tz.theicarushunt-第20部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　〃I　will；〃　he　promised。　〃Speaking　of　tomorrow；　I　notice　you've　scheduled　our　next　fueling　stop　on　Dorscind's　World。　I　thought　I　might　remind　you　that　Dorscind's　World　is　not　exactly　a　highlight　of　the　average　five…star　tourist　cruise。〃
　〃Which　is　precisely　why　I　picked　it；〃　I　told　him。　Pix　and　Pax　had　finished　their　deck…level　tour　of　the　bridge　now　and　had　scampered　out　the　door　into　the　corridor。　I　sent　up　a　silent　prayer　that　they　wouldn't　run　across　Everett；　with　his　bulk；　the　big　medic　might　step　on　them　before　he　even　noticed　they　were　underfoot。　〃Paperwork　accuracy　has　never　been　exactly　a　high　priority　with　the　Port　Authority　there；　particularly　if　you're　a　few　marks　heavy　on　the　docking　fees。　I　figure　that　the　eighty…two　hours　it'll　take　to　get　there　should　be　long　enough　for　us　to　create　a　new　identity　for　the　Icarus　that'll　be　good　enough　to　pass　muster。〃
　〃I'm　sure　we　can　put　something　together；〃　he　rumbled；　eyeing　me　speculatively。　〃Did　your　tangle　with　the　Lumpy　Brothers　bother　you　that　much？〃
　〃More　than　you　know；〃　I　assured　him　grimly。　〃You　see；　according　to　the　schedule　Cameron　left　me…the　schedule　he　presumably　filed　with　the　Meima　Port　Authority…the　Icarus's　first　stop　was　going　to　be　Trottsen。　We　weren't　supposed　to　be　on　Xathru　at　all。〃
　His　squashed…iguana　face　hardened。　〃Yet　the　Lumpy　Brothers　knew　you　were　there。〃
　〃And　called　me　by　name；〃　I　nodded。　〃Granted；　they　may　have　tagged　me　when　my　turn　was　called　at　the　Starrm　building…I　had　no　reason　at　the　time　not　to　give　my　right　name　there。　But　why　pick　on　me　at　all？〃
　Ixil　nodded　thoughtfully。　〃Can't　be　one　of　the　crew；〃　he　murmured；　half　to　himself。　〃If　someone　here　wanted　the　cargo；　he　would　have　simply　stolen　it　himself　after　everyone　else　left　the　ship。〃
　〃Depending　on　whether　he　could　get　through　Cameron's　security　sealing；〃　I　said。　〃But　at　the　very　least　he　would　have　made　sure　the　Icarus　didn't　lift。　And　all　he　needed　to　do　to　acplish　that　was　to　phone　the　Port　Authority　with　an　anonymous　report　about　a　pair　of　crisped　bodies　lying　next　to　a　cul…de…sac　loading　dock。〃
　Ixil　cocked　his　head　to　the　side。　〃In　other　words；　he　could　have　used　the　same　technique　that　got　you　detained　on　Meima。〃
　〃Yes；〃　I　agreed。　〃And　the　fact　that　it　didn't　happen　on　Xathru　implies　to　me　that　it　wasn't　someone　aboard　who　pulled　that　stunt　on　Meima。　But　it　does　suggest　a　reason　why　the　Lumpy　Brothers　latched　on　to　me　but　not　on　to　anyone　else　aboard。〃
　Ixil　nodded。　〃The　Meima　Port　Authority　report　had　your　name。〃
　〃Not　only　my　name；　but　my　name　linked　with　Cameron's；〃　I　said。　〃Someone　got　hold　of　that　near…arrest　report　and　disseminated　it　to　assorted　associates　across　the　Spiral　with　instructions　to　be　on　the　lookout　for　me。　The　Lumpy　Brothers　just　happened　to　get　lucky。〃
　〃Or　else　backtracked　your　name　to　the　Stormy　Banks　and　looked　up　my　flight　schedule；〃　Ixil　suggested。　〃That　might　explain　how　they　happened　to　be　hanging　around　the　Starrm　building。〃
　〃I　hadn't　thought　of　that　part；〃　I　acknowledged。　〃You're　probably　right。〃
　〃It　also　indicates　our　employer　is　probably　still　at　large；〃　Ixil　continued；　stroking　his　cheek　thoughtfully。　〃I　imagine　he　remembers　all　the　rest　of　the　names　of　the　people　he　hired　on　Meima；　in　which　case　the　private　alert　ought　to　have　included　their　names　as　well。〃
　〃Good　point；〃　I　said；　grimacing。　What　had　bee　of　Cameron　was　still　high　on　my　list　of　annoying　loose　ends。　〃Though　that's　not　definitive…I　doubt　any　of　the　others　had　their　names　called　over　a　loudspeaker　in　the　market。〃
　〃Which　leaves　us　only　the　question　of　who's　behind　all　this；〃　Ixil　concluded。　〃And　how　we　smoke　him　or　them　out　into　the　open。〃
　〃Maybe　that's　your　only　unanswered　question；〃　I　said。　〃Personally；　I'm　already　on　page　two　of　that　list。　And　as　to　who's　pulling　the　strings　in　the　background；　I'm　not　at　all　sure　we　even　want　to　go　poking　that　direction。　It　seems　to　me　that　our　job　right　now　is　to　get　the　Icarus　and　its　cargo　to　Earth；　preferably　with　it　and　us　in　one　piece。　Well；　one　piece　each；　anyway。〃
　〃You　may　be　right。〃　He　hesitated。　〃You　said　you　called　Brother　John　to　discuss　this　sudden　change　in　plans。　You　didn't　say　whether　or　not　you'd　also　spoken　with　Uncle　Arthur。〃
　I　grimaced。　〃No；〃　I　said。　〃I　was　hoping　we　could…oh；　I　don't　know。　Surprise　him；　maybe？〃
　Even　without　the　ferrets　on　his　shoulders　to　do　their　twitching　thing；　I　had　no　trouble　reading　Ixil's　reaction　to　that　one。　〃I　won't　waste　time　by　asking　if　you　seriously　believe　that　to　be　a　good　idea；〃　he　said。　〃I'll　make　you　a　small　wager：　that　he　won't　be　any　happier　at　your　accepting　this　job　than　Brother　John　was。〃
　〃If　you're　expecting　me　to　cover　that　bet；　you　can　forget　it；〃　I　said　sourly；　the　proverbial　admonition　against　trying　to　serve　two　masters　running　through　my　mind。　No；　Uncle　Arthur　would　definitely　not　be　happy　with　me　over　this　one。　And　the　longer　I　put　off　calling　him；　the　unhappier　he　was　likely　to　get。　〃Oh；　all　right；〃　I　sighed。　〃I'll　call　him　as　soon　as　we　hit　Dorscind's　World。〃
　〃That's　the　spirit；〃　he　said；　with　all　the　cheerful　enthusiasm　of　someone　who　would　probably　find　himself　unavoidably　busy　tightening　bolts　on　the　Icarus　while　I　was　sweating　it　out　under　Uncle　Arthur's　basilisk　glare　in　a　Starrm　booth。　〃What's　our　plan　until　then？〃
　〃To　create　a　new　identity　for　the　Icarus；　and　to　keep　an　eye　on　our　backs；〃　I　said。　Across　at　the　bridge　door；　the　two　ferrets　reappeared　and　headed　straight　up　Ixil's　legs。　〃As　far　as　I'm　concerned；　we　still　don't　have　a　satisfactory　explanation　of　what　happened　to　Jones　and　Chort…〃
　The　ferrets　reached　Ixil's　shoulders；　and　abruptly；　he　made　a　quick　double　slashing　motion　across　his　throat　with　his　fingertips。　〃…makes　the　best　apple　brandy　anywhere　in　the　Spiral；〃　I　said；　shifting　verbal　gears　as　smoothly　as　I　could　manage。　The　voice　of　someone　speaking；　I　knew；　could　be　heard　well　before　the　actual　words　could　be　made　out；　as　could　the　sharp　break　of　that　voice　being　suddenly　cut　off。　〃In　fact；　I'd　put　it　up　against　anything　made　on　Taurus　or　even　Earth…〃
　I　caught　a　movement　from　the　corner　of　my　eye；　at　the　same　time　Ixil　turned　his　head　in　that　direction　and　nodded　courteously。　〃Good　evening；　Tera；〃　he　said；　breaking　into　my　improvised　babbling。　〃What　can　we　do　for　you？〃
　I　turned　to　face　the　door。　Tera　was　standing　in　the　doorway；　a　slight　frown　on　her　face　as　she　took　in　Ixil　seated　in　the　restraint　chair　with　me　on　the　swivel　stool。　〃You　can　get　yourself　out　of　that　chair；　that's　what；〃　she　said。　〃The　clock　on　the　wall…and　Mercantile　regs…say　it's　time　for　a　shift　change。　It's　my　turn　for　the　bridge。〃
　I　frowned　at　my　watch。　Preoccupied　with　everything　else　that　was　happening；　I　hadn't　even　thought　about　that。　〃You're　right；〃　I　acknowledged。　〃Sorry…I'm　not　used　to　flying　a　ship　where　there　are　real　shift　changes　and　everything。〃
　〃Which　I　presume　also　explains　why　your　mechanic's　in　the　control　chair　instead　of　you；〃　she　countered。　〃You；　Ixil；　need　to　take　over　for　Nicabar　in　the　engine　room；　and　you；　McKell；　need　to　hit　the　sack。〃
　〃I'm　fine；〃　I　insisted；　getting　to　my　feet。　In　that　moment；　though；　I　realized　that　she　was　right。　Overall　lack　of　sleep　plus　general　tension　level　had　bined　with　the　Lumpy　Brothers　incident　and　my　still…sore　leg　to　suddenly　throw　a　haze　of　wooziness　over　the　universe。　〃On　the　other　hand；　maybe　it　would　be　a　good　idea　to　go　under　for　a　couple　of　hours；〃　I　amended。
　〃Make　it　eight　of　them　and　you've　got　a　deal；〃　she　said；　jerking　a　thumb　back　down　the　corridor。　〃Go　on…I'll　let　you　know　if　there's　any　trouble。　You're　in　one　of　the　cabins　on　the　lower　level；　right？〃
　〃Right；〃　I　said。　〃Number　Eight。〃
　〃Fine；〃　she　said；　settling　herself　into　the　chair　Ixil　had　just　vacated。　〃Pleasant　dreams。〃
　I　stepped　out　the　door　and　clanked　my　way　down　the　bare…metal　rungs　of　the　ladder　to　the　lower　deck。　The　central　corridor…as　with　the　mid…deck；　there　was　only　one…was　deserted。　No　big　surprise；　since　aside　from　storage　and　recycling　equipment　there　were　only　two　sleeping　cabins　down　here；　mine　and　the　one　Ixil　had　moved　into。　A　quiet　part　of　the　ship；　where　the　rhythmic　humming　of　the　various　machines　would　be　quite　conducive　to　lulling　a　weary　traveler　to　sleep。