¥¢¡C "¤£¥²¤¶·N", ¦yªºªÖ®¦,
"Look, there's a place. Do you want food first?" / "¯«±¡,¦³¤@Ó¦a¤è¡C
§Aº¥ý·Qn¹ª«¶Ü?"
Katze nodded, "Yes. Might be too much to hope that they'd have room
service, but we'll see.." / Katze ÂIÀY,"¬Oªº¡C ¥i¯à¬O¤Ó«Ü¦h¦ÓµLªk§Æ±æ¡A¥ḺN·|¦³©Ð¶¡ªA°È³¡¡A¦ý¬O§Ú̱N¬Ý¨£¡C¡C"
Ken nodded, then pulled into the small parking lot and shut the car down,
"I'll check us in. Anything you don't eat? I'll see if they have
room service, but I'll pick stuff up and bring it back to the room in
the mean time. You look about to drop." / ÂIÀYªºªÖ®¦,µM«á·Æ¶i¤pªº°±¨®³õ¦Ó¥B§â¨T¨®Ãö¤W¤U¨Ó,"
§Ú±NÀˬd§Ú̦b¡C ¥ô¦óªF¦è§A¤£¦Y? §Ú±N¬Ý¬Ý¬O§_¥L̦³©Ð¶¡ªA°È³¡ , ¦ý¬O§Ú±N¬B°_¨Æ±¡¦Ó¥B§â¥¦±a¦^¥§¡®Éªº©Ð¶¡¡C §A¬ÝÃö©ó°§C¡C"
"Not really, except sashimi. Can't stand raw fish. Just bring LOTS;
about twice what you think we'll need." / " ¤£¬O¯uªº,°£¥Í³½¤ù¡C ¤£¯à¯¸¥Í³½¡C
¶È¶È±a¹B®ð; ¤j¬ù¨â¦¸§A©Ò·Qªº§Ú̱N»Ýn¡C"
Ken nodded and went to check them in. He returned with the key and was
astonished to see that Katze had unloaded some of their bags. / ªÖ®¦ÂIÀY¦Ó¥B¥hÀˬd¥L̦b¡C
¥L¥HÆ_°ÍÂkÁÙ¦Ó¥B³QÅå³Y¬Ý¨£ Katze ¤w¸g¨ø³f¤@¨Ç¥L̪º³U¤l¡C
[And she's just standing there as if she hasn't been mutilated! What is
with this creature?] "Can you make it? To the room?" Ken asked,
handing hir the key. / [¦Ó¥B¦o¶È¶È¤w¸g¦b¨º¸Ì¯¸¥ß¦n¹³¦o¨S¦³³Q¤ÁÂ_! ¤°»ò©M³o¥Íª«¦b¤@°_?]"§A¯à°µ¨ì¶Ü?
¨ì©Ð¶¡?"ªÖ®¦°Ý,¶Ç»¼ hir Æ_°Í¡C
S/he took it and picked up a bag, "'Course." / S/¥L®³¤F¥¦¦Ó¥B¬B°_¤@Ó³U¤l,"'½Òµ{".
Ken watched, floored, "Um.. I'll.. help you with the stuff, then
go for the food." / ªÖ®¦¬Ý,¾Q¦aªO,"Um¡C¡C §Ú±N¡C¡C À°§A¸Ñ¨M¨Æ±¡,µM«á¥h®³¹ª«¡C"
He returned with an obscene amount of food, to find that sleep had overcome
the mutant instead. A tightly curled blonde ball lay whimpering on the
bed. Ken set down the food and sat down on the edge of the bed. Blood
had dried on hir thighs. Hir face was tight in a rictus of fear and another
terrified wail rose from hir throat. / ¥L¥HµTÁ¶¶qªº¹ª«ÂkÁÙ, µo²{ºÎ¯v¤w¸g§ï¬°§JªA¬ðÅܲ§ºØ¡C ¤@Óºòºò¦a§Ë±²ªº¥Õ¦â²y©ñ¸m¦b§É¤W¶ã«|¡C
ªÖ®¦©ñ¤U¹ª«¦Ó¥B§¤¦b§ÉªºÃä½t¤W¡C ¦å¤w¸g¦b hir ¤j»L¤W§Ë°®¡C Hir Áy¬Oºòªº¦b¨Ó¦Û hir «|³ïªº®£Äß©M¥t¥~¨üÅåÀ~ªº´d¹Äª´ºÀªº rictus
¤¤¡C
"Katze?" Ken shook hir very gently, "Hey, Katze?"
/ "Katze"? ªÖ®¦«D±`³vº¥¦a·n°Ê¤F hir,"¶Ù¡A Katze"?
He lay down beside hir and curled hir into his chest, covering hir with
a blanket and rocking hir gently. Hir legs snapped up, heels digging into
hir crotch as s/he sought to protect hirself from unseen demons. Ken jerked,
trying to hold hir still so s/he wouldn't cause further damage, crooning
softly to hir. He was worried as hell. S/he broke into sobs, moaning indistinctly
in another language. / ¥L¦b hir ®ÇÃä½ö¤U¦Ó¥B§Ë±² hir ¶i¥Lªº¯Ý¤§¤º,³vº¥¦a¥H¤ò´à©M·n°Êªº hir ¥]§tªº hir
¡C ³Q·m¥ý§Ë¨ì¤âªº Hir »L,§ÀÀH²`¤J¦p s ªº hir ¤À¤e³B/¥L´M§ä«OÅ@ hirself §K©ó¥¼¨£¹LªºÅ]°¡C ªÖ®¦µjÅË, ¹Á¸Õ¤´µM¤ä¼µ
hir ¦]¦¹ s/¥L±N¤£³y¦¨¶i¤@¨Bªº·l®`, ¬X©M¦a§CÁnºq°Û¨ì hir ¡C ¥L¾á¼~¦p¦aº»¡C S/¥LÂô¤J°ãª_,¤£©úÁA¦a¥H¥t¤@ºØ»y¨¥©D§u¡C
Hir voice rose in a pleading pitch, becoming hysterical screams. / Hir
Ánµ¦b¶DÄ@ªº³»ÂI¤¤¤W¤É,Åܦ¨·²´µ©³¨½ªº¦y¥sÁn¡C
Ken struggled to hold hir. Hir eyes snapped open and he stared into their
terrified depths. Recognition flashed there, but s/he lurched backwards
with another scream, struggling in his grip. Hir words gradually became
understandable, "Noooo.. not you.. not you too..." / ªÖ®¦§V¤O¤ä¼µ
hir ¡C Hir ²´·ú«rÂ_¶}©ñªº¦Ó¥B¥L¶i¤J¥L̪º¨üÅåÀ~ªº²`«×¤§¤ºª`µø¡C ©Ó»{¦b¨º¸Ì°{²{, ¦ý¬O s/¥L¦V«á¥H¥t¤@Án¦y¥sÁn¬ðµM¦V¤@Ãä¶É±×,¦b¥Lªººò´¤¤¤¾Ä°«¡C
Hir ¦r³vº¥¦aÅܦ¨¥i¥H²z¸Ñ,"Noooo¡C¡C ¤£¬O§A¡C¡C ¤£¬O§A¡A¤]¡C¡C¡C"
"Katze! It's me!" Ken mentally slapped himself for stupidity,
/ "Katze! ¬O§Ú!"ªÖ®¦¤ß²z¤W¬°·MÄø©çÀ»¤F¥L¦Û¤v,
"Calm down! Remember where you are.. Katze, please, be still, you'll
hurt yourself even worse!" Abruptly s/he sagged, collapsing expectantly.
"Huh? Katze?" / "§NÀR! °O±o§A¦bþ¸Ì¡C¡C Katze,½Ð,¤´µM¬O,§A±N¶Ë®`§A¦Û¤v¥©Zªº§óÃa¨Æ!"
¬ðµM¦a s/¥L¤U««,¹w´Á¦a±Y¼ì¡C "ó!? Katze?"
S/he glanced up, then looked around. Looking a little embarassed, s/he
straightened hir shirt. Ken was still holding hir, / S/ ¥L¿h°{¦b,¤W±µM«á¥|³B¬Ý¬Ý¡C
¬Ý¤@¨Ç embarassed,s/¥L§Ëª½¤F hir Ũm¡C ªÖ®¦¤´µM¥¿¦b´¤¦í hir,
"You okay now? You had a nightmare." S/he nodded, not looking
at him. / " §A²{¦b¦n? §A¦³¤F¤@Ó¹ÚÆL¡C"S/¥LÂIÀY, ¤£¬Ý¥L¡C
Ken sighed, "Hungry?" / ªÖ®¦¼Û®§,"ÄȾjªº"?
"Very," s/he whispered. / "«D±`",s/¥L¦Õ»y¡C
"Good," he gestured towards the laden table, "I got a ton
of stuff, like you said." He stared in wide eyed wonder. Katze grabbed
a bowl and some utensils and started shovelling food into hir throat.
/ "¦nªº",¥L¦V¥Rº¡ªº®à¤l§@¤â¶Õ ",§Ú±o¨ì¤F¤@¾·ªº¨Æ±¡, ¹³§A»¡". ¥L¦b¼eªº²´©_Âݤ¤ª`µø¡C Katze
§ì¨ú¤F¤@Ó¸J©M¤@¨Ç¾¹¨ã¦Ó¥B¶}©l shovelling ¹ª«¶i hir «|³ï¤§¤º¡C
"And I thought Ryu could eat!" Ken shook his head, then started
eating, himself. Presently, he turned to hir again, "What was your
nightmare about?" / "¦Ó¥B§Ú·Q¡A Ryu ¥i¥H¦Y"! ªÖ®¦·nÀY,µM«á¶}©l¦Y,¥L¦Û¤v¡C ¥Ø«e¡A¥L¦A¤@¦¸Âà¦V
hir,"¤j¬ù§Aªº¹ÚÆL¬O¤°»ò"?
S/he blushed and ducked hir head. "'S nothing," s/he said evasively.
/ S/¥LÁy¬õ¦Ó¥B¨S¤J¤ô¤¤¤F hir ÀY¡C "' S ¨S¨Æ",s/¥L°kÁצa»¡¡C
Ken shook his head. Chewing absently on a samosa, he made another attempt
at conversation, "How many languages do you speak, anyways?"
/ ªÖ®¦·nÀY¡C ¦b samosa ¤W¤ß¤£¦b²j¦a©CÄZ,¥L¦b¥æ½Í§@¥t¤@ºØ¹Á¸Õ," §A»¡¦h¤Ö»y¨¥,µL½×¦p¦ó"?
Katze chewed on a large mouthful, thinking. "'M n't s'r," s/he
managed. / Katze ¦b¤jªº¤@¤f¤W©CÄZ,·Q¡C "'M n't s'r",s/¥L³B²z¡C
Ken translated that as "I'm not sure". "It sounded like
Gaelic or German or something.. It was more gutteral than I can pronounce."
"..arabic.." s/he whispered. / ·í "§Ú¤£½T©w" ªº®ÉÔ¡AªÖ®¦Â½Ä¶¤F¨º¡C
"¥¦Å¥°_¨Ó¹³»\º¸»y©Î¼w°ê¤H©Î¬Y¨Æ¤@¼Ë¡C¡C ¥¦¬O¸û§Ú¬°¦hªº gutteral ªº¯à«Å§i¡C" ".¡Carabic¡C¡C"s/¥L¦Õ»y¡C
"Oh." Ken stared wonderingly at hir ashen complexion. "I'm
lucky I can speak Japanese. Never had much talent for languages."
/ "®@". ªÖ®¦Ä±±o©_©Ç¨nµÛ hir ¦Ç¦âªº½§¦â¬Ý¡C "§Ú¬O©¯¹Bªº§Ú¯à»¡¤é¥»»y¡C ±q¤£¦³¤F¦b»y¨¥¤è±ªº«Ü¦h¥»»â¡C"
Katze nodded noncomittally and scraped a last plateful into hir stomach.
/ Katze ÂIÀY¤F noncomittally ¦Ó¥B¨í±¼¤@ӳ̫᪺º¡½L¶i hir G¤§¤º¡C
"Feeling better yet?" Ken felt like he was talking to a brick
wall. / " ı±oµÎªA¦h¤F"? ªÖ®¦·Pı¹³¥L¥¿¦b©M¤@±¿j¶ôÀð¾À»¡¸Ü¡C
"Mm hmm.. Stitches'll be ready to come out by morning." / "
¤½Âç hmm¡C¡C Stitches'll ·Ç³Æ¦n¦b¦±á¤§«e¥X¨Ó¡C"
Ken blinked, "Really? Wow. Wish I could heal like that. A wound like
that would take me weeks." / ªÖ®¦¯w²´,"¯uªº? «z¡C §Æ±æ§Ú¥i¥H¹³¨º¤@¼Ëªv¡¡C ³Ð¶Ë¹³¨º±N·|®³§Ú¼ÆÓ¬P´Á¡C"
"Of course. You're just an ordinary human." / " ·íµM¡C §A¥u¬O¤@Ó¥±`ªº¤HÃþ¡C"
Ken jerked back, wincing. He counted to ten, swallowing his anger, then
changed the subject yet again, "Will you need a hand cleaning up?
I could wear a blindfold.." He trailed off in the face of hir astonished
look, "..forget it.." / ªÖ®¦¦V«á¦aµjÅË,¬ÈÁY¡C ¥Lpºâ¨ì¤Q,§]¥Lªº©Á«ã,µM«á¦A¤@¦¸¤´µM§ïÅܤF¥DÃD,"
§A±N»Ýn¤@°¦¤â²M¼ä¶Ü¦b?¤W± §Ú¥i¥H¬ïµÛ²´¸n¡C¡C"¥L¦b³Q¨Ï¯«±¡Åå³Yªº hir ªº±»ª¤¤¨«¶}°lÂÜ ",.¡C§Ñ°O¥¦¡C¡C"
Katze stared at him, wondering if that was some sort of come-on, if Gatchaman
were looking for some excuse to feel up the freak. Without a word, and
without taking hir eyes off him, s/he went into the bathroom to wash.
Ken stared at his plate, feeling like a fool. / Katze ¨nµÛ¥L¬Ý, ı±o©_©Ç¦pªG Gatchaman
¥¿¦b§ä´M¤@¨ÇÂǤfµTÁ¶·î§Î¤H¡A¦pªG¨º¬O¤@¨Ç¦bÄU»¤¤ÀÃþ¡C ¨S¦³¤@Ó¦r, ©M¤£²æ±¼ hir ²´·ú¥L,s/¥L¶i¤J¯D«Ç¬~¡C ªÖ®¦¨nµÛ¥LªººÐ¤l¬Ý,·Pı¹³¤@Ó·M¤H¡C
While s/he showered, Ken rummaged through the clothes, looking for something
they could use as sleep wear. S/he returned and he handed hir a loose
shirt, then took the loose jeans he had found into the bathroom with him,
to change into after his own shower. "Well, hopefully these'll work,"
he said as he returned, rubbing his head with a towel, "Good thing
its a big bed. Hope you don't steal the covers." ".....I do,"
Katze watched him with a growing sense of dread. / s/¥L²O¯D,ªÖ®¦Â½¹M¹L¦çªA,§ä´M¬Y¨Æ¥LÌ¥i¥H¨Ï¥Î¦pºÎ¯v¬ïµÛ¡C
S/¥LÂkÁÙ¡A¦Ó¥B¥L¶Ç»¼¤F hir ¤@¥ó¼eÃPªºÅ¨m,µM«á±a¤F¥L¤w¸g©M¥L¶i¤J¯D«Ç¤§¤ºµo²{ªº¼eÃP¤û¥J¿Ç, ¦b¥L¦Û¤vªº°}«B¤§«á´«¦¨¡C "¶â¡A§Æ±æ
these'll ¤u§@",·í¥L³QÂkÁÙªº®ÉÔ¡A¥L»¡,¥Î¤@±ø¤â¤yÀ¿¥LªºÀY ", ¦n¨Æª«¥¦ªº¤@±i¤jªº§É¡C §Æ±æ§A¤£°½±»Å@¡C"
".....§Ú°µ,"Katze ©M¼W¥[ªº®£Äß·P¬Ý¤F¥L¡C
"Hmmm.. Which do you want, the heavy one or the lighter sheet?"
/ "Hmmm¡C¡C §A·Qn¨º¤@Ó,¤@Ó«ªº©Î¸û»´ªº±i?"
"The.. heavier one.." / "¨º¡C¡C ¤ñ¸û¨H«ªº¡C¡C"
"Okay," Ken pulled the heavier blanket off and proffered it
to hir, then pulled the sheet towards himself, "Left or right?"
/ "¦n" ¡AªÖ®¦¨«¶}©Ô¤F¸û¨H«ªº¤ò´à¦Ó¥B¨ì hir ´£¨Ñ¤F¥¦,µM«á¦V¥L¦Û¤v©Ô¤F±i ",¥ªÃä©Î¥kÃä"?
"It.. .doesn't matter." / "¥¦¡C¡C ¡C¤£¦³«¤jÃö«Y¡C"
"Alright. You stay on that side then. I'll take this one by the door.
I'm less tired; it'll be better in case anyone comes in." / "¦nªº¡C
§A·í®É°±¯d¦b¨ºÃä¤W¡C §Ú±NÂǵ۪ù±a³o¤@Ó¡C §Ú«Ü¤ñ¸û¤£¯h²Ö; ¥¦±N¬O¤ñ¸û¦nªº¡A¥H¨¾¸U¤@¥ô¦ó¤H¶i¨Ó¡C"
Ken slid into the bed, handed hir a loaded gun and placed his on the nightstand,
"Just don't sleep with it under your pillow. Could be bad if you
have nightmares again." S/he didn't meet his grin. Ken stretched,
yawning hugely, then settled down on the pillow, "Night / ¶i¤J§É¤§¤ºªºªÖ®¦
slid, ¶Ç»¼¤F hir ¤@§â¤W½£ªººj¦Ó¥B©ñ¸m¥Lªº¦b nightstand ¤W,"´N¬O¥H¥¦¦b§AªºªEÀY¤§¤U¤£ºÎı¡C ¦pªG§A¦A¤@¦¸¦³¹ÚÆL¡A¥i¯à¬OÃaªº¡C"S/¥L¨S¦³¹J¨£¥LªºÅS¾¦¯º¡C
ªÖ®¦¦ù®i,¥¨¤j¦a¥´«¢¤í, µM«á¦bªEÀY¤W¦w©w¤U¨Ó,"©]±ß
Bonnie." "......night........... Clyde....." / º}«Gªº¡C"
"......©]±ß........... Clyde....."
"Warm enough?" / "·Å·x¥R¨¬"?
"...............yes." / "...............¬Oªº¡C"
Ken snuggled down and drifted easily into an exhausted sleep. / ªÖ®¦®Áªñ¤U¨Ó¨Ã¥B®e©ö¦a¶i¤J¥ÎºÉªººÎ¯v¤§¤ºº}¬y¡C
Katze lay awake, waiting.. and waiting. Soon Ken's breathing had smoothed
and deepened. He shifted and rolled onto his back, murmuring indistinctly.
Katze began to relax. Then Ken turned again, his arm reaching out blindly,
feeling for the source of the heat beside him. / Katze ©ñ¸m¿ôªº,ԸɡC¡C ¦Ó¥Bµ¥Ô¡C
«Ü§ÖªÖ®¦ªº©I§l¤w¸g¨Ï¥[²`¥ú·Æ¦Ó¥B¡C ¥L¦b¥LªºI³¡¤§¤W§ïÅܦӥB±²,¤£©úÁA¦aªº murmuring¡C Katze ¶}©l©ñÃP¡C µM«áªÖ®¦¦A¤@¦¸Âà¦V,¥Lªºª¼¥Ø¦a¨ì¹F¥X¡AºN¯Á¦b¥L®ÇÃ䪺¼ö¨Ó·½
ªº¤âÁu¡C
His arm went around hir waist, pulling hir closer, snuggling into hir
hair. Katze stiffened and closed hir eyes, swallowing hard, waiting for
the inevitable. / ¥Lªº¤âÁu¨«¨Ó¨«¥h hir ¸y³¡, ©Ô hir ¤ñ¸û¾aªñªº,¶i¤J hir ÀY¾v¤§¤º®Áªñ¡C Katze ¨Ï¦Ó¥B°íµwÃö³¬¤F
hir ²´·ú,§V¤O¦a§]¡Aµ¥Ô¤£¥iÁקKªÌ¡C
S/he wondered if s/he shouldn't have left him in Pakistan. / S/ ¥LÃhºÃ¬O§_
s/ ¥LÀ³¸Ó¨S¦³¦b¤Ú°ò´µ©Z¯d¤U¥L¡C
S/he'd hoped s/he'd never have to play that game again. S/he needed Gatchaman's
protection, his ninja skill, but there was Tanstaafl / S/¥L¦³§Æ±æ¤F s/¥L¦³±q¤£¦A¤@¦¸¥²¶·ª±¨º¤@³õ¤ñÁÉ¡C
S/¥L»Ýn¤F Gatchaman's ªº«OÅ@¡A¥Lªº¾Õªø¤é¥»ªZ¤hÁô¨³Nªº§Þ³N, ¦ý¬O¦³ Tanstaafl
-- There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch. Everybody had their price,
usually the same one.. and s/he had nothing else to give. S/he knew humans:
When they found a freak, the first thing they'd do was revile it. The
second thing they'd do was rape it. It was the old deal; s/he was used
to that. Just because s/he was out of practice didn't mean it had gone
out of fashion. He'd been kind to hir and s/he needed his protection;
s/he'd better get used to paying for it, even though it made hir sick.
Perhaps if s/he could find another way... / -- ¨S¦³¦p¤@¥÷¦Û¥Ñªº¤ÈÀ\¨Æª«¡C ¨CÓ¤H³£¦³¤F¥L̪º»ù®æ,
³q±`¤@Ó¬Û¦Pªº¡C¡C ¦Ó¥B s/¥L§Oªº¤°»ò¤]¤£¦³µ¹¡C S/¥L»{ÃѤF¤HÃþ: ·í¥L̵o²{¤@Ó·î§Î¤Hªº®ÉÔ, ¥ḺN·|°µªº²Ä¤@¥ó¨Æª«¬O°d½|¥¦¡C ¥ḺN·|°µªº²Ä¤G¥ó¨Æª«¬O·m¹Ü¥¦¡C
¥¦¬Oªº¥æ©ö; s/¥L²ßºD©ó¨º¡C ¶È¶È¦]¬° s/ ¥L¬O¯î²¨¨S¦³·N¿×¥¦¤w¸gÂ÷¶}¬y¦æ¡C ¥L¤w¸g¬O¹ï hir ©M s ªºÃþ«¬/¥L»Ýn¤F¥Lªº«OÅ@;
s/¥L³Ì¦n²ßºD©ó¤ä¥I¥¦ªº¶O¥Î,§Y¨Ï¥¦¨Ï hir ¤£µÎªA¡C ¤]³\¦pªG s/¥L¥i¥Hµo²{¥t¤@Ó¤èªk¡C¡C¡C
Ken's breathing was deep and steady, though he did not let go of hir.
Katze sighed; good.. s/he wasn't healed enough for it anyways. / ªÖ®¦ªº©I§l¬O²`ªº©Méwªº,
ÁöµM¥L¨S¦³Åý hir ¥h¡C Katze ¼Û®§; ¦nªº¡C¡C s/¥L¬O¬°¥¦µL½×¦p¦óªv¡¤£ªº¥R¨¬¡C
Ken woke to a tingling sensation in his arm and realized there was something
heavy on it. Slowly he opened his eyes and started, "Holy shit!"
/ ªÖ®¦¹ï¥Lªº¤âÁu¿³¾Ä·Pı³ê¿ô¦Ó¥B¤F¸Ñ¦³¦b¥¦¤Wªº«ªF¦è¡C ºCºC¦a¥L¥´¶}¤F¥Lªº²´·ú¦Ó¥B¶}©l,"¯«¸tªºÁT"!
The mutant lay in his arms. Hir flaxen brows were slightly tensed, hir
smooth skin the colour of cream. He reached up and touched a lock of golden
hair, brushing it gently from hir face, [She seems so young.. so scared..
I wonder how we got like this?] Ken tried to extract his arm. S/he woke
with a frightened little whimper. "Katze! / ¬ðÅܲ§ºØ¦b©ó¥Lªº¤âÁu¡C ¨È³Âªº Hir ¬Ü¤ò¨Ç·L¦a³Q©Ôºò,hir
¨Ï¥Ö½§¨Å¹TªºÃC¦â¥ú·Æ¡C ¥L¨ì¹F¦b¦Ó¥B¤W±¸IIJ¤F¤@Óª÷ÀY¾vªºÂê,³vº¥¦a±q hir ²¨¨ê¥¦Áy,[¦o¦ü¥G¦p¦¹¦~»´¡C¡C ¦p¦¹ÅåÀ~¡C¡C §ÚÃhºÃ§Ú̦p¦ó±o¨ì°_¨Ó¹³³o¤@¼Ë?]ªÖ®¦¸ÕµÛ§l¨ú¥Lªº¤âÁu¡C
S/ ¥L³ê¿ô¥Ñ©ó¤@ÅåÀ~¤pªº¶ã«|¡C "Katze!
Oh.. uh.. I'm sorry! I didn't mean anything.. or try anything.. ahh!"
/ ®@¡C¡C uh¡C¡C ¹ï¤£°_! §Ú¨S¦³·N¿×¥ô¦ó¨Æ¡C¡C ©Î¸Õ¥ô¦ó¨Æ¡C¡C ahh!"
Ken rocketted backwards and fell out of bed, landing hard on his rump,
/ ªÖ®¦¦V«áµo®g¤õ½b¦Ó¥B§Éª§§n,¦b¥LªºÁv³¡¤W§V¤O¦aµn³°,
"Oww.." / "Oww¡C¡C"
Katze focussed on him, blinking sleep out of hir eyes, "What are
you doing down there?" / ¦b¥L¤Wªº Katze focussed,±q hir ¯w²´ºÎ¯vª`·N,"§A¥¿¦b¨º¸Ì°µ¤U¨Ó¤°»ò"?
"I.. we.. you... I... oh, hell," Ken looked miserable, "We
were all wrapped up together in bed." / "§Ú¡C¡C §ÚÌ¡C¡C §A¡C¡C¡C §Ú¡C¡C¡C
ªí¥ÜÅå³Y,¦aº»,"ªÖ®¦¬Ý°_¨Ó´dºG ",§ÚÌ¥þ³¡¦b§É¤¤³Q¤@°_§¹¦¨¡C"
"Yes," s/he stated. /Its the old deal, same thing. I'm used
to it../ "I.. I usually sleep alone," Ken scratched the back
of his head, unable to meet the mutant's cold eyes, "I don't know
why I did that.." / "¬Oªº",s/¥L³¯z¡C /¥¦ªºÂÂ¥æ©ö,¬Û¦Pªº¨Æª«¡C §Ú²ßºD©ó¥¦¡C¡C/
"§Ú¡C¡C §Ú³q±`¿W¦Û¦aºÎı,"ªÖ®¦À¿¤F¥LªºÀYI±, ¤£¯à¹J¨£¬ðÅܲ§ºØªº´H§N²´·ú ",§Ú¤£ª¾¹D§Ú¬°¤°»ò°µ¤F¨º¡C¡C"
/Just because I'm out of practice doesn't mean its gone out of fashion.
/ / ¶È¶È¦]¬°§Ú¬O¯î²¨¤£·N¿×¥¦ªºÂ÷¶}¬y¦æ¡C
I need his protection.../ "I thought you wanted payment, but I'm
not healed." /..but I can't, *can't* do it again!/ / §Ú»Ýn¥Lªº«OÅ@¡C¡C¡C/
"§Ú·Q¡A§A·Qn¤ä¥Iª÷ÃB,¦ý¬O§Ú¤£³Qªv¡" ¡C /.¡C¦ý¬O§Ú¯à¤£¦A ,* ¤£¯à * °µ¥¦!/
Ken was still fuzzy-headed. "I don't think I tried.." he broke
off, staring up at hir as hir words sunk in, "Hey! I'm not like that!"
/ ÀR¤îªºªÖ®¦¬O¼Ò½k±a»âªº¡C "§Ú¤£»{¬°§Ú¹Á¸Õ¡C¡C"¥L¤¤Â_ , ª`µø¦b hir¤W±¦p³Q¨I¸¨ªº hir ¦r¦b ",¶Ù!
§Ú¤£¹³¨º!"
"Oh?" s/he stared at him, hir eyes hard as marble, "Well
you're not getting any after I Change, either. I don't need you *that*
badly." / "®@"? s/¥L¨nµÛ¥L¬Ý, hir ²´·ú§V¤O¦a¦p¤j²z¥Ûªº,"¦b§Ú¤]§ïÅܤ§«á¡A«Ü¦n¦a§A¨S¦³¦b¦³¥ô¦ó¡C
§Ú¤£»Ýn§A *¨º*ÄY«¦a¡C"
"Whuh...? What are you talking about?" "I *do* become male
fifty percent of the time." / "Whuh¡C¡C¡C? §A¥¿¦b½Í½×¤°»ò?" "
§Ú *°µ*Åܦ¨¨k©Êªº¦Ê¤À¤§¤¤Qªº®É¶¡".
Ken blanched, "Uh... I'm... I don't do... uh, guys... thanks.."
/ ªÖ®¦º}¥Õ,"Uh¡C¡C¡C §Ú¬O¡C¡C¡C §Ú¤£°µ¡C¡C¡C uh,¥Î¤ä¯Á¼µ¦í¡C¡C¡C ÁÂÁ¡C¡C"
Katze stared at him, beginning to fear just what Ken *did* do and hoping
s/he wouldn't have to find out. / ³Q¨nµÛ¥L¬Ýªº Katze, ¶}©l¨s³º®`©È¤°»òªÖ®¦ ** °µ¦Ó¥B§Æ±æ s/
¥L±N¤£¶·µo²{¡C
"I'm not gay," Ken said staunchly, then his expression changed,
/ "§Ú¤£¬OÅwªïªº",ªÖ®¦°í©T¦a»¡,µM«á¥Lªºªí¹F§ïÅÜ,
"And what did you mean by payment?" / " ¦Ó¥B§AÂǵۤä¥Iª÷ÃB·N¿×¤°»ò"?
Katze's answer left him flat. In perfectly reasonable, even tones, s/he
said, "You brought me food and sheltered me; I brought you ID and
brought you out of Pakistan. You bandaged me, brought me more food. What
do you want?" / Katze's ªºµª®×¥ª½¦a¯d¤U¤F¥L¡C ¦b«D±`¦X²z,¬Æ¦Ü½Õ©M,s/¥L»¡,"§A±aµ¹§Ú¹ª«¨Ã¥B§ÈÅ@§Ú;
§ÚÂ÷¶}¤Ú°ò´µ©Z±aµ¹§A¨¥÷ÃҨåB±a§A¡C §AÁ^±a¤F§Ú,±aµ¹§Ú§ó¦hªº¹ª«¡C §A·Qn¤°»ò?"
Ken stared at hir, open-mouthed. All of hir behaviour up to now... "Is
that all the world is to you? Just a bargain? One deal after another,
everybody out for themselves? I'd be quite dead right now, if you didn't
speak... whatever that gibberish was.." / ªÖ®¦¨nµÛ hir ¬Ý,¤½¶}¸ËµÄ§@¶Õ»¡¸Üªº¡C ¨ì¥Ø«e¬°¤îªº©Ò¦³
hir ¦æ¬°¡C¡C¡C "©Ò¦³ªº¥@¬É¬O¹ï§A¬O¶Ü? ¥u¬O¤@Ó¥æ©ö? ¤@³B²z¦b¥t¥~¤@¤§«á, ¨CÓ¤H¦b¥~¬°¦Û¤v? ¦pªG§A¨S¦³»¡¡A§Ú±N·|¥ß¨è¬Û·í¦º¡C¡C¡C
¥ô¦óªº¨º¤@Ӷûy¬O¡C¡C"
"It was Urdu." / "¥¦¬O Urdu" ¡C
"Gibberish." / "¶Ã»y".
Hir eyes narrowed into a vicious expression and Ken realized he was insulting
hir, "Okay, Urdu.. heh.." He returned to his topic, "You
took wounds for me.. and that's all it is? Just a bargain?" S/he
looked at him as if he were mad, a look that plainly asked /What else
is there?/ / Hir ²´·ú¶i¤J¨¸´cªºªí¹F¤§¤ºÁY¤p¡A¦Ó¥BªÖ®¦¤F¸Ñ¤F¥L¥¿¦b«V°d hir,"¦n,Urdu¡C¡C heh¡C¡C"¥L¦^¨ì¥Lªº¥DÃD
",§A¬°§Ú±Ä¨ú¤F³Ð¶Ë¡C¡C ¦Ó¥B¨º¬O¥þ³¡¥¦¬O? ¥u¬O¤@Ó¥æ©ö?"S/ ¥L¬Ý¥L¡A¦n¹³¥L¬OºÆ¨gªº, ²³æ¦a°Ýªº¯«±¡ / ¤°»ò§Oªº¦b¨º¸Ì?/
He changed the subject, remembering something s/he had said. / ¥L§ïÅܤF¥DÃD,
°O±o¬Y¨Æ s/¥L¤w¸g»¡¡C
"What's in Greece?" At hir puzzled look, he elaborated, "You
wanted to head to Greece. You said something about hooking up with Galactor
again." "I did?" / " ¤°»ò¦b§Æþ"? ¦b hir §x´b¤F¯«±¡,¥L¸Ô²Ó¦a»¡©ú,"§A·Qn«e©¹§Æþ¡C
§AÃö©ó¹_¦í»¡¤F¬Y¨Æ¦b¦A¤@¦¸¥Ñ©ó Galactor¤W±¡C" "§Ú°µ"?
"Yes," Ken tried to keep his expression level, "What are
you planning to do? Take over *now*, while the world is vulnerable? /
"¬Oªº" ¡AªÖ®¦¸ÕµÛ«O¦s¥Lªºªí¹F¤ô·Ç ", §A¥¿¦bp¹º¤°»ò°µ? ±µºÞ *²{¦b*,·í¥@¬É¬O©ö¨ü¶Ë®`ªº? ®ÉÔ
Present it to X as a fait accompli?" / ²{¦bªº¥¦¨ì X ¦p fait accompli?"
Katze blinked in some astonishment, "I never thought of that!"
/ Katze ¦b¤@¨ÇÅ岧¤¤¯w²´,"§Ú±q¤£·Q¨ì¨º"!
Ken cringed while s/he mulled the idea over, [Brilliant, Ken.. / ªÖ®¦¬ÈÁY·í
sªº®ÉÔ/¥Lµ²§ô²`«ä¼ô¼{¤F·Qªk,[ÀéÄꪺ,ªÖ®¦¡C¡C
Give hir ideas.. Like s/he needed any..] / ´£¨Ñ hir ·Qªk¡C¡C ¹³ s/ ¥L»Ýn¤F¥ô¦ó¡C¡C]
S/he looked up with a satisfied smirk, "YOU thought I was seriously
thinking it over! I'm not THAT dumb, Gatchaman. Make the same mistake
twice? -- Hah!" / S/ ¥L¬Ý¦b¥Ñ©óº¡·Nªº¼H¼H¯º¤W±,"§A·Q¤F§Ú¥¿¦bÄY«¦a¥J²Ó¦Ò¼{¥¦! §Ú¤£¬O¨º»ò°×ªº,Gatchaman¡C
¥Ç¬Û¦Pªº¿ù»~¨â¦¸? -- Hah!"
"So? What's in Greece." "I am." / "¦p¦¹? ¤°»ò¦b§Æþ¡C"
"§Ú¬O" ¡C
"Huh?" / "ó!"?
S/he leaned forward, resting hir fingertip near the outside corner of
hir eye with a sly grin, "You could say, 'I'm going to find myself.'"
/ S/¥L¦V«e¦aʾa,¥ð®§¦b hir ªº¥~±¨¤¸¨ªþªñªº hir «ü¦y¥H¬¾·âªºÅS¾¦¯ºª`·N,"§A¥i¥H»¡,'§Ú±Nnµo²{§Ú¦Û¤v¡C'"
"OH!" Ken blinked, comprehending, "You're going to stop
it from happening!" S/he nodded. "Good," Ken said, then
took hir hands and leaned towards hir, "Then let's take it a step
further. Help me take out Galactor and X before it can happen again. Help
me crush it." / "®@"! ªÖ®¦¯w²´,¤F¸Ñ,"§A±Nnªý¤î¥¦µo¥Í"! S/¥LÂIÀY¡C
"¦nªº",ªÖ®¦»¡,µM«á¦V hir ®³¤F hir ¤â¦Ó¥Bʾa ",µM«á§ó¶i¤@¨BÅý§ÚÌ®³¥¦¤@Ó¨BÆJ¡C ¦b¥¦¦A¤@¦¸¯àµo¥Í¤§«e
, À°§U§Ú¨ú¥X Galactor ©M X ¡C À°§U§ÚÀ£¯}¥¦¡C"
S/he drew back, crossing hir arms and turning hir face aside, hir nose
thrust into the air, "I'm not out to save the world, Gatchaman. /
S/¥LË°h, ¥æ¤e hir ¤âÁu¦Ó¥BÂà hir ¦b¤@Ãä±¹ï,hir »ó¤l¶i¤JªÅ®ð¤§¤º´¡¤J,"§Ú¤£¥~±ªº¸Ñ±Ï¥@¬É¡A Gatchaman
¡C
The world can take a flying leap: I just don't want to go through Ovanon
again." / ¥@¬É¯à±a¤@¦¸¸ªº¸õÅD: §Ú´N¬O¤£¦A·Qn¥h¹L Ovanon ¡C"
Ken's mind raced, trying to think how to convince hir. "It's better
than sex," he wheedled. / ªÖ®¦ªº¤ß¤ñÁÉ, ¹Á¸Õ·Q¸Ó¦p¦ó»¡ªA hir¡C " ¥¦¬O¤ñ©Ê§O¦nªº",¥L¥H²¢¨¥»e»y»¤´b¡C
S/he arched an eyebrow at him, then snorted, "So you *do* want something
after all." Ken spread his hands, grinning with mock bashfulness.
"I'll never understand humans," s/he sighed. / S/ ¥L¤}§Îªº¦b¥L¤@¹D¬Ü¤ò,µM«á¼QµÛ®ð§ËÅT»ó¤l,"
¦]¦¹§A *°µ*²¦³º·Qn¬Y¨Æ". ªÖ®¦¶Ç§G¥Lªº¤â,¥H°²ªº®`²ÛÅS¾¦¦Ó¯º¡C "§Ú±N±q¤£¤F¸Ñ¤HÃþ",s/¥L¼Û®§¡C
"It's a deal, then?" / "¥¦¬O¥æ©ö,µM«á"?
"Alright, alright. But that's a lot to ask for: You just brought
me dinner!" / "¦nªº,¦n¡C ¦ý¬O«Ü¦hn¨D : §Aèè±aµ¹§Ú±ßÀ\!"
"And I'll help you save yourself from.. whatever it is that's got
you so upset." / " ¦Ó¥B§Ú±NÀ°§U§A¸Ñ±Ï§A¦Û¤v±q¡C¡C µL½×¥¦¬O¨º¤°»ò³Q¨Ï§A¦p¦¹·Ð¶Ã¡C"
"Um," Katze looked thoughtful, "Alright. *That* I'll buy
into." / "Um",Katze ¬Ý°_¨Ó²`«ä ",¦nªº¡C *¨º* §Ú±N¶R¶i¤J¤§¤º¡C"
"Good!" Ken beamed, "Now... How's that cut doing?"
/ "¦n³B"! ¦³¼ÙªºªÖ®¦,"²{¦b¡C¡C¡C ¦p¦óþ¤@´î¤Ö°µ?"
Katze felt hir side, "Stitches should come out. It's almost healed."
/ ·Pı hir ªº Katze °¾³R,"¤@°wÀ³¸Ó¥X¨Ó¡C ¥¦´X¥G³Qªv¡¡C"
"You're kidding??" Ken blinked in amazement when s/he twitched
away hir robe, showing him what was left of the gash. He whistled surprise,
then made quick work of removing the stitches. "There. All out. Hows...
um... the other wound? Is it.. better?" / "§A¦b¶}ª±¯º??" ªÖ®¦Åå³Y¦a¯w²´·í
s/¥L²r©ÔÂ÷¶} hir ¼eÃPªø³T, ¦¨ÁZ¥L¤°»ò¬å±o«Ü²`ªº¶Ë¤f³Q¯d¤U¡C ¥L§j¤fï¤F·N¥~,µM«á»s³y¤F°£¥h¤@°wªº§Ö¤u§@¡C "¦b¨º¸Ì¡C ©Ò¦³ªº¦b¥~¡C
¦p¦ó¡C¡C¡C um¡C¡C¡C ¥t¤@Ó¨ü¶Ë? ¬O¥¦¡C¡C ¤ñ¸û¦nªº?"
Katze smirked at his embarrassment, "Much." / Katze ¦b¥Lªº§xµ~¼H¼H°µ¯º,"«Ü¦h".
"Good. Why don't you get cleaned up?" / "¦nªº¡C §A¦ó¤£±o¨ì²M°£?"
While Katze showered, Ken rooted through maps and pamphlets, figuring
out where they were and plotting a route. He stretched, wincing, "Urgggggh...
Man, could I use a good massage right now. That's something I'm going
to miss -- we had an awesome masseur back at base." / Katze ²O¯D¡A¤£¹LªÖ®¦´Ó®Ú¹L¦a¹Ï©M¤p¥U¤l,
²z¸Ñ¥L̦bþ¸Ì¦Ó¥Bpµe½Ķ¤@±ø¸ô®|¡C ¥L¦ù®i,¬ÈÁY,"Urgggggh¡C¡C¡C ¬°, °t³Æ¤H¤â§Ú¥i¥H¥ß¨è¨Ï¥Î¤@Ó¦n«ö¼¯¶Ü¡C ¨º¬O§Ú±Nn¿ù¹Lªº¬Y¨Æ
-- §Ú̦b°ò¦§â¤@Ó¦³«ÂÄYªº«ö¼¯®v¦³¦^¨Ó¡C"
Katze emerged from the bathroom, tightly wrapped in a towel, "I...
can do massage.." s/he said tentatively, taking Ken's complaint as
a hint. / Katze ±q¯D«Ç¯B²{,ºòºò¦a¦b¤@±ø¤â¤y¤¤¥]¸Ë,"§Ú¡C¡C¡C ¯à°µ«ö¼¯¡C¡C"s/¥L¸ÕÅç©Ê¦a»¡,±Ä¨úªÖ®¦ªº©ê«è¦p¤@Ó·t¥Ü¡C
Ken glanced up, surprised (having had no such intention), "Oh, really?
Wow, that'd be really great if you would. I'll return the favour; I know
some shiatsu. Oh, my turn for the shower? Great.." / ªÖ®¦¿h°{¦b,¤W±·P¨ìÅå³Yªº
( ¦³¨S¦³¦p¦¹ªº·N¹Ï),"®@,¯uªº? «z,that'd ¯uªº´Î¡A¦pªG§A±N·|¡C §Ú±NÂkÁÙ¦n·N; §Úª¾¹D¤@¨Ç«üÀ£«ö¼¯¡C ®@, §Úªº½ü¨ì¾÷·|¹ï©ó°}«B?
¤j®v¡C¡C"
Katze nodded and laid out some clothes, "We should leave soon. /
Katze ÂIÀY¨Ã¥B©ñ¸m¥~±ªº¤@¨Ç¦çªA,"§ÚÌÀ³¸Ó«Ü§ÖÂ÷¶}¡C
We need better ID, then we can get a plane." / §ÚÌ»Ýn¸û¦nªº¨¥÷ÃÒ,µM«á§Ú̯à±o¨ì¤@Ó¸¾÷¡C"
Ken grinned, "Cool, I get to fly! Katze, I could kiss you. You plan
it all out and I'll just follow along!" He whirled by hir into the
bathroom, singing some song. Katze winced: Ken sang off-key. / ªÖ®¦ÅS¾¦¦Ó¯º,"²D²nªº,
§Ú¶}©l¸! Katze,§Ú¥i¥H§k§A¡C §A¦b¥~¥þ³¡p¹º¥¦¡A¦Ó¥B§Ú±N¶È¶È¦V«e¸òÀH!"¥L¶i¤J¯D«Ç¤§¤ºÂÇµÛ hir ±ÛÂà,°Û¤@¨Çºq¡C Katze
¬ÈÁY: ªÖ®¦°Û¨«¶}ªº¡C
..to be continued... / ¡C¡C³QÄ~Äò¡C¡C¡C
Time Squared, part 2: Ovanon continues the Time Squared story a few days
after the end of Part 1: Landing. / ®É¶¡¤@P,²Ä 2 ³¡¥÷: Ovanon Ä~Äò¡A®É¶¡¤@P¤F¬G¨Æ¼Æ¤Ñ¦b³¡¥÷
1 ªºµ²§ô¤§«á: µn³°¡C
This story is definately rated R and contains graphic horror, violence
and coarse language. Something along the lines of Clive Barker. Reader
discretion is definately advised. / ³o¤@Ó¬G¨Æ¬O©ú½T©w®æªº R ¨Ã¥B¥]§t¹Ï¸ÑªºÅåÀb¡A¼É¤O©M²ÊÁWªº»y¨¥¡C
¬Y¨ÆªuµÛ§JµÜ¤Ò¥s«Èûªº½u¡C ŪªÌ·V«©ú½T¦a³QÄU§i¡C
Time Squared a Gatchaman fanfic by Ennien Ashbrook and Kat Boykin (Harlock)
/ ®É¶¡ÂÇµÛ Ennien Ashbrook ©Mªü©Ô§B¯ù Boykin ¤@P¤F Gatchaman fanfic(Harlock)
Part 2: Ovanon / ²Ä 2 ³¡¥÷: Ovanon
Ken stared down at his ID with mixed emotions. Getting it had been easier
than he had thought, although Katze's method had left him flat-footed.
He remembered how astonished and bewildered he'd felt when s/he'd suddenly
dumped a handful of dust onto his head and rubbed it in. / ªÖ®¦¦b©M²V¦Xªº±¡ºü¥L¨¥÷ÃÒª`µø¤U¨Ó¡C
±o¨ì¥¦¤w¸g¬O¤ñ¥L¤w¸g·Q§ó®e©ö,ÁöµM Katze's ªº³Q¦³¤èªkÅý¥L«ó¥¨¬¡C ¥L°O±o¦p¦ó¨Ï¦Ó¥BÅå³Y¤£ª¾©Ò±¹¥L¦³·Pı·í s/ ¥L¦³¬ðµM¦b¥LªºÀY¤§¤W¶É¨ø¤F¤@§â¦Ç¹Ð¦Ó¥BÀ¿¤F¥¦¦b¡C
"Right. Now hit me," s/he then said. / "Åv§Q¡C ²{¦b¸I¼²§Ú,"s/¥LµM«á»¡¡C
"Wh.. What?" Ken gaped. / "Wh¡C¡C ¤°»ò?"ªÖ®¦µõ¶}¡C
"Hit me! C'mon, you haven't forgotten how." Ken stared at hir,
wondering what on earth had gotten into hir. "C'mon," s/he urged,
then launched an uppercut at his face, "Like that! You remember."
/ "¸I¼²§Ú! C'mon, §A¨S¦³§Ñ°O¦p¦ó¡C"ªÖ®¦¨nµÛ hir ¬Ý, ı±o©_©Ç¤°»ò¦b¦a²y¤W¤w¸g¶i¤J hir¡C "C'mon",s/¥L¶Ê«P,µM«á¦b¥LªºÁyµo®g¤@Ó¤WÀ»
",³ßÅw¨º! §A°O±o¡C"
Ken daubed at the blood seeping down his lip, staring at it in shock and
rising anger, "Katze, I'm warning you..." / ªÖ®¦¦bº¯¥X¤U¨Ó¥Lªº®B ¦å¶î©Ù,¦bÅåÀ~©M¤W¤É¤¤¨nµÛ¥¦¬Ý¿E«ã,"Katze,§Ú¥¿¦bĵ§i§A¡C¡C¡C"
"C'monnnn, whassa matta, afraid to hit a woman all of a sudden?"
/ "C'monnnn ¡A whassa matta, ®`©È¬ðµM¸I¼²¤@Ó¤k¤H"?
s/he goaded him, "It didn't stop you when I nailed your father!"
/ s/¥L¥Î¨ë´ÎÅX»°¤F¥L,"·í§Ú¥Î°v°v¨c¤F§Aªº¤÷¿Ë®ÉÔ¡A¥¦¨S¦³ªý¤î§A"!
"KISAMA!" Ken screamed and lashed out. The mutant landed sprawling
in the dusty alley. / "KISAMA"! ªÖ®¦¦y¥s¦Ó¥BÃ@¥´¥X¡C ¬ðÅܲ§ºØµn³°¦b¦Ç¹Ð¦hªº¤p¸ô¤¤ÂX®i¡C
"That's the idea! ...ow," s/he cupped a hand to hir bleeding
nose, then abruptly kicked his feet out from under him and ground him
into the dirt. Ken snarled, rolling on top of hir and smashing hir chin.
For minutes they brawled, snarling and cursing, then finally rolled apart.
Ken curled into a ball, feeling hateful and betrayed. / "¨º¬O·Qªk! ¡C¡C¡Cªí¥Ü¬ðµM¯kµh©Òµo¥X¤§Án,"s/¥L§â¹ï¥X¦å»ó¤l
ªº hir ªº¤@°¦¤â¸m©óªM¤º¤F, ±q¦b¥L¤§¤UµM«á¬ðµM¦a½ð¥X¥h¦Ó¥B±N¥L¸m©ó¦a±¶i¦Ã«¯¤§¤º¡C ªÖ®¦§q¥s,¦b hir ©M«D±`¥X¦âªº hir ¤U¤Úªº³»ºÝ¤Wºu°Ê¡C
¥L̪§§n¼Æ¤ÀÄÁ,§q¥s©M¶A©G,µM«á³Ì«á¤À§O¦a±²¡C ªÖ®¦¶i¤J¤@Ó²y¤§¤º§Ë±²,ı±o¼¨«ë¦Ó¥B¥X½æ¡C
Katze inspected hirself carefully, smiled with satisfaction, then as a
finishing touch s/he reached up and tore hir shirt, exposing hir bra.
Ken ogled, then turned away, embarrassed. / Katze ¤p¤ß¦aÀˬd¤F hirself,¥Hº¡¨¬·L¯º,
µM«á·í³Ì«áªºÄ²Ä± s/ ¥L¨ì¹F¦b¦Ó¥B¤W±¼¹¯}¤F hir Ũm,¼ÉÅS hir ¯Ý¸n¡C ªÖ®¦ª`µø, µM«áÂàÂ÷¶},§xµ~¡C
"Was that really necessary?" he asked under his breath. / "
¨º¯uªº¥²»Ý"? ¥L¦b¥Lªº©I§l¤§¤U°Ý¡C
Katze sneered, "You've never been a woman. They don't stop with your
wallet when they mug women, you know." / Katze ¼J¯º,"§A±q¥¼¬O¤k¤H¡C ·í¥Ļê°Áy¤k¤Hªº®ÉÔ¡A¥LÌ¥H§Aªº¥Ö§¨¤£°±¤î,§Aª¾¹D¡C"
"When who mugs women?" Ken asked, puzzlement getting the better
of him, "And why are you looking so smug? What was the point of all
that anyways?" / " ·í½Ö§ê°Áy¤k¤H"? ªÖ®¦°Ý,±o¨ì¥L¤§¤¤¸û¦nªº °g´b,"¦Ó¥B§A¬°¤°»ò¬Ý°_¨Ó¦p¦¹¦Û¥H¬°¬O?
¥þ³¡ªº«ÂI¬O¤°»ò¨ºµL½×¦p¦ó?"
Katze looked at him with rank surprise, "How else are they going
to believe us when we tell them we were jumped, mugged and our ID stolen?"
/ Katze ¥HZ²±ªº·N¥~¬Ý¥L," ¦p¦ó§_«h·í§Ú̧i¶D¥ĻÚ̳Q¸õÅDªº®ÉÔ¡A¥ḺNn¬Û«H§Ú̶Ü, §ê°Áy©M§Ú̪º³Q°½¨¥÷ÃÒ"?
Ken's mouth fell open, "N.. Nani??" / ªÖ®¦ªº¼L¶^¸¨¶}©ñªº,"N¡C¡C Nani??"
"What's your birthdate?" / "§Aªº birthdate ¬O¤°»ò"?
"*That's* what all this was about??" / "* þ¤@¬O* ¤°»ò¥þ³¡³o¬OÃö©ó??"
"You have any better ideas? Didn't think so. Now c'mon.." /
"§A¦n¤@ÂI¦³·Qªk? ¨S¦³³o»ò»{¬°¡C ²{¦b c'mon¡C¡C"
An hour later, Katze had walked back down the steps of the police station,
waving two folders and smiling happily. S/he handed one of the folders
to Ken. / 1 ¤p®É¤§«á¡A Katze ¤w¸g§âI±¨«¤U¨Óĵ¹î§½ªº¨BÆJ,´§»R¤GÓ¤å¥ó§¨¦Ó¥B§Ö¼Ö¦a·L¯º¡C S/¥L§â¤å¥ó§¨¤§¤@¥æµ¹ªÖ®¦¡C
"Here. I put you down as 22, that'll make you legal almost everywhere."
/ "¦b³o¸Ì¡C §Ú»{¬°§A¬O 22, that'll ´X¥G¦U³B¨Ï§A¦Xªk¡C"
Ken nodded, flipping through the folder, noting contents, / ªÖ®¦ÂIÀY,¥Î«üÀY¼u¹L¤å¥ó§¨,ª`·N¤º®e,
"Driver's license, passport.. Pilot's license?! Katze, I love you!
/ "¾r¾pûªº°õ·Ó¡AÅ@·Ó¡C¡C ¸¦æûªº°õ·Ó?! Katze,§Ú·R§A!
Hey.. waitaminnit.." / ¶Ù¡C¡C waitaminnit¡C¡C"
"Whuzzat?" / "Whuzzat"?
"These are made out for Kentaro Washio.." / "³o¨Ç³Q¬° Kentaro
Washio ¤F¸Ñ¡C¡C"
"Yeah well.. Owashi, Washio.. B'sides, I think I remember something
about that being Red Impulse's name.. Thought you might appreciate it.."
/ " ¬Oªº´é¥X¡C¡C Owashi ¡A Washio¡C¡C B'sides,§Ú»{¬°§Ú°O±oÃö©ó¨º§@¬°¬õ¦âªº½Ä°Ê¦W¦rªº¬Y¨Æ¡C¡C ·Q§A¥i¯à·P¿E¥¦¡C¡C"
"That was *my father's name*, Katze." / " ¨º¬O *§Úªº¤÷¿Ë¦W¦r*,Katze".
"Uh? Oh," Katze's expression was a cross between crestfallen
and apprehensive. / "Uh? ®@," Katze's ªºªí¹F¬O¤Q¦r¬[¦b««ÀY³à®ðªº©M´m´m¤£¦wªº¤§¶¡¡C
"Never mind.." Ken shook his head regretfully, "It'll do.
It's fine. There's probably lots of Kentaro Washios around. So.. we can
go anywhere now, right?" / "¤£¥²¤¶·N¡C¡C"ªÖ®¦±{±¤¦a·nÀY ",¥¦±N°µ¡C
¥¦¬O»@´Ú¡C ¥i¯à¦³³\¦h¦bªþªñªº Kentaro Washios¡C ¦p¦¹¡C¡C §Ú̲{¦b¯à¥h¦b¥ô¦ó¦a¤è,¹ï¤£¹ï?"
"As long as the money holds out." / "¹³¿ú¤@¼Ëªøºû«ù" ¡C
"How much do we have left, anyways?" / "§Ṳ́w¸g¯d¤U¦h¤Ö©O,µL½×¦p¦ó"?
"Enough," Katze shrugged, "Not as much as I'd hoped, but
enough. / "¥R¨¬" ¡A Katze ÁqªÓ ", ¤£¹³§Ú¦³§Æ±æ¤@¼Ëªº«Ü¦h, ¦ý¬O¥R¨¬¡C
We can get more." / §Ú̯àÅܧó¦h¡C"
Ken quirked an eyebrow, "Oh? And how do you plan on that? Or are
you going to work at one of the factories nearby?" / ªÖ®¦©_¨Æ¤F¤@¹D¬Ü¤ò,"®@?
¦Ó¥B§A¦p¦ó¦b¨º¤§¤Wp¹º? ©Î§A±Nn¦bªþªñ¦b¤u¼t¤§¤@¤u§@¶Ü?"
S/he evaded the question, instead booking a flight to Greece. A suspicion
formed in the pit of Ken's stomach. He hoped he was wrong. / S/¥L°kÁפF°ÝÃD,§ï¬°qÁÊ«e©¹§Æþªº¤@¦¸¯Z¾÷¡C
¤@ºØ²qºÃ¦bªÖ®¦ªºG²`§|¤¤§Î¦¨¡C ¥L§Æ±æ¥L¬O¿ù»~ªº¡C
Now, it seemed he might have been right. He watched the mutant, freshly
showered, combing out hir hair. S/he was dressed in a slinky black jersey
mini-dress, with a high, halter neck that left her shoulders and back
bare. Ken tried to make conversation, hoping he was wrong about hir intentions.
/ ²{¦b¡A¥¦¦ü¥G¥LÀ³¸Ó¥i¥H¬OÅv§Q¡C ¥L¬Ý¤F¬ðÅܲ§ºØ,·s²O¯D,¥X¦Û hir ÀY¾vªº®Þ¤ò¡C S/ ¥L¬ïµÛ¤@¥ó slinky ¶Â¦â¤ò´¹B°Êm°g§A-ªA¸Ë¡AÂǥѤ@Ó°ª«×¡A°±¤î¥ªÃä¦oªºªÓ©MI±¨Ï¨ª»rªº²ä¤l¡C
ªÖ®¦¸ÕµÛ§@¥æ½Í, §Æ±æ¥L¬O¿ù»~ªºÃö©ó hir ·N¹Ïªº¨Æ¡C
"So.. What is it you're planning to do? We're in Cypress, what happens
next?" / "¦p¦¹¡C¡C §A¥¿¦bp¹º°µªº¥¦¬O¤°»ò? §Ú̬O¦bµ·¬f¤¤, ¤°»òµM«áµo¥Í?"
"I'll be at... an... important event, in my life. Hopefully, / "
§Ú±N¬O¦b¡C¡C¡C ¤@¡C¡C¡C «nªº¨Æ¥ó,¦b§Úªº¥Í¬¡¤è±¡C §Æ±æ,
I'll catch myself up before it happens." / ¦b¥¦µo¥Í¤§«e , §Ú±N¦V¤W®·®»§Ú¦Û¤v¡C"
"Want to let me in on it? So I don't shoot the wrong person?"
/ "·Qn¦b¥¦¤WÅý§Ú¶i¥h? ¦]¦¹§Ú¤£®gÀ»¿ù»~ªº¤H?"
Ken's grin wasn't returned. "Are you going to be able to fight in
that? / ªÖ®¦ªºÅS¾¦¯º¤£³QÂkÁÙ¡C "§A±Nn¯à°÷¦b¨º¹ï§Ü¶Ü?
That's not an easy outfit to hide things in. I've still got some explosives
and some shuriken.." / ¨º¤£¬O¤@Ó®e©öªº¥Î¨ãÂèƪ«¦b¡C §Ú¤´µM¤w¸g±o¨ì¤@¨Ç¬µÃÄ©M¤@¨Ç shuriken ¡C¡C"
"I'd rather you didn't come with me, Gatchaman." / " §Ú±N·|¹ç¥i§A©M§Ú¨S¦³¨Ó,Gatchaman".
Ken's stomach twisted. The mutant was putting the finishing touches on
hir makeup. "But.. How can I back you up if I don't go with you?"
"I won't need backup." S/he rose and stepped into a pair of
stiletto heels, hir hair tumbling loosely over hir shoulders, "I'll
be back in a while. Don't wait up." / ªÖ®¦ªºGÀ¾¡C ¬ðÅܲ§ºØ¥¿¦b§â³Ì«áªºÄ²Ä±©ñ¦b hir ¤ÆùÛ¡C
"¦ý¬O¡C¡C ¦pªG§Ú©M§A¤£¥h¡A§Ú¦p¦ó¯à¤ä«ù§A?" "§Ú±N¤£»Ýn«á´©" ¡C S/¥L¶i¤J¤@Âùµu¼C¸}«á¸ò¡AÃP¦¢¦a¦b
hir ¤§¤W¶^¸¨ªÓ ªº hir ÀY¾v¤§¤º¤W¤É¦Ó¥B½ñ,"§Ú±N¦b¤@·|¨à¤è±¦^¨Ó¡C ¤£nµ¥Ô¤£ºÎ¡C"
Ken stepped toward hir, "Katze.... I know we're short on cash.."
/ ªÖ®¦¹ï©ó hir ½ñ,"Katze.... §Úª¾¹D§Ú̬Oµu¦b²{ª÷¤W¡C¡C"
S/he gave him a little grin and shook hir head, "That's not it."
/ S/¥Lµ¹¤©¤F¥L¤pÅS¾¦¯º¦Ó¥B·n°Ê¤F hir ÀY,"¨º¤£¬O¥¦" ¡C
"Then.. why? It's obvious you're not looking forward to it."
/ "·í®É¡C¡C ¬°¤°»ò? ¥¦¬O©úÅ㪺§A¨S¦³¦b´Á±æ¥¦¡C"
S/he grabbed hir purse and turned the hotel room door. "Katze.. you
can trust me.." / S/¥L§ì¨ú¤F hir ¿ú¥]¦Ó¥BÂà¤F®ÈÀ]©Ð¶¡ªù¡C "Katze¡C¡C §A¯à«H¿à§Ú¡C¡C"
S/he looked back at him, "Trust you? I don't even know your name,
Gatchaman." / S/¥L¦^¬Ý¥L,"«H¿à§A? §Ú¤£¬Æ¦Üª¾¹D§Aªº¦W¦r¡A Gatchaman ¡C"
Well past midnight, s/he still hadn't returned. Ken lay awake, thinking
back. It was true: He hadn't told hir his name. In all their conversations,
s/he hadn't called him anything other than / ´é¥X¹L¥h¤È©],s/¥L¤´µM¨S¦³ÂkÁÙ¡C ªÖ®¦©ñ¸m¿ôªº,¦V«á¦a·Q¡C
¯u¬O¯u¹ê: ¥L¨S¦³§i¶D hir ¥Lªº¦W¦r¡C ¦b¥LÌ©Ò¦³ªº¥æ½Í¤¤,s/ ¥L¨S¦³¥s°µ¥L¥ô¦ó¨Æ°£¤F
Gatchaman. He hadn't even confirmed that Washio was his real name. Ken
thought about that for a long time, trying to decide whether the omission
had simply been an oversight, or whether it was a sign that he himself
didn't trust hir. / Gatchaman¡C ¥L¨S¦³¬Æ¦Ü½T»{ Washio ¬O¥Lªº¯u¥¿¦W¦r¡C ªÖ®¦·Q¨º¦³«Üªøªº¤@¬q®É¶¡, ¹Á¸Õ¨M©wµL½×¬Ù²¤¤w¸g³Q¥u¬O¤@Ӱɺ|§_«h¬O§_¥¦¬O¤@Ó¥L¦Û¤v¨S¦³«H¿à
hir ªº²Å¸¹¡C
He started awake, not realizing he had fallen asleep. He strained his
ears, trying to catch what it was that had wakened him. An ugly sound
came from the bathroom and Ken winced. He flicked on the light, squinting,
and got up to fix a glass of juice from the hotel room mini-bar. The clock
read three A.M. / ¥L¶}©l¿ôªº, ¤£¤F¸Ñ¥L¤w¸gºÎµÛ¡C ºò±iªº¥L¦Õ¦·ªº¥L, ¹Á¸Õ®·®»¥¦¬O¨ºªº¤w¸g³ê¿ô¥L¡C ¤@ºØÁபºÁnµ¨Ó¦Û¯D«Ç¡A¦Ó¥BªÖ®¦¬ÈÁY¡C
¥L¦b¥ú¤W»´¼u,¨ÏÅܱ׵ø²´, ¦Ó¥B»°¤W©T©w¨Ó¦Û®ÈÀ]©Ð¶¡ªº¤@ªM¥Ä°g§A-°£¤§¥~¡C Ū¤T¤W¤Èªº®ÉÄÁ
"Katze?" Ken called softly, knocking on the bathroom door. /
"Katze"? ªÖ®¦¬X©M¦a©I¥s,¼²¯D«Çªù¡C
There was the sound of dry heaves for a minute before s/he answered. "I
have some juice for you." / ¦³¦b s «eªº¤ÀÄÁ°®Á|ªºÁnµ/¥L¦^µª¡C "§Ú¦³¤@¨Ç¥Äµ¹§A"
¡C
The door cracked open and a slim hand took the proferred glass. / ªù§Ë¸H¶}©ñªº¦Ó¥B¤@°¦½Gªº¤â±a¤F
proferred ¬Á¼þ¡C
Ken tried to sneak a look inside, wondering what had happened to hir,
but he could see nothing. / ªÖ®¦¸ÕµÛ°½°½¦a°k¨«¯«±¡¤º³¡, ı±o©_©Ç¤°»ò¤w¸gµo¥Í¦b hir ¤W,¦ý¬O¥L¥i¥H¤°»ò¤]¤£¬Ý¨£¡C
"Aregato," s/he said softly, "Go back to bed. I'm going
in for a shower." / "Aregato",s/¥L¬X©M¦a»¡ ", ¦^¥h©T©w¡C §Ú¥¿¦b°Ñ¥[¤@¦¸°}«B¡C"
"Are you alright?" / " §A¬O¦nªº"?
"I'm fine. Go back to bed." / "§Ú«Ü¦n¡C ¦^¥h©T©w¡C"
"Vomiting is 'fine'?" / "¹Ã¦R¬O '¦nªº'"?
"I had some bad seafood. Go back to bed." And s/he shut the
door on him. He stood facing it for several seconds. / "§Ú¦³¤F¤@¨ÇÃaªº®üÂA¡C
¦^¥h©T©w¡C" ¦Ó¥B s/¥LÃö¤W¦b¥L¤Wªºªù¡C ¥L¯¸µÛ¤F¸Ë¹¢±¥¦¦n´X¬í¡C
"Katze?" / "Katze"?
"Nani?" / "Nani"?
"... My name is Ken." / ".¡C¡C §Úªº¦W¦r¬OªÖ®¦¡C"
"Oh. Go back to bed, Ken." / "®@¡C ¦^¥h©T©w,ªÖ®¦¡C"
Ken gave up and lay back down. He tried to lie awake worrying, but sleep
overcame him instead. / ªÖ®¦©ñ±ó¦Ó¥B©ñ¸m¦V«á¦a¤U¨Ó¡C ¥L¸ÕµÛ½öµÛ¿ôªº·Ð´o¡A¦ý¬OºÎ¯v§ï¬°§JªA¤F¥L¡C
The next day was spent shopping, gathering clothes, weapons and, for
Katze, a notebook computer. Ken wondered at the expense, but Katze assured
him that this would be their key to many things, additional finances included
if necessary. He also wondered at hir choices in clothing, then noticed
that s/he was putting together a skeletal selection of masculine clothes.
/ ¹j¤Ñ³Qªá¶OÁʪ«, ¶°·|¦çªA¡AªZ¾¹©M,¹ï©ó Katze, ¤@¥xµ§°O«¬¹q¸£¡C ªÖ®¦¦b¶O¥ÎÃhºÃ,¦ý¬O Katze «Oµý¤F¥L¡A³o±N·|¬O³\¦h¨Æª«ªº¥LÌÃöÁä,ªþ¥[ªº°]¬F¦pªG¦³»Ýnªº¸Ü¥]¬A¡C
¥L¤]¦b¦çªAªº hir ¿ï¾ÜÃhºÃ, µM«áª`·N¨º s/¥L¥¿¦b¶°¦X¤@Ó¨k©Ê¦çªAªº°©Àf¿ï¾Ü¡C
As s/he was slashing and fraying hir jeans, Ken asked hir about hir plans.
"What now? What are we waiting for?" / ·í s¤§®É/¥L¥¿¦b´î°£¦Ó¥B¿i·l hir ¤û¥J¿Ç,ªÖ®¦°Ý¤FÃö©ó
hir p¹ºªº hir ¡C " ¤°»ò²{¦b? §ÚÌ¥¿¦bµ¥Ô¤°»ò?"
"Me." / "§Ú".
"Well duh, but what's your next move?" / "´é¥X duh ¡A¦ý¬O§Aªº¤UÓ²¾°Ê¬O¤°»ò"?
S/he grinned and shook hir head, "No, you don't understand: I'm not
here yet. I'm not certain of the exact date. I only remember that the
moon was full when I.. arrived. It's still gibbous." / S/¥LÅS¾¦¦Ó¯º¦Ó¥B·n°Ê¤F
hir ÀY,"¤£¡A§A¤£¤F¸Ñ: §Ú¤´µM¤£¦b³o¸Ì¡C §Úºë½Tªº¤é´Á¤£¬O½T©wªº¡C §Ú¥u°O±o¤ë«G¬O¥Rº¡ªº¦ó®É§Ú¡C¡C ¨ì¹F¡C ¥¦¤´µM¬O¥Y¶êªº¡C"
"Full..." Ken looked out the window at the bright blue sky,
then back at Katze, "Are we even in the right month?" / "¥þ³¡¡C¡C¡C"ªÖ®¦¤p¤ß¦b©ú«GªºÂŦâ¤ÑªÅªºµ¡¤á,µM«á¦V«á¦a¦b
Katze",§Ú̬Ʀܦb¥¿½Tªº¤ë¤¤¶Ü?"
"Don't know. Maybe not. Might have to wait a while. I just hope we're
not *late*." / "¤£nª¾¹D¡C ¤]³\¤£¡C ¥i¯à¥²¶·µ¥Ô¤@·|¨à¡C §Ú̬Oªº¥¿ª½§Æ±æªº§Ú¤£ *¿ðªº*."
"Um." Ken looked out the window again, then down at the gun
he was polishing, then back at Katze, "What if we *are* late?"
/ "Um". ¦b¦A¤@¦¸³Q¤p¤ßµ¡¤áªºªÖ®¦, µM«á¦bºjåP¸¨¥L¬O©ß¥ú,µM«á¦b Katze ¦^," ¤°»ò¦pªG§ÚÌ *¬O*¿ðªº"?
S/he looked decidedly distraught, "I'd rather not think about that
yet." / S/¥L¬Ý°_¨Ó½T©w·Ð´o,"§Ú±N·|¤´µM¹ç¥i¤£·Q¨º" ¡C
Ken sighed in exasperation. / ªÖ®¦¦b´o«ã¤¤¼Û®§¡C
Later that night s/he went out again, returning near dawn. / ¨º©]±ßµy«á s/¥L¦A¤@¦¸¥~¥X
,¦b¯}¾åªºªþªñÂkÁÙ¡C
Again Ken faced the door, listening to hir being sick. / ¦A¤@¦¸ªÖ®¦±¹ï¤Fªù,Å¥¨ì¨¬°¯f¤H
ªº hir ¡C
"Bad seafood again?" / " Ãaªº®üÂA¦A¤@¦¸"?
"Go back to bed, Ken." / " ¦^¥h©T©w,ªÖ®¦".
"This is the second night you've done this." / "³o¬O§A¤w¸g°µ³oªº²Ä¤GÓ©]±ß"
¡C
"Yeah, well, get used to it." / "¬Oªº¡A«Ü¦n¦a¡A²ßºD©ó¥¦".
Ken started to get angry, "If you're going out to have fun, you could
at least let me come with you!" / ªÖ®¦¶}©l«Ü¥Í®ð,"¦pªG§A¥¿¦b¥X¥h¦³¼Ö½ì, §A¥i¥H¦Ü¤Ö©M§A¨Ï§Ú¨Ó"!
The door cracked open and Ken saw hir face. It was drawn, pasty under
the makeup and hir eyes held an expression that dropped Ken's jaw. / ªù§Ë¸H¶}©ñªº¦Ó¥BªÖ®¦¬Ý¨£
hir ±¹ï¡C ¥¦³Qµe,¦b¤ÆùÛ¤U±ªº pasty ©M hir ²´·ú®³µÛ¤F°§C¤FªÖ®¦ªºÃEªí¹F¡C
"Its not fun," s/he said, and closed the door in his face. A
minute later, the shower was going full force. / "¥¦ªº¤£¶}ª±¯º",s/¥L»¡,
¦Ó¥B¥¿¹ïµÛÃö³¬¤Fªù¡C ¤@¤ÀÄÁ¤§«á¡A°}«B¥¿¦b¥h§¹¥þªº¤O¶q¡C
The third night, s/he returned shortly after one A.M. and Ken was still
awake, pacing. He nearly pounced on hir as s/he came through the door.
/ ²Ä¤TÓ©]±ß,s/ ¥L¤£¤[¦b¤W¤È¤§«áÂkÁÙ©M¤´µMªÖ®¦¬O¿ôªº,¿â¨B¡C ¥L´X¥G¦b hir ¤WÅ̦í·í s/¥L«×¹Lªù¡C
"You look green. More botulism?" / "§A¬Ý°_¨Óºñ¦â¡C §ó¦hªºªi¯S²Oµß¤¤¬r?"
"Get out of the way." / "Â÷¶}¤èªk" ¡C
"Katze, what the hell are you doing?? You're dressing up every night
like a tart, staying out 'til all hours, then coming home sick and spending
an hour in the shower!" / "Katze,§A¥¿¦b°µ¤°»ò?? §A¬O¦b¨CÓ©]±ß¦PÃþ¤W±¬ï¦ç»Ä, ¥~¥X
' J³Â¾ã¤p®É, µM«á¦^®a¯f¤H¦Ó¥B¦b°}«B¤¤«×¹L 1 ¤p®É!"
"Sounds like you already know what I'm doing. You're going to be
wearing my dinner if you don't get outta the way." / " ¤w¸gÅ¥°_¨Ó¹³§A¤@¼Ëª¾¹D§Ú¥¿¦b°µªº¡C
¦pªG§A¤£®³¤èªkµ¹ outta ¡A§A¥¿¦b¥h¬ïµÛ§Úªº±ßÀ\¡C"
Ken stepped aside and let hir pass. He sighed in exasperation, fixing
another juice for hir. An hour later, s/he finally emerged from the bathroom.
Clouds of steam followed hir. Hir robe was pulled chokingly tight around
hir. / ªÖ®¦¯¸¶}¦Ó¥BÅý hir ³q¹L¡C ¥L¦b´o«ã¤¤¼Û®§,¬° hir ©T©w¥t¥Ä¡C 1 ¤p®É¤§«á,s/¥L³Ì«á±q¯D«Ç¯B²{¡C »]®ðªº¶³¸òÀH¤F
hir ¡C Hir ¼eÃPªø³T¦b hir ªº©P³ò³Q²¿®§¦aºòºò¦a©Ô¡C
Ken took hir hand, noticing the red skin, "Look at this, what did
you do, boil yourself? You look like a lobster!" S/he snatched hir
hand back and glared at him. / ªÖ®¦±a¤F hir ¤â,ª`·N¬õ¦âªº¥Ö½§,"¦b³oªº¯«±¡, §A°µ¤°»ò,µNªm§A¦Û¤v?
§A¬Ý°_¨Ó¹³¤@°¦Às½¼¤@¼Ë!"S/¥L¹Ü¨ú¤F hir ¤âI±¨Ã¥B¦b¥Lµo¯t¥ú¡C
"Can I go to bed now??" / "§Ú¯à²{¦b¤W§ÉºÎı¶Ü??"
Ken inspected hir face. Other than that it was pink from too-hot water,
he could detect no signs of violence, no indications that anything had
happened to hir. He nodded slowly, resolving to raid hir wallet the next
morning -- if he found a wad of cash, he'd know. / ªÖ®¦Àˬd¤F hir Áy¡C °£¤F¤§¥~¥¦¬O¯»¬õªº±q¤]-¼öªº¤ô,¥L¥i¥H¨Sµo²{¼É¤Oªº¸ñ¶H,
¨S¦³«ü¥Ü¥ô¦ó¨Æ¤w¸gµo¥Í¦b hir ¤W¡C ¥LÂIÀY±oºCºC, ¸Ñ¨M¬ðŧ hir ¥Ö§¨¹j¤Ñ¦±á -- ¦pªG¥Lµo²{¤@Ó²{ª÷ªº¶ñ®Æ,¥L±N·|ª¾¹D¡C
He frowned as s/he crawled into bed, keeping hir robe tightly wrapped
around hir, then shook his head. Probably nervous about hir body, though
from what he'd seen (he still cringed when he thought of that), there
was nothing to give away that s/he was really a hermaphrodite mutant.
He shrugged it off and turned out the light. / ¥L½K¬ÜÀY·í s/¥Lª¦¶i§É,«O¦s hir ¦b hir
ªº©P³òºòºò¦a¬ïµÛªø³T¥]¸Ë,µM«á·nÀY¡C ¥i¯àºò±iÃö©ó hir ¨Å骺¨Æ¡AÁöµM±q¥L¤w¸g¬Ý¨ì (·í¥L·Q¨ì¨ºªº®ÉÔ¡A¥L¤´µM¬ÈÁY) ªº¡A¨S¦³ªF¦è¤À°e
s/¥L¯uªº¬O¤@Ó»Û¶¯¦PÅ骺¬ðÅܲ§ºØ¡C ¥L¨«¶}ÁqªÓ¤F¥¦¦Ó¥B§â¥úÃö±¼¡C
Presently he remembered that he hadn't set his gun on the nighttable and
flicked the light back on. He wished he hadn't. / ¥Ø«e¥L°O±o¤F¥L¨S¦³³]©w¦b nighttable
¤Wªº¥Lºj¦Ó¥B§â¥ú»´¼u¦^¨Ó¦b¤§¤W¡C ¥LÄ@¥L¤£¦³¡C
"KATZE!!!" S/he had thrown off hir robe but had yet to get beneath
the covers, so hir naked body was fully revealed. Hir skin was raw and
covered with welts, many broken and bleeding. "What happened??"
/ "KATZE!!!"S/ ¥L¤w¸g¨«¶}¥á hir ¼eÃPªø³T¦ý¬OÁÙ¨S¦³¦b±»Å@¤§¤U±o¨ì,¦]¦¹ hir ¨ª»rªº¨Å駹¥þ³QÅã¥Ü¡C
Hir ¥Ö½§¬O¥Íªº¦×¨Ã¥B¥HºuÃä²[»\, ³\¦hÃa±¼ªº©M¥X¦å¡C "µo¥Í¤°»ò¨Æ??"
"Nothing happened." / "¨S¨Æµo¥Í" ¡C
"You're covered in bleeding wounds, look at you!" Ken's face
grew hard, "Who was he?? Don't tell me 'nothing happened': Name him!"
/ "§A¦b¥X¦å³Ð¶Ë¤è±³Q²[»\,¬Ý§A"! ªÖ®¦ªºÁyÅÜ«ÜÃø,"¥L¬O½Ö?? ¤£n§i¶D§Ú '¨S¨Æµo¥Í': ©R¦W¥L!"
"Who're you to pry into my private life?" / " Who're §A¶i¤J§Úªº¨p¤H¥Í¬¡¤§¤º¥´Å¥"?
"Well excuse me for giving a shit!" / "«Ü¦n¦aì½Ì§Úµ¹ÁT"!
"I just went on a date." / "§ÚèèÄ~Äò¶i¦æ¤@Ó¤é´Á" ¡C
"A *date* does this to you?! Kamisama, Katze..!" / " ¤@
*¤é´Á*¹ï§A°µ³o?! Kamisama ¡A Katze¡C¡C!"
"Yes, so you'd better get used to it." S/he was trying to cover
hirself up. Ken wasn't sure whether hir face was red from the hot water
or from embarrassment. / "¬Oªº, ¦]¦¹§A³Ì¦n²ßºD©ó¥¦". S/¥L¥¿¦b¹Á¸Õ¦V¤W²[»\ hirself
¡C ±q¼öªº¤ô©Î§xµ~ªÖ®¦¤£½T©w¬O§_ hir Áy¬O¬õ¦âªº¡C
"Why did you go on a date, if it does this to you? Is it something
to do with your younger self?" / "¦pªG¥¦¹ï§A°µ³o? ¡A§A¬°¤°»òÄ~Äò¶i¦æ¤@Ó¤é´Á ¥¦¬O¬Y¨Æ©M§Aªº¦~¬ö¸û¤pªÌ°µ¦Û¤vªº¶Ü?"
"No.." Katze said almost inaudibly, "S/he won't experience
this until puberty." Ken made a puzzled noise and s/he reddened,
"Why does anyone go on a date? To get laid!" / "¸¹½X¡C"Katze
´X¥GÅ¥¤£¨£¦ü¦a»¡ ",S/¥L±N¤£¸g¾ú³oª½¨ì«ä¬K´Á¡C"ªÖ®¦»s³y¤F³Q§x´bªº¾¸µ©M s/¥LÅܬõ ",¥ô¦ó¤H¬°¤°»òÄ~Äò¶i¦æ¤@Ó¤é´Á?
±o¨ì©ñ¸m!"
Ken blinked rapidly, feeling a blush crawl up his own face, / §Ö³t¦a³Q¯w²´ªºªÖ®¦
, ·Pı¤@¦b¥L¦Û¤vªºÁy¤W±Áy¬õª¦¦æ,
"Ohhhh umm... I thought only guys had.. um... urges that strong..
Guess women do too but.." / "Ohhhh umm¡C¡C¡C §Ú¥u·Q³Ã¥ë¦³¡C¡C um¡C¡C¡C ©IÆ~¨º±j«l¦a¡C¡C
²q´ú¤k¤H¤]°µ¦ý¬O¡C¡C"
S/he looked away, "No.. just me. It's even worse then I'm male."
/ S/¥L¬ÝÂ÷¶},"¸¹½X¡C ¥¿ª½ªº§Ú¡C ¥¦µM«á§Ú¬O¨k©Êªº¡C"
Ken blushed heatedly now, remembering something he had once read. He looked
at hir skin again, "Uh.. then this is.. uh... what you like?"
/ ªÖ®¦²{¦b¼ö¦aÁy¬õ, °O±o¬Y¨Æ¥L¦³¤@¦¸Åª¡C ¥L¦A¤@¦¸¬Ý hir ¥Ö½§,"Uh¡C¡C µM«á³o¬O¡C¡C uh¡C¡C¡C §A³ßÅw¤°»ò?"
S/he looked like s/he was about to punch him for that, then the fire died
and s/he looked away again, "I just scrubbed a little hard."
/ S/ ¥L¬Ý°_¨Ó¹³ s/ ¥L¤@¼Ë¥¿n¬°¨º¥H®±«À»¥L, µM«á¤õ¦º©M s/ ¥L¦A¤@¦¸¬ÝÂ÷¶}," §Ú¶È¶Èµy·L§V¤O¦a¥Î¤OÀ¿¬~".
"You.." Ken blinked as it sank in, "You did this to YOURSELF??
/ "§A¡C¡C" ·í¥¦¨I¸¨ªº®ÉÔ¡AªÖ®¦¯w²´¦b ",§A¹ï§A¦Û¤v°µ¤F³o??
Just now?? *This* is 'scrubbed a little hard'? Katze, you've taken the
top layer off this forearm!" S/he snatched the arm out of his hands,
wincing a little. Ken gazed at hir, "Do you do this a lot? How do
you live?" / èè?? *³o* ¬O 'µy·L§V¤O¦a¥Î¤OÀ¿¬~'? Katze,§A¤w¸g²æ±¼°ª¼h¼h³o¤@Ó«eÁu!"S/¥L±q¥Lªº¤â¹Ü¨ú¤F¤âÁu,µy·L¬ÈÁY¡C
ªÖ®¦ª`µø hir,"§A°µ³o«Ü¦h¶Ü? §A¦p¦ó©~¦í?"
S/he nodded, "Get used to it." / S/¥LÂIÀY,"²ßºD©ó¥¦".
"Is there a less painful way for you?" / " ¬°§A¦³¤@Ó¤ñ¸û¤£µhW¤èªk"?
"No. I outlast myself." / " ¸¹½X§Ú¸û§Ú¦Û¤v¸g¤[".
Ken motioned towards the abrasions, "This can't be good for anyone..
even you." / ªÖ®¦¦V¿i·À¹B°Ê,"³o¤£¯à¹ï¥ô¦ó¤H¬O¦nªº¡C¡C ¬Æ¦Ü§A¡C"
"I've survived this way for years, Gatchaman." / " §Ú¤w¸g³o¼ËÄ~Äò¥Í¦sªø¹F¼Æ¦~¤§¤[,Gatchaman".
Ken sat back, the sudden use of his title making him feel rejected and
closed out. "I wish I could do something for you," he said helplessly,
not understanding. / ªÖ®¦³S¤â®ÇÆ[,¥Lªº¨Ï¥L·Pı ªº¦WºÙ¬ðµM¨Ï¥Î©Úµ´¦Ó¥Bµ²§ô¡C "§ÚÄ@¡A§Ú¥i¥H¬°§A°µ¬Y¨Æ",¥LµL§U¦a»¡,
¤£¤F¸Ñ¡C
"I'll just bet," s/he smirked mirthlessly. / "§Ú±Nè襴½ä",s/¥L¤£§Ö¼Ö¦a¼H¼H°µ¯º¡C
"Huh! What does that mean?" / "ó!! ¤°»ò·N¿×?"
"You've been wondering ever since you found out, haven't you? / "
§A¬Oı±o©_©Ç¥Ñ§A³Qµo²{,¤£¬O¶Ü? ¦Ü¤µ
Of course you have -- they all do." / ·íµM§A¦³ -- ¥LÌ¥þ³¡°µ¡C"
Ken recoiled at the sudden venom in hir voice, "Wonder what?"
/ ªÖ®¦¦b hir Ánµªº¬ðµM¬r²G°h«o," ©_Âݤ°»ò"?
"What its like to fuck a freak." Hir voice grew sick and hateful,
"What have I got, what do I have.. What would it feel like for me
to Change during.. Well I'm not giving you the satisfaction!" / "
¤°»ò¥¦ªº³ßÅw©Ê¥æ¤@Ó·î§Î¤H". Hir ÁnµÅܤ£µÎªA©M¼¨«ë," ¤°»ò±o¨ì§Ú,§Ú¦³¤°»ò¡C¡C ¥¦±N·|·Pı°_¨Ó¹³¤°»òÅý§Ú§ïÅܦbªº®ÉÔ¡C¡C
«Ü¦n¦a§Ú¨S¦³¦bµ¹§Aº¡¨¬!"
Ken gagged, "I... never.. NO! I didn't think that!" He got up
and stomped around the room, agitated, "I've always been taught to
protect and look after my team mates.. I guess some of that is tranferring
to you.." "A likely story," s/he spat. / ªÖ®¦¶ëª«©ó¤f¤¤,"§Ú¡C¡C¡C
±q¤£¡C¡C ¤£! §Ú¨S¦³·Q¨º!" ¥L¦b©Ð¶¡ªº©P³ò°_§É¦Ó¥B¸ö,¨Ï "·n°Ê,§ÚÁ`¬O¤w¸g³Q±Ð«OÅ@¨Ã¥B·Ó®Æ§Úªº¤p²ÕªB¤Í¡C¡C §Ú²q´ú¤@¨Ç¨º¬O¹ï§A
tranferring¡C¡C" "¤@Ó¦³¥i¯àªº¬G¨Æ",s/¥L»´¥´¡C
Ken sank into a chair, staring aghast at hir, "You're in pain.. /
¶i¤J¤@±i´È¤l¤§¤ºªºªÖ®¦¬~ª«¼Ñ, ¾®µøªº¤j¬°¾_Å媺¦b hir,"§A¬OµhWªº¡C¡C
of some kind.. and I can't fix it. I want to, but I don't know how.."
/ ¤@¨ÇÃþ«¬¡C¡C ¦Ó¥B§Ú¤£¯à©T©w¥¦¡C §Ú·Qn¨ì, ¦ý¬O§Ú¤£ª¾¹D¦p¦ó¡C¡C"
Katze's face changed from a malicious glare to a puzzled expression as
/ Katze's ªºÁy±qÃh´c·Nªº°{Ä£¥úÅܦ¨³Q§x´bªºªí¹F·í°µ
Ken continued, "I lost Joe because I couldn't figure out how to fix
him.. I blocked off all the rest of the team because I was scared to lose
them.." "I didn't ask you to fix me, Gatchaman." / ªÖ®¦Ä~Äò,"¦]¬°§ÚµLªk²z¸Ñ¸Ó¦p¦ó©T©w¥L¡A©Ò¥H§Ú¥¢¥h¤F³ì¡C¡C
¦]¬°§Ú³QÅåÀ~¥¢¥h¥LÌ¡A©Ò¥H§Ú«ÊÂê¤p²Õªº©Ò¦³¨ä¾lªÌ¡C¡C" "§Ú¨S¦³n¨D§A©T©w§Ú,Gatchaman".
"I know," Ken's voice was strangled, "I guess I'm going
about this all wrong.. I don't know.." He got up and grabbed his
gun, "I'm... / "§Úª¾¹D",ªÖ®¦ªºÁnµ³Q°Ç¦º ",§Ú²q´ú§Ú¥¿¦b¥þ³¡¿ù»~³B²z³o¡C¡C §Ú¤£ª¾¹D¡C¡C"¥L°_§É¦Ó¥B§ì¨ú¤F¥Lªººj
",§Ú¬O¡C¡C¡C
gonna go for a walk. I'll be back in a bit.." / ¥h¥h´²¨B¡C §Ú±N¬O¤@ÂIÂIªºI±¡C¡C"
Katze's puzzled frown deepened as Ken's words sank in, "But.. / ·íªÖ®¦©Ò»¡ªº¸Ü¨I¸¨ªº®ÉÔ¡A³Q§x´b½K¬Üªº
Katze's ¥[²`¦b,"¦ý¬O¡C¡C
we're enemies.. You hate me.. tried to kill me.." / §Ú̬O¼Ä¤H¡C¡C §A¼¨«ë§Ú¡C¡C
¸ÕµÛ±þ§Ú¡C¡C"
"We were.. I'm not sure what the hell we are now. There's some ointment
in the medikit in the bathroom.. Your skin could use it," he opened
the door, "... I just don't know." / "§Ú̬O¡C¡C §Ú¤£½T©w§Ú̬O²{¦b¤°»ò¦aº»¡C
¦b¯D«Ç¤¤ªº medikit ¤¤¦³¤@¨ÇÃÄ»I¡C¡C §Aªº¥Ö½§¥i¥H¨Ï¥Î¥¦,"¥L¥´¶}¤Fªù ",.¡C¡C §Ú´N¬O¤£ª¾¹D¡C"
Katze stared at the door for a long time, then pulled the blankets around
hir head and lay awake for a while, trying to figure that all out. / Katze
¨nµÛªù¬Ý¦³«Üªøªº¤@¬q®É¶¡, µM«á¦b hir ÀYªº©P³ò©Ô¤ò´à¦Ó¥Bµ±³ê¿ô¤@°}¤l, ¹Á¸Õ¦b¥~¥þ³¡ºtºâ¨º¡C
Ken wandered the unfamiliar streets, thinking of the recent events.
[Joe, where the hell are you when I need you.. You most likely wouldn't
be in this situation. You'd've just killed hir.] He kicked a stone, [If
s/he can be killed. After what I've seen, I'm not so sure. / ªÖ®¦¹C¿º¤£¼ô±xªºµó¹D,·Q¨ì³Ìªñªº¨Æ¥ó¡C
[³ì,·í§Ú»Ýn§Aªº®ÉÔ¦bþ¸Ì¬O§A¡C¡C §A«Ü¦³¥i¯à±N¤£¬O¦b³o¤@ºØ±¡§Î¤¤¡C You'd've èè±þ¤F hir ¡C]¥L½ð¤F¤@¶ô¥ÛÀY,[ ¦pªG s/¥L¯à³Q±þ¡C
¦b§Ú¤w¸g¬Ý¨ìªº¤§«á¡A§Ú¤£¬O¦p¦¹½T«H¡C
Kamisama, why did s/he do that to hirself? Does it have something to do
with what s/he's trying to prevent?] / Kamisama, ¬°¤°»ò s/¥L°µ¨ºµ¹ hirself? ¥¦¦³¬Y¨Æ°µ¥Ñ©ó¤°»ò
s/¥L¥¿¦b¹Á¸ÕÁקK?]
He stared up at the moon. [Nearly full. When was the last time we'd had
a moon-viewing party? It must have been before Jinpei's birthday. Joe
and Ryu got so smashed.. and they kept spiking Jun's drink,] Ken smiled
at the memory, then the smile vanished, [I'll never party with you guys
again. You're dead, imploded along with our entire world, and I got trapped
in the past with our enemy. You haven't even been born yet and when you
are, I'll be too old..] Ken sank down against a wall, tears rolling down
his cheeks. / ¥Lª`µø¦b¤ë«G¤W±¡C [´X¥G§¹¥þ¡C §Ú̦³Á|¦æ¤F¤@Ӭݤë«GªºÄҳ̫á¤@¦¸¬O¦ó®É? ¥¦¤@©wn¤w¸g¦b Jinpei's
ªº¥Í¤é¤§«e¡C ³ì©M Ryu ³o»ò±o¨ì¯»¸H¡C¡C ¦Ó¥B¥LÌ«O«ù¤F°{À餻¤ëªº¶¼®Æ,]ªÖ®¦¦b°O¾Ð·L¯º,µM«á·L¯º®ø¥¢,[ §Ú±N±q¤£Äҥѩó§A¦A¤@¦¸¥Î¤ä¯Á¼µ¦í¡C
§A¦º,³s¦P§Ú̪º¾ãÓ¥@¬É¤@°_¤º¯}¡A¦Ó¥B§Ú¹L¥h©M§Ú̪º¼Ä¤H³´¤J§x¹Ò¤F¡C §A¤´µM¨S¦³¬Æ¦Ü³Q¥X¥Í¡A¦Ó¥B·í§A¬Oªº®ÉÔ, §Ú±N¤Ó¡C¡C]ªÖ®¦¤Ï¹ï¤@±Àð¾À¨I¸¨¤U¨Ó,¬y²\ºu°Ê¤U¨Ó¥LªºÀU¡C
Sunrise found Ken knocking on the door of their room, having forgotten
the key. After a few minutes, it was opened by a sleepy, scruffy mutant
with a sheet wrapped around hir body. / ¤é¥Xµo²{ªÖ®¦¼²¥L̪º©Ð¶¡ªù, ¦³§Ñ°OÆ_°Í¡C ¦b¼Æ¤ÀÄÁ¤§«á¡A¥¦³Q¥Î¦b
hir ¨Å骺©P³ò³Q¥]¸Ëªº±i¥´¶}³Q¤@Óµt¥F¤S¤£¾ã»ôªº¬ðÅܲ§ºØ¡C
"Sorry I woke you," Ken whispered, slipping quickly through
the door, "I forgot the damned key." / " Ãø¹Lªº§Ú³ê¿ô¤F§A",ªÖ®¦¦Õ»y,«Ü§Ö¦a¸g¹Lªù·ÆË
",§Ú§Ñ°O¤F¸Ó¦ºªºÆ_°Í".
S/he closed the door behind him silently. Ken sat down on a chair and
kicked off his shoes, laying his gun on the table. "What did you
mean by all of that?" s/he asked presently. / S/¥LÀqÀq¦aÃö³¬¤F¦b¥L«á±ªºªù¡C ªÖ®¦§¤¦b¤@±i´È¤l¤W¦Ó¥B½ð¨«¥Lªº¾c¤l,©ñ¸m¦b®à¤l¤Wªº¥Lºj¡C
" §A·N¿×¤°»ò³Q¨º¥þ³¡"? s/¥L¥Ø«e°Ý¡C
Ken sighed, exhausted, "By what, exactly?" / ªÖ®¦¼Û®§,¥ÎºÉ,"
³Q¤°»ò,§¹¥þ"?
S/he sat on the bed, the sheet still tightly around hir, "What you
said." / S/¥L§¤¦b§É¤W, ±i¤´µMºòºò¦a¦b hir ªº©P³ò," ¤°»ò§A»¡".
"I don't know," Ken sighed hard, "I'm sorry. I came a little
unglued. The last few months have been pretty stressful and this.."
he waved his hand to take in everything that had happened to them, "Is
kinda more than I can take.." / "§Ú¤£ª¾¹D",ªÖ®¦§V¤O¦a¼Û®§ ",¹ï¤£°_¡C
§Úµy·L¨Ó¤£ÂH¡C ³Ìªñ´X¤ë¤w¸g¬O¬Û·íÀ£¤O¤jªº©M³o¡C¡C"¥L´§»R¤F¥Lªº¤â±µ¨ü¤w¸gµo¥Í¦b¥L̨¤Wªº¨C¥ó¨Æª« ", ¦³¤@ÂI¶W¹L§Ú¯à±a¡C¡C"
S/he looked away, "Oh." / S/¥L¬ÝÂ÷¶},"®@".
He sensed that s/he seemed to want something, but wasn't sure what. "Do
you.. want me to put some of that ointment on your back?" he offered
lamely. S/he shrugged and nodded, so Ken got up, stretched and popped
a few joints, then shuffled to the bathroom to get the stuff. / ¥L·Pı¨º s/
¥L¦ü¥G·Qn¬Y¨Æ, ¦ý¬O¤£½T©w¤°»ò¡C "°µ§A¡C¡C ·Qn§ÚÀ¹¤W¤@¨ÇÃÄ»I§AªºI³¡?"¥L¤@¿a¤@©ä¦a´£¨Ñ¡C S/¥LÁqªÓ¦Ó¥BÂIÀY¡A¦]¦¹¡AªÖ®¦°_§É,
¦ù®i¦Ó¥B¨ú¥X¤@¨Ç±µ¦X, µM«á©ì¦²¨ì¯D«Ç±o¨ì¨Æ±¡¡C
The mutant rolled onto hir belly, rearranging the sheet to expose hir
back. / ¬ðÅܲ§ºØ¦b hir ¤§¤W±²¸¡, ¦A¦w±Æ±i¼ÉÅS hir I±¡C
Ken hissed, "God, Katze.." He sat down and took off his shirt
to avoid dragging the coarse material across the open wounds. They were
already healing well, but many were still raw. He squeezed out some ointment
and daubed it on the least abused spot. / ªÖ®¦µo¥X¼NÁn,"¤W«Ò¡A Katze¡C¡C"¥L§¤¤U¦Ó¥B²æ±¼¥LªºÅ¨mÁקK©ì©Ô¾î¹L¶}©ñªº³Ð¶Ë²ÊÁWªº§÷®Æ¡C
¥L̤w¸g¥¿¦bªv¡±o¦n¡A¦ý¬O¦h¼Æ¤´µM¬O¥Íªº¡C ¥L¦bÀݥΦaÂIªº³Ì¤Ö¤Wºò´¤¥X¤@¨ÇÃÄ»I¦Ó¥B¶î©Ù¥¦¡C
"What?" / "¤°»ò"?
"Your back." / "§AªºI³¡".
S/he shrugged, "It's normal." / S/¥LÁqªÓ,"¥¦¬O±`ºA" ¡C
"Katze, this is *not* normal!" / "Katze, ³o¬O *¤£*±`ºA"!
After a long silence, "It is for me." / ¦b¤@°}ªøªº¨HÀq¤§«á¡A " ¥¦¬Oµ¹§Ú"
¡C
"Well then I need to redefine your view of 'normal'," Ken declared,
continuing to hiss and make noises as he treated hir wounds. / "µM«á«Ü¦n¦a§Ú»Ýn«·s©w¸q§Aªº
'±`ºA' ªºµø³¥",ªÖ®¦«Å§G, Ä~Äò·í¥L¹ï«Ý¤F hir ³Ð¶Ë¡Aµo¥X¼NÁn¦Ó¥B»s³y¾¸µ¡C
S/he craned hir head over hir shoulder to peer back at him with a funny
expression. "How're your legs? Here, give me one.." S/he gave
him another unfathomable expression and exposed a leg. "The welts
aren't as bad here.. oooo this one will hurt. At least none of these are
really bad, not like your arms.. Just welts, really," Ken finished
hir legs and extended a hand, "How about your arms?" He clucked
as s/he extended the forearm s/he had scrubbed the skin off of. He treated
it, the rest of hir arm, and the other arm, until he had dabbed ointment
on almost every inch of hir. / S/ ¥L craned hir ¦b hir ¤§¤W«e¶iªÓ¦V«á¦a¦b¥L¥H¦n¯ºªºªí¹F¾®µø¡C
" How're §Aªº»L? ³o¸Ì,µ¹§Ú¤@¡C¡C"S/¥Lµ¹¤©¤F¥L¥t¥~Ãø´úªºªí¹F¦Ó¥B¼ÉÅS¤F¤@°¦»L¡C " ºuÃä¬O¤£¦pÃaªº¦b³o¸Ì¡C¡C
oooo ³o¤@Ó±N¶Ë®`¡C ¦Ü¤Ö¨S¦³¤H³o¨Ç¯uªºÃa, ¤£¹³§Aªº¤âÁu¡C¡C ¶È¶È¤W±µÁ_¥Ö,¯uªº¡A "ªÖ®¦§¹¦¨¤F hir »L¦Ó¥B©µ¦ù¤F¤@°¦¤â
",§Aªº¤â«ç»ò¼Ë?" ¥L«£«£¥s·í s/¥L©µ¦ù¤F«eÁu s/ ¥L¤w¸g¨«¶}¥Î¤OÀ¿¬~¥Ö½§¡C ¥L¹ï«Ý¤F¥¦¡A hir ¤âÁuªº¨ä¾lªÌ¡A¦Ó¥B¥t¤@ÓªZ¸Ë,ª½¨ì¥L¤w¸g»´©ç¦b´X¥G¨C¦Tªº
hir ¤WªºÃÄ»I¡C
"Well," he said finally, "That's everything, except for
your chest and, uh, pelvis.. I'll duck into the bathroom if you want to
do those.." / "¶â" ¡A¥L³Ì«á»¡ ",¨º¬O¨C¥ó¨Æª«, °£¤F§Aªº¯Ý¥H¥~©M,uh ¡A°©½L¡C¡C
¦pªG§A·Qn°µ¨º¨Ç¡A§Ú±N¸ú¶i¯D«Ç¡C¡C"
".......Alright." / ".......¦nªº¡C"
Ken touched hir cheek briefly, "At least they didn't get your face."
/ ªÖ®¦Â²µu¦a¸I¨ì¤F hir ÀU,"¦Ü¤Ö¥L̨S¦³±o¨ì§AªºÁy" ¡C
Katze shook hir head, "I never scrubbed my face off. Too noticeable.
Soosai would complain." / Katze ·n°Ê¤F hir ÀY,"§Ú±q¤£¨«¶}¥Î¤OÀ¿¬~¤F§ÚªºÁy¡C ¤Ó¤Þ¤Hª`¥Øªº¡C
Soosai ±N·|©ê«è¡C"
Ken got up and moved to the bathroom, "No I meant.. uh.. it.. / ªÖ®¦°_§É¦Ó¥B·h¨ì¯D«Ç,"
¨S¦³§Ú·N¿×¡C¡C uh¡C¡C ¥¦¡C¡C
kinda grows on you." He ducked out with a wink. / ¦³¤@ÂIªø¦b§A¤W¡C"¥L¥H¯w²´¸úÁסC
Katze thought about that one for a moment, spreading ointment across hir
breasts. / Katze ·Q¨º¤@Ó¤@·|¨à,¾î¹L¶Ç§GÃÄ»I hir ¯Ý³¡¡C
"How's it coming?" Ken called as s/he spread ointment between
hir thighs. Hastily s/he slithered back under the blankets, "Done."
/ " ¦p¦ó¥¦¨ÓÁ{"? ªÖ®¦©I¥s¦p s/ ¥L¦b hir ¤j»L¤§¶¡ªºÂX©µÃÄ»I¡C ¥^¦£¦a s/¥L¦V«á¦a¦b¤ò´à¤§¤U³s¨«±a¶]¦a·Æ,°µ¡C
He came out and inspected hir, poking a shoulder and touching hir arm,
"The goop's sinking in well. Your skin is drying already," he
smiled at hir. S/he just looked at him. "I still wish I could heal
like that. But does it ever get.. um.. used up? Like you've done too much?"
/ ¥L¥X¨Ó¦Ó¥BÀˬd¤F hir,¼·¶}¤@ÓªÓ©M¸IIJ hir ªZ¸Ë," goop's ªº¨H¨S¦b«Ü¦n¦a¡C §Aªº¥Ö½§¥¿¦b¤w¸g§Ë°®,"¥L¦b
hir ·L¯º¡C S/¥Lèè¬Ý¥L¡C "§Ú¤´µMÄ@§Ú¥i¥H¹³¨º¤@¼Ëªv¡¡C ¦ý¬O¥¦´¿¸g±o¨ì¶Ü¡C¡C um¡C¡C ¥Î¥ú ? ¬Û¦üªº§A¤w¸g°µ¤Ó¦h?"
"Oh yes." / " ®@¬Oªº".
Ken frowned, "Hmm. How much do you have left? Or is it a definate
kind of thing?" he examined hir leg, noticing that hir shins were
fading to pink patches. / ªÖ®¦½K¬ÜÀY,"Hmm¡C §A¤w¸g¯d¤U¦h¤Ö©O? ©Î¬O¥¦¤@Өƪ«ªº definate
Ãþ«¬?"¥L½Õ¬d¤F hir »L,ª`·N hir ¥~×H¥¿¦b®É©|¨ì¯»¬õªº¸H®h¡C
"The last two years I'd been Changing much too frequently,"
/ " ³Ì«á¤G¦~§Ú¤w¸g§ó¥[¤Ó®É±`§ïÅÜ",
Katze replied hesitantly, "I'm not at my limit yet but I soon will
be. / Katze ¿ðºÃ¦aµªÂÐ,"§Ú¤´µM¤£¦b§Úªº¨î¡A¦ý¬O§Ú«Ü§Ö±N¬O¡C
I'm hoping I won't have to Change again for a while." / §Ú§Æ±æ§Ú±N¤£¶·¦A¤@¦¸¤@°}¤l§ïÅÜ¡C"
Ken looked at hir, studying hir face, "So Changing.. happens when
you get hurt too badly?" / ªÖ®¦¬Ý hir,¾Ç²ß hir ±¹ï,"¦p¦¹§ïÅÜ¡C¡C ·í§A¤ÓÄY«±o¨ì¶Ë®`ªº®ÉÔ¡Aµo¥Í?"
"Sometimes," Katze studied his face with equal intensity. /
"¦³®É" ¡A Katze ¥Î¬Ûµ¥ªº±j¯P¾Ç²ß¥LªºÁy¡C
"Well we can control that aspect - the not getting hurt part,"
/ " «Ü¦n¦a§Ú̯౱¨î¨º¤@Ó¤è± - ¨º¤£®³³¡¥÷µ¹¶Ë®`",
Ken said decisively, then noticed the clock, "Shimatta.. its almost
eight. I'm beat.. I know I woke you; do you feel like going back to sleep?"
S/he nodded and Ken smiled, relieved, "Good. Umm.. where do you want
me? Ah.. um.. on the floor?.. or.." / ªÖ®¦¨M©w©Ê¦a»¡,µM«áª`·N¤F®ÉÄÁ,"Shimatta¡C¡C
¥¦ªº´X¥G¤K¡C §Ú¬O¥´¡C¡C §Úª¾¹D§Ú³ê¿ô¤F§A; §A·Qn¦^¥hºÎı?"S/¥LÂIÀY¡A¦Ó¥BªÖ®¦·L¯º,¦pÄÀ«t ",¦nªº¡C Umm¡C¡C
§A¦bþùØ·Qn©O§Ú? °Ú¡C¡C um¡C¡C ¦b¦aªO¤W?¡C¡C ©Î¡C¡C"
S/he shrugged, mystified, "Wherever." / S/¥LÁqªÓ,¯«¯¦¤Æ,"µL½×¨º¸Ì".
"Um.. my back's pretty sore.. Would you mind if I stayed in the bed..?"
/ "Um¡C¡C §ÚªºI³¡¬Û·í¯kµh¡C¡C ¬O§_§Ú°±¯d¦b§É¤¤¡A§A±N·|¤¶·N¶Ü¡C¡C?"
"You didn't have a problem with it the other night." / "§A«e´X¤Ñ±ß¤W¨S¦³¥¦ªº°ÝÃD"
¡C
"Uhh.." / "Uhh¡C¡C"
"I'll still steal the sheets, though." / "¦ý¬O,§Ú±N¤´µM°½±i"
¡C
"..I'll stay on my side.." / ".¡C§Ú±N°±¯d¦b§Úªº¨Ãä¤W¡C¡C"
S/he shrugged. / S/¥LÁqªÓ¡C
"Unless... umm.. you need.." Ken blushed furiously. Katze looked
at him, not comprehending. "Are.. are you okay? I mean.. your hormones..
If you, uh.. " / "°£«D¡C¡C¡C umm¡C¡C §A»Ýn¡C¡C"ªÖ®¦¨g¼É¦aÁy¬õ¡C Katze ¬Ý¥L,
¤£¤F¸Ñ¡C "¬O¡C¡C §A¬O¦n¶Ü? §Ú·N¿×¡C¡C §Aªº²üº¸»X¡C¡C ¦pªG§A,uh¡C¡C "
Katze clued in, turning a slight shade of pink hirself, "Oh! / Katze
½u¯Á¦b,Âà¤@Ó¯»¬õ hirself ªº·L¤p½®²D³B,"®@!
Mm.. yes. You were.. touching me.. after all." / ¤½Âç¡C¡C ¬Oªº¡C §A¬O¡C¡C ¸IIJ§Ú¡C¡C
²¦³º¡C"
Ken turned scarlet, "Oh god I'm sorry!! I didn't mean to.. to cause
you.. problems..!" Katze stared at him for a few minutes, then abruptly
burst into giggles. "What? What's so funny?" / ªÖ®¦Åܪδ´¦âªº,"
®@¯«¹ï¤£°_!! §Ú¤£¬O¬G·Nn¡C¡C ¤Þ°_§A¡C¡C °ÝÃD¡C¡C!" Katze ¨nµÛ¥L¬Ý¼Æ¤ÀÄÁ, µM«á¬ðµM¦aÃzµõ¶i¤J¦Y¦Y¦a¯º¤§¤º¡C "¤°»ò?
¤°»ò¬O¦p¦¹¦n¯º?"
"Kuso," s/he chortled, "You act like you're.. *Are* you
a virgin?" / "Kuso",s/¥L«£«£¯º ", §A¦æ°Ê°_¨Ó¹³§A¤@¼Ë¬O¡C¡C *¬O* §A¤@Ó³B¤k?"
"Nan..?? NO!" Ken's face went through every shade of red in
the spectrum, "I just didn't have a whole lot of time to.. well..
pursue more than a few relationships." He withdrew into a humiliated
ball. / "Nan¡C¡C?? ¤£!"ªÖ®¦ªºÁy¸g¹L¥úÃЪº¬õ¦â¨CÓ½®²D³B ", §Ú´N¬O¨S¦³®É¶¡ªº«Ü¦h¨ì¡C¡C ´é¥X¡C¡C
°l¨D¶W¹L¤@¨ÇÃö«Y¡C"¥L¶i¤J¤@Ó¥áÁyªº²y¤§¤ººM¦^¡C
"I'm sorry," Katze touched his hand gently, "I'm used to
guys pontificating about how good they are in bed and trying to impress
me. / "¹ï¤£°_",Katze ³vº¥¦a¸IIJ¤F¥Lªº¤â ", §Ú²ßºD©ó³Ã¥ë¸Ë¼Ò§@¼Ëªº»¡¸ÜÃö©ó¦p¦ó¦nªº¥L̦bºÎı¦Ó¥B¹Á¸Õ¨Ï§Ú·P°Ê¡C
I've never had one practically gibbering in terror before," s/he
grinned and then looked thoughtful, "At least.. not before I got
started." / §Ú±q¥¼¥H«e¹ê»Ú¦a¦³¤@¦b®£©Æ¤¤³ã³ã¤£¥ð¦a»¡¼o¸Ü,"s/¥LÅS¾¦¦Ó¯ºµM«á¬Ý°_¨Ó²`«ä ",¦Ü¤Ö¡C¡C
¤£¦b§Ú¤§«e±o¨ì¶}©l¡C"
Ken blinked, "What... What do you mean, 'before you got started'?"
/ ªÖ®¦¯w²´,"¤°»ò¡C¡C¡C §A·N¿×¤°»ò,' ¦b§A±o¨ì¶}©l¤§«e'?"
S/he saw his apprehensive look and waved reassuringly, "Oh, don't
worry. I won't do that to you. I promise." / S/¥L¥O¤H¦w¤ß¦a¬Ý¨£¤F¥Lªº´m´m¤£¦wªº¯«±¡¦Ó¥B´§»R,"®@,¤£·Ð´o¡C
§Ú±N¤£°µ¨ºµ¹§A¡C §ÚµªÀ³¡C"
Ken quirked an eyebrow and touched hir shoulder, blushing slightly, "Just..
don't rub it in if I'm too pathetic, okay?" / ªÖ®¦©_¨Æ¤F¬Ü¤ò©Mºë¯«¥¢±`ªº hir ªÓ,¨Ç·L¦aÁy¬õ,"¥¿ª½ªº¡C¡C
¤£nÀ¿¥¦¦b¦pªG§Ú¤Ó´d«sªº,¦n?"
S/he giggled, "Okay." / S/¥L¦Y¦Y¦a¯º,"¦n" ¡C
Ken swallowed and leaned closer, their lips touching gently. / ¤ñ¸û¾aªñªº³Q§]¦Ó¥BʾaªºªÖ®¦,¥L̪º³vº¥¦a¸IIJ
ªº®B¡C
It hadn't been his first time, but it had felt like it, Ken mused. He
sat under the shade of a coffee shop awning, sipping sweet / ¥¦¨S¦³¬O¥Lªº²Ä¤@®É¶¡¡A¦ý¬O¥¦³Q¦³¹³¥¦¤@¼Ëªº¤òÀÖ,ªÖ®¦¨I«ä¡C
¥L¦b©@°Ø©±¾B¶§ÁOªº½®²D³B¤§¤U§¤,°ã¶¼²¢»e
Greek coffee, his pastry untouched. Across the square, Katze sat on a
scarf playing the flute, a growing pile of coins at hir feet. Ken toyed
with his cup, his eyes drawn to his hands. / §Æþªº©@°Ø, ¥¼Ä²¤Îªº¥LÄѯ»¿|»æ¡C ¶V¹L¥¿¤è§Î¡A
Katze §¤¦b¤@Ó§j²Ã ªº³ò¤y¤W,¦b hir ¸}ªºµw¹ô¦¨ªø°ï¡C ªÖ®¦¥H¥LªºªM¤lª±§Ë,¥Lªº³Qµe¨ì¥Lªº¤â²´·ú¡C
He was so embarrassed by his hands. They were calloused and rough, the
knuckles broken from bashing too many Galactor jaws. Between his duties
as a Science Ninja and his maintenance of his plane, they were covered
in thick scar tissue. His hands were rough and untutored, totally unsuitable
to caressing ivory skin. / ¥L³Q¥Lªº¤â¦p¦¹§xµ~¡C ¥L̬OÅܱoµL±¡ªº©M²ÊÁWªº,³Q±q«ã¼Þ¤Ó¦h Galactor ¤f¥´¯}ªº«ü¸`¡C
¦b¥Lªº³d¥ô¤§¶¡¦p¥Lªº¸¾÷¤@Ó¬ì¾Ç§ÔªÌ©M¥LªººûÅ@¡A¥L̦b«pªº¬Í²ªÁ¡ªº¯½Â´«~¤¤³Q²[»\¡C ¥Lªº¤â¬O²ÊÁWªº©M¥¼¨ü±Ð¨|ªº, §¹¥þ¦a¤£¾A¦Xªº¨ì·R¼¾ªº¶H¤ú»sªº¥Ö½§¡C
He glanced at hir. Dressed as s/he was, in frayed jeans and a batik shirt,
s/he looked quite androgynous. S/he wasn't. S/he was female, definately
female. Ken blushed: His previous girlfriends (all two of them) hadn't
let him do that, they thought it was gross. Katze had liked it. Katze
had reciprocated and Ken squashed *that* memory down fast: It wouldn't
do to get an erection, here. He picked up his pastry and ate it. They
had done it again, upon waking. S/he had finally told him about hir fluxes
and Ken had picked hir brains about how to take care of hir. He was determined
to take care of hir. / ¥Lª`µø hir ¡C ¦b¿i·lªº¤û¥J¿Ç©M¤@¥ó¥ÎÄú¬V¦âªkŨm¤¤¬ïµÛ¦p s/ ¥L,¬O s/¥L¬Ý°_¨Ó¬Û·í»Û¶¯¦PÅé¡C
S/¥L¤£¬O¡C S/¥L¬O¤k©Êªº,©ú½T¦a¤k©Ê¡C ªÖ®¦Áy¬õ: ¥Lªº¥ý«e¤kªB¤Í (¥L̤GÓ¥þ³¡³£) ¨S¦³¨Ï¥L°µ¨º,¥LÌ·Q¤F¥¦¬OÁ`¼Æ¡C Katze ¤w¸g³ßÅw¥¦¡C
Katze ¤w¸g³øµª¡A¦Ó¥BªÖ®¦À£«ó *¨º* °O¾Ð¤U¨Ó§Ö³t: ¦b³o¸Ì¥¦±N¤£°µ±o¨ì¤@Óª½¥ß¡C ¥L¬B°_¥LªºÄѯ»¿|»æ¨Ã¥B¦Y¥¦¡C ¥L̦A¤@¦¸¤w¸g°µ¥¦,¤@¥s¿ô¡C
S/¥L¤w¸g³Q³Ì«á§i¶D¥LÃö©ó hir ¬y¥X¡A¦Ó¥BªÖ®¦¤w¸g¬D¿ï hir ¸£Ãö©ó¸Ó¦p¦ó·ÓÅU hir ªº¨Æ¡C ¥L¨M©w·ÓÅU hir ¡C
Katze sat on hir cloth, playing hir flute. S/he hadn't done so with the
intention of getting money, but s/he wasn't about to refuse the appreciation
of hir talent. S/he scanned the market again. When they'd stepped into
the market square, the wave of nausea and deja vu had nearly brought hir
to hir knees: They weren't late. They were right on time. / Katze §¤¦b hir
¥¬®Æ¤W,ª± hir ²Ã¡C S/¥L¨S¦³¥H±o¨ì¿úªº·N¹Ï³o»ò°µ, ¦ý¬O s/¥L¤£¥´ºâ©Úµ´ hir ¤~¯àªº½àÃÑ¡C S/¥L¦A¤@¦¸±½´y¤F¥«³õ¡C ·í¥L̤w¸g¶i¤J¥«³õ¥¿¤è§Î¤§¤º½ñªº®ÉÔ,¤ÏGªºªi®ö©M¦ü´¿¬ÛÃѤw¸g³Q´X¥G±a
hir ¥h hir ½¥: ¥L̤£¿ð¨ì¡C ¥L̷ǮɬO¥¿½T¦a¡C
Presently s/he spotted a figure cruising near the vegetable stalls and
a chill ran down hir spine. S/he caught Ken's gaze and flicked hir eyes
towards the vegetable stall meaningfully. Ken followed with a quick glance
of his own, then nodded imperceptibly, his hand checking the position
of his gun. / ¥Ø«e s/¥L¬Ý¨£¤F¤@Ó¦b½µæªº³fÅuªþªñ¨µ¯è ªº¼Æ¦r¡A¦Ó¥B´H§N¶]¤U¨Ó hir ¯á´Õ¡C S/¥L¦³·N¸q¦a¤Þ°_¤FªÖ®¦ªºª`µø¦Ó¥B»´¼u¤F¹ï©ó½µæªº³fÅu
hir ²´·ú¡C ªÖ®¦¥H¥L¦Û¤vªº§Ö¤@¿h¸òÀH, µM«á¤£¥iı¦aÂIÀY,¥LªºÀˬd¥Lªººj¦ì¸m ªº¤â¡C
There were several greasy-looking men at various points around the square,
surreptitiously scanning the market. Katze cudgelled hir memory, seeing
other faces. A Greek mama with a small train of children of various ages
moved through the fruit stalls. Katze caught Ken's eye, jerking hir chin
towards the train of kids. One was taller, pale-skinned and had a cheap
brown rinse already streaking out of his blonde hair. / ¦b¥¿¤è§Îªþªñªº¦UºØ¤£¦PªºÂI¦³¤@¨Ç¬Ý¦üªo¿°ªº¨k¤H,¯¦±K¦a±½´y¥«³õ¡C
Katze ¥Î´Ò´Î¥´¤F hir °O¾Ð,¬Ý¨£¨ä¥LªºÁy¡C ¥Ñ©ó¦UºØ¤£¦P¦~ÄÖªº¤@¦C«Ä¤lªº¤p¤õ¨®ªº¤@Ó§Æþªº¶ý¶ý²¾°Ê¹L¤ôªG³fÅu¡C Katze ¤Þ°_ªÖ®¦ªºª`·N,µjÅ˹ï©ó¤p«Äªº¤õ¨®
hir ¤U¤Ú¡C ¤@¬O¤ñ¸û°ªªº, ¬]Äæé¥Öªº¦Ó¥B¦³«K©yªº½Å¦â±q¥Lªº¥Õ¦âÀY¾v¤w¸g¨R¬~»r©b¡C
Ken left the coffee shop. One of the greasy guys had also noticed the
tall child and nudged his companion. Ken sidled through the crowd, getting
between the children and the goons. The pale boy looked around warily,
his face hiding his fear well. / ªÖ®¦Â÷¶}¤F©@°Ø©±¡C ªo¿°ªº³Ã¥ë¤§¤@¤]¤w¸gª`·N°ªªº«Ä¤l¦Ó¥B¥Î¨y»´±À¥LªºªB¤Í¡C
ªÖ®¦¾îµÛ¨«¹L¸s²³,¦b«Ä¤l©M§b¤l¤§¶¡±o¨ì¡C ¯d¤ß¦a³Q¥|³B¬Ý¬Ýªº»a¥Õ¨k«Ä¡A¥Lªº§â¥L®£ÄßÂño«Ü¦n ªºÁy¡C
Seeing Katze moving to intercept the goons, Ken flipped a coin at a stall
dealer and picked up a guava. Walking casually, he knelt by the boy with
the rinse and offered it to him. [Skinny, scared, but almost the same
face,] Ken thought wonderingly. The boy took the fruit, feigning a happy
smile. Ken straightened up, smiling at him, casting a quick glance at
the situation. Katze had disappeared; the goons had intercepted the mother
and one was distracting her. The boy saw this, smiled and waved at Ken
in a 'farewell, bud' gesture, then started to walk away. People flowed,
cutting the goons off for a brief time. / ¬Ý¨£±Ä¨ú¦æ°Ê¨ÓÄdºI§b¤l ªº Katze,ªÖ®¦¦b¤@Ó³fÅu¸g¾P°Ó¥Î«üÀY¼u¤@Óµw¹ô¨Ã¥B¬B°_¤@Ӫݼ֡C
°¸µM¦a¨B¦æ, ¥L¦³²M¬~ªº¨k«Ä knelt ¦Ó¥B´£¨Ñ¨ìµ¹¥L¡C [Á¡ªº,ÅåÀ~, ¦ý¬O´X¥G¬Û¦PªºÁy,]ªÖ®¦Ä±±o©_©Ç·Q¡C ¨k«Ä±a¤F¤ôªG,°²¸Ë¤@Ó§Ö¼Öªº·L¯º¡C
ªÖ®¦§Ëª½¦b,¤W±¦b¥L·L¯º¡A¦b±¡§Î§ë§Öªº¤@¿h¡C Katze ¤w¸g®ø¥¢; §b¤l¤w¸gÄdºI¥À¿Ë¡A¦Ó¥B¤@¥¿¦bÂಾ¦o¡C ¨k«Ä¦b 'Ãã§O , ªÞ'¤â¶ÕªºªÖ®¦¬Ý¨£¤F³o,
·L¯º¦Ó¥B´§»R, µM«á¶}©l¨«¶}¡C ¤H̬y°Ê, ´î§C§b¤lÂ÷¶}¹ï©ó²µuªº®É¶¡¡C
Ken wasn't sure whom he should pay attention to, the goons or the boy.
He looked around for Katze again, but didn't see hir. The boy was weaving
through the people, but the goons had started to move faster and were
drawing guns. Ken's blood started to hum in his head. / ªÖ®¦¤£½T©w½Ö¥LÀ³¸Óª`·N,§b¤l©Î¨k«Ä¡C
¥L¦A¤@¦¸¬° Katze ¥|³B¬Ý¬Ý, ¦ý¬O¨S¦³¬Ý¨£ hir ¡C ¨k«Ä¬O¸g¹L¤H´°Ê¡A¦ý¬O§b¤l¤w¸g¶}©l²¾°Ê§ó§Ö³t¦a¦Ó¥B¥¿¦bµeºj¡C ªÖ®¦ªº¦å¶}©l¦b¥LªºÀY¤¤µo§CóÁn¡C
The child was running now, as fleetly as hir elder self. Ken cursed and
leaped a barrel to keep him in sight -- it was hard enough keeping up
to the six-foot version. A gunshot panicked the crowd: More goons were
flowing into the square, trying to corner the child. Ken leaped and raced
across a few rooftops, managing to drop behind him. / «Ä¤l¥¿¦b²{¦b¶], ¹³ hir ¦~ªøªÌ¤@¼Ëªº¨³³t¦a¦Û¤vªº¡C
ªÖ®¦¶A©G¦Ó¥B¸õÅD¤F¤@Ó±í§â¥L¯d¦bµø¤O¤¤ -- ¥¦ª½¨ì¤»¸}ªºª©¥»°÷Ãøªº«OºÞ¡C ¤@Ó®gÀ»¨Ï¸s²³®£·W¤F: §ó¦hªº§b¤l¥¿¦b¶i¤J¥¿¤è§Î¤§¤º¬y°Ê, ¹Á¸Õ¢¦Ü¤@¶¨«Ä¤l¡C
ªÖ®¦¸õÅD¦Ó¥B¤ñÁɾî¹L¤@¨Ç«Î³», ³]ªk¦b¥L«á±°§C¡C
He rounded a corner and a large hulking goon appeared before him, cutting
him off. The child panicked and backpedalled, slamming into Ken. Ken seized
him and leaped, kicking the huge man in the head and using him as a vaulting
horse to ascend to the nearest roof. / ¥L§â¤@Ó¨¤¸¨§Ë¶ê¤F¡A¦Ó¥B¤@Ó¤jªº²Â«§b¤l¥X²{¦b¥L¤§«e,¨«¶}¤Á¥L¡C
«Ä¤l®£·W©M backpedalled,²rµM¦a¼²¶iªÖ®¦¡C ªÖ®¦§ì¦í¤F¥L¦Ó¥B¸õÅD, ½ðÀYªº¤j§å¨k¤H¦Ó¥B¥H¥L§@¬°¤@¤Ç¸õªº°¨µn¤W¨ì³Ìªñªº«Î³»¡C
"LET ME GO!" the boy screamed, kicking and struggling. / "Åý§Ú¥h"!
¨k«Ä¦y¥s,½ð©M¾Ä°«¡C
"Quit it!" Ken said, trying to hold the boy and get his gun,
/ "Â÷¶}¥¦"! ªÖ®¦»¡, ¹Á¸Õ®»¦í¨k«Ä¦Ó¥B±o¨ì¥Lªººj,
"I'm not going to hurt you. AOOWW!" The kid sank his teeth into
Ken's forearm. Ken yelped but didn't let go, "Look, kid, I'm one
of the good guys. I'm here to help you get away from them." There
was motion below as several goons dropped in their tracks. / "§Ú¤£±N¶Ë®`§A¡C
AOOWW!"¤p«Ä¨I¸¨¥Lªº¤ú¾¦¶iªÖ®¦ªº«eÁu¤§¤º¡C ªÖ®¦¥s¦ý¬O¨S¦³Åý¥h,"¯«±¡,«¡ÄF,§Ú¬O¦n³Ã¥ë¤§¤@¡C §Ú¦b³o¸ÌÀ°§U§A»·Â÷¥LÌ¡C"·í¤@¨Ç§b¤l°¸µM³y³X¥L̪ºy¹D®ÉÔ¡A¦b¤U±¦³¹B°Ê¡C
"I'm not going back there!" the boy screamed, "I'll die
first! / "§Ú¨S¦³¦b¨º¸Ì¦^¥h"! ¨k«Ä¦y¥s,"§Ú±Nº¥ý¦º!
Lemme go!!" / Lemme ¥h!!"
Ken wrestled with him, "I said I won't hurt you! I'm not here to
take you back there." He looked around for Katze, then remembered
the name s/he had been using, "Montague??" The sounds of a gun
battle rose from the streets. Ken hopped to a higher roof, trying to calm
the boy down. / ªÖ®¦¾Ä°«¥L,"§Ú»¡¤F§Ú±N¤£¶Ë®`§A! §Ú¤£¦b³o¸Ì¦b¨º¸Ì§â§A®³¦^¨Ó¡C"¥L¬° Katze ¥|³B¬Ý¬Ý,µM«á°O±o¤F¦W¦r
s/¥L¤w¸g¨Ï¥Î ",Montague??"ºj¾ÔªºÁnµ±qµó¹D¤W¤É¡C ªÖ®¦³æ¸}¸õ¨ì¸û°ªªº«Î³», ¹Á¸Õ¨Ï¨k«ÄÂí©w¤U¨Ó¡C
"Lemme go! Bastard!" kick, stomp, fight, "Lemme go!!"
/ "Lemme ¥h! ¨p¥Í¤l!"½ð¡A¸ö¸},¹ï§Ü ",Lemme ¥h!!"
"Kuso! Will you hold still.. Jellylorum?! MONTAGUE, WHERE ARE / "Kuso!
§A±N«O«ùÀR¤î¶Ü¡C¡C Jellylorum?! MONTAGUE, ¦bþ¸Ì¬O
YOU??" Sirens and police started to flow into the square. / §A??"¤k®ü§¯©Mĵ¹î¶}©l¶i¤J¥¿¤è§Î¤§¤º¬y°Ê¡C
"Will you shut up?" / "§A±N³¬¼L¶Ü"?
Ken swore at Katze's sudden appearance, "Took you long enough. /
ªÖ®¦¦b Katze's ªº¬ðµM¥~ªí©G½|,"±a¤F§Aªøªº¥R¨¬¡C
Here, you take him.. brat bit me!" / ¦b³o¸Ì¡A§A±a¥L¡C¡C ¨Å¯ä¥¼°®ªº¤p«Ä«r¤F§Ú!"
"Well of course he did, he's terrified," Katze looked down at
hir younger self, "Berg Katze, come: We're not safe yet. They're
sending reinforcements." / "«Ü¦n¦a·íµM¥L°µ,¥L³QÅåÀ~",Katze ©¹¤U¬Ý hir
¦~¬ö¸û¤pªÌ¦Û¤v ",¦B¤s Katze,¨Ó: §Ṳ́´µM¤£¬O¦w¥þªº¡C ¥LÌ¥¿¦b°e¼W±j¡C"
The boy went so white Ken was afraid he'd faint, "H..hh... how do
you know my name???" "I know everything about you, Berg Katze.
Including where you come from and where they want you to return."
/ ¨k«Ä¥h¦p¦¹¥Õ¦âªÖ®¦«Ü®`©È¥L±N·|©üË,"H¡C¡Chh¡C¡C¡C §A¦p¦óª¾¹D§Úªº¦W¦r???" "§Úª¾¹DÃö©ó§Aªº¨C¥ó¨Æª«¡A¦B¤s
Katze ¡C ¥]¬A§A¨Ó¦Ûªº¦a¤è©M¥LÌ·QnÂkÁÙªº§Aþ¸Ì¡C"
"What do you want?" the child's voice was terrified, staring
at / " §A·Qn¤°»ò"? «Ä¤lªºÁnµ³QÅåÀ~,¨nµÛ¬Ý
Katze's face. / Katze's ªºÁy¡C
"To get you out." / " ±o¨ì¥X§A".
A bullet narrowly missed Ken's ear. "Kuso.. Things are getting a
little hot. Can you handle him?" / ¤@Ó¤l¼u¯U¯¶¦a¿ù¹L¤FªÖ®¦ªº¦Õ¦·¡C "Kuso¡C¡C
¨Æª«¥¿¦bµy·L¼ö±o¨ì¡C §A¯à³B²z¥L¶Ü?"
Katze looked at him with amusement, "No." / Katze ¥H®T¼Ö¬Ý¥L,"¸¹½X"
"Great," Ken rolled his eyes, "I don't want to have to
knock him out, but.." He broke off as the child slammed his foot
into Ken's instep, then bolted. "Kuso!!! Great, just great!"
/ "¤j®v",ªÖ®¦±²¤F¥Lªº²´·ú ",§Ú¤£·Qn¥²¶·ºVÀ»¥X¥L,¦ý¬O¡C¡C"·í²rµMÃö¤W¥Lªº¸}¶iªÖ®¦ªº¸}I¤§¤ºªº«Ä¤l,µM«á¬¦íªº®ÉÔ¡A¥L¤¤Â_¡C
"Kuso!!! ¤j®v,¥¿ª½ªº¤j®v!"
"You cover me, I'll cover the younger," Katze took off at full
speed. Ken limped along as best he could, spouting curses. / "§A²[»\§Ú,§Ú±N²[»\¦~¬ö¸û¤pªÌ",
Katze ¥H¥þ³t°_¸¡C ªÖ®¦¦V«e¶_¦æ¦p³Ì¦n¥L¥i¥H,¼Q¥X¶A©G¡C
The child was cornered in a blind alley. Katze dropped behind the encroaching
goons and picked one off, then rolled to exchange gunfire with another.
A third snuck up behind hir, managing to put hir into a choke-hold. Ken
flung a rock with all his strength, freeing hir, then whirled and shurikened
the remaining goon. / «Ä¤l¦b¤@±øª¼¥Øªº¤p¸ô¤¤³Q¢¦Ü¤@¶¨¡C Katze ¦b«I¥Ç§b¤l«á±°§C¨Ã¥B¬D¿ï¤@¨«¶}, µM«á±²©M¥t¥~ªº¥æ´«ºjÀ»¡C
²Ä¤TÓ snuck ¦V¤W¦b hir «á±, ³]ªk§â hir ©ñ¤J§Ü¬y°é-§â´¤¡C ªÖ®¦¥Î¥L©Ò¦³ªº¤O¶q§ë¤@¶ô©¥¥Û,ÄÀ©ñ hir, µM«á±ÛÂà©M shurikened
³Ñ¾lªº§b¤l¡C
Katze's anguished wail drew him out of his bloodlust. Ken whirled in time
to see a rope ladder being reeled into a helicopter which hovered high
above. "No.... ohh no.." Ken had mistaken the sound for his
own blood, pounding in his head. He stared as the helicopter peeled away,
taking the child with it. / Katze's ªºµhW´d¹Ä¥Lªº±þ¼®¼¤¨Ï¥L©ì©µ¡C ªÖ®¦¤Î®É±ÛÂà¶i¤J¤@¬[¦b¤W±°ª«×¦a½L±Ûªºª½ª@¾÷¤§¤º¬Ý¨£¤@Ó³Q©ó¶b¤W
ªº²Ê÷±è¡C "¨S¦³.... ohh ¸¹½X¡C"ªÖ®¦¤w¸g§âÁnµ»~»{¬°¥L¦Û¤vªº¦å,¥LªºÀYºV¡C ·íª½ª@¾÷¥ÖÂ÷¶}ªº®ÉÔ¡A¥Lª`µø,¥Î¥¦±a«Ä¤l¡C
Katze let out an enraged, grief-laden keen, plunging hir knife deeply
into the unconscious goon beside hir. Ken was too stunned to say anything.
He was drawn back to the present by pounding footsteps, / Katze ©ñ¥X¤@¿E«ã,¶Ëµh-
¥Rº¡ªº¾W§Q,²`²`¦aˤU hir ¶i¤J¦b hir ®ÇÃ䪺µL·NÃѪº§b¤l¤§¤º¥Î¤M¤Á³Î¡C ªÖ®¦¬O¤Ó¨Ï·w˦ӵLªk»¡¥ô¦ó¨Æ¡C ¥LÂǵۺV¸}¨B³QË°h¨ì§ª«,
"Katze, come on. We'd better grab our stuff and get out of here."
/ "Katze,µo¥Í¡C §Ú̳̦n§ì¨ú§Ú̪º¨Æ±¡¦Ó¥B¦b³o¸ÌÂ÷¶}¡C"
They raced back to the hotel, collected their belongings and were gone
before anyone was the wiser. At an airstrip, Katze chartered a small private
plane. / ¥L̦V«á¦a¤ñÁɨì®ÈÀ],¦b¥ô¦ó¤H¬O¤ñ¸ûÁo©ú¤§«e¦¬¶°¤F¥L̪º©Ò¦³ª«¦Ó¥B¤£¨£¤F¡C ¦b¤@Ó¸¾÷¶]¹D¡A Katze ¯S³\¤F¤@¬[¤pªº¨p¤H¸¾÷¡C
"How much have we got?" Ken whispered while he filled out the
paperwork. / " §Ṳ́w¸g±o¨ì¦h¤Ö"? ·í¥L¶ñ¼g¤å®Ñ¤u§@ªº®ÉÔ¡AªÖ®¦¦Õ»y¡C
"Better," Katze pulled out the jingling wad of cloth s/he'd
stuffed into hir jacket, "This'll take care of dinners for a week,
maybe." Ken nodded and they went out onto the tarmac to load the
plane. / "§ó" ¡A Katze ©Ô¥X¥¬®Æ s/ ¥Lªº§@¥m¾´Án¶ñ®Æ¦³¶i¤J hir §¨§J¤§¤º¸Ë¶ñ ",This'll
·ÓÅU±ßÀ\¹F¤@Ó¬P´Á¤§¤[,¤]³\". ªÖ®¦ÂIÀY¡A¦Ó¥B¥L̦b¸¾÷¶]¹D¤§¤W¥~¥X¸Ë¸ü¸¾÷¡C
As they taxied out onto the runway, Ken looked at hir, "Are you okay?"
/ ·í¥L̦b¶]¹D¤§¤W¼pµ{¨®¥Xªº®ÉÔ,ªÖ®¦¬Ý hir," §A¦n"?
S/he shook hir head, hir face grey. "Where are we going?" /
S/¥L·n°Ê¤F hir ÀY¡A hir Áy¦Ç¦â¡C "§ÚÌ¥¿n¥hþ¸Ì"?
"They've taken hir back to Ovanon." Ken looked at hir in confusion.
"Ever heard of it?" / "¥L̤w¸g§â hir ±a¦^ Ovanon" ¡C ªÖ®¦¬Ý²V¶Ãªº
hir ¡C "´¿¸gÅ¥»¡¥¦"?
"A little," Ken said doubtfully, "Mostly tabloid stuff.
Nothing definate or possible-sounding." / "µy·L " ¡AªÖ®¦¥iºÃ¦a»¡
", ¤j³¡¥÷¤p³ø¨Æ±¡¡C ¨S¨Æ definate ©Î¥i¯àªº-´úÁè´ú±oªºµ²ªG¡C"
"It's possible. It's real." / "¯u¬O¥i¯à¡C ¯u¬O¯u¥¿¡C"
"Just what is it?" / "¨s³º¥¦¬O¤°»ò"?
Katze was thumbing through their funds again, "A pleasure dome."
/ Katze ¬O¦A¤@¦¸§Ö³t½¹L¥L̪º°òª÷,"¤@ӧֶּ곻" ¡C
"Oh?" That didn't jive with what Ken had heard, "Define?"
/ "®@"? ¨º¨S¦³©MªÖ®¦¤w¸gÅ¥¨ìªº jive,"©w¸q"?
"It's a pleasure dome. Anything you want to experience - rape, murder,
kidsex, bestiality - its all there," s/he made another face at the
money total, "Children a specialty." / "¥¦¬O¤@ӧֶּ곻¡C ¥ô¦ó¨Æ§A·Qn¸g¾ú
-·m¹Ü¡A¿Ñ±þ¡A kidsex, Ã~©Ê -¥¦ªº©Ò¦³¨º¸Ì,"s/¥L¦b¿úÁ`¼Æ»s³y¥t¤@ÓÁy ", «Ä¤l¤@Ó±Mªù¡C"
Ken gagged, "I'd.. heard a little about the S and M, but nothing
really detailed.. That's where they have.. you? him?" / ªÖ®¦¶ëª«©ó¤f¤¤,"
§Ú¦³¡C¡C ¯uªºµy·LÅ¥¨ìÃö©ó S ©M M, ¦ý¬O¨S¨Æ°_¨Ó¸Ô²Óªº¡C¡C ¨º¬O¥L̦³ªº¦a¤è¡C¡C §A? ¥L?"
"Yes. I was extremely popular there." / "¬Oªº¡C §Ú¬O«D±`¨üÅwªï¦b¨º¸Ì¡C"
Ken paled, swallowing hard. He changed the subject, "What about the
cash?" / ªÖ®¦ÅÜ»a¥Õ,§V¤O¦a§]¡C ¥L§ïÅܤF¥DÃD,"²{ª÷«ç»ò¼Ë"?
"Not enough." / "¤£¬O¥R¨¬".
"Huh? It was fine a little while ago, you said." S/he didn't
answer, was silent for several minutes. Ken took hir hand and squeezed
it briefly, "Katze.. We'll get him out. I promise. Don't worry."
/ "ó!? ¥¦¦b¥H«eªº®ÉÔ¬O»@´Ú¤@ÂIÂI,§A»¡¡C"S/¥L¨S¦³¦^µª,¨HÀq¦n´X¤ÀÄÁ¡C ªÖ®¦±a¤F hir ¤â¨Ã¥B²µu¦aºò´¤¤F¥¦,"Katze¡C¡C
§Ú̱N±o¨ì¥X¥L¡C §ÚµªÀ³¡C ¤£n·Ð´o¡C"
S/he sounded distant, as though thinking out loud, "I don't think
it'd help. I was *extremely* popular, a very lucrative source of income.
They won't let me go easily.. and I'm too old.." S/he trailed off,
thinking, then shook hir head, "Yes, too old. They might have taken
me as part of a deal with other children, but even so they wouldn't give
up the younger. Two freaks, why give either up?" Ken swallowed, unable
to credit his ears. Katze was in further thought, / S/¥LÅ¥°_¨Ó»·, ¦n¹³°ªÁn¦a·Q¥X,"§Ú¤£»{¬°¥¦±N·|À°§U¡C
§Ú¬O *«D±`¦a*¨üÅwªïªº,¤@Ó¦¬¤Jªº«D±`¦³§Q¯q¨Ó·½¡C ¥ḺN¤£Åý§Ú®e©ö¦a¥h¡C¡C ¦Ó¥B§Ú¤Ó¡C¡C"S/ ¥L°lÂÜ»·ªº¡M«ä¦Òªº,µM«á·n°Ê¤F
hir ÀY ",¬Oªº,¤Óªº¡C ¥LÌÀ³¸Ó¥i¥H±a§Ú·í©M¨ä¥Lªº«Ä¤l¥æ©öªº³¡¥÷,¦ý¬O¬Æ¦Ü¦]¦¹¥ḺN¤£©ñ±ó¦~¬ö¸û¤pªÌ¡C ¤GÓ·î§Î¤H, ¬°¤°»ò¤]¦V¤Wµ¹?"ªÖ®¦§],
¤£¯à¨ã¦³¥Lªº¦Õ¦·¡C Katze ¬O¦b§ó¶i¤@¨B·Qªk¤¤,
"No, they wouldn't give either of us up. When s/he hits puberty,
they could breed us. There's no other choice," s/he shook hir head,
"I was hoping to avoid this, but.. we'll have to go in." / "¤£¡A¥ĻÚ̦V¤W±N¤£¤]µ¹¡C
·í s/¥LÀ»¤¤«ä¬K´Á,¥LÌ¥i¥H¹}¾i§ÚÌ¡C ¨S¦³¨ä¥Lªº¿ï¾Ü,"s/¥L·n°Ê¤F hir ÀY ",§Ú§Æ±æÁקK³o,¦ý¬O¡C¡C §Ú̱N¥²¶·¶i¤J¡C"
"Good," Ken said darkly. / "¦nªº",ªÖ®¦·t»¡¡C
Katze stared at him for long seconds, "It won't be easy, / Katze
¨nµÛ¥L¬Ýªøªº¬í," ¥¦±N¤£¬O®e©öªº,
Gatchaman. Two people against the Dome? No, it won't be easy." /
Gatchaman¡C ¤Ï¹ï¶ê³»ªº¤GÓ¤H? ¤£¡A¥¦±N¤£¬O®e©öªº¡C"
The eyes that turned to hir held an expression s/he had seen in mirrors
and in Italian, violet eyes. "You forget: I'm Gatchaman. How many
untold numbers of goons have I slaughtered to get to you in the past?"
Ken's hands tightened on the flightstick, "Between us, they don't
stand a chance." / Âà¦V³Q®³µÛªí¹F s ªº hir/ ¥Lªº²´·ú¤w¸g¥ÎÃè¤l©M¸q¤j§Q»y¬Ý¨ì,µµÃ¹Äõª`·N¡C "§A§Ñ°O:
§Ú¬O Gatchaman ¡C ¦h¤Ö¤£§i¶D§b¤lªº¼Æ¶q¤w¸g§Ú¹L¥h´Ý±þ¨ì¹F§A?"ªÖ®¦ªº¤â¦b flightstick ¤W°Çºò ",¦b§Ṳ́§¶¡¡A¥L̤£§Ô¨ü¤@Ó¾÷·|¡C"
Katze stared at him, "You'll have to slaughter that many. These are
trained, not like the Galactor you know. They were cannon fodder: / Katze
¨nµÛ¥L¬Ý,"§A±N¥²¶·´Ý±þ¦h¼Æ¡C ³o¨Ç³Q°V½m, ¤£¹³§Aª¾¹Dªº Galactor¡C ¥L̬O¯¥¦Ç:
These are guards." / ³o¨Ç¬O¦u½Ã¡C"
Ken looked out the canopy, away from hir, "Then I'll die trying,
/ ªÖ®¦¤p¤ß¤ÑÁO,»·Â÷ hir,"µM«á§Ú±N¦º¹Á¸Õ,
Katze." / Katze¡C"
"I'm afraid that may be the case." / " ®£©È¨º¥i¯à¬O±¡§Î".
"Do you think we could get any of the other children out as well?"
/ "§A»{¬°§ÚÌ®£©È³Ì¦n¥i¥H¦b¥~¨ä¥L«Ä¤lÅÜ¥ô¦ó¶Ü"?
"I don't know," s/he said softly, "How many it'd be worth
getting out.. I don't know that either." / "§Ú¤£ª¾¹D",s/¥L¬X©M¦a»¡
",¥¦±N·|ȱo±o¨ì¦h¤Ö¡C¡C §Ú¤£¤]ª¾¹D¨º¡C"
Ken glanced at the controls, "How much farther is it?" / ªÖ®¦ª`µø±±¨î,"
¦h¤Ö§ó»·ªº¬O¥¦"?
"Head that way, into the desert. It's well protected." / "¨º¼Ë«e¶i,¶i¤J¨Fºz¤§¤º¡C
¥¦«Ü¦n¦a³Q«OÅ@¡C"
Ken touched hir hand again, "It's going to be okay." / ªÖ®¦¦A¤@¦¸¸I¨ì¤F
hir ¤â," ¥¦¥¿¦b¥h¬O¦n" ¡C
"I wish I shared your confidence." / "§ÚÄ@§Ú³Q¤À¨É§Aªº«H¤ß"
¡C
Katze smoothed back a stray lock of hair from hir face, looking up at
the forbidding, sand-blasted fortress that was the pleasure dome. / Katze
¦V«á¦a¥ú·Æ¨Ó¦Û hir Áyªº¤@ÓÀY¾vªº°g³~Âê, ¬Ý¦b¥i©È¤S¨F¤lºR´Ýªº§Ö¼Ö¶ê³»ªº«°³ù¤W±¡C
They had staked it out, gathered information, conducted a few ambushes:
/ ¥L̤w¸g¥´¼Î¥X¥¦,»E¶°¤F¸ê®Æ,¤Þ¾É¤@¨Ç®I¥ñ:
Now they were ready. / ²{¦b¥L̷dzƦn¡C
"Looks relatively benign from here, ne," Ken observed. / "±q³o¸Ì¬Û¹ï¦a¬Ý¨}©Ê,©mªº",ªÖ®¦Æ[¹î¡C
Katze nodded weakly, hir face pale and bloodless. S/he looked like s/he
was facing hir worst nightmare. "Soosai X put me here.. to make me
strong.. to teach me the true nature of humanity.." / Katze ·L®z¦aÂIÀY,
hir ±¹ï¬]Äæ©MµL¦å¦âªº¡C S/ ¥L¬Ý°_¨Ó¹³ s/ ¥L¤@¼Ë¥¿¦b±¹ï hir ³ÌÃaªº¹ÚÆL¡C "Soosai X ¦b³o¸Ì©ñ§Ú¡C¡C ¨Ï§Ú±j¡C¡C
±Ð§Ú¤H©Êªº¯u¹êÓ©Ê¡C¡C"
Ken brushed the dust off his expensive suit and smoothed back his hair,
"This is NOT the 'true nature of humanity'. True, we can be petty
and selfish... but most of us are not like THIS." / ªÖ®¦±q¥Lªº¶Q¶D³^²¨¨ê¤F¦Ç¹Ð¦Ó¥B¦V«á¦a¥ú·Æ¥LªºÀY¾v,"³o¤£¬O
'¤H©Êªº¯u¹êÓ©Ê' ¡C ¯u¹êªº,§ÚÌ¥i¯à¬Oº¾¸Hªº©M¦Û¨pªº¡C¡C¡C ¦ý¬O§Ṳ́j³¡¥÷¤£¹³³o¡C"
"You'll be surprised," s/he turned to look at him, hir eyes
like hollow moons, "If I remember the date correctly, you'll be very
surprised. I don't envy you, Gatchaman: Your illusions will be shattered,"
s/he turned back, the setting sun glazing hir with bloody light, "But
then.. mine were.. when Soosai left me to die..." S/he felt / "§A±N·P¨ìÅå³Y",s/¥L·Ç³Æ¬Ý¥L,hir
ª`·N¦PÃþªÅªº½Ã¬P ",¦pªG§Ú¥¿½T¦a°O±o¤é´Á, §A±N«D±`Åå³Y¡C §Ú¤£¸r¼}§A,Gatchaman: §Aªº¤Û¼v±N³Q¥´¸H,"s/¥L§é¦^,©M¦å¸{ªº¥úI´º¤Ó¶§°_¹V
hir", ¦ý¬O·í®É¡C¡C §Úªº¬O¡C¡C ·í Soosai ¯d¤U¤F§Ú¦ºªº®ÉÔ¡C¡C¡C"S/¥L·Pı
Ken's fingers twine with hirs and held them in a brief, hard grip, "So.
/ ªÖ®¦ªº¤â«ü¥H hirs ·b¦Ó¥B¦bºKn¡AÃøªººò´¤¤¤®»¦í¥LÌ,"¦p¦¹¡C
Let's break a few mirrors, shall we, old enemy?" Hir fingers were
icy and shaking, but abruptly the shaking stopped. / ¨Ï§ÚÌ¥´¯}¤@¨ÇÃè¤l,§Ṳ́£±N¶Ü?
¦Ñ¼Ä¤H" Hir ¤â«ü¬O¦Bªº¦Ó¥B·n°Ê,¦ý¬O¬ðµM¦a¨º·n°Ê°±¤î¡C
A contingent of guards were approaching the main gate. Katze nodded to
Ken, "Remember what I told you, and pray my memory was clear."
/ ¦u½Ãªº°¸µM¨Æ±¡¥¿¦b±µªñ¥Dnªºªù¡C Katze ¹ïªÖ®¦ÂIÀY," °O±o§Ú©Ò§i¶Dªº§A, ¦Ó¥B¬èë§Úªº°O¾Ð¬O²M·¡ªº".
Ken nodded. S/he checked hir weapons, patted over the guard's uniform
s/he had appropriated and re-checked hir androgynous appearance. / ªÖ®¦ÂIÀY¡C
S/¥LÀˬd¤F hir ªZ¾¹,¦b¦u½Ãªº²Î¤@ s ¤§¤W»´©ç/¥L¤w¸g¥R¥Î¨Ã¥B¦AÀˬd¤F hir »Û¶¯¦PÅ骺¥~ªí¡C
All of the guards had the same soft, effeminate quality as Katze. With
a final glance at Ken, s/he slipped into their ranks and was gone. / ©Ò¦³ªº¦u½Ã³£¦³¤F¬Û¦Pªº¬X³n,¦p
Katze ªº¬X®z«~½è¡C Âǥѳ̫᪺¤@¿h¦bªÖ®¦,s/ ¥L¶i¤J¥L̪º±Æ¦W¤§¤º·Æ˦ӥB¤£¨£¤F¡C
Ken check his own self over, rechecking his stolen ID, rehearsing the
words Katze had drilled into him. A howl rang through the desert air:
Some scavengers found the bodies already? Ken hoped not, hoped they were
buried deeply enough beneath the sand. He thought of the no-kill promise
he had extracted from Katze and gave a brief chuckle -- how naive. The
man who's suit he now wore had begged, pleaded for his life, but Ken could
find no mercy in his heart. During the flight, Katze had told him what
to expect; these.. these people were as bad as - worse than - Galactors.
Using children in their sick games, children who'd been abducted from
parents and babysitters or children they'd bred from their own stock of
captives. Ken felt ill. / ªÖ®¦Àˬd¥L¦Û¤vªº¦Û¤vµ²§ô,¦AÀˬd¥Lªº°½¨¥÷ÃÒ,¹wºt¦r Katze ¤w¸g¶i¤J¥L¤§¤ºÆp¤Õ¡C
¤@Án§pÁn»ïÅT¹L¯îíuªºªÅ®ð: ¤@¨Ç²M¹D¥í¤w¸gµo²{¨Åé? ªÖ®¦§Æ±æ¤£,§Æ±æ¥L̦b¨F¤l¤§¤U³Q²`²`¦a¨¬°÷®I¸®¡C ¥L·Q¨ì¨º¤£- ±þµªÀ³¥L¤w¸g±q Katze
§l¨ú¦Ó¥Bµ¹¤©¤F¤@Ó²µuªº¦Y¦Y¯ºÁn -- ¦p¦ó¤Ñ¯uªº¡C ²{¦b¦³¾A¦X¥Lªº¨k¤H¬ïµÛ¤w¸g½Ð¨D,¬°¥Lªº¥Í¬¡ÅGÅ@,¦ý¬OªÖ®¦¥i¥H¨Sµo²{¥Lªº¤ß¤¯·O¡C ¦b¸¦æªº®ÉÔ¡A
Katze ¤w¸g§i¶D¥L¸Ó´Á«Ý¤°»ò; ³o¨Ç¡C¡C ³o¨Ç¤H¬O¦P¼Ë¦aÃaªº·í°µ - §óÁVªº¶W¹L - Galactors¡C ¨Ï¥Î¥L̪º¤£µÎªA¤ñÁɪº«Ä¤l
, «Ä¤l who'd ³Q¸j¬[±q¤÷¥À©MÁ{®É·ÓÅU¥®¨àªÌ©Î«Ä¤l¥L̦³±q«R¸¸ªº¥L̦ۤv¦s³f¹}¾i¡C ªÖ®¦Ä±±o¥Í¯f¡C
A small knot of clients was approaching. Ken fell in among them, passing
the ID check, and was admitted into Ovanon. / ¤@ӫȤ᪺¤pµ²¥¿¦b±µªñ¡C ªÖ®¦¶^¸¨¦b¥L̤§¤¤,¸g¹L¨¥÷ÃÒÀˬd,
¦Ó¥B¶i¤J Ovanon ¤§¤º³Q©Ó»{¡C
It was loud, heavy with smoke and drugs, filled with women, men and animals.
The air was filled with screams and cries of pain and pleasure. A group
of Keepers passed him and Ken tried not to stare: / ¥¦¹ï·Ï©MÃÄ·P¨ì¤jÁnªº, «,¸Ëº¡¤k¤H¡A¨k¤H©M°Êª«¡C
ªÅ®ð¥Rº¡µhWªº¦y¥sÁn©MúÁn©M§Ö¼Ö¡C ¤@¸sºÊÅ@¤H³q¹L¤F¥L¡A¦Ó¥BªÖ®¦¹Á¸Õ¤£nª`µø:
They were enormous, the smallest would have towered over Joe, their bulk
easily matching Ryu's, yet their faces were as ambiguous as Katze's. /
¥L̬O¥¨¤jªº,³Ì¤pªº·|¦b³ì¤§¤W°ªÁq, ¥L̪º¤j¦h¼Æ®e©ö¦a»P Ryu's ¬Û°t,µM¦Ó¥L̪ºÁy¬O¹³ Katze's ¤@¼ËªºÀǬN¡C
Ken was shown to a table in the dining hall, a large room with a runway
and stage in the middle. Doors honeycombed the walls, leading off into
corridors and other rooms. / ªÖ®¦³QÅã¥Ü¨ì¦Y¶ºªùÆUªº¤@±i®à¤l,©M¤¤¥¡ªº¤@Ó¶]¹D©M¶¥¬qªº¤@Ó¤jªº©Ð¶¡¡C ªù¶}¦h¤Õ¨Ï¦¨¸Á±_ª¬¤FÀð¾À,¶i¤J¨«´Y©M¨ä¥Lªº©Ð¶¡¤§¤º¨«¶}±a»â¡C
The crowd in the banquet hall were laughing as they threw darts at a black
bear, trying to kill it through the eye. Ken sat down, tightening his
jaw at the sight. He ordered a beer from the buxom, vacant-stared server,
trying not to look obviously out of place. / ·í¥LÌ¥á¦b¤@°¦¶Â¦âªººµ¸Åߪº®ÉÔ¡A®b·|ªùÆUªº¸s²³¥¿¦b¯º,
¹Á¸Õ¸g¹L²´·ú±þ¥¦¡C ªÖ®¦§¤¤U,¦bµø¤O°Çºò¥LªºÃE¡C ¥LÂI¤F¨Ó¦Û°·¬üªÌªº°à°s,ªÅªº-ª`µø¦øªA¾¹,¹Á¸Õ¤£n©úÅã¦a¥~¬Ý¦a¤è¡C
Another patron leaned over to Ken. "Isn't that cool??" he enthused,
"Those animals are rare as hen's teeth since the war, but they brought
one here for us!" / ¥t¤@ÓÃÙ§U¤Hʾa¦b¹ïªÖ®¦¤§¤W¡C "¨º¤£«Ü²D²n¶Ü??"¥L¼ö¨g ",¦]¬°¾Ôª§¨º¨Ç°Êª«¬Oµ}¨uªº¦p¥ÀÂûªº¤ú¾¦¡A¦ý¬O¥L̬°§Ú̱a¤@¨ì³o¸Ì!"
Ken nodded, saying nothing. At the edges of the arena, he could see men
and women in all states of dress and undress. Chains hung from the walls
and from the people. / ªÖ®¦ÂIÀY,²@¤£»¡¡C ¦bÄv§Þ³õªºÃä½t¡A¥L¥i¥H¬Ý¨£©Ò¦³ªA¸Ë©M«K¦çªºª¬ºA¨k¤H©M¤k¤H¡C Ãì±qÀð¾À©M¤H¦Q¡C
Finally, a patron nailed the bear. It spasmed, dying, amid cheers from
the crowd as they congratulated the winner. A nude, oiled emcee awarded
the man a prize and a guard led him off to enjoy it. Ken squashed a reflex
gag and took a sip of his beer, breathing slowly to keep control. / ³Ì«á¡A¤@ÓÃÙ§U¤H¥Î°v°v¨c¤Fºµ¡C
¥¦©âµ¬,««¦ºªº,¦b¨Ó¦Û¸s²³ªº´r§Ö¤§¤¤·í¥L̯¬¶P¤F³Ó§QªÌ¡C »rÅéµe¡A³Q¹{µo¤@Ó¼ú©M¤@Ó¦u½Ã¨«¶}¤Þ¾É¤F¥L¨É¨ü¥¦ªº¨k¤H¶îªoªº¥q»ö¡C ³QÀ£«ó¤@ӤϮgªººã¤fª«¨Ã¥B®³¤F¥Lªº°à°s°ã¶¼ªºªÖ®¦
, ©I§lºCºC¦aºû«ù±±¨î¡C
For the next act, a small midget was brought onto the stage, to couple
with an enormous, over-hung stud. Ken turned his gaze away, looking more
closely at his surroundings, trying to find the landmarks / ¹ï©ó¤U¤@Ӧ欰¡A¤@Ó¤pªº¨Ü¾§¦b¶¥¬q¤§¤W³Q±a,
¥H¥¨¤j¥[¿,¦b-¤§¤W¦Q¹Ï°v¡C ³Q©Úµ´¥Lªºª`µø,¦b¥LªºÀô¹Ò§óÄY±K¬Ý, ¹Á¸Õµo²{³°¼ÐªºªÖ®¦
Katze had told him about. Third exit from the left ramp... / Katze ¤w¸g§i¶D¥LÃö©ó¡C
¨Ó¦Û¥ªÃ䪺±×©Y²Ä¤TÓ¥X¤f¡C¡C¡C
The midget screamed as he was penetrated. Laughter and cheers went up
from the watching crowd. Ken got up and moved to the door, third from
the left ramp. Pushing through the heavy curtain, he entered the hallway.
/ ·í¥L³Q¬ï³zªº®ÉÔ¡A¨Ü¾§¦y¥s¡C ¯º©M´r§Ö±q¬Ý¸s²³¤Wº¦¡C ªÖ®¦°_§É¦Ó¥B²¾¨ìªù, ²Ä¤T±q¥ªÃ䪺±×©Y¡C ±À°Ê¹L«ªº±b,¥L¶i¤J¤F¨«´Y¡C
A Keeper stared down at him briefly before pushing through into the banquet
hall. Ken swallowed, [Shimatta! - he's huge! If they're all that big,
s/he might have been right after all..] He turned down the corridor then
stepped back as a trio of guards marched past. He watched them, slender
and effeminate as Katze, with lean, wiry muscles. / ¤@ÓºÊÅ@¤H¦b¶i¤J®b·|ªùÆU¤§¤º±À°Ê¹L¤§«e¦b¥L²µu¦aª`µø¤U¨Ó¡C
ªÖ®¦§],[Shimatta! - ¥L¬O·¥¤jªº! ¦pªG¥LÌ¥þ³£¬O¨º»ò¤jªº,s/ ¥LÀ³¸Ó¥i¥H¬O¥¿½T¦a²¦³º¡C¡C]·í¤T«ªº¦u½Ã¶ix¤F¹L¥hªº®ÉÔ¡A¥LµM«á§â¨«´YÃö¤p½ñI±¡C
¥L¬Ý¤F¥LÌ, ]±øªº¦Ó¥BÂǥѽG¦×¨Ï¬X®z¦p Katze ª÷Äݽu»sªº¦Ù¦×¡C
He recognised the marks of trained assassins, probably his equals in every
way. He turned another corridor. / ¥L¿ë»{¥X¤F°V½mªº·t±þªÌªº¼Ð»x, ¥i¯à¨CÓ¤èªkªº¥L¹ï¤â¡C ¥LÂà¦V¤F¥t¤@Ó¨«´Y¡C
A Keeper was leading his charge, a six-year-old girl, by a leash around
her neck. Fresh blood and semen oozed down her legs. Ken choked down a
wave of rage and nausea. An open door showed two Keepers holding down
a child while a third extracted a blade from her vagina. Ken thought of
Katze's wound in Pakistan and wondered if Senor Alvarez had been a regular
here. His stomach lurched and he ducked down another hall. This matched
Katze's descriptions. Ken looked up to see a guard approaching, leading
a donkey. Katze met his eye briefly before turning down another corridor.
Ken followed. S/he signaled him to stay in the shadows and watch, then
moved to a door and knocked. Ken faded into the walls. / ¤@ÓºÊÅ@¤H¥¿¦b±a»â¥Lªº¶O¥Î¡A¤@Ó¤»·³ªº¤k«Ä,
Âǵۤ@±ø®êª¯ÀV¤§¥Ö±a¦b¦oªº²ä¤l©P³ò¡C ·sÂAªº¦å©Mºë²Gº¯¥X¤U¨Ó¦oªº»L¡C ªÖ®¦²¿®§¤U¨Ó¼««ãªº®ö¼é©M¤ÏG¡C ¤@®°¶}©ñªºªùµ¹¤GÓºÊÅ@¤H¬Ý§â«ù¤U¨Ó¤@ӫĤl·í¤T¤À¤§¤@ªº®ÉÔ§l¨ú¤F¨Ó¦Û¦oªºÀT¤M¾W¡C
¦b¤Ú°ò´µ©Z³Q·Q¨ì Katze's ªº³Ð¶ËªÖ®¦¦Ó¥BÃhºÃ°²¦p¥ý¥Í Alvarez ¦b³o¸Ì¬O¦Ñ«È¤á¡C ¥LªºG¬ðµM¦V¤@Ãä¶É±×¡A¦Ó¥B¥L¨S¤J¤ô¤¤¤U¨Ó¥t¤@ÓªùÆU¡C
³o»P Katze's ªº´yz¬Û°t¤F¡C ªÖ®¦¬Ý¦b¤W±¨£¤@Ó±µªñ¡A±a»â¤@°¦Æj¤l ªº¦u½Ã¡C Katze ¦b§â¥t¤@Ó¨«´YÃö¤p¤§«e²µu¦a¸I¨ì¤F¥Lªº²´·ú¡C
ªÖ®¦¸òÀH¡C S/¥L¦V¥Lµo°e°T¸¹¤F°±¯d¦b¼v¹³©M¤â¿ö¤¤, µM«á²¾¨ì¤@®°ªù¦Ó¥BºVÀ»¡C ¶i¤JÀð¾À¤§¤ºªº¤w¿Æ¦âªºªÖ®¦¡C
The door opened. Upon seeing Katze, it opened wider to admit the donkey,
allowing Ken a brief look at the scene and the people within. Some of
the faces seemed naggingly familiar. Katze bowed and exitted the room
without the animal. Catching Ken's eye, s/he directed a glance towards
the ceiling. Ken followed it, seeing the vent. He nodded and s/he slipped
around a corner and disappeared. / ªù¥´¶}¡C ¤@¬Ý¨£ Katze ¡A¥¦¥´¶}¤ñ¸û¼eªº©Ó»{Æj¤l,¦b¸Ì±ªº²{³õ©M¤H¤¹³\ªÖ®¦Â²µuªº¯«±¡¡C
¤@¨ÇÁy¦ü¥G¼G¥o¼ô±x¡C Katze Ås¸y¦Ó¥B°h¥X¨S¦³°Êª«ªº©Ð¶¡¡C ©ö¶Ç¬VªºªÖ®¦²´·ú,s/¥L«ü¥Ü¤F¹ï©ó¤ÑªáªOªº¤@¿h¡C ªÖ®¦¸òÀH¤F¥¦,¬Ý¨£±Æ®ð¤f¡C
¥LÂIÀY©M s/¥L¦b¤@Ó¨¤¸¨ªº©P³ò·Æ˨åB®ø¥¢¡C
Ken climbed up the rough wall and got the vent open, slipping into the
vent shaft and closing it behind him. Conveniently large, he thought,
his scalp crawling. There was something wrong with that. He focussed on
the sounds of voices and followed them, finding himself peering through
a vent into the opulant room he'd glimpsed through the door. / ªÖ®¦ª¦¤W²ÊÁWªºÀð¾À¦Ó¥B±o¨ì¤F±Æ®ð¤f¤½¶},¶i¤J±Æ®ð¤f¶b¤§¤º·Æ˦ӥBÃö³¬¦b¥L«á±ªº¥¦¡C
¤è«K¦a¤j¤j¦a¡A¥L·Q,¥LªºÀY¥Öª¦¦æ¡C ¨º¦³¤ò¯f¡C ¥L¦bÁnµªºÁnµ¤Wªº focussed ¦Ó¥B¸òÀH¥LÌ, µo²{¥L¦Û¤v¾®µø¹L¤@ӱƮð¤f¶i opulant
¤§¤º¦í±J¥L¦³§ë¥H¤@¿h¹Lªù¡C
In the middle of the room was a small, terrified girl. Ken choked back
a gasp, recognising the young Katze. Female? Hadn't s/he been.. Ken's
blood surged: They must have beaten hir or killed hir or otherwise made
hir Change. He looked around as other faces came into view. They nagged
his mind with a feeling that he should know them. / ¦b©Ð¶¡ªº¤¤¥¡¤¤¬O¤p¤S¨üÅåÀ~ªº¤k«Ä¡C
ªÖ®¦¦V«á¦a²¿®§³Ý®ð,©Ó»{¦~»´ªº Katze ¡C ¤k©Ê? ¤£ s/ ¥L¬O¡C¡C ªÖ®¦ªº¦å¼Éº¦: ¥L̤@©w´¿¸g¥´ hir ¹L©ÎªÌ±þ¤F hir ¡A§_«h¨ä¥¦ªº°µ
hir §ïÅÜ¡C ·í¨ä¥LªºÁy¶i¤Jµø³¥ªº®ÉÔ¡A¥L¥|³B¬Ý¬Ý¡C ¥L̥ΥLÀ³¸Ó»{ÃÑ¥L̪º·Pı¤£Â_¦a¼G¥o´o¤H¥Lªº¤ß¡C
They were raping the child. / ¥LÌ¥¿¦b»´ºV«Ä¤l¡C
Ken blanched at the realization. "Katze.." his voice was barely
audible, even to himself. / ªÖ®¦¦b¹ê²{º}¥Õ¡C "Katze¡C¡C"¥LªºÁnµ´X¥GÅ¥±o¨£,¬Æ¦Ü¹ï¥L¦Û¤v¡C
"I warned you," the whisper shook him nearly out of his skin,
coming from near his elbow, "Do you recognise them?" / "
§Úĵ§i§A",¦Õ»y´X¥G±q¥Lªº¥Ö½§·n°Ê¤F¥L,¦b¥Lªº¤â¨yªþªñ¨Ó¦Û ",§A©Ó»{¥L̶Ü"?
Ken stared at the older Katze, "How.. oh.. kamisama.. I have to stop
this..!" He clawed at the grate. There was another form on the floor;
the child's Keeper, unconscious but regaining his senses. / ªÖ®¦¨nµÛ¸ûªº Katze
¬Ý,"¦p¦ó¡C¡C ªí¥ÜÅå³Y¡C¡C kamisama¡C¡C §Ú¥²¶·°±¤î³o¡C¡C!"¥L¥HÄl¿{¥Î¤ö§ì¡C ¦³¦b¦aªO¤Wªº¥t¤@ºØ§Î¦¡; «Ä¤lªººÊÅ@¤H,
µL·NÃѪº¦ý¬O¨ú¦^¥Lªº·Pı¡C
"They're going to kill me, Gatchaman. It's what they paid for. /
"¥ḺNn±þ§Ú,Gatchaman¡C ¥¦¬O¥LÌ©Ò¤ä¥Iªº¶O¥Î¡C
It's what they bought me for." / ¥¦¬O¥LÌ©Ò¶R¤F§Úªº¡C"
Ken nearly had the grating off, the girl's screams echoing in his mind.
He stared hir, horrified, "The hell they are!" The grating was
ripped out, but was unheard over the commotion below. The child's / ªÖ®¦´X¥G¨«¶}¦³¤F¦]´ú¶qì¦]©ñ¸m©ó³±·¥®g½uºÞ«eªº®Õ·Ç¹õ,¦b¥Lªº¤ß¤¤ÀHÁnªþ©M
ªº¤k«Ä¦y¥sÁn¡C ¥Lª`µø¤F hir,Å屪ªº," ¦aº»¥L̬O"! ¦]´ú¶qì¦]©ñ¸m©ó³±·¥®g½uºÞ«eªº®Õ·Ç¹õ³Q¼¹¶}¥X, ¦ý¬O¦b¤U±¦bÄ̰ʤ§¤W¬OÅ¥¤£¨ìªº¡C
«Ä¤lªº
Keeper had lauched himself at the current rapist with an inarticulate
cry, and broken his neck. Another man knocked him unconscious again, then
there was laughter as he started raping the senseless form. / ºÊÅ@¤H¥Hµoµ¤£²MªºúÁn¦b²{¦bªº±j«ÁªÌ¦³¤F
lauched ¥L¦Û¤v, ¦Ó¥B¥´¯}¥Lªº²ä¤l¡C ¥t¤@Ó¨k¤HºVÀ»¤F¥LµL·NÃѪº¦A¤@¦¸¡A·í¥L¶}©l»´ºVµL·Pıªº§Î¦¡¡AµM«á¦³¯º¡C
"There you have it, Gatchaman: The true nature of humanity. / "¦b¨º¸Ì§A¦³¥¦,Gatchaman:
¤H©Êªº¯u¹êÓ©Ê¡C
Behold your fathers of peace and global unity." / ¬Ý¨ì§Aªº©M¥©M¥þ²yªºÓÅé¤÷¿Ë¡C"
Ken stared at the men, their faces finally finding names, "Oh god..
Anderson? .. and Kirkland.. and.." He forced back the tears that
had sprung to his eyes, "Damn them all -- BIRD GO!" and he flung
himself into the fray amid the blinding light, landing on the man raping
the girl. With an enraged cry he flung him into the wall. / ªÖ®¦³Ì«á¨nµÛ¨k¤H ,
¥L̪ºÁy¬Ýµo²{¦W¦r," ®@¯«¡C¡C ¦w¼w»¹? ¡C¡C ¦Ó¥B Kirkland¡C¡C ¦Ó¥B¡C¡C"¥L¦V«á¦a±j¢¤w¸g¸õ¨ì¥Lªº²´·ú²\ºw
", ¥þ³¡¶A©G¥LÌ -- ³¾¥h!"¦Ó¥B¥L¦b¨Ï¤H¯t¥Øªº¥ú¤§¤¤¶i¤JÄ̰ʤ§¤º§ë¤F¥L¦Û¤v,¦b»´ºV¤k«Ä ªº¨k¤H¨¤Wµn³°¡C ÂǥѳQ¿E«ãªºúÁn¥L§ë¥L¶iÀð¾À¤§¤º¡C
Katze dropped from the ceiling like a snake, landing atop one of the would-have-been
UN leaders and slit his throat. The girl whimpered and scrambled away,
terrified. / Katze ±q¤ÑªáªO±¼¸¨³ßÅw¤@°¦³D, ¦b³»¤Wµn³°¨º¤§¤@±N·|-- ¬OÁp¦X°ê»â³S¦Ó¥BÁa¤Á¤F¥Lªº«|³ï¡C ¤k«Ä¶ã«|¦Ó¥BÃk½tÂ÷¶},ÅåÀ~¡C
"Gatchaman! Watch out for the horse!" / "Gatchaman! ¯d·N°¨!"
"Horse?" Ken ducked in time to avoid the hoof that smashed into
the panelling, grazing his helmet. "Kuso - what kind of circus is
this?" Ken ducked another flying hoof, flinging a shuriken to bring
the animal's misery to an end, then whirled as he felt a fist connect
with his shoulder. / "ÃM°¨"? ªÖ®¦¤Î®É¨S¤J¤ô¤¤ÁקK¼²¨ì´OªOªº¿á, ©ñªª¥Lªº¿û²¯¡C "
Kuso- ³o¬O¤°»òÃþ«¬ªº°¨À¸¹Î?"ªÖ®¦¨S¤J¤ô¤¤¤F¥t¥~¤@¸¿á, §ë shuriken µ²§ô°Êª«ªº´dºG, µM«á¨Ï·í¥L·Pı¤@Ó®±ÀY±ÛÂà¥H¥LªºªÓ³s±µ¡C
"Ex-CUSE me! I didn't order this kind of thing -- who are you people
and what do you think you're doing??" / " «e¥ô CUSE §Ú! §Ú¨S¦³©R¥O³oºØ¨Æª«
-- §A¬O½Ö¤H¦Ó¥B§A»{¬°§A¥¿¦b°µ¤°»ò??"
Ken stared. Young and slim, Anderson was facing him, full of indignant
fury, angry at having had his play-time interrupted. He rose from the
remains of the man who's throat he'd just slit, gore dripping from his
white birdstyle, dripping from the point of his blade. A dark, feral expression
on his face, he stalked the young man who, in Ken's day, would have been
director of the United Nations, "I am the white shadow that slips
in unseen.." Katze rolled hir eyes and continued cajoling the Keeper
to consciousness. "..Science Ninja Gatchaman." / ªÖ®¦ª`µø¡C ¦~»´ªº©M½G,¦w¼w»¹¥¿¦b±¹ï¥L,
¥Rº¡ªº¼««ã¼««ã, ¥Í®ðªº¦b¦³¦³¥Lªº¹CÀ¸-¥´Â_ªº®É¶¡¡C ¥L±q¬O¥L¦³èèÁa¤Á,¨¬¥iºw¤ô¦a±q¥Lªº¥Õ¦â birdstyle Á_¥H¸ÉÃ˪º«|³ï¡A¨Ó¦Û¥Lªº¤M¾WÂIºwªº¨k¤H¿òÀe¤W¤É¡C
¶Â·t , ¦b¥LªºÁy¤W³¥¥Íªºªí¹F,¥L®¨®¨¾aªñ¤F¦~»´ªº¨k¤H , ¥L¦bªÖ®¦ªº¤é¤l¤¤, ·|¬OÁp¦X°êªº«ü¾ÉªÌ," §Ú¬O·Æ˪º¥Õ¦â¼v¹³¦b¥¼¨£¹Lªº¡C¡C"Katze
±²¤F¹ï·NÃѪº hir ²´·ú©MÄ~Äòªº cajoling ºÊÅ@¤H¡C ".¡C¬ì¾Ç§ÔªÌ Gatchaman¡C"
"Never heard of you. Do you know who I am??" Anderson returned
fearlessly. / "±q¤£Å¥»¡§A¡C §Aª¾¹D§Ú¬O½Ö¶Ü??"¦w¼w»¹¤jÁx¦aÂkÁÙ¡C
Ken flung a shuriken at one of the men who'd been reaching for an alarm,
a man who would later have won the Peace Prize, "I know exactly who
you are," Ken's voice filled with bile, "And you make me sick.
I should kill you for this.." / ªÖ®¦¦b¨k¤H who'd ¬O¤Î©ó¤@Ánĵ³ø¡A¤@Óµy«á·|¾Æ±o©M¥¼úªº¨k¤H¤§¤@§ë
shuriken,"§Ú§¹¥þª¾¹D§A¬O½Ö",ªÖ®¦ªºÁnµ¸Ëº¡Áx¥Ä ",¦Ó¥B§A¨Ï§Ú¤£µÎªA¡C §ÚÀ³¸Ó¬°³o±þ§A¡C¡C"
"Won't be long before the alarm goes out, Gatchaman," Katze
said lowly. Ken nodded and looked back at Anderson. / "¦bĵ³ø¥X¥h¤§«e ,
±N¤£«Üªø,Gatchaman",Katze ¦ì¸m§C¤Uªº»¡¡C ªÖ®¦ÂIÀY¨Ã¥B¦^¬Ý¦w¼w»¹¡C
Katze looked back at the Keeper in hir arms, who had regained consciousness
and was staring at hir. "Wh.. who are you?" he gasped. / Katze
¦^¬Ý hir ¤âÁuªººÊÅ@¤H,¤w¸g¨ú¦^·NÃѨåB¥¿¦b¨nµÛ hir ¬Ý¡C "Wh¡C¡C §A¬O½Ö?"¥L³Ý®ð¡C
S/he grinned, "I'm Luke Skywalker. I'm here to rescue you."
/ S/¥LÅS¾¦¦Ó¯º,"§Ú¬O¸ô¥[¤H¦æ¤Ñ¾ô¡C §Ú¦b³o¸Ì±Ï¥X§A¡C"
The Keeper looked at hir like s/he was completely off hir nut. / ºÊÅ@¤H¬Ý¹³
s ¤@¼Ëªº hir/¥L¬O§¹¥þ»·ªº hir °íªG¡C
There was a heavy pounding on the door. Ken snarled. Looking back at Anderson,
he slashed the man's chest then threw him aside. He knelt beside the semi-conscious
girl and curled hir into his chest, / ¦³¦bªù¤Wªº¤@Ó«ªººV¡C ªÖ®¦§q¥s¡C ¦^¬Ý¦w¼w»¹,¥L´î°£¤F¯ÝµM«á¥á¥L®Ç¥Õªº¨k¤H¡C
¥L¦b¥b- ¦³·NÃѪº¤k«Ä®ÇÃ䪺 knelt ¦Ó¥B§Ë±² hir ¶i¥Lªº¯Ý¤§¤º,
"Lets get the hell out of here." / "¦b³o¸ÌÅý§â¦aº»»°¥X".
Katze nodded, pulling the Keeper to his feet, then gathering hir legs
under hir, s/he leaped back up into the vent. Ken handed up the girl and
followed. She latched onto her Keeper's hand, looking terrified. / Katze
ÂIÀY,©ÔºÊÅ@¤H¹ï¥Lªº¸}, µM«á¦b hir ¤U±ªº¶°·| hir »L,s/ ¥L¦V«á¦a¸õÅD¦b¶i¤J±Æ®ð¤f¤§¤º¤W±¡C ªÖ®¦¦b¤k«Ä¤W±¶Ç»¼¦Ó¥B¸òÀH¡C ¦o¦b¦oªººÊÅ@¤Hªº¤â¤§¤W¥H¬®ê¦í,¬Ý°_¨Ó¨üÅåÀ~¡C
"Who is this?" Ken asked Katze, indicating the Keeper. / "³o¬O½Ö"?
ªÖ®¦°Ý¤F Katze,«ü¥XºÊÅ@¤H¡C
Katze smiled tenderly, "This is Brace." / Katze ·Å©M¦a·L¯º,"³o¬O¤ä¬W"
¡C
"How do you know my name??" Brace gasped. / "§A¦p¦óª¾¹D§Úªº¦W¦r??"¤ä¬W³Ý®ð¡C
"She knows my name, too -- my *real* name!" the child exclaimed.
/ " ¦o¤]ª¾¹D§Úªº¦W¦r -- §Úªº *¯u¥¿ªº*¦W¦r!"«Ä¤l¤j¥s¡C
Ken looked them over, then looked at Katze's face and nodded. / ªÖ®¦µ²§ô¬Ý¤F¥LÌ,
µM«á¬Ý Katze's ªºÁy¦Ó¥BÂIÀY¡C
He bowed as best he could in the cramped vent, "Ken Washio, Gatchaman.
/ ¥LÅs¸y¦p³Ì¦n¥L¥i¥H¦b¯U«Pªº±Æ®ð¤f¤¤,"ªÖ®¦ Washio ¡A Gatchaman¡C
Now lets get out." He pulled out a gun and offered it to Brace, "Can
you use one of these?" The Keeper nodded and Ken turned to Katze,
indicating hir younger self, "Can she shoot yet?" / ²{¦bÅý°k¶]¡C"¥L©Ô¥X¤@°¦ºj¦Ó¥B´£¨Ñ¤F¥¦¤ä¼µ
",§A¯à³o¨Ç¨Ï¥Î¤@¶Ü?"ºÊÅ@¤HÂIÀY¡A¦Ó¥BªÖ®¦Âà¦V Katze,«ü¥X hir ¦~¬ö¸û¤pªÌ¦Û¤vªº ",¦o¯à®gÀ»¶Ü?"
"Oh yes," Katze grinned. / " ®@¬Oªº",Katze ÅS¾¦¦Ó¯º¡C
"Good," Ken pulled out another gun and gave it to the child,
/ "¦nªº",ªÖ®¦©Ô¥X¥t¤@°¦ºj¦Ó¥B§â¥¦µ¹«Ä¤l,
"Here, take this, little one. Protect yourself if we can't."
/ "³o¸Ì,®³³o, ¤@ÂIÂI¤@¡C «OÅ@§A¦Û¤v¦pªG§Ṳ́£¯à¡C"
"Who are you? What do you want with us?" Brace demanded. / "§A¬O½Ö?
§A©M§ÚÌ·Qn¤°»ò?"¤ä¬Wn¨D¡C
Ken smiled, "We're here to rescue you both. Come on, we can talk
about it later." / ªÖ®¦·L¯º,"§Ú̦b³o¸Ì±Ï¥X§A¨âÓ¡C µo¥Í ,§Ú̵y«á¯à½Í½×¥¦¡C"
"We'd better move, they're coming," Katze hissed. Ken heard
sounds, scrabbling sounds.. Suddenly his blood went cold: *That's* why
the vents were so large -- the guards moved through them! / "§Ú̳̦n²¾°Ê,¥ĻY±N¨ì¨Ó",Katze
µo¥X¼NÁn¡C ªÖ®¦Å¥¨ì¤FÁnµ,¼ã¯ó¦a¼gÁnµ¡C¡C ¬ðµM¥Lªº¦åÅÜ´H§N: * þ¤@¬O* ±Æ®ð¤f¬°¤°»ò¬O¦p¦¹¤j -- ¦u½Ã²¾°Ê¹L¥LÌ!
"Maybe you'd better lead," Ken told Katze, "You know this
place; I don't. I'm liable to get us trapped." He shoved them all
forward, / "¤]³\§A³Ì¦n±a»â",ªÖ®¦§i¶D¤F Katze",§Aª¾¹D³o¤@Ó¦a¤è; §Ú¤£¡C §Ú¦³¸q°ÈÅý§Ú̳Q§x¦í¡C"¥L¥þ³¡¦V«e±ÀÀ½¤F¥LÌ,
"Move!" / "²¾°Ê"!
Katze slid out of the vent and dropped into a hallway, taking off at a
run. After an instant's hesitation, Brace followed. Ken brought up the
rear guard, keeping one eye forward and one eye behind. / Katze slid ±q±Æ®ð¤f¦Ó¥B¶^¶i¤@Ó¨«´Y,¦b©b¶]°_¸¡C
¦b¥ß§Yªº¼È°±¤§«á¡A¤ä¬W¸òÀH¡C ¼¾¾i«á±ªº¦u½ÃªÖ®¦ , «OºÞ¤@¦V«e¦aª`·N¡A¦Ó¥B¥Lª`·N«á±¡C
A contingent of guards cut them off. Katze rushed them and leaped at them,
snarling, then vanished into a vent overhead before they could react.
Brace kicked a few down before handing up the girl and following. Ken
threw himself into a brawl, then followed the scrabbling sounds above
his head. A moment later he found another vent and leaped. / ¦u½Ãªº°¸µM¨Æ±¡¤Á¥h¥LÌ¡C
Katze ¦b¥L̶ʫP¤F¥L̦ӥB¸õÅD,§q¥s, µM«á¶i¤J¤@ӱƮð¤f¤§¤º®ø¥¢ÃB¥~¶}¾P¦b¥LÌ¥i¥H¤ÏÀ³¤§«e¡C ¤@¨Çªº³Q½ð¤ä¬W¦b¤k«Ä©M¤U¦C¦U¶µ¤W±¶Ç»¼¤§«eåP¸¨¡C
ªÖ®¦¶i¤J¤@¦¸ª§§n¤§¤º¥á¥L¦Û¤v, µM«á¸òÀH¤F¼ã¯ó¦a¼gÁnµ¥L©Ò¤£À´ªº¡C ¤@¤ù¨è¤§«á¥Lµo²{¤F¥t¤@ӱƮð¤f¦Ó¥B¸õÅD¡C
He scrabbled along the vent, pulling himself along with elbows, knees
and toes like a lizard. Soon his vent had joined Katze's and he panted
at hir side, "Which way?" / ¥L¦V«e¼ã¯ó¦a¼g±Æ®ð¤f,³s¦P¤â¨y¡A½¥©M¨¬³k¤@°_¹³¤@°¦»h»i©Ô¥L¦Û¤v¡C
«Ü§Ö¥Lªº±Æ®ð¤f¤w¸g°Ñ¥[ Katze's ¡A¦Ó¥B¥L¦b hir ³Ý®§Ãä," ¤èªk"?
"I'm not sure," Katze panted. / "§Ú¤£½T©w",Katze ³Ý®§¡C
"This way!" Brace pointed, then took off. The girl looked around,
frightened, "They're coming! I can hear them!" / "³o¼Ë"!
³Q«ü¥Xªº¤ä¬W,µM«á°_¸¡C ¤k«Ä¥|³B¬Ý¬Ý,ÅåÀ~,"¥ĻY±N¨ì¨Ó! §Ú¯àÅ¥¨ì¥LÌ!"
"Where?" Ken looked around, "From which direction?"
As if in answer, a guard appeared, scrambling wickedly fast along the
vent shaft. / "¦bþ¸Ì"? ªÖ®¦¥|³B¬Ý¬Ý," ±q¤è¦V"? ¦n¹³¦bµª®×¤¤¡A¤@Ó¦u½Ã¥X²{,Ãa¦aÃk½tªuµÛ±Æ®ð¤f¶bÂN§Ù¡C
"He's mine," Ken hissed, "Yuke!" He didn't watch hir
vanish, turning instead to grapple with the guards. / " ¥L¬O§Úªº",ªÖ®¦µo¥X¼NÁn
",Yuke"! ¥L¨S¦³¬Ý hir ®ø¥¢, §ï¬°Âà©M¦u½Ã§ì¦í¡C
Minutes later, Ken slid down the shaft, covered in fresh gore. / ¼Æ¤ÀÄÁ¤§«á¡AªÖ®¦
slid åP¸¨¶b,¦b·sÂAªº¬y¥X¦å¤¤²[»\¡C
He listened for Katze or any signs of Brace and the child. The only sound
was a slow murmer from the banquet hall. [Shimatta.. I have to get out
of this damned vent. I need space!] He crawled forward, sliding out of
a vent to find himself in a corridor on the other side of the hall, quite
lost. / ¥L¬° Katze ©Î¥ô¦ó¤ä¬W©M«Ä¤lªº²Å¸¹Å¥¡C °ß¤@ªºÁnµ¬O¨Ó¦Û®b·|ªùÆUªººC murmer ¡C [Shimatta¡C¡C §Ú¥²¶·Â÷¶}³oÓ¸Ó¦ºªº±Æ®ð¤f¡C
§Ú»ÝnªÅ¶¡!]¥L¦V«e¦aª¦¦æ, ·ÆÂ÷¤@ӱƮð¤f¦bªùÆUªº¥t¤@Ãä¤Wªº¤@Ó¨«´Y¤¤µo²{¥L¦Û¤v,¬Û·í¥¢¥h¡C
A sound-system squealed and Ken startled, then flattened himself against
the wall to listen as the emcee spoke. "Sorry to cut our 'pet show'
short, ladies and gentlemen - Maria and Tembo, her pachydermic companion,
will return for another showing later if you so desire. But tonight, we
have an unexpected pleasure: It seems a pair of undercover agents - doubtless
law enforcement officers - have decided to bust up our party." Ken
shivered as a roar of anticipation went up from the crowd. "As a
special added bonus, one of our treasured Keepers, in whom we invest so
much time and money, has turned traitor. Therefore ladies and gentlement,
it is our honour to present to you an impromptu auction: / ¤@ºØÁnµ-¨t²Îµo¥X¦y¾Uªº¥sÁn¡A¦Ó¥BªÖ®¦¾_Åå,
µM«á¤Ï¹ïÀð¾À±N¥L¦Û¤vÅÜ¥·í¥q»ö»¡¡AÅ¥¡C " Ãø¹Lªº´î¤Ö§Ú̪º 'Ãdª«Åã¥Ü' µu¡A²Q¤k©M²Ô¤h - ¦pªG§A¦p¦¹»Ýn¡Aº¿ÄR¨È©M Tembo
¡A¦oªº pachydermic ªB¤Í, ±Nµy«á¬°¥t¤@Ó¦¨ÁZÂkÁÙ¡C ¦ý¬O¤µ±ß¡A§Ú̦³·N·Q¤£¨ìªº§Ö¼Ö: ¥¦¦ü¥G¤@Âùª×©³±´û - µLºÃªº°õªk©xû
-¤w¸g¨M©w¦b§Ú̪ºÄÒ¤W±¥´¯}¡C"·í¤@Án¹w´Áªº§q±q¸s²³¤Wº¦ªº®ÉÔ¡AªÖ®¦¥´Å¸¡C "·í¤@Ó§Ú̧ë¸ê³o»ò¦h®É¶¡©M¿úªº¯S§Oªþ¥[ªº¬õ§Q,§Ú̪º¬Ã·RºÊÅ@¤H¤§¤@,¤w¸gÂà«q°fªÌ¡C
¦]¦¹²Q¤k©M·Å©Mªº,¥¦¬O§Ú̪º¥úºa§e²{µ¹§A§Y®uªº©ç½æ:
To the highest bidder, the lives of this beauteous lady and this treacherous
Keeper!" / ¨ì³Ì°ªªº¥X»ù¤H¡A³o¦ì¬üÄRªº²Q¤k¥Í©R©M³oÓ«q°fªººÊÅ@¤H!"
Ken blanched as the impact hit him: They had Katze and Brace! / ·í½ÄÀ»¸I¼²¥Lªº®ÉÔ¡AªÖ®¦º}¥Õ:
¥L̦³¤F Katze ¦Ó¥B¤ä¼µ!
[Fuck! I hadn't counted on this..!] / [©Ê¥æ! §Ú¨S¦³¥õ¿à³o¡C¡C!]
The announcer continued, "We shall start the biddin at one hundred
thousand, ladies and gentlemen. To entice you further.. / ¼s¼½ûÄ~Äò,"§Ú̱NÅý
biddin ±q¦b¤Q¸U¡A²Q¤k©M²Ô¤h¶}©l¡C §ó¶i¤@¨B¼£±v§A¡C¡C
Ranoof?" There was the sound of ripping cloth. "There, ladies
and gentlemen: See her firm breasts, so perfectly round? See her pink
nipples, the colour of candyfloss? Why, one would almost believe she was
of our own perfect Ovanon stock.." / Ranoof?"¦³³»«Ó¥¬®ÆªºÁnµ¡C "¨º¸Ì¡A²Q¤k©M²Ô¤h:
¬Ý¨£¦oªº°í©w¯Ý³¡,¦p¦¹ªº§¹¥þ§Ë¶ê? ¬Ý¨£¦oªº¯»¬õ¨ÅÀY¡A candyfloss ªºÃC¦â? ¬°¤°»ò,¤@±N·|´X¥G¬Û«H¦o¬O¦³§Ú̦ۤv§¹¬üªº Ovanon
¦s³fªº¡C¡C"
Guards slunk about as the dome's forces were mobilized, but the / ¦u½Ã°½°½¦a¨«Ãö©ó·í¶ê³»ªºx¶¤³Q°Êû,
¦ý¬O¨º
Keepers had vanished utterly to protect their charges. Ken ducked into
an empty room and detransmuted, figuring he'd have a better chance of
rescuing them if he looked normal. A very small whisper said, "How
did you do that?" / §¹¥þ¦a³Q¦³ªººÊÅ@¤H®ø¥¢«OÅ@¥L̪º¶O¥Î¡C ªÖ®¦¸ú¶iªÅªº©Ð¶¡©M detransmuted, ºtºâ¦pªG¥L¬Ý°_¨Ó¥¿±`¡A¥L±N·|¦³±Ï¥X¥L̪º¸û¦n¾÷·|¡C
«D±`¤pªº¦Õ»y»¡,"§A¦p¦ó°µ¨º"?
Ken whirled, startled, and knocked down whomever was there. / ªÖ®¦µL½×½Ö¦b¨º¸Ì³Q¨Ï,
±ÛÂà¾_Åå, ©MºVÀ»¤U¨Ó¡C
"YOU!" he gaped. / "§A"! ¥Lµõ¶}¡C
"OW!" the little Katze held her jaw and looked at him reproachfully,
"I *knew* you weren't to be trusted!" / "ªí¥Ü¬ðµM¯kµh©Òµo¥X¤§Án"!
¤p Katze ¥Ó¥¸¦a®³µÛ¤F¦oªºÃE¦Ó¥B¬Ý¥L," §Ú *ª¾¹D* §A¬O¤£³Q«H¿à"!
Ken knelt down to her and hugged her tightly, "Thank god..! Are you
alright? Are you hurt?" / ªÖ®¦ knelt åP¸¨¹ï¦o¦Ó¥Bºòºò¦a¾Ö©ê¤F¦o,"ÁÂÁ¯«¡C¡C! §A¬O¦nªº¶Ü?
§A³Q¶Ë®`¶Ü?"
Chiisai-Katze was surprised, "I'm.. I'm alright. Why are you doing
this? How do you know us? Did Soosai send you?" / Chiisai-Katze ·P¨ìÅå³Y,"§Ú¬O¡C¡C
§Ú¬O¦nªº¡C §A¬°¤°»ò°µ³o? §A¦p¦ó»{ÃѧÚÌ? Soosai °e§A¶Ü?"
"No.. I know.. um.. a relative of yours," Ken looked at her,
then out towards the jeering banquet hall, "Shimatta.. I don't know
what to do. Do I get you out of here first or get them and all of us out?"
/ "¸¹½X¡C §Úª¾¹D¡C¡C um¡C¡C §Aªº¿Ë±,"ªÖ®¦¬Ý¦o, µM«á¦b¥~¦V¼J§Ë®b·|ªùÆU ",Shimatta¡C¡C
§Ú¤£ª¾¹D¸Ó°µ¤°»ò¡C §Ú¦b¥~§â§A»°¥X³o¸Ì²Ä¤@©Î±o¨ì§Ú̪º¥LÌ©M¥þ³¡¶Ü?"
The little one cocked her head at him, "They'll kill her. It's /
¤@ÂIÂI¤@Áq¥ß¤F¦b¥Lªº¦oÀY,"¥ḺN±þ¦o¡C ¥¦¬O
Brace I'm worried about." / ¤ä¼µ§Ú¾á¼~¡C"
"No.." Ken breathed, looking out towards the hall. He could
see the stage from here and what he saw made him ill: The announcer was
holding back the lips of Katze's vulva, enticing the crowd about how nice
s/he would be to rape before killing. The bidding went higher. / "¸¹½X¡C"ªÖ®¦©I§l,¦VªùÆU¤p¤ß¡C
¥L¥i¥H¬Ý¨£¨Ó¦Û³o¸Ìªº¶¥¬q¡A¦Ó¥B¥L¬Ý¨£ªº¨Ï¥L¥Í¯f: ¼s¼½û¥¿¦b§í¨î Katze's ªº³±¤á®B, ¼£±v¸s²³Ãö©ó¦p¦ó¬ü¦nªº s/¥L±N·|¬O¦b±þ®`¤§«e±°¹Ü¡C
©R¥O§ó°ª¦a¥h¡C
Ken looked back at the little girl and took her hand, "Do you like
fireworks?" / ªÖ®¦¦^¬Ý¤p¤k«Ä¦Ó¥B±a¤F¦oªº¤â,"§A³ßÅw·Ï¤õ¶Ü"?
Her eyes lit, "Blow things up? Sure!" / ¦oªº²´·úµo«G,"¬µ·´¨Æª«? ·íµM!"
"Come on; we're gonna have some fun." Ken took her out and found
the makings for Molotov cocktails. The child looked on for a moment, then
slipped away and returned with different chemicals. Ken lifted her into
the ceiling, "What are those?" / "µo¥Í ; §Ú̱Nn¦³¤@¨Ç¼Ö½ì¡C"ªÖ®¦¬°
Molotov Âû§À°s±a¦o¥X¥h¦Ó¥Bµo²{¤F»s³y¡C «Ä¤l¬Ý¦b¤@·|¨à¤§¤W, µM«á·ÆËÂ÷¶}¦Ó¥B¥H¤£¦Pªº¤Æ¾ÇÃÄ«~ÂkÁÙ¡C ªÖ®¦Á|°_¦o¶i¤ÑªáªO¤§¤º,"¨º¨Ç¬O¤°»ò"?
"This will make a cover gas," the child said proudly, holding
up a bottle, "And this will make fumes that will choke people."
/ "³o±N»s³y¤@ºØ±»Å@¥Ë´µ",«Ä¤l¶ÆºC¦a»¡,¦b¤@¤ä²~¤l¤W±´¤¦í ",¦Ó¥B³o±N»s³y±N²¿®§¤Hªº¯ä®ð".
Ken smiled, "Good girl! Now stay close to me; we're going down the
chandelier, then we'll light these and throw them. Alright?" She
nodded. Ken went to birdstyle, then slipped up beside her, "Let's
go." / ªÖ®¦·L¯º,"¦n¤k«Ä! ²{¦b°±¯d¦b§Úªºªþªñ; §ÚÌ¥¿¦b¤U¨Ó¦Q¿O,µM«á§Ú̱NÂI¿U³o¨Ç¦Ó¥B¥á¥LÌ¡C ¦nªº?"¦oÂIÀY¡C
ªÖ®¦¥h birdstyle, µM«á·Æ˦b¦o®ÇÃä¤W±,"Åý§ÚÌ¥h".
"Don't you want to see my flares?" / "§A¤£·Qn¬Ý¨£§Úªº°{¥ú"?
Ken laced her over his back and shimmied down the chain holding the chandelier.
The lights in the banquet hall were low and they were in flickering shadow,
the attention of the crowd focussed on the stage. / ªÖ®¦¦b¥LªºI³¡¤§¤Wµ²±a¤l¤F¦o¦Ó¥B¤U¨Ó¨®½üÂ\°Ê´¤¦í¦Q¿O
ªºÃì¡C ®b·|ªùÆUªº¥ú¬O§Cªº¡A¦Ó¥B¥L̦b°{°Ê¼v¹³,¦b¶¥¬q¤Wªº¸s²³ focussed ªºª`·N¤è±¡C
The bidding was going higher and higher, and several bidders were being
restrained from trying to grope the merchandize. Tied spread-eagle to
a rack, Katze was trying surreptitiously to work hirself out of the cuffs.
/ ©R¥O¥¿¦b¶V¨Ó¶V°ª¦a¥h¡A¦Ó¥B¤@¨Ç¥X»ù¤H¥¿¦b³Q±q¹Á¸Õ¥HºN¯Á´M§ä°Ó«~§í¨î¡C ô¤F¶Ç§G-¹ï¤@Ó¬[ªºÆN,Katze ¥¿¦b¯¦±K¦a¹Á¸Õ±q³S¤f¾Þ§@ hirself
¡C
Ken, perched on the chandelier, glanced back at the child, "Alright,
now we throw these, but don't leave here. I'll be back for you: I have
to get the woman and Brace, but I'll be back for you. Stay safe."
/ ªÖ®¦,¦b¦Q¿O¤W´Ï®§,¦V«á¦a¦b«Ä¤l¿h°{,"¦nªº¡A²{¦b§ÚÌ¥á³o¨Ç, ¦ý¬O¤£Â÷¶}³o¸Ì¡C §Ú±N¬°§A¦^¨Ó: §Ú¥²¶·±o¨ì¤k¤H©M¤ä¬W¡A¦ý¬O§Ú±N¬°§A¦^¨Ó¡C
°±¯d¦w¥þ¡C"
Ken lit one of the cocktails and dropped onto the announcer, tying it
to him with the microphone cord. He whirled and kicked at the stage hand,
then shot open the cuffs holding Brace. The Keeper dropped down and grappled
with the other stage hand. / ³Qµo«GÂû§À°s¦Ó¥B°§C¦b¼s¼½û¤§¤W¤§¤@,¹ï¥L¥H³Á§J·Ã·¯Á¸j¥¦ªºªÖ®¦¡C ¥L¨Ï¦Ó¥B±ÛÂà§Ü©Ú¶¥¬q¤â,µM«á®gÀ»¤½¶}³S¤f§â«ù¤ä¬W¡C
¤U¨Ó³Q°§CªººÊÅ@¤H¦Ó¥B§ì¦í¥H¥t¤@Óºt¥X¤â¡C
"Ken, look out!!" Guards were swarming into the dining hall,
spraying the stage with bullets. Ken leaped, kicking down several like
dominoes, but his heart sank when he heard the agonized cry from the stage.
/ "ªÖ®¦,¤p¤ß!!"¦u½Ã¥¿¦b¶i¤J¦Y¶ºªùÆU¤§¤º¸s¶°,¥Î¤l¼u¼QÅx¶¥¬q¡C ªÖ®¦¸õÅD,¸¨¦Ü§C³t¤@¨Ç¬Û¦üªº°©µP¹CÀ¸,¦ý¬O·í¥LÅ¥¨ì¤F¨Ó¦Û¶¥¬qªº³QúÁn·Ð´oªº®ÉÔ¡A¥Lªº¤ß¨I¸¨¡C
"Oh," whispered a voice in Katze's ear, "I was going to
let you go, but I guess its too late now." / "®@",¦Õ»y¤F Katze's
ªº¦Õ¦·¤@ºØÁnµ ", §Ú±NnÅý§A¥h¡A¦ý¬O§Ú²q´ú¥¦ªº¤Ó±ß²{¦b".
"You'll be surprised," Katze rasped through the blood welling
up in hir throat, "I'm not dead yet." The little one shrugged
and picked the locks on Katze's cuffs. The older mutant dropped to hir
feet and flashed Ken a quick thumbs-up. / "§A±N·P¨ìÅå³Y", Katze ¥Î²Ê¾V¤M¾V¹L¦å´é¥X¦b
hir «|³ï¤¤¤W± ",§Ú¤´µM¨S¦³¦º". ¤@ÂIÂI¤@ÁqªÓ¨Ã¥B¬D¿ï¦b Katze's ªº³S¤f¤WªºÂê¡C ¸ûªº¬ðÅܲ§ºØ°§C¨ì
hir ¸}¦Ó¥B°{²{¤FªÖ®¦¤@°¦§Öªº©æ«ü-¼W¥[¡C
Ken did not smile, staring at the ruin of hir chest. [Oh god.. / ªÖ®¦¨S¦³·L¯º,¨nµÛ
hir ¯Ýªº·´·À¬Ý¡C [ ®@¯«¡C¡C
Got to get hir out of here.. if s/he Changes and they find out there's
two of them..!] / ¦b³o¸Ì¨ì¹F§â hir »°¥X¡C¡C ¦pªG s/¥L§ïÅÜ¡A¦Ó¥B¥L̵o²{¥L̦@¦³¤GÓ¡C¡C!]
"Hold your breath!" the child cried, then let loose a gas bomb.
/ "«Ì®§¥H«Ý "! «Ä¤lú,µM«áÅý¸Ñ©ñ¤@ӥ˴µ¬µ¼u¡C
Amid the screams of the patrons and the thwarted guards, they bolted.
/ ¦bÃÙ§U¤Hªº¦y¥sÁn©M³Q¤Ï¹ïªº¦u½Ã¤§¤¤¡A¥L̬¦í¡C
Ken scooped up the little girl, knowing she could never keep up with them
otherwise. Brace's side showed red but he seemed unimpeded. / ªÖ®¦¦b¤p¤k«Ä¤W±¨V¨ú,
³Õ¾Çªº¦oµLªk§_«h»°¤W¥LÌ¡C ¤ä¬WªºÃäÅã¥Ü¤F¬õ¦â¡A¦ý¬O¥L¦ü¥G¤£ªýê¡C
Katze was running well, but hir front was black with blood; s/he wouldn't
last long. "Ready to get out of here, kid?" / Katze ¥¿¦b¶]±o¦n¡A¦ý¬O
hir «e±¹ï¦å·P¨ì¶Â¦â; s/¥L¤£±N·|³Ì«á´÷±æ¡C "¹w³ÆÂ÷¶}³o¸Ì¡A¤p«Ä"?
The little girl nodded, "Are we going to blow it up?" / ¤p¤k«ÄÂIÀY,"§Ú̱Nn¬µ·´¥¦¶Ü"?
"Yup!" He looked back at Brace, who was following the weakening
/ "Yup"! ¥L¦^¬Ý¤ä¬W, ¥¿¦b¸òÀH¨º´î®zªº
Katze, "Come on! We're out of here!" Ken plowed through people,
not caring whom he knocked down or killed along the way. Bullets howled.
/ Katze,"µo¥Í ! §Ú̶W¥X³o¸Ì!"ªÖ®¦¾î±½¤H¦Ó¤£¬O¥LªuµÛ¤èªk¥´Ë©Î±þªºÃö¤ß¡C ¤l¼u¨g§p¡C
The girl looked up from her finished bomb, "Now?" / ¤k«Ä¬Ý¦b±q¤W±¦o³Q§¹¦¨¬µ¼u¡A
"²{¦b"?
"Now!" She hurled it with all her might. Ken and Brace looped
their arms through Katze's and they bolted for the moonlit desert. As
they reached the hidden plane, explosions rocked the desert, lighting
up the sky. Additional explosions followed: Ovanon contained every kind
of chemical and sheltered vehicles. It would burn to the ground. / "²{¦b"!
¦o¥Î¦o©Ò¦³ªº¤O¶q¥Î¤O§ëÂY¥¦¡C ªÖ®¦©M¤ä¬W¸g¹L Katze's ¨Ï¥L̪º¤âÁu¦¨Àô¤F¡A¦Ó¥B¥L̬°¤ë¥ú·ÓÄ£ªº¨Fºz¬¦í¡C ·í¥L̨ì¹F¤FÁôÂ꺸¾÷®ÉÔ,Ãz¬µ·n°Ê¨Fºz,ÂI¿U¤ÑªÅ¡C
ªþ¥[ªºÃz¬µ¸òÀH: Ovanon ¥]§t¨CÓÃþ«¬¤Æ¾Çªº¦Ó¥B§ÈÅ@¤F¨®½ø¡C ¥¦±N·|¹ï¦a±¿U¿N¡C
Ken wasted no time, ripping off his bracelet, then his shirt, pressing
it to Katze's open chest, "How are you?" He cradled hir against
him, trying to stop the bleeding. / ªÖ®¦¨S®ö¶O®É¶¡, ³»«Óªº¦b¥L¤âÅN¥~, µM«á¥LªºÅ¨m,À£¢¥¦¨ì Katze's
ªº¶}©ñ¯Ý,"§A¦n¶Ü"? ¥L©ñ¦b·nÄx¤º¤F¹ï§Ü¥Lªº hir, ¹Á¸Õ°±¤î¥X¦å¡C
"G.. gatchama..." Hir eyes rolled back into hir head and hir
body convulsed. / "G¡C¡C gatchama¡C¡C¡C"Hir ²´·ú¶i¤J hir ¤§¤º¢¨Ï«á°hÀY¡A¦Ó¥B hir
¨Åé¨Ï¾_°Ê¡C
"NOOOOOOOOOO Katze!!" Ken screamed. Hir body jerked in his arms.
Tears streamed down his face as he rocked back and forth, "No.. /
"NOOOOOOOOOO Katze!!"ªÖ®¦¦y¥s¡C Hir ¨Åé¦b¥Lªº¤âÁu¤¤µjÅË¡C ·í¥L¨Ó¦^¦a·n°Êªº®ÉÔ¡A²\ºw¬y¥X¤U¨Ó¥LªºÁy,"¸¹½X¡C
no... Not you too... No.." / ¸¹½X¡C¡C ¤£¬O§A¡A¤]¡C¡C¡C ¸¹½X¡C"
Unseen, a small face peeked around the fuselage of the plane, peering
at him. Katze's body twisted and heaved, joints snapping as hir spine
started to lengthen. Hir hips began to migrate and as the wounds in hir
chest started to close, hir breasts swelled and flattened. / ¥¼¨£¹Lªº,¤@Ó¤pªºÁy¦b¸¾÷ªº¾÷¨©P³ò°½¬Ý,¾®µø¥L¡C
Katze's ªº¨ÅéÀ¾¦Ó¥B¥Î¤OÁ|°_,·í hir ¯á´Õ¶}©l¥[ªø¡A³s±µ«rÂ_¡C Hir Áv³¡¶}©l²¾°Ê¦Ó¥B·í¦b hir ¯Ý¤¤ªº³Ð¶Ë¶}©lÃöªº®ÉÔ,hir
¯Ý³¡¼W¤j¦Ó¥BÅÜ¥¡C
Ken's joy that s/he wasn't dead was crushed when he realized what was
happening. "Oh no.. not again.. oh, Katze.. It's too soon!"
/ ªÖ®¦ªºÅw³ß s/·í¥L¤F¸Ñ¤F¥¿¦bµo¥ÍªºªF¦è®ÉÔ¥L¨S¦³¦º³QÀ£¯}¡C " ®@¸¹½X¡C ¤£¬O¦A¤@¦¸¡C¡C ªí¥ÜÅå³Y,Katze¡C¡C ¥¦¤Ó«Ü§Ö!"
Sapphire eyes widened, watching Ken with the stranger. / ÂÅÄ_¥Û²´·úÂX¤j,©M¯¥Í¤H¬ÝªÖ®¦¡C
Katze's body lengthened. Hir genitals flexed, configured, re-formed. Hir
face changed subtly, becoming sharper. Ken looked up and saw the watching
blue eyes and wondered how much she had heard, "Get me some water
and a blanket.. In the plane." She nodded and vanished. / Katze's
ªº¨Åé¥[ªø¡C Hir ¥Í´Þ¾¹Ås¦±,°t¸m,¦A§Î¦¨¡C Hir Áy±Ó¾U¦a§ïÅÜ,Åܦ¨¸ûÂA©ú¡C ³Q¬ÝªºªÖ®¦¦b©M¤W±¿÷¤l¨º¬ÝÂŦ⪺²´·ú¦Ó¥BÃhºÃ¦o¤w¸gÅ¥¨ì¦h¤Ö,"
¦³§Ú¤@¨Ç¼å¤ô©M¤@±ø¤ò´à¡C¡C ¦b¸¾÷¤¤¡C"¦oÂIÀY¦Ó¥B®ø¥¢¡C
After a few moments' frantic rummaging in the plane, the little girl and
Brace returned with the requested blanket and water. Ken wrapped Katze's
body, shielding hir from the night air. Hours passed. / ¦b¼Æ¤ù¨è¨g¶Ãªº¦b¸¾÷¤¤Â½¹M¤§«á¡A¤p¤k«Ä©M¤ä¬WÂkÁ٥ѩ󨺽ШD¤ò´à©M¤ô¡C
ªÖ®¦¥]¸Ë¤F Katze's ªº¨Åé,±q©]±ßªÅ®ð°_ªº«Ì¹j hir¡C ¼Æ¤p®É³q¹L¡C
Finally it was over and Katze was quiet. / ³Ì«á¥¦¬O¤W±ªº¡A¦Ó¥B Katze ¬O¦wÀR¡C
Ken was still rocking hir in his arms, tracks of silent tears dried on
his face. He wiped away the blood from Katze's face. The little Katze
exchanged a glance with Brace, then knelt beside Ken. / ªÖ®¦¤´µM¬O¥Lªº¤âÁu·n°Êªº hir,¨HÀq²\ºwªºy¹D¦b¥LªºÁy¤W§Ë°®¡C
¥L±½°£¨Ó¦Û Katze's ªºÁy¦å¡C ¤p Katze ¥Î¤ä¬W¥æ´«¤@¿h, µM«á¦bªÖ®¦®ÇÃ䪺 knelt¡C
S/he reached out hesitantly, then touched the gaunt face, the whole, flat
chest, ran hir hand down the male genitals. S/he felt underneath the scrotum,
looking for any signs of a vulva or vagina. / S/¥L¿ðºÃ¦a¨ì¹F¥X,µM«á¸IIJ¤F¼¬±|ªºÁy¡A¥þ³¡¡A¥©Zªº¯Ý,
¶] hir ¶Ç»¼¤U¨Ó¨k©Êªº¥Í´Þ¾¹¡C S/¥L¦b³±Ånªº¤U±·Pı,§ä´M¥ô¦ó¤@Ó³±¤á©ÎÀTªº²Å¸¹¡C
S/he sat back, staring wonderingly at the older Katze's face. / S/¥L³S¤â®ÇÆ[,¦b¸ûªº
Katze's ªºÁyı±o©_©Çª`µø¡C
Katze groaned weakly, then began to cough violently. Ken rolled hir to
hir side to let the breath come more easily. S/he coughed harder, spat
out a few bullets, then leaned over further to vomit more bullets onto
the sand. Ken held hir, holding hir hair out of hir face. / ·L®z¦a³Q©D§uªº Katze,
µM«á¶}©l«y¹Â²r¯Pªº¡C ªÖ®¦±²¤F¹ï hir Ã䪺 hir Åý©I§l§ó®e©ö¨Ó¡C S/¥L§ó§V¤O¦a«y¹Â,»´¥´¥X¤@¨Ç¤l¼u, µM«áʾa¦b¤ñ¸û¶i¤@¨Bªº¤§¤W¦b¨F¤l¤§¤W¦R¥X§ó¦hªº¤l¼u¡C
ªÖ®¦®³µÛ¤F hir,±q hir Áy´¤¦í hir ÀY¾v¡C
Finally s/he rolled back, shaking. / ³Ì«á s/¥L¢¨Ï«á°h,·n°Ê¡C
Ken hugged hir to him tenderly, a sob breaking, "Oh.. Katze.. I thought
you were gone for sure.." / ªÖ®¦¹ï¥L·Å©M¦a¾Ö©ê¤F hir,°ãª_¥´¯},"®@¡C¡C Katze¡C¡C
§Ú·Q¤F§A½T¹ê¤£¨£¤F¡C¡C"
"Takes more than a few bullets to kill me, Gatchaman," s/he
managed weakly and coughed. A small hand poured water into hir mouth.
/ "±a¶W¹L¤@¨Ç¤l¼u±þ§Ú,Gatchaman",s/¥L·L®z¦a³B²z¦Ó¥B«y¹Â¡C ¤@°¦¤pªº¤âˤô¶i hir ¼L¤§¤º¡C
Katze rinsed hir mouth and spat, then looked up into the moonlit face
of hir child self. The girl wiped hir face with a wet rag, cleaning away
the blood. / Katze ¨R¬~¤F hir ¼L©M¨©§Z, µM«á¬Ý¦b¶i¤J hir «Ä¤lªº¤ë¥ú·ÓÄ£±»ª¤§¤º¤W±¦Û¤vªº¡C ¤k«Ä¥Î¤@ÓÀ㪺¸H¥¬À¿
hir Áy, ²M¼äÂ÷¶}¦å¡C
"Are.. Are you my mother?" the child asked finally. / "¬O¡C¡C
§A¬O§Úªº¥À¿Ë¶Ü?"«Ä¤l³Ì«á°Ý¡C
"No," Katze replied, "I'm not your father either. But I'm
just like you. We come from the same place." / "¤£" ¡A Katze
µªÂÐ ",§Ú¤]¤£¬O§Aªº¤÷¿Ë¡C ¦ý¬O§Ú¬O¥¿ª½ªº¦PÃþ§A¡C §Ų́Ӧ۬ۦPªº¦a¤è¡C"
"Soosai-sama never mentioned that there were others like me."
/ "Soosai- sama ±q¤£´£¨ì¨º¸Ì¬O¨ä¥¦³ßÅw§Ú".
"No," Katze winced as Ken shifted hir into a more upright position,
"There's a lot he hasn't been telling you. That's why we're here."
/ "¤£" ¡A·íªÖ®¦§ïÅÜ hir ¶i¤@Ó¸ûª½¥ßªº¦ì¸m®ÉÔ¡A Katze ¬ÈÁY ", ¨º¸Ì¬O«Ü¦h¥L¨S¦³§i¶D§A¡C
¨º¬O§Ú̬°¤°»ò¦b³o¸Ì¡C"
The girl glanced at Ken, "Is he...?" / ¤k«Äª`µøªÖ®¦," ¬O¥L¡C¡C¡C?"
"No. He's human. He has special abilities, though, special training.
He can help us, if we help him." / " ¸¹½X¥L¬O¤HÃþªº¡C ¥LÁöµM¦³¯S§Oªº¯à¤O¯S§Oªº°V½m¡C
¦pªG§ÚÌÀ°§U¥L¡A¥L¯àÀ°§U§ÚÌ¡C"
"Help him what?" / " À°§U¥L¤°»ò"?
"Stop the Overlord." / "°±¤î¤j§g¥D" ¡C
"Why does he want to do that?" / "¥L¬°¤°»ò·Qn°µ¨º"?
Katze glanced up at Ken, "We'd better leave. Galactor will send investigators
quickly." Ken nodded and slid out from under hir, then helped hir
up. / Katze ¿h°{¦bªÖ®¦¤W±," §Ú̦³¸û¦nªº¥ð°²¡C Galactor ±N«Ü§Ö¦a°e½Õ¬dû¡C" ªÖ®¦ÂIÀY©M¦b¥~
slid ±q¦b hir ¤§¤U,µM«á¦V¤WÀ°§U hir¡C
The child tugged hir hand, "He called you Katze. Is that your name
too?" / «Ä¤l¥Î¤O©Ô¤F hir ¤â,"¥LºÙ§A¬° Katze ¡C ¨º¤]¬O§Aªº¦W¦r¶Ü?"
"Yes," Katze cast a quick dark glance at Ken, who blushed. /
"¬Oªº" ¡A Katze ¦bªÖ®¦§ë§Öªº¶Â·t¤@¿h,ªÖ®¦Áy¬õ¡C
Katze wrapped hirself in the blanket as Ken helped Brace and the little
/ Katze ¦b¤ò´à¤¤¥]¸Ë hirself ·í°µÀ°§U¤ä¬W©M¤@ÂIÂIªºªÖ®¦
Katze into the plane, "Think I'm going to need a new wardrobe.."
/ ¶i¤J¸¾÷¤§¤ºªº Katze,"»{¬°§Ú±Nn»Ýn¤@Ó·sªº¦çÃo¡C¡C"
"Heh.. No more slinky dresses," Ken winked, sliding into place.
/ "Heh¡C¡C ¨S¦³§ó¦hªº slinky ¬ïµÛ,"ªÖ®¦¯w²´,¶i¤J¦a¤è¤§¤º·Æ¡C
"Mm.. Back to bar-hopping.." / "¤½Âç¡C¡C ¦^¸T¤î-³æ¸}¸õ¡C¡C"
Ken gunned the throttle and got the plane moving. "Maybe," he
glanced back at hir, then blushed, "We'll see." / ªÖ®¦¥Î¬¶®gÀ»¤F¸`¬y»Ö¦Ó¥B¨Ï¸¾÷·P¤Hªº¡C
"¤]³\" ¡A¥L¦V«á¦a¦b hir ¿h°{, µM«áÁy¬õ ",§Ú̱N¬Ý¨£".
The plane lifted into the night, leaving the burning pleasure dome to
light the way. / ¸¾÷¶i¤J©]±ß¤§¤º¤É°ª,Â÷¶}¿N§Ö¼Ö¶©°_¦¨¶ê³»ª¬ÂI¿U¤èªk¡C
They holed up in a two-bedroom suite in a ritzy hotel, Ken having decided
they could all use some luxury. After feeding almost as ravenously as
the two mutants, Ken had showered and now lay on the bed. / ¥LÌ«õ¬}¦b¤@¶¡¹³°ª¶®ªº®ÈÀ]¤¤ªº¤@²ÕÂùª×«ÇÀHû¤¤¤W±,
¨M©wªºªÖ®¦¦³¥LÌ¥þ³¡¥i¥H¨Ï¥Î¤@¨Ç»¨µØ¡C ¦b¹}¾i¤§«á´X¥G¹³¤GÓ¬ðÅܲ§ºØ¤@¼Ëªº¯T§]ªêÃ`¦a¡AªÖ®¦¤w¸g²O¯D¦Ó¥B²{¦b¦b§É¤W©ñ¸m¡C
Katze was in tucking the two rescuees in. Ken could hear their soft voices,
but couldn't discern what was being said. Finally, Katze emerged and closed
the door behind hir. / Katze ¬O¦b¥´¾îÁ·¤G rescuees ¤è±¦b¡C ªÖ®¦¥i¥HÅ¥¨ì¥L̪º³nÁnµ, ¦ý¬OµLªk¿ë§O¥¿¦b³Q»¡ªºªF¦è¡C
³Ì«á¡A Katze ¯B²{¦Ó¥BÃö³¬¤F¦b hir «á±ªºªù¡C
"How is she?" Ken asked, rolling onto one side. / "¦o¦n¶Ü"?
ªÖ®¦°Ý,¦bÃ䤧¤Wºu°Ê¡C
"Better," Katze replied, sinking down to sit on the bed, / "§ó"
¡A Katze µªÂÐ, ¨I¨S¤U¨Ó§¤¦b§É¤W,
"Recovering faster than I do, which I suppose isn't surprising. Brace
got creased a few times, but the wounds are minor. I'm still amazed we
made it out of there." "I am too," Ken confessed, "I
wasn't so sure, at a few points." / " «ì´_¤ñ§Ú§ó§Ö³t°µ, §Ú±À·Q¨º¤@Ó¤£¬O¥O¤HÅå³Yªº¡C
¤ä¬W±o¨ìºP²ª¼Æ®É¥N¡A¦ý¬O³Ð¶Ë¬O¸û¤pªº¡C §Ú¤´µM³Q¦YÅå§Ṳ́F¸Ñ¥¦¦b¨º¸Ì¡C" " §Ú¤]",ªÖ®¦©Ó»{ ",§Ú¤£¬O¦p¦¹½T«H,¦b¤@¨ÇÂI".
"Thanks a lot for blowing my cover," Katze snorted, "At
least you didn't use my *full* name." / "¬°§j§Úªº±»Å@ÁÂÁ«ܦh",Katze
¼QµÛ®ð§ËÅT»ó¤l ", ¦Ü¤Ö§A¨S¦³¨Ï¥Î§Úªº *¥þ³¡* ©R¦W".
Ken stammered and blushed, "I.. I'm sorry.. I was... upset."
/ ªÖ®¦¤f¦Y¦Ó¥BÁy¬õ,"§Ú¡C¡C ¹ï¤£°_¡C¡C §Ú¬O¡C¡C¡C ¥[²`®Ø¡C"
Katze softened, "I know. S/he told me." / Katze ÅܬX³n,"§Úª¾¹D¡C
S/¥L§i¶D¤F§Ú¡C"
"God.. when they had you up.. there.. strung up.. I.." A blonde
eyebrow arched up, "A week ago you were trying to kill me; now you're
crying because you were afraid I might be dead." / "¤W«Ò¡C¡C ·í¥L̦V¤W¦³¤F§Aªº®ÉÔ¡C¡C
¦b¨º¸Ì¡C¡C ®¹²Ï¦b¤W±¡C¡C §Ú¡C¡C" ¦V¤Wªº¤}§Î¤@¹D¥Õ¦âªº¬Ü¤ò,"¦b¤@Ó¬P´Á¥H«e§A¥¿¦b¹Á¸Õ±þ§Ú; ¦]¬°§A«Ü®`©È¡A©Ò¥H²{¦b§A¬O¥s³Ûªº§Ú¥i¯à¦º¡C"
Ken ran a hand through his hair, "Yeah. I know. Confuses the fuck
out of me, too," he shook his head, "Everything I know is gone.
/ ªÖ®¦¸g¹L¥LªºÀY¾v¶]¤@°¦¤â,"¬Oªº¡C §Úª¾¹D¡C ¨Ï¨º§x´b¤]©Ê¥æÂ÷§Ú,"¥L·nÀY ",§Úª¾¹Dªº¨C¥ó¨Æª«¤£¨£¤F¡C
You're all I have left." / §A¥þ³£¬O§Ú¤w¸g¯d¤U¡C"
"We changed it," s/he said softly after a few minutes. / "§Ú̧ïÅܤF¥¦",s/¥L¬X©M¦a¦b¼Æ¤ÀÄÁ¤§«á»¡¡C
"Heh.. Yeah.. we did, ne." / "Heh¡C¡C ¬Oªº¡C¡C §ÚÌ°µ,©mªº¡C"
"Whatever happens now, it won't be the same." / " ¤£½×¤°»ò²{¦bµo¥Í,
¥¦±N¤£¬O¬Û¦Pªº" ¡C
Ken shuddered, "I still feel.... slimy.. after seeing them do that,"
he walked to the bar and poured a drink, "Want one?" / ªÖ®¦¾Ô·X,"§Ú¤´µM·Pı....
ªdªº¡C¡C ¦b¬Ý¨£¥LÌ°µ¨º¤§«á¡A "¥L¨«¸ô¥h°s§a¦Ó¥BˤF¤@ºØ¶¼®Æ ",·Qn¤@?"
"Yes, please. Scotch. Glenmorangie if its there." Ken found
the bottle and poured out the amber liquid, his hand shaking. S/he downed
it in one swallow, "I mean, *I* didn't blow up Ovanon until I was
fourteen!" / "¬Oªº, ½Ð¡C Ĭ®æÄõ¤H¡C Glenmorangie ¦pªG¥¦ªº¦b¨º¸Ì¡C"ªÖ®¦µo²{¤F²~¤l¦Ó¥B˵[¬Ä¦âªº²GÅé,¥Lªº¤â·n°Ê¡C
S/ ¥LåP¸¨¥¦¦b¤@Ó«|³ï¤¤,"§Ú·N¿×,*§Ú* ¨S¦³¬µ·´ Ovanon ª½¨ì§Ú¬O¤Q¥|"!
"You spent *five years* in that godforsaken place?" Ken gasped.
/ " §Aªá¶O *¤¦~*¦b¨ºÓ³Q¤W«Ò©ß±óªº¦a¤è¤¤"? ªÖ®¦³Ý®ð¡C
Katze nodded. "I wanted to die when I saw you.. kill with my bare
hands," Ken's eyes grew dark, "I wanted to rip out their beating
hearts with my fingers.." / Katze ÂIÀY¡C "·í§Ú¬Ý¨£§Aªº®ÉÔ¡A§Ú·Qn¦º¡C¡C ¥H§Úªº¨ª»r¤â±þ,"ªÖ®¦ªº²´·úÅܫܶ·t
",§Ú·Qn¼¹¶}¥X©M§Úªº¤â«ü¥L̪º¥´¤ß¡C¡C"
"The true nature of humanity," Katze smirked, "You can
put whatever noble labels onto it you please: It's the same. Still there."
"NO! I can't believe that.. I won't believe it!" Ken turned,
pacing, "Not all people are like that..." He sank to the bed,
his head in his hands, elbows on knees, "I just can't believe that.."
/ "¤H©Êªº¯u¹êÓ©Ê",Katze ¼H¼H°µ¯º ", §A¯à¦b¥¦¤§¤W©ñ¥ô¦óªº¶Q±Ú¼ÐÅÒ§A½Ð: ¯u¬O¬Û¦P¡C ¤´µM¦b¨º¸Ì¡C"
"¤£! §Ú¤£¯à¬Û«H¨º¡C¡C §Ú±N¤£¬Û«H¥¦!"ªÖ®¦Âà¦V,¿â¨B ",¹³¨ºªº¤£¬O©Ò¦³ªº¤H¡C¡C¡C"¥L¨I¤J§É ,
¥Lªº¤â¥LÀY,¦b½¥¤W¥Î¤â¨y±À¶} ",§Ú´N¬O¤£¯à¬Û«H¨º¡C¡C"
"You slashed throats at every turn. I saw you. If you had had your
Birdrang -- where is your Birdrang anyways? Never mind -- Those guards
wouldn't have been kicked down, they'd've had their throats sliced open.
What makes you any different but the labels you use to justify it?"
S/he walked to him and tipped his chin up, cold sapphire eyes meeting
his, "You hated as much as I do -- and you had *far* less reason."
/ "§A¦b¨CÓ±ÛÂà´î°£«|³ï¡C §Ú¬Ý¨£§A¡C °²¦p§A¦³§Aªº Birdrang-- µL½×¦p¦ó§Aªº Birdrang ¦bþ¸Ì? ¤£¥²¤¶·N
-- ¨º¨Ç¦u½Ã³Q¸¨¦Ü§C³t, they'd've ¦³¶}©ñªº¥L̳Q¤Á¦¨Á¡¤ùªº«|³ï¡C ¨Ï§A¥ô¦ó¤£¦Pªº¦ý¬O¼ÐÅÒ§A¨Ï¥Îµý©ú¥¦?"S/¥L¹ï¥L¨«¦Ó¥B¦V¤W´£¥Ü¥Lªº¤U¤Ú,´H§NÂÅÄ_¥Ûª`·N¹J¨£¥Lªº
", §A¹³§Ú°µ¤@¼Ëªº¦h¼¨«ë -- ¦Ó¥B§A¦³ *»·ªº*¤ñ¸û¤Öªº²z¥Ñ¡C"
Ken blinked back tears and looked away. S/he was right. He had slaughtered
and murdered and thieved -- Galactor or Ovanon, it didn't matter. S/he
had destroyed a house, burned the bodies and pulled the teeth so they
couldn't easily be identified, buying them time to escape and what had
he done? Condemned hir. Condemned hir by a code no longer valid. Everywhere
he'd gone he'd seen only violence and chaos; the news held no peace talks,
no economic updrafts, only strife and bloodshed and poverty. Katze had
been made for this world, not his, Ken realized. / ªÖ®¦¦V«á¦a¯w²´²\ºw¦Ó¥B¬ÝÂ÷¶}¡C S/¥L¬O¥¿½Tªº¡C
¥L¤w¸g´Ý±þ¦Ó¥B¿Ñ±þ¦Ó¥B°½ -- Galactor ©Î Ovanon,¥¦¨S¦³¦³«¤jÃö«Y¡C S/¥L¤w¸g¯}Ãa¤@´É©Ð¤l, ¿U¿N¤F¨Åé¦Ó¥B©Ô¤F¤ú¾¦¦]¦¹¥L̵Lªk®e©ö¦a³QÃѧO,
¶R®É¶¡µ¹¥LÌ°k²æ©M¤°»ò°µ¥L? Äþ³d¤F hir ¡C Âǵۤ@Ó±K½XÄþ³d¤F hir ¤£¦A¦³®Ä¡C ¦U³B¥L¤w¸g¥h¥L¤w¸g¬Ý¨ì¥u¦³¼É¤O©M¤j²V¶Ã; ·s»D¨Sºû«ù©M¥½Í¸Ü
, ¨S¦³¸gÀÙªº updrafts, ¥u¦³ª§§n©M¬y¦å©M³h½a¡C Katze ¤w¸g³Q©¹³o¤@Ó¥@¬É¥h, ¤£¥Lªº,ªÖ®¦¤F¸Ñ¡C
S/he didn't need him; he needed hir. Without hir, he'd've been killed
the first day. Without hir, he'd never have known half of what he needed,
to survive here. He didn't know this world; s/he did. / S/¥L¨S¦³»Ýn¥L; ¥L»Ýn¤F
hir ¡C ¨S¦³ hir,³Q±þ²Ä¤@¤Ñªº he'd've¡C ¨S¦³ hir ¡A¥L¦³±q¤£¤w¸gª¾¹D¤@¥bªº¥L³Q»Ýn, ¦b³o¸ÌÄ~Äò¥Í¦s¡C ¥L¨S¦³ª¾¹D³o¤@Ó¥@¬É;
s/¥L°µ¡C
His world had yet to be born. He was trapped in the past and / ¥Lªº¥@¬ÉÁÙ¨S¦³¥X¥Í¡C
¥L¹L¥h³Q§x¦í©M
Utoland, Nambu and everything he knew were so very, very far away. "I..
/ ¥Lª¾¹Dªº Utoland ¡A Nambu ©M¬O¦p¦¹ªº¦b«D±`«D±`»·³B¡C "§Ú¡C¡C
did it.. to save ..what I believed in...." he whispered brokenly.
/ °µ¤F¥¦¡C¡C ¸Ñ±Ï¡C¡C§Ú¬Û«Hªº...."¥LÂ_Â_ÄòÄò¦a¦Õ»y¡C
S/he sighed, "I believed in the Overlord. S/he still does. But I
believe in myself, too." / S/¥L¼Û®§,"§Ú¬Û«H¤j§g¥D¡C S/¥L¤´µM°µ¡C ¦ý¬O§Ú¤]¬Û«H§Ú¦Û¤v¡C"
"But... if humanity is like that.. then everything I did.. / "¦ý¬O¡C¡C¡C
¦pªG¤H©Ê¹³¨º¡C¡C µM«á§Ú°µªº¨C¥ó¨Æª«¡C¡C
everything I believed in.... was a lie.." / ¨C¥ó¨Æª«§Ú¬Û«H.... ¤@«hÁÀ¨¥¬O¡C¡C"
"Soo. And I was not created to rule the world. I told you your illusions
would be shattered." / "Soo¡C ¦Ó¥B§Ú¨S³Q³Ð³y³W©w¥@¬É¡C §Ú§i¶D§A§Aªº¤Û¼v±N·|³Q¥´¸H¡C"
Ken got up and paced, "I.... If places like that exist.. Then what
was the point of what we did, if it will continue on?" Katze watched
him. He leaned against the window ledge, looking out at the moon, "I
guess I'm pretty damned naive." / ªÖ®¦°_§É¦Ó¥B¿â¨B,"§Ú.... ¦pªG¦a¤è³ßÅw¨º¦s¦b¡C¡C
¦pªG¥¦±NÄ~Äò? ¡AµM«á§ÚÌ°µªº«ÂI¬O¤°»ò"Katze ¬Ý¤F¥L¡C ¥Lʾaµ¡¤á©¥¬[,¦b¤ë«G¤p¤ß," §Ú²q´ú§Ú¬O¬Û·í¸Ó¦ºªº¤Ñ¯u".
Katze was silent for several minutes. "I did what I did because...
because.. " hir voice shook, "Because I spent the next twenty
years reliving it night after night and the Overlord would *never* erase
it no matter how much I begged him. He'd remind me, grind my face in it
and *every time* I encountered you I'd almost faint with terror that you'd
do the same to me." / Katze ¨HÀq¦n´X¤ÀÄÁ¡C " §Ú°µ¤F§Ú©Ò°µªº¦]¬°¡C¡C¡C ¦]¬°¡C¡C ¦]¬°§Ú«×¹L¥¼¨Óªº¤G¤Q¦~©]±ß«á©]±ß«·Å¥¦¡A©Ò¥H
"hir Ánµ·n°Ê " ©M¤j§g¥D±N·| *±q¤£* ©Ù±¼¥¦µL½×§Ú½Ð¨D¤F¥L¦h¤Ö¡C ¥L±N·|´£¿ô§Ú, ¦b¥¦¸Ì±¿i§ÚªºÁy©M * ¨C¤@¦¸*
§Ú¹J¨ì¤F§A§Ú±N·|´X¥G©M§A±N·|°µ¤@¼Ëªºµ¹§Ú®£©Æ©üË¡C"
"No.. No, I would never.." Ken moved to hir and caught hir shoulders,
"I think.. If I'd known.. then I would have tried to help you then..
before." / "¸¹½X¡C ¤£, §Ú±N·|µLªk¡C¡C"ªÖ®¦²¾¨ì hir ¦Ó¥B®·®»¤F hir ªÓ ",§Ú·Q¡C¡C
°²¦p§Úª¾¹D¡C¡C µM«á§Ú·í®É·|¹Á¸ÕÀ°§U§A¡C¡C ¥H«e¡C"
Katze poured another scotch, "I erred in listening to the / Katze
ˤF¥tĬ®æÄõ¤H," §Ú¦bÅ¥¤è±¥Ç¿ù¨ì¨º
Overlord. It ended with me throwing myself down a lava tube. They say
'if I had it to do over again' -- well, now I do, and i'm not letting
hir make the same mistake. Somehow, I have to convince hir." S/he
fixed him with a cold stare, "My reasons are selfish, Gatchaman:
They have nothing to do with the world or peace or people. They've solely
to do with *me*." / ¤j§g¥D¡C ¥¦©M§Úµ²§ô¥á§Ú¦Û¤v¤U¨Óº²©¥ºÞ¡C ¥LÌ»¡ '¦pªG§Ú¦A¤@¦¸µ²§ô¦³¤F¥¦°µ'-- ¦n§a¡A²{¦b§Ú°µ¡A¦Ó¥B§Ú¨S¦³¦bÅý
hir »s³y¬Û¦Pªº¿ù»~¡C ¤£ª¾¦ó¬G¡A§Ú¥²¶·»¡ªA hir ¡C"S/¥L¥Î¤@Ó´H§Nªºª`µøײz¥L ", §Úªº²z¥Ñ¬O¦Û¨pªº,Gatchaman:
¥LÌ»P¥@¬É©Î©M¥©Î¤HµLÃö¡C ¥LÌ¿W¦Û¦a¥²¶·°µ¥Ñ©ó *§Ú*."
Ken poured some scotch for himself, "Understandable." / ªÖ®¦¬°¦Û¤vˤF¤@¨ÇĬ®æÄõ¤H,"¥i¥H²z¸Ñªº".
The flaxen brow arched again, "You think so." / ¦A¤@¦¸¤}§Îªº¨È³Â¬Ü¤ò,"§A³o»ò»{¬°"
¡C
"After the hell you went through," Ken said, pouring another,
/ " ¦b¦aº»¤§«á§A¬ï¹L",ªÖ®¦»¡,Ë¥t¥~¤@,
"That I still don't fully comprehend.. I wouldn't wish that on anyone.
/ " §Ú¤´µM¤£§¹¥þ¤F¸Ñ¡C¡C §Ú±N¤£Ä@¦b¥ô¦ó¤H¤Wªº¨º¡C
It was worth it, to rescue.. her.. you.." he shook his head, "No
one should ever be subjected to that -- ever. Maybe that's what I was
fighting for." He swallowed the second shot. / ¥¦È±o, ±Ï¥X¡C¡C ¦o¡C¡C §A¡C¡C"¥L·nÀY
", ¨S¦³¤H´¿¸gÀ³¸Ó¨ü¨î©ó¨º -- ´¿¸g¡C ¤]³\¨º¬O§Ú©Ò¥¿¦b¹ï§Üªº¡C"¥L§]¤F²Ä¤Gª`®g¡C
Katze stripped off hir clothes and sank into the hot tub that whirled
in the center of the room, sighing, "As for the others.. the other
children, the ones who died in the explosion.." / Katze ¶i¤J¦b©Ð¶¡ªº¤¤¤ß¤¤±ÛÂ઺¼ö¤ô¬û¤§¤º¨«¶}°£¥h
hir ¦çªA©M¬~ª«¼Ñ,¼Û®§,"Ãö©ó¨ä¾lªÌ¡C¡C ¨ä¥L«Ä¤l,¦º©óÃz¬µªº¤@¨Ç¡C¡C"
Ken blanched and slammed his glass down hard, hating himself for not getting
to them, too. Katze shrugged, "Don't worry about them; we did them
the only kindness we could. Not many survived Ovanon besides me. I was
the only one who came out anything remotely resembling sane." / ªÖ®¦§V¤O¦aº}¥Õ¦Ó¥B§â¥Lªº¬Á¼þ²rµMÃö¤W¤U¨Ó,
´U¤l¥L¦Û¤v¬°¤£¨ì¹F¥LÌ,¤]¡C Katze ÁqªÓ,"¤£¬°¥L̾á¼~; §ÚÌ°µ¤F¥L̰ߤ@ªº¤¯·O§ÚÌ¥i¥H¡C °£¤F§Ú¥H¥~ªº¤£¦h³QÄ~Äò¥Í¦sªº
Ovanon¡C §Ú¬O°ß¤@ªº¥X¨Ó¥ô¦ó¨Æ«Ü»·¦a¬Û¦ü¯«´¼°·¥þªº¡C"
Ken chuckled, "Sane.. A word I can no longer define.. We used to
think you were insane. Now, I'm not so sure." / ªÖ®¦¦Y¦Yªº¯º,"¯«´¼°·¥þªº¡C¡C
¤@Ó¦r§Ú¯à¤£¦A©w¸q¡C¡C §Ú̹L¥h¤@ª½»{¬°§A¬O±wºë¯«¯fªº¡C ²{¦b¡A§Ú¤£¦p¦¹·íµM¡C"
"They're better off dead, Gatchaman. Believe me." "I do,"
Ken whispered, "That's what makes me so upset." He clutched
the glass, yelping as it shattered, "Shimatta!!" / "¥L̬O¤ñ¸û¦nªº»·¦º¡A
Gatchaman ¡C ¬Û«H§Ú¡C" "§Ú°µ",ªÖ®¦¦Õ»y ",¨º¬O¨Ï§Ú¦p¦¹·Ð¶ÃªºªF¦è ".
¥L§ì¨c¤F¬Á¼þ, ¥s·í¥¦¥´¸H,"Shimatta!!"
Katze came out of the tub to pick the slivers out of his hand. / Katze
±q¯D¬Ö¥X¨Ó¥Lªº¤â¬D¿ïµõ¤ù¡C
"That was pretty stupid, ne?" s/he chuckled, "You shouldn't
do things like that. You can't heal the way I do." / " ¨º¬O¬Û·í·MÄø,©mªº"?
s/¥L¦Y¦Yªº¯º,"§A¤£À³¸Ó°µ¹³¨º¤@¼Ëªº¨Æª«¡C §A¤£¯àªv¡§Ú°µªº¤è¦¡¡C"
Ken gave hir a half smile, "No, I don't have nine lives." /
ªÖ®¦µ¹¤©¤F hir ¤@Ó¤@¥bªº·L¯º,"¤£¡A§Ú¨S¦³¤EӥͩR" ¡C
"I've had far more than nine." / " §Ú¤w¸g¦³¶W¹L¤E".
Ken flexed the bandage s/he'd wrapped about the wound, "Thanks."
/ ªÖ®¦Ås¦±¤FÁ^±a s/¥L¦³Ãö©ó³Ð¶Ë¥]¸Ë,"ÁÂÁÂ".
Katze slid back into the tub, "But.. Now s/he won't know *exactly*
how many times s/he can Change before s/he does die." / Katze slid
¶i¤J¯D¬Ö¤§¤º¦^,"¦ý¬O¡C¡C ²{¦b s/ ¥L±N¤£ª¾¹D *§¹¥þ* ¦p¦ó³\¦h¦¸ s/ ¥L¯à§ïÅܦb s¤§«e/¥L°µ»ë¤l¡C"
"You can tell her. You can forwarn her of everything that happened.
Prevent almost everything." / "§A¯à§i¶D¦o¡C §Aµo¥Íªº¨C¥ó¨Æª«±N forwarn ¸Ë©óÅøÀY¦o¡C
´X¥GÁקK¨C¥ó¨Æª«¡C"
"And have hir figure out who I am? S/he's not stupid." / "¦Ó¥B
hir ¤w¸g²z¸Ñ§Ú¬O½Ö¶Ü? S/¥L¤£¬O·MÄøªº¡C"
Ken squatted down at the edge of the tub beside hir, "No, you were
never stupid." / ªÖ®¦¦b hir ®ÇÃ䪺¯D¬ÖÃä½tÃÛ¤U¤U¨Ó," ¤£¡A§A±q¤£¬O·MÄøªº" ¡C
"Your Mimizuku no Ryu thought I was. I heard that, by the way."
/ " §Aªº Mimizuku ¨S¦³ Ryu ·Q¡A§Ú¬O¡C §ÚÅ¥¨ì¤F¨º,Âǵۤèªk¡C"
Ken made a scoffing sound, "What did he know?? We kept him in the
damned plane all the time." Katze chuckled. "Mind if I join
you? / ªÖ®¦µo¥X¤F¤@ºØ¼J¯ºÁnµ,"¥Lª¾¹D¤°»ò?? §ÚÌ©l²×§â¥L¯d¦b¸Ó¦ºªº¸¾÷¤¤¡C"Katze ¦Y¦Yªº¯º¡C "¬O§_§Ú°Ñ¥[§A¡A¤¶·N?
I could use a soak." / §Ú¥i¥H¨Ï¥Î®û¡C"
"Not at all." / "¨M¤£".
Ken set the scotch beside the tub, peeled off his clothes and stepped
into the tub. Katze sipped hir drink more slowly this time. / ªÖ®¦¶i¤J¯D¬Ö¤§¤º³]©w¤F¦b¯D¬Ö®ÇÃ䪺Ĭ®æÄõ¤H,
鸨¥Lªº¦çªA¦Ó¥B½ñ¡C Katze ³o¦¸§óºCºC°ã¶¼¤F hir ¶¼®Æ¡C
"Be right back," Ken said and disappeared fully under the water,
coming up and smoothing his wet hair back from his face, "Ahh. Better,"
he picked up his drink and sipped, "So where do we go from here?
What about keeping her safe?" / "n¥¿½T¦a«á±",ªÖ®¦¦V«á¦a±q¥LªºÁy§¹¥þ¦b¤ô¡Aµo¥Í©M©Ù¥ú¤§¤U»¡¦Ó¥B®ø¥¢¥LªºÀãÀY¾v
",Ahh¡C §ó¡A "¥L¬B°_¥Lªº¶¼®Æ¦Ó¥B°ã¶¼ " ¡A¦]¦¹¡A±q¦b³o¸Ì§ÚÌ¥hþùØ? «O¦s¦oªº«OÀI½c«ç»ò¼Ë?"
"Forge some diplomas, get a job.. Get as far away from the / "
ÂèÄl¤@¨Ç¤å¾Ì,§ä¨ì¤@Ó¤u§@¡C¡C ±o¨ì·í°µ¦b»·³B±q¨º
Middle East as possible, for now." "X is still out there. I
still want to take it down." / ¤¤ªF·í°µ¥i¯àªº,¹ï©ó²{¦b¡C" "X ¤´µM¦V¨ºÃä¡C
§Ú¤´µM·Qn§â¥¦®³¤U¨Ó¡C"
"Next year will see Hirohito work his magic. Then the treaties will
be signed, the Japanese Conglomorate become Utoland and the global focus
will shift there." / " ¦b©ú¦~±N¬Ý¨£ Hirohito ¤u§@¥LªºÅ]³N¡C µM«á±ø¬ù±N³Qñ¸p,¤é¥» Conglomorate
Åܦ¨ Utoland ¡A¦Ó¥B¥þ²yªºµJÂI±N¦b¨º¸Ì§ïÅÜ¡C"
[And my world will be born], Ken thought. / [¦Ó¥B§Úªº¥@¬É±N¥X¥Í],ªÖ®¦·Q¡C
"Good job, Gatchaman. Domo aregato gozaimasu." / "¦n¤u§@¡A
Gatchaman¡C Domo aregato gozaimasu¡C"
Ken blushed, "Oh.. Thanks.. I almost got you killed." / ªÖ®¦Áy¬õ,"®@¡C¡C
ÁÂÁ¡C¡C §Ú´X¥GÅý§A°e©R¡C"
Katze shrugged, "I didn't expect to come out of there. I just prayed
s/he would." / Katze ÁqªÓ,"§Ú¨S¦³´Á«Ý¦b¨º¸Ì¥X¨Ó¡C §Úèè¬èë¤F s/ ¥L±N·|¡C"
Ken sat up, "What do you mean, 'you didn't expect to come out'? /
ªÖ®¦¼õ©]," §A·N¿×¤°»ò,'§A¨S¦³´Á«Ý¥X¨Ó'?
I told you I would get you out, both of you!" "I know. I didn't
expect you to come out of there either." / §Ú§i¶D¤F§A§Ú±N·|±o¨ì¥X§A§A¨âÓ!"
"§Úª¾¹D¡C §Ú¨S¦³´Á«Ý§A¤]¦b¨º¸Ì¥X¨Ó¡C"
S/he heaved up out of the tub and wrapped hirself in a towel, then sat
on the bed to comb out hir hair. / S/ ¥L¥Î¤OÁ|°_¦bÂ÷¶}¯D¬Ö¤W±¦Ó¥B¥]¸Ë¤F¤@±ø¤â¤yªº hirself,
µM«á§¤¦b§É¤W®ÞÀY¾v hir ÀY¾v¡C
Ken grinned lopsidedly, "Surprise. I toldja, between the two of us,
they didn't stand a chance." The grin vanished, "I almost didn't.
/ ªÖ®¦¶É¦V¤@¤è¦aÅS¾¦¦Ó¯º,"·N¥~¡C §Ú toldja,¦b§Ṳ́¤ªº¤GÓ¤§¶¡¡A¥L̨S¦³§Ô¨ü¤@Ó¾÷·|¡C"ÅS¾¦¯º®ø¥¢ ",
§Ú´X¥G¨S¦³¡C
If your younger self hadn't had those chemicals.. had we not bumped into
each other - I still can't forgive myself for losing hir like that - I
probably would have died trying to get to you on that stage," he
sighed, thinking of his childhood samurai stories, "Ahh, but it would
have been a glorious death..." / °²¦p§Aªº¦~¬ö¸û¤pªÌ¦Û¤vªº¤£¦³¨º¨Ç¤Æ¾ÇÃÄ«~¡C¡C §ÚÌÁÙ¨S¸I¥©¹J¨ì©¼¦¹
- ¦]¬°¥¢±Ñªº hir ³ßÅw¨º¡A§Ú¤´µM¤£¯àì½Ì§Ú¦Û¤v - §Ú¥i¯à·|¦º¹Á¸Õ¦b¨º¤@Ó¶¥¬q¤W¨ì¹F§A,"¥L¼Û®§,·Q¨ì¥Lªº«Äµ£®É´Á³°x±N®Õ¬G¨Æ
",Ahh,¦ý¬O¥¦·|¬O¤@Ó¥úºaªº¦º¤`¡C¡C¡C"
"Being lynched in a brothel is glorious?" / " ¦b¤@Ó§²°|¤¤³Q³B¥H¨p¦D¬O¥úºaªº"?
Ken had to laugh, "No.. I was just thinking about the samurai stories.
To die glorious, painful deaths.." / ªÖ®¦¥²¶·¯º,"¸¹½X¡C §Ú¥¿¦b¶È¶È·Q³°x±N®Õ¬G¨Æ¡C
¦º¥úºa¤SµhWªº¦º¤`¡C¡C"
"Moronic," Katze snorted, "I used that sort of psychology
on / "§C¯àªº",Katze ¼QµÛ®ð§ËÅT»ó¤l ", §Ú¨Ï¥Î¤F¨ººØ¤ß²z¾Ç¦b
Galactors a lot. Never ceased to amaze me how often it worked." /
«Ü¦hªº Galactors¡C ±q¤£°±¤î¨Ï¦YÅå§Ú¥¦¦h¤[¤u§@¡C"
"Uh huh," Ken grinned and got out of the water, wrapping a towel
around himself, "I never said I agreed with it." He walked over
to the bed and shook his head over hir, spraying hir with water. Katze
squawked and snatched at him, ripping off his towel and using it to dry
hirself off again. / " Uh ó!",ªÖ®¦ÅS¾¦¦Ó¯º¦Ó¥BÂ÷¶}¤ô,¦bªþªñ¥]³òk down on ¤@±ø¤â¤y¥L¦Û¤v
",§Ú±q¤£»¡¤F§Ú¦P·N¥¦". ¥L¦b hir ¤§¤W¨«¨ì§É¦Ó¥B·nÀY,¥Î¤ô¼QÅx hir ¡C Katze ¦b¥L¥Ê¥Ê¦a¥s»ï¦Ó¥B¹Ü¨ú,
³»«Óªº¦b¥L¤â¤y¥~¦Ó¥B¨Ï¥Î¥¦¦A¤@¦¸¨«¶}§Ë°® hirself¡C
"Gotcha!" Ken laughed, finding another towel to dry his hair.
/ "Gotcha"! ªÖ®¦¯º, µo²{¥t¤@±ø¤â¤y§Ë°®¥LªºÀY¾v¡C
"Bastard," s/he grinned. / "¨p¥Í¤l",s/¥LÅS¾¦¦Ó¯º¡C
Ken wrapped the damp towel around his waist, "No, my parents were
married." / ªÖ®¦¦b¥Lªº¸y³¡©P³ò¥]¸Ë¼é·Ãªº¤â¤y," ¤£¡A§Úªº¤÷¥À¬O¤w±Bªº" ¡C
S/he arched hir back with a little groan, "So sure are you."
/ S/ ¥L¤}§Îªº hir ¥H¤@Án¤p©D§u¦^," ¦p¦¹ªº·íµM¬O§A".
"Yes. Cramp?" / "¬Oªº¡C ©âµ¬?"
"Sore. Always really sore after a Change to male. It's the extra
height." / "¯kµhªº¡C Á`¬O¯uªº¯kµh¦b¹ï¨k¤Hªº¤@Ó§ïÅܤ§«á¡C ¥¦¬OÃB¥~ªº°ª«×¡C"
"Want me to rub your back? Would it help?" / "·Qn§ÚÀ¿§AªºI³¡?
¥¦±N·|À°§U¶Ü?"
"Sure," s/he stretched again and rolled over onto hir belly.
/ "·íµM",s/¥L¦b hir ¸¡¤§¤W¦A¤@¦¸¦ù®i¦Ó¥Bµ²§ô±²¡C
Ken grabbed the massage oil out of the bathroom and hopped up onto the
bed beside hir. With gentle, firm strokes he kneaded it in, working out
the knots and relaxing the tight muscles. Slowly, hir grunts changed from
noises of pain to noises of relaxed pleasure. / ªÖ®¦Â÷¶}¯D«Ç§ì¨ú¤F«ö¼¯ªo¦Ó¥B³æ¸}¸õ¦b¦b hir
®ÇÃ䪺§É¤§¤W¤W±¡C ÂǥѷũM¤S°í©wªºµ§¹º¥L´|¤F¥¦¦b,¸Õºâµ²¦Ó¥B©ñÃPºòªº¦Ù¦×¡C ºCºC¦a¡A hir ©BÂP©BÂPÁn±qµhWªº¾¸µÅܦ¨©ñÃPªº§Ö¼Ö¾¸µ¡C
"Feeling better? Want me to do the rest of you?" / "ı±oµÎªA¦h¤F?
·Qn§Ú°µ§Aªº¨ä¾lªÌ?"
"If you wish. I won't say no." / "¦pªG§AÄ@¡C §Ú±N¤£»¡¸¹½X"
Ken smiled and worked down hir legs to hir feet. Flipping hir over, he
straddled hir to knead hir abdomen, watching the tension slowly leaving
hir face. He finished hir arms and chest then stroked hir face, smoothing
the pain out. / ªÖ®¦·L¯º¦Ó¥B¤u§@¤U¨Ó¹ï hir ¸}ªº hir »L¡C µ²§ô¥Î«üÀY¼u hir,¥L¸ó¥ß¤F hir ´| hir ¸¡³¡,¬Ýºò±iºCºC¦aÂ÷¶}
hir ±¹ï¡C ¥L§¹¦¨¤F¤âÁu©M¯ÝµM«á¦E§À¼Õ¤F hir Áyªº hir, ©Ù¥ú¦b¥~ªºµhW¡C
He was surprised by how changeable it was, how expressive. It was slowly
settling into more recognisably masculine lines, with high, sharp cheekbones,
a firmer jaw and a sharper nose. Hir lips were still pink and full, golden
brows slightly thicker. Hir eyes flicked open, startling him a little,
the clear, rich, inhuman blue of sapphires. / ¥L·P¨ìÅå³Y³Q¥¦¬O¦h»ò¥i§ïÅÜ, ¦p¦óªí¹Fªº¡C ¥¦ºCºC¦a¥¿¦b¶i¤J§ó¦hªº
recognisably ¤§¤º¸Ñ¨M¶§©Ê½u,ÂǥѰª«×¡A¾U§QªºÀU°©¡A¤@Ó¸û°íµwªºÃE©M¤@Ó¸ûÂA©úªº»ó¤l¡C Hir ®B¤´µM¬O¯»¬õªº©M¥Rº¡¤Sª÷ªº¨Ç·L¦a§ó«pªº¬Ü¤ò¡C
Hir ²´·ú»´¼u¶}©ñªº, ¥O¤H¦YÅ媺¥Lµy·L ,ÂÅÄ_¥Ûªº²M·¡¡M´I¦³ªº¡M©M´Ý§ÔÂŦâ¡C
"Better?" he asked. S/he nodded. "Good. You should get
some sleep. / "¤ñ¸û¦nªº"? ¥L°Ý¡C S/¥LÂIÀY¡C "¦nªº¡C §AÀ³¸Ó±o¨ì¤@¨ÇºÎ¯v¡C
You need it." He slid off the bed and opened a drawer, pulling out
a pair of pajama bottoms for himself, "You want?" / §A»Ýn¥¦¡C"
¥L¦b§É¥~ªº slid ¦Ó¥B¥´¶}¤@Ó©â±P,©Ô¥X¤@ÂùºÎ¦ç¿Ç¬°¦Û¤v®Ú¾Ú ",§A·Qn?"
S/he shook hir head, "I strangle myself. I'm *definately* going to
have nightmares tonight," s/he said ruefully. / S/¥L·n°Ê¤F hir ÀY,"§Ú°Ç¦º§Ú¦Û¤v¡C
§Ú¬O *©ú½T¦a* ¥h¤µ±ß¦³¹ÚÆL,"s/¥L´d¶Ë¦a»¡¡C
"Heh.. Nambu forbade us to sleep naked, in case there was an emergency
and we had to go into battle. You shoulda heard the lecture he gave Joe,"
Ken paused to grin, then stepped into the PJs, "If any one of us
*would* have charged naked into battle, it would have been Joe."
/ "Heh¡C¡C Nambu ¸T¤î¤F§Ú̺Îı¨ª»rªº, ¥H¨¾¸U¤@¦³¤@¥óºò«æ¦Ó¥B§ÚÌ¥²¶·¶i¤J¾Ôª§¡C §A shoulda Å¥¨ì¤F¥Lµ¹¤©¤F³ìªººtÁ¿,"ªÖ®¦¼È°±ÅS¾¦¦Ó¯º,
µM«á¶i¤J PJs ¤§¤º½ñ ", ¦pªG¥ô¦óªº§ÚÌ * ¤§¤@±N·|* ¤w¸g«ü±±¨ª»rªº¶i¤J¾Ôª§¤§¤º¡A¥¦´N·|¬O³ì¡C"
Katze grinned, "Pity. That would have been a sight." S/he slithered
between the sheets, rolling onto the far side of the bed. Ken looked at
hir for a moment, then shrugged and took to the sofa. He didn't want to
impose or seem improper, now that s/he was male. Katze flicked out the
light. / Katze ÅS¾¦¦Ó¯º,"¿ò¾Ñ¡C ¨º·|¬Oµø¤O¡C"S/¥L¦b±i¤§¶¡³s¨«±a¶]¦a·Æ,¦b§Éªº»·Ã䤧¤Wºu°Ê¡C ªÖ®¦¬Ý
hir ¤@·|¨à,µM«áÁqªÓ¨Ã¥B³ß·R¨Fµo¡C ¥L¨S¦³·Qn±j¨î©Î¦ü¥G¤£¦X¾A, ¬JµM s/¥L¬O¨k©Êªº¡C Katze »´¼u¥X¥ú¡C
After half an hour of tossing and turning, Ken got up and sat on the edge
of the bed, "Um, Katze?" / ¦b§ëÂY¦Ó¥BÂ઺¥bÓ¤p®É¤§«á¡AªÖ®¦°_§É¦Ó¥B§¤¦b§ÉªºÃä½t¤W,"Um,Katze"?
"Mmph?" / "Mmph"?
"Would you mind if I shared the bed? The couch isn't as comfortable
as it looks." / "¬O§_§Ú¤À¨É¤F§É¡A§A±N·|¤¶·N¶Ü? ªø´È¬O¤£¹³¥¦¬Ý¤@¼ËªºµÎªA¡C"
"Mhh.. G'head.. 'll still steal th' sheets.." / "Mhh¡C¡C
G'head¡C¡C 'll ¤´µM°½ th'±i¡C¡C"
Ken chuckled and climbed in next to hir, asleep within minutes. / ªÖ®¦¦Y¦Yªº¯º¦Ó¥BÃkµn¦bºò¾F
hir,¦b¼Æ¤ÀÄÁ¤º¼ôºÎ¦a¡C
Katze fell asleep and curled into hir customary extra-tiny ball, hir fists
clenched and raised over hir head. Presently s/he began to moan, choking
on hir own voice. They dreamed. / Katze ¶i¤J hir ¤§¤ººÎµÛ¤F¦Ó¥B§Ë±²²ßºDªºÃB¥~¤§ª«- ·¥¤pªº²y,hir
®±ÀY¦b hir ÀY¤§¤Wºò´¤¦Ó¥B©ï°_¡C ¥Ø«e s/¥L¶}©l©D§u,¦b hir ¤Wªº¹h³ï§@¥Î¾Ö¦³Ánµ¡C ¥LÌ°µ¹Ú¡C
Ken broke into a sweat.. /Joe.. his dear friend.. their last fight, his
dying body on the cold, hard ground../ *the Condor's fist plowing into
hir.. Brace's dying face.. an announcer fingers hir before a depraved
crowd..* /..Katze, laughing and sobbing as the Black Hole machine ground
on.. then strung up and exposed crudely.. the hands of the crowd clawing
at him, keeping him from rushing to hir side../ *..the Mechanizer explodes
and hir mask is ripped away.. the Condor yanks hir to hir feet and s/he
is cuffed to a pillory.. Nambu rips hir clothes away, exposing hir secrets..*
/..he is being dragged down.. / ªÖ®¦Âô¤J¦½¡C¡C /³ì¡C¡C ¥Lªº¿Ë·RªB¤Í¡C¡C ¥L̪º³Ì«á¹ï§Ü,¦b´H§N¤Wªº¥L««¦ºªº¨Åé,§V¤O¦a¸m©ó¦a±¡C¡C/*¶i¤J
hir ¤§¤º¥Î²p¯Ñ¥Ð ªº¨rÆN®±ÀY¡C¡C ¤ä¬Wªº««¦ºÁy¡C¡C ¦b¼Z¸¨ªº¸s²³«eªº¼s¼½û¤â«ü hir¡C¡C*/.¡CKatze, ¯º©Mµo¥X¶ã«|Ánµ¦p¶Â¦âªº¬}¾÷¾¹¸m©ó¦a±¦b¤§¤W¡C¡C
µM«á®¹²Ï¦b¦Ó¥B¤W±·Ó¦ÛµMª¬ºA¼ÉÅS¡C¡C ¦b¥L¥Î¤ö§ì¡A¨Ï¥L¤£¶Ê«P¨ì hir Ãä ªº¸s²³¤â¡C¡C/*.¡CMechanizer Ãz¬µ¡A¦Ó¥B hir °²±¨ã³Q¼¹¶}Â÷¶}¡C¡C
¨rÆN±j©Ô¹ï hir ¸}©M s ªº hir/¥L³Q³S¤f¨ì¤@ÓÀY¤â{¡C¡C Nambu ¼¹¶} hir ¦çªA¤§»·,¼ÉÅS hir ¯µ±K¡C¡C*/.¡C¥L¥¿¦b³Q©ì«±¡C¡C
down into their madness, he can see Katze shot because he wasn't fast
enough, he can see Joe's accusing eyes, mocking him, condemning him as
he comforts the soft female in his arms../ *..Gatchaman penetrating hir
and he's good, so good s/he enjoys him immensely in spite of hirself and
is ashamed, so ashamed of hir enjoyment..* /..Katze dies again and again,
torn open by the crowd.. the little girl is raped by a line of men.. Joe
sneers and Nambu disapproves and Anderson throws him out of the UN meeting..
Katze, broken and torn, holding a dead child who looks just like hir,
blaming him.. / *..s/he is making love and its so good, like nothing s/he's
ever experienced.. "you're in pain.. I wish I could help you"..*
*/..and Soosai X laughs and laughs and laughs.../* / åP¸¨¦]¬°¥L¤£¬O°÷§Ö³tªº¡A©Ò¥H¶i¤J¥L̪ººÆ¨g¤§¤º¡A¥L¯à¬Ý¨£³Q®gÀ»ªº
Katze,·í¥L¦w¼¢¥Lªº¤âÁu³n¤k©Êªº®ÉÔ¡A¥L¯à¬Ý¨£³ì³d³Æ²´·ú,¼J§Ë¥L, Äþ³d¥L¡C¡C/*.¡C±Ó¾Uªº hir ªº Gatchaman ©M¥L¬O¦n¤S¦p¦¹¦n
s/¥LµL¦a¾¨ºÞ hirself ¨É¨ü¥L¦Ó¥B¹ï hir ¨É¼Ö¬OºF·\ªº, ¦p¦¹ºF·\¡C¡C*/.¡CKatze ¤@¦¸¤S¤@¦¸¦º,³Q¸s²³¼¹¶}¶}©ñªº¡C¡C
¤p¤k«Ä³Q¤@±ø¨k¤Hªº½u±°¹Ü¡C¡C ³ì¼J¯º¡A¦Ó¥B Nambu ¤£ÃÙ¦¨¡A¦Ó¥B¦w¼w»¹Áp¦X°ê·|ij§â¥L»°¥X¥h¡C¡C Katze,¥´¯}¦Ó¥B¼¹¶},®»¦í¤@Ó¥u¬O¬Ý¦PÃþ
hir ªº¦º«Ä¤l¡A³d³Æ¥L¡C¡C /*.¡Cs/ ¥L¥¿¦b§@·R©M¥¦ªº¦p¦¹¦n,¦PÃþ¨S¨Æ s/¥L´¿¸g³Q¸g¾ú¡C¡C "§A¬OµhWªº¡C¡C §ÚÄ@§Ú¥i¥HÀ°§U§A".¡C*
*/.¡C¦Ó¥B Soosai X ¯º¤F¤S¯º¦Ó¥B¯º¡C¡C¡C/*
Katze jerked awake, crying out incoherantly. Ken's wide eyes stared into
hirs, "Katze?" / ³QµjÅ˪º Katze ³ê¿ô, ¤j¥s incoherantly¡C ªÖ®¦ªº¼e²´·ú¶i¤J hirs
¤§¤ºª`µø,"Katze"?
"Ken.." / "ªÖ®¦¡C¡C"
He opened his arms and s/he fell into them with a little cry. / ¥L¥Î¤púÁn¥´¶}¥Lªº¤âÁu©M
s/ ¥L¶^¤J¥LÌ¡C
Ken held hir tightly, stroking hir hair, as much to comfort him as hir.
/ ªÖ®¦ºòºò¦a®³µÛ¤F hir,¦E§À¼Õ hir ÀY¾v, ¦p«Ü¦h¦w¼¢¥L¦p hir¡C
They were both shaking. "Was it bad?" he asked. S/he nodded.
"I know.. I know.. Me too. Do you want to talk about it?" /
¥L̨âÓ¥¿¦b·n°Ê¡C " ¥¦«ÜÃa"? ¥L°Ý¡C S/¥LÂIÀY¡C "§Úª¾¹D¡C¡C §Úª¾¹D¡C¡C §Ú¡A¤]¡C §A·Qn½Í½×¥¦?"
S/he was silent for a few moments. "You'll.. laugh?" s/he said
doubtfully. / S/¥L¨HÀq¼Æ¤ù¨è¡C "§A¨M·N¡C¡C ¯º?"s/¥L¥iºÃ¦a»¡¡C
Ken shifted down into the pillows, drawing hir down, "No." S/he
told him. He held hir tightly to him, letting hir burrow into his chest,
weeping silently. His own tears flowed as he told hir about his own nightmare.
"We knew it'd be bad," he whispered finally, "But how can
you prepare for that.." S/he shook hir head, hugging him hard. Ken
stroked hir hair, slowly slipping into a dreamless sleep. / ªÖ®¦¶i¤JªEÀY¤§¤º§ïÅܤU¨Ó,§â
hir µe¤U¨Ó,"¸¹½X" S/¥L§i¶D¤F¥L¡C ¥Lºòºò¦a¹ï¥L®³µÛ¤F hir,Åý hir ¶i¤J¥Lªº¯Ý¤§¤º±¸¬}¥Þ,ÀqÀq¦aúª_¡C
·í¥L§i¶D¤FÃö©ó¥L¦Û¤vªº¹ÚÆL hir ªº®ÉÔ¡A¥L¦Û¤vªº²\ºw¬y°Ê¡C " §Ú̪¾¹D¡A¥¦±N·|«ÜÃa",¥L³Ì«á¦Õ»y ",¦ý¬O§A¦p¦ó¯à·Ç³Æ¨º¡C¡C"S/¥L·n°Ê¤F
hir ÀY,§V¤O¦a¾Ö©ê¥L¡C ªÖ®¦¦E§À¼Õ¤F hir ÀY¾v,ºCºC¦a¶i¤JµL¹ÚªººÎ¯v¤§¤º·ÆË¡C
..to be continued... / ¡C¡C³QÄ~Äò¡C¡C¡C
Time Squared part 3: The Puppet Masters, by Ennien Ashbrook and Kat Boykin,
/ ®É¶¡¤@P¤F²Ä 3 ³¡¥÷: ³ÈÀw©ºªA,ÂÇµÛ Ennien Ashbrook ©Mªü©Ô§B¯ù Boykin,
(Harlock) contains coarse language, violence and innuendo. / (Harlock)¥]§t²ÊÁWªº»y¨¥¡A¼É¤O©M¿Ø¨ë¡C
Time Squared a Gatchaman fanfic by Ennien Ashbrook and Kat Boykin (Harlock)
thanks to Alara Rogers and "Marionette" for the keyword and
the concept of Berg Katze's being programmed. / ®É¶¡¹ï©óÃöÁä¦r©M¦B¤s Katze's ³Q³W¹ºªºÆ[©À¹ï
Alara ù³Ç©M "¤ì" ÂÇµÛ Ennien Ashbrook ©Mªü©Ô§B¯ù Boykin(Harlock) ¤@P¤F Gatchaman
fanfic ÁÂÁ¡C
Part 3: The Puppet Masters / ²Ä 3 ³¡¥÷: ³ÈÀw©ºªA
The sun filtered through a gap in the lavish curtains covering the windows.
Ken made a noise and tried to raise his arm to shield his eyes. It wouldn't
move and he opened his eyes to see what was preventing it. Berg Katze
lay partially across him, hir head on his chest, legs tangled up with
his, one arm looped around his waist. Hir grip was tight and desperate.
/ ¤Ó¶§¹LÂo¹L¥]§tªºµ¡¤á ªº¤j¤è±b¤@ÓÁ_»Ø¡C ªÖ®¦»s³y¤F¾¸µ¦Ó¥B¸ÕµÛ¤É°_¥Lªº¤âÁu¾B½ª¥Lªº²´·ú¡C ¥¦±N¤£²¾°Ê¡A¦Ó¥B¥L¥´¶}¤F¥Lªº²´·ú¬Ý¨£¥¿¦bÁקK¥¦ªºªF¦è¡C
¦B¤s Katze ¾î¹L³¡¥÷¦a©ñ¸m¥L,hir ¦b¥Lªº¯Ý¤W«e¶i, »L¨ÏÄñµ²¦b¥Ñ©ó¤W±¥Lªº,¤@°¦¤âÁu¦b¥Lªº¸y³¡©P³ò¦¨Àô¡C Hir ºò´¤¬Oºòªº©Mµ´±æªº¡C
Ken shifted under hir, looking hir up and down and smiling silently at
the spill of golden locks across both of them. With a gentle hand, he
touched hir forehead, pulling the mass from hir face and tucking it behind
one ear. S/he whimpered, but didn't wake. / ªÖ®¦¦b hir ¤§¤U§ïÅÜ,¤W¤U¦a¬Ý hir ¦Ó¥B¶V¹L¥L̨âÓ¦bª÷Âꪺ·¸¥XÀqÀq¦a·L¯º¡C
ÂǥѤ@°¦·Å©Mªº¤â¡A¥L¸I¨ì¤F hir «eÃB,©Ô¨Ó¦Û hir Áyªº¤j²³¦Ó¥B¥´¾îÁ·¦b¤@°¦¦Õ¦·«á±ªº¥¦¡C S/¥L¶ã«|, ¦ý¬O¨S¦³¥s¿ô¡C
Ken's mind turned back to the events of the past week. He remembered the
first night he and Katze had had - he looked down at hir again - No, it
wasn't just sex. They had made love. He remembered the warmth and softness
of hir, how relieved s/he'd looked. He remembered his last girlfriend,
who had walked out on him when he'd tried to kiss her all over (the one
bit he remembered from a surreptitious glance through the Kama Sutra).
He'd bored her; Katze hadn't been bored. / ªÖ®¦ªº¤ß§é¦^¨ì¹L¥hªº¤@Ó¬P´Áªº¨Æ¥ó¡C ¥L°O±o¤F²Ä¤@Ó©]±ß¥L©M
Katze ¤w¸g¦³ - ¥L¦A¤@¦¸©¹¤U¬Ý hir- ¤£¡A¥¦¤£¥u¬O©Ê§O¡C ¥L̤w¸g§@·R¡C ¥L°O±o¤F hir ªº·Å·x©M¬X©M, ¦p¦ó¦pÄÀ«t s/¥L¦³¬Ý¡C
¥L°O±o¤F¥Lªº³Ì«á¤kªB¤Í, ·í¥L¦³¸ÕµÛ¥þ³¡µ²§ô§k¦oªº®ÉÔ¡A¤kªB¤Í¤w¸g¦b¥L¨¤Wªº¨«¡C ( ¤@ÂIÂI¥L¸g¹L Kama ¦ò¸g±q¯¦±Kªº¤@¿h°O±o) ¥L¤w¸g·ÐÂZ¦o;
Katze ¨S¦³³Q·ÐÂZ¡C
S/he'd seemed intensely interested, as though no one had ever done that
before. Perhaps they hadn't, Ken thought. / S/¥L¤w¸g¦ü¥G±j¯P·P¿³½ì,¦n¹³¨S¦³¤H¥H«e´¿¸g¤w¸g°µ¨º¡C
¤]³\¥L̤£¦³,ªÖ®¦·Q¡C
S/he'd let him do other things, too, like taste hir. He'd heard that that
was pleasant for girls, but the girlfriends he'd had had thought it was
gross: The one who'd let him try it stared at him the whole time, until
he stopped, humiliated. Neither of them had reciprocated. Katze had reciprocated.
The sensation had shocked Ken so much s/he nearly fell off the bed, laughing.
Then s/he resumed, experimented, as curious as a cat to see what he'd
make of it all. / S/¥L¤]±N·|Åý¥L°µ¨ä¥Lªº¨Æª«,¹³«~À| hir ¡C ¥L¤w¸gÅ¥¨ì¨ºþ¤@¹ï¤k«Ä¬O´r§Öªº,¦ý¬O¥L¤w¸g¦³ªº¤kªB¤Í¤w¸g·Q¥¦¬OÁ`¼Æ:
³QÅý¥Lªº who'd ¸Õ¥¦¨nµÛ¥L¬Ý¾ãӮɶ¡,ª½¨ì³Q°±¤î,»X²Ûªº¥L¡C ¥L̳£¤£¤w¸g³øµª¡C Katze ¤w¸g³øµª¡C ·Pı¤w¸g¾_°ÊªÖ®¦³o»ò¦h s/¥L´X¥G±q§É¶^¤U¨Ó,¯º¡C
µM«á s/¥L«·s¶}©l,¹êÅç, ¹³¤@°¦¿ß¤@¼Ëªº¦n©_¬Ý¨£¥L±N·|¥¦»s³y©Ò¦³ªº¡C
Later s/he'd told him that that was among the best ways to take care of
hir when s/he had a flux. / µy«á s/ ¥L¦³§i¶D¤F¥L¡A¨º¬O¦b³Ì¦nªº¤èªk¤§¤¤·ÓÅU hir ·í s/¥L¦³¤F¤@Ó¬y¥X¡C
A thought crossed his mind; the feel of hir body against him was different,
now. Not as soft, lacking the curves. He looked into hir tense, pale face
again and stroked hir arm and shoulders, reaching down hir back. / ¤@Ó·Qªk¥æ¤e¤F¥Lªº¤ß;
¨º·Pı¹ï§Ü¥Lªº hir ¨Åé¬O¤£¦Pªº,²{¦b¡C ¤£¬O¦p³nªº,¯Ê¥Fªº¦±½u¡C ¥L½Õ¬d hir ®ÉºA, »a¥ÕªºÁy¦A¤@¦¸¦Ó¥B¦E§À¼Õ¤F hir ¤âÁu¦Ó¥BªÓt,¦ù¤â®³¤U
hir I±¡C
It occurred to him that s/he had a lot in common with Joe. / ¥L©¿µM·Q°_ s/¥L©M³ì¤@¼Ë¦³«Ü¦h¡C
Revenge had motivated both of them, but there were other things, little
things. He wondered if s/he liked auto races. / ³ø¤³¤w¸g¨ë¿E¥L̨âÓ, ¦ý¬O¦³¨ä¥Lªº¨Æª«¡A¤p¨Æª«¡C
¥LÃhºÃ¬O§_ s/¥L³ßÅw¨T¨®¤ñÁÉ¡C
S/he was male now, and said that the fluxes always hit harder when s/he
was male. He sighed, still absently stroking hir hair. He'd never thought
about having sex with another guy; always thought of himself as straight,
really. But if he didn't.. Would s/he come home and scrub hir skin off,
the way s/he did when s/he was female? Ken looked again at the pale face.
S/he was unmistakeably male now; bishonen and pretty, yes, but male. S/he
would. Only the gender had changed, not the warped mind that governed
(and was governed by) the body. S/he'd go out, find some floozy to sleep
with, come home sick and scrub hirself raw. Ken sighed, his conscience
wrestling with his upbringing. / S/¥L²{¦b¬O¨k©Êªº, ¦Ó¥B»¡¬y¥XÁ`¬O«À»·í s/¥L¬O¨k©Êªº¡C ¥L¼Û®§,¤´µM¤ß¤£¦b²j¦a¦E§À¼Õ
hir ÀY¾v¡C ¥L¦³±q¤£·Q»P¥t¤@ӳåë©Ê¥æ; Á`¬O§â¥L¦Û¤v·í°µª½½u,¯uªº¡C ¦ý¬O¦pªG¥L¨S¦³¡C¡C ±N·| s/¥L¨«¶}¦^®a¦Ó¥B¥Î¤OÀ¿¬~ hir ¥Ö½§,
¤è¦¡ s/ ¥L°µ·í s/¥L¬O¤k©Êªº? ªÖ®¦¦A¤@¦¸¬Ý»a¥ÕªºÁy¡C S/¥L¬OµLªk¥Ç¿ù¨k©Êªº²{¦b; bishonen ©Mº}«Gªº,¬O, ¦ý¬O¨k¤H¡C S/
¥L±N·|¡C ¥u¦³©Ê§O¤w¸g§ïÅÜ, ¤£³Q§Ë¬nªº²Îªv ( ¦Ó¥B³Q²Îªv³Q) ¤F¨Å骺·Qªk¡C S/¥L±N·|¥X¥h , µo²{¤@¨Ç¦æ¬°¤£ÀËÂIªº¤k¤lºÎı¥Ñ©ó,¦^®a¯f¤H¨Ã¥B¥Î¤OÀ¿¬~
hirself ¥Íªº¦×¡C ªÖ®¦¼Û®§,©M¥Lªº±Ð¾i¥L¨}¤ßºL¨¤¡C
He thought of Nambu's highly-conservative lectures, comparing them to
what he knew of the old Indian philosophies, that said sex was pleasurable
for both and not wrong. He sighed; he couldn't let hir do that to hirself.
S/he'd suffered enough. Maybe if he talked to hir, s/he could tell him
what to expect. / ¥L°ª«×¦a·Q¨ì Nambu's-«O¦uªººtÁ¿,¤ñ¸û¥LÌ©M¥Lª¾¹Dªº¦L«×õ¾Çªº, »¡©Ê§O¬O§Ö¼Öªº¹ï¨âªÌªº©M¤£¬O¿ù»~¡C
¥L¼Û®§; ¥LµLªkÅý hir °µ¨ºµ¹ hirself ¡C S/¥L¦³¨¬°÷¾D¨ü¡C ¤]³\¦pªG¥L©M hir »¡¸Ü,s/¥L¥i¥H§i¶D¥L¸Ó´Á«Ý¤°»ò¡C
A whimper rose from the blonde mess on his chest, catching in hir throat
with a slight jerk. Ken was still lost in strange thoughts, wondering
just what he'd do if s/he asked him. He looked down at hir, / ¶ã«|±q¦b¥Lªº¯Ý¤W¥Õ¦âªºÂø¶Ã¤W¤É,¦b©M¤@Ó·L¤pªº©Ê±¡¥j©Çªº¤H
hir «|³ï¤¤®·®»¡C ªÖ®¦¤´µM¦b©_©Çªº·Qªk¤¤³Q¥¢¥h, ı±o©_©Ç¨s³º¥L±N·|°µ¤°»ò¦pªG s/¥L°Ý¤F¥L¡C ¥L©¹¤U¬Ý hir,
"Ohayo gozaimasu." S/he flinched, startling a little, then looked
up at him, blinking slowly. Ken smiled, "Sleep better? Oh, uh.. Do
you mind?" he blushed, indicating their wrapped-up cuddle, "I
kinda like this," he said sheepishly. / "Ohayo gozaimasu".
S/¥L¬ÈÁY, ¥O¤H¦YÅ媺µy·L , µM«á¬Ý¦b¥L¤W±,ºCºC¦a¯w²´¡C ªÖ®¦·L¯º,"ºÎı§ó¦h? ®@,uh¡C¡C §A¤¶·N¶Ü?"¥LÁy¬õ,«ü¥X¥L̪ººî¦X³ø¾ÉºO©ê
", §Ú¦³¤@ÂI³ßÅw³o",¥L²Û©Ä¦a»¡¡C
S/he lay hir head back down on his chest, "I guess not." / S/¥L¦b¥Lªº¯Ý¤W¤U¨Ó©ñ¸m
hir ÀYI±,"§Ú²q´ú¤£" ¡C
Ken sighed and flexed under hir, stretching, "It's warm. Always wanted
to wake up like this." He yawned, "I'm glad you don't mind too
much. I know I'm not your favorite face to wake up to." / ªÖ®¦¦b hir
¤§¤U¼Û®§¦Ó¥BÅs¦±,¦ù®i,"¥¦«Ü·Å·x¡C Á`¬O·Qn¹³³o¤@¼Ë¿ô¨Ó¡C"¥L¥´«¢¤í ", §Ú«Ü°ª¿³§A¤£¤Ó¦h¤¶·N¡C §Úª¾¹D§Ú¤£¬O§Aªº³ßÅw¨Æª«Áy¿ô¨Ó¨ì¡C"
"Your eyes aren't green..." s/he shrugged, "I'll get used
to you. It's more that I'm used to seeing you up close through pain."
/ "§Aªº²´·ú¤£¬Oºñ¦â¡C¡C¡C"s/¥LÁqªÓ ",§Ú±N²ßºD©ó§A¡C ¥¦¬O§ó¦hªº§Ú²ßºD©ó¸g¹LµhW¦V¤W±µªñ¦a¬Ý¨£§A¡C"
"Green eyes?" Ken asked, perplexed, then went quiet. He couldn't
quite believe that he actually did feel bad for beating hir up so much..
but if he'd known then what he knew now.. / "®æªLª`·N"? ªÖ®¦°Ý,§x´b¤F,µM«áÅܦwÀR¡C
¥LµLªk¬Û·í¬Û«H¥L¹ê»Ú¤W¹ï¥´ hir ½T¹êı±oÃa¦V¤W³o»ò¦h¡C¡C ¦ý¬O¦pªG¥LµM«á¤w¸gª¾¹D¥L²{¦bª¾¹Dªº¡C¡C
Did it even happen, after what they'd done? S/he hadn't left / ¥¦¬Æ¦Üµo¥Í¶Ü,¦b¥L̤w¸g°µ¤°»ò?
¤§«á S/¥L¨S¦³¯d¤U
Ovanon until s/he was fourteen -- the child they'd just rescued was nine
(give or take a few; Katze didn't know hir birth date and wasn't *entirely*
sure of hir age). Could he continue to condemn hir for what s/he'd done
if it didn't happen? / ª½¨ì s/ ¥Lªº Ovanon ¬O¤Q¥| -- ¥LÌèè±Ï¥Xªº«Ä¤l¬O¤E ( µ¹©Î®³¤@¨Ç; Katze
¨S¦³ª¾¹D hir ¥X¥Í¤é´Á©M¬O¤£ *§¹¥þ¦a*·íµM hir ÅܦÑ). ·|¥LÄ~ÄòÄþ³d hir ¬°¤°»ò s/¦pªG¥¦¨S¦³µo¥Í¡A¥L¤w¸g°µ?
Katze sighed, hir breath whiffling across his nipple, causing it to contract
and grow erect. "Any more dreahhhhhh..! Don't.. do that!" /
³Q¼Û®§ªº Katze ¡A¾î¹L¥Lªº¨ÅÀY hir ©I§l whiffling, ¾ÉP¥¦ÁYµu¦Ó¥BÅܪ½¥ß¡C "¥ô¦óªº dreahhhhhh¡C¡C!
¤£¡C¡C °µ¨º!"
Ken gasped. / ªÖ®¦³Ý®ð¡C
"Huh? Do what? Breathe?" / "ó!? ¤°»ò? ©I§l?"
"No.. uh.. don't.. play with my chest like that.." / "¸¹½X¡C
uh¡C¡C ¤£¡C¡C ©M§Úªº¯Ý¹CÀ¸³ßÅw¨º¡C¡C"
Katze put hir head back down, "I guess my voice bothers you more
than my face. You hardly ever saw my face." S/he rolled off his chest.
/ ©ñ hir ªº Katze §âI±«e¶i¤U¨Ó," §Ú²q´ú§ÚªºÁnµ·ÐÂZ§A¶W¹L§ÚªºÁy¡C §A´¿¸gèè¬Ý¨£§ÚªºÁy¡C"S/¥L¨«¶}±²¥Lªº¯Ý¡C
Ken misunderstood. "No.. Katze," he reached for hir, "I..
I like your face... and your voice.." He blushed with shame, realizing
that *had* been one of the things that was bothering him, "I'm sorry.
I didn't mean to upset you. Your voice is fine." / ªÖ®¦»~¸Ñ¡C "¸¹½X¡C
Katze,"¥L¤Î©ó hir",§Ú¡C¡C §Ú³ßÅw§AªºÁy¡C¡C¡C ¦Ó¥B§AªºÁnµ¡C¡C"¥L¥H²Û·\Áy¬õ, ¤F¸Ñ¨º *¦³*¬O¥¿¦b·ÐÂZ¥Lªº¨Æª«¤§¤@
",¹ï¤£°_¡C §Ú¤£¬O¬G·NnÄAÂЧA¡C §AªºÁnµ¬O»@´Ú¡C"
"It's flat and nasal and I sound like a fag, but I get a sore throat
if I use any other voice for long," Katze grimaced. Ken grinned,
realizing s/he was caught in a flash of self-loathing of the adolescent
kind. He shuffled out of bed and headed into the bathroom. Returning a
few minutes later, he paced, trying to think of the right words. / "
¥¦¬O¥©Zªº©M»ó¡A¦Ó¥B§ÚÅ¥°_¨Ó¹³¤@Ó¦Y¤Oªº¤u§@¤@¼Ë, ¦ý¬O¦pªG§Ú¨Ï¥Î¥ô¦ó¨ä¥LªºÁnµ¡A§Ú±o¨ì¤@Ó³ïÄVµh¬°ªøªº",Katze §ê°Áy¡C
ªÖ®¦ÅS¾¦¦Ó¯º,¤F¸Ñ s/¥L¤@Àþ¶¡¦Û¤vªº³Q®·®»-«C¬K´ÁªºÃþ«¬«D±`°Q¹½¡C ¥L©ì¦²Â÷§É¦Ó¥B±a»â¶i¤J¯D«Ç¡C ÂkÁÙ¤@¨Ç¤ÀÄÁ¤§«á¡A¥L¿â¨B, ¹Á¸Õ·Q¨ì¥¿½Tªº¦r¡C
"Look.. I've.. been thinking.. about you.. about me.. How do I explain
this?," he jammed his hands into the pajama bottom pockets, / "¯«±¡¡C¡C
§Ú¦³¡C¡C ·Q¡C¡C Ãö©ó§A¡C¡C Ãö©ó§Ú¡C¡C §Ú¦p¦ó¸ÑÄÀ³o?,"¥LÀ½¥Lªº¤â¶iºÎ¦ç¿Ç¤§¤º©³³¡¤f³U,
"Look, my head's really messed up, I'll try not to bore you.."
/ "¬Ý,¯uªº§ËÁV§ÚÀY, §Ú±N¸Õ¤£n·ÐÂZ§A¡C¡C"
"That's a switch," Katze quipped. / "¨º¬O¤@Ó¶}Ãö",Katze
»¡¿Ø¨ëªº¸Ü¡C
Ken glared at hir briefly then took a deep breath and resumed pacing,
"I.. We were taught things about.. what was right and what was..
/ ªÖ®¦µM«á²µu¦a¦b hir µo¯t¥ú§@¤F²`ªº©I§l¦Ó¥B«·s¶}©l¿â¨B,"§Ú¡C¡C §Ú̳Q±ÐÃö©óªº¨Æª«¡C¡C ¬O¥¿½Tªº©M¤°»ò¬O¡C¡C
not right.. but.. I don't think any of it exactly applies here.."
/ ¤£¬O¥¿½T¡C¡C ¦ý¬O¡C¡C §Ú¤£»{¬°¥¦¤§¤¤ªº¥ô¦ó¤@Ó§¹¥þ¦b³o¸ÌÀ³¥Î¡C¡C"
Katze winced, wondering if s/he were in for another lecture on morals.
Just what s/he didn't need, first thing in the morning. / Katze ¬ÈÁY, ı±o©_©Ç¦pªG
s/ ¥L¬O¦b¹ï©ó¦b¹D¼w¤Wªº¥t¤@ÓºtÁ¿¡C ¨s³º¤°»ò s/¥L¨S¦³»Ýn,¦b¦±áªº²Ä¤@¥ó¨Æª«¡C
Ken ran a hand through his hair, "I don't know what to do now. /
ªÖ®¦¶]¤@°¦¤â¬ï¶V¥LªºÀY¾v,"§Ú¤£ª¾¹D¸Ó²{¦b°µ¤°»ò¡C
I've read some Indian philosophies on," he coughed and cleared his
throat, "Uh, sex and all, but uh.. well, we were taught.. uh, by
Nambu.. / §Ú¤w¸gŪ¤@¨Ç¦L«×ªºõ¾Ç¦b,¤§¤W" ¥L«y¹Â¦Ó¥B²M°£ªº¥L«|³ï ",Uh ¡A©Ê§O©M¥þ³¡ , ¦ý¬O uh¡C¡C
¦n§a¡A§Ú̳Q±Ð¡C¡C uh,ÂÇµÛ Nambu¡C¡C
well," he blushed, "What we did the other night.. he'd think
it was pretty depraved." / ¦n§a¡A "¥LÁy¬õ ", ¤°»ò§ÚÌ«e´X¤Ñ±ß¤W°µ¡C¡C ¥L±N·|»{¬°¥¦¬O¬Û·í¼Z¸¨¡C"
"We had our own theories about Nambu," Katze smirked. / "§Ú̦³¤FÃö©ó
Nambu ªº§Ú̦ۤvªº²z½×",Katze ¼H¼H°µ¯º¡C
"Uh yeah well.." Ken swallowed, "When you Change.. your
hormones go all out of whack, right? And I imagine it takes some time
to get them sorted out again?" / " Uh ¬Oªº´é¥X¡C¡C·í§A§ïÅܪº®ÉÔ "ªÖ®¦§]
" ¡C¡C §Aªº²üº¸»X±q«À»ÅÜ©Ò¦³,¹ï¤£¹ï? ¦Ó¥B§Ú·Q¹³¥¦ªá¼Æ®É¶¡¦A¤@¦¸¨Ï¥L̤ÀÃþ¥X?"
"Soo da. By the time they are its time to Change again. You won't
like me when I have a natural Change to female," s/he grinned nastily,
"I get estrogen poisoning!" / "Soo da¡C ·í¥L̬O¦A¤@¦¸§ïÅܪº¥¦®É¶¡ªº®ÉÔ¡C
·í§Ú¹ï¤k©Ê¦³¤@Ó¦ÛµM§ïÅܪº®ÉÔ¡A§A±N¤£³ßÅw§Ú,"s/ ¥L¦Ã©¦aÅS¾¦¦Ó¯º ",§Ú¨Ï»Û¿E¯À¬r®`!"
"Right," Ken paced some more, "I can't seem to think straight,"
he sat down on the edge of the bed, "I.." and jumped up again,
"Kuso." / "Åv§Q" ¡AªÖ®¦¿â¨B¦A¦h¤@¨Ç ",§Ú¤£¯à¦ü¥Gµ§ª½¦a·Q",¥L§¤¦b§ÉªºÃä½t¤W
",§Ú¡C¡C" ¦Ó¥B¸õÅD¦b¦A¤@¦¸¤W± ",Kuso¡C"
"Will you quit jumping up and down? You're making me nervous."
/ "§A±NÂ÷¶}¤W¤U¦a¸õÅD¶Ü? §A¥¿¦b¨Ï§Úºò±i¡C"
Ken took a really deep breath and started fresh, "Look, I know you
may need to.. but see, you're male.. I'm a guy.. You may not even like
men.. in the male state.. or that I'm even your type.. and I don't know..
if I could.." he ran a hand through his hair again, agitated, "Am
I making any sense at all? / ªÖ®¦³Ì·s¦a§@¤F«D±`²`ªº©I§l¦Ó¥B¶}©l,"¯«±¡, §Úª¾¹D§A¥i¯à»Ýn¨ì¡C¡C ¦ý¬O¬Ý¨£,§A¬O¨k©Êªº¡C¡C
§Ú¬O³Ã¥ë¡C¡C §A¤£¥i¯à¬Æ¦Ü³ßÅw¨k¤H¡C¡C ¦b¨k©Êªº¦{¤¤¡C¡C ©Î§Ú¬Æ¦Ü¬O§AªºÃþ«¬¡C¡C ¦Ó¥B§Ú¤£ª¾¹D¡C¡C ¦pªG§Ú¥i¥H¡C¡C"¥L¦A¤@¦¸¶]¤@°¦¤â¬ï¶V¥LªºÀY¾v,¨Ï
"·n°Ê, ¬O§Ú¦³¥ô¦óªº¹D²z?
Katze was trying very, very hard not to laugh, "Much." Ken sagged
in relief. "So what you're saying is..." Katze's eyes twinkled
with mischief, "You're afraid you'll get buttfucked." / Katze
¥¿¦b¹Á¸Õ«D±`«D±`§V¤O¦a¤£n¯º,"«Ü¦h". ªÖ®¦¦b¦w¤ß¤è±¤U««¡C " ¦p¦¹§A¥¿¦b»¡¤°»ò¬O¡C¡C¡C"Katze's
ªº²´·ú¥H¶Ë®`°{Ã{ ", §A«Ü®`©È§A±N¦³ buttfucked ¡C"
"I'd rather you didn't go out and risk getting hur.. NANI??"
/ " §Ú±N·|¹ç¥i§A¨S¦³¥X¥h¦Ó¥B«_µÛªº¦MÀI±o¨ì hur ¡C¡C NANI??"
Ken turned BEET purple and Katze nearly died laughing. "Fuck.. Forget
I said anything.." Ken stalked into the bathroom and shut the door,
humiliated. / ªÖ®¦´X¥GÂà¦V¤F²¢µæµµ¦â©M Katze ¦º¯º¡C "©Ê¥æ¡C¡C §Ñ°O§Ú»¡¤F¥ô¦ó¨Æ¡C¡C"ªÖ®¦¶i¤J¯D«Ç¤§¤º®¨®¨¾aªñ¨Ã¥BÃö¤W¤Fªù,»X²Û¡C
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Don't get upset," Katze chuckled, "You
really like throwing me curve-balls, don't you Gatchaman." / "¹ï¤£°_,¹ï¤£°_¡C
¤£n·Ð¶Ã,"Katze ¦Y¦Yªº¯º ", §A¯uªº³ßÅw¥á§ÚÅs-²y, ¤£§A Gatchaman¡C"
Ken's voice was muffled by the bathroom door, "It's just as much
a curve for me," he opened the door and looked at hir, "It's
just as new for me. I just don't want you having to get hurt.. by some
thug or something.. then I'd have to kill him and we'd be on the run again."
/ ªÖ®¦ªºÁnµ³Q¯D«Çªù³ò»q¤F," ¥¿¦p¦p«Ü¦h¥¦¬O¤@Ó¦±½u¬°§Ú",¥L¥´¶}¤Fªù¦Ó¥B¬Ý hir", ¥¦¬O¥¿¦p·sªº¬°§Ú¡C
§Ú´N¬O¤£·Qn§A¬O¥²¶·±o¨ì¶Ë®`¡C¡C Âǵۤ@¨Ç©v±Ð©Ê·t±þ¹Îû©Î¬Y¨Æ¡C¡C µM«á§Ú±N·|¥²¶·±þ¥L¡A¦Ó¥B§Ú̦A¤@¦¸±N·|¬O°k¶]¡C"
Katze cocked hir head at him, "Why would you have to kill him?"
/ Katze Áq¥ß¤F¦b¥Lªº hir ÀY,"§A¬°¤°»ò±N·|¥²¶·±þ¥L"?
"You've been through enough... don't you think?" Ken dug a hole
in the carpet with his toe, "And what am I supposed to do with your
younger self if something happened to you?" / "§A¤w¸g¬O¸g¹L¥R¨¬¡C¡C¡C §A¨S·Q¶Ü?"ªÖ®¦«õ¤F©M¥Lªº¸}³k¦a´àªº¤@Ó¬}
" ¡A¦Ó¥B§Ú³Q±À·Q¤°»ò©M§Aªº¦~¬ö¸û¤pªÌ°µ¦Û¤vªº¦pªG¬Y¨Æµo¥Í¦b§A¨¤W?"
Katze shrugged, "You're Gatchaman: Protect hir." / Katze ÁqªÓ,"§A¬O
Gatchaman: «OÅ@ hir ¡C"
"Yeah right, s/he bit me!" Ken snorted. / " ¬OªºÅv§Q,s/¥L«r¤F§Ú"!
ªÖ®¦¼QµÛ®ð§ËÅT»ó¤l¡C
"S/he was terrified! S/he'd just finagled an escape from Ovanon and
sold hirself for passage across the Mediterannean. S/he knew the agents
were after hir and that they'd caught up. What did you expect hir to do?"
/ "S/¥L³QÅåÀ~! S/¥L¦³è謰³q¹D¶V¹L Mediterannean ´ÛÄF¤F¨Ó¦Û Ovanon ªº°k¤`¦Ó¥B½æ¤F hirself
¡C S/ ¥L»{ÃÑ¡A¥N²z¤H¬O¦b hir¤§«á©M¥L̦³°l»°¡C §A´Á«Ý hir °µ¤°»ò?"
"And I don't even know that much about you - about what happened
to you or how your body works. What if s/he got sick or hurt and I can't
help hir? Then what?" Ken sighed and sank into a chair, "We
still don't know much about each other.." / " ¦Ó¥B§Ú¤£¬Æ¦Üª¾¹D§ó¥[Ãö©ó§A
- Ãö©ó§Aµo¥Í¤F¤°»ò¨Æ¡A©Î§Aªº¨Åé¦p¦ó¤u§@¡C ¤°»ò¦pªG s/¥L¤£µÎªA¤F©Î¶Ë®`¡A¦Ó¥B§Ú¤£¯àÀ°§U hir? µM«á¤°»ò?"ªÖ®¦¶i¤J¤@±i´È¤l¤§¤º¼Û®§¦Ó¥B¨I¸¨
", §Ṳ́´µM¤£ª¾¹D«Ü¦h¦³Ãö©¼¦¹¡C¡C"
"Enemies usually don't." / " ¼Ä¤H³q±`¤£".
"Are we enemies?" / " §Ú̬O¼Ä¤H"?
"You tell me." / "§A§i¶D§Ú" ¡C
"I don't want to be.." "I have trouble believing your motivation..."
/ "§Ú¤£·Qn·í¡C¡C" "§Ú¤w¸g§xÂZ¬Û«H§Aªº°Ê¾÷¡C¡C¡C"
"My motivation? I don't follow," Ken looked puzzled, "Do
you think I'd hurt you? Hell, I don't even know if I *can* anymore.."
/ "§Úªº°Ê¾÷? §Ú¤£¸òÀH,"ªÖ®¦¬Ý§x´b ",§A»{¬°§Ú±N·|¶Ë®`§A¶Ü? ¦aº», §Ú¤£¬Æ¦Üª¾¹D¬O§_§Ú¤£¦Aªº *Åø¤l*¡C¡C"
Katze shook hir head, "While I was at Ovanon, there were a few clients
- a very few - who learned what I was, what I could do. They became regular
clientele and paid *quite* highly for me. For me to / Katze ·n°Ê¤F hir ÀY,"·í§Ú¬O¦b
Ovanon ªº®ÉÔ, ¦³¤@¨Ç«È¤á - ¤@¤Ö³\ªº - ½Ö¦³¾Ç°Ýªº§Ú¬O¤°»ò,§Ú¥i¥H°µ¤°»ò¡C ¥LÌÅܦ¨¤@¯ëªº¶D³^©e°U¤H¨Ã¥B¤ä¥I *¬Û·í*°ª«×¦a¬°§Ú¡C
´N§Ú¦Ó¨¥¨ì
Change, which they would induce by whatever means pleased them. When I
left Ovanon, there were still times when someone would stumble across
my secret, with the same result. I spark curiosity." / §ïÅÜ,¥ḺN·|Âǵ۳Q¨ú®®¥L̪º¥ô¦ó¤èªk¤Þ»¤¨º¤@Ó¡C
·í§ÚÂ÷¶}¤F Ovanon,¤´µM¦³¬Y¤H±N·|°¸µMµo²{§Úªº¯µ±K®É¥Nªº®ÉÔ,ÂǥѬۦPªºµ²ªG¡C §Úµo°Ê¦n©_¤ß¡C"
Ken blanched, remembering the ugly scenes of last night, "No. / ªÖ®¦º}¥Õ,
°O±o¬Q±ßªºÁல{³õ,"¸¹½X
I'd never do that to you." / §Ú¦³±q¤£°µ¨ºµ¹§A¡C"
"But you see, I have trouble believing that. One of my akas was /
"¦ý¬O§A¬Ý¨£,§Ú¤w¸g§xÂZ¬Û«H¨º¡C §Úªº akas ¤§¤@¬O
El-ahrairah. Do you know that one?" Ken shook his head and Katze
continued, "El-ahrairah, Elil-Hrair-Rah, the Prince with the Thousand
/ El-ahrairah¡C §Aª¾¹D¨º¤@Ó¶Ü?"ªÖ®¦·nÀY¡A¦Ó¥B Katze Ä~Äò ",El-ahrairah,Elil-Hrair-Rah,¦³¤dªº¤ý¤l
Enemies. From Richard Adams' 'Watership Down'." Ken shook his head
again; the book wasn't familiar to him. "'All the world will be your
enemy, Prince with the Thousand Enemies," Katze quoted, "And
whenever they catch you, they will kill you. But first they must catch
you, / ¼Ä¤H¡C ±q²z¬d¨È·í 'Watership åP¸¨'."ªÖ®¦¦A¤@¦¸·nÀY; ®Ñ¹ï¥L¤£¬O¼ô±xªº¡C "'©Ò¦³ªº¥@¬É±N¬O§Aªº¼Ä¤H,
¤ý¤l¥Ñ©ó¤dӼĤH",Katze ¤Þz ",¦Ó¥BµL½×¦ó®É¥LÌ®·®»§A,¥ḺN±þ§A¡C ¦ý¬O²Ä¤@¥L̤@©wn®·®»§A,
Digger, Listener, Runner, Prince with the Swift Warning. Be cunning and
full of tricks, and your people shall never be destroyed.'" / «õ±¸ªÌ¡AÅ¥ªÌ¡A¶]¨BªÌ,¥Ñ©ó¨³³tªºÄµ§i¤ý¤l¡C
¹ï¸Þp¬O¬¾·âªº©M¥Rº¡ªº¡A¦Ó¥B§Aªº¥Á±Ú±N±q¤£³Q¯}Ãa¡C'"
Ken nodded thoughtfully. The words were fitting to the mutant who had
so much to hide, so much to fear. "How can we trust each other more?"
he asked softly, "We're all we have, now. I don't want to go on hating
and not trusting." / ªÖ®¦²`«ä¦aÂIÀY¡C ¦r¬O¾A©yªº¬ðÅܲ§ºØ½Ö¦³³o»ò¦hÂÃ, ³o»ò¦h®`©È¡C "§Ú̦p¦ó¯à«H¿à©¼¦¹§ó¦h"?
¥L¬X©M¦a°Ý," §ÚÌ¥þ³£¬O§Ú̦³,²{¦b¡C §Ú¤£·QnÄ~Äò´U¤l©M¤£«H¿à¡C"
Katze sighed deeply, "You're right, that we just have each other.
I thought I needed your protection, but I feel almost at home here and
it seems you need me more than I need you. But, you're the only other
person who knows anything of what went 'before'.. and I really don't want
to be the *only* one who knows why I'm doing this." "I *am*
a little out of my waters, ne," Ken cringed, "Nambu gave us
everything: IDs when we went undercover, money, tools, vehicles, training..
All I know is how to use them, not how to get them." / Katze ²`²`¦a¼Û®§,"
§A¬O¥¿½Tªº, §Ú̶ȶȦ³©¼¦¹¡C §Ú·Q¡A§Ú»Ýn¤F§Aªº«OÅ@, ¦ý¬O§Ú¦b®a³o¸Ì´X¥G·Pı¡A¦Ó¥B¥¦¦ü¥G¡A§A»Ýn§Ú¶W¹L§Ú»Ýn§A¡C ¦ý¬O,§A¬O¥h¤F '¥H«e'
ªºªF¦èª¾¹D¥ô¦ó¨Æªº°ß¤@¨ä¥Lªº¤H¡C¡C ¦Ó¥B§Ú¯uªº¤£·Qn·í¨º *°ß¤@ªº* ¤Hª¾¹D§Ú¬°¤°»ò¥¿¦b°µ³o¡C" " §Ú *¬O*µy·L±q§Úªº¤ô°ì,©mªº",ªÖ®¦¬ÈÁY
",Nambu µ¹¤©¤F§Ų́C¥ó¨Æª«: ¨¥÷ÃÒ·í§ÚÌÅܯµ±Kªº®ÉÔ,¿ú¡A¤u¨ã¡A¨®½ø,±Ð¨|¡C¡C ¥þ³¡§Úª¾¹D¬O¸Ó¦p¦ó¨Ï¥Î¥L̦Ӥ£¬O¸Ó¦p¦ó±o¨ì¥LÌ¡C"
"I've been living so long by my wits alone." / "§ÚÂǵۧڪº¾÷´¼¿W¦Û¦a¤w¸g¦í¦p¦¹ªº¤["
¡C
"Guess I need to start taking lessons, huh." / " ²q´ú§Ú»Ýn¶}©l°Ñ¥[½Ò,ó!".
"I've already resolved to start taking lessons from you. And.."
s/he stretched and sagged back into the pillows, "Oh.. hell.. if
that offer's open, I guess I'll accept it, whatever your real motives
are. / " §Ú¤w¸g¨M©w¤F¶}©l°Ñ¥[½Ò±q§A¡C ¦Ó¥B¡C¡C"s/¥L¦ù®i¦Ó¥B¤U««ªð¦^ªEÀY ",®@¡C¡C ¦aº»¡C¡C ¦pªG¨º´£Ä³ªº¤½¶},
§Ú²q´ú§Ú±N±µ¨ü¥¦,¥ô¦óªº§A¯u¥¿ªº°Ê¾÷¬O¡C
Hell. It's gotta be better than barhopping." S/he blushed, remembering
hir dream, "I liked..the other time. That upset me; I really hate
sex." "I liked it too." Ken got up and sat on the edge
of the bed next to hir, taking hir hand, "Katze.. I won't hurt you.
I don't even know how to.. like this.. like we are now." / ¦aº»¡C ¥¦¬O¥²¶·¤ñ±q³o®a³Ü¨ì¨º®a§ó¦n¡C"S/¥LÁy¬õ,°O±o
hir ¹Ú ",§Ú³ßÅw¡C¡C¥t¤@Ó©w®É¡C ¨º¥[²`®Ø§Ú; §Ú¯uªº¼¨«ë©Ê§O¡C" "§Ú¤]³ßÅw¥¦" ¡C ªÖ®¦°_§É¦Ó¥B§¤¦b§É¤U¤@ÓªºÃä½t¤W¨ì
hir,±a hir ¶Ç»¼,"Katze¡C¡C §Ú±N¤£¶Ë®`§A¡C §Ú¤£¬Æ¦Üª¾¹D¦p¦ó¨ì¡C¡C ³ßÅw³o¡C¡C ¬Û¦üªº§Ú̬O²{¦b¡C"
"That's what I'm afraid of," s/he said softly. / "¨º¬O§Ú©Ò®`©Èªº",s/¥L¬X©M¦a»¡¡C
"What are you afraid of? That I'll mess up and hurt you somehow?"
S/he nodded. Ken looked sad, "I'll try my best not to.. I promise.."
/ " §A¬O§@¤°»òªº®`©È? þ¤@§Ú±N¤£ª¾¦ó¬G§ËÁV¦Ó¥B¶Ë®`§A?"S/¥LÂIÀY¡C ªÖ®¦¬Ý°_¨Ó«Ü¼~·T," §Ú±NºÉ¥þ¤O¤£¨ì¡C¡C
§ÚµªÀ³¡C¡C"
"I'm afraid you'll hurt me unintentionally.. and that it'd be worse
than when you were deliberately trying to hurt me." / "®£©È§A±NµL¤ß¦a¶Ë®`§Ú¡C¡C
¦Ó¥B¥¦±N·|¬O§óÁVªº¶W¹L·í§A¥¿¦b¬G·N¦a¹Á¸Õ¶Ë®`§Úªº®ÉÔ¡C"
"I'll try," Ken said simply. "By the way.. You said you
wanted lessons from me.. In what? What could I possibly teach you? How
to fight?" / "§Ú±N¸Õ",ªÖ®¦¥u¬O»¡¡C "Âǵۤèªk¡C¡C §A»¡¤F§A·Qn¨Ó¦Û§Úªº½Ò¡C¡C ¦b¤°»ò?
§Ú¥i¥H¥i¯à¦a±Ð§A¤°»ò? ¸Ó¦p¦ó¹ï§Ü?"
"How....... to trust." / "¦p¦ó....... «H¿à¡C"
Ken reached out wordlessly and touched hir face. S/he laid hir hand over
his and met his eyes. "I'm sorry," he said with a nervous chuckle,
"Now what? I'm nervous again.... Do you think I'll ever get over
that?" "I hope so." / ªÖ®¦¨HÀq¦a¨ì¹F¥X¦Ó¥B¸I¨ì¤F hir Áy¡C S/ ¥L©ñ¸m¤F hir
¤â¦b¥Lªº¤§¤W¦Ó¥B¹J¨£¤F¥Lªº²´·ú¡C "¹ï¤£°_",¥L¥H¤@Óºò±iªº¦Y¦Y¯ºÁn»¡ ", ²{¦b¤°»ò? §Ú¦A¤@¦¸¬Oºò±iªº....
§A»{¬°§Ú´¿¸g±N§JªA¨º¶Ü?" "§Ú³o»ò§Æ±æ" ¡C
"....Teach me?" / "....±Ð§Ú?"
Katze tilted hir head at him, "Teach you what?" / Katze ¶É±×¤F¦b¥Lªº
hir ÀY," ±Ð§A¤°»ò"?
Ken moved a little closer to hir, "How to get over being so nervous
around you." / ªÖ®¦²¾°Êµy·L¤ñ¸û¾aªñ¨ì hir,"¸Ó¦p¦ó±o¨ì¤W±ªº¦b§A©P³ò¦p¦¹ºò±i".
S/he leaned a little closer, "Alright." / S/ ¥Lʾaµy·L¤ñ¸û¾aªñ,"¦nªº".
Ken laced his fingers through hir hair, partially cupping hir cheek. He
let his other hand trail across hir shoulders and down one arm, "Your
skin is so soft." / ªÖ®¦¸g¹L hir ÀY¾vµ²±a¤l¤F¥Lªº¤â«ü,³¡¥÷¦a§â hir ÀU¸m©óªM¤º¡C ¥LÅý¾î¹L hir
ªÓªº¥L¨ä¥Lªº¤âÂܸñ¦Ó¥BåP¸¨¤@°¦¤âÁu," §Aªº¥Ö½§¬O¦p¦¹³n" ¡C
Katze snorted, "Its getting rougher. I'll have to find a source for
essential oils, get it back into shape.." / Katze ¼QµÛ®ð§ËÅT»ó¤l,"¥¦¤ñ¸û²ÊÁW¡C
§Ú±N¥²¶·¹ï©ó¥²nªºªoµo²{¤@Ó¨Ó·½,¶i¤J§Îª¬¤§¤º§â¥¦±o¨ì¦^¨Ó¡C¡C"
"Oils?" he touched hir chest, along hir collar bones, "Maybe
we can find something for my hands, too." / "ªo"? ¥L¸I¨ì¤F hir
¯Ý,ªuµÛ¦ç»â¥h°©ªº hir ¡A "¤]³\§Ṳ́]¯à¬°§Úªº¤âµo²{¬Y¨Æ" ¡C
"They're very calloused," Katze observed, taking one gently,
/ " ¥LÌ«D±`ÅܱoµL±¡",Katze Æ[¹î,³vº¥¦a±a¤@,
"Scarred. Like a mechanic's. Do you do a lot of engine work?"
/ "µ²¬Í¡C ³ßÅw¾÷±ñ¤uªº¡C §A°µ³\¦h¤ÞÀº¤u§@¶Ü?"
"Yeah, on my plane and Joe's car. And bashing Galactor heads. / "¬Oªº,¦b§Úªº¸¾÷©M³ìªº¨T¨®¤W¡C
¦Ó¥B«ã¼Þ Galactor ÀY¡C
See this?" he pointed to a scar, "Broke all the bones in the
back of my hand, hitting a Galactor goon too hard. Collapsed his skull.
Had to be in a cast for a while. I've broken open most of my knuckles
practicing or fighting with Galactors or Joe.." Ken twisted, pointing
to other scars on his body, "This was from an encounter with one
of your captains." Katze stroked it lightly with a fingernail. Ken
inhaled sharply and pointed to another, "And this one is shrapnel
from.. hell, I forgot which mecha it was.." S/he stroked the other
one, just as lightly. "And.. you gave me this one.." He shivered
as s/he stroked it, then looked closely at hir skin, "You don't have
any scars?" / ¬Ý¨£³o?"¥L«ü¦V¤@¹D¬Í²ª ",¦b§Úªº¤â«á±Â_±¼©Ò¦³ªº°©ÀY,¤Ó§V¤O¸I¼²¤@Ó Galactor
§b¤l¡C ˶ò¥LªºÀY»\°©¡C ¥²¶·¬O¦bºtû°}®e¤è±¤@°}¤l¡C §Ú¤w¸g©M Galactors ©Î³ì¥´¯}§Úªº«ü¸`½m²ßªº¤½¶}¤j³¡¤À©Î¹ï§Ü¡C¡C"ªÖ®¦À¾,«ü¦V¦b¥Lªº¨Åé¤Wªº¨ä¥L¬Í²ª
",³o¨Ó¦Û©M§Aªº²îªø¤§¤@ªº¤@¦¸¬Û·|¡C"Katze »´»´ªº¥H¤â«ü¥Ò¦E§À¼Õ¤F¥¦¡C ªÖ®¦¾U§Q¦a§l¤J¦Ó¥B«ü¦V¥t¥~¤@,"
¦Ó¥B³o¤@Ó¬O¶}ªá¼u±q¡C¡C ¦aº»,§Ú§Ñ°O¤F¥¦¬O¨º¤@Ó mecha ¡C¡C"S/ ¥L¦E§À¼Õ¤F¥t¤@Ó, ¥¿¦p»´»´ªº¡C "¦Ó¥B¡C¡C
§Aµ¹¤©¤F§Ú³o¤@Ó¡C¡C" ¥L¥´Å¸·í s/¥L¦E§À¼Õ¤F¥¦, µM«áÄY±K¦a¦b hir ¬Ý¥Ö½§ ",§A¨S¦³¥ô¦óªº¬Í²ª?"
"Only on my soul," s/he answered softly, "When I Change,
they all heal up and vanish." / "¥u¦³¦b§ÚªºÆF»î¤W",s/¥L¬X©M¦a¦^µª ",·í§Ú§ïÅܪº®ÉÔ,¥LÌ¥þ³¡²¬Â¡¦Ó¥B®ø¥¢".
"Neat trick," Ken looked into hir eyes and touched hir chest,
over hir heart, "But there are too many here.." / "¾ã¼äªº¸Þp",ªÖ®¦½Õ¬d
hir ²´·ú©Mºë¯«¥¢±`ªº hir ¯Ý,¦b hir ¤ß¤§¤W ",¦ý¬O¨º¸Ì¬O¤Ó³\¦h¦b³o¸Ì¡C¡C"
S/he nodded, looking into his eyes. Ken moved around hir, stretching out
and pulling hir down beside him, stroking hir hair and face gently, "Anything
you want to talk about?" / S/¥LÂIÀY,½Õ¬d¥Lªº²´·ú¡C ªÖ®¦¦b hir ªº©P³ò²¾°Ê,¦b¥L®ÇÃä¦ù®i¥X©M§â
hir ©Ô¤U ,³vº¥¦a¦E§À¼Õ hir ÀY¾v©MÁy," ¥ô¦ó¨Æ§A·Qn½Í½×"?
"Like what?" / " ¹³¤°»ò"?
"I dunno.. What do you want now? House and picket fence?" /
"§Ú¤£ª¾¹D¡C¡C §A²{¦b·Qn¤°»ò? ²³Ä³°|©M¼Î¥ÎÆX¯¹³ò¦í?"
Katze grinned, "No.. Never did want that. I don't know. / Katze ÅS¾¦¦Ó¯º,"¸¹½X¡C
±q¤£½T¹ê·Qn¨º¡C §Ú¤£ª¾¹D¡C
Everything I did was govorned by Soosai. I don't know what I want."
/ §Ú°µªº¨C¥ó¨Æª«¬OÂÇµÛ Soosai govorned ¡C §Ú¤£ª¾¹D§Ú©Ò·Qnªº¡C"
"X's head on a platter?" / "¦b¤@Ó¤j½L¤l¤Wªº X's ªºÀY"?
Katze giggled, "He doesn't have one." / Katze ¦Y¦Y¦a¯º,"¥L¨S¦³¤@"
¡C
"A head? Or a platter?" / "¤@ÓÀY? ©Î¤@Ó¤j½L¤l?"
"Both. Neither." S/he flinched as Ken's fingers trailed lightly
down hir ribs, accidently hitting hir ticklish spots. / "¨âªÌªº¡C ¨âªÌ¬Ò¤£ªº¡C"S/·í¤â«ü»´»´ªº°lÂܪ֮¦åP¸¨
hir ¦Ø°©ªº®ÉÔ¡A¥L¬ÈÁY,·N¥~¨Æ¥ó¸I¼² hir ©ö˪º¦aÂI¡C
"Hmm? Oh I forgot.. You're ticklish," Ken got an evil grin,
/ "Hmm? ®@§Ú§Ñ°O¡C¡C §A¬O©ö˪º,"ªÖ®¦±o¨ì¤F¨¸´cªºÅS¾¦¯º,
"C'mere, you..!" / "C'mere,§A¡C¡C!"
"Oh NO!" / " ®@¤£"!
"Oh YES!" Ken lunged for hir as s/he lurched backward away from
him. S/he grabbed a pillow and thwacked him in self-defense. "Awk!
Oi, hey!" He grabbed another pillow and whapped hir. S/he pummelled
him back, getting tangled in the blankets. Ken dug around in the sheets
for hir, blushing as his fingers encountered different, sometimes unidentifyable,
parts of hir anatomy. Suddenly he was engulfed in sheets and trapped,
"Ahh! Let me out!" / " ®@¬Oªº"! ¦V«á¦a¹ï hir ¬O¦³ªÍªº¦p s/ ¥LªºªÖ®¦¬ðµM¦V¤@Ãä¶É±×»·Â÷¥L¡C
S/¥L¦b¥¿·í¨¾½Ã¤¤§ì¨ú¤F¤@ÓªEÀY¦Ó¥B¥´¥L¡C "Awk! Oi,¶Ù!"¥L§ì¨ú¤F¥t¤@ÓªEÀY©M whapped hir ¡C S/¥L§â¥L¥Î®±ÀY¥´¦^¨Ó,±o¨ì¦b¤ò´à¤¤¨ÏÄñµ²¡C
¹ï©ó hir ¦b±i¤¤ªºªþªñ³Q«õªºªÖ®¦ , Áy¬õ¦p¥Lªº¤â«ü¹J¨ì¤£¦Pªº, ¦³®ÉµLªkÃѧOªº,hir åªRªº³¡¥÷¡C ¬ðµM¥L¦b±i¤¤³Q§]¨S¨Ã¥B§x¦í,"Ahh!
©ñ¥X§Ú!"
S/he burrowed up beside him, hair tangled and messy, "Got you, /
S/ ¥L±¸¬}¥Þ¦b¥L®ÇÃä¡AÀY¾v¨ÏÄñµ²¤W±©M´²¶Ãªº,"¦³¤F§A,
Gatchaman!" / Gatchaman!"
Ken thrashed, then thrust his arms up and seized hir, "And I've got
you!" He leaned closer to hir, pushing hir hair from hir face. His
lips grazed hirs, "Now what are you going to do? You're in my power."
/ ªÖ®¦¥´¼³, µM«á´¡¤J¥Lªº¤âÁu´£°ª¦Ó¥B§ì¦í¤F hir,"¦Ó¥B§Ú¤w¸g±o¨ì§A"! ¥Lʾa¤ñ¸û¾aªñªº¨ì hir,±À°Ê¨Ó¦Û hir
Áyªº hir ÀY¾v¡C ¥Lªº®B¨Ï¦Y¯ó¤F hirs,"²{¦b§A±Nn°µ¤°»ò? §A¦b§Úªº¤O¶q¤è±¡C"
"You keep saying," s/he whispered, hir lips moving against his,
/ "§AÄ~Äò»¡",s/¥L¦Õ»y,hir ¤Ï¹ï¥Lªº¥H¼L®B¸I²¾°Ê,
"That that's nothing to fear." / " þ¤@¤°»ò¤]¤£¬O®`©È".
"I'm more afraid of yours," Ken kissed hir lightly, "Mmm..
I give in. I'm yours." He snaked his arms around hir, pulling hir
tightly against him, "Why do you feel so good?" "I don't
know." / " §Ú¬O§ó®`©È§Aªº",ªÖ®¦»´»´ªº§k¤F hir",Mmm¡C¡C §Ú©}ªA¡C §Ú¬O§Aªº¡C"¥L¦b
hir ªº©P³ò¦±§é¦Ó¦æ¥Lªº¤âÁu,ºòºò¦a¤Ï¹ï¥L©Ô hir",§A¬°¤°»òı±o¦p¦¹¦n?" "§Ú¤£ª¾¹D" ¡C
"I don't know either," Ken said, kissing hir neck, "I suppose
/ "§Ú¤£¤]ª¾¹D",ªÖ®¦»¡,§k hir ¾Ö©ê ",§Ú±À·Q
I'll have to find out why." S/he put hir head back, relaxing. Ken
tried to move but was bound by the sheets. He ripped them up and off,
billowing them into the air, then pulled them back down over them, / §Ú±N¥²¶·µo²{¬°¤°»ò¡C"S/¥L©ñ
hir ÀYI±,©ñÃP¡C ªÖ®¦¸ÕµÛ²¾°Ê¦ý¬O±iªº½d³ò¡C ¥L¼¹¶}¥LÌ´£°ª©M¨«¶},¬¤´é¥L̶iªÅ®ð¤§¤º,µM«á¦b¥L̤§¤W§â¥LÌ©Ô¦^¨Ó¤U¨Ó,
"There, that's better. C'mere you.." / "¦b¨º¸Ì¡A¨º¬O¤ñ¸û¦nªº¡C C'mere
§A¡C¡C"
S/he slid hir arms around him. He snuggled hir closer, fitting hir body
next to his and rested his head against hir shoulder, "Mmm.. I could
get used to this." / S/ ¥L slid hir ¦b¥L©P³òªZ¸Ë¡C ¥Lºò¾F¥Lªº®Áªñ¤F hir ¤ñ¸û¾aªñ¤S¾A©yªº
hir ¨Åé¨Ã¥B¥ð®§¤F¹ï§Ü hir ªº¥LÀYªÓ,"Mmm¡C¡C §Ú¥i¥H²ßºD©ó³o¡C"
"Could you?" / " ¥i¥H§A"?
"Uh huh.. You're male and all.. but.. I still like the way you feel
against me. The taste of your skin," he chuckled briefly, "If
only / " Uh ó!¡C¡C §A¬O¨k©Êªº©M©Ò¦³ªº¡C¡C ¦ý¬O¡C¡C §Ú¤´µM³ßÅw¤èªk§A·Pı¹ï§Ü§Ú¡C §Aªº¥Ö½§«~À|,"¥L²µu¦a¦Y¦Yªº¯º
", ¦pªG°ß¤@ªº
I'd known." / §Ú¤w¸gª¾¹D¡C"
Katze gave a slight grin, "What would you have done?" / Katze
µ¹¤©¤F·L¤pªºÅS¾¦¯º," ¤°»ò§A±N·|¤w¸g°µ¶Ü"?
Ken propped his head up on one hand, "Sorry Nambu, old boy.. but
s/he's way more fun than you are," he gave a silly grin and booped
hir nose. / ªÖ®¦¤@¤è±¤ä«ù¥LªºÀY,"Ãø¹Lªº Nambu ¡A¦Ñ¨k«Ä¡C¡C ¦ý¬O s/¥L¬O¸û§A¬°¦hªº¼Ö½ì¬Oªº¤èªk,"¥Lµ¹¤©¤F·MÄøªºÅS¾¦¯º©M
booped hir »ó¤l¡C
Katze smiled, "Perhaps I should have ravished you after all."
/ Katze ·L¯º,"¤]³\§ÚÀ³¸Ón²¦³º±j¹Ü§Aªº" ¡C
"You had your chance, a couple of times." / "§A¦³¤F§Aªº¾÷·|¡A¤@¨Ç®É¥N"
¡C
"I know I had my chance. And, there *were* a few times.. Once, I
even drugged myself on your behalf." / "§Ú»{ÃѧڳQ¦³§Úªº¾÷·|¡C ¨Ã¥B, ¨º¸Ì *¬O*
¼Æ®É¥N¡C¡C ¤@¦¸,§Ú¬Æ¦Ü¥Nªí§A¤UÃĤF§Ú¦Û¤v¡C"
Ken blinked, astonished, "Really?" S/he nodded. "I.. never
really thought anything like that would ever happen to me. 'Course, those
suits could've been a little looser.." / ªÖ®¦¯w²´,Åå³Y,"¯uªº"?
S/¥LÂIÀY¡C "§Ú¡C¡C ±q¤£¯uªº·Q¤F¥ô¦ó¨Æ¬Û¦üªºþ¤@´¿¸g±N·|µo¥Í¦b§Ú¨¤W¡C '½Òµ{, ¨º¨Ç¶D³^ could've µy·L¤ñ¸û¼eÃP¡C¡C"
Katze shrugged, "Well, it was more to preserve *me* than to preserve
you. Once, they brought you to me while I was in the middle of a terrible
flux. 'Katze-sama, do you want to question him?' and I was thinking 'No,
I want to fuck his brains out, thankyouverymuch, get him out of my sight
before I do something I'll regret'." S/he grinned widely while Ken
howled with laughter, "I kept having these nightmarish visions of
ripping off my uniform and falling across your lap screaming 'take me
NOW, Gatchaman!'" / Katze ÁqªÓ,"¶â, «OÅ@¬O§ó¦hªº *§Ú* ¶W¹L«OÅ@§A¡C ¤@¦¸,·í§Ú¦b¥i©Èªº¬y¥X¤¤¥¡¤¤ªº®ÉÔ¡A¥Ḻa§Aµ¹§Ú¡C
'Katze-sama,§A·Qn¸ß°Ý¥L¶Ü?' ¦Ó¥B§Ú¥¿¦b·Q '¤£¡A§Ú·Qn¦b¥~©Ê¥æ¥Lªº¸£,¦b§Ú°µ§Ú±N·P¨ì¿ò¾Ñªº¬Y¨Æ¤§«e , thankyouverymuch,
§â¥L»°¥X§Úªºµø¤O'."S/·íªÖ®¦¥H¯º¨g§pªº®ÉÔ¡A¥L¼sªx¦aÅS¾¦¦Ó¯º ", §ÚÄ~Äò¦³³o¨Ç´c¹Ú¯ëµø³¥³»«Óªº¨«¶}§Úªº²Î¤@¦Ó¥B¸¨¤U¹L§Aªº½¥»\¦y¥s
'²{¦b±a§Ú,Gatchaman!'"
"Really?" Ken wiped at his eyes, "I never knew.."
"I didn't *intend* for you to know! Or anybody!" / "¯uªº¶Ü"?
ªÖ®¦¦b¥Lªº²´·úÀ¿,"§Ú±q¤£ª¾¹D¡C¡C" " §Ú¨S¦³ *p¹º*Åý§Aª¾¹D! ©Î¥ô¦ó¤H!"
"Yeah.. I can see how that wouldn't have been a good thing."
/ "¬Oªº¡C¡C §Ú¯à¬Ý¨£¦p¦óþ¤@¤£·|¬O¤@¥ó¦n¨Æª«¡C"
S/he nodded, "The leader's a nymphomaniac, great.." / S/¥LÂIÀY,"»â³Sªº
nymphomaniac,¤j®v¡C¡C"
Ken laughed again, "But maybe it would have changed things. / ªÖ®¦¦A¤@¦¸¯º,"¦ý¬O¤]³\¥¦·|§ïÅܨƪ«¡C
'Look what I found, Hakase.. s/he followed me home!'" / ' ¯«±¡§Ú©Òµo²{ªº¡A
Hakase¡C¡C s/¥L¸òÀH§Ú¦^®a!'"
"Nearly did that with the Condor, once.." / "´X¥G¹ï¨rÆN°µ¨º,¤@¥¹¡C¡C"
"Oh that would have been interesting," Ken said, then grinned
evilly, "I'd love to show up arm in arm and see what they'd do.."
He ran a hand across hir chest and tweaked a nipple. / " ®@þ¤@·|¬O¦³½ìªº",ªÖ®¦»¡,
µM«á¨¸´c¦aÅS¾¦¦Ó¯º ",§Ú±N·|·R¥X²{¤âÁuªº¤âÁu¨Ã¥B¬Ý¨£¥ḺN·|°µªº¡C¡C"¥L¶]¾î¹L hir ¯Ýªº¤@°¦¤â¦Ó¥B§á¤F¤@Ó¨ÅÀY¡C
S/he gasped, then relaxed. "Was actually a fairly miserable life.
I couldn't believe it when the Overlord actually ordered me to rape your
Shiratori no Jun." / S/¥L³Ý®ð,µM«á©ñÃP¡C "¹ê»Ú¤W¬O«D±`´dºGªº¥Í¬¡¡C ·í¤j§g¥D¹ê»Ú¤W©R¥O¤F§Ú±°¹Ü§Aªº
Shiratori ¨S¦³¤»¤ëªº®ÉÔ¡A§ÚµLªk¬Û«H¥¦¡C"
Ken blinked, "It did??" / ªÖ®¦¯w²´,"¥¦°µ??"
Katze nodded, "Mind you, it turned out funny enough." / Katze
ÂIÀY," ¤ß§A, ¥¦§â°÷¦n¯ºªºÃö±¼ ".
"Kamisama... Jun would've been... well.. then again, she's tougher
than she looked.." / "Kamisama¡C¡C¡C ¤»¤ë would've ¬O¡C¡C¡C ´é¥X¡C¡C µM«á¦A¤@¦¸¡A¦o¤ñ¦o§ó±jµw¬Ý¡C¡C"
"Pretty good in bed, too." / "§Éªºº}«G¦n³B,¤]".
"OHH??? What do you know that I don't??" / "OHH??? §Aª¾¹D§Ú°µ¤£¤°»ò??"
Katze grinned nastily and sing-songed, "I'm not tel-ling," then
glanced at Ken, "She never told you, then?" / Katze ¦Ã©¦aÅS¾¦¦Ó¯º¦Ó¥B°Û-ºq,"§Ú¤£¬O¹q¸Ü-÷«",µM«áª`µøªÖ®¦
",¦o±q¤£§i¶D¤F§A,µM«á"?
Ken shook his head, "No." / ªÖ®¦·nÀY,"¸¹½X"
"Not even 'I was raped by Galactors'? You *had* to wonder where the
bruises came from." / " ¤£¬O¥©Z '§Ú³Q Galactors ±°¹Ü¤F'? §A *¦³* ÃhºÃ·ï¶Ë¨Ó¦Ûªº¦a¤è¡C"
"We get them all the time, between duty and practice. C'mon, out
with it -- what did you do to Jun?" "I couldn't do it. I wussed
out. Chickened out completely." / "§ÚÌ©l²×±o¨ì¥LÌ,¦b³d¥ô©M½m²ß¤§¶¡¡C C'mon,
¦b¥~¥H¥¦ -- §A¹ï¤»¤ë°µ¤°»ò?" "§ÚµLªk°µ¥¦¡C §Ú¦b¥~ªº wussed¡C §¹¥þ¦aÁx¤p°h¥X¡C"
"Oh?" / "®@"?
"But he was going to check, y'see, so I was in a spot.." / "¦ý¬O¥L±NnÀˬd,y'see,¦]¦¹§Ú¬O¦b¤@Ó¦aÂI¤¤¡C¡C"
"C'mon, out with it. What happened? I want all the details."
/ "C'mon, ¦b¥~¥H¥¦¡C µo¥Í¤°»ò¨Æ? §Ú·Qn©Ò¦³ªº²Ó¸`¡C"
Katze covered hir face, laughing and turning pink, "She saw through
it." / ¥¿¦b²[»\ hir Áy, ¯º¦Ó¥BÂ௻¬õ¦âªº Katze,"¦o¬Ý¬ï¥¦" ¡C
"Through what, the fact that you didn't want to rape her?" /
" §¹¦¨ªº¤°»ò,§A¨S¦³·Qn±°¹Ü¦oªº¨Æ¹ê"?
S/he nodded, still blushing, "I was *so* embarrassed! Here I was
supposed to be the tyrranical overlord and I couldn't even rape one helpless
girl. I was ready to let her go, let her do her ninja schtick, and make
up some excuse to tell the Overlord.. She asked what kind of trouble I'd
get into and like a fool I blabbed.." / S/¥LÂIÀY,¤´µMÁy¬õ," §Ú¬O *¦p¦¹*¨Ï!§xµ~
¦b³o¸Ì§ÚÀ³¸Ó¬O tyrranical ¤j§g¥D¡A¦Ó¥B§ÚµLªk¬Æ¦Ü±°¹Ü¤@ÓµL§Uªº¤k«Ä¡C §Ú·Ç³Æ¦nÅý¦o¥h,Åý¦o°µ¦oªº¾Õªø¤é¥»ªZ¤hÁô¨³Nªº schtick,
¦Ó¥B²Õ¦¨¤@¨ÇÂǤf§i¶D¤j§g¥D¡C¡C ¦o°Ý¤F§Ú±N·|¶i¤J¨Ã¥B³ßÅw§Ú¬ªº|ªº¤@Ó·M¤H¤°»òÃþ«¬ªº³Â·Ð¡C¡C"
"And then?" Ken's grin was threatening to split his face. /
"µM«á"? ªÖ®¦ªºÅS¾¦¯º¥¿¦b®£À~¤ÀÂ÷¥LªºÁy¡C
"So she says, well she could be fair, since I was being fair to her,
and she'd go along with it if I wouldn't hurt her and I was like / "
¦]¦¹¦o»¡,«Ü¦n¦a¦o¥i¯à¬O¤½¥ªº, ¦pªG§Ú±N¤£¶Ë®`¦o¡A¦Ó¥B§Ú¬O¡A¦]¬°§Ú¥¿¦b¹ï¦o§@¬°®iÄý·|¡A¦Ó¥B¦o±N·|°t¦X¥¦¹³
'Are you out of your mind????'" / '§AºÆ¤F¶Ü????'"
Ken burst out laughing, "Oh god..!! She didn't..!! The vixen!"
/ ªÖ®¦Ãzµõ¥X¯º," ®@¯«¡C¡C!! ¦o¨S¦³¡C¡C!! »Ûª°!"
"She did. Was fun. Took a lot longer than any rape should, and we
spent a good hour with the makeup kit after, making her look beaten,"
/ "¦o°µ¡C ¬O¦³½ìªº¡C ®³«Ü¦h¤ñ¥ô¦óªº·m¹Ü§ó¤[¡A¦Ó¥B§Ú̦b¥H¤ÆùÛ°t®M¤§«á«×¹L¤F¤@Ó¦nªº¤p®É,¨Ï¦oªº¯«±¡®Á¥´,"
Katze grinned, "It was actually pretty funny. We had to turn out
the lights cuz there was NO way to get around the mask and that damned
visor of hers.. Kept smacking into each other, elbowed her in the face
by mistake.." / Katze ÅS¾¦¦Ó¯º,"¥¦¬O¹ê»Ú¤W¬Û·í¦n¯º¡C §ÚÌ¥²¶·§â¥ú cuz Ãö±¼¨S¦³¤èªk¶Ç¶}°²±¨ã¦Ó¥B¨º¶A©G¤F¦oªº±ÀU¡C¡C
¶i¤J©¼¦¹¤§¤º«O«ù©Q¦Þ,¦b¿ù»~®ÇÃ䪺Áy¤¤¥Î¤â¨y±À¶}¦o¡C¡C"
Ken was doubled over with laughter, "She never mentioned it, not
*once*! Even when we thought you might be a woman, she never said word
one about it, no 'nope, he's definately a guy' or anything." / ªÖ®¦µ²§ô³Q¯º¥[¿,"¦o±q¤£´£¨ì¤F¥¦,
¤£ *¤@¦¸*! §Y¨Ï·í§ÚÌ·Q¡A§A¥i¯à¬O¤k¤H, ¦o±q¤£»¡¤F¦r¤@Ãö©ó¥¦, ¤£ '¤£¡A¥L©ú½T¦a¬O³Ã¥ë' ©Î¥ô¦ó¨Æ¡C"
"Presumably because you would have said 'and what makes you so certain',"
Katze smirked. / "±À´ú¤W¦]¬°§A·|»¡ '©M¤°»ò¨Ï§A¦p¦¹½T©w'",Katze ¼H¼H°µ¯º¡C
Ken sat up, wiping his face with the sheet, "I guess you were too
good. She turned me down, twice." / ªÖ®¦¼õ©],¥Î±iÀ¿«ø¥LªºÁy,"§Ú²q´ú§A¤Ó¦n¡C ¦o©Úµ´§Ú,¨â¦¸¡C"
"Did she?" Katze said, interested, "I got the impression
she liked you. She mentioned you quite a bit." / "°µ¤F¦o"?
Katze »¡,·P¿³½ì,"§Ú±o¨ì¤F¦o³ßÅw§Aªº¦L¶H¡C ¦o¬Û·í´£¨ì¤F§A¤@ÂIÂI¡C"
"Yeah. I kissed her once and she slapped me. Joe said she was just
trying to play hard to get. Then, one New Year's - I think Joe had been
spiking my drink - We went out and played in the snow. One thing led to
another and we kissed, all tangled up. I.." he scratched his head,
blushing, "Tried to cop a feel and suddenly her thighs are around
my waist like a vise.. and she ruptured my spleen!" Katze burst out
laughing. "She tried to make amends for hurting me but.. after that,
I kinda thought it safer to stay away." / "¬Oªº¡C §Ú§k¤F¦oªº¤@¦¸¡A¦Ó¥B¦o©çÀ»¤F§Ú¡C
³ì»¡¤F¦o¥¿¦b¶È¶È¹Á¸Õ§V¤O¦aª±±o¨ì¡C µM«á, ·s¦~ - §Ú»{¬°¡A³ì¤w¸g¬O°{Àé§Úªº¶¼®Æ - §Ú̦b³·¤¤¥~¥X¦Ó¥Bª±¡C ¤@¥ó¨Æª«¾ÉP³Q§kªº¥t¥~¤@©M§ÚÌ,
¥þ³¡¨ÏÄñµ²¦b¤W±¡C §Ú¡C¡C"¥LÀ¿¤F¥LªºÀY,Áy¬õ ", ¹ïĵ©x¹Á¸Õ¤@·Pı¦Ó¥B¬ðµM¦oªº¤j»L¦b¹³¤@ÓªêÀY¹X¤@¼Ëªº§Ú¸y³¡ªº©P³ò¡C¡C
¦Ó¥B¦o¨Ï§ÚªºµÊŦ¯}µõ¤F!"Katze Ãzµõ¥X¯º¡C " ¦o¸ÕµÛ¹ï¶Ë®`§Ú§@½ßÀv°£¤F¤§¥~¡C¡C ¦b¨º¤§«á,§Ú¦³¤@ÂI§ó¦w¥þ¦a·Q¤F¥¦Â÷¶}¡C"
"She did have strong thighs.." Katze said musingly. / "¦o½T¹ê¦³±jªº¤j»L¡C¡C"Katze
¨H«ä¦a»¡¡C
"And that short skirt.. Nambu's only response was that if I was so
distracted, then so were the Galactors, but *I* wouldn't *do* anything
about it if I caught her!" / " ¦Ó¥B¨º¥óµu¸È¤l¡C¡C Nambu's ªº°ß¤@¦^À³¬O¡A¦pªG§Ú¬O¦p¦¹¤ß·Ð·N¶Ã,µM«á
Galactors ¤]¬O, ¦ý¬O *§Ú* ¤£±N·| *°µ* Ãö©ó¥¦ªº¥ô¦ó¨Æ¦pªG§Ú®·®»¤F¦o!"
"Mmm, true 'nuff, there. I'm surprised they never actually tried
to rape *you*, to be honest. They'd rape anything. Me included, especially
when I was female. I always made sure I had one of my personal entourage
hanging around, whenever I went out female. Knowing any violations would
be reported to Katze-sama seemed to stop them." / "Mmm, ¯u¹êªº
'¦³¯à¤Oªº,¦b¨º¸Ì¡C §Ú·P¨ìÅå³Y¥Ḻq¤£¹ê»Ú¤W¸ÕµÛ±°¹Ü *§A*, ¬O¸Û¹êªº¡C ¥ḺN·|±°¹Ü¥ô¦ó¨Æ¡C §Ú³Q¥]¬A,¤×¨ä§Ú¦ó®É¬O¤k©Êªº¡C §ÚÁ`¬O½T©w§Ú¦³¤F§Úªº¹C¿º
ªºÓ¤HÀH±q¤Hû¤§¤@,µL½×¦ó®É§Ú¥~¥X¤k©Ê¡C ª¾¹D¥ô¦óªº¹H¤Ï±N·|³Q³ø§i Katze-sama ¦ü¥Gªý¤î¥LÌ¡C"
"The Overlord would have let them rape you?" / "¤j§g¥D·|¨Ï¥Ḻ°¹Ü§A"?
Katze gave him a funny look, "Who do you suppose put me in / Katze
µ¹¤©¤F¥L¦n¯ºªº¯«±¡," §A±À·Q½Ö§â§Ú©ñ¤J
Ovanon?" / Ovanon?"
"Bastard." Ken threaded his hand into hir hair, pulling and
shifting it so that it fell around them in a curtain. "I still can't
quite grasp it.. Anderson.. and Kirkland.. and those others.. How'd they
get to where they were? How'd they get elected?" / "¨p¥Í¤l".
ªÖ®¦¬ï½u©ó¥Lªº¤â¶i hir ÀY¾v¤§¤º, ©Ô©M§ïÅÜ¥¦¥H«K¥¦¦b±b¤¤¦b¥LÌ©P³ò¶^¸¨¡C "§Ú¤´µM¤£¯à¬Û·í§ì¦í¥¦¡C¡C ¦w¼w»¹¡C¡C ¦Ó¥B Kirkland¡C¡C
¦Ó¥B¨º¨Ç¨ä¥¦¡C¡C How'd ¥L̨ì¹F¥L̦bþ¸Ì? How'd ¥LÌ·í¿ï?"
"Probably hid it quite well. Nobody knew. That sort of thing has
happened all throughout history: Belgium, Trinidad.. It sparked off the
civil war when it happened to the United States of America." / "¥i¯à¬Û·í«Ü¦nÂäF¥¦¡C
¨S¦³¤Hª¾¹D¡C ¨ººØ¨Æª«¦b¾ú¥v¦U³B¤w¸gµo¥Í¥þ³¡: ¤ñ§Q®É¡A¤d¨½¹F¡C¡C ·í¥¦µo¥Í¦b¬ü°ê¤Wªº®ÉÔ¡A¥¦¨«¶}µo°Ê¤º¾Ô¡C"
"That broke up into Ameris and the Southern Star Union, ne?"
/ "¨º¶i¤J Ameris ©M«n¤è¬P¤§¤º¥Ë¸ÑÁp·ù,©mªº"?
Katze nodded and Ken lay back with a sigh, "I didn't kill him. Left
him with proof though; if he got out, if he gets elected this time around,
I got a surprise for him." He nuzzled hir gently. / Katze ÂIÀY¡A¦Ó¥BªÖ®¦¦V«á¦a¥H¤@Án¼Û®§©ñ¸m,"§Ú¨S¦³±þ¥L¡C
ÁöµM¥ÎÃÒ©ú¯d¤U¥L; ¦pªG¥LÂ÷¶},¦pªG¥L³o¦¸¦bªþªñ·í¿ï,§Ú¬°¥L±o¨ì¤F·N¥~¡C"¥L³vº¥¦a±N»ó´¡¤J¤F hir ¡C
Katze gazed at him. Strange that s/he felt so comfortable with him, right
now. S/he was naked, he wearing only a pair of pajama bottoms. Virtual
strangers, yet s/he felt more at ease now than s/he had in a very long
time. His eyes weren't green and his complexion was warm Japanese rather
than Alban white -- yet his behaviour was evoking a peaceful emotion s/he
hadn't felt in more than a year. / Katze ª`µø¥L¡C ©_©Çªº¨º s/¥ß¨è¥L¹ï¥L·P¨ì¦p¦¹µÎªA¡C S/ ¥L¬O¨ª»rªº,
¥L¬ïµÛ¥u¦³¤@ÂùºÎ¦ç¿Ç®Ú¾Ú¡C µêÀÀªº¯¥Í¤H, µM¦Ó s/¥L·Pı¤ñ s §ó²{¦b¦b¦w¶h / ¥L³Q¦b«D±`ªøªº®É¶¡¤º¦³¡C ¥Lªº²´·ú¤£¬Oºñ¦â¡A¦Ó¥B¥Lªº½§¦â¬O·Å·xªº¤é¥»¤H¨Ã«Dªüº¸¯Z¥Õ¦â
-- ¤´µM¥Lªº¦æ¬°¬O³ê°_©M¥ªº±¡ºü s/¥L¦b¶W¹L¤@¦~¤º¨S¦³·Pı¡C
Ken's mind was a turmoil of emotion. He kept expecting hir to make a move
on him and was trying his best to indicate that he was, at the very least,
receptive. Not that he didn't like the cuddling or the games -- he did;
very definately he did. However, s/he hadn't taken him up on his offer,
though s/he had said s/he would. He wondered if s/he were having second
thoughts, or if s/he just didn't *need* to yet.. or maybe s/he just didn't
really like him that much. S/he always seemed to get wistful whenever
he mentioned Joe... / ªÖ®¦ªº¤ß¬O±¡ºüªºÄÌ°Ê¡C ¥LÄ~Äò´Á«Ý hir §@¦b¥L¤Wªº¤@¦¸²¾°Ê¦Ó¥B¥¿¦bºÉ¥þ¤O«ü¥X¥L¦b«D±`³Ì¤ÖªÌ,
¬Oµ½©ó±µ¯Çªº¡C ¤£¨º¥L¨S¦³³ßÅw¨ºÓ¼¾©ê©Î¤ñÁÉ -- ¥L°µ; «D±`©ú½T¦a¥L°µ¡C µM¦Ó,s/¥L¨S¦³¦b¥Lªº´£Ä³¤W·f¸ü¥L, ÁöµM s/¥L¤w¸g»¡ s/¥L±N·|¡C
¥LÃhºÃ¦pªG s/¥L¥¿¦b¦³²Ä¤GÓ·Qªk, ©Î¦pªG s/ ¥L´N¬O¨S¦³ *»Ýn* ¨ì¤´µM¡C¡C ©Î¤]³\ s/ ¥L´N¬O¨S¦³¯uªº³ßÅw¥L¨º»ò¦h¡C S/¥LÁ`¬O¦ü¥G´÷±æ¡AµL½×¦ó®É¥L´£¨ì¤F³ì¡C¡C¡C
Katze got up from hir snuggling and drew on a robe, then went to peek
into the other room. S/he sighed in relief. / ±q hir ®Áªñ³Q°_§É¨Ã¥B§Q¥Î¤@¥ó¼eÃPªø³Tªº Katze,µM«á¥h¶i¤J¥t¤@өж¡¤§¤º°½¬Ý¡C
S/¥L¦b¦w¤ß¤è±¼Û®§¡C
"What?" Ken whispered softly, "Did you expect hir to be
gone?" / "¤°»ò"? ªÖ®¦¬X©M¦a¦Õ»y,"§A´Á«Ý hir ¤£¨£¤F¶Ü"?
S/he nodded, "Yes." / S/¥LÂIÀY,"¬Oªº" ¡C
He got up and slid and arm around the mutant, "But s/he's still here."
S/he nodded. "And we're safe.." S/he nodded again. Ken gazed
at the two on the bed. Chiisai-Katze was curled up into a tiny ball against
Brace's chest. Brace's arm was around hir. Both were sound sleep. "They're
so cute like that. I see the sleeping pattern stuck." / ¥L°_§É©M¦b¬ðÅܲ§ºØªº©P³ò
slid ©M¤âÁu," ¦ý¬O s/¥L¤´µM¦b³o¸Ì". S/¥LÂIÀY¡C "¦Ó¥B§Ú̬O¦w¥þªº¡C¡C"S/¥L¦A¤@¦¸ÂIÀY¡C
ªÖ®¦ª`µø§É¡C Chiisai-Katze ¶i¤J¹ï§Ü¤ä¬Wªº¯Ý¤@Ó·¥¤pªº²y¤§¤º³Q»lÁY¦Óª×¡C ¤ä¬Wªº¤âÁu¦b hir ªº©P³ò¡C ¨âªÌ³£¬O°·¥þªººÎ¯v¡C
"¹³¨º¥L̬O¦p¦¹¥i·R¡C §Ú¬Ý¨£ºÎµÛªº¨å«¬³QªþµÛ¡C"
"I've slept like that for years. I hope s/he'll grow out of it."
/ "§Ú¤w¸g¹³¨º¤@¼Ëªø¹F¼Æ¦~¤§¤[ºÎ¡C §Ú§Æ±æ s/¥L±N§Ù°£¥¦¡C"
"Do we wake them?" / "§ÚÌ¥s¿ô¥L̶Ü"?
Katze shook hir head, "No, let them sleep. Let them sleep until they
wake, unless we're forced otherwise. S/he hasn't slept in days."
/ Katze ·n°Ê¤F hir ÀY,"¤£,Åý¥L̺Îı¡C Åý¥L̺Îı¡Aª½¨ì¥LÌ¥s¿ô,°£«D§Ú̧_«h³Q±j¢¡C S/¥L¦b¼Æ¤Ñ¤º¨S¦³ºÎ¡C"
Ken went back into their room and searched out his clothes, "We need
to go shopping, get some decent clothes for all of us." / ªÖ®¦¶i¤J¥L̪º©Ð¶¡¤§¤º¦^¥h¨Ã¥B·j´M¥X¥Lªº¦çªA,"§ÚÌ»Ýn¥hÁʪ«,¦³§ÚÌ¥þ³¡ªº¤@¨Ç¬Û·í¦nªº¦çªA".
"Aa," s/he agreed, closing the other room's door. S/he sat on
the edge of the bed and rooted through their stash. "Hmph,"
s/he grimaced at hir female ID, "Going to need another ID, too. Hand
me my clothes." / "Aa",s/¥L¦P·N,Ãö¤W¥t¤@өж¡ªºªù¡C S/ ¥L§¤¦b§ÉªºÃä½t¤W¦Ó¥B´Ó®Ú¹L¥L̪ºÂð_¨Ó¡C
"Hmph",s/¥L¦b hir ¤k©Ê¨¥÷ÃÒ§ê°Áy ", ¥h¤]»Ýn¥t¤@Ó¨¥÷ÃÒ¡C ¶Ç»¼§Ú§Úªº¦çªA¡C"
Ken hauled out the slinky knit dress and held it up, grinning playfully,
"I like this one. Wanna wear this one?" / ³Q©ì¥X slinky ªºªÖ®¦¦V¤W½s´ªA¸Ë¦Ó¥B®³µÛ¤F¥¦,·R¥´½ì¦aÅS¾¦¦Ó¯º,"§Ú³ßÅw³o¤@Ó¡C
·Qn¬ïµÛ³o¤@Ó?"
"Wot, go in drag *here*??" / " Wot, ¶i¤J²ÖÂØ *³o¸Ì*??"
Ken giggled and tossed the dress back into its pack, rooting through and
finding Katze's jeans and shirt. "The lycra, too." He found
the spandex leggings and tossed them out as well. He watched as s/he clothed
hirself, strapping hir gun and several blades to hir spandex-covered legs
before pulling on hir jeans. The slashes allowed quick and easy access,
while the frayed edges concealed the armaments. / ªÖ®¦¶i¤J¥¦ªº¥]»q¤§¤º¦Y¦Y¦a¯º¦Ó¥B§âªA¸Ë§ëÂY¦^¨Ó,´Ó®Ú¹L¦Ó¥Bµo²{
Katze's ªº¤û¥J¿Ç©MŨm¡C "lycra,¤]". ¥L¤]µo²{¤F´µ¼ï¼w§J´µ¼u©ÊÅÖºû¸j»L¦Ó¥B§ëÂY¥X¥LÌ¡C ¥L¦b hir
¤û¥J¿Ç¤W©Ô¤§«e¬Ý·í°µ s/ ¥L³Q¥¬®Æ¹ï hir ´µ¼ï¼w§J´µ¼u©ÊÅÖºû²[»\ªº»L hirself ¡A»í°¶ªº hir ºj©M¤@¨Ç¤M¾W¡C ±×½u¤¹³\¤F§Öªº©M®e©öªº³q¸ô¦Ó³Q¿i·lªºÃä½tÁôÂäFx³Æ¡C
"You're a street thug," Ken concluded. Katze gave him a dark
look but he continued, "You are, aren't you. You're a hood!"
/ "§A¬O¤@Óµó¹D©v±Ð©Ê·t±þ¹Îû",ªÖ®¦±À½×¡C Katze µ¹¤©¤F¥L¶Â·tªº¯«±¡¡A¦ý¬O¥LÄ~Äò,"§A¬O,¤£¬O§A¡C
§A¬O¤@¶ôÀY¤y!"
"Thugs are soldiers. Leaders are cultured, educated and above that
sort of petty brawling." / "©v±Ð©Ê·t±þ¹Îû¬Ox¤H¡C »â³S³Q®â°ö, ±Ð¨|©M¦b¨ººØº¾¸Hªºª§§n¤W±¡C"
Ken's smile was pure victory, "I thought so!! You fought me once
and I suspected it then. Why didn't you fight back more often? / ªÖ®¦ªº·L¯º¬O¯Âºéªº³Ó§Q,"§Ú³o»ò·Q!!
§A¥´¥M¤F§Ú¤@¦¸¡A¦Ó¥B§Ú·í®É²q·Q¤F¥¦¡C §A¦ó¤£¦V«á¦a§ó®É±`¹ï§Ü?
Was it because of the 'cultured leader' crap?" Katze looked like
s/he was about to deck him. "So what'd X do, toss you into Toastmasters,
give you speech lessons and make you go to wine'n'cheese parties, but
never tossed you into a doojo? He DID!" Ken almost cheered, thrilled
at himself for having penetrated another of Katze's secrets, "Well,
I'll fix that. You're good, but you could be better, and it'd be good
for her to learn as well. I mean, you saw Jun in action: *She* didn't
have much to worry about." / ¥¦¦]¬° '¦³±Ð¾iªº»â³S' ÂY¨âÓ»ë¤l¥X²{ªº¿é¼Æ¥Ø¶Ü?" Katze
¬Ý°_¨Ó¹³ s/ ¥L¤@¼Ë¥¿n¸Ë¹¢¥L¡C "¦]¦¹ what'd X °µ, §ëÂY§A¶i Toastmasters ¤§¤º, µ¹§AºtÁ¿½Ò¦Ó¥B¨Ï§A¥h
wine'n'cheese ÄÒ, ¦ý¬O±q¤£§ëÂY§A¶i doojo ¤§¤º? ¥L°µ!"´X¥G¹ª»RªºªÖ®¦,¬°¦³¦b¥L¦Û¤v¾_Ÿ Katze's
ªº¯µ±K¬ï³z¥t¥~¤@ ",¶â¡A§Ú±N©T©w¨º¡C §A«Ü¦n¡A¦ý¬O§A¥i¯à¬O¤ñ¸û¦nªº¡A¦Ó¥B¥¦±N·|Åý¦o«Ü¦n¤]¾Ç²ß¡C §Ú·N¿×,§A¦b¦æ°Ê¤¤¬Ý¨£¤»¤ë: *¦o*
¦h¨S¦³·Ð´oÃö©ó¡C"
"True," Katze grudged. / "¯u¹êªº",Katze Ãh«ë¡C
"What about Brace? You were right about those guards; it was like
fighting Joe, and I was sure that one or two of them were *better* than
me. Who is Brace, anyways?" / "¤ä¼µ«ç»ò¼Ë? §AÃö©ó¨º¨Ç¦u½Ã¬O¥¿½T¦a; ¥¦¬O¹³¹ï§Ü³ì, ¦Ó¥B§Ú½T©w¡A¥L̤¤ªº¤@©Î¤GÓ¬O
*¤ñ¸û¦nªº*¶W¹L§Ú¡C ¤ä¬W¬O½Ö,µL½×¦p¦ó?"
Katze smiled wistfully, "He was my Keeper, as you've surmised. /
Katze ´÷±æ¦a·L¯º,"¥L¬O§ÚªººÊÅ@¤H,¦p¦P§A¤w¸g±À´ú¤@¼Ë¡C
He helped me escape. The way *my* life went, he helped me escape several
times. I took him with me when I blew up the dome. We'd been together
ever since: Everywhere I went, I insisted that Brace accompany me or I
wouldn't cooperate. Soosai finally gave in, figuring maybe I'd be better
off. Once it became apparent that I needed an entourage I could trust,
he stopped questioning that decision. Brace became my chief-of-staff.
I always thought of him as my brother." / ¥LÀ°§U§Ú°k²æ¡C ¤èªk *§Úªº*¥Í¬¡¥h,¥L¦n´X¦¸À°§U§Ú°k²æ¡C
·í§Ú¬µ·´¶ê³»ªº®ÉÔ¡A§ÚÀH¨±a¤F¥L¡C §Ú̦³¬O¥Ñ¤@°_¦Ü¤µ: ¦U³B§Ú¥h, §Ú°í«ù¡A¤ä¬W³¦ñ§Ú¡A§_«h§Ú±N¤£¦X§@¡C Soosai ³Ì«á©}ªA, ¤]³\ºtºâ§Ú±N·|¹Òªp§ó¦n¡C
¤@¥¹¥¦Åܦ¨©úÅã¡A§Ú»Ýn¤F¤@Ó§Ú¥i¥H«H¿àªºÀH±q¤Hû,¥L°±¤î¸ß°Ý¨º¨M©w¡C ¤ä¬WÅܦ¨§Úªº¹õ¹±ªø¡C §ÚÁ`¬O§â¥L·í°µ§Úªº¥S§Ì¡C"
"What happened to him?" / "¥Lµo¥Í¤F¤°»ò¨Æ"?
"Condor got him." / "¨rÆN±o¨ì¤F¥L" ¡C
Ken winced, not expecting that, "Joe.. killed your brother?"
/ ªÖ®¦¬ÈÁY¤£´Á«Ý¨º,"³ì¡C¡C ±þ§Aªº¥S§Ì?"
Katze nodded. Ken sighed, wondering what Joe would have made of that information.
"You said Ovanon bred some of their captives: Is that what accounts
for the way they look? The guards and Keepers all looked like you, bishonen
and sort of androgynous." / Katze ÂIÀY¡C ªÖ®¦¼Û®§, ı±o©_©Ç¤°»ò³ì·|¨º¸ê®Æ°µ¡C "§A»¡¡A
Ovanon ¹}¾i¤F¤@¨Ç¥L̪º«R¸¸: ¬O¤°»ò¸ÑÄÀ¥L̬ݪº¤è¦¡? ¦u½Ã©MºÊÅ@¤H¥þ³¡¬Ý°_¨Ó¹³§A¡A bishonen ©MÃþ«¬¤@¼Ë»Û¶¯¦PÅ骺¡C"
"They have - had - a eugenics program going for the Keepers: / "
¥LÌ - ¦³ -¤@Ó¥h®³ºÊÅ@¤H ªºÀu¥Í¾Çpµe:
Brace is the offspring of an Icelandic heavyweight and a Japanese woman
whose line were sumo wrestlers. He was bred for size, reared on special
diets to increase it. He's actually young for a Keeper. Most Keepers aren't
put into service until they're fifteen or sixteen." / ¤ä¬W¬O¦B®qªº«¶q¯Å¤Hª«©M¤@¬Û¼³ºL¨¤¿ï¤âªº¤é¥»¤k¤Hªº¤l®]¡C
¥L¹ï©ó¤j¤p³Q¹}¾i,¦b¯S§Oªº¶¼¹¤W¾i¨|¼W¥[¥¦¡C ¥L¹ê»Ú¤W¹ï¤@ÓºÊÅ@¤H¬O¦~»´ªº¡C ª½¨ì¥L̬O¤Q¤©Î¤Q¤»¡A¤j¦h¼ÆªººÊÅ@¤H¶i¤JªA°È¤§¤º¨S³Q©ñ¡C"
"...How old is Brace??" / ".¡C¡C¤ä¬W´X·³??"
"Fourteen." / "¤Q¥|".
Ken's jaw dropped, "That's all?? He looks full grown! I thought he
was a man!" / ªÖ®¦ªºÃE°§C,"¨º¬O©Ò¦³ªº?? ¥L¬Ý°_¨Ó¥Rº¡ªø¤j! §Ú·Q¤F¥L¬O¨k¤H!"
Katze grinned enigmatically, "Not even my Brace was ever a man."
/ Katze Ãø¸Ñ¦aÅS¾¦¦Ó¯º,"¤£¥©Zªº§Ú¤ä¬W´¿¸g¬O¨k¤H" ¡C
"What do you mean?" / " §A·N¿×¤°»ò"?
"You haven't figured it out, have you? They're eunuchs. The guards
are castrati, cut before puberty; the Keepers are allowed to go through
their adolescent growth spurts before they're cut." / "§A¨S¦³²z¸Ñ¥¦,¬O¶Ü
? ¥L̬O¤ÓºÊ¡C ¦u½Ã¬O castrati,¦b«ä¬K´Á¤§«e¤Á³Î; ¦b¥L̳Q´î§C¤§«e , ºÊÅ@¤H³Q¤¹³\¥h¹L¥L̪º«C¬K´Áªº¥Íªø½Ä¨ë¡C"
Ken's jaw dropped. That certainly explained the ambiguous faces and odd
voices, and the snake-lean slimness of the guards. He shut his face and
changed the subject, "Do you want to sneak down to breakfast or order
in?" / ªÖ®¦ªºÃE°§C¡C ¨º½T©w¦a¸ÑÄÀ¤FÀǬNªºÁy©M©_¼ÆªºÁnµ , ©M¦u½Ãªº³D- ½G¦×½G¡C ¥LÃö¤W¤F¥LªºÁy¦Ó¥B§ïÅܤF¥DÃD,"
§A·Qn°½°½¦a°k¨«¤U¨Ó¨ì¦À\©Î¦¸§Ç¶Ü¦b"?
"Order in. I ate in private a lot. Less embarrassing." / "
©R¥O¦b¡C §Ú¨p©³¤U«D±`¦Y¡C ¤ñ¸û¤£¥O¤H§xµ~¡C"
They looked up as the other door opened. A small, scruffy figure shuffled
in, rubbing her eyes blearily. "Well hello," Ken smiled. / ¥L̬ݦb·í¥t¤@Óªù¥´¶}¤W±¡C
¤@Ó¤p¤S¤£¾ã»ôªº¼Æ¦r©ì¦²¦b,²´·ú¼Ò½k¦aÀ¿¦oªº²´·ú¡C "´é¥X«¢Åo",ªÖ®¦·L¯º¡C
"Oh'yo g'zaim's," the child yawned. / "Oh'yo g'zaim's",«Ä¤l¥´«¢¤í¡C
"We were just discussing breakfast," Katze said. The child nodded,
indicating that she was hungry, too. / "§ÚÌ¥¿¦b¶È¶È°Q½×¦À\",Katze »¡¡C
«Ä¤lÂIÀY,«ü¥X¦o¤]«ÜÄȾj¡C
Ken found the room service menu and proferred it, "Order anything
you like.. and as much as you want of it." / ªÖ®¦µo²{©Ð¶¡ªA°È³¡µæ³æ©M proferred
¥¦,"©R¥O§A³ßÅwªº¥ô¦ó¨Æ¡C¡C ¦Ó¥B¦p«Ü¦h·í°µ§A¥¦·Qn¡C"
She eyed him warily, "I eat a lot." / ¦o²´ªº¥L¯d¤ß¦a¡A "§Ú¦Y«Ü¦h"
¡C
"So does he," Ken jerked his chin at the older Katze. / "¥L¤]¬O",ªÖ®¦µjÅˤF¦b¸ûªº
Katze ªº¥L¤U¤Ú¡C
"Would you like a hug?" Katze hedged. S/he remembered (foggily)
how s/he had felt as a child, but was generally uncomfortable around children.
The little one was equally hedgey and eyed hir suspiciously, then shrugged
and shuffled over to accept hir embrace, then the two of them decided
on breakfast. By the time it had arrived, Brace had also joined them.
He had dressed in the only clothes he had, the Kevlar, leather and chainmail
garments of a Keeper. / " §A·Qn¤@Ó¾Ö©ê"? Katze ³ò¥H¾ðÆX¡C S/ ¥L°O±o (Ãú²`¦a)
¦p¦ó s/ ¥L¤w¸g·Pı¦p¤@ӫĤl, ¦ý¬O³q±`¤£µÎªAªº¦b«Ä¤lªº©P³ò¡C ¤@ÂIÂI¤@¥iºÃ¦a¬Ûµ¥¦a¬O hedgey ©M²´ªº hir,µM«áµ²§ôÁqªÓ¦Ó¥B©ì¦²±µ¨ü
hir ¾Ö©ê,µM«á¥L̤¤ªº¤GÓ¿ï©w¦À\¡C ¦b¥¦¤w¸g¨ì¹Fªº®É¶¡¤§«e¡A¤ä¬W¤]¤w¸g°Ñ¥[¥LÌ¡C ¥L¤w¸g¬ï¥L¦³ªº°ß¤@¦çªA,ºÊÅ@¤Hªº³Í¤Ò©Ôº¸¡A¥Ö²©M chainmail
¦çªA¡C
"Why did you bring him?" the little one asked, "He's just
a / "§A¬°¤°»ò±a¥L"? ¤@ÂIÂI¤@³Q°Ý," ¥L¶È¶È¤@
Keeper." / ºÊÅ@¤H¡C"
Katze smiled, "You'll understand some day. You don't realize it right
now, but he did try to save you last night." / Katze ·L¯º,"§A¨Ó¤é±N¤F¸Ñ¡C
§A¥ß¨è¤£¤F¸Ñ¥¦¡A¦ý¬O¥L½T¹ê¬Q±ß¸ÕµÛ¸Ñ±Ï§A¡C"
"He did??" The child swung around to stare at Brace, "But..
/ "¥L°µ??"«Ä¤l¦bªþªñ·nÂ\¨nµÛ¤ä¬W¬Ý ",¦ý¬O¡C¡C
that's against the rules! They paid for me!" / ¨º¬O¤Ï¹ï³W«h! ¥L̤ä¥I§Úªº¶O¥Î!"
Brace blushed deeply, looking ashamed, "She's right. They weren't
doing anything they weren't allowed to. I had no right to interfere with
them." / ¤ä¬W²`²`¦aÁy¬õ,¬Ý°_¨ÓºF·\,"¦o¬O¥¿½Tªº¡C ¥L̨S¦³¦b°µ¥ô¦ó¨Æ¥L̤£³Q¤¹³\¨ì¡C §Ú¨S¦³Åv§Q¤zÂZ¥LÌ¡C"
Ken gazed at him, "But what they were doing was wrong, inhuman."
/ ªÖ®¦ª`µø¥L," ¦ý¬O¥LÌ¥¿¦b°µªº¬O¿ù»~ªº,´Ý§Ôªº" ¡C
The eunuch boy looked up at him with huge, soulful eyes and Ken realized
he was on the verge of tears, "We're supposed to take care of them
- bathe them, make them ready, give them healing - but we're not supposed
to.. to.. to *care* about them....?" / ³Q¬Ýªº¤ÓºÊ¨k«Ä¦b¥L¥H·¥¤j¤S¥Rº¡ºë¯«ªº²´·ú©M³Q¤F¸ÑªºªÖ®¦¥L§Ön²\ºw¤W±,"
§ÚÌÀ³¸Ó·ÓÅU¥LÌ -¨N¯D¥LÌ,¨Ï¥L̷dzƦn, µ¹¥L̪v¡ -¦ý¬O§Ṳ́£³Q±À·Q¨ì¡C¡C ¨ì¡C¡C ¨ì *·Ó®Æ*Ãö©ó¥LÌ....?"
What kind of world was it where a child was ashamed for loving somebody,
Ken wondered. He put his arm around the boy's shoulders, / ¥¦¬O¤°»òÃþ«¬ªº¥@¬É¤@ӫĤl¬OºF·\ªºþ¸Ì¹ï¿Ë·Rªº¬Y¤H,ªÖ®¦ÃhºÃ¡C
¥L¦b¨k«ÄªºªÓ©P³ò©ñ¥Lªº¤âÁu,
"It's not wrong to care about someone. It's good. You did the right
thing, both by helping her to escape and by trying to save her. We're
all - " Ken pointed to each of them in turn, "We're like a family
now and we can all care about each other." Katze gave him a really
weird / "Ãö¤ß¬Y¤H¬O¤£¿ù»~ªº¡C ¯u¬O¦n¡C §A°µ¤F¥¿½Tªº¨Æª«, ¨âªÌ³£ÂÇ¥ÑÀ°§U¦o°k²æ©MÂǥѹÁ¸Õ¸Ñ±Ï¦o¡C ©Ò¦³ªº§Ú̬O - "ªÖ®¦¨Ì¦¸«ü¦V¥L̨C¤@Ó
", §Ú̲{¦b¹³¤@Ó®a®x¡A¦Ó¥B§ÚÌ¥þ³¡¯àÃö¤ß©¼¦¹¡C" Katze µ¹¤©¤F¥L¤@«D±`©Ç²§
Look for that and he blushed, wondering if he'd crossed some line. / §ä´M¨º¡A¦Ó¥B¥LÁy¬õ,
ı±o©_©Ç¦pªG¥L¦³¥æ¤e¤F¤@¨Ç½u¡C
The little one noticed. "You don't agree with him?" she asked
the older Katze. / ¤@ÂIÂI¤@ª`·N¡C "§A¤£¦P·N¥L"? ¦o°Ý¤F¸ê²`ªÌ Katze ¡C
"We've................ had our differences," Katze said slowly,
/ "§Ú̦³................ ¦³¤F§Ú̪º¤£¦P,"Katze »¡±oºCºC,
"We're more like partners. We had our differences, but circumstances
have dictated that we behave otherwise. We had to find you, and to do
that, we had to be able to rely on each other." / "§Ú̬O¸û¬Û¦üªº¦X¹Ù¤H¡C
§Ú̦³¤F§Ú̪º¤£¦P¡A¦ý¬OÀô¹Ò¤w¸gÅ¥¼g§Ú̧_«h¦æ¬°ªí²{¡C §ÚÌ¥²¶·µo²{§A, ©M°µ¨º,§ÚÌ¥²¶·¯à°÷¥õ¿à©¼¦¹¡C"
"Do you like him?" the child asked, stabbing at another matter.
/ "§A³ßÅw¥L¶Ü"? «Ä¤l°Ý, ¨ë¬ïªº¦b¥t¤@Өƥó¡C
Katze turned and looked at Ken as though seeing him for the first time,
"I suppose I do, at that. He is......... interesting." / Katze
Âà¦Ó¥B¬ÝªÖ®¦¦n¹³²Ä¤@¦¸¬Ý¨£¥L,"§Ú±À·Q§Ú°µ,¦b¨º¡C ¥L¬O......... ¦³½ìªº¡C"
The child swung her intense sapphire gaze to Ken, "And you?"
/ «Ä¤l¹ïªÖ®¦·nÂ\¤F¦oªº±j¯PÂÅÄ_¥Ûª`µø," ©M§A"?
Ken blinked and looked from the younger to the elder. With a deep blush
he nodded, shaking his hair down over his face and hunching down over
his breakfast. Katze did hir best not to fall over laughing. / ªÖ®¦±q¦~¬ö¸û¤pªÌ¨ì¦~ªøªÌ¯w²´¦Ó¥B¬Ý¡C
»P¤@Ó²`³BÁy¬õ¥LÂIÀY,¦b¥LªºÁy¤§¤W§â¥LªºÀY¾v·n°Ê¤U¨Ó¦Ó¥B¦b¥Lªº¦À\¤§¤WÅs¸y¾mI¤U¨Ó¡C Katze ³Ì°µ hir ¤£n±q¯º¶^¸¨¡C
The little one slid off the bed and went to sit beside Brace, taking his
hand. "Brace likes me," she announced defiantly. / ¦b§É¥~ªº¤@ÂIÂI slid
¦Ó¥B¥h¦b¤ä¬W®ÇÃ䧤,±a¥Lªº¤â¡C "¤ä¬W³ßÅw§Ú",¦o¬DÆ]¦a«Å§G¡C
"Of course he likes you. That's why he tried to help you," /
"·íµM¥L³ßÅw§A¡C ¨º¬O¥L¬°¤°»ò¸ÕµÛÀ°§U§A,"
Katze returned, "We were discussing going shopping for clothes. Will
you come along?" The little one snatched up the last items of food
and crammed them into her mouth, nodding. / Katze ÂkÁÙ,"§ÚÌ¥¿¦b°Q½×¥h¬°¦çªAÁʪ«¡C
§A±N¶i®i¶Ü?" ¤@ÂIÂI¤@¦b¹ª«ªº³Ì«á¤@Ó¶µ¥Ø¤W±¹Ü¨ú¦Ó¥B¶ëº¡¥L̶i¦oªº¼L¤§¤º,ÂIÀYªº¡C
Ken smiled, "Still hungry, little one? We can get more when we go
out, if you like." / ªÖ®¦·L¯º,"¤´µMÄȾj, ¤@ÂIÂI¤@? ¦pªG§A³ßÅw¡A·í§ÚÌ¥X¥hªº®ÉÔ¡A§Ú̯àÅܧó¦h¡C"
"She's always hungry," Brace smiled fondly. / " ¦oÁ`¬O«ÜÄȾj",¤ä¬W·Ä·R¦a·L¯º¡C
"That's the other thing," Ken frowned, "We have a name
problem here. I can't keep calling you 'little one'," Ken's gaze
shifted from the younger Katze to the elder, "And what do I call
you?" / "¨º¬O¥t¤@Өƪ«",ªÖ®¦½K¬ÜÀY ",§Ú̦b³o¸Ì¦³¤@Ó¦W¦r°ÝÃD¡C §Ú¤£¯àÄ~ÄòºÙ§A¬° '¤@ÂIÂI¤@',"ªÖ®¦ªºª`µø±q¸û¦~»´ªº
Katze ¨ì¦~ªøªÌ§ïÅÜ " ¡A¦Ó¥B§Ú¥´¹q¸Üµ¹§A¤°»ò?"
"ID'll read Loki L. Ahrairah," Katze shrugged. / "³QŪ¬¥°ò
L. Ahrairah ªº ID'll",Katze ÁqªÓ¡C
"Loki.. isn't that.. That's a Norse trickster-demon-god sort of thing,
ne? Arrgh, you..!" Katze grinned. Ken shook his head and looked at
the younger Katze, "And what about you?" / "¬¥°ò¡C¡C ¨º¬O¤£¡C¡C
¨º¬O Norse ÄF¤l-Å]°-¨Æª«¤ÀÃþªº¯«,©mªº? Arrgh,§A¡C¡C!"Katze ÅS¾¦¦Ó¯º¡C ªÖ®¦·nÀY¦Ó¥B¬Ý¸û¦~»´ªº Katze,"
©M¤°»òÃö©ó§A"?
She looked at Brace, who responded, "She's called Nadia." /
¦o¬Ý¦^À³ªº¤ä¬W,"¦o¥s°µ Nadia" ¡C
"Nadia.. That has a nice sound to it," Ken smiled, then stopped,
/ "Nadia¡C¡C ¨º¦³¹ï¥¦ªº¤@ºØ¬ü¦nªºÁnµ,"ªÖ®¦·L¯º,µM«á°±¤î,
"But do you want to hear that, if thats what they called you.. there?"
/ "¦ý¬O§A·QnÅ¥¨ì¨º¶Ü, ¦pªG¨º¥LÌ©Ò¥´¹q¸Üµ¹¤F§Aªº¡C¡C ¦b¨º¸Ì?"
The child shrugged, her eyes full of curiosity. Ken shrugged too, then
rooted through his pack again to find a t-shirt that might fit Brace,
/ «Ä¤lÁqªÓ,¦oªº¥Rº¡¦n©_¤ßªº²´·ú¡C ªÖ®¦¤]ÁqªÓ, µM«á¦A¤@¦¸¸g¹L¥Lªº¥]»q´Ó®Úµo²{¤@Ó¥i¯à¾A¦X¤ä¬Wªº T«ò,
"Your jeans and boots are fine, but you need different clothes. /
"§Aªº¤û¥J¿Ç©Mªø¹u«Ü¦n¡A¦ý¬O§A»Ýn¤£¦Pªº¦çªA¡C
Anything you like, if it fits, its yours." He checked Katze's nod
for confirmation that their finances could handle it, "Anything else
you might need?" / ¥ô¦ó¨Æ§A³ßÅw, ¦pªG¥¦¾A¦X, ¥¦ªº§A¡C"¥L¬°¥L̪º°]¬F¥i¥H³B²z¥¦ªºÃÒ¹êÀˬd¤F Katze's
ªºÂIÀY ", §OªºªF¦è§A¥i¯à»Ýn?"
Brace looked apprehensive, "Do you.. uhm.. we should have.. we need..
um.." / ¤ä¬W¬Ý°_¨Ó´m´m¤£¦w,"°µ§A¡C¡C uhm¡C¡C §ÚÌÀ³¸Ó¦³¡C¡C §ÚÌ»Ýn¡C¡C um¡C¡C"
"What?" / "¤°»ò"?
"...Weapons?" / ".¡C¡CªZ¾¹?"
Ken pointed, "Sure, take your pick from that bag." / ³Q«ü¥XªºªÖ®¦,"½T«H,±q¨º¤@Ó³U¤l¥ô§A¿ï¾Ü".
Brace pulled out a few revolvers and chose one, "Uhm.. We should
have other things, too.." / ¤ä¬W©Ô¥X¤@¨Ç³sµo¥ª½ü¤âºj¦Ó¥B¿ï¾Ü¤@,"Uhm¡C¡C §Ṳ́]À³¸Ó¦³¨ä¥Lªº¨Æª«¡C¡C"
"Like?" / "³ßÅw"?
"Stiletto, shuriken, chain, pellets, chemicals.." / "µu¼C¡A
shuriken ¡AÃì¡A¶ê²y¡A¤Æ¾ÇÃÄ«~¡C¡C"
"Hai," Katze nodded, "We'll find a shop." / "Hai",Katze
ÂIÀY ",§Ú̱Nµo²{¤@®a°Ó©±".
Ken beamed, "C'mon kids -- lets go shopping!" / ¦³¼ÙªºªÖ®¦,"
C'mon «¡ÄF -- Åý¥hÁʪ«!"
"Hmm.. Nope. See the seams? This'll fall apart in no time. / "Hmm¡C¡C
¤£¡C ¬Ý¨£Á_¦X½u? This'll ¥ß¨è¤À§O¦a¸¨¤U¡C
Look at this one, this is much better quality." / ¬Ý³o¤@Ó,³o¬O§ó¦nªº«~½è¡C"
Nadia leaned over to look. S/he was munching on a tomato sprinkled with
salt and spices, and shopping for clothes with Loki. / Nadia µ²§ôʾa¬Ý¡C S/¥L¥¿¦b¤@Ó¬°©M¬¥°òªº¦çªA»PÆQ©MÃÄ®Æ
, ©MÁʪ«¤@°_Åxªº¿»X¤W¥Î¤O©CÄZ¡C
"You sure know a lot about clothes," s/he said, craning hir
head to look behind hir. Brace and Ken were in another part of the shop,
trying on jeans and such. They had found several items and were paying
for them, / "§A·íµMª¾¹D«Ü¦hÃö©ó¦çªAªº¨Æ",s/¥L»¡,craning hir «e¶i¦b hir «á±¬Ý¡C ¤ä¬W©MªÖ®¦¬O¦b°Ó©±ªº¥t¤@Ó³¡¥÷¤¤,
¦b¤û¥J¿Ç¤W¹Á¸Õ©M¦p¦¹ªº¡C ¥L̤w¸gµo²{¤@¨Ç¶µ¥Ø¨Ã¥B¥¿¦b¤ä¥I¥L̪º¶O¥Î,
Ken having finally learned to forge the signatures properly. / ¾Ç²ßªº³Ì«á¦³
ªºªÖ®¦¾A·í¦a°°³yñ¦r¡C
They emerged into the brilliant sunlight, Loki wearing a sand-washed silk
shirt over hir skin-tight, frayed jeans, and Nadia now dressed in loose
slacks and a cotton sweater. Brace emerged in a light poet shirt that
concealed his weaponry and allowed him free movement without making him
sweat like a pig. / ¥L̶i¤JÀéÄꪺ¤é¥ú¤§¤º¯B²{,¬ïµÛ¦b hir ¤Wªº¤@¥ó¨F¤l¬~ªºµ·Å¨m ªº¬¥°òé¥Ö-ºòªº,¿i·l¤F¤û¥J¿Ç,¦Ó¥B
Nadia ²{¦b¬ï¼eÃPªºÃPªø¿Ç©M¤@¥ó´Öªá¤ò¦ç¡C ¤ä¬W¦b¤@¥ó¤£»Ýn¹³¤@ÀY½ÞÅý¥L¾á¤ß´NÁôÂäF¥LªºªZ¾¹¡A¦Ó¥B¤¹³\¤F¥L¦Û¥Ñªº¹B°Ê»´¸Ö¤HŨm¤¤¯B²{¡C
They entered a weapons shop to acquire armaments while Brace and / ¥L̶i¤J¤F¤@®aªZ¾¹°Ó©±Àò±ox³Æ·í¤ä¬Wªº®ÉÔ©M
Nadia got snacks from the kibbeh stand next door. A moment later, Brace
was back, "We've got trouble!" / Nadia ¥Ñ kibbeh »O¤l¹j¾À±o¨ì¤p¦Y¡C ¤@¤ù¨è¤§«á¡A¤ä¬W¦^¨Ó,"§Ṳ́w¸g±o¨ì³Â·Ð"!
Ken finished the transaction and he and Loki gathered up the weapons.
"Where is Nadia?" he asked, slipping Brace his selections. /
ªÖ®¦§¹¦¨¤F¥æ©ö¡A¦Ó¥B¥L©M¬¥°ò¦bªZ¾¹¤W±»E¶°¡C "Nadia ¦bþ¸Ì"? ¥L°Ý,·Æˤä¬W¥Lªº¿ï¾Ü¡C
"Over there, with the snake guy." Ken looked; Nadia had gone
into 'hide' mode and had blended in with a crowd of children watching
a snake charmer. / "¹M¤Î¨º¸Ì,ÂǥѳD³Ã¥ë". ªÖ®¦¬Ý; Nadia ¤w¸g¶i¤J 'Ã~¥Ö' ¼ÒºA¨Ã¥B¤w¸g²V¦X¦b¥Ñ©ó¬Ý¤@Ó³DÅ]³N®v
ªº«Ü¦h«Ä¤l¡C
"I see the problem," Loki murmured, "Ken.. there, there
and there.. They've spotted hir," s/he sighed, "Here we go again."
/ "§Ú¬Ý¨£°ÝÃD",¬¥°ò§C»y ",ªÖ®¦¡C¡C ¨º¸Ì¡A¨º¸Ì©M¦b¨º¸Ì¡C¡C ¥L̤w¸g¬Ý¨£ hir,"s/¥L¼Û®§
",¦A¤@¦¸§ÚÌ¥h³o¸Ì¤F¡C"
"Go get her. Quietly, like a parent. Brace and I will keep our eyes
on them." / " ¥h±o¨ì¦o¡C ¦wÀR¦a,¹³¤@Ó¤÷¥À¡C ¤ä¬W©M§Ú±N«O¦s¦b¥L̤Wªº§Ú̲´·ú¡C"
The men had started to move towards Nadia, then hung back as / ¨k¤H¤w¸g¶}©l¦V
Nadia ²¾°Ê, µM«á¦Q¤FI±·í°µ
Loki approached hir. S/he bent down over Nadia and handed hir something,
like a daddy giving his daughter a present. S/he took hir hand and lead
hir away into the crowds. / ¬¥°ò±µªñ¤F hir ¡C S/¥L¦b Nadia ¤§¤WÅs¤U¨¦Ó¥B¶Ç»¼ hir ¬Y¨Æ, ¹³¤@Óµ¹¥Lªº¤k¨à¤@Ó§ª«
ªºª¨ª¨¡C S/¥L hir ¤§»·¶i¤J¸s²³¤§¤º±a¤F hir ¤â©M½u¯Á¡C
"I swear, s/he'll be the death of me.." Ken murmured, "Brace,
stick close." / "§Úµo»},s/¥L±N¬O§Úªº¦º¤`¡C¡C"ªÖ®¦§C»y ",¤ä¼µ,±µªñ¦aÂH¦í¡C"
"They're going after them!" / "¥LÌ¥¿¦b°l¨D¥LÌ"!
"Come on!" Ken surged through the crowd, trying to catch Loki's
eye. Brace extracted his weapons and slipped them about his person, all
the while moving. Ken was surprised: The boy was nearly seven feet tall
and weighed easily as much as Ryu, but he was as silent and fleet as Katze
hirself. The goons were herding the two mutants towards a blind alley.
Loki hissed instructions to Nadia regarding the possibility of them being
separated. Abruptly, two goons appeared in front of them. "Shimatta.."
Loki hissed. / "µo¥Í "! ªÖ®¦¼Éº¦¹L¸s²³, ¹Á¸Õ¤Þ°_¬¥°òªºª`·N¡C ¤ä¬W§l¨ú¤F¥LªºªZ¾¹¦Ó¥B·ÆˤF¥LÌÀH¨Äâ±aµÛ,
©Ò¦³ªº¨º·í²¾°Êªº®ÉÔ¡C ªÖ®¦·P¨ìÅå³Y: ¨k«Ä¬O±Nªñ¤C§`°ªªº¦Ó¥B®e©ö¦a¯¯«¦p«Ü¦h¦p Ryu, ¦ý¬O¥L¬O·í°µ¨HÀqªº©M¦p Katze hirself
ªºÄ¥¶¤¡C §b¤l¥¿¦b»E¶°¹ï©ó¤@±øª¼¥Øªº¤p¸ô¤GÓ¬ðÅܲ§ºØ¡C ¬¥°òÃö©ó³Q¤À¶} ªº¥LÌ¥i¯à©Êµo¥X¼NÁn¤F¹ï Nadia ªº«ü¥O¡C ¬ðµM¦a¡A¤GÓ§b¤l¦b¥L̤§«e¥X²{¡C
"Shimatta¡C¡C"¬¥°òµo¥X¼NÁn¡C
Ken slipped up behind one of the rearmost goons and punched him, knocking
him out almost instantly. Brace slipped up behind another and sucker-punched
him, yanking his head back and slitting his throat. Ken leaped, took out
two more, gutting them like deer, fury pounding his blood. This wasn't
about stopping the bad guys anymore; this was personal, as personal as
the death of his father. / ªÖ®¦¦b³Ì«áªº§b¤l¦Ó¥B¤§¤@¥H®±«À»¤F¥Lªº«á±³¡¤À¤W±·ÆË,´X¥G¥ß§Y¦aºV¥X¥L¡C ¥t¥~ªº¦b«á±ªº³¡¤À¤W±³Q·Æ˪º¤ä¬W©M§lºÞ-¥H®±«À»¤F¥L,±j©Ô¥LªºÀYI±¦Ó¥BÁa¤Á¥Lªº«|³ï¡C
ªÖ®¦¸õÅD,¨ú¥X¥t¥~¤GÓ,¹³³À·´·l¥LÌ, ¼««ãºV¥Lªº¦å¡C ³o¤£¬OÃö©ó¤£¦Aªý¤îÃa³Ã¥ë; ³o¬OÓ¤Hªº,¹³¦º¤`¤@¼ËªºÓ¤H¥Lªº¤÷¿Ë¡C
There were sounds of fighting from the blind alley, then two figures sprinted
out at breakneck speed. A voice shouted, "Berg Katze, / ±qª¼¥Øªº¤p¸ô¹ï§Ü¦³Ánµ,
µM«á¤GӼƦr¥H¯«³t¾Ä¤O¦Ó¶]¥X¡C ¤@ºØÁnµ©I³Û,"¦B¤s Katze,
Absiviquel!!" / Absiviquel!!"
Both mutants stopped dead, as though their legs had been cut out from
under them. They collapsed to the road, their momentum carrying them forward
to scrape along the gravel. "Katze..!" Ken gasped. / ¨âªÌªº¬ðÅܲ§ºØ§¹¥þ¦a°±¤î,¦n¹³±q¦b¥L̤§¤U¥L̪º»L¤w¸g³Q¤Á³Î¥X¡C
¥LÌ˶ò¨ì¹D¸ô,¥L̪ºÄâ±a¥L̪º°Ê¤OÂà±HªuµÛ¸H¥Û¨í±¼¡C "Katze¡C¡C!"ªÖ®¦³Ý®ð¡C
There was a rather puzzled-looking official person in the alley, wondering
why *both* people had dropped. His voice and face nagged Ken as familiar.
He knelt beside Nadia, "Berg Katze: You will forget this incident.
You will forget these people. You will forget that your shelter was des--*"
/ ¨º¸Ì¬O¤@¹ç¥i§x´b-¬Ý¤p¸ôªº©x¤è¤H, ı±o©_©Ç¬°¤°»ò *¨âªÌªº*¤H̤w¸g°§C¡C ¥LªºÁnµ©MÁy¤£Â_¦a¼G¥o´o¤H¤FªÖ®¦¦p¼ô±xªº¡C ¥L¦b Nadia
®ÇÃ䪺 knelt,"¦B¤s Katze: §A±N§Ñ°O³o¤@Өƥó¡C §A±N§Ñ°O³o¨Ç¤H¡C §A±N§Ñ°O§Aªº§ÈÅ@©Ò¬O des--*"
"THE FUCK SHE WILL!" Ken screamed, knocking the guy back in
mid-command. "Bastard! What have you done to them?!" Ken pummeled
the guy's face repeatedly, trying to make him break. The man gurgled,
his face a bloody ruin. "Shimatta..!" Ken blinked, surprised
at his own rage. He hauled up the barely-conscious man and dragged him
back to where Loki and Nadia lay sprawled in the dirt. / " ¨º©Ê¥æ¦o¨M·N"!
ªÖ®¦¦y¥s, §â³Ã¥ëºV¦^¨Ó¦b-¤§¤¤«ü¥O¡C "¨p¥Í¤l! §A¤w¸g¹ï¥LÌ°µ¤°»ò?!"ªÖ®¦«½Æ¦a¥Î®±ÀY¥´¤F³Ã¥ëªºÁy, ¹Á¸Õ¨Ï¥L¥´¯}¡C
¨k¤H¬y°Ê¥Bµo¥X¦pˤôªºÁnµ, ¥LªºÁy¦å¸{ªº·´·À¡C "Shimatta¡C¡C!"ªÖ®¦¯w²´,¦b¥L¦Û¤vªº¼««ã¦YÅå¡C ¥L©ì¦b¨º¤W±´X¥G-
¦³·NÃѪº¨k¤H¦Ó¥B§â¥L©ì©Ô¦^¦b¬¥°ò©M Nadia ¦b¦Ã«¯©ñ¸mÂX®iªº¦a¤è¡C
"So that's what they were doing," Brace breathed, astonished,
/ " ¥H«K¬O¥LÌ©Ò¥¿¦b°µªº",µLÁnªº,Åå³Yªº¤ä¬W,
"Her memory was weird. Sometimes she'd forget things, whole blocks
of time, like where she was before they brought her to Ovanon - she doesn't
know that. They must have been doing this to her.. but why is Loki out,
too? Look at him, his face is the same!" / "¦oªº°O¾Ð¬O©Ç²§ªº¡C ¦³®É¦o±N·|§Ñ°O¨Æª«¡A¾ãÓ½d³òªº®É¶¡,
¹³¦b¥Ḻa¦o¥h Ovanon ¤§«e , ¦o¦bþ¸Ì - ¦o¤£ª¾¹D¨º¡C ¥L̤@©w´¿¸g°µ³oµ¹¦o¡C¡C ¦ý¬O¬°¤°»ò¬¥°ò¦b¥~,¤]? ¬Ý¥L, ¥LªºÁy¬O¬Û¦Pªº!"
Ken passed his hand over Loki's eyes, covering the top half of his face:
Sure enough, the expression that was left was all too familiar. He'd never
before seen the eyes that went with the slack-jawed, shattered, terrified
look. He stared down at the mess of a man in his grip, realizing that
he had died. "Shimatta," he cursed, then looked closer: He mentally
aged the face, finally placing the voice as belonging to the captain of
that armadillo mecha, Finger. He threw the body down. "There was
a word.. he said it. Abys.. absee.. / ªÖ®¦³q¹L¤F¦b¬¥°òªº²´·ú¤Wªº¥L¤â,¥]§tªº³»¦y¤H¤@¥bªº¥LÁy: ·íµM¨¬°÷¡A³Q¯d¤Uªºªí¹F¬O¥þ³¡³£¤Ó¼ô±x¤F¡C
¥L¦³±q¤£¦b¬Ý¨ì©Mµo§bªÌ¥hªº²´·ú,¥´¸H,ÅåÀ~¯«±¡¤§«e¡C ¥L¦b¥Lªººò´¤¤@Ó¨k¤Hªº¤@¹Î¶Ãª`µø¤U¨Ó,¤F¸Ñ¥L¤w¸g¦º¡C "Shimatta",¥L¶A©G,µM«áÅܱo¤ñ¸û¾aªñ:
¤ß²z¤W¦~¦ÑÁyªº¥L, ³Ì«á©ñ¸mÁnµ·í°µÄÝ©ó¨ºÉ¦Ò¨ mecha ¡A¤â«üªº²îªø¡C ¥L§â¨Åé¥á¤U¨Ó¡C "¦³¤@Ó¦r¡C¡C ¥L»¡¤F¥¦¡C Abys¡C¡C
absee¡C¡C
Absivicle..? / Absivicle¡C¡C?
"I think it was 'absiviquel'.." / "§Ú»{¬°¥¦¬O 'absiviquel' ¡C¡C"
Ken nodded and sent up a silent prayer, "Berg Katze .... / ªÖ®¦ÂIÀY¨Ã¥B°e¤W¤@Ó¨HÀqªº¬èë,"
¦B¤s Katze....
Absiviquel." A tremor ran through both of them. "It worked,"
Ken gasped, then gently picked up Nadia, hugging Loki close, "Are
you both all right?" / Absiviquel¡C"¤@Ó¾_°Ê¶]¹L¥L̨âÓ¡C "¥¦¤u§@",ªÖ®¦³Ý®ð,µM«á³vº¥¦a¬B°_
Nadia,¾Ö©ê¬¥°òµ²§ô ",¬O§Adz£©Ò¦³ªºÅv§Q"?
"Wh.. whuh...?" / "Wh¡C¡C whuh¡C¡C¡C?"
"This guy.. I think its Captain Finger.. He said a word and the two
of you dropped like stone." / "³o¤@ӳåë¡C¡C §Ú·Q¥¦ªº²îªø¤â«ü¡C¡C ¥L»¡¤F¤@Ó¦r©M§A¤¤ªº¤GÓ°§C¤F¬Û¦üªº¥ÛÀY¡C"
Nadia began to cry, getting angry at hirself for hir weakness. / Nadia
¶}©lú,¬° hir ®zÂI¦b hirself Åܥͮð¡C
Loki blinked at him slowly, "A word?" / ¬¥°òºCºC¦a¦b¥L¯w²´,"¤@Ó¦r"?
"Yeah," Ken nodded, trying to soothe Nadia, "He said your
name and another word." / "¬Oªº",ªÖ®¦ÂIÀY, ¹Á¸Õ½w©M Nadia",¥L»¡¤F§Aªº¦W¦r©M¥t¤@Ó¦r".
"A word..... They did it with a word...." "I think we've
done enough shopping for now," Ken peered at Loki carefully, "Let's
get back to the hotel. Brace?" / "¤@Ó¦r..... ¥L̹ï¤@Ó¦r°µ¥¦...."
"§Ú»{¬°¡A§Ṳ́w¸g¬°²{¦b°µ¥R¨¬ªºÁʪ«",ªÖ®¦¤p¤ß¦a¾®µø¬¥°ò ",Åý§Ú̦^¨ì®ÈÀ]¡C ¤ä¬W?"
Brace nodded slowly, staring at Loki. / ¤ä¬WÂIÀY±oºCºC,¨nµÛ¬¥°ò¬Ý¡C
At the hotel, Brace took Nadia into their room to treat hir wounds.
In the main room, Ken bandaged Loki and ranted, "Kuso, I never saw
that one coming.." / ¦b®ÈÀ]¡A¤ä¬W®³ Nadia ¶i¥L̪º©Ð¶¡¹ï«Ý hir ³Ð¶Ë¡C ¦b¥Dnªº©Ð¶¡¤¤¡AªÖ®¦Á^±a¤F¬¥°ò¦Ó¥B¤jÁn¥sÄW,"Kuso,§Ú±q¤£¬Ý¨£¨º¤@Ó¨ÓÁ{¡C¡C"
"Neither did I," s/he responded slowly, "So they used a
word.. a keyword..." / "§Ú¤]¨S¦³ ",s/¥L¦^À³±oºCºC ",¦]¦¹¥L̨ϥΤF¤@Ó¦r¡C¡C
¤@ÓÃöÁä¦r¡C¡C¡C"
"Yes. Here," Ken wrote it down as best he could. Katze's face
paled as the sound of it echoed in hir mind. He snatched the paper away,
swearing. / "¬Oªº¡C ³o¸Ì," ªÖ®¦§â¥¦¼g¤U¨Ó¦p³Ì¦n¥L¥i¥H¡C ·í¥¦ªºÁnµ¦b hir ¤ß¤¤ÀHÁnªþ©Mªº®ÉÔ¡A Katze's
ªºÁyÅÜ»a¥Õ¡C ¥L¹Ü¨ú³ø¯È¤§»·,µo»}¡C
"I'm alright" / " §Ú¬O¦nªº"
The other door opened. The two children faced them, side by side, with
eyes like stone and expressionless faces. / ¥t¤@Óªù¥´¶}¡C ¤GӫĤl±¹ï¤F¥LÌ, ¨Ã±Æ, »P²´·ú³ßÅw¥ÛÀY©MµLªí±¡ªºÁy¡C
"But they aren't.." Ken nudged hir. / "¦ý¬O¥L̤£¬O¡C¡C"ªÖ®¦¥Î¨y»´±À¤F
hir ¡C
"Who are you *really*?" Nadia demanded. / " §A¬O½Ö *¯uªº*"?
Nadia n¨D¡C
"You said hir name and said the word and *he* responded too,"
/ " §A»¡¤F hir ¦W¦r¨Ã¥B»¡¤F¦r©M *¥L*¤]¦^À³",
Brace jerked his chin at Loki, "He changed like s/he does, changed
sex and healed the same way. You called him Katze then." "I
don't think you're 'just like me'," Nadia locked eyes with / ¤ä¬WµjÅˤF¦b¬¥°òªº¥L¤U¤Ú,"
¥L§ïÅܬۦüªº s/¥L°µ, §ïÅܤF©Ê§O¦Ó¥Bªv¡¤F¬Û¦Pªº¤èªk¡C §A·í®ÉºÙ¥L¬° Katze ¡C" " §Ú¤£»{¬°¡A§A¬O '¶È¶È³ßÅw§Ú'",Nadia
Âê²´·ú
Loki, "I think you *are* me!" / ¬¥°ò," §Ú»{¬°§A *¬O*§Ú"!
"Soo da," Loki replied in a cool voice. / "Soo da",¬¥°ò¦b¤@ºØ²D²nªºÁnµ¤¤µªÂСC
"You are me?" / " §A¬O§Ú"?
Loki nodded. / ¬¥°òÂIÀY¡C
Ken sank to one of the chairs and gestured to the sofa, "Why don't
we sit. This will take a while." "I didn't think time travel
was possible," Nadia drew hir legs up under hir on the couch, "What
are you doing *here*?" / ªÖ®¦¨I¤J´È¤l¦Ó¥B¤§¤@§@¤â¶Õ¨ì¨Fµo,"¬°¤°»ò§Ṳ́£§¤µÛ¡C ³o±Nªá¤@·|¨à¡C"
" §Ú¨S¦³»{¬°¡A®É¶¡®È¦æ¬O¥i¯àªº",Nadia ¦bªø´È¤Wªº hir ¤§¤UÀÀq hir »L ", §A¥¿¦b°µ¤°»ò
*³o¸Ì*"?
Loki sighed and began at the beginning, telling hir entire life story
from its beginning to its almost-end. S/he left nothing out; / ¬¥°ò¼Û®§¦Ó¥B¶}©l±q³Ìªìªº¦a¤è,±q¥¦ªº¶}©l¨ì¥¦ªº´X¥G§i¶D
hir ¾ãÓªº¶Ç°O-µ²§ô¡C S/¥L¿òº|¨S¨Æ;
Guiseppe, Kai, the programming, the V2 plan, Red Impulse and the fact
that s/he bluffed them and they fell for it, Joe, and hir feelings for
/ Guiseppe ¡A Kai ¡A³Wµe¡A V2 p¹º, ¬õ¦â½Ä°Ê©M¨Æ¹ê s/ ¥LÀ~°ä¤F¥LÌ¡A¦Ó¥B¥L̳Q¥¦¡A³ì©M hir ·PıÄF
Kai and Joe. S/he finished up with the accidental time jump and hir decision,
upon realizing the date, to try to prevent hir younger self from suffering
all of those things. S/he apologized that fate had dumped them *then*
instead of earlier, when they might have prevented previous atrocities
or what happened to Brace. / Kai ©M³ì¡C S/¥L¥H·N¥~ªº®É¶¡¸õÅD©M hir ¨M©wµ²§ô,¤@¤F¸Ñ¤é´Á, ¸ÕµÛ±q»X¨ü©Ò¦³ªº¨º¨Ç¨Æª«ÁקK
hir ¦~¬ö¸û¤pªÌ¦Û¤vªº¡C S/ ¥L¹Dºp¡A©R¹B¤w¸g¶É¨ø¥LÌ *µM«á* ¥N´À¤ñ¸û¦ªº, ·í¥LÌÀ³¸Ó¥i¥HÁקK¥ý«eªº´Ý¼É©Î¤°»ò¸I¥©¤ä¼µ¡C
Ken sat silently throughout the telling, emotions cold in the pit of his
stomach. He looked at the childrens' impassive faces, wondering what they
were thinking. / ªÖ®¦¦b¦³®ÄªÌ,´H§Nªº¦b¥LG²`§|¤¤ªº±¡ºü¦U³BÀqÀq¦a§¤¡C ¥L¬Ý«Ä¤lªºµL·P±¡ªºÁy, ı±o©_©Ç¥LÌ¥¿¦b·Q¤°»ò¡C
"So that's why you want to stop Soosai," Nadia said thoughtfully.
Loki composed hir face, trying not to look miserable since s/he'd just
exposed to everybody what a damned fool s/he'd been. / " ¥H«K¬O§A¬°¤°»ò·Qn°±¤î
Soosai",Nadia ²`«ä¦a»¡¡C ¬¥°ò²Õ¦¨¤F hir Áy, ¹Á¸Õ¤£n¬Ý°_¨Ó´dºG¦]¬° s/ ¥L¦³¹ï¨CÓ¤Hèè¼ÉÅS¤°»ò¸Ó¦ºªº·M¤H
s/ ¥L¦³¬O¡C
Ken got up and silently poured hir a drink. / ªÖ®¦°_§É¨Ã¥BÀqÀq¦aˤF hir ¤@ºØ¶¼®Æ¡C
"So.. People tried to tell you, and its not that you wouldn't listen,"
Brace began, and Nadia finished, "They'd keep using that word and..
reprogram you?" Loki nodded and Ken touched hir shoulder lightly.
/ "¦p¦¹¡C¡C ¤H̸յۧi¶D§A, ©M¥¦ªº¤£§A±N¤£Å¥,"¤ä¬W¶}©l¡A¦Ó¥B Nadia §¹¦¨ ", ¥ḺN·|Ä~Äò¨Ï¥Î¨º¤@Ó¦r©M¡C¡C
«·s³W¹º§A?"¬¥°òÂIÀY¡A¦Ó¥BªÖ®¦»´»´ªº¸I¨ì¤F hir ªÓ¡C
Nadia's voice went cold, "How long have they been using it on me?"
/ Nadia's ªºÁnµÅÜ´H§N,"¥L̤w¸g¦b§Ú¨¤W¨Ï¥Î¥¦¦h¤["?
"I don't know," Loki said sadly, "I didn't start remembering
at all, until Kai." S/he took Ken's hand and gripped it hard. / "§Ú¤£ª¾¹D",¬¥°ò´d¶Ë¦a»¡
",§Ú¨S¦³¥þµM¶}©l°O±o,ª½¨ì Kai". S/¥L§V¤O¦a±a¤FªÖ®¦ªº¤â¦Ó¥B§ìºò¤F¥¦¡C
Brace looked up at him, "You were enemies? S/he tricked your father
into killing himself?" / ¤ä¬W¬Ý¦b¥L¤W±,"§A¬O¼Ä¤H? S/¥L¶i¤J±þ®`¥L¦Û¤v¤§¤ºÀ¸§Ë¤F§Aªº¤÷¿Ë?"
Ken took a long pull at his drink, then nodded. / ªÖ®¦®³¤@ªøªº¦b¥L¶¼®Æ©Ô,µM«áÂIÀY¡C
"Sure," Loki added, "He used to beat me up all the time,
too." / "·íµM" ¡A¬¥°ò¼W¥[ ", ¥L¹L¥h¤@ª½¤]©l²×µh¥´§Ú".
"But now.. He said you were like a family?" / "°£¤F²{¦b¤§¥~¡C¡C
¥L»¡¤F§A¹³¤@Ó®a®x?"
Ken's jaw was tight, fighting to keep a lot of emotions from erupting,
"Yes." / ªÖ®¦ªºÃE¬Oºòªº, ¹ï§Üºû«ù¨Ó¦ÛÃzµo,"¬Oªº" ³\¦h±¡ºü.
Loki looked cryptic, "I think being stuck with each other has a lot
to do with that." / ¬¥°ò¬Ý°_¨ÓÁô¯µ," §Ú·Q»P©¼¦¹¤@°_ªþµÛ¦³«Ü¦h¥H¨º°µ".
"They say you should apologize when you've done something,"
/ "¥LÌ»¡¡A·í§A¤w¸g°µ¬Y¨Æªº®ÉÔ¡A§AÀ³¸Ó¹Dºp",
Nadia said uncertainly, "Are you going to apologize?" / Nadia
¤£½T©w¦a»¡,"§A±Nn¹Dºp¶Ü"?
Loki shook hir head, "No." / ¬¥°ò·n°Ê¤F hir ÀY¡A "¸¹½X"
"What?" Ken blinked, "Why not?" / "¤°»ò"?
ªÖ®¦¯w²´," ¬°¤°»ò¤£"?
Loki squeezed his hand lightly, meeting his gaze, "Because in my
lifetime, I've seen apologies handed out like bandaids and seldom did
anybody mean them. They'd toss off an 'I'm sorry' without really being
sorry or regretting anything. / ¬¥°ò»´»´ªººò´¤¤F¥Lªº¤â,¹J¨£¥Lªºª`µø,"¦]¬°¦b§Úªº²×¥Í¤¤¡A§Ú¤w¸g¬Ý¨ì³Q¶Ç»¼¥X¬Û¦üªº
bandaids ¦Ó¥B«Ü¤Ö°µ¤F¥ô¦ó¤Hªº¹Dºp§C¦Hªº¥LÌ¡C ¥ḺN·|¨«¶}§ëÂY¤@ '¹ï¤£°_'¨S¦³¯uªºÃø¹L©Î¬°¥ô¦ó¨Æ·P¨ì¿ò¾Ñ¡C
"I was very proud of tricking Red Impulse and the rest of you: /
"§ÚÀ¸§Ë¬õ¦âªº½Ä°Ê©M§Aªº¨ä¾lªÌ«D±`ź¶Æ:
It never once occurred to you to wonder what I intended to do with that
unmanned missile if he *hadn't* thrown his life away. I was also very
proud of destroying the Crescent Coral base. However, those victories
are hollow in light of how the Overlord reacted then and how he later
abandoned me," s/he turned back to face Nadia, "It's also a
sticky point in my partnership with Ken. I will not apologize to Ken until
I have figured out why I should. In other words, if I'm ever going to
apologize to him, I want it to be one he can accept." / ¥¦±q¤£´¿¸g¹ï§Aµo¥ÍÃhºÃ§Ú·Qn¥H¨ºÓµL¤H¾ÞÁaªº¸¼u°µªº¦pªG¥L
*¤£¦³*¥á±ó¥Lªº¥Í¬¡¡C §Ú¯}Ãa·s¤ë§Îªº¬À·ä°ò¦¤]«D±`ź¶Æ¡C µM¦Ó¡A¨º¨Ç³Ó§Q¬OªÅªºÅ³©ó¤j§g¥D¦p¦óµM«á¤ÏÀ³¡A¦Ó¥B¥L¦p¦óµy«á©ß±ó¤F§Ú,"s/¥L§é¦^±¹ï
Nadia",¥¦¤]¬O§Úªº»PªÖ®¦ªº¦X¹ÙÂHÂHªºÂI¡C §Ú±N¤£¹ïªÖ®¦¹Dºp¡Aª½¨ì§Ú¤w¸g²z¸Ñ§Ú¬°¤°»òÀ³¸Ó¡C ´«¥y¸Ü»¡¡A¦pªG§Ú´¿¸g±Nn¹ï¥L¹Dºp,§Ú·Qn¥¦¬O¥L¯à±µ¨üªº¤@Ó¡C"
Ken turned away, his thoughts in turmoil. / ªÖ®¦Âà¦VÂ÷¶},Ä̰ʪº¥L·Qªk¡C
"If you'd been brought back far enough," Nadia sounded hesitant,
/ " °²¦p§A¬O»»»·¦a¨¬°÷¦^´_",Nadia Å¥°_¨Ó¿ðºÃ,
"Would you have prevented me from being born?" / "§A±N·|¤w¸gªý¤î§Ú³Q¥X¥Í¶Ü"?
Loki smiled sadly, "I know you; I *am* you. I know how you hate the
Changes, how you hate the secrets and the way people treat you when they
find out. You'll hate yourself even more when you start puberty.. / ¬¥°ò´d¶Ë¦a·L¯º,"§Ú»{ÃѧA;
§Ú *¬O*§A¡C §Úª¾¹D§A¦p¦ó¼¨«ë§ïÅÜ,·í¥L̵o²{ªº®ÉÔ , §A¼¨«ë¤H̹ï«Ý§A̪º¯µ±K©M¤è¦¡ªº¤è¦¡¡C §A±N¼¨«ë§A¦Û¤v¬Æ¦Ü§ó¦h·í§A¶}©l«ä¬K´Áªº®ÉÔ¡C¡C
when you start having fluxes that turn you into a sex-fiend no better
than the animals at Ovanon. Yes, I would have prevented you from being
fused into Berg Katze. Prevented your birth? No -- you would have been
the twins you were originally supposed to be." / ·í§A¶}©l¦³±N§AÅܦ¨©Ê§Oªº¬y¥X®ÉÔ-
Å]°¨S¦³§ó¶W¹L¦b Ovanon ªº°Êª«¡C ¬Oªº¡A§Ú·|ªý¤î§A¶i¤J¦B¤s Katze ¤§¤º³Q¿Ä¤Æ¡C ÁקK§Aªº¥X¥Í? ¤£ -- §A·|¬O§A¥»¨Ó³Q±À·Q¬OªºÂùML¡C"
Tears ran down Nadia's face, "When I first saw you.. I thought you
were my mother." Hir voice broke, "I wish you were my mother."
/ ²\ºw¶]¤U¨Ó Nadia's ªºÁy,"·í§Ú³Ìªì¬Ý¨£§Aªº®ÉÔ¡C¡C §Ú·Q¤F§A¬O§Úªº¥À¿Ë¡C"Hir ÁnµÂ_±¼ ",§ÚÄ@§A¬O§Úªº¥À¿Ë¡C"
"We don't have a mother. She was killed after we were born."
/ "§Ų́S¦³¤@Ó¥À¿Ë¡C ¦b§ÚÌ¥X¥Í¤§«á¡A¦o³Q±þ¡C"
"I'm a.. pet? He told me Ovanon was necessary, but.. its not?"
/ " §Ú¬O¤@¡C¡C Ãdª«? ¥L§i¶D¤F§Ú Ovanon ¬O¥²»Ýªº,¦ý¬O¡C¡C ¥¦ªº¤£?"
"No. It seems all he was interested in was curiosity as to how much
we could take." / " ¸¹½X¥¦¦ü¥G¥L·P¿³½ìªº¥þ³¡¬O¦n©_¤ßÃö©ó§ÚÌ¥i¥H¦h¤Ö®³".
Ken launched his glass at the wall, "Bastard!!" / ªÖ®¦¦bÀð¾Àµo®g¥Lªº¬Á¼þ,"¨p¥Í¤l!!"
They stared at him in shock. "Gatchaman?" Loki's voice was low.
/ ¥L̦bÅåÀ~¤¤¨nµÛ¥L¬Ý¡C "Gatchaman"? ¬¥°òªºÁnµ¬O§CÂI¡C
"How could they do that to a child...!" / "¥L̦p¦ó¥i¥H°µ¨ºµ¹¤@ӫĤl¡C¡C¡C!"
"It's been happening for centuries, Gatchaman. They weren't the first,
nor will they be the last." "I know," Ken sobbed, putting
his face in his hands, "But it doesn't make it any better. It doesn't
make it any less revolting." / "¥¦¤w¸g³Qµo¥Íªø¹F¼Æ¥@¬ö¤§¤[¤F,Gatchaman¡C ¥L̤£¬O²Ä¤@Ó,
¥L̤]±N¤£·|¬O³Ì«áªÌ¡C" "§Úª¾¹D",ªÖ®¦µo¥X¶ã«|Ánµ,§â¥LªºÁy©ñ¤J¥Lªº¤â ",¦ý¬O¥¦¦n¤@ÂI¤£¨Ï¥¦¡C
¥¦¤£¨Ï¥¦¥ô¦ó¤ñ¸û¤£I«q¡C"
Loki's lip twisted into a little smile, "You see why I was so glad
not to be human..." Ken looked back at hir, eyes full of pain. /
¬¥°òªº®B¶i¤J¤@Ó¤p·L¯º¤§¤ºÀ¾,"§A¬Ý¨£§Ú¬°¤°»ò¬O¦p¦¹°ª¿³¨S¦³¬O¤HÃþªº¡C¡C¡C"ªÖ®¦¦^¬Ý hir,¥Rº¡µhWªº²´·ú¡C
"Did you ever rape anybody?" Nadia asked suddenly. / "§A´¿¸g±°¹Ü¥ô¦ó¤H¶Ü"?
Nadia ¬ðµM°Ý¡C
Loki blushed, "No. I was ordered to, once -- I couldn't do it. /
¬¥°òÁy¬õ,"§Ú³Q©R¥O¨ìªº¸¹½X, ¤@¦¸ -- §ÚµLªk°µ¥¦¡C
I chickened out. It turned my stomach, lowering myself like that, acting
like the clients.. It was bad enough that I had to have sex in the first
place." / §ÚÁx¤p°h¥X¡C ¥¦³QÂà§ÚªºG,°§C§Ú¦Û¤v³ßÅw¨º,¹³«È¤á¦æ°Ê¡C¡C ¥¦°÷Ãaªº§Ú¥²¶·º¥ý¦³©Ê¦æ¬°¡C"
Nadia frowned, "Do you still have sex? I don't *ever* want to have
sex again!" "I know," Loki said softly, "That's what
made puberty - and / Nadia ½K¬ÜÀY,"§A¤´µM¦³©Ê¦æ¬°¶Ü? §Ú¤£¦A * ´¿¸g * ·Qn¦³©Ê¦æ¬°!"
"§Úª¾¹D",¬¥°ò¬X©M¦a»¡ ", ¨º¬O»s³y¤F«ä¬K´ÁªºªF¦è -©M
Guiseppe - so hard." S/he felt Ken move behind hir and place his
hands on hir shoulders. "Has Soosai made the contact with you?"
/ Guiseppe- ¦p¦¹§V¤O¡C"S/¥L·Pı¤F¦b hir ©M¦a¤è«á±ªºªÖ®¦²¾°Ê¦b hir ªÓ¤Wªº¥L¤â¡C " ¦³ Soosai
§@¤F»P§Aªº±µÄ²"?
"Yes. I worry about that." / "¬Oªº¡C §ÚÃö©ó¨º·Ð´o¡C"
"Well?" / "´é¥X"?
Nadia hesitated, "Can I... Can I think about this for a while?"
/ Nadia µS¿Ý,"²Ä¤@Åø¤l¡C¡C¡C §Ú¯à·Q³o¤@°}¤l¶Ü?"
Loki nodded. / ¬¥°òÂIÀY¡C
"Contact?" Ken asked softly, "What do you mean?" /
"³sµ¸"? ªÖ®¦¬X©M¦a°Ý," §A·N¿×¤°»ò"?
Loki sighed deeply, "Soosai X had a.. telepathic communication with
me. He was there in my head all the time. He's in hir head, which is why
its dangerous; if he wants to, he can 'listen' to anything s/he sees or
hears or even thinks. But, its possible to disturb or break that link:
That's what Kai did with me." / ¬¥°ò²`²`¦a¼Û®§," Soosai X ¦³¤@¡C¡C ºë¯«·PÀ³³Nªº·¾³q§Ú¡C
¥L©l²×¦b§ÚªºÀY¤¤¦b¨º¸Ì¡C ¥L¬O¦b hir ÀY¤¤, ¬O¬°¤°»ò¥¦ªº¦MÀI; ¦pªG¥L·Qn¨ì, ¥L¯à 'Å¥' ¨ì¥ô¦ó¨Æ s/¥L¬Ý¨£©ÎÅ¥¨ì©Î¬Æ¦Ü·Q¡C ¦ý¬O,
¥¦ªº¥i¯àÂZ¶Ã©Î¥´¯}¨º¤@Ó³sµ²: ¨º¬O Kai ©Ò³B¸m§Úªº¡C"
"So.. it can't link up with you now, just hir?" "I think
so, yes," Loki nodded, "I don't 'feel' him in my head anymore.
It's.. It's very....." s/he swallowed hard, "It's not there."
/ "¦p¦¹¡C¡C ¥¦¤£¯à³s±µ¦b²{¦b¥Ñ©ó§A¤W±,¥¿ª½ªº hir?" "§Ú³o»ò»{¬°,¬Oªº",¬¥°òÂIÀY ",
§Ú¤£ '·Pı' ¥L¦b§ÚªºÀY¤¤¤£¦A¡C ¥¦¬O¡C¡C ¥¦¬O«D±`....."s/¥L§V¤O¦a§] ",¥¦¤£¦b¨º¸Ì¡C"
Ken looked into hir eyes, "Its.. lonely? Is that it?" Loki blushed
and turned away. Ken leaned down and enfolded hir in his arms. / ªÖ®¦½Õ¬d
hir ²´·ú,"¥¦ªº¡C¡C ©t³æªº? ¨º¬O¥¦¶Ü?"¬¥°òÁy¬õ¦Ó¥BÂàÂ÷¶}¡C ªÖ®¦Ê¾a¤U¨Ó¦Ó¥B¥]»q¤F¥Lªº¤âÁu hir ¡C
"If you're me," Nadia said softly, "And I believe you are..
Why do you want to change my life? Then I won't be you anymore. I won't
grow up to be you." / " ¦pªG§A¬O§Ú",Nadia ¬X©M¦a»¡ ",¦Ó¥B§Ú¬Û«H¡A§A¬O¡C¡C
§A¬°¤°»ò·Qn§ïÅܧڪº¥Í¬¡? µM«á§Ú¤£¦A±N¤£¬O§A¡C §Ú±N¤£ªø¤j¬O§A¡C"
Loki was trying to hold back tears and turning just about every colour
of the spectrum, "Because... I'm a pathetic, overwrought mutant who's
so... twisted, s/he doesn't even realize when... when somebody's trying
to help." S/he was very near to breaking down. / ¬¥°ò®t¤£¦h¥¿¦b¹Á¸Õºû«ù«á±ªº²\ºw©M±ÛÂà¥úÃЪº¨CÓÃC¦â,"¦]¬°¡C¡C¡C
§Ú¬O´d«s¡A¬O¦p¦¹ªº¹L«×ºò±iªº¬ðÅܲ§ºØ¡C¡C¡C ¤Ï±`ªº,s/ ¥L¤£¬Æ¦Ü¤F¸Ñ¦ó®É¡C¡C¡C ·í¬Y¤H¹Á¸ÕÀ°§U¡C"S/¥L¹ïÀ£Ë¬O«D±`ªñªº¡C
Ken moved around to perch on the arm of hir chair, where he could slide
his arms around hir more easily. "Most people say they'd like to
go back and do things over, knowing what they learned. S/he got that chance
and this is it." "I... I need to think," Nadia said, "The
Overlord won't take it well if I just go missing.. He might..... I need
to think." S/he took / ªÖ®¦¨ì³B²¾°Ê¦b hir ´È¤lªº¤âÁu¤W´Ï®§,¦b¥L§ó®e©ö¥i¥H¦b hir ªº©P³ò·Æ°Ê¥Lªº¤âÁu¦a¤è¡C
"¤j¦h¼Æªº¤H»¡¥LÌ·Qn¦^¥h¦Ó¥B±N¨Æª««°µ¡A³Õ¾Çªº¥L̩ҾDzߪº¡C S/¥L±o¨ì¤F¨º¤@Ó¾÷·|¡A¦Ó¥B³o¬O¥¦¡C" "§Ú¡C¡C¡C
§Ú»Ýn·Q,"Nadia »¡ ",¦pªG§Ú¶È¶È¤£¨£¡A¤j§g¥D±N¤£±a±o«Ü¦n¡C¡C ¥L¥i¯à..... §Ú»Ýn·Q¡C"S/¥L®³
Brace's hand and lead him into the other bedroom, leaving Ken and Loki
alone. / ¤ä¬Wªº¤â¦Ó¥B±a»â¥L¶i¥t¤@Ӫ׫Ǥ§¤º,§OºÞªÖ®¦©M¬¥°ò¡C
"How are you holding up?" Ken asked hir softly, "You look
pretty out of it." / " §A¦p¦ó´¤¦í¦b"¤W±? ªÖ®¦¬X©M¦a°Ý¤F hir,"§A¥¦¬Ý°_¨Ó¬Û·í¥~±"
¡C
"I am out of it." / "§Ú¶W¥X¥¦" ¡C
Ken took hir hand and led hir to sit next to him on the couch. / ªÖ®¦±a hir
µM«á¶Ç»¼¦Ó¥B»â¾É hir ¦bªø´È¤W¹ï¥L§¤¡C
Wrapping his arms around hir, he drew hir down against him, "It's
okay, / ¦b hir ªº©P³ò¥]³òk down on ¥Lªº¤âÁu,¥L§â hir ©Ô¤U¨Ó¹ï§Ü¥L," ¥¦¬O¦n,
I'm here. Let go." / §Ú¦b³o¸Ì¡C Åý¥h¡C"
Katze tried, but could no longer hold back the flood of emotions. Ken
leaned back, rubbing hir back, whispering soothingly to hir. Silent tears
trickled down his cheeks. Katze wept into Ken's hair for a long time,
before finally falling silent. S/he lay against him, listening to his
heart beat. / Katze ¹Á¸Õ, ¦ý¬O¥i¥H¤£¦A§í¨î±¡ºüªº¬x¤ô¡C ªÖ®¦¦V«á¦aʾa, §â hir À¿¦^¨Ó¡A¼¾¼¢¦a¦Õ»y¨ì hir ¡C
¨HÀqªº²\ºwºw¬y¤U¨Ó¥LªºÀU¡C Katze ¶i¤JªÖ®¦ªºÀY¾v¤§¤ºúª_¦³«Üªøªº¤@¬q®É¶¡, ¥H«e³Ì«á¸¨¤U¨HÀqªº¡C S/¥L©ñ¸m¹ï§Ü¥L,¹ï¥Lªº¤ß¥´Å¥¡C
"You know," Ken said softly, "I don't think I've cried
like this since my mother died, years ago." / "§Aª¾¹D",ªÖ®¦¬X©M¦a»¡
", §Ú¤£»{¬°§Ú¤w¸g¹³³o¤@¼Ë¦Û±q§Úªº¥À¿Ë¦º , ¼Æ¦~¥H«eú".
Katze glanced up at him, "Not even your father?" / Katze ¿h°{¦b¥L¤W±,"¤£¨Ï§Aªº¤÷¿Ë¬Ûµ¥"?
Ken shook his head, "Not even then. There was too much rage. / ªÖ®¦·nÀY,"
¤£¬O¬Æ¦Ü·í®É¡C ¦³¤Ó¦h¼««ã¡C
I cried for him when I was four and not again, not like this. I turned
it inside, turned it into rage. I almost cost my team their lives."
/ ·í§Ú¬O¥|ªº®ÉÔ¡A§Ú¬°¥Lú¦Ó¥B¤£¦A¤@¦¸,¤£¹³³o¡C §ÚÂà¦V¤F¸Ì±ªº¥¦,±N¥¦Åܦ¨¼««ã¡C §Ú´X¥Gªá¶O§Úªº¤p²Õ¥L̪º¥Í©R¡C"
Katze settled hir head back onto his chest, "I couldn't cry for /
Katze ¦V«á¦a¦b¥Lªº¯Ý¤§¤W¦w¹y¤F hir ÀY," §ÚµLªkú
Brace; there wasn't time.. and Soosai X erased her before I could cry
for Kai." / ¤ä¬W; ¨S¦³®É¶¡¡C¡C ¦Ó¥B¦b§Ú¥i¥H¬° Kai ú¤§«e , Soosai X ©Ù±¼¤F¦o¡C"
"You loved her, didn't you." S/he nodded. Ken rubbed hir back,
/ "§A·R¦o,§A¤£¨S¦³¶Ü". S/¥LÂIÀY¡C ªÖ®¦§â hir À¿¦^¨Ó,
"I'm sorry you lost her like that. Did I ever tell you we were listening?
Joe and I. We used to listen to Unicorn Progress in the mornings before
I did my mail run. We heard it all." He sighed, "I wonder what
they would think now.. Kai and Joe..." / "¹ï¤£°_§A¥¢¥h¤F¦oªº¦PÃþ¨º¡C §Ú´¿¸g§i¶D§A§ÚÌ¥¿¦bÅ¥¶Ü?
³ì©M§Ú¡C §Ú̹L¥h¤@ª½Å¥¨ì¿W¨¤Ã~¦b§Ú°µ¤F§Úªº¶l¥ó©b¶]¦b¦±á¤§«e«P¶i¡C §ÚÌ¥þ³¡Å¥¨ì¤F¥¦¡C"¥L¼Û®§ ",§ÚÃhºÃ¥L̲{¦b±N·|·Qªº¡C¡C
Kai ©M³ì¡C¡C¡C"
"Condor's pretty obvious. Kai? I don't know. She'd want to help,
I think. She'd probably want to do her mind work on the younger."
/ " ¨rÆN¬Û·í©úÅã¡C Kai? §Ú¤£ª¾¹D¡C ¦o±N·|·QnÀ°§U,§Ú·Q¡C ¦o±N·|¥i¯à·Qn°µ¦oªº¤ß¦b¦~¬ö¸û¤pªÌ¤Wªº¤u§@¡C"
S/he reached for a box of tissues and Ken handed them to hir, / S/¥L¤Î©ó¤@ÓÁ¡ªº¯½Â´«~ªº²°¤l¡A¦Ó¥BªÖ®¦§â¥L̥浹
hir,
"What do you mean that Joe'd be obvious?" / " §A·N¿× Joe'd
¬O©úÅ㪺¤°»ò"?
"He'd still want me dead." / "¥L±N·|¤´µM·Qn§Ú¦º" ¡C
Ken sighed heavily, "Maybe. Maybe not, if he knew everything and
had a chance to cool out," he grinned, "Maybe after I sat on
him for a while." / ªÖ®¦«Ü«¦a¼Û®§,"¤]³\¡C ¤]³\¤£¡A¦pªG¥Lª¾¹D¤F¨C¥ó¨Æª«¦Ó¥B¦³¤F¤@Ó¾÷·|§N«o¥X,"¥LÅS¾¦¦Ó¯º
", ¦b§Ú¤§«á¤]³\¦b¥L¤§¤W§¤¤@°}¤l¡C"
"After what he said when you unmasked me?" Katze asked incredulously,
then shrugged, "Mind you, I could be wrong. I don't remember that
very clearly for some reason. I think Soosai must have erased me, though
I can't imagine why." / " ¦b¤°»ò¤§«á·í§A²æ¥h°²±¨ã¤F§Úªº®ÉÔ¡A¥L»¡"? Katze
ÃhºÃ¦a°Ý,µM«áÁqªÓ," ¤ß§A,§Ú¥i¯à¬O¿ù»~ªº¡C §Ú¬°¤@¨Ç²z¥Ñ¤£«D±`²M·¡¦a°O±o¨º¡C §Ú»{¬°¡A Soosai ¤@©w´¿¸g©Ù±¼§Ú¹L, ÁöµM§Ú¤£¯à·Q¹³¬°¤°»ò¡C"
Ken pondered it, then shrugged and put the problem aside, turning to another
problem, "So what do you think little Katze is going to decide?"
/ ³Q¨I«ä¥¦ªºªÖ®¦,µM«áÁqªÓ¦Ó¥BÀx¦s°ÝÃD,Âà¦V¥t¤@Ó°ÝÃD," ¦p¦¹§A»{¬°¤°»ò¤p Katze ±Nn¨M©w"?
"I think s/he already has," Katze replied, burrowing into his
hair, "I think s/he's decided s/he believes me, but s/he's right:
It'd cause a major problem if s/he just vanished with us." / "§Ú·Q
s/¥L¤w¸g¦³",Katze µªÂÐ,¶i¤J¥LªºÀY¾v¤§¤º±¸¬}¥Þ ",§Ú·Q s/¥L¬O½T©wªº s/¥L¬Û«H§Ú, ¦ý¬O s/ ¥L¬O¥¿½Tªº:
¥¦±N·|¤Þ°_¤@Ó¥Dnªº°ÝÃD¦pªG s/¥Lèè©M§ÚÌ®ø¥¢¡C"
"Shimatta.. I was hoping... well, never mind what I was hoping. /
"Shimatta¡C¡C §Ú§Æ±æ¡C¡C¡C ¦n§a,¤£¥²¤¶·N§Ú§Æ±æªº¡C
We can still give hir some measure of protection and choice. Could we
keep that link open, and maybe with puberty, shut it down? Make X think
it was some side effect of the hormones?" / §Ú̯ऴµMµ¹ hir ¼Æªº¿Å¶q«OÅ@©M¿ï¾Ü¡C
¥i¥H§Ú̺û«ù¨º³sµ²¤½¶}, ©M¤]³\¥H«ä¬K´Á, Ãö¤W¥¦åP¸¨? ¨Ï X »{¬°¥¦¬O¤@¨Ç²üº¸»Xªº°Æ§@¥Î?"
"That could be," Katze said thoughtfully, "I think s/he
was thinking of another problem, too: If s/he vanishes, what if the /
"¨º¥i¯à¬O",Katze ²`«ä¦a»¡ ",§Ú·Q s/¥L¤]¥¿¦b·Q¨ì¥t¤@Ó°ÝÃD: ¦pªG s/¥L®ø¥¢, ¤°»ò¦pªG¨º
Overlord makes another leader?" / ¤j§g¥D»s³y¥t¤@¦ì»â³S?"
"Hmm. How many of you could it make?" "I don't know. I
don't even know if he'd try making another one of me or go on to something
different." "*I* just want to blow it to hell and be done with
it. I don't want to go into Galactor or have you or hir anywhere near
it." / "Hmm¡C ¦h¤Ö§A¥¦¥i¥H»s³y¶Ü?" "§Ú¤£ª¾¹D¡C ¬O§_¥L±N·|¸Õ¨Ï¥t¥~§Ú©Î¤§¤@Ä~Äò¨ì¤£¦PªºªF¦è¡A§Ú¤£¬Æ¦Üª¾¹D¡C"
"*§Ú*¶È¶È·Qn¹ï¦aº»§j¥¦¦Ó¥B»P¥¦¤@°_°µ¡C §Ú¤£·Qn¶i¤J Galactor ©Î¦³¦b¥¦ªþªñªº§A©Î hir ¥ô¦ó¦a¤è¡C"
".... Ken?" / ".... ªÖ®¦?"
"Hmm?" / "Hmm"?
"Is that offer still open?" / " ¨º´£Ä³¤´µM¬O¶}©ñªº"?
Ken blushed, "Ohh... that... uh, yeah.." / ªÖ®¦Áy¬õ,"Ohh¡C¡C¡C
¨º¡C¡C¡C uh,¬Oªº¡C¡C"
"You don't have to," s/he shrugged, "It's not *that* bad.
I could take care of myself, this time." / " §A¤£¤@©wn",s/
¥LÁqªÓ ", ¥¦¬O¤£ *¨º*Ãaªº¡C ³o¦¸§Ú¥i¥H·ÓÅU§Ú¦Û¤v¡C"
Ken chuckled, "After everything we've been through today, you're
horny." He smiled at hir, running his hands through hir hair. / ³Q¦Y¦Yªº¯ºªÖ®¦,"
¦b¨C¥ó¨Æª«¤§«á§Ṳ́w¸g¬O¾ã¤µ¤Ñ, §A¬O¨¤ªº". ¥L¦b hir ·L¯º,¸g¹L hir ÀY¾v¶]¥Lªº¤â¡C
"It's not *my* fault!" / " ¥¦¬O¤£ *§Úªº*¹L¥¢"!
"C'mere," Ken teased, and kissed hir passionately. / "C'mere",ªÖ®¦´Ût,
¦Ó¥B¼ö±¡¦a§k¤F hir ¡C
--
*********************************************************
Robin and Ennien Ashbrook : ashbrook@spots.ab.ca / ù»«©M Ennien Ashbrook:
ashbrook@spots.ab.ca
Tha a'chumhachd sgriosail aig a'mhi\osail seo air tho\isich air ur buadh
bhochd a thuigsinn! ...mise cuideachd, gu fi\or.. -- Malanochs (Mallanox)
/ Tha a'chumhachd sgriosail aig a'mhi\osail seo air tho\ isich ¼½¬M ur buadh
bhochd thuigsinn! ¡C¡C¡C¨ó©w cuideachd,gu fi\©Î¡C¡C -- Malanochs(Mallanox)
*********************************************************
¡m¦^¤W¤@¶¡n
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