tz.theicarushunt-第25节
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〃It's possible whoever killed him did so in order to use his body as a receptacle for passing information；〃 Ixil suggested。 〃Hard data； perhaps； such as photos or schematics that couldn't easily be sent via phone。〃
〃But why bother？〃 I asked。 〃They all had plete freedom of movement on Xathru。 Why not just deliver it in person？〃
〃Perhaps the murderer didn't want to risk being seen in the pany of the wrong people。〃
I mulled that one over。 〃Which would imply we were dealing with a genuine professional here。〃
Ixil nodded。 〃Yes。 It would。〃
I hissed thoughtfully between my teeth。 There were indeed people out there； I knew； who would go to such lengths to plete a mission。 But to have one of them just happen to be aboard the Icarus was pushing the bounds of credibility way beyond even their normal elasticity range。 〃Again； though； if someone wanted the Icarus badly enough to slip that kind of professional aboard； why haven't we been stopped already？〃
〃That is indeed a key question；〃 Ixil conceded。 〃I'm afraid； Jordan； that there are still too many missing pieces to this puzzle。〃
〃The biggest of which is sitting back there in our cargo hold；〃 I agreed grimly。 〃I'm starting to think it's about time we had ourselves a close look at it。〃
Ixil rubbed his cheek。 〃I don't know；〃 he said doubtfully。 〃I've looked over the schematics Tera pulled from the puter。 There aren't any access panels shown at all。〃
〃You've got a cutting torch in the mechanics shop； don't you？〃 I pointed out。 〃An access hole is basically wherever we want to make one。〃
〃I wasn't thinking so much about getting in as I was of covering up afterward the fact that we'd done so；〃 Ixil said mildly。 〃If Jones didn't engineer his own accident…and to be honest； I really don't think he did…then whoever did is still aboard。 We may not want to set up a situation where he would be able to get a look of his own into the hold。〃
Unfortunately； he was right。 〃All right；〃 I said reluctantly。 〃We'll play along a while longer。 But you might want to get your cutting equipment ready just the same。 At some point I don't think we're going to be able to afford to continue flying blind。〃
〃Perhaps；〃 Ixil said。 〃How much of this are you planning to tell the others？〃
〃As little as possible；〃 I said。 〃I've already told Tera I ran afoul of someone back there who had decided to make it his business to hijack the Icarus。〃
〃Which is more or less true。〃
〃Eminently true；〃 I agreed。 〃I also mentioned the murder charge against Cameron to her； just to see what kind of reaction I'd get。〃
〃And that was？〃
〃Protests of surprise； but no visible evidence of it；〃 I told him。 〃Though I'm not sure where exactly that leaves us。 I think that the rest of the details； including the fact that the Patth are involved； should be left out of the story for the moment。 We've got enough trouble as it is explaining why we're running under fake IDs and why no one should mention the name 'Icarus' in groundside conversations。 There's no need to scare them； too。〃
〃I agree；〃 Ixil said； looking around and snapping his fingers twice。 Pix and Pax scampered out from under my bunk and whatever they'd found to explore there and climbed up his legs and torso back to his shoulders。 〃I'll go up and。。。〃
He trailed off； an odd look on his face。 〃What is it？〃 I asked。
〃I don't know；〃 he said slowly； the look still there。 〃Something's not quite right。 I can't put my finger on it。〃
I was on my knees now； plasmic in hand； my full attention on the deck where the ferrets had emerged from beneath the bunk。 Carefully； one hand on the edge of the bunk to steady myself； I leaned over and looked underneath。
Nothing。 No one scrunched up in hiding； no mysterious packages ready to go boom in the quiet watches of the night； no indication of hidden bugs or bottles of poisonous spiders； no evidence of tampering at all。 Just a plain metal deck with a plain metal hull beyond it。
I got back to my feet。 〃Nothing there；〃 I reported； brushing off my knees with my free hand。
〃Of course not；〃 Ixil said； his face wrinkling in a different way。 〃We would certainly have seen and recognized anything obvious。〃
I knew that； of course。 On the other hand； it wasn't his bunk in his cabin。 〃So how unobvious is it？〃 I asked。
〃Very；〃 he said； shaking his head。 〃It's rather like one of those ideas or memories that floats around the edge of your mind； but which you can't quite tease out into the open。〃
〃Keep trying；〃 I told him。
〃I will；〃 he promised； throwing one last frown at the bunk and turning toward the door。 He was reaching for the release pad when； beside the middle bunk； the inter crackled。 〃Captain McKell； this is Chort；〃 the Craea's familiar voice whistled through the speaker； the rhythmic thuds and hums of the engine room in the background。 〃Is Mechanic Ixil there with you？〃
I stepped around the bunks to the inter and tapped the key。 〃Yes； he is；〃 I told him。 〃Trouble？〃
〃Nothing serious； I don't think；〃 Chort assured me。 〃But I am in need of his assistance。 The readings indicate an intermittent fault in the Darryen modulator relay； with possible location in the power…feed couplings。〃
〃Probably the connectors；〃 Ixil rumbled from behind me。 〃Those go out all the time。〃
〃So I understand；〃 Chort agreed。 〃I thought perhaps you and your outriders could either confirm or deny that possibility before I wake Drive Specialist Nicabar and ask him to open the conduit。〃
〃No problem；〃 Ixil said； tapping the door…release pad。 〃I'll be right there。〃
He stepped into the corridor and headed for the aft ladder。 〃Thank you；〃 Chort said as the door closed again。 The inter clicked off； and I was alone。
For a few minutes I stood there； listening to the various hums and clanks and throbbings； staring at my bunk and the wall behind it。 I've never had any particular problems with the loneliness or unpleasant self…evaluation that for some people make solitude something to be avoided。 For that matter； given that much of my human interaction lately had been with people like Brother John； solitude was in fact something to be actively sought out。 I was tired； I'd been running low on sleep since even before that taverno run…in with Cameron； and under normal circumstances I would have been on my bunk and asleep in three minutes flat。
But if there was one thing certain about the Icarus； it was that nothing here ever approached what one might consider normal circumstances。 And at this point； the latest express delivery of abnormal circumstances seemed to be whatever the nameless oddity was that existed around； under； or inside my bunk。
Plasmic still in hand； I eased carefully onto my stomach on the deck again and just as carefully wiggled my way under the bunk。 It was a tight squeeze…a three…tier bunk hasn't got a lot of space underneath it…but I was able to get my head and most of my upper body under without triggering any bouts of latent claustrophobia。 I wished I'd thought to snag the flashlight from my jacket； but enough of the cabin's overhead light was diffusing in to give me a fairly reasonable view。
The problem was； as I'd already noted； there was nothing there to see。 I was surrounded by a bare metal deck； a bare metal wall； and a wire…mesh…and…mattress bunk of the type that had been around for centuries for the simple reason that no one yet had e up with a better promise between marginal fort and minimal manufacturing cost。
I wiggled my way back out； got to my feet； and spent a few more minutes going over the entire room millimeter by millimeter。 Like the area under the bunk； there wasn't anything to see。
Nothing obvious； at least。 But I knew Ixil； and if he said his outriders had found something odd； then they'd found something odd； and suddenly I decided I didn't much care for the silence and solitude of my cabin。 Replacing my plasmic in its holster； I pulled my jacket on over it and left。
I didn't expect there to be much happening aboard the Icarus at that hour； and as I climbed the aft ladder to the mid deck I discovered I was right。 Tera was on bridge…monitor duty…with； typically for her； the door closed…Chort and Ixil were back in the engine room； and Everett； Nicabar； and Shawn were presumably in their cabins on the upper deck。 I thought I might find someone in the dayroom； either eating or watching a vid； but the place was as deserted as the corridor outside it。 Either everyone had felt more in need of sleep than food； or else the camaraderie temperature reading aboard the Icarus was still hovering down around the liquid…nitrogen mark。 Somewhere in the same vicinity； I decided sourly； as my progress at figuring out what was going on。
Just aft of the dayroom was the sick bay。 On impulse； wondering perhaps if Everett might still be up； I touched the release pad and opened the door。
There was indeed someone there； dimly visible in the low night…light setting。 But it wasn't Everett。 〃Hello？〃 Shawn called； lifting his head from the examination table to peer across the room at me。 〃Who is it？〃
〃McKell；〃 I told him； turning up the light a bit and letting the door slide shut behind me。 〃Sorry to disturb you…I was looking for Everett。〃
〃He's on the bridge；〃 Shawn said； nodding to
