11_metamorphosis-第20章

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The　remnants　of　the　Army　of　the　Southern　Cross　rose　to　fight；　were　thrown　back　in　defeat；　regrouped；　tried　again　against　any　sane　hope；　and　were　shattered　beyond　repair。

Still　there　were　those　who　refused　to　surrender；　as　the　aliens　established　themselves　and　began　their　pacification　of　the　planet。　One　of　these　was　a　young　aviator　reservist　named　Lancer　who　had　just　begun　to　explore　his　love　with　a　woman　named　Carla　when　the　hordes　from　the　stars　struck。

Even　as　the　Invid　established　their　network　of　quislings；　informers；　and　assassination　squads；　Lancer　and　a　few　others　were　plotting　for　a　final　attempt　to　strike　at　the　heart　of　the　Invid　beachhead。

But　the　raid　was　a　final　disaster。　Wounded；　attempting　to　get　back　to　her；　Lancer　had　crash…landed　his　Veritech　less　than　a　mile　from　her　door。　Somehow；　Carla　had　gotten　him　to　what　was　left　of　her　home。

By　then；　most　of　the　people　still　alive　were　those　willing　to　submit　to　the　Invid。　Some　even　served　them…hunted　down　their　enemies　and　offered　them　up　to　the　triumphant　invaders。

Lancer　had　barely　e　to　in　Carla's　bed　when　the　sounds　of　the　hue　and　cry　drifted　up　from　the　streets。　Rifle　butts　were　bashing　at　doors；　hounds　bayed。

In　time；　the　manhunt　came　to　Carla's　house。


CHAPTER　TEN

If　you　hold　it　against　me　that　I　was　a　little　theatrical　in　what　I　did；　and　you　don't　care　to　consider　The　Scarlet　Pimpernel　or　Zorro；　be　kind　enough　to　keep　in　mind　what　I　acplished；　and　let　the　record　speak　for　itself。
Of　if　not；　either　walk　on　by　or　step　out　back。
Remark　attributed　to　Lancer

That　time　seemed　so　remote；　Carla　thought；　and　yet　it　remained　so　crystal…clear　in　her　mind。

Lancer　had　a　fine　record　as　a　military　officer；　but　he　had　left　the　Southern　Cross　sometime　before　the　Invid　attack　because　he　had　been　unable　to　fight　the　urge　he　felt　to　be　a　performer。　His　soft；　intimate　way　with　some　songs；　his　brassy；　crowd…pleasing　style　with　others；　made　him　a　natural；　but　there　was　another　side　to　his　art。

An　interest　in　theater　had　led　him　to　investigate　the　Japanese　traditions　of　No；　Bunraku；　Bugaku；　and　especially　Kabuki。　He　found　that　he　loved　to　perform　clownish　Saruwaka　antics　more　than　he　liked　any　Aragoto　swaggering　heroic　lead；　and　in　somewhat　the　same　way；　the　martial　juggling/acrobatics　of　the　Hoka　possessed　him。

And　he　came；　in　time；　almost　against　his　will；　to　a　fascination　with　the　revered　craft　of　the　Onna…gata…the　tradition　of　female　roles　portrayed　by　specializing　male　actors…and　the　gentle　Wagoto　style　of　acting。

Lancer　found　a　strange　understanding　of　himself　through　the　Musume；　the　ingenue　role；　and　dramatic　masters　encouraged　him　to　study　the　art。　In　the　West　there　was　still；　in　many　quarters；　a　horror　at　the　blurring　of　gender　lines。　But　in　the　Kabuki　his　talent　was　applauded；　by　men　and　women　both；　for　its　triumph　of　art　over　stereotype；　and　for　its　submersion　of　self　in　role。

Lancer　returned　to　the　Americas　with　new　thoughts　in　his　head。　He　began　to　revive　the　type　of　gender…blending　pop　music　figure　that　had　disappeared　with　the　outbreak　of　the　Global　Civil　War。

When　he　met　Carla；　she　seemed　immediately　to　understand　everything。　Carla　became　his　co…conspirator；　his　lover；　his　confidant；　his　fianc閑。　She　became　a　mainstay　of　his　life；　showing　her　affection　for　his　Musume　persona；　joining　him　in　a　world　where　conventions　and　Western　narrowness　had　no　hold。

Everything　was　fine　until　the　Invid　came。　While　Earth　passed　into　the　flames；　a　young　reserve　aviator　named　Lancer　lay　listening　to　the　tread　of　Shock　Trooper　mecha　and　the　sound　of　rifle　butts　and　hobnailed　boots　breaking　down　doors　in　the　alley　outside。

Carla　was　already　nearly　as　adept　at　some　parts　of　his　craft　as　he。　〃There's　only　one　way　you　can　survive；　and　that's　as　Yellow　Dancer；〃　she　said；　even　as　she　was　setting　out　makeup。

When　the　Invid　manhunters　came　in　they　found　only　two　frightened　women。　Their　insistent　search　turned　up　nothing…Lancer's　VT　armor　having　been　left　behind…and　they　went　away　grumbling；　the　Shock　Trooper's　optical　sensor　indicating　nothing　as　the　hulking　war　machine　turned　to　go。

Carla　leaned　to　kiss　her　lover　longingly。　〃You're　Yellow　Dancer　now。　You　must　be；　every　moment；　or　we're　dead。〃


In　retrospect；　it　seemed　a　happy　time　but　sitting　at　the　table　in　the　Club　Inca；　Carla　knew　that　it　had　been　filled　with　fear　and　travail。　By　foot　and　ox　cart　and　stolen　bike　and　a　half…dozen　other　means　that　they　took　as　the　occasion　arose；　she　and　Yellow　Dancer　moved　toward　some　hoped…for　safety。　Yellow　even　began　singing　for　their　supper；　when　the　opportunity　came　up。　Not　only　did　Yellow　Dancer's　persona　submerge　Lancer's；　Yellow　and　Carla　came　to　meld；　in　a　way。

Then　there　came　a　day　in　a　huge　rail　terminal；　both　of　them　clutching　forged　documents　from　the　Resistance　that　would　get　them　to　a　possible　place　of　safety。　The　region　they　were　in　was　somewhat　neutral；　and　Carla's　lover　was　Lancer　once　more。　Dark　thoughts　seemed　to　have　overtaken　him　once　his　male　persona　reasserted　itself；　the　halcyon　days　of　the　escape　were　over；　and　aliens　strode　the　Earth；　exterminating　Human　beings　at　will。

And　as　the　bullet　train　began　moving；　Lancer　leapt　from　it。　The　doors　shut　and　secured　automatically　behind　him。　He　crouched；　staring　at　the　surface　of　the　train　platform　so　that　he　wouldn't　have　to　meet　her　gaze。　Lancer　had　to　let　the　train　take　Carla　to　safety　so　that　he　could　join　the　Resistance　in　the　fight　against　the　Invid。


Carla　was　gone　from　the　sad　little　bridal　party　table　by　the　time　Yellow　Dancer　finished　her　encore　set。　Yellow　went　downstairs　to　her　makeshift　dressing　room。　What　point　would　there　have　been　in　seeing　Carla　alone？　The　Invid　kept　the　two　apart；　no　less　today　than　on　that　day　in　the　rail　station。

When　Yellow　Dancer　opened　the　door；　Carla　sat　waiting。

Yellow　Dancer　and　Lancer　surged　and　vied　in　a　single　mind。　Carla　seemed　small　and　frail；　sitting　with　her　hands　in　her　lap；　facing　the　door；　waiting　only　for　Yellow's　return。　〃After　three　years；〃　she　whispered。　〃You've　e　back　for　me　at　last！〃

Tears　ran　down　her　cheeks　as　she　watched　Yellow　sit　down。　〃Time　stopped　having　any　meaning　for　me；　do　you　know　what　that　feels　like？　What　happened　to　you？　I've　felt…my　life　has　been　so　empty！〃

What　Yellow　might　have　said　will　never　be　known；　at　that　moment　the　door　slammed　open　and　Annie　rushed　in。　〃Lancer！　Oops；　didn't　mean　to　interrupt；　but…I'm　in　love！〃

〃That's　all　right；　Annie；〃　Lancer　replied；　but　his　eyes　were　on　Carla。

In　love；　Carla　thought。　Lancer　was　looking　at　her　now；　not　Yellow　Dancer。　〃I…I　was　in　love　with　someone　once；〃　Carla　told　Annie　haltingly；　wondering　if　she　sounded　deranged。

Annie　appeared　not　to　notice　Carla's　despair。　〃Fall　in　love　again；　okay？　Then　you'll　be　just　as　happy　as　l　am！〃

Annie　gripped　Lancer's　hand。　〃Eddie　and　his　folks　are　getting　a　map；　an　honest　one；　that'll　tell　them　how　to　get　through　the　mountains　to　Paradise。　And　they're　taking　me　along！　They're　gonna　be　my　family！〃

It　dawned　on　her　that　neither　Yellow　Dancer　nor　Carla　seemed　very　happy　for　her。　She　jumped　off　the　couch　and　resettled　her　E。T。　cap。　〃I　just　couldn't　leave　without　saying　good…bye。　Um；　well；　my　dreamboat