tz.theicarushunt-第45部分

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　〃He　ran　out　of　the　ship；〃　Everett　said；　rubbing　at　the　side　of　his　neck。　〃I'm　afraid　he　got　past　me…〃
　〃What　about　the　others？〃　I　cut　him　off。　〃Where　were　they　when　all　this　was　happening？〃
　〃Well。。。〃　He　fumbled　slightly。　〃I'm　not　exactly　sure。　The　inter　still　isn't　working；　so　I　had　to　go　find　them　one　by　one。　Chort　was　in　his　cabin；　Nicabar　was　in　the　engine　room；　and　I　found　Tera　in　the　mechanics　shop。〃
　〃And　then？〃
　〃We　went　outside　to　see　if　he　was　still　in　the　area　of　the　ship。　He　wasn't；　or　if　he　was　we　didn't　see　him；　so　we　split　up　and　went　looking　for　him。〃
　〃You　all　left　together？〃
　〃Except　Nicabar；〃　he　said。　〃The　fuelers　had　arrived；　and　he　stayed　behind　for　a　few　minutes　to　get　them　started。〃
　One　of　the　door's　control　wires　was　too　tangled　to　connect　properly。　I　cut　off　the　end；　stripped　it；　and　started　wrapping　it　around　its　contact。　〃Whose　brilliant　idea　was　it　not　to　tell　me？〃
　〃Mine；　I'm　afraid；〃　he　said；　his　voice　wincing。　〃I　thought　it　would　just　distract　you；　and　you　had　enough　to　do　at　the　time　already。〃
　I　grunted。　〃Did　you　see　any　of　the　others　while　you　were　out　hunting？〃
　〃Of　course　not…we　all　went　off　in　different　directions；〃　he　said。　〃We　kept　in　touch　by　phone；　of　course。〃
　Which　meant　that　any　of　them　could　easily　have　doubled　back　to　the　Icarus　with　murder　on　his　mind　and　no　one　would　have　been　the　wiser　for　it。　He　wouldn't　even　have　had　to　dodge　the　fuelers；　who　would　have　been　busy　on　the　opposite　side　of　the　ship。
　The　last　contact　dropped　into　place；　and　I　heard　the　faint　transient　hum　as　the　system　integrated。　I　touched　the　pad；　and　the　door　slid　open。
　The　room　was　dark。　Bracing　myself　for　the　worst；　I　reached　inside　and　turned　on　the　light。
　Ixil　was　lying　on　the　bunk　just　as　I'd　left　him；　Pix　and　Pax　rousing　themselves　sleepily　from　beside　him　in　response　to　the　light。　Cautiously；　I　moved　forward；　studying　Ixil　as　I　approached。　There　were　no　marks　of　violence　on　him；　at　least　none　that　I　could　see　from　my　angle。
　And　then；　without　warning；　he　inhaled　sharply；　like　a　sigh　going　in　reverse；　and　his　eyes　fluttered　open。　〃Hello；〃　he　said；　blinking　up　at　me。
　I　stopped　short。　〃You're　not　dead；〃　I　said　stupidly。
　Ixil's　face　registered　mild　surprise。　〃Were　you　expecting　me　to　be？〃　he　asked。　His　eyes　flicked　around　the　room；　paused　briefly　on　Everett　standing　in　the　doorway　behind　me；　then　shifted　down　toward　the　deck。　〃What　are　those？〃　he　added；　extending　a　finger。
　I　followed　the　direction　he　was　pointing。　Sitting　on　the　deck　just　inside　the　edge　of　the　door　were　three　objects。　One　was　the　missing　control　chip　from　the　door　release　pad；　the　other　two　were　small　glass　bottles　the　size　and　shape　of　those　in　the　Icarus's　limited　pharmacopoeia。
　I　stepped　over　and　picked　them　up。　One　of　the　bottles　held　a　brown　liquid；　I　noted；　the　other　a　fine　whitish　powder。　Both　bottles　had　safety…seal　lids；　both　lids　were　still　securely　fastened。　〃What　are　they？〃　I　asked　Everett；　handing　them　to　him。
　He　frowned　at　the　labels。　〃Well；　this　one　is　prindeclorian；〃　he　said；　lifting　the　brown　liquid。　〃It's　a　broad…spectrum　viral　inhibitor。　The　other　one's　qohumet；　a　parasite…control　dust　for　feathered　or　scaled　beings　like　our　friend　Chort。　What　they're　doing　here　together　I　can't　imagine。〃
　〃I　can；〃　Ixil　said；　his　voice　suddenly　very　thoughtful　as　he　rose　from　the　bunk　and　crossed　over　to　Everett。　〃If　you　mix　the　two　of　them　together　and　then　set　fire　to　the　resulting　mixture；　you　get　something　quite　interesting。〃
　The　cold　chill　was　starting　up　again。　I　knew　that　tone　Ixil　was　using。　Knew　it　far　too　well。　〃And　that　is？〃　I　prompted。
　He　took　the　bottles　from　Everett　and　gazed　at　the　labels。　〃Cyanide　gas。〃
　*　*　*
　　
　〃ALL　RIGHT；　THEN；　try　this；〃　I　suggested；　scowling　at　the　bridge　displays。　There　wasn't　anything　there　worth　scowling　at…they　were　looking　just　fine…but　I　was　feeling　the　need　to　scowl　at　something。　〃They　were　put　there　as　a　warning　to　us。〃
　〃To　us？〃　Ixil　asked　pointedly　from　the　swivel　stool　across　from　me；　the　words　mangled　by　the　enormous　sandwich　he　seemed　to　be　trying　to　line…feed　into　his　mouth。　Kalixiri　healing　as　were　unarguably　useful　things；　but　they　did　e　with　a　certain　physical　cost。　That　was　already　Ixil's　second　such　sandwich；　and　he　would　probably　demolish　a　third　before　his　hunger　even　started　to　abate。
　〃All　right；　fine：　it　was　a　warning　to　you；〃　I　said；　scowling　some　more。　〃The　question　is；　why　bother？　What　did　our　saboteur　have　to　gain　by　slapping　a　red　flag　across　our　noses？　Sorry…across　your　nose？〃
　〃If　it　was　the　saboteur；〃　he　said；　breaking　off　a　small　piece　of　the　sandwich　and　leaning　over　to　give　it　to　Pax。　Both　ferrets　were　on　the　floor：　Pax　crouching　where　he　could　see　the　corridor　outside　the　open　bridge　door；　Pix　circling　the　room　by　the　inner　hull　listening　for　any　eavesdroppers　who　might　wander　in　from　that　direction。　Ixil　and　I　had　already　made　sure　that　the　inter　system；　conveniently　reactivated　sometime　during　or　immediately　after　my　borandis　search；　couldn't　be　used　against　us　again。　〃Maybe　it　was　someone　trying　to　warn　us　there's　a　saboteur　aboard。〃
　〃If　it　was；　he　should　learn　how　to　pose　letters；〃　I　said　sourly。　〃Let's　try　it　from　a　different　angle。　Who　else　aboard　might　know　about　that　trick　with　the　qohumet　and　whatever？〃
　〃Prindeclorian；〃　he　said　around　another　bite　of　sandwich。　〃Hard　to　tell；　unfortunately。　It　was　a　favorite　of　armchair　revolutionaries　twenty　years　ago；　along　with　a　host　of　other　mon…chemical　concoctions；　and　it　received　a　fair　amount　of　word…of…mouth　publicity。　But　it　never　really　caught　on；　mainly　because　you　either　need　a　small　area　to　contaminate　or　a　large　supply　of　the　necessary　chemicals。〃
　〃And　because　the　fact　that　you　have　to　set　it　on　fire　limits　its　subterfuge　value？〃
　〃Definitely；〃　he　agreed。　〃Most　people　seeing　a　bright　yellow　flame　spewing　a　cloud　of　greenish　smoke　won't　stick　around　to　see　what　the　smoke　might　do　to　them。〃
　〃Unless　the　person　in　question　is　in　a　Kalixiri　a　in　a　cabin　the　size　of　a　large　shoe　box；〃　I　concluded　with　a　grimace。　〃You　suppose　there　are　other　equally　handy　chemicals　aboard？〃
　Ixil　paused　to　chew。　〃I　imagine　almost　anything　in　sick　bay　would　be　lethal　in　a　high　enough　dose；〃　he　said　when　he　got　his　mouth　clear　again。　〃Unless　you　want　to　throw　all　of　it　overboard；　there's　not　much　we　can　do　about　it。〃
　〃That　might　not　be　such　a　bad　idea；〃　I　growled。　〃I'm　starting　to　wonder　if　the　only　reason　you're　alive　is　that　Shawn's　escape　interrupted　our　would…be　killer　in　his　work。〃
　Ixil　paused　in　the　act　of　taking　another　bite。　〃Excuse　me？　I　thought　your　current　theory　was　that　the　saboteur　released　Shawn　so　that　he　could　chase　everyone　else　out　of　the　ship　while　he　came　back　and　did　his　dirty　work。〃
　〃That　was　the　old　theory；〃　I　told　him。　〃This　is　the　new　theory。　He'd　gotten　your　door　open；　but　then　heard　the　motion　on　the　mid　deck　and　decided　he'd　better　be　found　someplace　else　when　they　came　looking　for　him。　Not　wanting　to　be　caught　with　his　pockets　full　of　chemicals；　he　stashed　them　inside　the　room　for　safekeeping；　hied　himself　off　to　someplace　innocent；　and　just　never　got　a　chance　to　e　back。〃
　〃And　also　put　the　control　chip　inside　the　room　so　that　he　wouldn't　be　able　to　open　the　door　again　himself？〃
　I　glared　at　him。　〃That's　right；　let　yourself　get　mired　down　in　facts。　Never　mind　the　simple　elegance　of　the　theory。〃
　〃My　apologies；〃　Ixil　said；　an　odd　look　on　his　face　as　he　set　the　remains　of　his　sandwich　on　the　nav　table。　〃An　idea。　I'll　be　right　back。〃
　He　left。　I　started　another　systems　check；　just　for　something　to　do；　and　did　some　more　glaring　at　the　various　instruments。　Unfortunately；　he　was　right：　If　the　saboteur　planned　to　e　back　later；　why　take　out　the　control　chip？　Not　to　mention　the　rest　of　the　damage　he'd　done　to　the　release　pad。
　Unless　that　had　happened　since　we'd　returned。　Maybe　he'd　tried　to　e　back　early　and　found　the　ship　surrounded　by　Najik　customs　officers。　He　wouldn't　have　had　a　chance　to　act　after　that　until　the　Najik　had　e　and　gone；　while　the　rest　of　us　were　busy　getting　the　Icarus　ready　to　fly。
　But　why　smash　the　pad　at　that　point？　What　did　it　gain　him？
　Unless　he'd　already　gotten　into　the　cabin　and　wanted