tz.theicarushunt-第79部分

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　If　so；　they　were　out　of　luck。　That　was　the　phone　I'd　taken　from　James　Fulbright　on　Dorscind's　World；　and　there　were　no　incriminating　numbers　connected　with　me　anywhere　in　there；　latent　or　otherwise。
　Still；　I　was　glad　they'd　kept　the　phone　around　long　enough　to　try；　since　it　had　now　put　munication　with　the　outside　world　in　my　hands。　Easing　onto　my　side　on　the　floor　within　reach　of　the　phone；　I　rolled　the　device　onto　its　back。　I　was　still　in　big　trouble；　but　a　quick　call　to　Ixil　would　at　least　alert　the　others　that　the　Patth　were　here　and　on　the　hunt。　With　one　final　glance　at　the　door；　I　keyed　it　on　and　reached　an　outstretched　finger　toward　the　keypad。　And　paused。
　There　was　something　too　easy　about　this。　Something　far　too　easy。　Where　were　the　alert　reinforcements　rushing　in　to　save　the　day？　Why　were　these　two　Iykams　fiddling　with　my　phone　instead　of　someone　in　a　properly　equipped　workroom？　For　that　matter；　why　only　two　guards　in　the　first　place？
　I　keyed　off　the　phone　and　turned　it　over　again；　angling　it　so　that　I　could　get　a　really　good　look　at　the　exposed　circuitry。　And　this　time；　knowing　what　to　look　for；　it　wasn't　hard　to　spot。
　My　clever　little　playmates　had　wired　a　repeater　chip　into　the　transmitter　line；　on　the　upstream　side　of　the　encryption　sticker。　I　couldn't　read　the　fine　print　on　the　chip；　but　it　almost　didn't　matter。　With　the　simpler　Mark　VI　chip　they　would　be　able　to　eavesdrop　on　any　conversation　I　might　have。　With　the　more　advanced　Mark　IX　version　and　a　properly　equipped　phone　elsewhere　in　the　city　they'd　not　only　be　able　to　listen　in　but　could　also　triangulate　through　the　local　phone　system　to　get　the　location　of　the　other　end　of　the　conversation。　I'd　been　wrong　about　the　Voodoo　pins；　they　intended　to　get　hold　of　the　Icarus　the　easy　way。
　I　was　willing　to　help　out　guards　who　wanted　me　to　make　trouble；　but　my　cooperation　with　the　enemy　only　went　so　far。　Rolling　back　up　to　my　knees；　I　left　the　phone　where　it　was　and　headed　toward　where　my　plasmic　lay　next　to　my　ID　folder。
　I　was　just　leaning　down　to　pick　it　up　when　the　door　slammed　open。
　I　dropped　the　rest　of　the　way　to　the　floor；　my　outstretched　hand　snatching　up　the　weapon　as　I　hit　the　ground　hard　enough　to　reignite　the　blazing　pain　in　my　head。　Ignoring　the　red　haze　that　had　suddenly　dropped　in　front　of　my　eyes；　I　swiveled　both　my　body　and　the　plasmic　to　face　the　door。
　It　was；　I　had　to　admit；　an　impressive　sight。　Four　Iykams　stood　in　a　semicircle　just　inside　the　doorway；　each　holding　one　of　those　nasty　coronal…discharge　weapons；　their　alert　motionlessness　giving　them　the　appearance　of　transplanted　gargoyles。　Behind　them；　I　could　see　a　couple　more　of　the　ugly　beasts　outside　the　door；　undoubtedly　waiting　eagerly　for　their　chance　at　me。
　And　standing　right　in　the　middle　of　the　doorway　between　the　two　groups　was　a　gray…robed　Patth。
　〃Don't　bother　with　the　weapon；　Mr。　McKell；〃　he　said。　His　voice　was　typical　Patth；　managing　to　mix　sincere；　contemptuous；　and　smarmy　into　a　sound　that　was　as　distinctive　in　its　own　way　as　Chort's　Craean　whistling。　〃You　don't　seriously　believe　we　would　leave　you　a　functional　weapon；　do　you？〃
　〃After　that　rather　heavy…handed　trick　you　tried　with　my　phone；　not　really；〃　I　agreed。　It　was　hard　to　aim　properly　with　my　gun　hand　cuffed　to　a　chair　arm；　but　insofar　as　I　was　able　I　pointed　the　plasmic　squarely　at　the　center　of　his　torso。　〃At　least；　not　on　purpose。　You　ever　hear　of　a　three…pop？〃
　There　was　a　slight　but　noticeable　rustling　among　the　gargoyles。　〃I　don't　think　so；〃　the　Patth　said；　adding　a　bit　more　amusement　into　the　smarmy　part　of　his　vocal　mix。　〃But　I'm　sure　you're　dying　to　tell　me。〃
　〃An　appropriate　choice　of　words；〃　I　said　approvingly。　〃A　three…pop　is　a　high…power　capacitor　wired　internally　into　a　plasmic's　fire　circuit；　kept　charged　by　the　main　power　pack　but　otherwise　independent　of　it。　It　holds　enough　juice　for　two　to　four　shots。〃　I　squinted　consideringly。　〃That　means　you　and　up　to　three　of　your　toadies　will　die　if　any　of　you　es　any　closer。　If　you'd　like　to　point　out　your　least　favorites　among　them；　I'll　see　what　I　can　do　to　oblige　you。〃
　The　four　front　Iykams　had　stopped　looking　like　friendly　little　gargoyles。　All　four　corona　guns　were　up　and　aimed；　held　in　taut…looking　grips　at　the　full　extension　of　taut…looking　arms。　But　for　once　I　had　the　advantage；　and　they　all　knew　it。　Lying　there　four　meters　away　from　them；　I　was　right　on　the　edge　of　their　kill　zones；　while　they　were　well　inside　mine。　Add　to　that　the　point　that　they　couldn't　afford　to　kill　me…and　the　equally　important　point　that　none　of　them　was　especially　eager　to　get　killed；　either…and　we　had　the　makings　here　of　a　good　old…fashioned　standoff。
　And　for　a　minute　it　looked　as　if　I　might　actually　get　away　with　it。　Very　little　of　the　Patth's　face　was　visible　in　the　shadow　of　that　hood；　but　what　I　could　see　seemed　to　be　in　the　throes　of　serious　indecision　as　he　weighed　the　merits　of　risking　his　personal　skin　against　the　reality　that　the　Icarus　still　had　a　long　way　to　go　before　we　were　home　free。　This　was　no　professional　bounty　hunter；　or　even　a　standard　flunky　used　to　obeying　orders　without　the　luxury　of　being　able　to　factor　personal　preference　into　the　equation。　Odds　were　this　was　a　reasonably　senior　Patth　citizen；　pressed　by　necessity　and　desperation　into　this　hunt　for　us。
　But　even　as　he　hesitated　a　new　voice　from　the　outer　room　joined　the　discussion。　Another　Patth　voice；　just　as　smarmy　as　the　first；　but　carrying　with　it　the　unmistakable　weight　of　authority。　〃Nonsense；〃　he　said。　〃He's　bluffing。　Enig；　tell　your　fools　to　go　get　the　weapon。　We　don't　have　time　for　this。〃
　The　Patth　in　the　doorway　grunted　something　and　two　of　the　Iykams　stepped　reluctantly　forward；　their　corona　guns　rigidly　pointed　at　me。　I　let　them　get　within　two　steps；　just　in　case　someone　decided　to　have　second　thoughts；　then　let　my　plasmic　settle　harmlessly　to　the　floor。　〃You're　right；〃　I　acknowledged。　〃I'm　bluffing。〃
　〃Bring　him　in　here；〃　the　second　voice　ordered。　There　was　no　gloating　in　the　tone　that　I　could　detect；　nor　any　relief　either。　He'd　made　a　decision；　had　issued　an　order　and　had　it　obeyed；　and　was　not　surprised　by　either　the　obedience　or　the　fact　that　his　decision　had　turned　out　to　be　right。　Clearly；　we　had　suddenly　jumped　a　whole　bunch　of　rungs　upward　on　the　Patth　social　ladder。
　The　Iykams　hauled　me　to　my　feet　and　half　pulled；　half　dragged　me　into　the　other　room。　This　one　was　much　nicer；　nearly　three　times　the　size　of　my　original　cell　and　furnished　better；　with　a　couple　of　chairs　and　lamps　scattered　around。　Near　the　wall　to　my　left　was　a　desk　with　a　handful　of　monitors　arranged　along　its　front　edge；　and　the　other　Patth　seated　behind　it。　The　room　was　also　swarming　with　Iykams；　but　you　couldn't　have　everything。
　〃Not　bad；〃　I　said；　looking　around　as　they　led　me　to　another　plain　wooden　armchair　that　had　been　placed　in　front　of　the　desk。　Again；　there　seemed　to　be　only　one　door　leading　out　of　the　place；　directly　across　the　room　from　the　door　to　my　cell。　Framed　in　the　ceiling　overhead　was　what　at　first　glance　looked　like　a　skylight；　but　which　on　second　glance　proved　to　be　only　a　standard　light　fixture　designed　to　look　that　way。　There　were　a　couple　of　ventilation　vents　at　ceiling　and　floor　level；　with　decorative　crosshatched　gratings　that　looked　flimsy　enough　to　tear　right　off　the　wall。　But　through　the　holes　in　those　same　gratings　I　could　see　that　the　ductwork　beyond　was　far　too　narrow　for　even　someone　as　thin　as　Chort　to　fit　through。　A　quick　count　of　the　Iykams　came　up　with　a　total　of　eight。　〃Not　bad　at　all；〃　I　added　as　my　guards　unfastened　my　handcuffs　from　the　broken　chair；　shoved　me　down　into　the　new　one；　and　secured　my　wrists　to　the　arms　again。　This　time；　I　took　particular　note　of　which　of　them　pocketed　the　keys。　〃If　you　kept　your　prisoners　in　a　place　like　this　instead　of　that　converted　stockroom　back　there　you'd　probably　get　better　cooperation。〃
　There　was　no　ment　from　the　other　side　of　the　desk。　I　finished　my　survey　of　the　room　in　a　leisurely　fashion；　then　finally　turned　my　full　attention　to　the　other　Patth。
　If　anything；　my　earlier　hunch　about　his　status　had　fallen　short　of　the　mark。　Instead　of　the　usual　unadorned　gray　worn　in　public　by　most　Patth；　his　ro