tz.theicarushunt-第4部分
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All the buildings in this section of the spaceport periphery were reasonably uniform in height； with only those narrow alleys separating them。 With a little momentum； a gentle tailwind； and the inspirational mental image of irritated Yavanni behind me I made it across the gap to the next rooftop with half a meter to spare。 I angled across that one； did a more marginal leap to the building abutting against its back； and kept going。 Along the way I managed to get out of my jacket and turn it inside out； replacing the black leather with an obnoxiously loud paisley lining that I'd had put in for just this sort of circumstance。 Aiming for a building with smoke curling out of its chimney； I located its woodpile and made my way down。
The Yavanni were nowhere to be seen when I reentered the main thoroughfare and the wandering groups of spacers； townspeople； e…ons； and pickpockets。
Unfortunately； neither was the white…haired man I'd been hoping to follow。
I poked around the area for another hour； popping in and out of a few more tavernos and dives on the assumption that my new employer might still be trolling for crewers。 But I didn't see him anywhere； and the spaceport periphery was far too big for a one…man search。 Besides； my leg was aching from that kick to the windbreak； and I needed to be at the spaceport when it opened at five…thirty。
The Vyssiluyas ran a decent autocab service in their part of the periphery； but that thousand marks I'd been promised weren't due until I showed up at the Icarus； and the oversize manager of the slightly seedy hotel where Ixil and I were staying would be very unhappy if we didn't have the necessary cash to pay the bill in the morning。 Reluctantly； I decided that two arguments with large aliens in the same twelve…hour period would be pushing it； and headed back on foot。
My leg was hurting all the way up to my skull by the time I finished the last of the four flights of stairs and slid my key into the slot beside the door。 With visions of a soft bed； gently pulsating Vyssiluyan relaxation lights； and a glass of Scotch dancing with the ache behind my forehead； I pushed open the door and stepped inside。
The soft bed and Scotch were still a possibility。 But the lights apparently weren't。 The room was pletely dark。
I went the rest of the way into the room in a half fall； half dive that sent me sprawling face first onto the floor as I yanked my plasmic out of its concealed holster under my left armpit。 Ixil was supposed to be waiting here； and a darkened room could only mean that someone had taken him out and was lying in wait for me。
〃Jordan？〃 a smooth and very familiar Kalixiri voice called from across the room。 〃Is that you？〃
I felt the sudden surge of adrenaline turn into chagrined embarrassment and drain away through my aching leg where it could hurt some more on its way out。 〃I thought you'd still be up；〃 I said blackly； resisting the urge to trot out some of the colorful language that had earned me a seat in front of that court…martial board so many years ago。
〃I am up；〃 he said。 〃e take a look at this。〃
With an amazingly patient sigh； I clicked the safety back on my plasmic and slid the weapon back into its holster。 With Ixil； the object of interest could be anything from a distant nebula he'd spotted through the haze of city lights to an interesting glow…in…the…dark spider crawling across the window。 〃Be right there；〃 I grunted。 Hauling myself to my feet； I kicked the door closed and rounded the half wall into the main part of the room。
For most people； I suppose； Ixil and his ilk would be considered as much a visual nightmare as the charming Yavanni lads I'd left back at the taverno。 He was a typical Kalix： squat； broad…shouldered； with a face that had more than once been unflatteringly pared to that of a squashed iguana。
And as he stood in silhouette against the window； I noticed that this particular Kalix was also decidedly asymmetric。 One of those broad shoulders…the right one…appeared to be hunched up like a cartoonist's caricature of a muscle…bound throw…boxer； while the other was much flatter。 〃You're missing someone；〃 I mented； tapping him on the flat shoulder。
〃I sent Pix up onto the roof；〃 Ixil said in that cultured Kalixiri voice that fits so badly with the species' rugged exterior。 One of the last remaining simple pleasures in my life； in fact； was watching the reactions of people meeting him for the first time who up till then had only spoken with him on vidless starconnects。 Some of those reactions were absolutely priceless。
〃Did you； now；〃 I said； circling around to his right side。 As I did so； the lump on top of that shoulder twitched and uncurled itself； and a whiskered nose probed briefly into my ear。 〃Hello； Pax；〃 I greeted it； reaching over to scritch the animal behind its mouselike ear。
The Kalixiri name for the creatures was unpronounceable by human vocal apparatus； so I usually called them ferrets； which they did sort of resemble in their lean； furry way； though in size they weren't much bigger than laboratory rats。 In the distant past； they had served as outriders for Kalixiri hunters； running ahead to locate prey and then returning to their masters with the information。
What distinguished them from dogs or grockners or any of a hundred other similar hunting partners was the unique symbiotic relationship between them and their Kalixiri masters。 With Pax riding on Ixil's shoulder； his claws dug into the tough outer skin； Pax's nervous system was right now directly linked to Ixil's。 Ixil could give him a mental order； which would download into Pax's limited brain capacity； and when he returned and reconnected； the download would go the opposite direction； letting Ixil see； hear； and smell everything the ferret had experienced during their time apart。
For Kalixiri hunters the advantages of the arrangement were obvious。 For Ixil； a starship…engine mechanic； the ferrets were invaluable in dealing with wiring or tubing or anything else involving tight spaces or narrow conduits。 If more of his people had taken an interest in going into offworld mechanical and electronic work； I'd often thought； the Kalixiri might well have taken over that field the same way the Patth had done with general shipping。
〃So what on the roof do you expect to find interesting？〃 I asked； giving Pax another scritch and wondering for the millionth time whether Ixil got the same scritch through their neural link。 He'd never mented about it； but that could just be Ixil。
〃Not on the roof；〃 Ixil said； lifting a massive arm。 〃Off of it。 Over there。〃
I frowned where he was pointing。 Off in the distance； beyond the buildings of the spaceport periphery and the more respectable city beyond it； was a gentle glow against the wispy clouds of the nighttime sky。 As I watched； three thruster sparks lifted from the area and headed off horizontally in different directions。 〃Interesting；〃 I said； watching one of the sparks。 It was hard to tell； given our distance and perspective； but the craft seemed to be traveling remarkably slowly and zigzagging as it went。
〃I noticed it about forty minutes ago；〃 Ixil said。 〃I thought at first it was the reflected light from a new munity that I simply hadn't seen before。 But I checked the map； and there's nothing that direction except a row of hills and the wasteland region we flew over on our way in。〃
〃Could it be a fire？〃 I suggested doubtfully。
〃Unlikely；〃 Ixil said。 〃The glow isn't red enough； and I've seen no evidence of smoke。 I was wondering if it might be a search…and…rescue operation。〃
From the edge of the window came a gentle scrabbling sound； and with a soft rodent sneeze Pix appeared on the sill。 A sinuous leap over to Ixil's arm； a quick scamper…with those claws digging for footholds the whole way up…and he was once again crouched in his place on Ixil's shoulder。
There was a tiny scratching sound like a fingernail on leather that always made me wince； and for a moment Ixil stood silently as he ran through the memories he was now pulling from the ferret's small brain。 〃Interesting；〃 he said。 〃From the parallax； it appears to be considerably farther out than I first thought。 Well beyond the hills； probably
