tz.theicarushunt-第87部分

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　He　shook　his　head。　〃You　still　don't　understand；　Jordan。　This　isn't　some　strategic　or　political　decision　on　the　part　of　reasoned　statesmen。　This　is　the　panic　reaction　of　people　who　are　terrified　of　what　the　Patth　might　do　to　us　if　any　human　in　the　Spiral…any　human…is　seen　to　be　assisting　you。〃
　〃That's　ridiculous；〃　I　insisted。　〃The　Patth　are　bluffing…they　have　to　be。　Human…owned　and　…associated　shipping　must　make　up　four　to　six　percent　of　Patth　cargoes。　They　can't　afford　to　lose　all　that　with　the　stroke　of　a　pen。〃
　〃They　did　it　with　the　Kalixiri；〃　he　reminded　me。　〃And　yes；　I　know　the　Kalixiri　total　is　minuscule　pared　to　ours。　But　no　one　in　Geneva　is　ready　to　call　that　bluff。〃　He　hesitated。　〃And　to　be　quite　honest；　I'm　not　convinced　it　is　a　bluff。　Not　when　you　consider　that　the　Patth　economic　future　could　hinge　on　what　the　Icarus　contains。〃
　For　perhaps　half　a　minute　neither　of　us　spoke。　Uncle　Arthur　broke　the　silence　first。　〃What　about　Ryland　or　Antoniewicz？〃　he　asked。　〃I　doubt　Geneva　has　been　able　to　deliver　to　them　a　personal　copy　of　the　edict。〃
　〃They　didn't　have　to；〃　I　said；　frowning　as　a　sudden　thought　struck　me。　〃The　Patth　ambassador　told　me　Brother　John　had　already　disavowed　any　connection　between　us。〃
　〃Too　bad；〃　he　murmured。　〃No　matter　what　you　think　of　Antoniewicz；　his　group　might　have　had　the　resources　to　help　you　out。〃
　〃Oddly　enough；　Tera　made　a　similar　suggestion；〃　I　said；　thinking　furiously　as　yet　another　layer　of　the　Jones　murder　peeled　away；　onion…like；　in　my　mind。　〃Though　unlike　you；　she　didn't　care　for　the　idea　of　turning　the　Icarus　over　to　criminals。〃
　〃I　can't　say　I　care　for　it　myself；〃　Uncle　Arthur　admitted。　〃But　if　it　es　to　a　choice　of　Antoniewicz　or　the　Patth　having　the　Icarus。。。〃　He　shook　his　head。
　I　took　a　deep　breath。　This　was　it。　All　the　pieces　were　finally　in　place；　and　it　was　time　to　make　my　pitch。　〃What　if　you　could　have　it　all？〃　I　asked。　〃The　Icarus；　and　everything　else？　Everything　you've　always　wanted。　How　far　would　you　go　to　get　it？〃
　For　a　long　moment　he　didn't　speak；　his　pale　blue　eyes　gazing　at　me　in　that　way　that　always　made　me　feel　like　he　was　trying　to　drill　his　way　down　through　the　various　layers　of　my　psyche　to　my　soul。　〃You're　serious；〃　he　said　at　last。　It　wasn't　a　question。
　〃Deadly　serious；〃　I　agreed。　〃I　can　do　it。　Bear　in　mind；　too；　that　if　we　don't　do　something；　we　will　lose　the　Icarus。　Either　to　the　Patth　or…〃
　〃All　right；　you've　sold　me；〃　he　cut　me　off。　〃What　do　you　need？〃　And　for　the　next　ten　minutes；　in　great　detail；　I　told　him。
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　THERE　WERE；　PREDICTABLY；　none　of　the　little　runabout　cars　available　as　I　left　the　Starrm　building；　which　meant　another　long　walk。　Mindful　of　the　hour's　grace　time　I'd　given　Ixil　before　he　was　to　try　his　hand　at　piloting　the　Icarus；　I　hurried　as　quickly　as　my　throbbing　head　and　the　need　to　remain　reasonably　inconspicuous　would　permit。
　None　of　the　others　was　visible　outside　the　ship　as　I　finally　dragged　myself　into　view　of　it。　But　then；　I　wasn't　really　expecting　to　see　anyone；　not　with　Ixil　and　Nicabar　in　charge　of　arranging　guard　duty。　It　wasn't　until　I　was　nearly　to　the　foot　of　the　ladder　that　I　spotted　Pix　crouched　in　the　shadow　of　one　of　the　ship's　landing　skids；　staying　clear　of　the　press　of　spacers　wandering　around　even　at　this　hour。　I　whistled；　and　he　bounded　away　from　his　spot　and　scampered　over　to　me。　I　managed　to　catch　him　before　he　could　try　his　tree…climbing　act　with　my　shin　and　scritched　him　briefly　behind　his　ears。　〃Ixil？〃　I　called　quietly。
　〃Here；〃　a　voice　answered　from　above　and　to　my　left。　I　looked　up；　just　as　Ixil　appeared　from　behind　the　festively　glowing　lights　that　had　been　set　up　as　per　my　orders　in　the　gaps　of　our　camouflaging　cowling。　〃Any　trouble？〃
　〃None；〃　I　said；　watching　as　he　eased　his　way　through　one　of　the　larger　gaps　and　dropped　to　the　ground。　〃You？〃
　He　shook　his　head。　〃It's　been　very　quiet；〃　he　said；　waving　somewhere　behind　me。　I　turned　to　look；　saw　Chort　detach　himself　from　a　parked　fueler　and　head　toward　us。　〃You　like　the　job　Chort　and　Tera　did　with　the　lights？〃
　〃Very　nice；〃　I　agreed；　looking　up　at　the　lights　again。　〃Nice　little　sniper's　position　you　found　up　there；　too。〃
　〃Chort's　idea；　actually；〃　Ixil　said　as　he　took　Pix　back　from　me　and　set　him　on　his　shoulder。　〃He　was　up　there　on　guard　when　Nicabar　and　Everett　and　I　got　back。　Since　Kalixiri　are　slightly　more　conspicuous　than　Crooea；　I　took　it　over　and　set　him　up　in　the　more　visible　spot　over　at　that　fueler。〃
　〃Sounds　reasonable；〃　I　said。　〃How's　Shawn　doing？〃
　〃Bad；　but　not　critical。　At　least　this　time　he　didn't　get　loose。　Tera　made　sure　he　was　securely　strapped　down　before　she　set　up　her　own　guard　position　just　inside　the　hatchway。〃　He　peered　up。　〃She　should　still　be　there；　in　fact…neither　Everett　nor　Nicabar　was　in　any　shape　to　take　over　from　her。　Be　sure　to　announce　yourself　before　you　step　inside　the　wraparound；　I　get　the　feeling　she's　still　a　little　nervous。〃
　〃I　know　exactly　how　she　feels；〃　I　said　dryly　as　Chort　came　up　beside　us。　〃You　all　right；　Chort？〃
　〃Quite　well；　Captain　McKell；　thank　you；〃　he　whistled；　peering　closely　at　me。　〃I　understand　you　have　not　had　such　fair　fortune；　however。〃
　〃I've　been　worse；〃　I　assured　him。　〃Looks　like　Ixil　will　be　on　engine…room　duty　for　lift；　I'd　like　you　to　stay　back　there　with　him　in　case　he　needs　assistance。　We　did　get　fueled；　didn't　we？〃
　〃Loaded　and　topped　off　and　paid　for；〃　Ixil　assured　me。　〃Easily　enough　to　get　where　we're　going。〃
　〃Good；〃　I　said；　putting　one　foot　on　the　bottom　rung　of　the　ladder　and　taking　one　last　look　around。　There　were　no　Patth　or　Iykams　anywhere　to　be　seen。　Nor；　for　that　matter；　were　there　any　police　or　customs　officials　visible；　either。　But　then；　now　that　the　last　onion　layer　had　been　peeled　away；　that　didn't　especially　surprise　me。　〃Let's　do　it。〃
　　
　CHAPTER　22
　
　THE　FIVE…DAY　TRIP　to　Beyscrim　was　the　longest　jump　at　one　stretch　that　we'd　tried　yet　with　the　Icarus。　We　paid　the　price　for　such　daring；　too；　to　the　tune　of　three　hull　ridges　and　a　pair　of　hairline　cracks。　Each　required　from　two　to　six　hours　of　outside　work；　together；　they　added　nearly　a　full　day　to　our　travel　time。
　The　most　frustrating　part；　at　least　to　some　of　the　more　impatient　members　of　the　crew；　was　that　it　was　no　longer　clear　whether　such　repair　work　was　even　necessary；　given　what　we　now　knew　about　the　true　nature　of　the　Icarus。　The　cracks　and　ridges　were　only　in　the　outer…hull　plating　that　Cameron's　people　had　layered　over　the　artifact　sphere；　and　there　was　no　indication　that　the　alien　metal　beneath　was　being　affected　in　the　slightest　by　the　hyperspace　pressure　it　was　being　subjected　to。　There　were　several　lively　discussions　about　that；　in　fact；　most　of　them　occurring　while　Chort　and　Ixil　were　busy　outside　with　the　latest　repair　job。　But　the　arguments　presented　were　for　the　most　part　pletely　moot。　I　voted　to　continue　stopping　for　repairs；　whether　they　were　necessary　or　not；　and　no　one　else　got　a　vote。
　It　wasn't　simply　caution；　though；　or　even　a　lack　of　faith　in　the　Icarus's　original　designers。　Despite　Everett's　assurance　that　his　doctor　friend　was　above　reproach；　we　were　heading　into　a　largely　unknown　situation　on　a　pletely　unknown　world。　With　three　of　us　qualifying　as　walking　wounded…four　if　you　counted　Shawn's　medical　problems…I　figured　the　more　recovery　time　we　had　along　the　way；　the　better。
　Still；　I　had　to　admit　that　our　first　pass　by　Beyscrim　showed　the　place　to　be　pretty　much　as　advertised。　The　planet　boasted　just　five　public　spaceports；　none　of　them　up　to　even　Meima's　casual　standards；　with　the　coordinates　Everett's　friend　had　supplied　reading　halfway　up　a　mountain　and　very　literally　in　the　middle　of　nowhere。　The　automated　landing　system　guided　us　in　to　a　group　of　five　pads　about　three　hundred　meters　west　and　slightly　downslope　from　the　mansion…sized　lodge　itself；　the　pad　cluster　edged　in　turn　on　its　downslope　side　by　an　extensive　range　of　bushy　blue…green　trees。　I　chose　the　pad　closest　to　the　trees；　setting　us　down　parallel　to　them　and　as　close　to　their　outstretched　branches　as　I　could　manage；　remembering　first　to　rotate　the　ship　so　that　the　hatchway　was　on　the　open；　non…tree　side　facing　the　lodge。
　Tera　questioned　my　choice　of　placement；