tz.theicarushunt-第72部分
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〃The Patth or anyone else； for that matter；〃 he said with a grimace。 〃Which makes it all the more urgent that we get the Icarus to Earth before anyone else does find out what it is。〃
I cleared my throat。 〃Yes； well； I can immediately see a problem or two with that。 Do you happen to have any idea how far we are from the Icarus？〃
〃All I know is that it's a considerable distance；〃 he said； gesturing toward the large sphere。 〃There are a handful of small viewports out in the receiver chamber…they're unobtrusive； but I found the controls to open them。 I've spent a good part of the past two days searching for a constellation…any constellation…that I can recognize。 There's not a single one I can find； not even in distorted form。〃
〃And I can assume you're not just talking Earth constellations？〃 I asked； just for the record。
The smile this time was very brittle。 〃I've been from one end of the Spiral to the other； McKell；〃 he said。 〃I say again： Nothing was recognizable。〃
I felt a lump form in my throat。 〃Terrific；〃 I murmured。 〃I hope like hell we're not poaching on someone else's territory。〃
〃That could be unpleasant；〃 he agreed。 〃Still； I've been here eleven days； and no one but you and your little pet here has shown up。〃
He frowned suddenly。 〃It has been eleven days since we landed on Potosi； hasn't it？ Time rather blends together here。〃
〃Yes； eleven's about right；〃 I confirmed。 〃I take it this little side trip wasn't part of your scheme？〃
He snorted。 〃Why； did you think it might be？〃
〃Considering all the rest of the finagling you and your daughter have done on this trip； I thought it worth asking；〃 I said pointedly。 〃So how exactly did you wind up falling down the rabbit hole？〃
He grimaced。 〃I slipped into the Icarus's transmission chamber a little while before we left Potosi；〃 he said。 〃Right after my encounter with the would…be murderer。 I worked through the wiring…〃
〃Wait a second；〃 I interrupted； the back of my neck tingling。 〃What do you mean； would…be murderer？〃
〃The man who was apparently planning to poison one of your crewers；〃 he said。 〃Cabin Seven； down on the lower deck。 Didn't you know？〃
Ixil's cabin。 〃We knew something strange had happened there；〃 I told him grimly。 〃But we haven't been able to make sense out of it。 How about filling in the blanks？〃
He shrugged。 〃There's not much I can tell you；〃 he said。 〃Elaina told me everyone was leaving to look for a runaway crewer…Shawn； I think she said； the one with the medical condition。 I had already decided to temporarily relocate to the small sphere； so I waited until the ship was quiet and headed to the lower deck to pick up some extra food supplies。〃
〃How did you get out of the 'tweenhull area？〃 I asked。 〃Through Cabin Two； Jones's old cabin？〃
〃That's right；〃 he said。 〃Elaina told you about that； too； I see。 I take it that was you who chased me around the 'tweenhull area？〃
〃That's right；〃 I confirmed。
〃I thought so。 At any rate； after you nearly caught me； I realized the 'tweenhull area wasn't a safe hiding place。 I also didn't think it safe to stay permanently in Jones's cabin； which was why I'd decided to move into the small sphere。 But when I reached the lower deck； I found that all the overhead lights had been turned off and there was a man with a small finger…light working on the cabin door。〃
〃Could you see who it was？〃 I asked； feeling my heartbeat pick up。 At last； I was going to have a name to connect with Jones's murder。
The anticipation was premature。 〃Sorry；〃 Cameron said； shaking his head。 〃The finger…light was set very low； and he was nothing more than a shadowy shape crouching by the doorway。 From what little reflected backlight I was getting on his face； though； he didn't look familiar。 Possibly someone from the port area who'd sneaked aboard while everyone was gone。〃
I clenched my teeth in frustration。 〃Unfortunately； the hatch was locked when they all left the ship；〃 I said。 〃Which means one of the crew had to have e back to let him in。〃
〃Ah。〃 He peered closely at me。 〃Jones's murderer； you think？〃
〃I think having both a murderer and the acplice of an entirely different murderer aboard a ship the size of the Icarus would be pushing coincidence a bit far；〃 I said sourly。 〃All right； fine； so our murderer has friends。 Who doesn't？ What happened next？〃
〃He obviously thought the ship was deserted； because he was so engrossed in his work that I was nearly to him before he even realized I was there；〃 Cameron said。 〃He'd gotten a big wrench wedged into the doorway to hold it open。 Oh； I didn't mention that part。 The door was only opening partway…〃
〃Yes； I know；〃 I interrupted him。 〃I was the one who gimmicked it that way。〃
〃Ah。〃 He gave me an odd look； then shrugged。 〃At any rate； he turned just as I got within about two steps of him。 I frankly didn't think I would make it the rest of the way； but he froze just long enough before straightening up and grabbing for the wrench。 Fortunately for me； it was jammed in fairly tightly and he didn't have good leverage reaching over his shoulder that way； which meant I was able to step in close and get in the first punch。 Edge…hand blow to the side of his neck。〃
I glanced down at his arms。 Still well muscled； but to my perhaps hypercritical eye they looked thinner than they had when I'd seen him on Meima。 〃I gather it worked；〃 I said。
〃Rather to my amazement； it did；〃 he said。 〃Especially since his light was dazzling my eyes at the time； which limited my ability to pick my target。 I made sure to hit him again a couple of times on his way down； just to make sure。 Again fortunately for me； he hit the deck and stayed there。〃
〃It's so gratifying when they do that；〃 I agreed。 〃Do you think you'd recognize him if you saw him again？〃
〃I doubt it；〃 he said。 〃I really didn't get a good look at him。 Besides； I imagine it's a moot point by now。 He surely hightailed it off the ship as soon as he woke up。 Unless you and the Icarus have suddenly picked up a new passenger； that is。〃
〃No； no new passengers；〃 I confirmed。
He spread his hands。 〃So that's that；〃 he said。 〃You have to admit it's a big Spiral for a single man to lose himself in。〃
〃I once thought it was a big Spiral for a single starship to lose itself in；〃 I countered。 〃I don't think so anymore。 So then what did you do？〃
〃After he was unconscious； I spotted the bottles he'd been working with on the floor and looked them over；〃 he said。 〃Any doubts I'd had about hitting him vanished at that point； they turned out to be the ingredients for a cyanide…gas bomb。
〃I knew I didn't have much time before he either awoke or all of you came trooping back aboard the ship； and I didn't have anything I could tie him up with； so I decided all I could do would be to thwart this particular scheme and call it a draw。 The cabin door was still wedged open； so I resealed the bottles and put them as far inside as I could reach and then pulled the wrench out and let the door slam shut。 Then； just to make sure he didn't have time to try anything else； I pulled the opening mechanism's control chip and added it to the pile and smashed what was left。〃
〃Leaving a very thorny mystery in your wake；〃 I said。 〃We were going nuts trying to figure out what happened there。〃
〃I'm sorry；〃 he said。 〃All I can say is that it wasn't my intent to be so mysterious。 My plan was to hide out just for a day or two； until you'd had a chance to thoroughly search the 'tweenhull area and confirm there wasn't anyone in residence there。 At that point I expected you to conclude that it had been one of the crew you'd chased around； give up your search for stowaways； and I could e back out。 Then I'd be able to tell Elaina the whole story； and she would have found a way to warn you about future incursions into the ship from outside。〃
He shook his head； his throat tightening visibly。 〃Only it didn't quite work out that way。 I made it through that tangled mess of a depressed…wiring zone and found myself in a nice clear space。 But then gravity came on； pulling me in toward the middle。 I grabbed that striped arm to try to slow myself down； hit what I now realize was the triggering mechanism in the end； and here I am。〃
〃A lo
