tz.theicarushunt-第43部分

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　〃Quiet；〃　I　muttered　back；　taking　a　second；　closer　look　at　the　scene；　hoping　it　wasn't　as　bad　as　I'd　first　thought。
　It　was。　The　ten　Najik　were　still　there；　tall　and　spindly；　with　those　hairy　arms　and　legs　that　always　made　me　think　of　giant　four…limbed　tarantulas。　They　were　still　wearing　the　customs　uniforms；　and　there　was　an　impatient　look　in　their　multiple　eyes　as　they　glanced　over　our　direction　through　the　pouring　rain。
　On　the　other　hand；　it　could　also　have　been　worse。　Locks　or　no　locks；　customs　officers　on　the　prowl　normally　didn't　bother　to　wait　for　the　captain　before　going　inside　a　target　ship；　but　simply　popped　the　hatch　and　apologized　later　for　the　damage　if　apologies　were　called　for。　Now；　with　my　second　look；　I　saw　why　they　were　still　out　here　getting　rained　on。
　Standing　square　in　the　center　of　the　ramp；　looking　for　all　the　world　like　a　feathery…scaled　Horatius　holding　the　bridge；　was　Chort。　From　the　water　running　steadily　off　his　fingertips　it　was　clear　he'd　been　there　for　a　while；　from　the　settled　look　of　his　stance；　it　was　equally　clear　he　was　prepared　to　stay　as　long　as　necessary。
　Normally；　the　presence　of　such　an　obstacle　wouldn't　have　slowed　down　a　customs　officer　any　more　than　a　locked　hatch　would。　But　Chort　was　hardly　your　normal　obstacle。　He　was　a　Craea；　and　with　Crooea　and　their　spacewalker　skills　so　highly　in　demand　around　the　Spiral；　I　could　understand　why　the　Najik　were　reluctant　to　offend　him　by　shoving　their　way　past　into　the　ship。　Especially　a　locked　and　apparently　unoccupied　ship。
　Except　that　it　wasn't　strictly　unoccupied；　and　for　a　brief；　time…stretched　second　I　tried　to　think　of　how　to　turn　that　to　our　advantage。　If　Tera；　Shawn；　and　I　could　walk　casually　past　the　Icarus　as　if　we　weren't　connected　with　it　at　all；　and　if　I　could　get　Ixil　on　the　phone…
　We　hadn't　gotten　two　steps　before　any　such　decisions　were　taken　out　of　my　hands。　〃There；〃　Chort　called　out；　pointing　to　me。　〃There　is　the　captain。　You　may　address　your　questions　to　him。〃
　I　sighed。　〃You　two　stay　back；〃　I　murmured　to　Tera　and　Shawn。　There　was　a　rustle　as　Tera　took　Shawn's　left　arm；　pulling　him　subtly　to　a　halt　as　I　continued　on　toward　the　ramp。　The　Najik　in　the　center　of　the　group　took　a　step　toward　me　in　response；　and　now　that　he　was　facing　me　I　could　see　the　insignia　of　a　gokra…the　equivalent　of　a　senior　lieutenant…on　his　collar。　Apparently；　Customs　HQ　was　taking　this　very　seriously。
　〃Good　day；　Gokra；〃　I　greeted　him　as　we　sloshed　through　the　puddles　to　within　a　few　steps　of　each　other。　〃Is　there　a　problem？〃
　〃You　are　the　captain　of　the　Sleeping　Beauty？〃　he　asked。　His　tone　was　decidedly　neutral。
　〃I　am；〃　I　said；　wondering　fleetingly　if　Chort　might　have　slipped　up　and　given　them　my　real　name；　realized　immediately　that　he　hadn't。　If　he　had…if　the　Najik　knew　beyond　a　doubt　what　they　had　here…they　wouldn't　be　bothering　with　a　few　measly　customs　officers。　They'd　have　an　army　battalion　here；　plus　the　local　Patth　ambassador　and　his　staff；　plus　probably　a　military　marching　band　thrown　in　for　color。　〃Is　there　a　problem？〃
　〃You　will　unseal　the　hatch；〃　he　said；　waving　back　toward　the　Icarus。　〃You　will　tell　your　crewer　to　move　aside；　and　you　will　allow　us　to　go　in。〃
　〃Of　course；〃　I　said；　not　moving。　〃May　I　ask　what　the　problem　is？〃
　For　a　moment　he　seemed　disinclined　to　tell　me；　but　apparently　decided　there　was　no　harm　in　playing　by　the　proper　Mercantile　Code　rules。　〃We　have　received　a　report　that　this　ship　is　engaged　in　illegal　smuggling　activities；〃　he　said。
　The　rest　of　me　was　soaking　wet。　My　mouth；　however；　was　suddenly　dry。　〃Smuggling　activities？〃　I　managed；　hoping　I　sounded　more　bewildered　than　guilty。
　〃Yes；〃　the　gokra　said。　〃Specifically；　that　you　have　unregistered　gem…stones　hidden　aboard。〃
　I　stared　at　him；　not　needing　to　feign　any　bewilderment　this　time。　〃Gemstones？〃　I　echoed。　〃That's　crazy。　We're　not　carrying　any　gemstones。〃
　〃You　will　please　tell　your　Craea　to　stand　aside；〃　the　Najik　said；　not　even　bothering　to　acknowledge　my　protest。　I　couldn't　blame　him；　he'd　probably　heard　variants　of　it　twice　a　day　throughout　his　entire　career。　〃Then　you　will　unseal　the　hatch　and　allow　us　inside。　I　will　need　to　see　your　personal　identification；　as　well。〃
　〃Of　course；〃　I　said；　brushing　some　of　the　water　out　of　my　eyes　and　trying　to　figure　out　what　the　hell　was　going　on。　The　gemstone　story　was　utter　nonsense；　of　course…you　could　fill　fifty　ships　the　size　of　the　Icarus　from　deck　to　ceiling　with　Dritar　opals　without　so　much　as　lifting　a　Patth　eyebrow。　But　if　they　suspected　the　ship　in　front　of　us　might　be　the　Icarus；　why　bother　with　this　subterfuge？
　Answer：　they　wouldn't。　Which　meant　that　they　didn't　know　it　was　the　Icarus。
　Which　further　meant　the　Patth　weren't　involved　in　this；　that　it　was　a　purely　Najiki　affair；　with　the　whole　gemstone　thing　being　either　a　ridiculous　bureaucratic　error　or　else　a　horrifying　coincidence。　I'd　chosen　the　name　Sleeping　Beauty　for　our　current　ship's　ID　on　the　assumption　that　few　people　in　the　Spiral　were　going　to　name　their　ships　after　obscure　nineteenth…century　Russian　ballets。　It　would　be　the　height　of　irony　if　I'd　not　only　guessed　wrong；　but　had　managed　to　pick　the　name　of　a　bona　fide　smuggling　ship　in　the　bargain。
　Unfortunately；　in　about　five　minutes　the　how　and　why　of　it　weren't　going　to　matter　anymore。　There　were　a　dozen　different　numbers　etched　on　engines　and　consoles　all　over　the　ship；　numbers　that　were　on　various　lists　all　across　the　Spiral。　If　Cameron　had　done　a　proper　job　of　creating　a　history　for　his　phantom　freighter；　those　numbers　would　be　in　a　Mercantile　file　labeled　Icarus；　and　the　minute　the　Najik　started　checking　them　we　would　be　finished。　If　Cameron　hadn't　filed　the　numbers；　it　would　simply　take　a　little　longer　for　the　soap　bubble　to　burst。
　The　Najik　were　still　waiting。　〃Of　course；〃　I　said　again；　turning　back　and　stepping　to　where　Tera　was　still　clinging　to　Shawn's　left　arm。　There　was　one　very　tenuous　hope　here；　a　hope　based　on　Brother　John's　off…handed　ment　earlier　about　the　Najik；　and　my　own　hopefully　not…too…cynical　interpretation　of　it。　〃Let　me　get　the　hatch　unlocked　first　and　get　us　in　out　of　the　rain。　Especially　Geoff　here…he's　not　well。〃
　Someone　in　the　group　gave　a　deep…bass　rumble；　the　Najiki　equivalent　of　a　guffaw；　as　I　took　Shawn's　right　upper　arm。　Not　an　unreasonable　response；　given　that　Shawn　looked　more　drunk　than　he　did　sick；　and　I　took　it　as　a　good　sign。　Customs　HQ　might　be　taking　this　seriously；　but　apparently　not　all　the　officers　themselves　were。　Together　Tera　and　I　led　Shawn　through　the　Najiki　cordon　to　the　near　end　of　the　ramp。　I　keyed　in　the　bination　on　the　pad　and；　behind　Chort；　the　hatch　swung　open。　Without　waiting　for　permission　from　the　Najik；　I　moved　us　forward　onto　the　ramp。
　〃Keep　going；〃　I　murmured　to　Tera；　letting　go　my　grip　on　Shawn's　arm　and　sliding　my　left　arm　through　his；　freeing　up　that　hand　while　still　giving　the　appearance　that　I　was　holding　on　to　him。　Extending　my　reach　as　much　as　I　could；　I　dipped　into　my　side　jacket　pocket　for　the　folded　city　map　I'd　stuffed　in　there　earlier。　My　other　hand　had　already　slipped　inside　my　jacket　for　my　pen；　and　as　we　passed　out　of　the　rain　into　the　shelter　of　the　wraparound　I　scribbled　briefly　on　the　front　of　the　map。
　〃An　interesting　ship　design；〃　the　gokra　mented　from　right　behind　me。　He　might　be　courteous　enough　to　let　me　precede　him　into　my　own　ship；　but　that　didn't　mean　he　was　going　to　let　me　get　too　much　of　a　lead　on　him。　〃Ylpea…built；　I　presume？〃
　〃I　really　don't　know；〃　I　said。　Now　that　he　mentioned　it；　I　could　see　an　echo　of　the　Ylpean　love　of　French　curves　in　the　Icarus's　double…sphere　shape。　Had　that　been　what　Cameron　had　been　going　for？　Regardless；　something　worth　remembering。　〃I'm　just　the　pilot；　not　the　owner。　I　don't　know　anything　about　its　history。〃
　〃Ah。〃
　We　had　moved　along　the　wraparound；　and　were　now　ing　up　on　the　main　sphere。　Behind　the　gokra　the　rest　of　the　Najik　had　filed　in；　with　a　silent　Chort　bringing　up　the　rear。　〃But　you're　not　here　for　a　history　lesson　anyway；〃　I　added；　pulling　my　ID　folder　from　inside　my　jacket　and　surreptitiously　sliding　the　map　inside　it。　〃Here's　my　ID。〃
　I　handed　it　to　him；　mentally　crossing　my　fingers。　If　I'd　guessed　wrong；　it