tz.theicarushunt-第22部分

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；　but　I　didn't　know　enough　about　the　intricacies　of　the　system。
　〃You　two　been　flying　together　long？〃　Tera　broke　into　my　thoughts。
　I　blinked　at　her　in　mild　surprise。　Casual　conversation　from　Tera　was　something　new　in　my　admittedly　brief　acquaintance　with　her。　〃Six　years；〃　I　told　her。　〃I　took　him　on　about　a　year　after　I　bought　the　Stormy　Banks。　I　figured　having　a　partner　would　help　me　run　cargoes　faster　and　more　efficiently　and　bring　in　more　money。〃
　〃I　take　it　it　didn't　work？〃
　〃What　makes　you　say　that？〃　I　countered；　long　experience　with　that　question　putting　automatic　defensiveness　into　my　voice。
　〃You're　here；　aren't　you？〃　she　said。　〃Sorry…I　didn't　mean　that　the　way　it　sounded。　With　the　Patth　handling　almost　everything　worth　shipping　these　days；　it's　a　wonder　everyone　else　hasn't　been　driven　out　of　business。〃
　〃Give　them　a　few　more　years；〃　I　said　sourly。　〃The　way　they're　going；　it　won't　be　long　before　they　have　it　all。〃
　〃At　least　everything　legitimate；〃　she　said；　giving　me　a　sideways　look。　〃You　do　run　legitimate　cargoes；　don't　you；　McKell？〃
　〃Every　single　chance　I　get；〃　I　said；　trying　to　put　a　touch　of　levity　into　my　tone　as　I　gazed　at　her　profile；　wishing　I　could　read　what　was　going　on　behind　those　hazel　eyes　of　hers。　Had　she　talked　to　someone　while　we　were　on　Xathru？　Heard　something；　perhaps；　about　my　forced　affiliation　with　Brother　John　and　the　Antoniewicz　organization？　〃What　about　you？〃　I　asked；　hoping　to　change　the　subject。　〃How　long　have　you　been　flying？〃
　〃Not　long；〃　she　said。　〃What　do　you　do　when　you　can't　get　legitimate　work？〃
　So　much　for　changing　the　subject。　〃Sometimes　we're　able　to　pick　up　intrasystem　cargoes；〃　I　told　her。　〃Occasionally　we　have　to　find　temp　jobs　in　whatever　port　we're　stuck　in　until　something　es　along。　Mostly；　we　eat　real　light。〃
　〃You're　not　a　big　fan　of　the　Patth；　then；　I　take　it？〃
　〃No　one　who　hauls　cargo　for　a　living　is　a　fan　of　the　Patth；〃　I　said　darkly；　my　conversation　with　Nicabar　flashing　to　mind。　〃Is　this　your　subtle　way　of　suggesting　we　might　be　carrying　a　Patth　cargo？〃
　There　were　a　lot　of　things；　I　knew；　that　a　petent　actress　could　do　with　her　body；　voice；　and　expression。　But　the　last　time　I　checked；　the　red　flush　that　rose　to　briefly　color　Tera's　cheeks　wasn't　one　of　them。　〃We'd　better　not　be；〃　she　said；　the　studied　casualness　in　her　voice　a　sharp　contrast　to　the　emotion　implicit　in　that　reddened　skin。　〃Though　I　doubt　we'll　find　out　for　sure　anywhere　this　side　of　Earth。〃
　〃If　even　then；〃　I　pointed　out。　〃Whoever　Borodin's　got　working　that　end　isn't　under　any　obligation　to　let　us　watch　while　he　cuts　the　cargo　bay　open。〃
　〃No；　of　course　not；〃　she　murmured；　almost　as　if　talking　to　herself。　〃I　wonder　why　he　lied　to　us　about　ing　along。〃
　〃Who；　Borodin？　What　makes　you　think　he　did　lie？〃
　She　shrugged。　〃You　saw　that　note　he　left。　He　had　to　have　written　it　before　the　Ihmisits　closed　the　port　down　for　the　night。〃
　I　thought　about　Director　Aymi…Mastr　of　the　Meima　Port　Authority　and　that　murder　charge　she'd　talked　about。　〃Unless　he　just　had　it　here　as　a　precaution；〃　I　suggested。　〃Maybe　he　fully　intended　to　join　us；　but　circumstances　prevented　him。〃
　She　snorted。　〃Right。　A　full　bottle；　or　a　warm　bed。　Circumstances。〃
　〃Or　a　small　matter　of　murder；〃　I　said。
　She　looked　at　me；　her　eyes　narrowing。　〃Murder？〃
　〃That's　right；〃　I　said。　〃I　was　told　there　was　a　warrant　out　for　his　arrest　on　a　possible　murder　charge。〃
　She　shook　her　head。　〃Hard　to　believe；〃　she　said。　〃He　seemed　like　such　a　normal；　upstanding　man。〃
　〃That's　exactly　what　I　said　when　they　asked　me　about　it；〃　I　said　approvingly。　〃Nice　to　know　there's　at　least　one　thing　we　agree　on。〃
　〃Well；　now；　wait　a　minute；〃　she　warned　cautiously。　〃I　never　said　I　thought　he　didn't　do　it；　I　just　said　it　was　hard　to　believe。　I　don't　know　anything　about　the　man。〃
　〃Sure；　I　understand；〃　I　assured　her。　In　fact；　I　understood　far　more　than　she　probably　realized。　Just　as　her　involuntary　blush　when　talking　about　the　Patth　had　given　me　a　glimpse　into　her　emotional　state；　so；　too；　had　the　plete　lack　of　any　such　coloring　when　I　told　her　about　Cameron's　murder　charge。　And　that　despite　her　alleged　total　surprise　at　hearing　such　shocking　news。
　Maybe　she'd　already　used　up　all　of　her　emotional　reactions　for　one　day。　Or　maybe　she　hadn't　been　surprised　by　the　murder　charge　for　the　simple　reason　that　she'd　already　known　all　about　it。
　〃puter　Specialist　Tera？〃　Chort's　whistly　voice　came　over　the　speaker。　〃I　believe　I'm　finished　here。　Shall　I　check　the　rest　of　the　hull？〃
　I　was　still　watching　Tera　closely；　which　was　why　I　caught　the　slight　but　unmistakable　tightening　of　her　facial　muscles。　Perhaps　she　was　thinking　along　the　same　line　that　had　suddenly　occurred　to　me：　that　it　had　been　just　as　Chort　had　set　off　on　a　similar　check　of　the　cargo　and　engine　hulls　his　last　time　out　that　the　accident　with　the　grav　generator　had　occurred。
　If　it　was；　in　fact；　an　accident。　Perhaps　someone　aboard　didn't　want　anyone　taking　a　close　look　at　the　outside　of　the　cargo　sphere。
　For　a　moment　I　was　tempted　to　tell　him　to　go　ahead；　just　to　see　if　our　theoretical　spoilsport　still　had　his　same　access　to　switches　or　junction　boxes　or　whatever。　But　only　for　a　moment。　Ixil　was　sharing　the　hot　spot　with　Chort；　and　the　spoilsport　might　decide　he　didn't　like　Ixil　any　more　than　he'd　liked　Jones。　I　had　no　interest　in　risking　Ixil's　life　or　health；　at　least　not　then。　Certainly　not　over　a　theory　that　hadn't　even　occurred　to　me　until　five　seconds　ago。
　〃This　is　McKell；〃　I　said　toward　the　speaker　before　Tera　could　answer。　〃Don't　bother；　Chort…we　don't　have　time　for　it。　You　and　Ixil　just　get　back　in　and　button　up。〃
　〃Acknowledged；〃　he　whistled。
　〃That　was　my　job；〃　Tera　reminded　me；　throwing　a　brief　glare　in　my　direction。　But　to　my　hypersensitive　eye；　the　glare　didn't　seem　to　have　the　kind　of　fire　behind　it　that　I　would　have　expected。　Maybe　she　and　I　had　indeed　been　thinking　along　the　same　lines；　or　maybe　her　chip…shoulder　act　was　starting　to　wear　a　little　thin。　〃You're　off…duty；　remember？〃
　〃Right；〃　I　said。　〃I　keep　forgetting。　You　can　handle　things　here？〃
　She　didn't　even　bother　to　answer　that　one；　just　gave　me　a　look　that　said　volumes　all　by　itself　and　turned　back　to　the　monitors。　Properly　chastened；　I　floated　out　of　the　bridge；　maneuvered　down　the　ladder　well；　and　returned　to　my　cabin。　I　was　once　again　stripping　off　my　jacket　when　the　warning　tone　sounded　and　gravity　came　back　on。
　For　a　long　time　after　that　I　just　lay　in　my　bunk；　staring　at　the　closed　door　in　the　dim　light；　as　I　ran　that　last　conversation　through　endless　repeats　in　my　mind。　Tera　was　an　enigma；　and　in　general　I　hated　enigmas。　In　my　experience；　they　nearly　always　spelled　trouble。
　Unless　I　had　been　reading　her　words　and　her　reactions　all　wrong。　Or；　worse；　had　somehow　imagined　them　entirely。　It　certainly　wouldn't　be　the　first　time　I　had　oh…so…cleverly　Sherlocked　myself　straight　down　a　blind　alley。
　But　I　hadn't　imagined　the　mishap　with　the　grav　generator　or　Jones's　death。　I　hadn't　imagined　my　brief　detention　on　Meima；　or　the　Lumpy　Brothers；　or　their　unreasonably　advanced　hand　weaponry。
　And　I　certainly　hadn't　imagined　Arno　Cameron；　amateur　archaeologist　and　head　of　one　of　the　largest　and　most　influential　industrial　bines　in　the　Spiral；　sitting　in　a　grimy　Vyssiluyan　taverno　and　all　but　begging　me　to　fly　the　Icarus　to　Earth　for　him。
　No；　the　facts　were　there；　at　least　some　of　them。　What　they　meant；　though；　I　didn't　have　the　foggiest　idea。
　But　a　small　group　of　unclearly　related　facts　can　chase　each　other　around　a　single　overtired　brain　for　only　so　long。　Eventually；　I　fell　asleep。
　　
　CHAPTER　6
　
　THE　PORT　FACILITIES　on　Xathru　had　been　a　couple　of　steps　above　those　on　Meima。　The　single　mercial　port　on　Dorscind's　World；　in　contrast；　was　at　least　five　steps　back　down　again。
　Not　that　the　equipment　itself　was　a　problem。　On　the　contrary；　the　landing　cradle　was　the　best　the　Icarus　had　seen　yet；　with　the　kind　of　peripheral　and　support　equipment　that　a　place　like　Meima　could　only　dream　of。　It　was；　rather；　the　port's　clientele　that　put　Dorscind's　World　well　below　the　standards　set　by　the　Spiral's　tour　cruise　directors。　Planned　by　its　developers　as　a　high…class　gambling　r