tz.theicarushunt-第67部分

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　killed　him。　We　can't　risk　you；　too。〃
　〃What；　all　this　concern　for　a　soul…dead　smuggler？〃　I　retorted。　It　wasn't　a　nice　thing　to　say；　but　at　the　moment　I　wasn't　feeling　particularly　nice。　〃Maybe　he's　not　dead　in　there…you　ever　think　of　that？　Maybe　he's　injured；　or　unconscious；　or　paralyzed。　Maybe　he　can't　get　to　the　opening；　or　can't　even　call　out　to　you。〃
　〃If　he　went　in　while　we　were　on　Potosi；　he's　been　in　there　eleven　days；〃　she　said。　Her　voice　sounded　empty；　but　her　grip　on　my　arm　hadn't　slackened　a　bit。　〃Any　injury　serious　enough　to　prevent　him　from　getting　out　on　his　own　would　have　killed　him　long　before　now。〃
　〃Unless　he　just　got　the　injury；〃　I　shot　back。　I　wasn't　ready　to　give　in；　either。　〃Maybe　he　got　thrown　around　while　I　was　dodging　the　ion　beams　off　Utheno。　He　could　still　be　alive。〃
　She　took　a　deep　breath。　〃We'll　wait　for　Pax　to　e　out。〃
　〃We'll　wait　half　an　hour；〃　I　countered。
　〃One　hour。〃
　I　started　to　protest；　took　another　look　at　her　face；　and　gave　it　up。　〃One　hour；〃　I　agreed。
　She　nodded；　and　for　a　long　moment　she　stared　down　at　the　access　hole。　Then；　reluctantly；　she　keyed　off　the　puter　photo　we'd　been　looking　at　and　sat　down　on　the　deck。　〃Tell　me　about　yourself；　McKell；〃　she　said。
　I　shrugged；　sitting　down　on　the　deck　beside　her。　〃There's　not　very　much　to　tell。〃
　〃Of　course　there　is；〃　she　said　quietly。　〃You　had　hopes　and　plans　and　dreams　once。　Maybe　you　still　do。　What　would　you　be　doing　now　if　you　weren't　smuggling？〃
　〃Who　knows？〃　I　said。　She　didn't　care　about　my　hopes　and　dreams；　of　course。　I　knew　that。　She　was　just　casting　around　looking　for　some　mindless　chatter；　something　to　distract　herself　from　the　mental　image　of　her　father　floating　dead　in　there。　〃Once；　I　thought　I　might　have　a　career　in　EarthGuard。　That　ended　when　I　told　a　superior　officer　exactly　what　I　thought　of　him。〃
　〃In　public；　I　take　it？〃
　〃It　was　public　enough　to　earn　me　a　court…martial；〃　I　conceded。　〃Then　I　thought　I　might　have　a　career　in　customs。　I　must　have　been　a　little　too　good　at　it；　because　someone　framed　me　for　taking　bribes。　Then　I　tried　working　for　a　shipping　firm；　only　I　lost　my　temper　again　and　slugged　one　of　the　partners。〃
　〃Strange；〃　she　murmured。　〃I　wouldn't　have　taken　you　for　the　terminally　self…destructive　type。〃
　〃Don't　worry；〃　I　assured　her。　〃I'm　only　self…destructive　where　potentially　promising　careers　are　concerned。　When　it　es　to　personal　survival；　I'm　not　nearly　so　inpetent。〃
　〃Maybe　the　problem　is　you're　afraid　of　success；〃　she　suggested。　〃I've　seen　it　often　enough　in　other　people。〃
　〃That's　not　a　particularly　original　diagnosis；〃　I　said。　〃Others　of　my　acquaintance　have　suggested　that　from　time　to　time。　Of　course；　for　the　immediate　future　my　options　for　success　of　any　sort　are　likely　to　be　seriously　limited。〃
　〃Until　about　midway　into　the　next　century；　I　believe　you　said。〃
　〃About　that。〃
　She　was　silent　a　moment。　〃What　if　I　offered　to　buy　you　out　of　your　indenture　to　that　smuggling　boss？〃
　I　frowned　at　her。　There　was　no　humor　in　her　face　that　I　could　detect。　〃Excuse　me？〃
　〃What　if　I　offered　to　buy　out　your　indenture？〃　she　repeated。　〃I　asked　you　that　once；　if　you　recall。　You　rather　snidely　countered　by　asking　if　I　had　a　half　million　in　spare　change　on　me。〃
　I　felt　my　face　warm。　〃I　didn't　know　who　you　were　then。〃
　〃But　now　you　do；〃　she　said。　〃And　you　also　know…or　you　ought　to　if　you　don't…that　I　have　considerably　more　than　a　half…million　marks　to　play　with。〃
　A　not…entirely…pleasant　tingle　ran　through　me。　〃And　you're　suggesting　that　bailing　me　out　of　my　own　pigheaded　mismanagement　would　be　worth　that　much　to　you？〃　I　asked；　hearing　a　hint　of　harshness　in　my　voice。
　〃Why　not？〃　she　asked。　〃I　can　certainly　afford　it。〃
　〃I'm　sure　you　can；〃　I　said。　This　was　not　safe　territory　to　be　walking　on。　〃The　Cameron　Group　probably　spends　half　a　million　a　year　just　on　memo　slips。　Which；　if　I　may　say　so；　is　a　hell　of　a　better　investment　than　I　would　be　for　you。〃
　〃Who　said　anything　about　you　being　an　investment？〃　she　asked。
　〃Process　of　elimination；〃　I　said。　〃I　don't　qualify　as　a　recognized　charity；　and　I'm　too　old　to　adopt。〃
　Somewhere　along　in　here　I'd　expected　her　to　take　offense。　But　either　she　was　too　busy　worrying　about　her　father　to　notice　my　ungrateful　attitude；　or　she　had　a　higher　annoyance　threshold　than　I'd　thought。　〃Perhaps　it's　a　reward　for　bringing　the　Icarus　safely　home；〃　she　said。　〃Payment　for　services　rendered。〃
　〃Better　wait　until　it's　sitting　safely　on　the　ground　before　you　go　off　the　edge　with　offers　of　payment；〃　I　warned。　〃Unless；　of　course；　you　think　I'm　likely　to　weaken　before　we　get　to　Earth　and　figure　this　is　the　best　way　to　lock　in　my　loyalty。〃
　〃Or　else　I　just　want　to　give　you　a　new　chance；〃　she　said；　still　inexplicably　unruffled。　〃You　don't　belong　with　smugglers　and　criminals。　You're　not　the　type。〃
　It　was　worse　than　I'd　thought。　Now　she　was　sensing　nobility　and　honor　and　decency　in　me。　I　had　to　nip　this　in　the　bud；　and　fast；　before　there　was　trouble　I　couldn't　talk　my　way　out　of。　〃Not　to　be　insulting　or　anything；〃　I　said；　〃but　the　high…society　life　you　grew　up　with　is　not　exactly　the　sort　of　background　you　need　for　judging　people　in　my　line　of　work。　I　could　tell　you　about　a　man　with　a　choirboy　face　and　manner　who　could　order　one　of　his　thugs　to　rip　your　heart　out　and　watch　him　do　it　without　batting　an　eye。〃
　〃You　seem　awfully　vehement　about　this；〃　she　mented。
　〃I　don't　want　you　to　get　hurt　dabbling　in　things　you　don't　understand；　that's　all；〃　I　muttered。　〃More　than　that；　I　don't　want　me　to　get　hurt。　Stick　with　corporate　mergers　or　archaeological　digs　or　whatever　it　is　you　do　for　your　father；　Elaina　Tera　Cameron。　You'll　live　longer　that　way。〃
　I　frowned；　an　odd　connection　suddenly　slapping　me　in　the　face。　〃Elaina　Tera　Cameron；〃　I　repeated。　〃E。T。C。　As　in　et　cetera？〃
　She　smiled　wanly。　〃Very　good；〃　she　plimented　me。　〃Yes；　it　was　my　father's　little　joke。　I　was　the　fourth　of　the　three　children　they'd　planned　on。　But　the　first　three　were　boys；　and　Mom　had　always　wanted　a　girl。　And　Mom　generally　got　what　she　set　her　mind　on。〃
　〃Hence；　the　et　cetera？〃
　〃She　didn't　even　notice　for　four　years；〃　Tera　said。　〃Not　until　I　started　learning　to　write　and　was　putting　my　initials　everywhere。〃
　〃I'll　bet　she　was　really　pleased　with　your　father。〃
　〃Actually；　she　was　mostly　just　annoyed　that　she'd　missed　the　joke。　Especially　since　Dad　was　famous　for　that　sort　of　wordplay。〃
　〃Nothing　like　that　with　your　brothers'　initials？〃
　She　shrugged。　〃If　there　was；　it　was　something　so　obscure　none　of　us　ever　figured　it　out。　Dad　certainly　never　let　on　about　any　jokes　hidden　there。〃
　〃Sounds　like　him；〃　I　said。　〃He's　always　had　a　reputation　for　playing　his　cards　all　the　way　inside　his　vest。〃
　〃Only　when　it　was　necessary；〃　Tera　insisted。　〃And　he　never　hid　them　from　his　family　and　close　friends。〃　She　looked　past　me　at　the　access　hole。　〃Which　just　makes　this　all　the　stranger。　Why　would　he　go　in　there　without　telling　me？　Especially　after　forbidding　anyone　else　to　do　so？〃
　〃Maybe　he　was　afraid　I　would　e　into　the　'tweenhull　area　after　him　again；〃　I　suggested。
　〃But　why　didn't　he　tell　me？〃　she　persisted。　〃There　was　a　day　and　a　half　between　that　incident　and　our　landing　on　Potosi。　If　he　thought　he　needed　to　hide　out　from　you；　there　was　plenty　of　time　for　us　to　talk　it　over。〃
　〃Unless　he　thought　I　might　drop　in　on　him　unexpectedly；〃　I　said。　〃Remember；　there　was　nowhere　else　on　the　ship　he　could　hide。〃
　〃Of　course　there　was；〃　she　said。　〃The　Number　Two　cabin　on　the　top　deck；　the　one　Jones　used　before　he　died。　After　Ixil　took　the　release　pad　off　to　put　on　his　own　door；　it　would　have　been　a　perfect　place　for　him　to　hide。　We　were　planning　to　move　him　in　there　while　we　were　on　Potosi。〃
　〃With　access　in　and　out　through　the　inner　hull？〃　I　asked；　feeling　my　face　warm　and　hoping　it　didn't　show。　Once　again；　an　angle　I'd　missed　pletely。　Though　to　be　fair；　by　the　time　I　knew　we　even　had　a　stowaway　he　was　already　gone。
　〃If　he　needed　to　move　around；　yes；〃　she　said。　〃We　couldn't　very　well　take　the　chance　of　letting　one　of　the　others　see　him；　could　we？　We　had　some　of　the　hull　connectors　gimmicked　so　that　he　could　get　quickly　in　and　out。〃
　〃Ah；〃　I　said；　feeling　even　more　like　N