tz.theicarushunt-第58部分
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〃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 was definite。 〃The Patth aren't going to be fooled that easily…they'll have the word out anywhere the Icarus can get to。 All that would do is increase the number of fueling stops we would have to make； which is where we're most vulnerable； and give the Patth more time to learn what exactly the Icarus looks like。〃
〃And if they really do have Cameron； to get a plete crew list； too；〃 I agreed glumly。 〃All right； Utheno it is。〃
〃Utheno it is；〃 Ixil agreed； snapping his fingers to recall his ferrets。 〃I'm going back to my cabin to get some sleep；〃 he continued as they bounded up his legs and clawed their way to his shoulders。 〃I'd like to finish healing before we hit Utheno。〃
〃Watch yourself；〃 I warned。 〃Our murderer may not content himself with leaving his next batch of poison gas unmixed。〃
〃I'll have Pix and Pax on alert；〃 he assured me。 〃And there are a couple of door…guard tricks I know。 You just watch yourself。〃
〃What； me？〃 I said； snorting。 〃The only one we know can fly this monster？ I'm the safest person aboard。〃
〃Let's hope our murderer remembers that；〃 Ixil said pointedly； standing up and heading for the door。 〃And doesn't have too inflated an opinion of his own piloting skills。 I'll talk to you later。〃
He left； leaving the door locked open behind him。 I confirmed the vector and timing to Utheno； then shut down the plotting table and returned to my mand chair。 And tried to think。
Our talk with Tera had been good。 It had been enlightening and； assuming always that everything she had told us was true； very useful as well。
The problem was that it had also swept away the whole fragile toothpick…house I'd worked so painstakingly to put together since Jones's murder。 Before； I'd had a puzzle where the pieces didn't seem to fit together。 Now； suddenly； not only had she swept away the pieces； she'd swept away the damn puzzle； too。 The attacks on Jones and Chort； the sabotage to the cutting torch； the anonymous tips to the various customs and port authorities…every time lightning had struck I had carefully added the details to the rest of the mix； making sure to include the locations of all the possible suspects during that time。 And while I didn't kid myself that I'd sorted it out into a neat package； at least I'd been getting a handle on it all。
Now； suddenly； everything had changed。 Half the sabotage had been done by Tera and her father； a character I hadn't even known was on this particular stage of our little drama； and for reasons far less malevolent than their results would have suggested。 And with that confession； my careful checklist of who had been where when went straight out the airlock。 In fact； about all I had left to explain was the gem…smuggling tip to the Najik on Potosi and the poison…gas ponents and smashed release pad on Ixil's room。 And； of course； Jones's murder。
And the damnable part of it was that those were precisely the incidents that no one had any possible alibi for。 Anyone aboard could have sabotaged Jones's rebreather prior to his acpanying Chort on his spacewalk； and everyone was out on their own during the time Ixil's room was tampered with。
Everyone。 Including Tera。
Because Ixil's opinions to the contrary； I still hadn't eliminated her as a suspect。 Far from it。 The photo Uncle Arthur had sent wasn't nearly definitive enough for me to accept her claimed identity； and it was for sure that if the real Elaina Tera Cameron was running around the Spiral somewhere else we'd never hear about it here on the Icarus。 True； she'd known about the hull's alien grav generator； but if she was actually one of the archaeologists or techs； she would have also known about that。 Uncle Arthur had said the Ihmisits had rounded up the whole group； but without knowing his source for that information I was forced to consider it inplete if not downright suspect。 As to the rest of her story； I hadn't actually seen Cameron aboard the Icarus； and I sure couldn't confirm that he was the one I'd chased leisurely around the 'tweenhull area。
And I couldn't help noticing the interesting timing of the Patth infiltrating the Meima dig with a couple of Lumpies just when the Icarus was ready to fly。 It could be coincidence； or something in their own external intelligence had caught the roving Patth eye； but it could also be that they'd had an agent inside the dig itself。 We had only Tera's word that she wasn't that agent。
But then； we had only everyone else's word for who they were； too。 Tera had said Cameron had kept her presence on Meima close to the vest。 Maybe he'd done the same with someone else as well； shielding this agent's presence even from his own daughter。 It was the sort of double…blind stunt a man like Cameron might well have pulled； as Tera herself had said； you couldn't tell what you didn't know。 Perhaps it was that second string to Cameron's bow who had been suborned by the Patth； or had simply decided he was tired of a tech's salary and that this was his big chance to retire in fort。
And if that was true； it might finally explain why we were still free。 Either our traitor hadn't turned us in to the Patth yet because he was waiting for the price to go up； or else because he suspected another of Cameron's people was aboard and didn't want to show his hand until he'd figured out who it was。
So why was Jones murdered？
Had he known something damaging to the murderer？ Or； conversely； had the murderer been afraid he might learn something that he； the murderer； couldn't afford for anyone else to know？ It had to be something that a ship's mechanic might learn through his normal duties； or else the follow…up attack on Ixil didn't make any sense。
Unless the poison…gas threat had been just a smoke screen。 Maybe all Mr。 X had wanted to do was get rid of Jones； and had pulled the cyanide threat on Ixil to make it look like he had a grudge against anyone who tried to fill the mechanic post on the Icarus。 After all； Ixil hadn't even e close to dying on that one。
I scowled some more at my displays。 This was getting me nowhere except dizzy。 What could a perfect stranger like Jones…a perfect stranger to the rest of the Icarus's crew； anyway…possibly know that would be worth killing him over？ Perhaps the fact that； despite his claims about his mechanical skills； Nicabar didn't actually know one end of a wrench from another？ But why would even an egregious bending of the truth be worth murder？ Besides； Uncle Arthur's profile on Nicabar had shown that he did have those skills。 Was it something about Chort； then？ Or Everett； or Shawn？
A rumbling in my stomach intruded on my thoughts； an audible reminder that it had been a long time since my last meal。 Giving the displays one last check； I got up and headed back to the dayroom just aft of the bridge。 The ship could look after itself long enough for me to put together a quick sandwich； and maybe a liter or two of coffee would help me think。 Though from the evidence to date； I doubted it。
I had assembled a sandwich from the rather unimaginative selection of ship's stores； and was pouring coffee into a spill…proof mug； when I caught the sound of a light footstep outside the door。 I turned； and to my plete lack of surprise found Chort framed in the doorway。 〃Excuse me； Captain McKell；〃 he said in his whistly voice。 〃I did not mean to intrude。〃
〃No intrusion at all；〃 I assured him； waving him in。 〃The dayroom's mon property； you know。 e in； e in。〃
〃Thank you；〃 he said； moving somewhat hesitantly into the room。 〃I know that the dayroom is usually a mon area。 But here it does not seem to be so。〃
〃The Icarus is an unusual ship；〃 I reminded him； picking up my plate and mug and settling down at the table。 So far on this trip I hadn't really had the chance to talk with Chort； and this seemed the ideal opportunity to do so。 〃And we're flying under very unusual conditions；〃 I added。 〃Our crew doesn't have the usual cohesion of people who've traveled a lot together。〃 I eyed him speculatively。 〃Though maybe that doesn't mean all that much to you。 You haven't been at this sort of thing
