tz.theicarushunt-第82部分
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〃Most Expediters don't have to live aboard a ship the size of the Icarus with people like McKell poking their noses into everything;〃 Nicabar reminded him。 〃He'd have fingered me long ago if I'd brought a gun aboard。〃
〃You had us fooled; all right;〃 I growled; trying not to sound too bitter。 〃Especially that little speech you made back in the engine room。 That was a nice touch。〃
He lifted his eyebrows mockingly。 〃I don't know why;〃 he said。 〃I thought I made it pretty clear that I thought the Patthaaunutth were being unfairly picked on just because they happened to be more technically innovative than the rest of us。 You must not have been listening very well。〃
〃I guess not;〃 I murmured; a sudden surge of adrenaline jolting through my system。 I had been listening to that conversation; had been listening with everything I had。 And that was not in any way what Nicabar had said or implied。
Which either meant he was playing a pletely pointless game with me。。。 or else there was something else entirely going on here。
And then; even as Nicabar turned contemptuously away from me and back to Nask; I heard the most beautiful sound I'd ever heard in my life。 A soft sound; hardly audible; certainly not at all melodic。 But a sound nevertheless that three minutes ago I would have sworn I would never hear again。
The soft sneeze of a Kalixiri ferret。
I would have been surprised if any of the others noticed it。 Certainly they gave no sign that they had。 Nicabar was conversing in a low but intense tone with Nask; probably discussing plans for the uping raid on the Icarus; and all the Iykams in my field of view were still glowering at me with the same unfriendly expressions that their panions had worn in the back room just before I'd dropped a chair on them。 Slowly; making it look like I was checking them out in turn; I moved my head just enough to see the lower of the room's air vents。
And there he was; barely visible in the shadows behind the vent's crosshatched grating: Pix or Pax; I couldn't tell which; his head turned to the side as if he was grooming himself or gnawing at an itch。 Just as slowly; I turned back to the desk again; not wanting my interest in that part of the room to spark any unwele curiosity。
Nicabar was looking sideways at me; still talking to Nask。 I dropped one eyelid a millimeter and got an equally microscopic nod in return from him before he seemed to notice his ID still lying on the desk and returned it to his pocket。 Not his ID; rather; but the one I'd taken off the Patth agent on Dorscind's World after my old buddy James Fulbright's attempt to cash in on the reward。 Clearly; my original estimation of Thompson as little more than a glorified Patth accountant had been seriously off target。
〃I suppose you're wondering what we've got planned;〃 Nicabar spoke up into my thoughts。
〃Oh; no; don't tell me;〃 I said; remembering to put the same bitterness into my voice that I'd been feeling two minutes earlier。 〃I just love surprises。〃
〃I'd be a little less flippant if I were you;〃 Nicabar said reprovingly。 〃Whether the rest of the Icarus crew lives or needlessly dies is going to depend entirely on you。 In fact; I'd go so far as to say that…what the hell?〃 He jumped away from the desk toward the wall; just as Nask let out a yelp of his own。
And for good reason。 The air vents; upper and lower both; were suddenly spewing a dense; pale yellow smoke。 〃We're on fire!〃 Enig gasped。
〃You three get out of here!〃 Nicabar snapped。 He'd reached the area of the lower vent now; his head and torso disappearing as he bent down into the smoke。 〃You…defenders…get that top vent sealed!〃
Two of the five Iykams were already scrambling against the wall; straining to reach the upper vent's sealing lever。 From Nicabar and the lower vent came a teeth…grinding screech of torn metal; and then abruptly he was standing upright again out of the cloud of smoke; a cloud that seemed already to be starting to dissipate。
And in his hand was Fulbright's Kochran…Uzi three…millimeter semiautomatic。
His first two shots took out two of the Iykams still standing guard over me。 The third guard nearly got his own weapon up and aimed in time; but lost the last chance he would ever have as I leaned sideways and kicked his gun arm out of line。 I swiveled back around as Nicabar systematically took out the rest of the guards; heaving myself up with the chair on my back again; and hurled myself across the desk at Nask。
The Patth threw his own chair backward as he saw me ing; making one last futile grab for something in the drawer he'd opened as he got out of my way。 But the desk was higher than the table in the back room had been; and with the additional barrier of the monitors along its edge I only made it about halfway across before I ran out of momentum。 Nask; belatedly seeing that his reflexive dodge had been unnecessary; killed his own backward momentum and dived out of his chair toward the open drawer。
〃Don't;〃 a familiar voice warned from the doorway。
Nask froze; his head twisting to look in that direction; his hand still outstretched toward the drawer。 I looked; too; trying to ignore the fresh red haze my sudden bit of exercise had sent swimming across my vision。 Ixil stood in the doorway; the plasmic in his hand pointed squarely at Nask; his wide shoulders and settled…looking stance blocking any hope of escape for the two Patth pilots standing rigidly in shock in front of him。
〃I see;〃 Nask said。 I looked back to find he had straightened up again; his hand fallen empty at his side。
〃It's like a class reunion in here;〃 I said; my voice sounding distant in my ears through the trip…hammer that had apparently finished its lunch break and started up work again on the back of my head。 〃I hope someone thought to bring some painkillers along。〃
〃We did better than that;〃 Ixil assured me; motioning Brosh and Enig back toward Nask and closing the door behind him。 〃We've got Everett waiting outside。〃
〃Everett?〃 I echoed。 〃I told him to stay with Shawn。〃
〃Tera and Chort are with Shawn;〃 Nicabar told me。 He was at my side now; examining the handcuffs。 〃It occurred to us that you might need medical attention more urgently than he did。〃
〃I don't; but I might have;〃 I admitted; nodding toward one of the guards lying dead on the floor。 〃That one。 Keys in his belt pouch。 How did you find me; anyway?〃
〃We never really lost you;〃 Nicabar said; dropping to one knee and digging into the pouch。 〃Tera wanted to know just where you were going to go on your errand。〃
I looked at Nask; who was standing stiffly glowering at us。 〃Don't worry about giving anything away;〃 I told Nicabar。 〃They were staking out pharmacists; after all。 Like he said; they're putting together the pieces。〃
〃And we already have most of them;〃 Nask said quietly。 〃Sooner or later we will get you。〃
He drew himself up。 〃And when we do; you will wish you had bargained here and now。 You will wish it very much。〃
〃I'll make you a small wager that we don't;〃 I offered。 But the words were automatic; and ninety percent bluster besides。 For at least the foreseeable future; the smart money was definitely still on the Patth。 〃So what; after I left she called and had you tail me?〃 I asked; turning back to Nicabar。
〃Actually; we'd already set it up;〃 Nicabar said。 He found the keys and set to work on my cuffs。 〃After the Iykams jumped you; I followed your party back here and then called Ixil。 He brought the chemicals I needed; and while I mixed up the smoke bombs and time fuses he sent his ferrets in to reconnoiter。 They came back; and we rigged them with harnesses to drag the bombs and gun inside。〃
The last cuff came loose。 〃You certainly had me going;〃 I said; massaging my wrists。 So that was what the ferret in the vent had been doing: chewing through his harness straps so that he wouldn't have to be sitting on top of the smoke bomb when it went off。 〃How exactly does the rest of the plan go?〃
Nicabar nodded at the three Patth。 〃We cuff our friends together and get out of here。〃
〃Good plan;〃 I said。 〃There's only one problem。 This ship of theirs; the Considerate。 It must be pretty good…sized; or Nask wouldn't have thought they'd be able t