tz.theicarushunt-第57部分

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　the　two　spheres。　But　the　grav　generator　wasn't　the　only　thing　still　working。　A　lot　of　the　electronics　in　the　small　sphere　were　on　what　appeared　to　be　some　kind　of　standby；　and　they　were　able　to　take　a　lot　of　readings。　Waveform　analyses；　pattern　operations…that　sort　of　thing。〃
　She　took　a　deep　breath。　〃They're　not　sure；〃　she　said　quietly。　〃There's　a　lot　they　still　don't　understand。　Most　of　it；　actually。　But　from　what　they　could　decipher　of　the　patterns　and　power　levels　and　even　the　geometric　shapes　of　some　of　the　ponents。。。　well；　they　think　this　whole　thing　could　be　a　stardrive。〃
　I　looked　at　Ixil。　〃What　kind　of　stardrive？〃　I　asked　carefully。
　〃A　fast　one；〃　she　said。　〃A　very　fast　one。　From　the　readings；　they　think　it　could　be　as　much　as　twenty　times　faster　than　the　Patth　Talariac。〃
　〃And　that；〃　Ixil　said　softly；　〃is　worth　mitting　murder　over。〃
　　
　CHAPTER　13
　
　WE　LEFT　TERA　to　get　back　to　her　sleep；　or　at　least　what　sleep　she　would　be　able　to　manage　after　that　immensely　cheering　conversation；　and　reconvened　our　private　council　of　war　on　the　Icarus's　bridge。　Shawn；　who'd　been　on　duty；　had　voiced　no　objection　at　all　to　being　relieved；　heading　off　toward　his　cabin　and　bunk　with　a　sort　of　dragging　step　that　suggested　he　still　wasn't　fully　recovered　from　his　recent　bout　with　Cole's　disease。　Or　from　straight　borandis　addiction；　as　the　case　might　be。
　But　while　the　bridge　provided　all　the　privacy　we　could　want；　or　at　least　all　we　were　likely　to　get　on　the　Icarus；　it　didn't　offer　anything　in　the　way　of　either　inspiration　or　answers。
　〃Hard　though　this　may　be　to　believe；〃　I　mented　to　Ixil　as　I　watched　his　ferrets　climb　nose　first　down　his　legs　and　scamper　off　to　their　corridor　and　bulkhead　sentry　duties；　〃I　think　this　whole　thing　is　more　confused　now　than　it　was　before　we　talked　to　Tera。〃
　〃I　don't　see　how；〃　Ixil　said。　〃Instead　of　having　a　mysterious　murderer/saboteur　aboard　the　Icarus；　we　now　only　have　a　mysterious　murderer。〃
　〃Oh；　that's　a　great　help；〃　I　said　sarcastically。
　〃And　we've　also　eliminated　Tera　as　a　suspect；〃　he　continued；　ignoring　the　sarcasm。　〃Which　leaves　us　only　Chort；　Nicabar；　Shawn；　and　Everett。　That　should　count　for　something。〃
　〃Only　if　everything　she　told　us　was　true；〃　I　cautioned　him。　〃Don't　forget　that　photo　Uncle　Arthur　sent　was　not　exactly　definitive。　She　could　simply　be　a　very　acplished　liar　with　a　gift　for　improvisation。〃
　〃Really；〃　he　said；　his　polite　voice　edging　as　close　to　sarcasm　as　Kalixiri　ever　got。　〃And　does　the　large　sphere's　gravitational　field　e　under　the　liar　talent　or　the　improvisational　talent？〃
　〃Fine；　then；〃　I　growled；　giving　up。　〃Tera's　as　pure　as　the　driven　snow。　Just　bear　in　mind　that　even　if　she　is　who　she　says　she　is；　her　goals　here　may　not　coincide　pletely　with　ours。〃
　〃Granted；〃　he　said。　〃So　where　does　the　extra　confusion　e　in？〃
　〃It　es　in　the　same　place　Cameron　went　out；〃　I　said。　〃With　all　due　respect；　I　don't　think　much　of　your　kidnapping　theory。　If　they　knew　enough　to　get　in　here　and　snatch　him；　why　didn't　they　grab　the　Icarus　while　they　were　at　it？〃
　〃Maybe　they　don't　know　its　actual　significance；〃　Ixil　said。　〃Maybe　they　still　think　the　prize　is　in　the　cargo　hold　and　didn't　think　they　had　time　to　get　to　it　right　then。〃
　〃Then　why　let　us　leave　the　planet？〃　I　countered。　〃Anyway；　they　have　to　have　at　least　an　idea　of　what　it　is　they're　chasing。　You　don't　offer　hundred…grand　finder's　fees　pletely　on　speculation。〃
　〃That　doesn't　necessarily　follow；〃　he　said。　〃Maybe　all　they　know　is　that　the　Icarus　is　carrying　something　Cameron　desperately　wants　to　get　to　Earth；　which　they　want　to　take　a　look　at　simply　on　general　principles。　Perhaps　that　was　what　the　anonymous　gem…smuggling　tip　was　all　about；　to　give　them　an　excuse　to　get　into　the　cargo　hold。〃
　I　ran　that　one　a　couple　of　times　around　in　my　mind。　It　was　not；　I　decided；　as　ridiculous　as　it　seemed　at　first　blush。　〃If　so；　they've　got　terrible　coordination　problems；〃　I　pointed　out。　〃The　Najik　let　us　go　without　even　blinking　an　eye。〃
　〃So　did　Director　Aymi…Mastr　on　Meima；〃　Ixil　said。　〃I　don't　think　the　Patth　have　quite　made　up　their　minds　just　how　public　they're　willing　to　make　their　involvement　with　this。〃
　〃It's　certainly　public　enough　at　the　top　levels；〃　I　reminded　him　darkly。　〃Half　the　governments　in　this　region　have　already　been　threatened　with　sanctions　if　they　don't　find　and　deliver　us。〃
　〃True；　but　that's　not　the　same　thing　as　working　directly　with　local　administrators　and　customs　agents；〃　he　pointed　out。　〃Top…level　governmental　officials　can　usually　be　trusted　not　to　leak　that　kind　of　information；　especially　when　it's　something　that　might　cause　economic　panic　among　their　people。〃
　I　scowled　at　my　displays。　〃So　where　does　that　leave　us？〃　He　shrugged。　〃At　least　we're　not　as　much　in　the　dark　as　most　of　the　people　looking　for　us；〃　he　said。　〃Whatever　the　Patth　themselves　know　or　don't　know；　they　most　certainly　haven't　given　the　details　to　any　of　their　searchers。　If　they　knew　what　we　were　actually　sitting　on　here；　there　wouldn't　be　a　government　in　the　Spiral　who　would　give　us　up　to　them。〃
　〃I　suppose　I　should　be　grateful　for　small　favors；〃　I　said；　trying　to　think　of　how　exactly　all　this　knowledge　gave　us　an　advantage。　Offhand；　I　couldn't　see　any。　〃And　that　brings　up　another　point。　We　might　want　to　consider　making　ourselves　a　list　of　governments　we'd　be　willing　to　surrender　the　Icarus　to　as　a　last　resort；　just　to　keep　the　Patth　from　getting　it。〃
　〃We　could；〃　he　said　doubtfully。　〃The　problem　is　finding　someone　who'd　be　less　of　a　threat　than　the　Patth　themselves。〃
　I　cocked　an　eyebrow。　〃You　are　joking。〃
　〃Not　at　all；〃　he　said；　his　face　deadly　serious。　〃As　far　as　we　know；　the　Patth　have　no　real　military　other　than　their　own　defense　forces。〃
　〃No；　they　subcontract　the　muscle　jobs　out　to　the　Lumpies；〃　I　said　sourly。
　〃Perhaps；〃　Ixil　said。　〃My　point　is　that　the　Patth　would　use　the　Icarus　stardrive　to　cement　their　stranglehold　on　civilian　shipping。　Someone　else　might　instead　put　it　to　military　uses。〃
　I　chewed　a　corner　of　my　lip。　A　faster　stardrive　certainly　wouldn't　help　in　space…normal　bat；　and　of　course　there　was　no　bat　possible　in　hyperspace。　It　would　make　it　easier　to　ferry　troops；　materiel；　and　warships　around；　but　that　wouldn't　be　that　much　of　an　advantage　in　the　small　brushfire　conflicts　that　still　flared　up　now　and　then。　Unless　we　got　into　another　of　the　huge　regional　wars　that　we　all　hoped　were　safely　in　the　Spiral's　past；　the　Icarus　stardrive　wouldn't　gain　an　aggressor　very　much。
　But　then；　maybe　something　like　the　Icarus　stardrive　was　just　the　edge　a　potential　aggressor　was　waiting　for。　Not　a　particularly　pleasant　thought。
　〃We　still　ought　to　make　ourselves　a　surrender　list；〃　I　said；　getting　up　from　the　mand　chair　and　crossing　to　the　plotting　table。　〃Maybe　try　for　a　consortium　of　governments；　just　so　no　one's　got　a　strict　monopoly。〃
　〃Particularly　a　consortium　that　would　allow　the　ship's　crew　to　live；〃　Ixil　said。　〃Preferably　in　something　less　confining　than　a　small　lonely　cell　somewhere。〃
　〃That　one's　at　the　top　of　my　wish　list；　too；〃　I　assured　him；　keying　the　table　on。
　〃It's　always　nice　to　have　a　mon　goal。　Where　exactly　are　we　headed　at　the　moment？〃
　〃I　don't　know；〃　I　said；　peering　at　the　possibilities　as　they　came　up。　〃We're　currently　heading　for　Utheno；　on　the　grounds　that　having　a　legitimate　exit　record　from　Potosi　would　make　it　easier　to　get　in　and　out　of　another　Najiki　Archipelago　world。〃
　〃Utheno　is　only；　what；　seventy…five　hours　away？〃
　〃Seventy…three；〃　I　said。　〃And　since　that's　only　about　half　the　Icarus's　range；　I　also　thought　a　stop　there　might　throw　off　anyone　who　might　be　tracking　our　movements。〃
　I　waved　at　the　table。　〃But　now　I'm　starting　to　wonder　if　it　would　be　better　to　not　get　within　any　single　government's　grasp　more　than　once。〃
　〃Perhaps；〃　Ixil　said　slowly。　〃Still；　at　this　point；　I'm　not　sure　it　really　matters。　The　Patth　have　surely　alerted　everyone　along　our　vector；　and　whether　or　not　we've　crossed　paths　with　any　particular　government　agency　is　probably　more　or　less　irrelevant。〃
　〃Do　you　think　we　should　get　off　this　vector；　then？〃　I　suggested。　〃Veer　off　to　the　side；　circle　around；　and　try　to　sneak　up　on　Earth　from　behind？〃
　〃No。〃　He