tz.theicarushunt-第3部分

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　〃One　thousand　marks；〃　he　said。　〃Payable　on　your　arrival　at　the　ship　in　the　morning。　Another　two　thousand　once　we　make　Earth。　It's　all　I　can　afford；〃　he　added；　a　bit　defensively。
　Three　thousand　in　all；　for　a　job　that　would　probably　take　five　or　six　weeks　to　plete。　I　certainly　wasn't　going　to　get　rich　on　that　kind　of　pay；　but　I　probably　wouldn't　starve；　either。　Provided　he　picked　up　the　fuel　and　port　duty　fees　along　the　way；　of　course。　For　a　moment　I　thought　about　trying　to　bargain　him　up；　but　the　look　on　his　face　implied　it　would　be　a　waste　of　time。　〃Fine；〃　I　said。　〃You　have　a　tag　for　me？〃
　〃Right　here；〃　he　said；　rummaging　around　inside　his　jacket　again；　his　expression　twitching　briefly　with　surprise　that　I　had　not；　in　fact；　tried　to　squeeze　him　for　more　money　as　he'd　obviously　expected　me　to　do。　Briefly；　I　wondered　which　direction　that　had　moved　his　opinion　of　me；　but　gave　up　the　exercise　as　both　unprofitable　and　irrelevant。
　His　probing　hand　found　what　it　was　looking　for；　and　emerged　holding　a　three…by…seven…centimeter　plastic　tag　covered　with　colored　dots。　Another　Ihmis　quirk；　this　one　their　refusal　to　number　or　in　any　other　way　differentiate　the　two　hundred…odd　landing　squares　at　their　spaceport。　The　only　way　to　find　a　particular　ship…or　a　particular　service　center　or　customs　office　or　supply　depot；　for　that　matter…was　to　have　one　of　these　handy　little　tags　on　you。　Slid　into　the　transparent　ID　slot　in　a　landing　jacket　collar；　the　tag's　dot　code　would　be　read　by　sensors　set　up　at　each　intersection；　whereupon　walk…mounted　guidelights　would　point　the　befuddled　wearer　in　the　proper　direction。　It　made　for　rather　protracted　travel　sometimes；　but　the　Ihmisits　liked　it　and　it　wasn't　much　more　than　a　minor　inconvenience　for　anyone　else。　My　assumption　had　always　been　that　someone's　brother…in…law　owned　the　tag…making　concession。　〃Anything　else　you　need　to　know？〃
　I　cocked　an　eyebrow　at　him　as　I　slid　the　tag　into　my　collar　slot　in　front　of　the　one　keyed　to　guide　me　back　to　the　Stormy　Banks。　〃Why？　You　in　a　hurry？〃
　〃I　have　one　or　two　other　things　yet　to　do　tonight；　yes；〃　he　said　as　he　set　down　his　cup　and　stood　up；　〃Good　evening；　Captain　McKell。　I'll　see　you　tomorrow　morning。〃
　〃I'll　be　there。〃　I　nodded。
　He　nodded　back　and　headed　across　the　taverno；　maneuvering　through　the　maze　of　tables　and　the　occasional　wandering　customer；　and　disappeared　through　the　door。　I　took　a　sip　of　my　vodkaline；　counted　to　twenty；　and　headed　off　after　him。
　I　didn't　want　to　look　like　I　was　hurrying；　and　as　a　result　it　took　me　maybe　half　a　minute　longer　to　get　across　the　taverno　than　it　had　taken　him。　But　that　was　all　right。　There　were　a　lot　of　spacers　roaming　the　streets　out　there；　but　the　overhead　lights　outside　were　pretty　good；　and　with　all　that　white　hair　he　should　be　easy　enough　to　spot　and　follow。　Pushing　open　the　door；　I　stepped　out　into　the　cool　night　air。
　I　had　forgotten　about　the　Yavanni。　They　hadn't　forgotten　about　me。
　They　were　waiting　near　the　entrance；　partly　concealed　behind　one　of　the　decorative　glass　entryway　windbreaks　that　stuck　a　meter　outward　from　the　wall　on　either　side　of　the　door　itself。　Recognizing　a　particular　alien　is　always　a　dicey　proposition；　but　obviously　this　bunch　had　mastered　the　technique。　Even　as　I　stepped　out　from　the　shelter　of　the　windbreaks；　they　began　moving　purposefully　toward　me；　the　one　in　front　showing　a　noticeable　forward　slouch。
　I　had　to　do　something；　and　I　had　to　do　it　fast。　They'd　abandoned　their　previous　territorial　game…that　much　was　obvious　from　the　way　they　bunched　together　as　they　moved　confidently　toward　me。　I'd　shamed　them　in　front　of　the　whole　taverno；　and　what　they　undoubtedly　had　in　mind　was　a　plete　demonstration　as　to　why　that　had　been　a　bad　decision　on　my　part。　I　thought　about　digging　inside　my　jacket　for　my　gun；　realized　instantly　that　any　such　move　would　be　suicide；　thought　about　ducking　back　into　the　taverno；　realized　that　would　do　nothing　but　postpone　the　confrontation。
　Which　left　me　only　one　real　option。　Bracing　myself；　I　took　a　quick　step　partway　back　into　the　windbreak；　turned　ninety　degrees　to　my　left；　and　kicked　backward　as　hard　as　I　could　with　my　right　foot。
　In　most　other　places　windbreaks　like　these　were　made　out　of　a　highly　resilient　plastic。　The　Vyssiluyas　preferred　glass…tough　glass；　to　be　sure；　but　glass　nonetheless。　With　three　angry　Yavanni　lumbering　toward　me　I　was　understandably　in　no　mood　for　half　measures；　and　the　force　of　the　kick　seemed　to　shoot　straight　through　my　spine　to　the　top　of　my　head。　But　I　achieved　the　desired　result：　the　glass　panel　blew　out；　scattering　a　hundred　pieces　across　the　landscape。
　I　caught　my　balance　and　jumped　backward　through　the　now　mostly　empty　box　frame。　A　large　wedge　of　jagged　glass　that　was　still　hanging　tentatively　onto　the　side　of　the　frame　scraped　at　my　jacket　as　I　went　through。　Trying　to　avoid　slicing　my　fingers　on　the　edges；　I　got　a　grip　on　it　and　broke　it　free。　Brandishing　it　like　a　makeshift　knife；　I　jabbed　at　the　Yavanni。
　The　Yavanne　in　front　stopped　short；　generating　a　brief　bit　of　vaguely　edic　confusion　as　the　other　two　bumped　into　him。　For　all　their　bulk　and　aggressiveness；　Yavanni　are　remarkably　sensitive　to　the　sight　of　their　own　blood；　and　the　thought　of　charging　into　a　knife　or　knifelike　instrument　can　give　even　the　hardiest　a　moment　of　pause。　But　only　a　moment。　Like　most　other　unpleasantries；　anticipation　is　often　worse　than　the　actual　event；　and　as　soon　as　their　molasses　minds　remembered　that　they'd　be　all　over　me。
　But　I　wasn't　planning　to　be　here　when　that　happened。　With　the　windbreak　gone　and　the　Yavanni　bunched　together；　I　now　had　a　pletely　clear　exit　route　at　my　back。　Flipping　my　shard　of　glass　at　the　lead　Yavanne；　I　turned　and　ran　for　it。
　I　got　only　a　couple　of　steps　before　they　set　up　a　startled　howl　and　lurched　into　gear　after　me。　They'd　eventually　get　me；　too…in　a　long　straightaway　human　legs　couldn't　outmatch　Yavannian　ones。　But　for　the　first　few　seconds；　until　they　got　all　that　body　mass　moving；　I　had　the　advantage。　All　I　had　to　do　was　find　something　to　do　with　it。
　I　knew　better　than　to　waste　time　looking　over　my　shoulder；　but　I　could　tell　from　the　sounds　of　their　foot　thuds　that　I　still　had　a　reasonably　good　lead　when　I　reached　the　corner　of　the　taverno　and　swung　around　into　the　narrow　pedestrian　alleyway　separating　it　from　the　next　building　over。　An　empty　alleyway；　unfortunately；　without　what　I'd　hoped　to　find　there。　The　Yavanni　hove　around　the　corner；　lowering　my　head；　I　put　all　my　effort　into　getting　every　drop　of　speed　I　could　out　of　my　legs。　They　would　probably　get　me；　I　knew；　before　I　could　circle　the　building　pletely。　If　what　I　was　looking　for　wasn't　around　back；　I　was　going　to　be　in　for　some　serious　pain。
　I　rounded　the　next　corner　with　the　Yavanni　unfortably　close　behind　me。　And　there　it　was；　just　as　I'd　hoped　to　find　it：　a　pile　of　half…meter…long　logs　for　the　taverno's　big　fireplace；　neatly　stacked　against　the　wall　and　reaching　nearly　to　the　eaves　of　the　roof。　Without　slowing　my　pace；　I　headed　up。
　I　nearly　didn't　make　it。　The　Yavanni　were　right　on　my　heels　and　going　far　too　fast　to　stop；　and　their　big　feet　slammed　into　the　logs　like　bowling　disks　hitting　the　pins。　The　whole　pile　went　rippling　down　behind　me；　and　if　I'd　been　a　fraction　of　a　second　slower　I'd　have　gone　down　right　along　with　it。　As　it　was；　I　came　within　an　ace　of　missing　my　flying　leap　upward　at　the　eaves　when　my　takeoff　log　bobbled　under　my　feet　and　robbed　me　of　some　hard…earned　momentum。　But　I　made　it　and　got　the　desired　grip；　and　a　second　later　had　hauled　myself　over　the　edge　and　onto　the　roof。
　Not　any　too　soon；　either。　I　was　just　swinging　my　legs　up　over　the　edge　when　one　of　the　logs　came　whistling　up　past　the　eaves　to　disappear　into　the　night　sky。　My　playmates　below；　proving　themselves　to　be　sore　losers。　I　didn't　know　whether　Yavanni　were　good　enough　jumpers　to　get　to　the　roof　without　the　aid　of　the　woodpile　they'd　just　demolished；　but　I　had　no　particular　desire　to　find　out　the　hard　way。　Keeping　my　head　down…there　were　plenty　more　logs　where　that　first　one　had　e　from…I　got　my　feet　under　me　and　headed　across　the　roof。
　All　the　buildings　in　this　section　of　the　spaceport　periphery　were　reasonabl