tz.theicarushunt-第38部分
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ing if that independent shipper had another source of operating funds。〃 I shrugged； a brief twitching of my shoulders。 〃And if they did； I wouldn't be very effective as an employee anymore。〃
For a long minute he just stared at me； breathing heavily； his face unreadable。 I gazed back； visually groveling now； wondering uneasily if I'd pushed my hand too far with that last one。 Cutting me loose from our agreement would lose him most of the five hundred thousand in debt I still owed him； but the Antoniewicz organization probably blew that much a month just on paper clips。 If； on the other hand； he decided that I had bee too much of a liability to be trusted on my own； I would be summarily snuffed out like an atmosphere…test candle。
And it would be the height of irony if it turned out I was the one who had talked him into doing it。
〃You keep trying to force these decisions on me； Jordan；〃 he said at last。 His voice was still cold； but I thought I could detect a slight thawing of the chill factor。 〃These faits acplis。 There are to be no more of them。〃
〃Yes； sir；〃 I said。 〃I'm really not trying to do that。 It's just that things keep happening too fast； and I keep having to improvise。〃
〃No more of them； Jordan；〃 he repeated in the same tone。 〃I make myself clear？〃
〃Yes； sir；〃 I said。 〃Perfectly。〃
〃Good。 Now； why did you call？〃
I took a careful breath。 〃I need to find a dealer； sir。〃
He blinked at that； the blink turning into an even deeper frown。 〃A dealer？〃 he repeated； the chill factor diving into arctic territory again。 For all the misery he caused with his happyjam； Brother John was almost puritanical when it came to his own people using the stuff。
〃One who carries borandis；〃 I said hastily。 〃One of my crew is ill with Cole's disease； and borandis is the treatment for it。 It's also called jackalspit。〃
〃Yes； I know。〃 For a few more seconds those soulless eyes gazed into mine； his face still unreadable but almost certainly wondering if I was telling the truth or simply spinning a line。 I held my breath； trying to look as simple and honest as I possibly could。
And then； to my relief； he shrugged。 〃Why not？ Where are you？〃
I got my lungs working again。 〃Potosi；〃 I said。 〃Kacclint Spaceport。〃
He grunted。 〃A Najiki world。 Decent enough bug…eaters。〃
〃Yes； sir；〃 I agreed； mildly surprised that a xenophobe like Brother John would be even that plimentary toward a nonhuman race。 Either he genuinely had some grudging respect for the Najik； or else he had business interests in the Archipelago and the Najik were doing a good job of making money for him。 If I had to guess； I'd pick the latter。 〃I need to know if the organization has a dealer here who can help us。 And if so； how to find him。〃
〃Yes。〃 Brother John's eyes flicked to his right。 〃Just a moment。〃
The screen blanked。 I took another deep breath； suddenly aware of the weight of my plasmic against my side under my jacket。 So far； it was all looking hopeful。 But I knew better than to risk relaxing； even for a moment。 Brother John's moods were notoriously mercurial； and with his already stated displeasure at my being aboard the Icarus he might suddenly decide that letting a sick crew member die would be all to the good； either as an object lesson to me or as an extra push to get me to walk away from the whole situation。 If he looked like he was going that direction I would have to remind him that Shawn's death would only serve to raise the Icarus's profile that much higher。
He was gone a long time。 Long enough that I began to wonder if perhaps he'd decided that this had bee more trouble than it was worth； that both Shawn and I were expendable； and he was off making the appropriate arrangements。 I was just thinking about pulling out my phone and seeing if Ixil had e out of his a when the screen abruptly cleared。
〃All right；〃 he said briskly。 〃He's a Drilie named Emendo Torsk； and he runs his business from a street music stand at Gystr'n Corner。 I presume your sick crewman can pay？〃
〃We should have enough； yes；〃 I assured him。 〃Thank you； sir。〃
〃Don't call here again； Jordan；〃 he said quietly。 〃Not until this is all over。 Is that clear？〃
〃Yes； sir； perfectly clear；〃 I said。 If the Icarus was going to go down； and if I was going to be stupid enough to go down with it； he had no intention of being tied in with either of us。 〃Thank you； sir。〃
〃I'll talk to you when this is all over。〃 He reached to the side； and the connection was broken。
I swallowed； noticing only then how dry my mouth had bee。 Dealing with Brother John was being increasingly hard on me； both because of him personally and because of what he represented。 To say I'd ever been genuinely happy about our arrangement would have been far too generous a statement； but lately my quiet distaste seemed to have fermented into a galloping revulsion。
And that was dangerous。 Not only because of what it was doing to my own heart and soul； not to mention my stomach； but because men like Brother John have a finely honed sense of people； particularly the people closest to them。 I was hardly close to him； just one small employee among thousands； but the Antoniewicz organization hadn't gotten where it was by letting even small employees bee disaffected to the point where they dribbled away money or merchandise or secrets。 Especially secrets。
Brother John was presumably under no illusions about what it was that kept me working for him； I'd already seen how adept he was at making sure that half…million…mark debt would be hanging over my head for a long time to e。 But if he was ever able to penetrate my mask and see the emotion swirling beneath it； he might very well decide I was a walking time bomb that needed to be dealt with。
But there was nothing for it now but to continue on。 I'd made my bed； as the saying went； and now all I could do was make myself as fortable in it as I could。
Unfortunately； for the moment fort of any sort was out of the question。 I'd suffered through yet another conversation with Brother John； and now I had to do what I'd been postponing for at least three worlds now。
It was time for a nice long chat with Uncle Arthur。
The call screener on Uncle Arthur's vid was female； cheerful； and if not actually beautiful； definitely edging in that direction。 Following on the heels of Brother John's surly male screener with the plastic…surgeon…baiting face； it was a contrast that seemed all the vaster for the parison。
Until； that is； you looked closely into her eyes。 For all her attractiveness； for all her easy smile and aura of friendliness； there was something cool and measuring and even ruthless that could be seen in those eyes。 Given the proper circumstances； I had long suspected； she would be able to kill as quickly and efficiently as any of the ice…hearted thugs in Brother John's household。
But then； that was to be expected。 She did； after all； work for Uncle Arthur。
〃It's Jordan； Shannon；〃 I greeted her； pushing such thoughts out of my mind as best I could。 I had to prepare to talk to Uncle Arthur； and anyway； despite the eyes； she was really quite good…looking。 〃Is he available？〃
〃Hello； Jordan；〃 she said； her smile tightening just a bit。 Unlike Brother John's screener； she took my altered face in stride without blinking an eye。 〃I'll see。〃
A superfluous ment； of course； she would have signaled Uncle Arthur as soon as she recognized me。 And if the tightening smile was any indication； I suspected Uncle Arthur was either sufficiently interested or sufficiently annoyed with me to take the call immediately。
I was right。 Even as she turned toward her control board her face abruptly vanished from the screen and was replaced by one considerably less photogenic。 An age…lined face； framed by a thatch of elegant gray hair and an equally elegant gray goatee with an unexpected streak of black down the middle； and topped off with a pair of pale blue eyes peering unwinkingly at me across the top of a set of reading glasses。
It was Uncle Arthur。
Judging from past experience； I fully expected him to get in the first word。 I wasn't disappointed。 〃I presume； Jordan；〃 he said in a rumbling voice that somehow went perfectly with the beard and glass
