03_homecoming-第12部分

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！　As　if　Captain　Gloval　isn't　the　best　skipper　in…

〃No　more　slipping　around　the　rules；〃　Maistroff　was　saying。　〃What　this　bridge　needs　is　a　good　dose　of　discipline。〃　Gazing　grandly　out　the　forward　viewport；　he　drew　a　long　cigar　from　the　breast　pocket　of　his　uniform　jacket。

It　was　plain　that　he　was　savoring　the　moment。　Perhaps　he　had　saved　the　stogie　all　this　time　since　the　SDF…1's　accidental　departure　so　that　he　could　smoke　it　on　the　bridge　as　master。　Maistroff　made　a　production　of　biting　off　the　end；　rolling　the　cigar　between　his　fingers；　and　moistening　it　front　and　back　between　his　lips。

His　indescribable　pleasure　in　the　moment　was　broken　by　a　high…pitched　voice。　〃There's　no　smoking　on　the　bridge；　sir！〃

〃What？〃　Maistroff　whirled　on　Sammie；　who　was　out　of　her　chair　and　didn't　look　in　the　least　daunted　by　his　scowl。

〃It's　on　page　two　of　the　ship's　SOP　rule　book…standard　operating　procedure；　isn't　it；　sir？〃

Claudia　couldn't　for　the　life　of　her　figure　out　whether　Sammie　was　serious　or　was　having　her　little　snipe　at　the　colonel。　Apparently；　neither　could　Maistroff。

He　turned　back　to　the　viewport；　holding　the　cigar　as　if　somebody　else　had　put　it　in　his　fingers；　not　willing　to　throw　it　away　but　unable　to　do　much　of　anything　else　with　it。　His　back　was　ramrod　straight；　and　his　cheeks　flushed　a　bright　red。

〃Ah；　of　course。　I　was　only　holding　it。　I　had　no　intention　of　lighting　it。〃　He　gritted　his　teeth　but　refused　to　take　official　recognition　when　he　heard　female　giggling　and　tittering　behind　him。

〃Excuse　me；　Colonel；〃　Claudia　said。　〃Will　there　be　anything　else；　sir？〃

He　turned　to　her；　trying　to　put　down　his　anger；　cold　cigar　clenched　in　his　teeth；　hands　clasped　behind　him。　〃What？　What？〃

She　said　gently；　〃I　was　officer　on　the　last　watch；　sir。　Am　I　relieved？〃　She　saluted。

He　was　doubly　red…faced　to　have　forgotten　so　simple　a　thing　as　relieving　her　of　the　mand。　〃Oh！〃　He　answered　her　salute。　〃Sure；　you　go　right　along；　Lieutenant　Grant。　I'm　sure　we'll　be　able　to　operate　just　fine　until　you　get　back。〃　He　smiled　indulgently。

As　Claudia　gathered　her　things；　Maistroff　went　to　inspect　the　rest　of　the　bridge　and　incidentally　try　Gloval's　chair　to　see　how　it　felt。　Making　sure　that　he　wouldn't　hear；　Vanessa　whispered　to　Claudia；　〃Y'　better　check　in　later　to　make　sure　the　bridge　is　still　here！〃

The　Terrible　Trio　stifled　their　laughter。　Claudia　smiled。　〃You　hang　in　there；　girls。〃

Reflecting　that　Maistroff　didn't　know　what　real　opposition　was　like　but　would　find　out　if　he　crossed　the　Terribles；　Claudia　left　the　bridge。


CHAPTER　NINE

Hey；　I　was　managin'　a　couple　of　other　class　acts　when　I　signed　Minmei；　y'　know？　I　mean；　I　wasn't　just　chopped　liver；　kapish？　I　mean；　I　had　the　Acnes；　who　had　a　big；　fat　bullet：　〃I'll　Be　a　Goo…goo　for　You。〃
Anyway；　Minmei…doll　hits　the　scene；　and　I　can't　even　get　my　other　acts　arrested！　〃Minmei！　Minmei！〃　People　don't　wanna　hear　anything　else。
The　public…go　figure。
Vance　Hasslewood；　Minmei's　personal　manager；　interviewed　on　Jan　Morris's　on…ship　TV　show；　〃Good　Morning；　SDF！〃

The　city　of　Macross　hadn't　seen　fireworks　since　that　fateful　day　when　the　Zentraedi　first　appeared　in　the　solar　system。　There　had　been　plenty　of　explosions；　all　right；　but　not　simple　skyrockets　and　colored　bursts。

Now；　fireworks　flashed　high　over　Prometheus's　flight　deck。　Canopies　and　marquees　were　set　up；　and　an　old…fashioned　town　festival　was　in　progress。

Strings　of　firecrackers　banged　and　snapped　on　the　nonskid；　and　streamers　and　confetti　flew　in　squalls；　carried　by　the　sea　breezes。　Many　had　chosen　to　wear　costumes；　and　some　wore　fantastic；　gruesome　giant　masks　that　covered　them　from　head　to　foot。　There　was　dancing　and　laughter；　a　sort　of　munal　drunkenness　with　joy。

On　an　improvised　speaker's　platform；　Mayor　Tommy　Luan　held　his　hands　high。　〃Our　troubles　are　finally　over！　Let's　make　this　party　last　all　week！〃

The　stocky　little　mayor's　good　friend；　Vern　Havers；　a　lean；　mournful…looking　man　with　a　receding　hairline；　clung　to　the　side　of　the　platform　to　call　up　anxiously；　〃But　what　about　packing？　Shouldn't　we　be　getting　ready　to　leave？〃

〃Vern；　this　isn't　a　day　for　packing！　We　have　plenty　of　time　for　that！　Don't　you　think　that　the　Macross　survivors　deserve　a　celebration　after　all　we've　been　through？〃

The　mayor　looked　up　at　the　looming　SDF…1；　its　silent　guns　throwing　long　shadows　across　the　deck。　〃Besides；　once　we　leave　this　ship；　we'll　probably　never　see　it　again。〃

Vern　hadn't　even　thought　about　that；　but　it　made　sense；　SDF…1　would　have　to　take　up　its　job　of　guarding　Earth；　the　rebuilt　Macross　City　would　of　course　be　dismantled。

Like　many　others；　Vern　had　dreamed　of　returning　to　Earth；　had　lived　for　it；　all　these　months；　but　now；　like　many　others；　he　felt　strangely　sad　that　a　unique　time　in　his　life　was　ending。　He　hoped　there　could　be　some　kind　of　open　house　or　something　so　people　could　see　what　the　citizens　of　Macross　had　acplished　before　all　their　handiwork　was　swept　away。

〃Well；〃　he　said；　〃if　you　put　it　that　way；　I　suppose　you　may　be　right。〃

The　mayor　was　literally　hopping　up　and　down；　from　his　own　swelling　emotions。　〃Of　course　I'm　right！　Now；　let's　party！〃

Vern　resigned　himself　to　the　inevitable。　It　was　good　to　be　back　on　Earth；　but　he　was　beginning　to　realize　how　difficult　it　would　be　to　get　used　to　uneventful　peacetime　life。

Elsewhere　in　the　milling；　boisterous　crowd；　the　three　Zentraedi　spies　were　trying　to　absorb　what　they　were　seeing　around　them。

Gaiety　like　this　was　unknown　among　their　people；　certainly　the　frivolous　consumption　of　food　and　drink；　scandalous　mingling　of　males　and　females；　and　pointless　merrymaking　would　be　a　court…martial　offense　among　the　warrior　race。

Konda　was　absorbing　something　else…his　third　cup　of　an　intriguing　purple　liquid　with　ice　cubes　floating　in　it…when　Bron；　gawking　at　all　the　goings…on；　jostled　his　elbow。

Konda；　vexed　when　some　of　his　drink　spilled；　gave　the　bigger　spy　a　shove。　〃Clumsy！　Can't　you　be　more　careful？〃

Bron　looked　hurt。　Konda　said；　〃I'm　sampling　something　called　‘punch；'　and　you　interrupted　my　experimentation。〃

Bron　looked　at　the　beverage　dubiously。　〃It　seems　to　me　you've　imbibed　more　than　is　necessary　for　a　mere　effects　test；　Konda。〃

Konda　pushed　the　cup　into　Bron's　hands。　〃Here！　You　try　it！　I　know　where　to　get　more；　and　the　requisitioning　procedure　is　puzzlingly　informal。〃　He　hiccuped。

Bron　sniffed　the　stuff　suspiciously；　then；　after　a　final　glance　at　Konda　to　make　sure　he　showed　no　sign　of　toxic　reaction；　he　downed　the　punch　in　two　big　swallows。　It　was　cold　but　somehow　had　a　warming　effect。　He　gagged　a　little　but　felt　a　pleasant　sensation　course　through　him。

〃I　don't　know　what's　in　this　stuff；〃　Konda　said　with　a　foolish　grin；　〃but　it　sure　is　getting　me　charged　up！〃

Oh　my　goodness！　thought　Bron。　〃You。。。you　mean　it's　got　some　kind　of　Protoculture　in　it？〃

Exasperated；　Konda　was　considering　clouting　Bron　in　the　head　for　being　such　a　dummy；　when　Rico　rushed　up　to　them　angrily。　〃Why　aren't　you　two　making　noise　like　the　rest　of　these　people？　You　want　them　to　notice　us？　Well　then；　pretend　you're　having　fun！〃

Rico；　too；　held　a　cup　of　the　punch；　it　was　all　but　empty；　and　he　looked　a　little　bleary…eyed。　He　threw　one　fist　up　and　yelled；　〃Yay…yyy！〃　so　loudly　that　he　quite　startled　his　panions。　〃We　finally　made　it　back！　We're　home　again！〃

〃Hurrah！　We　beat　the　enemy！〃　Konda　added　helpfully。　〃Hurrah　for　us！　Hurrah　for　Earth！〃

〃Down　with　the　Zentraedi！〃　Bron　burst　out；　doing　a　little　jigging　dance　step。　That　punch　beverage；　whatever　it　was；　had　him　feeling　rather；　well；　happy。　〃Up　with　the　Micronians！　Down。。。〃

He　realized　the　other　two　were　staring　at　him。　Bron　covered　his　mouth　with　his　hand　in　anguish。　〃Oh；　my！　I　didn't　know　what　I　was　saying！　Konda；　Rico…please　don't　report　me！〃

Just　then　a　young　woman　dressed　as　a　medieval　princess　and　carrying　two　cups　of　punch　swept　by。　She　saw　the　three　standing　together；　one　without　a　cup。　She　put　her　extra　one　into　Konda's　hand　and　clinked　glasses　with　them；　grinning　behind　her　silvery　domino　mask。　〃To　home　and　friendship！〃　Then　she　was　gone　in　the　crowd。

The　three　spies　looked　at　one　another　for　a　moment；　then　echoed；　〃To　home　and　friendship；〃　and　clinked　cups　as　the　celebration　swirled　around　them。


With　most　of　the　off…duty　crew　and　virtually　all　the　civilians　up　at　the　party；　SDF…1's　passageways　were　empty；　giving　the　ship　a　haunted　feel。　Making　her　way　toward　the　VT　pilots'　living　quarters　section；　Claudia　Grant　tried　to　put　that　fool　Maistroff　out　of　her　mind　and　concentrate　on　enjoying　her　brief　time　off　watch。

For　the　first　time　in　months；　the　Veritech　pilots　weren't　flying　constant　patrols　or　bat　missions；　and　SDF…1　was　being　manned　by　a　virtual　skeleton　crew。　So　her　free　time　meshed　with　Roy's　for　the　first　time　in　a　long　time。

The　love　affair　between　Claudia　Grant　and　Lieutenant　mander　Roy　Fokker；　as　passionate　as　it　was　romantic；　had　been　terribly　strained　by　the　demands　of　the　SDF…1's　desperate　voyage。　But　now　there　would　be　time　to　be　together…the　very　best　thing　about　the　dimensional　fortress's　return；　as　far　as　Claudia　was　concerned。

She　signaled　at　the　hatch　to　his　quarters　but　got　no　response。　Rapping　on　it　with　her　knuckles　was　no　more　effective。

Claudia　wasn't　about　to　miss　her　chance　to　see　him。　Perhaps　he'd　left　her　a　note。　She　tapped　the　hatch　release　and　entered　as　the　hatch　slid　aside。

Roy　Fokker…leader　of　the　Veritech　Skull　Team；　heroic　ace　of　the　Robotech　War…lay　snoring　softly；　dead　to　the　world；　his　long　blond　hair　fanned　out　on　the　pillow。　At　six　foot　six；　he　hadn't　yet　found　a　military…issue　bunk　that　fit　him；　his　feet　and　the　covers　stuck　off　the　end　of　the　bed。

It　had　been　said　of　Roy　that　〃he　doesn't　fly　a　jet；　he　wears　it。〃　But　right　now　Roy　looked　like　nothing　so　much　as　a　sleepy　kid。

For　months　we　never　have　the　chance　to　be　alone；　and　when　the　opportunity　finally　arrives；　he　sleeps　through　it！　But　she　couldn't　be　mad　at　him。　He'd　been　on　duty；　usually　in　the　cockpit　of　a　fighter；　just　about　every　waking　hour　since　the　spacefold　jump。

Poor　dear；　he　must　be　exhausted。　〃Oh；　well。。。〃　She　pulled　the　covers　up　over　his　shoulders；　then　turned　to　go。

〃Hey；　hold　up！〃　She　turned　to　see　Roy　sittin