tz.theicarushunt-第33部分

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itement's　over　for　the　night；〃　I　told　them　as　we　made　our　slow　way　down　the　corridor。　〃Tera；　I'd　appreciate　it　if　you'd　take　over　on　the　bridge。〃
　〃Consider　it　done；〃　she　said。
　Ixil　had　a　lot　of　qualities　that　I　admired；　but　a　sylphlike　body　frame　wasn't　one　of　them。　Fortunately；　the　wounded…warrior　act　lasted　only　as　long　as　it　took　us　to　get　down　the　ladder　and　out　of　sight　of　any　of　the　gallery　that　might　have　lingered　behind　after　the　show。　Once　on　the　lower　deck；　he　made　it　the　rest　of　the　way　to　his　cabin　under　his　own　steam。
　〃An　interesting　experiment；〃　he　mented　as　he　maneuvered　his　way　onto　the　center　bunk。　〃Not　that　it's　one　I　would　have　chosen　on　my　own。　Thank　you　for　your　help；　by　the　way。　I　owe　you　one。〃
　〃We'll　add　it　to　your　side　of　the　ledger；〃　I　said　briefly；　resisting　the　urge　to　bring　up　all　the　times　he'd　hauled　me　bodily　out　of　similar　predicaments。　The　Kalixiri　way　of　handling　injuries　was　to　go　into　a　deep；　alike　sleep　while　healing；　and　from　the　looks　of　Ixil's　drooping　eyelids　he　was　three…quarters　of　the　way　there　already。　The　fact　that　he　hadn't　dropped　off　the　second　he　hit　the　bunk　implied　there　was　something　he　wanted　or　needed　to　say　to　me　before　he　went　under；　and　it　certainly　wasn't　to　go　over　our　personal　win/loss　score　sheet。
　〃I　believe　we　can　safely　cross　Jones　off　our　suspect　list；〃　he　murmured；　his　eyelids　closing　pletely　and　then　opening　partway　again；　like　sliding　doors　with　a　bad　feedback　loop。　〃I　didn't　just　turn　that　torch　on　tonight　without　doing　a　plete　equipment　check；　Jordan。　I　looked　it　over　two　days　ago；　just　after　I　came　aboard　at　Xathru。　The　sabotage　has　to　have　been　done　since　then。〃
　I　stared　at　him；　something　large　and　invisible　taking　me　by　the　throat　and　gently　squeezing。　A　cutting　torch　was　a　totally　innocuous　tool　to　have　aboard　a　starship；　and　there　was　no　reason　whatsoever　for　anyone　to　sabotage　it　that　way。　Unless；　of　course；　someone　really；　really　didn't　want　us　cutting　our　way　into　the　sealed　cargo　hold。
　The　only　catch　was　that　no　one　else　should　have　known　we　were　even　considering　such　an　action。　That　conversation　had　taken　place　less　than　an　hour　ago；　with　only　Ixil　and　me　present；　in　the　privacy　of　my　cabin。
　Apparently；　someone　had　taken　it　upon　himself　to　listen　in。
　I　opened　my　mouth　to　ask　Ixil　how　this　bit　of　auditory　legerdemain　might　have　been　acplished；　closed　it　again　with　the　question　unvoiced。　Ixil's　eyes　were　squeezed　shut；　his　breathing　slow　and　even。　He'd　delivered　his　message；　was　down　for　the　count；　and　barring　an　extremely　urgent　and　probably　extremely　loud　catastrophe　he　was　going　to　stay　that　way　for　however　many　hours　it　took　to　heal　his　leg　and　head。
　And　for　that　same　number　of　hours；　I　was　going　to　be　on　my　own。
　Ixil　had　made　up　the　lower　bunk　for　Pix　and　Pax；　bunching　the　blanket　up　for　them　to　snuggle　into　and　putting　their　food　and　water　containers　where　they　could　easily　get　to　them。　I　spent　a　few　minutes　getting　them　settled　there；　then　pulled　the　blanket　off　the　top　bunk　and　tucked　it　under　Ixil's　mattress；　wedging　its　center　under　the　lower　bunk　beside　the　ferrets'　nest　and　letting　the　rest　drape　down　from　there　onto　the　floor。　Assured　that　they　could　get　to　the　floor　if　they　wanted　exercise　or　to　Ixil　if　they　wanted　pany；　I　turned　off　the　light　and　left　the　cabin。
　There　were　no　locks　on　any　of　the　Icarus's　interior　doors。　Up　till　now　I　hadn't　really　worried　much　about　that；　but　up　till　now　my　partner　hadn't　been　lying　atose　and　reasonably　helpless　after　what　might　or　might　not　have　been　an　effort　to　kill　him。　Pulling　out　my　multitool；　checking　both　ways　down　the　corridor　to　make　sure　I　was　unobserved；　I　removed　the　cover　of　the　release　pad　from　the　center　of　the　door　and　pulled　out　the　control　chip。　On　the　underside；　snugged　inconspicuously　between　two　of　the　connector　feet；　was　what　I　was　looking　for：　the　timing　dial；　which　told　the　door　how　many　seconds　it　was　to　stay　open　unless　you　overrode　it　by　locking　the　door　in　place。　Using　the　narrowest　screwdriver　from　the　multitool；　I　eased　the　dial　from　its　preset　position　all　the　way　to　zero；　then　returned　the　chip　to　its　socket。
　Experimentally；　I　touched　the　release　pad。　Not　only　did　the　door　open　barely　ten　centimeters　before　slamming　shut　again；　it　did　so　with　a　startlingly　loud　clunk　as　the　buffer　mechanism　that　normally　provided　for　a　smoother　closing　failed　to　engage。　For　a　moment　I　flashed　back　to　the　metal…on…metal　sound　I'd　heard　at　least　twice　now　aboard　the　Icarus；　wondering　if　there　could　simply　be　a　bad　buffer　in　one　of　the　doors。　But　even　allowing　for　the　sound　to　be　filtered　by　distance；　I　knew　this　wasn't　it。
　I　put　the　cover　back　on　the　pad　and　went　down　the　corridor　to　my　own　cabin。　It　was　far　from　a　perfect　solution…anyone　bent　on　unscrupulous　deeds；　after　all；　could　presumably　open　the　release　pad　himself　and　ungimmick　it　as　easily　as　I　had；　assuming　he　knew　about　the　adjustment　dial；　which　most　people　didn't。　But　for　the　moment　it　was　the　best　I　could　do。　At　least　this　way　any　attempt　to　get　to　Ixil　would　generate　a　noise　and　vibration　that　I　ought　to　be　able　to　hear　from　my　own　cabin。　Ixil　himself；　of　course；　with　a　pletely　separate　touch…pad　mechanism　on　his　side　of　the　door；　could　e　out　anytime　he　wanted。　I　reached　my　cabin；　dithered　momentarily　about　whether　I　should　gimmick　my　own　door　as　I　had　Ixil's；　decided　against　it；　and　went　in。
　The　room　was　still　as　small　and　as　unadorned　as　it　had　always　been；　but　as　I　put　my　back　against　the　door　I　found　myself　looking　at　it　with　new　eyes。　Somehow；　someone　had　overheard　our　last　conversation　in　here；　and　had　overheard　it　clearly　enough　to　nip　up　to　the　mechanics　room　and　sabotage　the　cutting　torch。
　The　question　was　how。
　The　wall　separating　the　cabin　from　the　corridor　was　solid　metal；　a　good　five　centimeters　thick。　The　bulkheads　were　even　thicker；　probably　nine　or　ten　centimeters；　and　on　the　side　away　from　the　corridor　was　the　Icarus's　inner　hull；　with　no　more　than　another　twenty　centimeters　between　it　and　the　outer　hull。　Outside　the　outer　hull；　of　course；　was　the　vacuum　of　space。　There　were；　I　knew；　ways　to　hear　through　solid　metal　walls；　but　all　of　them　involved　fairly　sophisticated　equipment　and　even　then　success　was　not　at　all　guaranteed　aboard　a　starship　where　the　whole　frame　was　continually　vibrating　with　everything　from　engine　drone　to　voices　and　footsteps　two　decks　away。　The　bunks　were　too　simple　and　flimsy　to　conceal　a　hidden　transmitter　strong　enough　to　punch　a　radio　signal　through　that　much　metal；　ditto　for　the　lockers。　After　that　tracker　incident　on　Meima；　I'd　made　it　a　point　to　regularly　signal…scan　both　myself　and　Ixil　for　such　unwanted　hitchhikers；　and　had　just　as　regularly　found　nothing。　And　finally；　there　was　nothing　on　any　of　the　walls　that　could　camouflage　any　such　listening　device。
　Except　the　inter。
　I　unfastened　the　cover　of　the　inter　with　my　multitool；　swearing　silently　at　myself　the　whole　time。　It　was　the　oldest　trick　in　the　book：　Sometime　when　I　was　out；　probably　during　our　stop　on　Dorscind's　World；　someone　had　slipped　in　here　and　rearranged　a　few　wires　so　that　the　inter　was　continually　on；　at　least　as　far　as　one　other　specific　inter　was　concerned。　Someone　who'd　known　what　he　was　doing　could　have　done　it　in　three　minutes。　Still　swearing；　still　feeling　like　a　fool；　I　pulled　the　cover　off　the　inter　and　peered　inside。
　It　was　an　inter；　all　right。　A　simple；　standard；　bottom…of…the…line　ship's　inter。　The　kind　you　could　buy　for　five　marks　in　any　outfitter's　shop　anywhere　across　the　Spiral。
　And　it　hadn't　been　tampered　with。
　I　stared　at　it　for　a　good　three　minutes　of　my　own；　prodding　wires　aside　with　my　screwdriver　as　I　visually　traced　every　one　of　them　from　start　to　finish　at　least　five　times。　Nothing。　No　gimmicking；　no　crossed　wires；　no　questionable　ponents；　nothing　that　shouldn't　be　there。　Nothing　even　left　the　box　except　two　power　wires　and　a　slender　coax　cable…exactly　the　right　number…which　disappeared　through　a　tiny　hole　in　the　inner　hull　to　join　the　rest　of　the　maze　of　wiring　and　plumbing　laid　out　in　the　narrow　gap　between　inner　and　outer　hulls。
　Slowly；　I　replaced　the　inter　cover；　now　thoroughly　confused。　Had　we　been　wrong　about　an　eavesdropper