tz.theicarushunt-第40部分

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ich　didn't　release　until　after　most　of　the　crew　had　already　assembled。　I　examined　the　lock　later；　and　it　had　definitely　been　set　the　previous　afternoon；　well　before　the　Ihmisits　threw　everyone　out　of　the　spaceport　and　locked　it　down　for　the　night。　There　was　no　way　for　Cameron　to　have　gotten　aboard　before　the　gates　opened　again；　and　he　certainly　didn't　get　on　after　we　were　there。〃
　〃And　you　think　that　was　because　he　was　already　dead？〃
　〃Yes；〃　I　said。　〃One　of　the　people　he　hired　to　crew　the　Icarus　either　knew　something　about　it　already　or　was　sufficiently　intrigued　to　take　Cameron　into　a　dark　alley　somewhere　and　find　out　exactly　what　was　aboard。〃
　〃That　would　have　taken　some　severe　persuasion；〃　Uncle　Arthur　murmured。
　〃Which　is　why　I　suspect　he's　dead；〃　I　said。　〃An　interrogation　that　would　have　gotten　him　to　talk　would　have　left　him　either　dead　or　incapacitated　or　drug…atose。　In　either　of　the　latter　two　cases；　the　Ihmisits　or　Patth　would　certainly　have　found　him　by　now。　In　the　first　case。。。〃　I　didn't　bother　to　finish。
　〃You　may　be　right；〃　Uncle　Arthur　said　heavily。　〃You　will　identify　this　person；　of　course。〃
　〃I　certainly　intend　to　try；〃　I　said。　〃It　would　help　if　I　had　some　more　information　on　this　crew　I've　been　saddled　with。〃
　〃Undoubtedly。　Their　names？〃
　〃Almont　Nicabar；　drive　specialist；　onetime　EarthGuard　Marine。　Geoff　Shawn；　electronics。　Has　Cole's　disease　and　a　resulting　borandis　addiction。　Any　chance　you　can　get　some　borandis　to　me；　by　the　way？〃
　〃Possibly。　Next？〃
　〃Hayden　Everett；　medic。　Former　professional　throw…boxer　twenty…odd　years　ago；　though　I　don't　know　if　it　was　under　his　own　name　or　not。　Chort；　Craea；　spacewalker。　Nothing　else　known。〃
　〃With　a　Craea　almost　nothing　else　needs　to　be　known；〃　Uncle　Arthur　put　in。
　〃Possibly；〃　I　said。　〃I'd　like　him　checked　out　anyway。　And　finally　Tera；　last　name　unknown。　She　may　be　a　member　of　one　of　those　religious　sects　who　don't　give　their　full　names　to　strangers；　but　I　haven't　yet　seen　her　do　anything　particularly　religious。〃
　〃The　practice　of　one's　beliefs　is　not　always　blatant　and　obvious；〃　Uncle　Arthur　reminded　me。　〃A　quiet　look　into　her　cabin　for　religious　paraphernalia　at　some　point　might　be　enlightening。〃
　〃I　intend　to　take　a　quiet　look　into　all　their　cabins　when　I　get　the　chance；〃　I　assured　him。　〃Now：　descriptions。。。〃
　I　ran　through　everyone's　physical　description　as　quickly　as　I　could；　knowing　that　it　was　all　being　recorded。　〃How　fast　can　you　get　this　to　me？〃　I　asked　when　I　was　finished。
　〃It　will　take　a　few　hours；〃　he　said。　〃Where　are　you　now？〃
　〃Potosi；　but　I　have　no　intention　of　staying　here　any　longer　than　I　have　to；〃　I　told　him。　〃I　don't　know　where　we'll　be　heading　next。　Someplace　quiet　and　peaceful　and　anonymous　would　be　a　nice　change　of　pace。〃
　〃You　may　have　to　settle　for　anonymous；〃　he　said；　his　eyes　shifting　to　the　side　and　his　shoulders　shifting　with　the　subtle　movements　of　someone　typing　on　a　keyboard。　〃Is　there　anything　else？〃
　〃Actually；　yes；〃　I　said。　〃We　also　seem　to　have　a　new　group　of　players　in　the　game。〃　I　described　the　incident　with　the　Lumpy　Brothers　on　Xathru；　and　the　coronal…discharge　weapons　they'd　been　carrying。　〃Have　you　heard　of　either　this　species　or　the　weapons？〃　I　asked　when　I　finished。
　〃A　qualified　yes　to　both；〃　he　said；　his　eyes　still　busy　off　camera。　〃You　may　recall　hearing　rumors　about　a　failed　covert　operation　a　few　years　ago　in　which　an　elite　EarthGuard　task　force　tried　to　steal　data　on　the　Talariac　Drive。　Weapons　very　similar　to　those　you　describe　were　used　against　them；　by　guards　who　also　match　your　description。〃
　I　sighed。　〃Which　makes　the　Lumpy　Clan　some　kind　of　Patth　client　race。〃
　〃Very　likely；〃　he　agreed。　〃Don't　sound　so　surprised。　Certainly　their　first　efforts　to　find　the　Icarus　would　be　made　quietly；　through　their　own　people　and　agents。　It　was　only　after　that　failed　that　they　began　to　approach　first　the　Spiral's　criminals　and　now　legitimate　governments。〃
　I　thought　about　the　three　Patth　Cameron　and　I　had　seen　in　that　Meima　taverno。　So　that　was　why　they'd　ventured　out　of　their　usual　restricted　hideouts。　〃Still；　it　strikes　me　that　they　gave　up　on　the　quiet　approach　rather　quickly；〃　I　pointed　out。　〃Could　my　smoking　the　Lumpy　Brothers　really　have　rattled　them　that　badly？〃
　〃I　doubt　it；〃　he　said　soberly。　〃More　likely　it　was　a　matter　of　new　information　as　to　what　exactly　the　prize　was　they　were　chasing。〃
　And　that　knowledge　had　instantly　pushed　them　into　an　open　and　increasingly　public　hunt。　Terrific。　〃This　place　you're　finding　for　us　better　be　real　anonymous；〃　I　told　him。
　〃I　believe　I　can　make　it　so；〃　he　said。　〃Can　you　make　Morsh　Pon　from　there　in　one　jump？〃
　I　felt　my　eyes　narrow。　〃Assuming　we　can　get　off　Potosi；　yes；〃　I　said　cautiously；　wondering　if　he　was　really　going　where　I　thought　he　was　on　this。
　He　was。　〃Good；〃　he　said　briskly。　〃The　Blue　District　on　Morsh　Pon；　then；　at　the　Baker's　Dozen　taverno。　I'll　have　the　information　delivered　to　you　there。〃
　〃Ah。。。　yes；　sir；〃　I　said。　Morsh　Pon　was　an　Ulko　colony　world；　and　the　Ulkomaals；　like　the　Najik；　had　a　reputation　for　great　talent　at　creating　wealth。　Unlike　the　Najik；　however；　the　Ulkomaals　relied　heavily　on　the　hospitality　industry　to　make　their　money；　specifically　hospitality　toward　the　less　virtuous　members　of　civilized　society　at　large。　Morsh　Pon　was　a　quiet　refuge　for　smugglers　and　other　criminal　types；　far　worse　than　even　Dorscind's　World；　with　the　Blue　District　the　worst　area　on　the　planet。
　Which　under　normal　circumstances；　given　my　connection　with　Brother　John　and　the　Antoniewicz　organization；　would　have　made　it　an　ideal　place　to　go　to　ground。　Unfortunately；　the　current　circumstances　were　far　from　normal。　〃I　trust　you　remember；　sir；〃　I　said　diplomatically；　〃that　the　Patth　have　invited　the　entire　Spiral　underworld　out　for　a　drink？〃
　〃I　remember　quite　well；〃　he　said　calmly。　〃It　will　be　taken　care　of。　Now；　I　suspect　time　is　growing　short。　You'd　best　get　moving。〃
　It　was；　clearly；　a　dismissal。　I　didn't　particularly　feel　like　being　dismissed　yet…there　were　still　several　aspects　of　this　whole　arrangement　I　felt　like　arguing　some　more。　But　when　Uncle　Arthur　said　good…bye；　he　meant　good…bye。　Besides；　he　was　right；　time　was　indeed　growing　short。　〃Yes；　sir；〃　I　said；　suppressing　a　sigh。　〃I'll　be　in　touch。〃
　〃Do　that；〃　he　said。　The　screen　blanked；　and　he　was　gone。
　I　collected　my　change　and　left　the　booth。　Once　again；　I　half　expected　one　of　Brother　John's　assassins　to　jump　me　in　the　corridor；　once　again；　it　didn't　happen。　I　snagged　a　city　map　from　a　rack　by　the　main　exit　doors；　located　the　street　intersection　called　Gystr'n　Corner；　and　headed　outside。
　The　rain　that　had　been　threatening　earlier　was　starting　to　e　down　now；　a　scattering　of　large　fat　drops　that　almost　seemed　to　bounce　as　they　hit　the　ground。　I　had　already　decided　that　Gystr'n　Corner　was　too　far　to　walk；　and　now　with　the　rain　beginning　I　further　decided　not　to　wait　for　the　public　rail　system。　Brother　John　wouldn't　like　that；　his　standard　orders　were　for　us　to　take　public　transportation　whenever　possible；　the　better　to　avoid　official　backtracks。　But　then；　Brother　John　wasn't　here　getting　wet。　Hailing　a　cab；　I　gave　the　driver　my　destination；　told　him　there　would　be　an　extra　hundred　marks　for　him　if　he　got　me　there　fast；　and　all　but　fell　back　into　the　spring…bare　seat　as　he　took　off　like　an　attack　shuttle　on　wheels。
　With　the　way　I'd　been　spending　money　like　water　lately；　first　with　full…vid　starconnects　and　now　on　cabs；　it　was　just　as　well　I'd　relieved　that　Patth　agent　on　Dorscind's　World　of　all　those　hundred…mark　bills　that　had　been　weighing　him　down。　Now；　watching　the　city；　startled　vehicle　drivers；　and　outraged　pedestrians　blurring　along　past　my　windows；　it　occurred　to　me　that　perhaps　some　extra　travel…health　insurance　might　have　been　a　good　idea；　too。　My　map's　key　estimated　it　to　be　twenty…three　minutes　from　the　Starrm　building　to　Gystr'n　Corner。　My　driver　made　it　in　just　over　fifteen；　probably　a　new　land…speed　record　for　the　city；　possibly　for　the　entire　planet。
　Emendo　Torsk　was　there　as　promised；　standing　in　front　of　a　short　cabanalike　shelter；　his　squat　Drilie　shape　almost　hidden　behind　the　plex　multimusic　box　he　was　playing　with　both　his　hands　and