tz.theicarushunt-第20节

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e　as　a　precaution；〃　I　suggested。　〃Maybe　he　fully　intended　to　join　us；　but　circumstances　prevented　him。〃
　She　snorted。　〃Right。　A　full　bottle；　or　a　warm　bed。　Circumstances。〃
　〃Or　a　small　matter　of　murder；〃　I　said。
　She　looked　at　me；　her　eyes　narrowing。　〃Murder？〃
　〃That's　right；〃　I　said。　〃I　was　told　there　was　a　warrant　out　for　his　arrest　on　a　possible　murder　charge。〃
　She　shook　her　head。　〃Hard　to　believe；〃　she　said。　〃He　seemed　like　such　a　normal；　upstanding　man。〃
　〃That's　exactly　what　I　said　when　they　asked　me　about　it；〃　I　said　approvingly。　〃Nice　to　know　there's　at　least　one　thing　we　agree　on。〃
　〃Well；　now；　wait　a　minute；〃　she　warned　cautiously。　〃I　never　said　I　thought　he　didn't　do　it；　I　just　said　it　was　hard　to　believe。　I　don't　know　anything　about　the　man。〃
　〃Sure；　I　understand；〃　I　assured　her。　In　fact；　I　understood　far　more　than　she　probably　realized。　Just　as　her　involuntary　blush　when　talking　about　the　Patth　had　given　me　a　glimpse　into　her　emotional　state；　so；　too；　had　the　plete　lack　of　any　such　coloring　when　I　told　her　about　Cameron's　murder　charge。　And　that　despite　her　alleged　total　surprise　at　hearing　such　shocking　news。
　Maybe　she'd　already　used　up　all　of　her　emotional　reactions　for　one　day。　Or　maybe　she　hadn't　been　surprised　by　the　murder　charge　for　the　simple　reason　that　she'd　already　known　all　about　it。
　〃puter　Specialist　Tera？〃　Chort's　whistly　voice　came　over　the　speaker。　〃I　believe　I'm　finished　here。　Shall　I　check　the　rest　of　the　hull？〃
　I　was　still　watching　Tera　closely；　which　was　why　I　caught　the　slight　but　unmistakable　tightening　of　her　facial　muscles。　Perhaps　she　was　thinking　along　the　same　line　that　had　suddenly　occurred　to　me：　that　it　had　been　just　as　Chort　had　set　off　on　a　similar　check　of　the　cargo　and　engine　hulls　his　last　time　out　that　the　accident　with　the　grav　generator　had　occurred。
　If　it　was；　in　fact；　an　accident。　Perhaps　someone　aboard　didn't　want　anyone　taking　a　close　look　at　the　outside　of　the　cargo　sphere。
　For　a　moment　I　was　tempted　to　tell　him　to　go　ahead；　just　to　see　if　our　theoretical　spoilsport　still　had　his　same　access　to　switches　or　junction　boxes　or　whatever。　But　only　for　a　moment。　Ixil　was　sharing　the　hot　spot　with　Chort；　and　the　spoilsport　might　decide　he　didn't　like　Ixil　any　more　than　he'd　liked　Jones。　I　had　no　interest　in　risking　Ixil's　life　or　health；　at　least　not　then。　Certainly　not　over　a　theory　that　hadn't　even　occurred　to　me　until　five　seconds　ago。
　〃This　is　McKell；〃　I　said　toward　the　speaker　before　Tera　could　answer。　〃Don't　bother；　Chort…we　don't　have　time　for　it。　You　and　Ixil　just　get　back　in　and　button　up。〃
　〃Acknowledged；〃　he　whistled。
　〃That　was　my　job；〃　Tera　reminded　me；　throwing　a　brief　glare　in　my　direction。　But　to　my　hypersensitive　eye；　the　glare　didn't　seem　to　have　the　kind　of　fire　behind　it　that　I　would　have　expected。　Maybe　she　and　I　had　indeed　been　thinking　along　the　same　lines；　or　maybe　her　chip…shoulder　act　was　starting　to　wear　a　little　thin。　〃You're　off…duty；　remember？〃
　〃Right；〃　I　said。　〃I　keep　forgetting。　You　can　handle　things　here？〃
　She　didn't　even　bother　to　answer　that　one；　just　gave　me　a　look　that　said　volumes　all　by　itself　and　turned　back　to　the　monitors。　Properly　chastened；　I　floated　out　of　the　bridge；　maneuvered　down　the　ladder　well；　and　returned　to　my　cabin。　I　was　once　again　stripping　off　my　jacket　when　the　warning　tone　sounded　and　gravity　came　back　on。
　For　a　long　time　after　that　I　just　lay　in　my　bunk；　staring　at　the　closed　door　in　the　dim　light；　as　I　ran　that　last　conversation　through　endless　repeats　in　my　mind。　Tera　was　an　enigma；　and　in　general　I　hated　enigmas。　In　my　experience；　they　nearly　always　spelled　trouble。
　Unless　I　had　been　reading　her　words　and　her　reactions　all　wrong。　Or；　worse；　had　somehow　imagined　them　entirely。　It　certainly　wouldn't　be　the　first　time　I　had　oh…so…cleverly　Sherlocked　myself　straight　down　a　blind　alley。
　But　I　hadn't　imagined　the　mishap　with　the　grav　generator　or　Jones's　death。　I　hadn't　imagined　my　brief　detention　on　Meima；　or　the　Lumpy　Brothers；　or　their　unreasonably　advanced　hand　weaponry。
　And　I　certainly　hadn't　imagined　Arno　Cameron；　amateur　archaeologist　and　head　of　one　of　the　largest　and　most　influential　industrial　bines　in　the　Spiral；　sitting　in　a　grimy　Vyssiluyan　taverno　and　all　but　begging　me　to　fly　the　Icarus　to　Earth　for　him。
　No；　the　facts　were　there；　at　least　some　of　them。　What　they　meant；　though；　I　didn't　have　the　foggiest　idea。
　But　a　small　group　of　unclearly　related　facts　can　chase　each　other　around　a　single　overtired　brain　for　only　so　long。　Eventually；　I　fell　asleep。
　　
　CHAPTER　6
　
　THE　PORT　FACILITIES　on　Xathru　had　been　a　couple　of　steps　above　those　on　Meima。　The　single　mercial　port　on　Dorscind's　World；　in　contrast；　was　at　least　five　steps　back　down　again。
　Not　that　the　equipment　itself　was　a　problem。　On　the　contrary；　the　landing　cradle　was　the　best　the　Icarus　had　seen　yet；　with　the　kind　of　peripheral　and　support　equipment　that　a　place　like　Meima　could　only　dream　of。　It　was；　rather；　the　port's　clientele　that　put　Dorscind's　World　well　below　the　standards　set　by　the　Spiral's　tour　cruise　directors。　Planned　by　its　developers　as　a　high…class　gambling　resort；　things　hadn't　quite　worked　out　that　way　for　the　colony。　It　had　been　slipping　since　roughly　day　two；　with　the　big　money　and　high…spinners　fading　equally　rapidly　into　the　sunset。
　The　only　thing　that　had　kept　the　place　from　vanishing　from　the　map　altogether　was　its　gradual　and　reluctant　transformation　into　the　sort　of　place　where　questionable　papers　and　shady　cargoes　were　generally　winked　at。　With　the　Patth　shipping　domination；　the　shady…cargo　slice　of　the　pie　chart　had　been　steadily　growing　among　non…Patth　carriers。
　And　as　a　result；　business　at　the　Dorscind's　World　port　was　booming。
　There　was　of　course　no　record　of　a　freighter　named　the　Second　Banana　having　filed　a　flight　plan　for　Dorscind's　World。　But　as　I'd　expected；　minor　technicalities　of　that　sort　didn't　even　raise　an　eyebrow　here。　The　usual　docking　fee；　plus　a　few　more　of　Cameron's　hundred…mark　bills；　and　we　had　our　landing　cradle。　I　paid　off　the　port　official　who　came　to　the　ramp　to　collect；　made　arrangements　for　refueling；　and　ordered　delivery　of　replacement　foodstuffs　and　some　more　of　Chort's　magic　hull…repair　goo。
　And　after　that；　it　was　time　for　me　to　venture　out　into　the　dubious　charm　of　the　port　city。　Leaving　the　rest　of　the　Icarus's　crew　behind。
　The　rest　of　the　crew　wasn't　happy　about　that。　Not　one　bit。　〃This　is　insane；〃　Shawn　snarled　as　I　faced　down　the　pack　of　them　at　the　forward　wraparound　pressure　door；　a　task　made　all　that　harder　psychologically　by　the　upward　tilt　of　the　Icarus's　decks　that　had　them　all　looming　over　me。　〃I've　been　to　a　dozen　places　like　this…it's　no　more　dangerous　than　downtown　Tokyo　as　long　as　you　mind　your　own　business。〃
　〃It　would　be　nice　to　get　out　into　the　open　air；〃　Everett　seconded。　〃Medically　speaking；　recycled　air　starts　wearing　on　a　person　after　a　while。　Besides；　the　exercise　would　do　us　good。〃
　〃The　exercise　could　also　get　you　killed；〃　I　told　him　bluntly；　charitably　passing　up　the　obvious　ment　about　how　his　bulk　hardly　indicated　that　exercise　would　be　his　top　priority　out　there。　〃Or　weren't　any　of　you　listening　to　what　I　said　about　what　happened　to　me　on　Xathru？〃
　〃We　were　all　listening；　McKell；〃　Tera　said。　〃As　far　as　I'm　concerned；　that's　a　reason　for　you　to　stay　out　of　sight；　not　us。〃
　〃Believe　me；　I　wish　I　could；〃　I　said　with　one　hundred　percent　honesty。　The　last　thing　I　wanted　to　do　was　face　down　more　of　the　Lumpy　Clan　and　their　coronal…discharge　weapons。　Though　to　be　honest；　without　having　a　flight　schedule　to　guide　them；　the　chances　they　could　have　tracked　me　here　were　vanishingly　small。　〃Unfortunately；　I　have　an　errand　to　take　care　of　out　there。　One　which　I　have　to　do　personally。〃
　Which　wasn't　quite　as　hundred…percent　honest　as　the　first　part　had　been。　Ixil　could　make　the　long…overdue　call　to　Uncle　Arthur　as　well　as　I　could。　But　Ixil　had　made　it　abundantly　clear　that　he　really　didn't　want　to　field　that　one；　more　to　the　point；　I　wanted　him　and　the　ferrets　here　to　watch　over　the　Icarus。　〃But　none　of　that　matters；〃　I　went　on。　〃What　matters　is　that　as　pilot；　I'm　also　the　captain。　And　I　say　you're　staying　here。〃
　〃So　that's　where　the　pig　stick　goes；　huh？〃　Shawn　snarled；　his　face　working　as　he　glared　at　me　with　blazing　eyes。　Once　again；　as　it　had　when　we'd　first　met；　Shawn's　veneer　of　civility　had　cracked　badly；　revealing　the　callously　rude　young　brat　underneath。　〃You　little　tin…plate　dictator…you　love　this；　don't　you？　Well；　forget　it…just　forget　it。　I'm　not　sitting　here　staring　at　the　walls　while　you're　out　having　fun。　Neither　is　anyone　else。〃
　〃That's　enough；　Shawn；〃　Nicabar　said　quietly。　Quietly；　but　with　the　full　weight　of　all　those　years　as　an　EarthGuard　Marine　in　his　voice。
　Shawn　either　didn't　notice　or　didn't　care。　〃Well；　runny　muck　to　you；　too；〃　he　bit　out　at　Nicabar。　His　whole　body　was　trembling　now；　his　fists　opening　and　closing　like　relays　in　an　unstable　feedback　loop；　and　out　of　the　corner　of　my　eye　I　saw　Ixil　ease　a　little　closer　beside　him。　〃I'm　not　staying　cooped　up　in　here…I'm　not。〃
　〃Look；　son；　I　understand　how　you　feel；〃　Everett　said；　laying　a　hand　on　Shawn's　shoulder