tz.theicarushunt-第48部分

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n　her；　oddly　enough；　it　seemed　to　fit　rather　naturally。　〃There's　a　way　out　somewhere。　You　just　have　to　want　to　find　it　badly　enough。〃
　〃I　once　thought　that　way；〃　I　told　her。　〃Thought　there　was　a　quick　and　simple　solution　to　every　problem。〃
　〃I　didn't　say　the　solution　would　be　quick　or　simple；〃　she　said　impatiently；　the　idealism　level　dropping　but　the　earnestness　increasing　to　more　than　make　up　the　difference。　〃I　just　said　that　it　was　there　if　you　really　wanted　it。〃
　〃I'll　keep　that　in　mind；〃　I　said。　〃And　while　I'm　doing　that；　perhaps　you'll　try　to　remember　that　job　security　of　any　sort　is　a　damn　sight　better　than　the　starvation　diet　everyone　but　the　Patth　is　on　these　days。　It's　easy　for　a　puter　jock　like　you…you　don't　have　to　fly　on　star…ships；　there　are　puters　everywhere。　But　I　can't　very　well　fly　an　accounting　firm's　desk；　now　can　I？〃
　〃I　suppose　the　question　is　how　much　security　is　worth　to　you；〃　she　said。　〃pared　with；　say；　self…respect。〃　Turning　back　to　the　door；　she　started　to　stride　out　of　the　room。
　〃By　the　way；　Tera？〃　I　said。
　Almost　reluctantly；　probably　annoyed　at　my　ruining　her　dramatic　exit；　she　stopped。　〃Yes？〃
　〃Everett　told　me　you　were　in　the　mechanics　shop　when　he　came　to　alert　everyone　about　Shawn's　escape；〃　I　said。　〃What　were　you　doing　in　there？〃
　She　regarded　me　coolly。　〃I　was　looking　for　a　jeweler's　screwdriver　set；〃　she　said。　〃One　of　my　displays　was　going　funny　and　I　thought　it　might　need　some　adjustment。〃
　〃Ah；〃　I　said。　〃Thank　you。〃
　She　gazed　at　me　another　heartbeat。　〃You're　wele；〃　she　said；　turning　again　and　making　her　exit。
　I　watched　the　door　slide　closed　behind　her；　gave　her　and　Nicabar　a　minute　to　get　out　of　the　corridor；　then　went　over　and　locked　the　door　open　again。　I　like　my　privacy　as　much　as　the　next　man；　but　if　anyone　was　planning　to　go　for　a　stroll　around　the　mid　deck；　I　wanted　to　hear　them　doing　it。
　Returning　to　my　chair；　I　resumed　my　regimen　of　scowling　at　the　displays。　Tera　and　Nicabar　had　at　least　been　up　front　about　their　suspicions　about　me。　How　many　of　the　others；　I　wondered；　were　having　the　same　thoughts；　only　weren't　interested　in　a　confrontation？
　I　didn't　care　about　being　popular。　Well；　I　did；　actually；　as　much　as　anyone　else；　but　I'd　long　since　resigned　myself　to　the　knowledge　that　people　who　liked　me　were　going　to　be　few　and　far　between。　The　vital　question　right　now；　though；　was　not　popularity　but　trust　and　obedience。　If　there　was　any　chance　at　all　of　making　it　through　the　ever…tightening　Patth　noose；　it　was　going　to　require　all　of　us　working　together。
　All　of　us。　Including　our　mysterious　saboteur。
　It　would　help　enormously　if　I　could　figure　out　what　exactly　he　was　going　for。　But　while　I　could　hammer　any　three　or　four　of　the　incidents　into　a　workable　theory；　trying　to　put　all　of　them　together　simply　refused　to　work。　If　someone　knew　what　was　in　the　Icarus's　cargo　hold；　and　if　it　was　as　valuable　as　we　all　thought；　why　hadn't　he　turned　us　in　to　the　Patth　on　Potosi　and　claimed　the　reward？　Or　had　the　gem…smuggling　tip　to　Najiki　Customs　been　an　abortive　attempt　to　do　just　that？　And　how　did　the　attacks　on　Jones　and　Ixil　fit　in？
　Abruptly；　I　sat　up　straighter　in　my　chair；　my　mind　flashing　back　to　what　I　myself　had　said　not　ten　minutes　earlier　to　Nicabar　about　the　hijackers　possibly　hiring　a　pilot　for　the　occasion。　The　Patth　might　very　well　be　doing　just　that…they　certainly　had　enough　money　to　spread　around；　and　I　was　the　one　person　they　knew　was　aboard。　A　single　well…placed　shot　could　take　me　out　of　the　picture　permanently；　and　make　it　vital　for　the　rest　to　find　a　new　pilot。
　And　if　the　Patth　were　dangling　high…denomination　bills　in　front　of　ships'　pilots；　why　not　ships'　mechanics　as　well？　Our　resident　saboteur；　no　matter　what　his　secret　talents　and　certificates；　probably　couldn't　fly　a　ship　this　size　and　shape　by　himself。　But　two　such　talented　and　certified　men　just　might　be　able　to　pull　it　off。
　And　if　this　second　man　was　also　a　mechanic；　then　the　simplest　way　to　get　him　aboard　was　to　create　an　opening　in　that　slot。　Our　saboteur　had　succeeded　in　eliminating　Jones；　but　I'd　already　had　Ixil　standing　in　line　to　fill　the　vacancy。　Was　the　implied　threat　of　cyanide　poisoning　a　heavy…handed　attempt　to　scare　Ixil　off？
　If　so；　he　was　going　to　be　sorely　disappointed。　Kalixiri　in　general　didn't　scare　very　well；　and　Ixil　was　even　worse　at　it　than　the　average。
　Which　unfortunately　still　left　the　question　of　why　the　Icarus　wasn't　already　in　Patth　hands；　and　maybe　I'd　now　e　up　with　an　answer　to　that　one；　too。　Uncle　Arthur　had　said　the　Patth　Director　General　was　personally　calling　the　various　governments　along　our　route；　but　what　if　he　was　not；　in　fact；　speaking　for　the　entire　Patth　government？　I'd　always　assumed　the　Patth　were　fairly　monolithic；　at　least　insofar　as　their　relations　with　other　species　were　concerned。　But　what　if　that　wasn't　the　case？
　In　that　event　our　saboteur　might　not　have　turned　us　in　to　the　Patth　simply　because　he　hadn't　yet　run　across　the　right　Patth　to　turn　us　in　to。　Maybe　the　customs　flap　on　Potosi　had　indeed　been　an　attempt　to　alert　someone；　only　they　hadn't　gotten　the　message　in　time。　Or　else　my　maneuver　with　Antoniewicz's　name　had　gotten　us　out　of　trouble　and　off　the　planet　faster　than　anyone　had　anticipated。
　The　politics　of　the　situation；　I　knew；　I　didn't　have　a　hope　of　unraveling　without　more　detailed　information　about　the　Patth；　which　I　didn't　expect　to　be　getting　anytime　soon。　However；　with　this　assumption　came　an　unexpected　opportunity。　Unless　our　saboteur　had　been　recruited　on　the　spot　at　the　Meima　spaceport…which　seemed　unlikely…it　meant　that　he　must　have　had　previous　ties　to　the　Patth。　Ties　that；　if　I　was　lucky；　would　show　up　in　the　background　reports　Uncle　Arthur　had　promised　to　deliver　to　me　at　our　next　stop。
　I　looked　over　my　instruments　and　displays　again；　and　despite　the　extra　fuel　cost　involved　edged　our　speed　up　a　little。　Suddenly；　I　was　very　anxious　to　get　to　Morsh　Pon。
　　
　CHAPTER　11
　
　IT　WAS　AN　eighty…four…hour　flight　from　Potosi　to　Morsh　Pon；　eighty…four　hours　that　went　both　smoother　and　more　annoyingly　than　I'd　expected　them　to。　We　had　to　make　only　two　stops　along　the　way　for　Chort　to　repair　more　hull　ridges；　which　considering　the　Icarus's　haphazard　construction　was　not　a　bad　showing　at　all。　Perhaps　the　main　hull's　spherical　design；　unlovely　though　it　was；　actually　stood　up　better　against　hyperspace　pressure　than　the　lean；　graceful　lines　that　I　was　more　used　to　with　starships。　Or　maybe　it　was　just　that　all　of　our　good　luck　was　being　unidirectionally　expended　on　our　hull。
　There　were　no　more　attempts　at　sabotage；　at　least　none　that　came　to　light；　but　we　had　plenty　of　other　trouble。　Successive　doses　of　borandis　were　able　to　bring　Shawn　back　from　the　edge　and　ensure　that　he　wouldn't　have　any　permanent　neural　damage；　at　least　this　time　around。　Unfortunately；　he'd　apparently　been　far　enough　along　that　it　took　more　of　the　medicine　than　normal　to　get　him　properly　stabilized。　Everett　thought　we　would　be　okay　to　Morsh　Pon　and　probably　the　stop　after　that；　but　we　were　going　to　have　to　get　hold　of　a　new　supply　sooner　than　I'd　hoped。
　Our　archaic　puter　was　another　problem　that　reared　its　ugly　head　shortly　into　the　flight。　The　glitch　Tera　had　mentioned　with　her　display　turned　out　to　be　nothing　as　simple　as　an　adjustment　problem。　Once　she　opened　the　puter　casing　the　trouble　was　instantly　obvious：　thin　layers　of　almost　microscopic　dust　inside；　dust　that　apparently　had　just　enough　electrical　conductivity　to　create　flickers　of　random　havoc　as　the　cooling　fans　blew　it　across　the　various　boards　and　ponents。
　It　was　equally　obvious；　at　least　to　Ixil　and　me；　how　it　had　happened。　Shoved　off　to　the　side　somewhere　in　one　of　the　underground　chambers　on　Meima　while　Cameron's　techs　put　the　Icarus　together；　it　had　had　plenty　of　opportunity　to　collect　dust　through　its　various　apertures。　But　of　course　none　of　the　rest　of　our　crew　knew　the　ship's　history；　and　dodging　the　constant　stream　of　questions　and　plaints…most　of　the　latter　from　Shawn；　despite　the　alleged　civilizing　effects　of　his　medicine…wore　pretty　thin　after　a　while。　Ixil　bore　the　brunt　of　that　one　as　he　spent　the　better　part　of　seventy　hours　helping　Tera　and　Shawn　disasse