tz.theicarushunt-第24部分
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going out and finding more。
A shadow passed over me； and to my annoyance a thin； wiry man with dark hair and a scraggly beard plopped himself down in the chair across from me。 〃Hey； old buddy；〃 he greeted me expansively。 〃How's it going？〃
〃It's going just fine；〃 I told him automatically； frowning。 His tone and expression implied we knew each other； and he did indeed look vaguely familiar； but for the life of me I couldn't place him。
He apparently picked up on my uncertainty。 〃Aw； e on； Jordie old buddy；〃 he said； sounding hurt。 〃Don't tell me you don't remember your old drinking pal。〃
And in that moment； it all came disgustingly back。 James Fulbright； small…time gunrunner and smuggler； the only person I'd ever met who was either too stupid or too stubborn for me to break of using the hated nickname Jordie。 I'd been trying to negotiate a deal with his group when Uncle Arthur had fixed me up with Brother John instead。 The drinking bouts that had been a centerpiece of Fulbright's negotiations had been one of the definite low points in my life。 〃Hello； James；〃 I sighed。 〃Small Spiral； isn't it？〃
〃Small as you'd ever want；〃 he agreed； grinning with a mouthful of uneven teeth。 Rumor had it they'd started out perfectly straight； but that every time one was knocked out during a brawl he'd had it put back crooked just to make himself look meaner。 〃Waiting to make a call； huh？〃
〃Yes；〃 I said； bowing to the inevitable。 〃Can I get you a drink？〃
〃Oh； I think you can do better than one measly drink；〃 he said。 〃How much cash you got on you？〃
I stared at him； warning bells belatedly going off in the back of my mind。 Fulbright was still smiling； but I could now see the hard edge beneath the grin。 He was definitely not here just to cadge drinks。 〃What are you talking about？〃 I demanded quietly。
〃I'm talking about a shakedown；〃 he said； lowering his voice to match mine。 〃What'd you think？ All for your own good； of course。 So。 You got ten grand on you？ That's what it's gonna take； you know。 At least ten grand。〃
For a good three seconds I just stared at him； wondering what in hell was going on。 There he sat； alone； both hands on the table； his right casually holding a folded piece of paper； his left open and empty。 His sleeves were too tight to be concealing a quick…throw gun or knife； and there was no way he could beat me to a standard draw with his jacket zipped and mine half…open。 It was possible he had a backup somewhere in the room already targeting me； but even drawing a weapon in here would be begging for trouble； and starting a firefight would be even worse。 And why pick on me in the first place？ 〃Maybe you don't know I'm not running independent anymore；〃 I said at last。 〃I'm connected with a pretty big organization。 They wouldn't think much of this。〃
His smile went a bit more brittle。 〃Yeah； well； whoever they are； I can guarantee they won't lift a finger to help you on this one；〃 he said。 〃Believe it or not； Jordie； I'm your only friend in this room right now。〃 With a smooth motion； he flipped open the paper in his hand and swiveled it around to face me。
I glanced down。 And found myself looking at my own Mercantile Authority file photo。
I looked up at Fulbright； startled。 〃Go ahead；〃 he said encouragingly。 〃Read it。〃
I looked back down at the flyer。 It was an urgent request for information about the current location of one Jordan McKell； pilot/captain of the Orion…class freighter Icarus； registry and configuration unknown。 It didn't say why McKell was being sought； but included two contact numbers； a local Dorscind's World phone number and a Starrm vid connect…the latter； like Brother John's number； one of the anonymous types that gave no indication of which world it was connected to。
It also promised a reward to the one who fingered me。 A straight five thousand marks。
〃I don't know what you've done now； Jordie；〃 Fulbright said softly； 〃but you're in one hell of a lot of trouble。 Everyone in this place probably has one of these things by now…the guy was passing them out like free fruit sticks。 The only reason you're still walking around is that that's such a lousy picture。〃
He grinned。 〃That； plus no one figured you'd e to a sleazepit like this。 I'd guess that's what's tying up the Starrm lines…everyone's calling their buddies to pass the word。〃
〃Probably；〃 I murmured。 But someone thought I might e to a sleazepit like this； whoever was at the other end of that phone number； at the very least。 Someone was very intent here about covering all the bases； and from all indications he was covering them very well。 And unlike the Lumpy Brothers； that same someone knew the name of the ship I was flying。 〃Tell me； was this walking fruit…stick tray a bipedal alien with long arms and lumpy skin？〃
Fulbright's forehead creased slightly。 〃Naw； he was a human。 Short and kind of wimpish…your basic accountant type。〃
〃Doesn't sound like he really belongs in a place like this；〃 I suggested。 〃You sure it's not a scam of some sort？〃
〃At a hundred marks a crack？〃 Fulbright scoffed。 〃Who cares？〃
I frowned。 〃A hundred？ The flyer says five thousand。〃
〃That's the finder's fee；〃 Fulbright said。 〃The guy's been handing out a hundred with each flyer。 Just to make sure it gets read； I guess。〃
I felt cold all over。 Five thousand marks to find me…that could be anything； from anywhere。 But for the hunter to be passing out additional thousands of marks in cash just to generate interest meant something very big indeed was going on。
And the only thing that had saved me so far was that abominably poor photo in my Mercantile file。 That； and the fact that the one person here who did recognize me was angling for a higher bounty。 〃Okay；〃 I said to Fulbright。 〃Ten thousand it is。 But I don't have it on me。 We'll have to go back to the ship。〃
His eyes narrowed； and in the twitching of his eyebrows and lips I could practically read his line of reasoning： that if he was able to get a good look at the Icarus； he might be able to peddle the description for another few thousand from the unidentified accountant type。 〃Okay；〃 he said； unzipping his jacket and stuffing the flyer into an inside pocket。 He stood up； giving me a glimpse of a gray handgun holstered at the left side of his belt； and nodded toward the door。 〃Sure。 Let's go。〃
We headed out of the taverno； crossed the lobby； and out the Starrm…building door。 Halfway across the lobby he surreptitiously pulled his gun from its holster and stuffed it and his right hand into his side jacket pocket。 Former drinking buddies or not； he obviously didn't trust me very far。 〃Which landing cradle are you in？〃 he asked as I headed toward the nearest slideway； which happened to be headed north。
〃You can read the number for yourself when we get there；〃 I grunted； looking surreptitiously around for inspiration。 This particular slideway didn't seem well populated； and it didn't take a genius to see why： instead of being taken to the main bulk of the docking squares； we were headed toward what appeared to be a maintenance area。
A fact which wasn't lost on Fulbright。 〃I hope you're not trying to pull something on your old pal； Jordie；〃 he warned； stepping up close behind me and pressing the muzzle of his gun into my back。 Even through the concealing jacket material I imagined it felt very cold。 〃Because I wouldn't like that。 I wouldn't like that at all。〃
〃You don't think I'd put a hot ship down in one of the regular cradles； do you？〃 I countered； looking down at my feet。 The slideway was mainly solid； but just ahead on our right was one of a number of holes where small patches of the material had worn off or torn away at the edge of the moving belt。 This particular tear was roughly triangular； leaving a gap about ten centimeters long and five wide through which I could see the grillwork of the underlying support and drive system zipping past。 Every half second or so a bright blue light winked past； probably a glow that helped mark the edge of the slideway at night。 〃So where is it？〃 Fulbright demanded。
〃Patience； James； patience；〃 I said； gazing down at the triangular tear and the grillwork underneath and doing a quick mental calculation。 It would be tight； not to
