tz.theicarushunt-第14节

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　And　suddenly　the　hard　knot　of　his　fist　was　joined　by　something　else。　Something　that　felt　cold　through　my　shirt　and　very；　very　sharp。　〃It's　a　wrist　knife；〃　my　assailant　confirmed　in　a　low　voice。　〃Don't　make　me　use　it。〃
　〃Not　a　problem；〃　I　assured　him；　feeling　chagrined；　scared；　and　stupid　all　at　the　same　time。　Brother　John　had　totally　blindsided　me　on　this　one；　catching　me　like　some　fool　fresh　off　the　cabbage　truck。
　From　my　right　another　of　his　species　appeared；　tossing　a　four…pack　of　cola　to　the　Grifser　with　one　hand　as　he　reached　under　my　jacket　and　relieved　me　of　my　plasmic　with　the　other。　〃Now；〃　the　first　said　as　their　decoy　ran　off　gurgling　with　delight　over　his　prize。　〃Let's　go　have　ourselves　a　nice　little　chat。〃
　Flanking　me　on　either　side　like　a　couple　of　long…lost　friends；　they　guided　me　through　the　usual　crowd　of　spaceport　traffic；　along　a　couple　of　narrow　and　increasingly　depopulated　service　streets；　and　eventually　into　a　blind　alley　blocked　off　at　the　far　end　by　a　warehouse　loading　dock。　It　was　a　long　way　to　go；　I　thought；　for　what　was　going　to　be　only　tentative　privacy。
　But　more　importantly；　from　my　point　of　view　anyway；　the　trip　itself　was　already　a　major　blunder　on　their　part。　The　ten…minute　walk　had　given　me　enough　time　to　recover　from　the　shock　and　start　thinking　again；　and　that　thinking　had　persuaded　me　that　my　original　assessment　had　indeed　been　the　correct　one。　Whoever　these　thugs　were；　they　weren't　Brother　John's　enforcers。　Not　just　because　he　didn't　like　aliens；　but　because　his　boys　would　have　dropped　me　right　there　in　front　of　the　Starrm　building　instead　of　engaging　in　all　this　unnecessary　exercise。
　All　of　which　boiled　down　to　the　fact　that；　whatever　I　wound　up　having　to　do　to　them；　no　one　was　likely　to　care　very　much。　At　least；　that's　what　I　hoped　it　boiled　down　to。
　They　settled　me　with　my　back　against　the　loading　dock　and　took　a　prudent　couple　of　steps　away。　The　first　was　now　holding　his　wrist　knife　openly：　a　kind　of　push　knife　sticking　out　from　his　palm　at　right　angles　to　his　arm；　the　weapon　strapped　to　his　hand　and　wrist　so　that　it　couldn't　be　snatched　or　kicked　out　of　his　hand。　The　other　was　holding　my　plasmic　loosely　at　his　side；　not　crassly　pointed　but　ready　if　it　was　needed。　Both　aliens　were　roughly　human　in　height　and　build；　I　could　see　now；　except　with　simian…length　arms　and　foreshortened　torsos。　The　relief…map　look　of　their　faces　was　repeated　over　their　entire　bodies；　or　at　least　the　parts　that　were　visible　sticking　out　of　the　long　brown　neo…Greek　tunics　they　were　wearing。
　〃If　this　is　a　shakedown；　I'm　already　broke；〃　I　warned；　getting　in　the　first　word　just　to　irritate　them　as　I　gave　their　outfits　a　casual　once…over。　There　were　no　bulges　or　asymmetric　bagginess　that　I　could　see。　Either　they　didn't　have　any　backup　weapons　at　all…which　would　be　pretty　careless　on　their　part…or　else　they　were　holstered　behind　their　backs。
　〃It's　not　a　shakedown；〃　Lumpy　One　said；　waving　his　wrist　knife　back　toward　the　main　docking　area。　〃We　want　your　cargo。〃
　I　blinked　in　surprise。　〃You　want　to　steal　fifty　cases　of　bine　machine　parts？〃　I　asked　incredulously。
　They　exchanged　furtively　startled　glances。　〃That's　not　what　you're　carrying；〃　Lumpy　Two　growled。
　I　shrugged。　〃That's　what　it　says　on　the　manifest　and　the　crates。　If　there's　anything　else　in　there；　the　Barnswell　Depot　is　going　to　have　a　lot　of　explaining　to　do。〃
　For　a　long　second　Lumpy　One　seemed　at　a　loss　for　words。　Then　his　crack　of　a　mouth　cracked　a　little　wider　in　what　I　decided　was　probably　his　version　of　a　sly　smile。　〃Clever；〃　he　said。　〃But　not　clever　enough。　You　are　Jordan　McKell；　you　came　here　from　Meima；　and　you　have　a　highly　valuable　cargo　aboard　your　ship。　We　want　it。〃
　〃Jordan　who？〃　I　asked。　〃Sorry；　boys；　but　you　missed　pletely　on　this　one。　My　name's　Ivo　Khachnin；　I'm　flying　a　ship　called　the　Singing　Buffalo；　and　I'm　carrying　fifty　cases　of　farm…equipment　parts。　Here…I　can　prove　it。〃　I　reached　a　hand　into　my　jacket…
　〃Stop！〃　Lumpy　One　barked；　leaping　forward　with　knife　held　ready。　〃I'll　get　it。〃
　〃Sure；　pal；〃　I　said；　managing　to　sound　both　startled　and　bewildered　by　his　violent　reaction。　In　point　of　fact；　I'd　been　counting　on　it。　〃Fine。　Help　yourself。〃
　He　approached　at　a　cautious　angle；　staying　out　of　his　partner's　line　of　fire；　which　at　least　proved　he　hadn't　picked　up　his　street…mugging　technique　solely　from　watching　Grade…B　star…thrillers。　Carefully；　he　set　the　point　of　his　wrist　knife　against　my　throat　and　reached　into　my　inside　jacket　pocket。　The　probing　fingers　located　my　ID　folder　and　pulled　it　out；　holding　it　cautiously　by　a　corner　as　if　expecting　it　to　be　booby…trapped。
　And　as　it　came　free　from　my　jacket；　the　bills　I'd　slipped　carelessly　inside　in　the　Starrm　booth　slid　out　and　fluttered　colorfully　to　the　ground。
　It　was　a　small　distraction；　but　it　was　all　I　needed。　As　their　eyes　flicked　involuntarily　to　the　floating　marks；　I　jerked　my　head　back　and　around；　moving　it　out　of　contact　with　Lumpy　One's　knife；　simultaneously　snapping　up　my　left　hand　to　catch　his　wrist　behind　the　knife　strap。　Pushing　his　arm　high；　I　ducked　under　it　and　spun　180　degrees　around；　ending　up　standing　behind　him　with　his　knife　arm　between　us；　bent　upward　toward　his　neck　at　what　I　very　much　hoped　was　a　painful　angle。
　〃Release　him！〃　Lumpy　Two　spat。　He　was　holding　my　plasmic　straight　out　at　me　now；　clutched　in　a　two…handed　grip；　his　whole　body　trembling。
　〃Make　me；〃　I　grunted；　looping　my　right　arm　around　Lumpy　One's　throat　and　pulling　him　hard　back　against　me。　If　I'd　guessed　wrong　about　this…if　he　did　not　in　fact　have　a　backup　weapon…I　was　now　officially　in　serious　trouble。
　But　he　did。　There　it　was；　a　hard　flat　object　pressing　against　my　abdomen　as　I　held　him　to　me。　Cranking　his　arm　up　another　couple　of　centimeters；　eliciting　a　gasped　phrase　that　was　probably　an　unfavorable　ment　on　my　parentage；　I　twisted　the　knife　tip　down　and　jabbed　it　into　the　fabric　of　his　tunic。　With　the　jammed　knife　preventing　him　from　lowering　his　arm；　and　the　limits　of　his　own　tendon　structure　preventing　him　from　raising　it；　the　limb　was　effectively　self…immobilized；　freeing　my　left　hand。　Reaching　up　the　back　of　his　tunic；　I　grabbed　his　weapon。
　Lumpy　One　shouted　something；　probably　a　warning；　to　his　panion。　But　by　then　it　was　already　too　late。　Almost　too　late；　anyway。　Lumpy　Two　got　off　a　shot　that　nearly　scorched　the　side　of　my　face　as　the　superheated　plasma　ball　made　a　near　miss；　and　fired　another　that　would　have　seared　my　right　arm　and　possibly　killed　Lumpy　One　outright　if　I　hadn't　bent　my　knees　suddenly；　driving　my　kneecaps　into　the　backs　of　Lumpy　One's　legs　and　dropping　us　both　halfway　to　the　ground。　The　jolt　of　the　sudden　movement　sent　the　embedded　knife　tip　tearing　a　couple　of　centimeters　farther　into　the　cloth　and；　judging　from　Lumpy　One's　gasp；　into　the　skin　beneath　it　as　well。
　And　then　I　had　his　weapon　out　and　pointed　over　his　shoulder。　The　gun　wasn't　remotely　like　anything　I　was　familiar　with；　but　I　didn't　have　time　to　do　anything　except　hope　like　hell　it　had　some　stopping　power　behind　it。　Flicking　a　thumb　key　that　I　hoped　was　the　safety；　I　squeezed　the　trigger。
　From　the　size　and　shape　of　the　weapon；　I　would　have　guessed　it　to　be　a　flechette　thrower　or　maybe　a　two…shot　scattergun。　It　wasn't。　My　hair　and　skin　tingled　with　electrical　discharge；　and　suddenly　Lumpy　Two　was　writhing　in　agony　in　the　middle　of　a　sheathing　of　blue…white　coronal　fire。
　The　electrical　firestorm　lasted　about　two　seconds。　From　the　looks　of　things；　Lumpy　Two　himself　didn't　last　nearly　that　long。
　Under　other　circumstances　I　would　probably　have　taken　a　few　seconds　to　gape　at　the　unexpected　display　of　firepower　I'd　just　unleashed。　But　I　wasn't　given　that　chance。　Mouthing　obvious　obscenities；　Lumpy　One　broke　out　of　my　grasp　with　a　sudden　lurch　and　spun　around　to　face　me；　the　sound　of　tearing　cloth　warning　that　he　was　half　a　second　away　from　freeing　his　knife　hand。　I　jumped　to　the　side；　swinging　the　alien　weapon　around；　and　as　he　got　his　arm　free　and　lunged　toward　me；　I　fired　again。
　With　the　same　result。　Three　seconds　later；　I　was　standing　alone　over　two　alien　bodies；　both　of　them　charred　literally　beyond　recognition。
　I　had　seen　a　lot　of　repulsive　things　in　my　years　of　knocking　around　the　Spiral；　but　this　one　definitely　took　the　cake。　Glancing　around　for　any　sign　of　witnesses…our　little　confrontation　seemed　to　have　gone　unnoticed…I　squatted　down　beside　the　corpses；　trying　to　breathe　through　my　mouth　as　I　forced　myself　to　sift　through　what　was　left　of　their　clothing。
　But　there　was　nothing。　No　ID　folders；　no　cash　wallets；　not　even　any　bank　cards。　Or　at　least；　I　amended　to　myself；　nothing　that　had　survived　the　attack。
　Lumpy　Two　was　wearing　a　duplicate　of　the　alien　handgun　in　a　half…melted　holster　at　the　small　of　his　back。　I　managed　to　pry　it　loose　and　pocketed　both　weapons　for　future　study。　I　retrieved　my　ID　folder　and　cash　from　the　ground…Lumpy　One　had　dropped　all　of　it　when　I　jumped　him…and　returned　my　now　scorched　but　still　functional…looking　plasmic　to　its　holster。　Taking　one　final　look　around；　I　headed　away　at　a　brisk　walk。
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　IXIL　WAS　WAITING　for　me　at　the　Icarus's　entryway。　〃I　thought　you　were　going　to　be　here　in　thirty　minutes；〃　he　gree