tz.theicarushunt-第26节

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　〃He's　on　the　bridge；〃　Shawn　said；　nodding　toward　the　inter　beside　the　table。　〃Said　it　was　his　turn　to　earn　his　keep　around　here　and　told　Tera　to　go　to　bed。　You　can　call　him　if　you　want。〃
　〃No；　that's　all　right；〃　I　said；　suppressing　a　flicker　of　annoyance。　Strictly　speaking；　Tera　should　have　cleared　any　such　shift　changes　with　me；　but　she　and　Everett　had　probably　thought　I　was　trying　to　catch　up　on　my　own　sleep　and　hadn't　wanted　to　disturb　me。　And　the　ship's　medic　was　supposed　to　be　available　for　swing　shifts　if　any　of　the　regular　crewers　were　unable　to　cover　theirs。　〃How　e　you're　still　here？〃　I　asked；　crossing　the　room　toward　him。
　He　smiled　wanly。　〃Everett　thought　it　would　be　best　if　I　stayed　put　for　a　while。〃
　〃Ah；〃　I　said　intelligently；　belatedly　spotting　the　answer　to　my　question。　With　the　dim　light　and　the　way　the　folds　in　his　clothing　lay；　I　hadn't　seen　until　now　the　straps　pinning　his　arms　and　legs　gently　but　firmly　to　the　table。　〃Well。。。〃
　My　disfort　must　have　been　obvious。　〃Don't　worry；〃　he　hastened　to　assure　me。　〃Actually；　the　straps　were　my　suggestion。　It's　safer　for　everyone　this　way。　In　case　the　stuff　he　gave　me　wears　off　too　quickly。　I　guess　you　didn't　know。〃
　〃No；　I　didn't；〃　I　admitted；　feeling　annoyed　with　myself。　With　the　unexpected　entry　of　the　Patth　into　this　game　dominating　my　thoughts；　I'd　totally　forgotten　about　Shawn's　performance　at　the　airlock。　〃I　guess　I　just　assumed　Everett　had　given　you　a　sedative　and　sent　you　off　to　bed　in　your　own　cabin。〃
　〃Yes；　well；　sedatives　don't　work　all　that　well　with　my　condition；〃　Shawn　said。　〃Unfortunately。〃
　〃You　did　say　he'd　given　you　something；　though；　right？〃　I　asked；　swinging　out　one　of　the　swivel　stools　and　sitting　down　beside　him。　Now；　close　up；　I　could　see　that　beneath　the　restraints　his　arms　and　legs　were　trembling。
　〃Something　more　potent　at　quieting　nerves；〃　he　told　me。　〃I'm　not　sure　exactly　what　it　was。〃
　〃And　why　do　your　nerves　need　quieting？〃　I　asked。
　A　quick　series　of　emotions　chased　themselves　across　his　face。　I　held　his　gaze；　letting　him　e　to　the　decision　at　his　own　speed。　Eventually；　he　did。　〃Because　of　a　small　problem　I've　got；〃　he　said　with　an　almost…sigh。　〃Sort　of　qualifies　as　a　drug　dependency。〃
　〃Which　one？〃　I　asked；　mentally　running　through　the　various　drug　symptoms　I　knew　and　trying　without　success　to　match　them　to　Shawn's　behavior　patterns。　Ixil　had　suggested　earlier　that　the　kid's　emotional　swings　might　be　drug…related；　but　as　far　as　I　knew　he　hadn't　been　able　to　nail　down　a　specific　type；　either。
　And　Shawn's　answer　did　indeed　e　as　a　plete　surprise。　〃Borandis；〃　he　said。　〃Also　sometimes　called　jackalspit。　I　doubt　you've　ever　heard　of　it。〃
　〃Actually；　I　think　I　have；〃　I　said　carefully；　the　hairs　rising　unpleasantly　on　the　back　of　my　neck　even　as　I　tried　to　put　some　innocent　uncertainty　into　my　voice。　I　knew　about　borandis；　all　right。　Knew　it　and　its　various　charming　cousins　all　too　well。　〃It's　one　of　those　semilegit　drugs；　as　I　recall。　Seriously　controlled　but　not　flat…out　prohibited。〃
　〃Oh；　it's　flat…out　prohibited　most　places；〃　he　said；　frowning　slightly　as　he　studied　me。　Maybe　my　uncertainty　act　hadn't　been　enough；　maybe　he　didn't　think　a　simple　cargo　hauler　should　even　be　aware　of　such　sinful　things；　let　alone　know　any　of　the　details。　〃But　in　most　human　areas　it's　available　by　prescription。　If　you　have　one　of　the　relevant　diseases；　that　is。〃
　〃And？〃　I　invited。
　His　lips　tightened　briefly。　〃I've　got　the　disease。　Just　not　the　prescription。〃
　〃And　why　don't　you　have　the　prescription？〃
　He　smiled　tightly。　〃Because　I　had　the　misfortune　to　pick　up　the　disease　in　a　slightly　illegal　way。　I…well；　some　friends　and　I　went　on　a　little　private　trip　to　Ephis　a　few　years　ago。〃
　〃Really；〃　I　said。　That　word　wasn't　the　first　thing　that　popped　into　my　mind；　the　phrase　criminal　stupidity　held　that　honor。　〃That　one　I've　definitely　heard　of。　Interdicted　world；　right？〃
　His　smile　went　from　tight　to　bitter。　〃That's　the　place；〃　he　said。　〃And　I　can　tell　you　right　now　that　not　a　single　thing　you've　heard　about　that　hellhole　is　hyperbole。〃　His　mouth　twitched。　〃But　of　course；　sophisticated　college　kids　like　us　were　too　smart　to　be　taken　in　by　infantile　governmental　scare　tactics。　And　we　naturally　didn't　believe　bureaucrats　had　any　right　to　tell　us　where　we　could　or　couldn't　go…〃
　He　broke　off；　a　violent　shiver　running　through　him　once　before　his　body　settled　back　down　to　its　low…level　trembling。　〃It's　called　Cole's　disease；〃　he　said；　his　voice　sounding　suddenly　very　tired。　〃It's　not　much　fun。〃
　〃I　don't　know　many　diseases　that　are；〃　I　said。　〃Are　the　rules　for　interdicted　planets　really　that　strict？　That　you　can't　even　get　a　prescription　for　your　medicine；　I　mean？〃
　He　snorted　softly；　and　for　a　moment　a　flicker　of　the　old　Shawn　pierced　the　fatigue　and　trembling；　the　arrogant　kid　who　knew　it　all　and　looked　down　with　contempt　on　mere　mortals　like　me　who　weren't　smart　or　educated　or　enlightened　enough。　〃Strict　enough　that　even　admitting　I'd　been　to　Ephis　would　earn　me　an　automatic　ten…year　prison　sentence；〃　he　bit　out。　〃I　don't　think　a　guaranteed　supply　of　borandis　is　quite　worth　that；　do　you？〃
　〃I　guess　not；〃　I　said；　making　sure　to　sound　properly　chastened。　People　like　Shawn；　I　knew；　could　often　be　persuaded　to　offer　up　deep；　dark　secrets　for　no　better　reason　than　to　prove　they　had　them。　〃So　how　do　you　get　by？〃
　He　shrugged；　a　somewhat　abbreviated　gesture　given　the　strictures　of　the　restraints。　〃There　are　always　dealers　around…you　just　have　to　know　how　to　find　them。　Most　of　the　time　it's　not　too　hard。　Or　too　expensive。〃
　〃And　what　happens　if　you　don't　get　it？〃　I　asked。　Drugs　I　knew；　interdicted　worlds　I　knew；　but　exotic　diseases　weren't　part　of　my　standard　repertoire。
　〃It's　a　degenerative　neurological　disease；〃　he　said；　his　lip　twitching　slightly。　〃You　can　see　the　muscular　trembling　has　already　started。〃
　〃That's　not　just　the　borandis　withdrawal？〃
　〃The　withdrawal　is　part　of　it；〃　he　said。　〃It's　hard　to　tell…the　symptoms　kind　of　mix　together。　That's　followed　by　irritability；　severe　mood　swings；　short…term　memory　failure；　and　a　generally　high　annoyance　factor。〃　Again；　that　bitter　smile。　〃You　may　have　noticed　that　last　one　when　I　first　got　to　the　ship　on　Meima。　I'd　just　taken　a　dose；　but　I'd　pushed　the　timing　a　little　and　it　hadn't　kicked　in　yet。〃
　I　nodded；　remembering　how　much　calmer；　even　friendly；　he'd　been　a　few　hours　later　during　Chort's　ill…fated　spacewalk。　〃Remind　me　never　to　go　into　a　spaceport　taverno　with　you　before　your　pill；〃　I　said。　〃You'd　get　both　our　necks　broken　within　the　first　three　minutes。〃
　He　shivered。　〃Sometimes　I　think　that　would　be　a　better　way　to　go；〃　he　said　quietly。　〃Anyway；　if　I　still　don't　get　a　dose；　I　get　louder　and　more　irrational　and　sometimes　even　violent。〃
　〃Is　that　still　a　mixture　of　withdrawal　and　disease？〃
　〃That　one's　mostly　withdrawal；〃　he　said。　〃After　that；　the　disease　takes　over　and　we　start　edging　into　neural　damage。　First　the　reversible　kind；　later　the　nonreversible。　Eventually；　I　die。　From　all　reports；　not　especially　pleasantly。〃
　Offhand；　I　couldn't　think　of　many　pleasant　ways　to　die；　except　possibly　in　your　sleep　of　old　age；　which　given　my　early　choices　in　life　wasn't　an　option　I　was　likely　to　face。　If　Shawn　persisted　in　pulling　stunts　like　sneaking　onto　interdicted　worlds；　it　wasn't　likely　to　remain　one　of　his　options；　either。
　Still；　there　was　no　sense　in　letting　the　old　man　with　the　scythe　get　at　any　of　us　too　easily。　〃How　long　before　the　neural　damage　starts？〃　I　asked。
　He　gave　another　of　his　abbreviated　shrugs。　〃We've　got　a　little　time　yet；〃　he　said。　〃Nine　or　ten　hours　at　least。　Maybe　twelve。〃
　〃From　right　now？〃
　〃Yes。〃　He　smiled。　〃Of　course；　you　probably　won't　want　to　be　anywhere　around　me　well　before　that。　I'm　not　going　to　be　very　good　pany。〃　The　smile　faded。　〃We　can　get　to　a　supplier　before　then；　can't　we？　I　thought　I　heard　Tera　say　it　was　only　about　six　hours　away　to　wherever　the　hell　we're　headed。〃
　〃Mintarius；〃　I　said；　making　a　show　of　consulting　my　watch。　In　reality；　I　was　thinking　hard。　I'd　originally　picked　Mintarius　precisely　because　it　was　close；　small；　quiet；　and　unlikely　to　have　the　equipment　to　distinguish　our　latest　ship's　ID　from　a　genuine　one。　A　perfect　place　to　slip　in；　get　the　fuel　our　unexpectedly　quick　exit　from　Dorscind's　World　had　lost　us；　and　slip　out　again。
　Unfortunately；　Mintarius's　backwater　status　also　meant　that　illegal　drug　suppliers　would　be　few　and　far　between。　And　those　who　were　there　were　likely　to　concentrate　on　the　lowest　mon　denominators　like　happyjam；　not　the　more　esoteric；　semimedicinal　ones。
　I　thought　about　that；　and　about　the　increasingly　serious　Patth　search　for　us；　and　about　the　fact　that　Shawn's　decision　to　go　to　Ephis　had　been　a　voluntary　signing　of　his　own　death　certificate　anyway。　But　no　matter　how　I　sorted　them　out　in　the　balance；　there　really　wasn't　any　choice。
　〃It's　actually　a　little　farther　than　that；〃　I　told　Shawn；　getting　to　my　feet。　〃Don't　worry；　though；　we　should　make　it　in　plenty　of　time。　Assuming　things　go　as　planned…〃
　I　broke　off　suddenly；　turning　my　head　and　stretching　out　with　all　my　ears。　Barely　heard　over　my　own　voice　had　been　a　faint　dull　metallic　thud。　The　same　unexplained　sound；