tz.theicarushunt-第39部分

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I　presume；　Jordan；〃　he　said　in　a　rumbling　voice　that　somehow　went　perfectly　with　the　beard　and　glasses；　〃that　you　have　some　good　explanation　for　all　this。〃
　〃I　have　an　explanation；　sir；〃　I　said。　〃I　don't　know　whether　you'll　think　it　good　or　not。〃
　For　a　moment　he　glared　at　me；　and　I　could　see　his　face　tilting　fractionally　back　and　forth。　The　glasses；　I'd　long　since　decided；　were　about　two…thirds　necessity　for　an　inoperable　eye　condition　and　one…third　affectation；　with　the　added　benefit　of　giving　him　something　he　could　use　to　subtly　throw　distracting　flickers　of　light　into　people's　eyes　while　he　was　talking　to　them。　That　was　what　he　was　doing　now；　though　through　a　vid　screen　it　was　a　plete　waste　of　his　time。　Probably　pure　subconscious　habit。
　He　finished　his　glaring　and　leaned　back　a　bit　in　his　chair。　〃I'm　listening；〃　he　invited。
　〃I　ran　into　Arno　Cameron　in　a　taverno　on　Meima；〃　I　told　him。　He　would　be　wanting　details…Uncle　Arthur　always　wanted　details…but　there　was　no　time　for　me　to　go　into　them　now。　〃He　was　in　a　jam；　with　a　ship　to　fly　to　Earth　and　no　crew。　He　asked　if　I　would　pilot　it；　and　I　agreed。〃
　〃You　just　happened　to　run　into　him；　did　you？〃　Uncle　Arthur　rumbled　ominously。　〃Did　I　somehow　forget　to　mention　that　you　weren't　supposed　to　do　anything　but　watch　him？〃
　〃He　was　the　one　who　accosted　me；　not　the　other　way　around；〃　I　said。　〃I　didn't　think　challenging　him　to　a　duel　for　such　an　impertinence　would　be　a　proper　response。〃
　He　turned　the　shrivel　power　of　his　glare　up　a　couple　of　notches；　but　I'd　just　faced　down　Brother　John；　and　Uncle　Arthur's　glares　didn't　seem　nearly　as　potent　in　parison。　〃We'll　leave　that　aside　for　the　moment；〃　he　said。　〃Have　you　any　idea　of　the　furor　you　and　that　ship　are　causing　at　the　moment？〃
　Almost　the　same　question；　and　in　very　nearly　the　same　tone；　that　Brother　John　had　asked。　〃Not　really；〃　I　said。　〃All　I　know　for　sure　is　that　there　are　agents　of　the　Patth　spreading　hundred…mark　bills　through　the　Spiral's　sewers；　with　an　extra　five　thousand　for　the　one　who　fingers　me　for　them。〃
　〃Five　thousand　marks；　did　you　say？〃　Uncle　Arthur　asked；　cocking　an　eyebrow。
　〃That's　what　I　was　told　a　few　hours　ago　on　Dorscind's　World；〃　I　said　carefully。　Uncle　Arthur　had　a　latent　dramatic　streak　in　him；　which　generally　surfaced　at　the　worst　times。　The　fact　that　he　had　now　slipped　into　that　mode　was　a　bad　sign。　〃Have　they　upped　the　ante　since　then？〃
　〃Considerably。〃　He　picked　up　a　sheet　of　paper；　holding　it　up　to　the　camera　as　if　to　prove　he　wasn't　just　making　it　all　up。　〃The　Patth　Director　General　has　personally　been　in　contact　with　at　least　fifteen　different　governments　along　your　projected　route　in　the　past　twelve　hours；〃　he　read　from　it　in　the　precise；　clipped　tone　he　always　used　when　delivering　bad　news。　〃They　have　been　informed　that　a　ship　called　the　Icarus；　with　a　human　male　named　Jordan　McKell　in　mand；　is　to　be　detained　immediately　upon　identification。　It　is　then　to　be　held　until　a　representative　of　the　Director　General　arrives；　at　which　point　it　is　to　be　turned　over　to　him。〃
　I　felt　a　shiver　run　up　my　back。　〃Or　else？〃
　〃Or　else；〃　he　added；　in　that　same　clipped　tone；　〃the　Patth　will　impose　mercantile　sanctions　on　the　offending　governments；　the　severity　of　the　sanctions　to　be　determined　by　the　offending　government's　perceived　plicity　in　the　Icarus's　escape。　Up　to　and　including　a　plete　embargo　against　that　species'　cargoes。〃
　He　laid　the　paper　back　down　again。　〃As　you　say；　the　ante　has　been　upped；〃　he　said　quietly。　〃What　in　God's　name　did　Cameron's　people　dig　up　out　there；　Jordan？〃
　〃I　don't　know；　sir；〃　I　said；　just　as　quietly。　〃But　whatever　it　is；　it's　sitting　in　the　Icarus's　cargo　hold。〃
　Dramatically；　it　was　the　moment　for　a　long；　heavy　silence。　But　Uncle　Arthur's　dramatic　impulses　didn't　extend　to　wasting　time。　〃Then　you'd　best　find　a　way　to　learn　what　it　is；　hadn't　you？〃　he　said。
　〃Actually；　I　think　I　already　have；〃　I　said。　〃Found　a　way；　that　is。　Can　you　get　hold　of　a　personnel　list　from　that　archaeological　dig？〃
　〃I　have　it　right　here；〃　he　said。　〃Why？〃
　〃Because　I　suspect　one　of　them　is　aboard　the　Icarus；〃　I　told　him。　〃Masquerading　as　a　member　of　the　crew。〃
　The　beard　twitched　slightly。　〃I　think　that　very　unlikely；〃　he　said；　〃since　all　of　them　are　currently　in　custody　on　Meima。〃
　I　felt　like　the　floor　had　just　been　pulled　out　from　under　me。　〃All　of　them？　You're　sure？〃
　〃Quite　sure；〃　he　said；　holding　up　another　sheet。　〃Everyone　involved　was　picked　up　in　that　one　single　night；　even　the　crew　of　the　private　ship　Cameron　flew　in　on　a　few　days　before　this　all　started。　Cameron　himself　is　the　only　one　still　at　large；　and　the　Meima　authorities　say　it's　only　a　matter　of　time　before　they　run　him　to　ground。　They　think　they　spotted　him　at　a　Vyssiluyan　taverno　last　night；　in　fact；　but　he　gave　them　the　slip。〃
　〃Wait　a　minute；〃　I　said；　frowning。　〃If　they've　already　got　the　whole　team；　why　don't　they　know　what　the　cargo　is？　For　that　matter；　why　don't　they　have　an　accurate　description　of　the　ship？　And　they　don't；　because　otherwise　the　fake　IDs　Ixil　and　I　keep　churning　out　sure　wouldn't　fool　them。〃
　〃Good…you're　using　fake　IDs；〃　Uncle　Arthur　said。　〃I'd　hoped　you　were　being　at　least　that　clever。〃
　〃Yes；　but　why　are　they　working？〃　I　persisted；　passing　over　the　question　of　whether　or　not　there　was　an　insult　buried　in　there。　〃I　trust　you're　not　going　to　tell　me　that　a　bunch　of　plunder　artists　like　the　Patth　are　squeamish　about　the　classic　forms　of　information　gathering；　are　you？〃
　〃In　point　of　fact；　the　archaeologists　are　still　in　Ihmis　hands；〃　Uncle　Arthur　said。　〃The　Patth　are　trying　to　get　them；　but　so　far　the　Ihmisits　are　resisting　the　pressure。〃　He　grimaced。　〃But　at　this　point　it　hardly　matters　who　has　them。　Cameron　took　the　precaution　of　having　hypnotic　blocks　put　on　everyone's　memory　of　certain　aspects　of　the　operation。　Including；　naturally；　the　Icarus's　description　and　details　of　its　cargo。〃
　I　nodded。　Obvious；　of　course；　once　it　was　pointed　out。　Not　especially　ethical；　and　probably　illegal　on　Meima　to　boot；　but　it　was　exactly　the　sort　of　thing　Cameron　would　have　done。　〃And　without　the　release　key；　all　they　can　do　is　batter　at　the　blocks　and　hope　they　crack。〃
　〃Which　I'm　sure　they're　already　doing；〃　Uncle　Arthur　said　darkly。　〃Not　a　pleasant　thing　to　dwell　on；　but　the　point　is　that　the　maneuver　has　bought　you　some　time。〃
　〃Yes；　sir。〃　So　much　for　my　embryonic　theory　that　it　was　one　of　Cameron's　people　who　had　been　trying　so　hard　to　keep　us　out　of　the　Icarus's　cargo　hold。　〃Unfortunately；　it's　also　bought　someone　else　some　time；　too。〃
　〃Explain。〃
　I　gave　him　a　quick　summary　of　the　jinx　that　had　been　dogging　us　ever　since　leaving　Meima。　Or　since　before　our　exit；　actually；　if　you　counted　Cameron's　failure　to　make　it　to　the　ship。　〃The　incident　with　Chort　and　Jones　might　conceivably　have　been　an　accident；〃　I　concluded。　〃But　not　the　cutting　torch　or　the　lad　skulking　between　hulls　with　the　handy　eavesdroppers'　kit。　Having　the　Patth　on　our　tail　would　have　been　plenty；　but　having　this　added　in　is　way　too　much　of　a　good　thing。〃
　〃Indeed；〃　Uncle　Arthur　said　thoughtfully。　〃You　have　a　theory；　of　course？〃
　〃I　have　one；〃　I　said。　〃But　I　don't　think　you're　going　to　like　it。　You　said　the　Ihmisits　thought　they　spotted　Cameron　on　Meima　yesterday。　How　certain　are　they　of　that？〃
　〃As　certain　as　any　of　these　things　ever　are；〃　he　said；　his　eyes　narrowing。　〃Which　is　to　say；　not　very。　Why；　do　you　think　you　know　where　Cameron　is？〃
　〃Yes；　sir；〃　I　said。　〃I　think　there's　a　good　chance　he's　dead。〃
　There　was　another　twitch　of　the　beard。　I　was　right；　he　didn't　like　it　at　all。　〃Explain。〃
　〃It's　clear　that　someone　doesn't　want　us　getting　a　look　at　the　cargo；〃　I　said。　〃I　thought　that　that　someone　must　be　one　of　the　archaeologists；　but　you've　now　told　me　that's　impossible。　So　it's　someone　else。　Someone　who　does　know　what's　in　there；　and　who　furthermore　has　decided　that　having　sole　proprietorship　of　that　knowledge　will　be　valuable　to　him。〃
　〃It　couldn't　be　Cameron　himself？〃
　〃I　don't　see　how；〃　I　said；　shaking　my　head。　〃When　I　first　arrived　at　the　Icarus　there　was　a　time　lock　on　the　hatch；　which　didn't　release　until　after　most　of　the　crew　had　already　assembled。　I　examined　the　lock　later；　an