tz.theicarushunt-第73部分
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gering mechanism in the end； and here I am。〃
〃A long way from nowhere；〃 I said heavily； studying his slightly sunken cheeks。 〃Not to mention out of delivery range of the nearest grocery store。 I'm a little surprised you haven't starved to death。〃
〃My meals have been a bit sparse lately；〃 he conceded。 〃I wasn't planning on being here very long； though of course I made sure to leave myself a wide margin for error。 Not quite this wide； though。 That's not a water bottle you have there with your pack； is it？〃
I'd pletely forgotten about the water bottle and food bars I was carrying。 〃Sure is；〃 I said； feeling a twinge of admittedly selfish reluctance as I handed it over to him。 This wasn't going to last even one person very long； let alone two of us。 〃Your daughter must be psychic；〃 I added as he uncapped the bottle and drank deeply。 〃I was only planning a quick look into the small sphere； but she still made me take a survival pack along。〃
There was a moment of silence as he drank。 I looked around the sphere again； this time spotting his camper's mattress and catalytic waste handler half…hidden in the glare of one of the display boards。
〃Bless her heart；〃 he said when he finally came up for air。 I noticed with another twinge that the bottle was now only two…thirds full。 〃Fortunately for us； we're not going to need it。〃
I frowned。 〃What do you mean？〃
〃I mean we're going home；〃 he said。 He raised the bottle and had another drink； a shorter one this time。 〃Just as soon as we can gather my things together。〃
〃Really；〃 I said； my tone studiously neutral。 I'd never heard of anyone going insane between eye blinks； which implied that he must have gone round the bend before I even got here。 〃Tell me how。〃
〃No； my mind hasn't snapped； McKell；〃 he assured me as he lifted an arm and pointed off to my right。 〃Look over there。〃
I followed the direction of his finger and found myself looking at one of the alien displays； this one marked with yellow…and…black squares。 〃All right。 What is it？〃
〃It's the destination setting；〃 he said。 〃Destination being defined as the particular stargate you'll be traveling to if you slide down the centering arm and hit the trigger。 Now； do you see the display to its left？〃
〃Such as it is；〃 I said。 The second display was an identical array of squares； except that all of them were black。
〃That one gives the identification code for the stargate you just left；〃 he said。 〃Unfortunately； whether by design or malfunction； it only stays lit for a few minutes after transport before going blank again。 That's why I couldn't get back by myself； by the time I realized the significance of that particular display； it had long since gone black。 However…〃
〃Wait a minute；〃 I said； frowning。 〃How do you know all this？ Tera told me the Meima archaeologists didn't get very far in their analysis of the thing。〃
He shrugged。 〃Well； I have been here eleven days； you know；〃 he reminded me。 〃I couldn't just sit around and do nothing。 And though you probably didn't know it； I was once a Trem'sky Scholar in Alien Studies。 I did quite a fair bit of archaeology and alien translation back in my youth。〃
It was a speech clearly and carefully designed to impress and lull the gullible。 But I wasn't in the mood to be impressed； and lulling was pletely out of the question。 〃That's baloney； and you know it；〃 I said bluntly。 〃You had one course in archaeology and three in alien language； all of which focused on known species and didn't have a thing to do with interpreting unknown scripts。 And that Trem'sky Scholarship was an honorary title Kaplanin University gave you after you donated fifty million marks to them for a new archaeological research center。〃
His face had gone rigid。 〃You're very well informed；〃 he said softly。 〃One might wonder how。 And why。〃
〃The how is that I have friends with good memories；〃 I said。 〃The why is just as simple： I like to know who it is I'm working for。 I certainly won't find that out by taking what you say at face value。〃
He eyed me speculatively。 〃You can see for yourself why I've been secretive about myself and my agenda；〃 he said； waving a hand around him。 〃What's your excuse？〃
〃I like my life；〃 I told him。 〃Not my current circumstances； necessarily； but the basic idea of continued existence。〃
〃And what are your current circumstances？〃
〃Somewhat messy；〃 I said。 〃But we're getting away from the point。 How do you know so much about the stargate？〃
We locked gazes for another few seconds。 Then his eyes drifted away from mine； as if he was too tired to keep up his end of the nonverbal battle。 〃Elaina doesn't know this；〃 he said； 〃but the archaeologists had already cracked much of the alien script before my people and I arrived on Meima to build the Icarus。 With that hurdle crossed； we were able to gain considerable knowledge of the inner workings of the artifact。〃
His lips puckered。 〃Though we still thought that what we had was a new stardrive； with the destination and ining displays having to do with navigation。〃
〃So where is all this knowledge？〃 I asked。 〃I presume you're not going to try to tell me you memorized it。〃
His expression had gone all speculative again。 〃Why do you need to know？〃
〃In case something happens to you；〃 I explained patiently。 〃I don't know whether you know it； but you're the very last of the Mohicans now…the rest of your group has been rounded up and are in Ihmisit hands。 Possibly Patth hands by now； actually； I haven't kept up…to…date on developments。 If they get you； too； that'll be it as far as the good guys are concerned。〃
〃And if you know where the data is； you might be tempted to trade it for that life you want so much to keep；〃 he pointed out。 〃I think it might be safer if I kept that little secret to myself for the time being。〃
I snorted。 〃Standing tall and stalwart against the invading hordes might be good melodrama； but it makes lousy real…world policy；〃 I told him flatly。 〃Face it； Cameron； you're in a dangerous and pletely untenable position here； and you're going to have to bite the bullet and trust someone。 At the moment； that's me。〃
Again his eyes drifted away。 〃I suppose you're right；〃 he said with a sigh。 〃All right。 The data is stored in code in a file on my notepad here。 If something happens to me； either Elaina or my executive assistant Stann Avery will be able to locate and decode it。〃
〃Got it；〃 I said。 It wasn't the entire truth； I knew…he'd given in much too easily for that。 But it was probably at least a partial truth； and for the moment I could live with that。 〃All right； then。 I'll send you in some more food and water when I get back to the Icarus。 Is your little toilet system working okay？〃
〃Wait a minute；〃 he said； his face suddenly gone taut。 〃What do you mean； when you get back？ We can both go…no one has to stay here to operate the device。〃
I shook my head。 〃Sorry； but I'm afraid you can't show your face yet。 I didn't tell you： We've disassembled most of the ship's interior。 Makes it a lot safer for the return trip； but it also means there's no place left where you could have been hiding。 You suddenly pop up now and someone's going to start putting the pieces together。〃
〃What about the smaller sphere？〃 he asked； his voice taking on an edge of panicked insistence。 〃I could have been hiding in the smaller sphere。〃
〃Besides which； you're the one who holds the key to this bombshell；〃 I continued； gesturing at his notepad。 〃Don't forget； we've got a murderer aboard the Icarus。 The farther you and your notepad stay away from him； the better。〃
He wasn't happy about it…that much was evident from the play of emotions across his face。 But he could see the logic in what I was saying； and a few extra days of isolation didn't stack up all that badly against the possibility of being knifed in the back。 Slowly； reluctantly； he gathered control of himself and nodded。 〃You're right；〃 he said with a sigh。 〃All right； I'll stay。 Any idea how long I'll have to be here？〃
〃Until we find a safe place to put down；〃 I said。 〃Don't worry； I'll let you know。〃
〃You'd better；〃 he warned with a game attempt at a smile。 〃The view in here doesn't really have all that much to remend it。〃
〃You can
