tz.theicarushunt-第41部分
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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 the set of short prehensile eating tentacles ringing the base of his neck。 A crowd of perhaps twenty admirers were standing in the rain in front of him listening to the music。
I let the driver take the cab out of sight along the street and had him pull to the curb。 I paid him； told him to wait； and walked back through the now pouring rain to join the crowd。 I wouldn't have guessed there were that many beings on the whole planet who liked Drilie di…choral anthems； even when they were properly performed； which this one emphatically was not。 But then； I doubted any of those in attendance were there for the music； anyway。
Fortunately； the piece Torsk had chosen was a short one； and I silently thanked the downpour for whatever part it had played in that decision。 Amid the smattering of totally fraudulent applause he passed a large hat around for contributions。 I'd made the necessary preparations while careening about in the cab； and as he waved the hat in front of me I dropped in a small package consisting of three tightly folded hundred…mark bills wrapped around a piece of paper with the word 〃borandis〃 written on it。 Most of the rest of the audience； I saw； had similar donations for him。 He finished taking up his collection and gave out with a set of guttural barks that were probably a traditional Drilie thank…you or farewell； then disappeared through the flap into his cabana。 At that； the audience faded away； splashing away in all directions to disappear down the streets and alleyways or into the dark and anonymous doorways fronting on the streets。
All of them； that is； except me。 Instead of moving back； I moved forward until I was standing directly in front of the long…suffering multimusic box。 There I planted myself； facing the flap Torsk had disappeared through； and waited； doing my best to ignore the cold drips finding their way beneath my collar and dribbling down my back。 I had no doubt he could see me perfectly well through his cabana； there were several different one…way opaque materials to choose from； and a person in Torsk's profession couldn't afford not to know what was going on around him at all times。 I just hoped he'd be curious enough or irritated enough to find out what I wanted before I was soaked pletely through。
He was either more curious or irritable than I'd expected。 I'd been standing there less than a minute when the flap twitched aside and I found myself looking down into a pair of big black Drilie eyes。 〃What want？〃 he demanded in passable English。
〃Want borandis；〃 I told him。 〃Have paid。〃
〃Wait turn；〃 he snapped； waggling a finger horizontally to indicate the now vanished audience。
〃Not wait；〃 I told him calmly。 Pushing him this way was risky； but I didn't have much choice。 The standard pattern seemed to be that you placed your order and came back for it later； probably at Torsk's next performance； and there was no way I could afford to hang around that long。 Particularly not if it required sitting through a second concert。 〃Want borandis。 Have paid。〃
〃Wait turn；〃 he repeated； even more snappishly this time。 〃Or get mad。〃
〃I get mad； too；〃 I said。
Apparently I'd been wrong about the whole crowd having vanished。 I was just about to repeat my request when a large hand snaked over my shoulder； grabbed a fistful of my coat； and turned me around。 I blinked the rainwater out of my eyes； and found myself looking fifteen centimeters up into one of the ugliest human faces it had ever been my misfortune to see。 〃Hey…trog…you deaf？〃 he growled。 His breath was a perfect match for his face。 〃He said to wait your turn。〃
There was undoubtedly more to the usual speech； probably something along the lines of what would happen to me if I didn't go away immediately。 But as I'd long since learned for myself； it was hard to speak when all your wind has been suddenly knocked out of you by a short punch to the solar plexus。 I ducked slightly to the side to avoid his forehead as he doubled over without a sound； wincing at the extra dose of bad breath that blew into my face； and as his head dipped out of my line of sight I saw that three more men stamped from his same mold were marching purposefully across the street toward me。
I hit the first man in the same spot again； folding him over a little farther； and half a second later had my plasmic pointed over his shoulder toward the three newers。 They stopped dead in their tracks。 I kept my eyes and the weapon steady on them while I kept hitting the halitosis specialist in selected pressure points with my free hand； trying to make sure that when he went down he would stay there。
He finally did； but it took several more punches than I'd expected。 I definitely didn't want to be around when this lad felt like his old self again。 I gazed at the reinforcements for another couple of seconds； then； leaving my plasmic pointed their direction； I deliberately turned my head around to face Torsk again。 〃Want borandis；〃 I said mildly。 〃Have paid。〃
〃Yes；〃 he said； his face an ashen shade of purple as he stared down at the lump at my feet。 Apparently he'd never seen anyone beaten up with one hand before。 〃Wait short。〃
He disappeared back into the cabana； but not before I got a glimpse of reflected movement in those big Drilie eyes。 I turned my head around； to find the Three Musketeers had tried advancing while I wasn't looking。 They stopped even more abruptly than they had the first time； and we eyed each other over the barrel of my plasmic until there was another rustling of wet fabric behind me。 〃Take；〃 Torsk hissed； jabbing something solid against my shoulder。 I turned； half…expecting to see a gun； but it was only a music cassette prominently displaying Torsk's face and name on the front。 The Best of Emendo Torsk； apparently； with the borandis concealed inside。 〃Go；〃 he insisted。 〃Not e back。〃
〃Not e back；〃 I agreed； taking the cassette and tucking it away in an inside pocket。 〃Unless borandis not good。 Then make small wager you hurt plenty。〃
〃Borandis good；〃 he ground out； glaring daggers at me。
I believed him。 The last thing a corner drug dealer wanted was to have attention drawn his direction； and my performance here had already disrupted his cozy schedule more than he was happy with。 The last thing he would want would be for me to e back in a bad mood。
He had no way of knowing that I couldn't e back even if I wanted to； or that I was even more allergic to official scrutiny at the moment than he was。 He was rid of me； and that was what mattered to him。 Perhaps he'd even learned not to hire his protection muscle off park benches。
My cab and driver were still patiently waiting where I'd left them。 I got in and gave my destination as Gate 2 of the spaceport； the closest one to where the Icarus was docked。 With visions of another absurdly large tip undoubtedly dancing trippingly through his mind； he took off like a scalded foxbat。 Once again I hung on for dear life； my own mind dancing with unpleasant visions of a premature obituary。 During the straightaways I managed to break open the cassette and confirm that there were fifteen capsules inside filled with a blue powder that looked like it had e from grinding up the normal tablets that the Icarus's med listing said borandis came in。
Closing the cassette and putting it away again； I pulled out my phone and punched in Everett's number。 That all…too…familiar feeling that something was wrong began to tingle through me as the fifth vibe came and went with no answer。 By the time he did answer； on the eighth vibe； and I heard his voice； the feeling solidified into a cold certainty。 〃 'Lo？〃 he muttered； his voice heavy and slightly slurred； as if I'd just awakened him。
〃It's McKell；〃 I identified myself。 〃What's wrong？〃
There was a faint hiss； like someone exhaling heavily into the mouthpiece。 〃It's Shawn；〃 he said。 〃He got away。〃
I gripped the phone tighter； the driver's maniacal slalom technique abruptly forgotten。 〃Which direction did he go？〃
〃I don't know how it happened；〃 Everett said pla
