rasalvatore.attackoftheclones-第50部分

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beard　hung　halfway　down　his　torso。
　
　They　continued　their　banter；　but　had　moved　out　of　earshot　by　then；　and　Obi…　Wan　didn't　dare　step　out　to　follow。　They　moved　across　the　way；　through　an　archway　and　up　a　flight　of　stairs。
　
　After　a　short　pause　to　make　sure　they　were　well　along；　Obi…Wan　rushed　out；　peeking　through　to　the　stairs；　then　crept　up　them；　ing　to　a　narrow　archway　overlooking　a　smaller　room。　Inside；　he　saw　the　six　who　had　passed；　along　with　several　others；　notably　three　opposition　Senators　the　Jedi　recognized。　First　came　Po　Nudo　of　Ando；　an　Aqualish　who　looked　as　if　he　was　wearing　a　helmet　with　great　goggles；　but　was　not；　of　course。　Beside　him　sat　neckless　Toonebuck　Toora　of　Sy　Myrth；　with　her　rodentlike　head　and　wide　mouth；　and　the　Quarren　Senator　Tessek；　his　face　tentacles　waggling　anxiously。　Obi…Wan　had　met　this　trio　before；　back　on　Coruscant。
　
　Yes；　he　realized；　it　seemed　he　had　walked　into　the　center　of　the　hive。
　〃You　have　met　Shu　Mai？〃　Count　Dooku；　seated　at　the　head　of　the　table；　asked　the　three　Senators。　〃Representing　the　merce　Guild。〃　Across　the　way；　Shu　Mai　nodded　deferentially。　Her　delicate　and　gray；　wrinkled　head　was　set　on　a　long　neck　and　her　most　striking　feature；　aside　from　long　and　pointy　horizontal　ears；　was　a　hairstyle　that　looked　much　like　a　skin…covered　horn；　protruding　out　the　back　of　her　skull；　rising　up　and　curving　forward。
　〃And　this　is　San　Hill；　distinguished　member　of　the　InterGalactic　Banking　Clan；〃　Dooku　went　on；　indicating　a　creature　with　the　longest　and　narrowest　face　Obi…Wan　had　ever　seen。
　
　Those　gathered　about　the　table　murmured　their　greetings；　nodded　to　each　other；　for　many　moments；　and　then　they　went　silent；　all　eyes　settling　on　Count　Dooku；　who　seemed　to　Obi…Wan　in　plete　control　here；　even　above　the　Archduke　of　the　planet。
　〃As　I　explained　to　you　earlier；　I'm　quite　convinced　that　ten　thousand　more　systems　will　rally　to　our　cause　with　your　support；〃　the　Count　said。　〃And　let　me　remind　you　of　our　absolute　mitment　to　capitalism　。。。　to　the　lower　taxes；　the　reduced　tariffs；　and　the　eventual　abolition　of　all　trade　barriers。　Signing　this　treaty　will　bring　you　profits　beyond　your　wildest　imagination。　What　we　are　proposing　is　plete　free　trade。〃　He　looked　to　Nute　Gunray；　who　nodded。
　〃Our　friends　in　the　Trade　Federation　have　pledged　their　support；〃　Count　Dooku　went　on。　〃When　their　battle　droids　are　bined　with　yours；　we　shall　have　an　army　greater　than　anything　in　the　galaxy。　The　Republic　will　be　overwhelmed。〃
　〃If　I　may；　Count；〃　said　one　of　the　others；　one　of　the　two　who　had　trailed　Dooku　to　the　room。
　〃Yes；　Passel　Argente；〃　Count　Dooku　said。　〃We　are　always　interested　in　hearing　from　the　Corporate　Alliance。〃
　
　The　huddled　and　nervous　man　offered　a　slight　bow　to　Dooku。　〃I　am　authorized　by　the　Corporate　Alliance　to　sign　the　treaty。〃　〃We　are　most　grateful　for　your　cooperation；　Magistrate；〃　Dooku　said。
　
　Obi…Wan　recognized　that　exchange　for　what　it　was；　a　play　for　the　benefit　of　the　other；　less　enthusiastic；　people　at　the　table。　Count　Dooku　was　trying　to　build　some　momentum。
　
　That　momentum　hit　a　bit　of　a　bump　a　moment　later；　though；　when　Shu　Mai　piped　in。　〃The　merce　Guild　at　this　time　does　not　wish　to　bee　openly　involved。〃　However；　she　smoothed　it　over　immediately。　〃But　we　shall　support　you　in　secret；　and　look　forward　to　doing　business　with　you。〃
　
　Several　chuckles　erupted　about　the　table；　and　Count　Dooku　only　smiled。
　〃That　is　all　we　ask；〃　he　assured　Shu　Mai。　Then　he　looked　to　the　distinguished　member　of　the　Banking　Clan；　and　all　the　other　gazes　settled　on　San　Hill；　as　well。
　〃The　InterGalactic　Banking　Clan　will　support　you　wholeheartedly；　Count　Dooku；〃　San　Hill　declared。　〃But　only　in　a　nonexclusive　arrangement。〃
　
　Obi…Wan　settled　back；　trying　to　sort　out　the　implications　of　it　all。　Count　Dooku　had　it　all　falling　together　here；　a　threat　beyond　anything　the　Republic　had　expected。　With　the　money　of　the　bankers　and　the　mercial　and　trade　guilds　behind　him；　and　this　factory…and　likely　many　others　like　it…　churning　out　armies　of　battle　droids；　the　potential　danger　was　staggering。　Was　that　why　Sifo…Dyas　had　missioned　the　clone　army？　Had　the　Master　sensed　this　growing　danger；　perhaps？　But　if　that　was　true；　then　what　was　the　tie　between　Jango　Fett　and　this　group　on　Geonosis？　Was　it　mere　coincidence　that　the　man　chosen　as　source　for　the　clone　army　to　defend　the　Republic　had　been　hired　by　the　Trade　Federation　to　kill　Senator　Amidala？　It　seemed　too　much　a　coincidence　to　Obi…Wan；　but　he　had　little　else　to　go　on。　He　wanted　to　hang　around　and　listen　in　some　more；　but　he　knew　then　that　he　had　to　get　out　of　there；　had　to　return　to　his　ship　and　R4；　and　get　a　warning　out　across　the　galaxy　to　the　Jedi　Council。
　
　Over　the　last　hours；　Obi…Wan　had　seen　nothing　but　armies；　clone　and　droid；　and　he　knew　that　it　would　all　be　ing　together　very　quickly　in　an　explosion　beyond　anything　the　galaxy　had　seen　in　many；　many　centuries。
　
　Chapter　Twenty
　
　She　wasn't　seeing　much　with　her　eyes。　Caked　with　blood　and　swollen　from　the　beatings；　they　would　hardly　open。　She　wasn't　hearing　much　with　her　ears；　for　the　sounds　around　her　were　harsh　and　threatening；　relentlessly　so。　And　she　wasn't　feeling　with　her　body；　for　there　was　nothing　there　but　pain。
　
　No；　Shmi　had　fallen　inside　herself；　reliving　those　moments　long　ago；　when　she　and　Anakin　had　lived　their　lives　as　Watto's　slaves。　It　was　not　an　easy　life；　but　she　had　her　Annie　with　her；　and　given　that；　Shmi　could　remember　those　times　fondly。　Only　now；　with　the　prospects　for　ever　seeing　her　son　again　so　distant；　did　she　truly　appreciate　how　much　she　had　missed　the　boy　over　the　last　ten　years。　All　those　times　staring　up　at　the　night　sky；　she　had　thought　of　him；　had　imagined　him　soaring　across　the　galaxy；　rescuing　the　downtrodden；　saving　planets　from　ravaging　monsters　and　evil　tyrants。
　
　But　she　had　always　expected　to　see　her　Annie　again；　had　always　expected　him　to　walk　onto　the　moisture　farm　one　day；　that　impish　smile　of　his；　the　one　that　could　light　up　a　room；　greeting　her　as　if　they　had　never　been　apart。　Shmi　had　loved　Cliegg　and　Owen。　Truly　she　had。　Cliegg　was　her　rescuer；　her　dashing　knight；　and　Owen　had　been　like　the　son　she　had　lost；　always　passionate；　always　happy　to　listen　to　her　endless　stories　of　Anakin's　exploits。　And　Shmi　was　growing　to　love　Beru；　too。　Who　could　not？　Beru　was　that　special　bination　of　passion　and　quiet　inner　strength。
　
　But　despite　the　good　fortune　that　had　brought　those　three　into　her　life；　improving　her　lot　a　millionfold；　Shmi　Skywalker　had　always　kept　a　special　place　in　her　heart　reserved　for　her　Annie；　her　son；　her　hero。　And　so　now；　as　it　seemed　the　end　of　her　life　was　imminent；　Shmi's　thoughts　focused　on　those　memories　she　had　of　Anakin；　while　at　the　same　time；　she　reached　out　to　him　with　her　heart。　He　was　always　different　with　such　feelings；　always　so　attuned　to　that　mysterious　Force。　The　Jedi　who　had　e　to　Tatooine　had　seen　it　in　him　clearly。
　
　Perhaps；　then；　Annie　would　feel　her　love　for　him　now。　She　needed　that；　needed　to　plete　the　cycle；　to　let　her　son　recognize　that　through　it　all；　through　the　missing　years　and　the　great　distances　between　them；　she　had　loved　him　unconditionally　and　had　thought　of　him　constantly。
　
　Annie　was　her　fort；　her　place　to　hide　from　the　pain　the　Tuskens　had；　and　were；　exacting　upon　her　battered　body。　Every　day　they　came　in　and　tortured　her　a　bit　more；　prodding　her　with　sharp　spears　or　beating　her　with　the　blunt　shafts　and　short　whips。　It　was　more　than　a　desire　to　inflict　pain；　Shmi　realized；　though　she　didn't　speak　their　croaking　language。　This　was　the　Tusken　way　of　measuring　their　enemies；　and　from　the　nods　and　the　tone　of　their　voices；　she　realized　that　her　resilience　had　impressed　them。
　
　They　didn't　know　that　her　resilience　was　wrought　of　a　mother's　love。　Without　the　memories　of　Annie　and　the　hope　that　he　would　feel　her　love　for　him；　she　would　surely　have　given　up　long　ago　and　allowed　herself　to　die。
　
　　Under　the　pale　light　of　a　full　moon；　Anakin　Skywalker　pulled　the　speeder　bike　to　the　ridge　of　a　high　dune　and　peered　across　the　desert　wastes　of　Tatooine。　Not　too　far　below　him；　he　saw　an　encampment　spread　about　a　small　oasis；