tz.theicarushunt-第96部分
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ll under the influence of the alien grav field。 Their squashed…iguana faces were only partly visible through their helmet faceplates； the body…armored ferrets crouching on their broad shoulders adding a surrealistic touch of the ridiculous to the scene。
But there was nothing either surrealistic or ridiculous about the heavy military bat lasers in their hands； or in the steady professional grip with which they pointed them at Antoniewicz； Brother John； Everett； and the three techs。
〃They're Royal Kalixiri mandos；〃 I said into the stunned silence； just in case my audience was too shy to ask the question themselves。 〃Loaned to us by the one government in the Spiral that no longer has anything to lose by defying the Patth。〃
Tera was still staring up at them。 〃But…you said…where's my father？〃
〃He's safe；〃 I told her。 〃The Icarus isn't a stardrive； you see。 It's a stargate； connected to a duplicate somewhere hell and away across the galaxy。 Your father accidentally triggered it and got bounced to the other end。〃
〃The other end has Kalixiri in it？〃 Everett demanded； his voice distant and confused。
〃Hardly；〃 I said。 〃Or rather； it didn't until a couple of hours ago。 The Kalixiri were waiting here when we landed； hidden down in the trees…that's the main reason I insisted on parking the ship so close in under the branches。 Once it was dark； and once I'd chased Everett out and put on the hatchway floodlights so that the glare would mask their movements； they used a collapsible ladder and the latch grooves on the starboard side to climb onto the engine section； go in through that dorsal hatch； and from there into the small sphere and down the rabbit hole to where your father was waiting。〃
〃So then。。。 Pix？〃
〃Actually； I worked rather hard to maneuver Mr。 Antoniewicz into insisting that Pix go in instead of me；〃 I said； looking at Antoniewicz。 The dead look had been replaced now by a clear and violent lust for death。 My death。 But then the Kalixiri were landing on the deck around him； and the mandos and armor and heavy lasers were between him and the rest of us； and he'd lost his chance forever。 〃When Pix went across； he took with him his visual memories of the number； weapon…status； and approximate placement of the men they'd have to take down。 Popping in from nowhere； and in the last place anyone would expect an attack to e from； the whole thing was almost literally a duck shoot。 The only real question was whether they'd get here before Antoniewicz decided I wasn't useful anymore and had me shot。〃
I looked at one of the mandos as he walked toward me； an empty spot on his shoulder showing where Pix had been sitting。 Pix himself； I noted； was already settling onto Ixil's shoulder。 〃Speaking of being in time； mander； what's the status of the lodge？〃
〃It has been taken；〃 he said； his voice flavored with a thick regional accent。 〃I have only now been so informed。〃
〃What are you talking about？〃 Brother John demanded。 〃You said…〃
〃Well； they didn't all go down the rabbit hole；〃 I explained apologetically。 〃A second group was hidden somewhere in or near the lodge to take care of anyone you'd left outside the ship。 Once the mander learned from Pix's memories that Nicabar and the others were being held hostage there； he knew to call in the details to the reserve troops as soon as they popped in here。〃
Tera looked at Brother John； then back to me。 〃But I thought you worked for these people；〃 she protested。 〃You said you owed them a half…million marks。〃
〃So I did；〃 I acknowledged。 〃And so I do。 But you see； I was working for someone else long before Brother Johnston Scotto Ryland came out of the woodwork and smilingly mortgaged my soul。 For that matter； long before I even ran up the debt that attracted him to me in the first place。〃
And then； finally； she got it。 〃You mean…？〃
〃Yes；〃 I said； straightening up into an almost…forgotten military attention。 I had my pride； too。。。 and it had been a long time since I'd been able to say this to anyone at all。 〃I'm Major Jordan McKell； EarthGuard Military Intelligence； detached on Special Covert Branch duty。 May I also introduce my boss： Colonel Ixil T'adee； Kalixiri Special mand for Drug Enforcement。 Our job these past twelve years has been to work our way inside the Spiral's worst drug and gunrunning organizations and try to bring them down。〃
I turned to Antoniewicz。 〃And as I said before； Mr。 Antoniewicz；〃 I added quietly； 〃I'm very pleased to meet you。 Badgemen all over the Spiral have been waiting a long time for you to e out of your hole so that you could finally be arrested。 I'm honored you chose to do it for me。〃
CHAPTER 25
IT WAS NOT exactly what you would call a cheerful group that was gathered around the table in the lodge dining room a little after dawn the next morning； but it beat to hell the atmosphere that had been there the last time around。 Partly it was the smaller and more intimate nature of the assemblage； with Shawn and Chort off somewhere being debriefed； Ixil directing the group looking over the Icarus； and Antoniewicz and his assorted plug…uglies long gone under heavy Kalixiri guard。 The fact that Cameron had had time for a shower probably helped a lot； too。
〃I hope you know how close you came to getting your neck broken last time we were in here；〃 Nicabar mented； picking carefully at the Kalixiri military delicacies the occupation troops had whipped up。 It was a far cry from Chort's gourmet Craean stew； but the taste was adequate and it was certainly filling enough。 〃When you turned that plasmic on me I figured all that talk about Everett was just you stalling while you waited for your pals to arrive。〃
〃You'd never have made it even halfway to my neck；〃 I told him。 〃Antoniewicz's thugs would have cut you down in a heartbeat if you'd tried anything。 Including going for your gun； incidentally； which is why I drew on you in the first place。〃
He snorted gently。 〃I thought I was being reasonably subtle about it。〃
〃You were；〃 I agreed。 〃But I haven't spent twelve years in Intelligence work without knowing what a surreptitious grab for a weapon looks like。 Give me some credit。〃
〃Personally； I give you a great deal of credit；〃 Cameron mented around a mouthful of food。 Alone of the four of us； he was already on his second helping。 〃You had me fooled all the way down the line； from Meima to our little chat at the other end of the star…bunny trail； right up to the moment those Kalixiri mandos popped in and nearly gave me a heart attack。〃
〃Sorry about that；〃 I apologized。 〃Though I did wonder after our talk at the edge of forever whether you'd finally figured me out。〃
〃I knew you weren't as simple as you seemed；〃 he said； shaking his head。 〃But beyond that I didn't have a clue。〃
〃You might have told him；〃 Tera said； a touch of reflexive accusation in her voice。 〃He certainly wasn't going to tell anyone in there。〃
〃But he would be ing out sometime；〃 I reminded her。 〃And I didn't yet know what the circumstances of that homeing were going to be。〃
〃And it's infinitely safer in this sort of game if no one has had even a peek at your cards；〃 Cameron said； rising to my defense。 〃Sir Arthur explained all of that in his message。〃
〃What message？〃 Tera asked。
〃A note from my boss；〃 I explained。 〃Retired…sort of…General Arthur Sir Graym…Barker； former Intelligence Level Two Overseer and the Earthside director of this quiet little bined…services unit Ixil and I have been involved with all these years。 The mando team brought it through the stargate with them so that your father would know what was going on。〃
〃Unlike the rest of us；〃 Nicabar said pointedly。 〃So what was that fluff you spun to Tera about having been kicked out of EarthGuard？〃
〃Not a single bit of fluff to it；〃 I assured him。 〃The court…martial was pletely and totally official。 It had to be…I was trying to worm my way into the center of the Spiral's underworld； and everything in my record had to stand up to the kind of scrutiny we knew it would be getting someday。 The time I spent with Customs and Rolvaag Brothers Shipping was more of the same window dressing； with the added value of giving me practical training in the sorts of things a soon…to…be
