tz.theicarushunt-第18节
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〃More than you know；〃 I assured him grimly。 〃You see； according to the schedule Cameron left me…the schedule he presumably filed with the Meima Port Authority…the Icarus's first stop was going to be Trottsen。 We weren't supposed to be on Xathru at all。〃
His squashed…iguana face hardened。 〃Yet the Lumpy Brothers knew you were there。〃
〃And called me by name；〃 I nodded。 〃Granted； they may have tagged me when my turn was called at the Starrm building…I had no reason at the time not to give my right name there。 But why pick on me at all？〃
Ixil nodded thoughtfully。 〃Can't be one of the crew；〃 he murmured； half to himself。 〃If someone here wanted the cargo； he would have simply stolen it himself after everyone else left the ship。〃
〃Depending on whether he could get through Cameron's security sealing；〃 I said。 〃But at the very least he would have made sure the Icarus didn't lift。 And all he needed to do to acplish that was to phone the Port Authority with an anonymous report about a pair of crisped bodies lying next to a cul…de…sac loading dock。〃
Ixil cocked his head to the side。 〃In other words； he could have used the same technique that got you detained on Meima。〃
〃Yes；〃 I agreed。 〃And the fact that it didn't happen on Xathru implies to me that it wasn't someone aboard who pulled that stunt on Meima。 But it does suggest a reason why the Lumpy Brothers latched on to me but not on to anyone else aboard。〃
Ixil nodded。 〃The Meima Port Authority report had your name。〃
〃Not only my name； but my name linked with Cameron's；〃 I said。 〃Someone got hold of that near…arrest report and disseminated it to assorted associates across the Spiral with instructions to be on the lookout for me。 The Lumpy Brothers just happened to get lucky。〃
〃Or else backtracked your name to the Stormy Banks and looked up my flight schedule；〃 Ixil suggested。 〃That might explain how they happened to be hanging around the Starrm building。〃
〃I hadn't thought of that part；〃 I acknowledged。 〃You're probably right。〃
〃It also indicates our employer is probably still at large；〃 Ixil continued； stroking his cheek thoughtfully。 〃I imagine he remembers all the rest of the names of the people he hired on Meima； in which case the private alert ought to have included their names as well。〃
〃Good point；〃 I said； grimacing。 What had bee of Cameron was still high on my list of annoying loose ends。 〃Though that's not definitive…I doubt any of the others had their names called over a loudspeaker in the market。〃
〃Which leaves us only the question of who's behind all this；〃 Ixil concluded。 〃And how we smoke him or them out into the open。〃
〃Maybe that's your only unanswered question；〃 I said。 〃Personally； I'm already on page two of that list。 And as to who's pulling the strings in the background； I'm not at all sure we even want to go poking that direction。 It seems to me that our job right now is to get the Icarus and its cargo to Earth； preferably with it and us in one piece。 Well； one piece each； anyway。〃
〃You may be right。〃 He hesitated。 〃You said you called Brother John to discuss this sudden change in plans。 You didn't say whether or not you'd also spoken with Uncle Arthur。〃
I grimaced。 〃No；〃 I said。 〃I was hoping we could…oh； I don't know。 Surprise him； maybe？〃
Even without the ferrets on his shoulders to do their twitching thing； I had no trouble reading Ixil's reaction to that one。 〃I won't waste time by asking if you seriously believe that to be a good idea；〃 he said。 〃I'll make you a small wager： that he won't be any happier at your accepting this job than Brother John was。〃
〃If you're expecting me to cover that bet； you can forget it；〃 I said sourly； the proverbial admonition against trying to serve two masters running through my mind。 No； Uncle Arthur would definitely not be happy with me over this one。 And the longer I put off calling him； the unhappier he was likely to get。 〃Oh； all right；〃 I sighed。 〃I'll call him as soon as we hit Dorscind's World。〃
〃That's the spirit；〃 he said； with all the cheerful enthusiasm of someone who would probably find himself unavoidably busy tightening bolts on the Icarus while I was sweating it out under Uncle Arthur's basilisk glare in a Starrm booth。 〃What's our plan until then？〃
〃To create a new identity for the Icarus； and to keep an eye on our backs；〃 I said。 Across at the bridge door； the two ferrets reappeared and headed straight up Ixil's legs。 〃As far as I'm concerned； we still don't have a satisfactory explanation of what happened to Jones and Chort…〃
The ferrets reached Ixil's shoulders； and abruptly； he made a quick double slashing motion across his throat with his fingertips。 〃…makes the best apple brandy anywhere in the Spiral；〃 I said； shifting verbal gears as smoothly as I could manage。 The voice of someone speaking； I knew； could be heard well before the actual words could be made out； as could the sharp break of that voice being suddenly cut off。 〃In fact； I'd put it up against anything made on Taurus or even Earth…〃
I caught a movement from the corner of my eye； at the same time Ixil turned his head in that direction and nodded courteously。 〃Good evening； Tera；〃 he said； breaking into my improvised babbling。 〃What can we do for you？〃
I turned to face the door。 Tera was standing in the doorway； a slight frown on her face as she took in Ixil seated in the restraint chair with me on the swivel stool。 〃You can get yourself out of that chair； that's what；〃 she said。 〃The clock on the wall…and Mercantile regs…say it's time for a shift change。 It's my turn for the bridge。〃
I frowned at my watch。 Preoccupied with everything else that was happening； I hadn't even thought about that。 〃You're right；〃 I acknowledged。 〃Sorry…I'm not used to flying a ship where there are real shift changes and everything。〃
〃Which I presume also explains why your mechanic's in the control chair instead of you；〃 she countered。 〃You； Ixil； need to take over for Nicabar in the engine room； and you； McKell； need to hit the sack。〃
〃I'm fine；〃 I insisted； getting to my feet。 In that moment； though； I realized that she was right。 Overall lack of sleep plus general tension level had bined with the Lumpy Brothers incident and my still…sore leg to suddenly throw a haze of wooziness over the universe。 〃On the other hand； maybe it would be a good idea to go under for a couple of hours；〃 I amended。
〃Make it eight of them and you've got a deal；〃 she said； jerking a thumb back down the corridor。 〃Go on…I'll let you know if there's any trouble。 You're in one of the cabins on the lower level； right？〃
〃Right；〃 I said。 〃Number Eight。〃
〃Fine；〃 she said； settling herself into the chair Ixil had just vacated。 〃Pleasant dreams。〃
I stepped out the door and clanked my way down the bare…metal rungs of the ladder to the lower deck。 The central corridor…as with the mid…deck； there was only one…was deserted。 No big surprise； since aside from storage and recycling equipment there were only two sleeping cabins down here； mine and the one Ixil had moved into。 A quiet part of the ship； where the rhythmic humming of the various machines would be quite conducive to lulling a weary traveler to sleep。
But I wasn't going to sleep。 Not yet。 Instead； I walked the length of the corridor to the aft ladder and headed back up to the mid deck； treading as quietly on the rungs as I could。
Ixil was nowhere in sight； having apparently already disappeared into the wraparound to relieve Nicabar in the engine room。 At the forward end of the corridor； I saw that Tera had rather pointedly closed the bridge door behind her。 A girl who liked her privacy； I decided； though there might not be anything more to it than the natural reticence of a lone woman locked in a flying tin can with four unfamiliar men and two alien males。 But whatever the reason； it was going to make my current project that much safer。
The puter…room door was closed； too； but that was all right； near as I could tell； none of the Icarus's doors locked。 Taking one last look around to make sure I wasn't being observed； I opened the door and went inside； closing it behind me。
The room looked exactly the way it had when I'd last seen it； except of course that Tera wasn't there。 The Worthram T…66 puter dominated the space； pressing up against the aft bulkhead and covering much of the starboard wall as well。 Fastened to the forward bulkhead was a two…sectioned metal cabinet with the hard…copy printer on one side and a set of shelves crammed with reference material and datadisks on the other。 Squeezed in between the two was the puter control desk where Tera fought to beat the archaic machine into submission。
And where； allegedly； she'd been sitting when she hit her head hard enough for me to hear from the wraparound。
I went over and sat down in the chair。 It wasn't nearly as fancy as the one on the bridge； but then； in emergency maneuvers it was far more important for the pilot to stay in his seat than the puter jock。 Taking a deep breath； I leaned forward and banged my head experimentally against the edge of the control panel。
Even granted that I was hearing it from a more personal angle； the thud didn't sound anything like what I'd heard earlier
