tz.theicarushunt-第93部分

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f；　leaving　us　stranded。〃
　The　thugs　found　no　weapons　on　Ixil　or　Chort；　pushed　them　back　down　into　their　chairs；　and　moved　on　to　Tera　and　Shawn。　〃I'm　surprised　they　didn't　just　line　us　up　and　shoot　us；〃　Tera　bit　out；　glaring　ice…shredders　at　Brother　John　and　ignoring　as　best　she　could　the　hands　moving　over　her　body。
　〃You　underestimate　Mr。　Ryland；〃　I　told　her。
　〃Yes；　indeed；〃　Brother　John　seconded。　〃After　all；　you　already　owe　me　your　lives　once　over。　It　was　my　people　on　Palmary　who　stood　guard　over　the　spaceport　during　your　mad　rush　off　the　planet。　As　well　as　in　the　control　tower；　I　might　add。〃
　〃I　wondered　why　we　got　away　so　easily；〃　Nicabar　murmured。　〃The　least　the　Patth　should　have　done　was　lock　down　all　departures。〃
　〃They　tried；〃　Brother　John　said；　beaming　some　more。　〃Indeed　they　did。　The　pressure　was　applied；　and　the　governmental　authorities　had　given　the　orders。　Somehow；　though；　the　controllers　were　able　to　see　through　to　a　better　and　more　enlightened　reasoning。〃
　〃We　do　owe　him　that；〃　I　agreed。　〃But　when　I　said　you'd　underestimated　him；　Tera；　I　was　referring　to　something　else　entirely。　Mr。　Ryland　would　never　think　of　killing　us　here。　Not　when　he　can　make　a　little　extra　money　by　turning　us　over　to　the　Patth。〃
　Tera　stared　at　me；　her　mouth　dropping　open。　〃Are　you　saying…？〃　She　looked　back　at　Brother　John。　〃You　are　a　slime。〃
　〃I'd　warn　your　lady　friend　to　be　quiet；　Jordan；〃　Brother　John　said；　a　mid…November　chill　in　his　voice。　〃Particularly　since　the　value　of　your　lives　has　decreased　markedly　in　the　past　three　minutes。〃
　〃What's　that　supposed　to　mean？〃　Nicabar　asked　calmly。　The　thugs　had　relieved　Tera　of　her　pepperbox　shotgun　pistol；　and　now　it　was　Nicabar's　and　my　turn。
　〃He　means　he　wasn't　planning　to　sell　us　to　the　Patth　just　to　pick　up　a　little　spare　change；〃　I　explained；　wincing　as　the　searching　hands　ran　afoul　of　my　assortment　of　sore　muscles　and　joints。　〃It　was　mainly　to　buy　him　more　time　to　get　the　Icarus　out　of　here　and　bury　it　somewhere。　Since　none　of　us　would　know　what　had　happened　to　the　ship；　the　Patth　could　interrogate　us　until　June　without　learning　anything　that　would　do　them　any　good。〃
　〃Nice　guys；〃　Shawn　muttered；　shying　back　as　one　of　the　thugs　sent　him　a　warning　look。
　〃You　know；　Jordan；　I　do　believe　I've　been　guilty　of　underestimating　you；〃　Brother　John　said　as　one　of　the　searchers　found　Nicabar's　Kochran…Uzi　and　tucked　it　away。　〃No；　no；　don't　sit；〃　he　added　as　they　started　to　push　the　two　of　us　back　into　our　seats。　〃You　and　your　alien　partner　are　ing　with　me。　You　realize　you　never　told　me　he　was　an　alien？〃
　〃Yes；　I　know；〃　I　said。　〃Which　was　why　Everett　was　able　to　mistake　Jones　for　my　partner　in　the　first　place。　You　hadn't　told　him　Ixil　was　an　alien　because　at　the　time　you　didn't　know　it　yourself。〃
　〃I　hate　aliens；〃　Brother　John　said　conversationally。　〃Almost　as　much　as　I　hate　alien…lovers。　Everett；　you　might　as　well　e　with　us；　too。　The　rest　of　you　will　stay　here　while　we　decide　what　to　do　with　you。〃
　〃You　might　want　the　girl；　too；　Mr。　Ryland；〃　Everett　said；　gesturing　toward　Tera　as　he　got　to　his　feet。　〃McKell　says　she's　Arno　Cameron's　daughter。〃
　〃Really；〃　Brother　John　said；　and　for　the　first　time　since　he'd　e　in　I　saw　a　flicker　of　genuine　surprise　cross　his　face。　〃By　all　means；　bring　her　along。　After　all；　McKell　might　need　extra　persuasion。〃
　〃Persuasion？〃　Nicabar　asked　as　the　nearest　thug　hauled　Tera　back　to　her　feet。
　〃Yes；〃　Brother　John　said；　his　voice　suddenly　dark。　〃It　seems　our　too…too…clever　alien…lover　did　something　to　the　Icarus's　control　systems。　Our　people　can't　get　anything　to　work。〃
　〃I　didn't　want　you　leaving　without　having　a　chance　for　this　little　chat；〃　I　said　mildly；　looking　over　at　Everett。　〃Everett；　tell　the　truth。　You　put　up　a　good　show　here；　but　you　really　did　kill　Jones；　didn't　you？〃
　He　snorted。　〃So　for　all　that　bluster　you　really　didn't　know　for　sure；　huh？〃　he　sneered。　〃Of　course　I　killed　him。　What；　you　think　Chort　did　it？〃
　〃Just　wanted　to　make　sure；〃　I　murmured。
　〃Glad　we　could　clear　that　up；〃　Brother　John　said。　〃Dar；　Kinrick；　you　stay　here。　The　rest　of　you；　e　with　me。〃
　The　walk　back　to　the　Icarus　seemed　a　lot　longer　this　time。　Brother　John　took　the　lead；　with　Everett　and　one　of　his　men　at　his　sides。　Behind　them；　Ixil；　Tera；　and　I　were　herded　along　by　the　other　three；　who　made　sure　to　keep　us　a　respectful　five　paces　behind　the　others　in　case　one　of　us　suddenly　felt　the　urge　to　mit　suicide　by　trying　to　jump　them。
　It　was　darker　outside　now。　Darker　and　colder；　and　the　light　breeze　that　had　been　rustling　the　leaves　earlier　had　picked　up　into　something　stiff　and　unpleasant。　Which　were；　not　coincidentally；　words　that　also　described　Tera　as　she　stalked　along　in　bitter　silence　beside　me；　undoubtedly　heaping　full　blame　for　the　situation　squarely　on　my　head。　To　be　fair；　it　was　hardly　a　point　of　view　I　could　disagree　with。
　But　at　the　moment　I　didn't　really　care　about　the　cold　or　the　footing　or　Tera's　anger　or　even　the　gun　digging　into　my　left　kidney。　My　entire　attention　was　on　the　dice　I　could　visualize　rolling　across　a　mental　table　in　front　of　my　eyes。　The　dice　had　been　thrown；　the　gamble　had　been　made；　and　in　a　handful　of　minutes　I　would　find　out　whether　I'd　won　or　lost。
　There　was　a　shadowy　figure　waiting　in　the　open　hatchway　as　we　reached　the　Icarus　and　started　up　the　ladder。　Brother　John　went　first；　followed　by　his　bodyguard　and　Everett；　then　Tera；　another　guard；　and　Ixil。　The　other　two　guards　saved　me　for　last；　then　sandwiched　me　between　them　as　the　three　of　us　went　up　the　ladder。　Either　Brother　John　considered　me　the　most　dangerous　of　the　group；　or　else　the　fact　that　I　had　been　the　one　to　gimmick　the　ship　entitled　me　to　special　handling。
　Brother　John　had　gone　on　ahead；　but　Tera　and　Ixil　were　still　waiting　as　I　reached　the　wraparound；　together　with　their　guards；　the　shadowy　figure　I'd　seen　waiting　up　there；　and　two　more　of　his　buddies。　I'd　thought　the　bodyguards　Brother　John　had　brought　to　the　lodge　were　big；　ugly；　and　well　armed；　but　this　latter　group　beat　them　hands　down　on　all　three　counts。　Silently；　they　gestured　with　their　guns；　just　as　silently；　we　walked　along　the　wraparound　to　the　main　sphere。
　The　hatch　to　the　sphere　was　closed。　The　leading　thug　opened　it　and　stepped　through；　bobbling　his　balance　somewhat　as　he　passed　through　the　gravity　change。　Tera　and　Ixil　went　next；　negotiating　the　discontinuity　with　the　grace　of　long　practice。　Holding　my　breath；　I　followed。
　The　sphere　looked　more　or　less　the　way　I'd　left　it　earlier　that　evening；　except　that　the　inner　lights　were　blazing　cheerfully　away　and　that　there　were　another　eight　strangers　glowering　at　us。　Four　of　them；　stamped　from　the　same　mold　as　our　current　escort；　were　standing　in　a　loose　group　near　the　bottom　of　the　sphere；　three　others；　working　diligently　at　my　helm　and　nav　setup　up　the　forward　side　of　the　hull；　were　apparently　the　pilot　and　engine　specialists　who　were　supposed　to　have　had　the　Icarus　well　on　its　way　by　now。
　But　it　was　the　eighth　man　who　caught　my　full　attention；　the　man　waiting　at　the　exact　bottom　of　the　sphere　as　if　not　trusting　the　alien　gravity　that　pinned　his　tech　people　to　the　deck　halfway　up　the　side。　He　was　a　small　man；　at　least　pared　to　the　four　bodyguards　grouped　around　him；　well　past　middle　age　despite　the　signs　of　extensive　rejuvenation　therapy；　wearing　a　dark　and　expensive　suit　and　some　muted　and　even　more　expensive　jewelry。　His　face　was　old；　his　expression　was　impassive；　and　his　eyes　were　as　dead　as　a　thousand…year…old　corpse。　He　was　a　man　I　had　never　met；　but　I　knew　instantly　who　he　was。
　The　rolling　dice　had　e　to　a　halt。　And　I'd　won。
　〃You　must　be　McKell；〃　the　man　said　as　Brother　John　led　us　down　the　hull　toward　him；　his　voice　as　dead　as　his　eyes。
　〃Yes；〃　I　acknowledged。　〃And　you　must　be　Mr。　Antoniewicz。　I'm　very　pleased　to　finally　meet　you。〃
　〃Are　you；〃　he　said。　Some　people；　or　so　the　saying　goes；　can　undress　you　with　their　eyes。　Antoniewicz's　look　was　more　like　stripping　me　straight　down　to　the　bone。　〃Interesting。　Most　of　those　who　are　brought　to　meet　me　are　not　at　all　looking　forward　to　the　experience。　Many　of　them　find　themselves　screaming；　in　fact；　and　don't　seem　able　to　stop。〃
　I　swallowed　despite　myself；　all　the　st