tz.theicarushunt-第60部分

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　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。　Something　to　remember　if　I　ever　spotted　another　Patth　out　in　the　open。
　〃Perhaps　it　was　not　a　direct　lie；〃　Chort　said。　〃But　you　are　nonetheless　attempting　to　distract　me；　to　lure　me　away　from　the　truth。〃　He　cocked　his　head　again。　〃What　is　the　truth；　Captain？〃
　〃You're　right；　Chort；〃　I　said　with　a　sigh；　gazing　hard　at　his　face　and　wishing　like　hell　I　knew　how　to　decipher　that　alien　expression。　〃The　Patth　do　indeed　want　this　ship。　They　think　something　aboard　could　be　a　threat　to　the　economic　empire　they've　carved　out　over　the　past　fifteen　years。〃
　〃Is　that　true？〃
　I　shook　my　head。　〃I　don't　know。　It's　possible。〃
　For　a　long　minute　he　sat　rigidly；　his　head　bowed　toward　the　table；　his　fingertips　pressed　tightly　together。　That　one　I　knew：　a　Craean　posture　of　deep　thought。　I　stayed　as　motionless　as　he　was；　afraid　that　any　movement　on　my　part　might　break　the　spell；　letting　the　silence　stretch　out　and　wishing　even　harder　I　could　read　Craean　expressions。　Nicabar　had　threatened　to　jump　ship　if　he　learned　we　were　carrying　contraband。　Would　Chort　make　the　same　threat…or　worse；　actually　carry　it　out…now　that　he　knew　we　were　in　serious　danger　of　bringing　Patth　anger　down　on　the　Crooea？
　With　a　suddenness　that　startled　me；　Chort　looked　back　up　at　me。　〃This　threat　to　the　Patth；〃　he　said。　〃Could　it　be　of　benefit　to　the　Crooea？〃
　〃If　it　actually　is　the　threat　the　Patth　think　it　is…and　that's　the　part　I'm　not　sure　of…then　the　answer　is　yes。〃
　〃Would　it　be　of　benefit　to　the　Crooea？〃
　I　hesitated。　〃I　don't　know；〃　I　had　to　admit。　〃If　it　were　up　to　me；　you　would　certainly　be　one　of　those　to　benefit；　given　your　help　on　this　trip。　But　I　can't　even　begin　to　make　a　promise　like　that。〃
　〃Ship　Master　Borodin　implied　that　would　be　the　case；〃　he　reminded　me。　〃Is　he　not　trustworthy？〃
　〃Oh；　he's　trustworthy　enough；〃　I　assured　him。　〃But　we　don't　know　where　he　is　right　now；　and　the　decision　may　be　taken　out　of　his　hands。　Especially　if　someone　else　gets　hold　of　the　Icarus　before　we　can　deliver　it　to　Earth。〃
　He　seemed　to　consider　that。　〃And　if　we　are　able　to　deliver　it　to　Earth？〃
　〃Again；　I　can't　make　any　promises；〃　I　said；　feeling　sweat　breaking　out　on　my　forehead。　With　the　perceived　future　of　his　entire　race　hanging　in　the　balance；　Chort　was　clearly　figuring　the　odds　and　weighing　his　options。
　Unfortunately；　there　were　only　three　options　I　could　see　for　him　to　choose　from：　jump　ship；　help　us　fly　the　Icarus　to　Earth；　or　betray　us　to　the　Patth　the　first　chance　he　got　in　the　hopes　of　buying　economic　security　for　his　people。　Only　short…term　security；　of　course…in　the　long　run　the　Patth　were　no　more　grateful　than　any　other　species。　But　balanced　against　their　demonstrated　ability　for　long…term　animosity；　even　a　short…term　gain　was　probably　the　most　logical　way　to　go。　In　Chort's　place；　it　was　probably　the　way　I　would　take。
　And　if　he　did。。。
　I　was　suddenly　and　unfortably　aware　of　the　weight　of　my　plasmic　against　my　rib　cage。　We　couldn't　afford　to　have　Chort　jump　ship。　Period。　Whether　he　planned　to　turn　us　in　or　simply　hoped　to　vanish　into　the　sunset　before　the　Patth　found　us；　we　couldn't　have　him　running　loose　with　what　he　knew　about　the　Icarus　and　its　crew。　We　would　have　to　keep　him　aboard；　locked　up　or　tied　up　if　necessary；　until　this　macabre　little　hide…and…seek　game　was　over。
　Abruptly；　Chort　turned　his　head　toward　the　back　of　the　dayroom　and　the　hull　that　lay　beyond　it。　〃There　is　another　hull　ridge　forming；〃　he　said。　〃You　had　best　stop　the　ship。〃
　I　hadn't　heard　or　felt　anything；　but　I　didn't　doubt　his　judgment。　I　was　on　my　feet　even　before　he　finished　talking；　and　was　out　the　dayroom　door　and　halfway　to　the　bridge　before　it　even　occurred　to　me　that　I　hadn't　doubted　his　judgment。　I　was　on　the　bridge　and　reaching　for　the　red　KILL　button　when　the　characteristic　screech　echoed　in　from　the　hull。
　It　was　only　much　later；　after　the　ridge　had　been　repaired　and　we　were　on　our　way　again；　that　I　realized　he　hadn't　e　back　to　finish　our　conversation。
　Or；　rather；　we　had　finished　the　conversation；　and　I　simply　hadn't　known　it。　Just　as　I　didn't　know　now　which　way　he　had　decided　to　jump　on　the　three　choices　set　out　in　front　of　him。
　For　a　while　I　thought　about　calling　him　on　the　inter；　or　even　confronting　him　about　it　in　his　cabin。　But　on　further　reflection　I　decided　against　doing　either。　I　still　couldn't　offer　him　any　of　the　assurances　he　obviously　wanted；　and　without　any　such　promise　there　was　nothing　more　I　could　say　to　induce　him　to　stick　with　the　Icarus。　Pressing　him　further　would　acplish　nothing　except　to　make　both　of　us　feel　unfortable　at　the　effort。
　Anyway；　we　were　less　than　three　days　out　from　Utheno。　Sometime　within　the　first　hour　after　landfall；　it　would　be　easy　enough　to　figure　out　which　way　he'd　jumped。
　　
　CHAPTER　14
　
　I　DIDN'T　FIND　out　within　the　first　hour　after　landfall　on　Utheno。　I　didn't　find　out　for　the　simple　reason　that　we　never　made　landfall　on　Utheno。　Though　I　didn't　know　it　then；　it　was　going　to　be　a　long　time　before　we　made　landfall　anywhere。
　My　first　hint　of　trouble　should　have　been　the　cacophony　of　radio　transmissions　that　lit　up　the　official…frequencies　section　of　my　m　board　as　the　hyperspace　cutter　array　sliced　the　Icarus　back　into　space…normal。　I　couldn't　read　any　of　it　through　the　encryption；　of　course；　but　the　sheer　volume　of　messages　should　have　told　me　something　big　was　happening。
　At　the　same　time　the　m　board　was　lighting　up　with　chatter；　the　visual　displays　were　also　listing　out　a　horrendous　tangle　of　ship　traffic　wrapped　around　the　planet　in　a　hundred　different　holding　orbits。　A　recorded　message　on　the　main　inbound…information　channel　apologized　for　the　delay；　cited　a　pair　of　collisions　and　a　ground…station　sensor　failure　as　the　cause　of　the　backup；　and　promised　to　speed　things　up　as　quickly　as　possible。
　And　in　an　uncharacteristic　burst　of　credulity；　I　believed　them。　Given　that　official　confusion　was　made　to　order　for　us；　I　keyed　in　the　orbit　slot　I　was　given　and　headed　in。
　〃Crowded；〃　of　course；　was　a　relative　term　when　applied　to　planetary　holding　orbits。　Our　designated　slot　was　a　good　fifty　kilometers　from　anything　else；　with　the　only　two　ships　at　even　that　distance　being　a　Najiki　freighter　fifty　kilometers　to　port　and　a　bulky　Tleka　cargo　hauler　the　same　distance　to　starboard。　More　from　habit　than　anything　else；　I　keyed　for　mid…range　magnification　and　had　a　good　look　at　both　ships。　And　it　was　as　I　was　looking　at　the　Tleka　cargo　hauler　that　the　warning　bells　belatedly　started　going　off　in　the　back　of　my　head。
　I　keyed　the　inter　for　the　engine　room。　〃Revs；　what's　status　on　the　stardrive？〃
　〃Down　and　green；〃　he　said。　〃Why？〃
　〃Get　it　up　and　green；〃　I　told　him　shortly。　〃Fast。〃
　There　was　just　the　barest　hesitation。　〃Startup　procedure　begun；〃　he　said。　〃What's　the　trouble？〃
　〃We're　being　directed　into　a　slot　fifty　klicks　from　a　Tleka　cargo　hauler；〃　I　told　him；　still　studying　that　display。　〃I　can't　be　certain；　but　it　looks　to　me　like　there's　something　lurking　around　the　side　of　the　hauler　where　I　can't　see　it。〃
　〃As　in　a　Najiki　Customs　cruiser？〃
　〃Or　something　even　bigger；〃　I　agreed　tightly。
　〃So　why　head　in　at　all？〃　he　asked。　〃Turn　around　and　get　us　out　of　here。〃
　〃And　let　them　know　we　know　they're　there？〃　I　countered。　〃And　that　we've　got　guilty　consciences　to　boot？〃
　〃You're　right；〃　he　conceded　reluctantly。　〃So　we　act　innocent？〃
　〃As　the　driven　snow；〃　I　said。　〃At　least　until　you've　got　the　stardrive　up　and　running。　Let's　just　hope　they　can't　pull　any　of　the　telltales　with　their　own　sensor　readings。〃
　〃These　thrusters　are　pretty　noisy；　and　across　a　big　chunk　of　the　spectrum；〃　he　pointed　out。　〃That　ought　to　mask　the　stardrive；　at　least　at　a　fifty…klick　distance。　Okay；　I　read　thirteen　more　minutes　to　full　green。　I'll　see　if　I　can　shave　a　couple　of　minutes　off　that。〃
　〃Good。　Do　it。〃
　I　took　my　time　bringing　us　in　the　rest　of　the　way；　managing　to　eat　up　nearly　five　of　Nicabar's　thirteen　minutes　before　we　finally　settled　into　our　designated　slot。　I　kept　two　of　my　displays　trained　on