tz.theicarushunt-第59部分

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u。　You　haven't　been　at　this　sort　of　thing　very　long；　have　you？〃
　His　feathery　scales　fluttered　slightly。　〃Is　it　so　very　obvious？〃
　I　shrugged。　〃Maybe　a　little；〃　I　said。　〃I　wouldn't　worry　about　it；　though。　You're　a　Craea；　and　somehow　you　people　have　space　travel　in　your　blood。〃
　〃Perhaps。〃　His　beak　clicked　softly　twice；　the　first　time　I'd　heard　him　make　that　sound。　〃Or　perhaps　that　is　merely　a　myth。〃
　〃If　it　is；　there　are　an　awful　lot　of　people　who've　swallowed　it；〃　I　told　him；　taking　a　bite　of　my　sandwich。　〃There's　a　terrific　demand　out　there　for　Craean　spacewalkers。〃
　〃Perhaps　the　demand　is　justifiable；〃　he　said；　eyeing　me　closely。　〃But　perhaps　it　is　not。　Tell　me；　what　did　Ship　Master　Borodin　tell　you　about　this　mission？〃
　〃What　do　you　mean？〃　I　asked；　frowning。　Mission；　he'd　said。　Not　trip　or　voyage。　Mission。　〃I　was　hired　to　fly　the　Icarus　from　Meima　to　Earth。　Why；　did　he　tell　you　something　else？〃
　〃Not　something　else；　exactly；〃　he　said；　those　pure　white　eyes　still　studying　me　with　a　disfiting　intensity。　〃But　he　said　there　was　something　more　involved　here。〃
　He　stopped。　〃Go　on；〃　I　encouraged　him；　taking　another　bite　of　sandwich　so　as　not　to　look　too　eager。
　He　gave　it　another　couple　of　heartbeats　before　he　finally　went　on。　〃Twelve　others　were　trying　to　hire　me　at　the　Craean　employment　site　on　Meima；〃　he　said。　〃Ship　Master　Borodin　drew　me　aside　and　told　me　that　while　he　could　not　pay　as　much　as　the　others　were　offering；　he　could　instead　offer　me　a　chance　to　do　something　for　my　people　that　would　never　be　forgotten。〃
　〃Really；〃　I　said；　fighting　to　keep　my　voice　casual　as　I　took　another　bite　to　hide　the　sudden　shiver　running　through　me。　Idiot　that　I　was；　not　until　that　moment　had　Tera's　revelation　of　the　Icarus's　true　nature　made　even　the　slightest　connection　in　my　mind　with　the　data　Uncle　Arthur　had　sent　regarding　the　boom　the　Craean　economy　had　been　enjoying　since　the　Talariac　had　hit　the　space　lanes。　〃What　else　did　he　say？〃
　Faced　with　a　nonhuman　audience；　I'd　apparently　overplayed　my　casual　act。　〃You　don't　believe　me；〃　Chort　said；　starting　for　the　door。　〃I'm　sorry　to　have　bothered　you。〃
　〃No；　no…please；〃　I　said；　gathering　my　feet　beneath　me；　ready　to　jump　out　of　my　chair　if　I　needed　to　in　order　to　stop　him。　Suddenly　there　were　a　whole　new　raft　of　possibilities　opening　up　here；　possibilities　I　very　much　wanted　to　explore。　〃I　didn't　mean　it　that　way。　Of　course　I　believe　you。　Did　he　say　anything　more？〃
　He　stood　there　another　moment；　then　slowly　retraced　his　steps。　〃You　do　not　understand；〃　he　said。　〃You　humans。　You　greatly　dislike　the　Patth…I　hear　you　talking。　But　you　do　not　understand。〃
　〃Help　me　understand；　then；〃　I　invited；　gesturing　at　the　seat　across　the　table　from　me。　〃Why　shouldn't　we　dislike　the　Patth？〃
　He　hesitated　again；　then　slowly　sat　down　in　the　indicated　seat。　〃You　spoke　of　space　travel　being　in　Craean　blood；〃　he　said。　〃Perhaps　in　some　ways　it　is。　We　love　free　fall；　and　thrive　in　space　habitats。　We　have　five　in　our　home　system；　did　you　know　that？〃
　I　nodded。　〃I　hear　they're　beautiful　inside。　I　wish　your　government　allowed　non…Crooea　to　visit　them。〃
　〃They　are　indeed　beautiful；〃　he　said；　the　white　eyes　unfocusing　oddly。　〃And　it　is　in　such　places；　or　on　our　homeworld　itself；　that　most　Crooea　would　prefer　to　live　if　that　was　possible。〃
　His　eyes　came　back　to　focus　on　my　face。　〃But　such　is　not　the　case。　We　have　nothing　in　the　fields　of　science　or　technology　that　can　pete　with　the　products　of　Earth　or　Basni　or　J'kayrr。　Yet　we　must　continue　to　create　wealth　if　we　are　to　have　the　benefits　of　that　technology；　or　if　we　are　to　build　more　space　habitats　for　our　people。〃
　〃You　have　your　food　exports；〃　I　reminded　him。　〃I　understand　they're　very　much　sought　after。〃
　〃But　they　can　travel　only　a　limited　distance　before　spoiling；〃　he　said。　〃In　the　face　of　such　a　dilemma；　what　can　the　Crooea　do？〃
　I　sighed。　I　saw　where　he　was　headed　now；　all　right。　〃They　hire　themselves　out　across　the　Spiral；　of　course；〃　I　said。　〃Tell　me；　how　much　of　your　pay　goes　directly　to　the　Craean　government？〃　His　beak　snapped　hard。　〃Seven…tenths；〃　he　said。　A　seventy　percent　tax　bracket。　Indentured　servitude；　with　the　twist　that　the　servitude　was　to　their　own　government　and　people。　〃I've　never　heard　anything　about　this　before；〃　I　said。　〃Why　have　you　kept　it　such　a　secret？〃
　His　feathers　fluffed　briefly。　〃Why　would　we　tell　it？〃　he　countered。　〃It　is　not　something　we　are　proud　of。　To　sell　ourselves　into　service　to　aliens　is　not　a　pleasant　thing。〃
　〃Though　it's　really　no　different　from　what　the　rest　of　us　do；〃　I　pointed　out。　〃None　of　us　are　selling　ourselves；　exactly；　just　hiring　our　services　and　our　expertise　out　to　others。　It's　what's　called　a　job。〃
　〃It　was　never　the　Craean　way；〃　he　said　firmly。　〃But　it　is　our　way　now。〃
　He　cocked　his　head　to　one　side；　a　quick　gesture　that　was　very　bird…like。　〃But　even　now　that　way　may　be　changing。　The　Patth　merchants　have　given　us　the　chance　to　sell　our　foodstuffs　in　more　markets　than　ever　before。　In　only　a　few　short　decades；　perhaps　we　will　have　the　resources　necessary　for　the　habitats　we　yet　wish　to　build。　When　that　happens；　we　will　once　again　be　able　to　withdraw　back　to　our　homes；　and　our　families；　and　our　kind。〃
　I　shook　my　head。　〃We'll　miss　you；〃　I　said。　I　meant　it；　too；　even　as　I　winced　at　how　utterly　banal　the　words　sounded。　〃Why　are　you　telling　me　this？〃
　He　laid　his　delicate　hands　on　the　table；　rubbing　the　fingertips　gently　together。　〃Once；　it　was　thought　that　only　our　future　freedom　depended　on　the　Patth　and　their　stardrive；〃　he　said；　dropping　his　gaze　to　his　hands。　〃But　now；　many　fear　that　our　very　lives　are　solidly　in　their　hands。　In　the　cycles　since　Talariac　began　service；　more　and　more　of　our　resources　have　been　devoted　to　the　growing　of　foodstuffs　for　export。　If　the　Patth　should　suddenly　refuse　to　carry　them；　our　economy　could　collapse　in　a　single　sunrise。〃
　I　felt　a　hard　knot　form　in　the　center　of　my　stomach。　I　had　warned　Ixil　that　the　Crooea　might　be　susceptible　to　Patth　pressure；　but　I　hadn't　realized　just　how　big　the　economic　stick　the　Patth　were　threatening　them　with　was。　〃I　think　I　understand　the　situation；〃　I　said。　〃What　is　it　you　want　from　me？〃
　He　seemed　to　draw　himself　up。　〃I　want　you　to　not　aggravate　the　Patth。〃
　I　suppressed　a　grimace。　Lord　knew　the　last　thing　I　wanted　to　do　was　upset　the　Patth；　the　Patth　or　their　lumpy　friends　with　the　handheld　crematoria。　Unfortunately；　as　far　as　that　crowd　was　concerned；　even　my　continued　breathing　probably　constituted　aggravation　at　this　point。　〃What　makes　you　think　I　would　want　to　do　something　like　that？〃　I　hedged。
　〃You　dislike　the　Patth；〃　he　said　again。　〃And　it　is　the　Patth　who　are　seeking　you　and　this　ship。〃
　The　hard　knot　in　the　center　of　my　stomach　tightened　a　couple　more　turns。　〃Who　told　you　that？〃
　His　feathers　fluttered。　〃No　one　told　me。　The　beings　whom　the　young　human　female　pointed　out　to　us　at　the　Baker's　Dozen　taverno　were　members　of　a　Patth　client　race。〃
　〃How　do　you　know？〃
　〃It　is　mon　knowledge　among　the　Crooea；〃　he　said；　sounding　surprised　that　I　even　needed　to　ask。　〃All　Patth　merchant　starships　carry　Craean　spacewalkers。　The　Iykams　also　always　travel　with　them　as　guardians　and　protectors。　Unlike　the　Patth；　they　are　crude　and　not　very　polite。〃
　〃As　well　as　sometimes　violent；〃　I　added；　nodding。　At　least　the　Lumpy　Clan　had　a　name　now。　Uncle　Arthur　would　be　pleased　about　that。　〃Still；　just　because　the　Iykams　are　mad　at　me　doesn't　mean　the　Patth　themselves　are　involved。〃
　The　feathers　fluttered　again；　this　time　fluffing　out　from　his　body。　〃Do　not　lie　to　me；　Captain；〃　he　said　quietly。　〃The　Iykams　do　not　act　without　Patth　permission。　They　do　not　move　through　these　areas　of　space　without　Patth　presence　and　guidance。〃
　〃I'm　not　lying　to　you；　Chort；〃　I　assured　him　quickly；　a　creepy　feeling　running　through　me。　If　he　was　right；　that　meant　the　two　Iykams　I'd　killed　on　Xathru　must　have　had　a　Patth　overseer　somewhere　in　the　vicinity。　A　Patth　who　had　just　missed　capturing　the　Icarus　right　off　the　blocks。
　And　running　the　logic　in　reverse；　it　also　implied　that　the　three　Patth　Cameron　and　I　had　seen　in　that　Meima　taverno　had　probably　had　a　couple　of　Iykams　lurking　in　the　shadows　somewhere。　Some