[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
leading to Diablon-held territory were through similar openings in other
gullies. Militarily the Diablon position was hopeless; to advance meant their
forces had to come under fire from an enemy occupying high ground. The scale
of the daily carnage in the gullies was horrific.
He descended slowly, taking great care not to dislodge stones. He worked
his way steadily along the bottom of the deep rill towards the cavern opening.
His heartbeat quickened and his mouth felt dry, but he pushed on.
At the entrance he raised his helmet for a few minutes so that he could
hear better. The silence was such that he could hear the surge of his blood in
his ears and the pounding of his heart. He ventured a little way into the
tunnel-like opening and increased the visor's gain. The images became
distorted but he could see that the huge tunnel curved to the left. He unslung
his PD weapon and released its safety-catch before advancing into the unknown.
According to Ewen's datapad map, the tunnel should open out into a cavern
that was nearly as large as the one held by the Aramans. In fact it was a good
deal smaller although still large. Ewen backed off the visor's gain to sharpen
distant images. He could see faint lights in the distance. He debated with
himself whether to skirt the perimeter of the cavern or take the more direct
route across the centre. He decided on the shortest route to save time.
The floor of the cavern bore relatively few scars of battle although it
was difficult to see what that signified; either the Diablons were successful
at repelling Araman attacks, or the Aramans never advanced, being content to
hold their ground in the adjoining cavern.
The lights became more distinct as Ewen drew nearer. He thought he could
hear voices. Certainly there seemed to be more activity in the Diablon
positions at night than in the Araman forward camps. He kept a large pile of
roof fall boulders between himself and the lights. A shock was waiting for him
when he reached the roof fall and peered cautiously around the boulders. He
was nearer the lights than he had anticipated. It wasn't his closeness to the
Page 49
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
enemy camp that surprised him, but the similarity of their heavy equipment.
The mobile zargon light battery was identical to those made in Arama, as was
the field communication centre. At the workshop the identical nature of Araman
and Diablon PD weapons had been explained by the NCO in charge who had said
that the Diablons based their designs on Araman models. Now Ewen was wondering
if, during a past battle, the Diablons had captured some Araman heavy
equipment. It seemed unlikely. Perhaps there was illegal trading between the
two sides?
The sound of a dislodged stone above and behind him jarred his senses.
Such was the hair-trigger state of his nerves that he threw himself to one
side before realising that he had heard something. There was a bright flash
and the harsh crack of a narrow angle PD beam vaporizing rock where he had
been crouching an instant before. Even before he completed his roll in the
dust, he twisted himself around and loosed off two bolts in the direction of
the blasts. A groan of agony and the slightly-built figure in the red Diablon
uniform buckled, dropped its PD weapon, and fell from the rocks. He lay
writhing in the dust. Blood was spurting from the around the soldier's fingers
as he clutched at his stomach. Distant shouts. Pounding boots.
Ewen looked frantically around. There was no cover around the outcrop. In
desperation he scrambled up to the soldier's former position and threw himself
into a hollow between the boulders. The boots pounded nearer and stopped close
by. Two men as best as he could judge. He kept his head down and prayed that
they wouldn't hear his heart jackhammering against his ribs.
"So what was that?" demanded the first voice, some way off. "Diablons?"
A powerful zargon lantern splashed light on the rocks around Ewen.
The second voice was scathing. "After hours? Don't be stupid. The
Diablons know the score. A guard shooting at own shadow more like."
At first Ewen thought he had misheard the comments then he caught a
glimpse of what looked like a red uniform through a crack in the rocks. He [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl aikidobyd.xlx.pl
leading to Diablon-held territory were through similar openings in other
gullies. Militarily the Diablon position was hopeless; to advance meant their
forces had to come under fire from an enemy occupying high ground. The scale
of the daily carnage in the gullies was horrific.
He descended slowly, taking great care not to dislodge stones. He worked
his way steadily along the bottom of the deep rill towards the cavern opening.
His heartbeat quickened and his mouth felt dry, but he pushed on.
At the entrance he raised his helmet for a few minutes so that he could
hear better. The silence was such that he could hear the surge of his blood in
his ears and the pounding of his heart. He ventured a little way into the
tunnel-like opening and increased the visor's gain. The images became
distorted but he could see that the huge tunnel curved to the left. He unslung
his PD weapon and released its safety-catch before advancing into the unknown.
According to Ewen's datapad map, the tunnel should open out into a cavern
that was nearly as large as the one held by the Aramans. In fact it was a good
deal smaller although still large. Ewen backed off the visor's gain to sharpen
distant images. He could see faint lights in the distance. He debated with
himself whether to skirt the perimeter of the cavern or take the more direct
route across the centre. He decided on the shortest route to save time.
The floor of the cavern bore relatively few scars of battle although it
was difficult to see what that signified; either the Diablons were successful
at repelling Araman attacks, or the Aramans never advanced, being content to
hold their ground in the adjoining cavern.
The lights became more distinct as Ewen drew nearer. He thought he could
hear voices. Certainly there seemed to be more activity in the Diablon
positions at night than in the Araman forward camps. He kept a large pile of
roof fall boulders between himself and the lights. A shock was waiting for him
when he reached the roof fall and peered cautiously around the boulders. He
was nearer the lights than he had anticipated. It wasn't his closeness to the
Page 49
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
enemy camp that surprised him, but the similarity of their heavy equipment.
The mobile zargon light battery was identical to those made in Arama, as was
the field communication centre. At the workshop the identical nature of Araman
and Diablon PD weapons had been explained by the NCO in charge who had said
that the Diablons based their designs on Araman models. Now Ewen was wondering
if, during a past battle, the Diablons had captured some Araman heavy
equipment. It seemed unlikely. Perhaps there was illegal trading between the
two sides?
The sound of a dislodged stone above and behind him jarred his senses.
Such was the hair-trigger state of his nerves that he threw himself to one
side before realising that he had heard something. There was a bright flash
and the harsh crack of a narrow angle PD beam vaporizing rock where he had
been crouching an instant before. Even before he completed his roll in the
dust, he twisted himself around and loosed off two bolts in the direction of
the blasts. A groan of agony and the slightly-built figure in the red Diablon
uniform buckled, dropped its PD weapon, and fell from the rocks. He lay
writhing in the dust. Blood was spurting from the around the soldier's fingers
as he clutched at his stomach. Distant shouts. Pounding boots.
Ewen looked frantically around. There was no cover around the outcrop. In
desperation he scrambled up to the soldier's former position and threw himself
into a hollow between the boulders. The boots pounded nearer and stopped close
by. Two men as best as he could judge. He kept his head down and prayed that
they wouldn't hear his heart jackhammering against his ribs.
"So what was that?" demanded the first voice, some way off. "Diablons?"
A powerful zargon lantern splashed light on the rocks around Ewen.
The second voice was scathing. "After hours? Don't be stupid. The
Diablons know the score. A guard shooting at own shadow more like."
At first Ewen thought he had misheard the comments then he caught a
glimpse of what looked like a red uniform through a crack in the rocks. He [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]