tz.theicarushunt-第38节

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her　cupped　hands　with　rainwater　and　gave　him　a　drink。
　The　effects　were　quite　amazing。　Almost　immediately　his　trembling　began　to　subside；　and　within　a　couple　of　minutes　he　seemed　almost　back　to　normal。
　At　least　physically。　〃You　sure　took　your　sweet　time　about　it；〃　he　growled；　breathing　heavily　as　he　brushed　his　wet　hair　impatiently　out　of　his　face。　〃Where　the　hell　are　we；　anyway？　You　said　we　were　going　to　Mintarius。　This　isn't　Mintarius。　I　know…I've　been　there。〃
　〃Change　of　plans；〃　I　told　him　shortly；　peering　closely　at　his　eyes。　His　pupils；　strongly　dilated　when　we'd　first　grabbed　him；　seemed　to　be　shrinking　back　to　normal　size。
　〃Yeah；　well；　that　change　of　plans　might　have　killed　me；〃　he　snapped。　〃Did　you　ever　think　of　that？　This　place　must　be　at　least　three　hours　farther　than　Mintarius　was。〃
　〃No；　just　two；〃　I　said。　He　was　well　enough　to　travel；　I　decided；　and　even　if　he　wasn't；　we　were　going。　The　sooner　he　was　aboard　the　Icarus　and　shut　away　where　I　didn't　have　to　listen　to　him；　the　better。　Taking　his　arm；　I　pulled　him　back　out　toward　the　main　thoroughfare。
　〃Wait　a　minute；　what's　the　rush？〃　he　growled；　leaning　back　against　my　pull。　His　strength　was　also　making　a　remarkable　eback。　〃We　just　got　here。　How　about　just　for　once　sticking　around　some　planet　more　than　five　minutes；　huh？〃
　〃Shut　up　and　e　on；〃　Tera　snapped；　grabbing　his　other　arm。　From　the　look　of　surprise　that　flicked　across　his　face；　I　guessed　she　was　digging　her　nails　into　his　skin　more　than　was　necessary　to　maintain　the　grip。　Certainly　more　than　I　was；　but　then；　I'd　only　been　irritated　by　his　disappearing　act　for　the　past　five　minutes。　Tera　had　had　a　whole　hour　of　slogging　through　the　rain　in　which　to　work　up　resentment。
　Between　her　voice；　her　grip；　and　whatever　he　saw　in　her　face；　Shawn　apparently　realized　that；　too。　He　shut　up　as　ordered；　and　docilely　followed　us　down　the　street　and　through　the　spaceport　gate。　We　caught　the　slideway　and　headed　in。
　I　kept　a　careful　eye　behind　us；　as　well　as　on　the　slideways　that　passed　or　intersected　ours；　but　I　saw　no　sign　of　anyone　tailing　us。　I　had　thought　Torsk　might　have　second　thoughts　about　letting　me　leave　so　easily；　but　apparently　he'd　decided　that　discretion　was　the　better　part　of　continued　employment　and　had　decided　to　leave　well　enough　alone。
　We　reached　the　last　freighter　parked　between　us　and　the　Icarus；　and　finally；　it　seemed；　we　were　out　of　the　woods。　We　had　the　borandis；　we　had　Shawn；　and　no　one　had　pointed　toward　me　and　yelled　for　the　Patth。　Now；　if　the　Icarus　had　just　been　fueled　properly；　we　would　be　in　business。　Hoping　distantly　that　we　wouldn't　find　the　fuelers　still　trying　to　figure　out　how　to　get　the　hose　into　the　Icarus's　intake；　we　came　around　the　side　of　the　freighter。
　The　fuelers　weren't　there。　What　was　there　was　a　group　of　ten　Najik　wearing　the　black…and…red　tunics　of　customs　officers。　Standing　by　the　entry　ramp。
　Waiting　for　us。
　　
　CHAPTER　10
　
　BESIDE　ME；　SHAWN　made　a　strangled　sort　of　sound　deep　in　his　throat。　〃Oh；　God；〃　he　breathed。　〃We're　dead。〃
　〃Quiet；〃　I　muttered　back；　taking　a　second；　closer　look　at　the　scene；　hoping　it　wasn't　as　bad　as　I'd　first　thought。
　It　was。　The　ten　Najik　were　still　there；　tall　and　spindly；　with　those　hairy　arms　and　legs　that　always　made　me　think　of　giant　four…limbed　tarantulas。　They　were　still　wearing　the　customs　uniforms；　and　there　was　an　impatient　look　in　their　multiple　eyes　as　they　glanced　over　our　direction　through　the　pouring　rain。
　On　the　other　hand；　it　could　also　have　been　worse。　Locks　or　no　locks；　customs　officers　on　the　prowl　normally　didn't　bother　to　wait　for　the　captain　before　going　inside　a　target　ship；　but　simply　popped　the　hatch　and　apologized　later　for　the　damage　if　apologies　were　called　for。　Now；　with　my　second　look；　I　saw　why　they　were　still　out　here　getting　rained　on。
　Standing　square　in　the　center　of　the　ramp；　looking　for　all　the　world　like　a　feathery…scaled　Horatius　holding　the　bridge；　was　Chort。　From　the　water　running　steadily　off　his　fingertips　it　was　clear　he'd　been　there　for　a　while；　from　the　settled　look　of　his　stance；　it　was　equally　clear　he　was　prepared　to　stay　as　long　as　necessary。
　Normally；　the　presence　of　such　an　obstacle　wouldn't　have　slowed　down　a　customs　officer　any　more　than　a　locked　hatch　would。　But　Chort　was　hardly　your　normal　obstacle。　He　was　a　Craea；　and　with　Crooea　and　their　spacewalker　skills　so　highly　in　demand　around　the　Spiral；　I　could　understand　why　the　Najik　were　reluctant　to　offend　him　by　shoving　their　way　past　into　the　ship。　Especially　a　locked　and　apparently　unoccupied　ship。
　Except　that　it　wasn't　strictly　unoccupied；　and　for　a　brief；　time…stretched　second　I　tried　to　think　of　how　to　turn　that　to　our　advantage。　If　Tera；　Shawn；　and　I　could　walk　casually　past　the　Icarus　as　if　we　weren't　connected　with　it　at　all；　and　if　I　could　get　Ixil　on　the　phone…
　We　hadn't　gotten　two　steps　before　any　such　decisions　were　taken　out　of　my　hands。　〃There；〃　Chort　called　out；　pointing　to　me。　〃There　is　the　captain。　You　may　address　your　questions　to　him。〃
　I　sighed。　〃You　two　stay　back；〃　I　murmured　to　Tera　and　Shawn。　There　was　a　rustle　as　Tera　took　Shawn's　left　arm；　pulling　him　subtly　to　a　halt　as　I　continued　on　toward　the　ramp。　The　Najik　in　the　center　of　the　group　took　a　step　toward　me　in　response；　and　now　that　he　was　facing　me　I　could　see　the　insignia　of　a　gokra…the　equivalent　of　a　senior　lieutenant…on　his　collar。　Apparently；　Customs　HQ　was　taking　this　very　seriously。
　〃Good　day；　Gokra；〃　I　greeted　him　as　we　sloshed　through　the　puddles　to　within　a　few　steps　of　each　other。　〃Is　there　a　problem？〃
　〃You　are　the　captain　of　the　Sleeping　Beauty？〃　he　asked。　His　tone　was　decidedly　neutral。
　〃I　am；〃　I　said；　wondering　fleetingly　if　Chort　might　have　slipped　up　and　given　them　my　real　name；　realized　immediately　that　he　hadn't。　If　he　had…if　the　Najik　knew　beyond　a　doubt　what　they　had　here…they　wouldn't　be　bothering　with　a　few　measly　customs　officers。　They'd　have　an　army　battalion　here；　plus　the　local　Patth　ambassador　and　his　staff；　plus　probably　a　military　marching　band　thrown　in　for　color。　〃Is　there　a　problem？〃
　〃You　will　unseal　the　hatch；〃　he　said；　waving　back　toward　the　Icarus。　〃You　will　tell　your　crewer　to　move　aside；　and　you　will　allow　us　to　go　in。〃
　〃Of　course；〃　I　said；　not　moving。　〃May　I　ask　what　the　problem　is？〃
　For　a　moment　he　seemed　disinclined　to　tell　me；　but　apparently　decided　there　was　no　harm　in　playing　by　the　proper　Mercantile　Code　rules。　〃We　have　received　a　report　that　this　ship　is　engaged　in　illegal　smuggling　activities；〃　he　said。
　The　rest　of　me　was　soaking　wet。　My　mouth；　however；　was　suddenly　dry。　〃Smuggling　activities？〃　I　managed；　hoping　I　sounded　more　bewildered　than　guilty。
　〃Yes；〃　the　gokra　said。　〃Specifically；　that　you　have　unregistered　gem…stones　hidden　aboard。〃
　I　stared　at　him；　not　needing　to　feign　any　bewilderment　this　time。　〃Gemstones？〃　I　echoed。　〃That's　crazy。　We're　not　carrying　any　gemstones。〃
　〃You　will　please　tell　your　Craea　to　stand　aside；〃　the　Najik　said；　not　even　bothering　to　acknowledge　my　protest。　I　couldn't　blame　him；　he'd　probably　heard　variants　of　it　twice　a　day　throughout　his　entire　career。　〃Then　you　will　unseal　the　hatch　and　allow　us　inside。　I　will　need　to　see　your　personal　identification；　as　well。〃
　〃Of　course；〃　I　said；　brushing　some　of　the　water　out　of　my　eyes　and　trying　to　figure　out　what　the　hell　was　going　on。　The　gemstone　story　was　utter　nonsense；　of　course…you　could　fill　fifty　ships　the　size　of　the　Icarus　from　deck　to　ceiling　with　Dritar　opals　without　so　much　as　lifting　a　Patth　eyebrow。　But　if　they　suspected　the　ship　in　front　of　us　might　be　the　Icarus；　why　bother　with　this　subterfuge？
　Answer：　they　wouldn't。　Which　meant　that　they　didn't　know　it　was　the　Icarus。
　Which　further　meant　the　Patth　weren't　involved　in　this；　that　it　was　a　purely　Najiki　affair；　with　the　whole　gemstone　thing　being　either　a　ridiculous　bureaucratic　error　or　else　a　horrifying　coincidence。　I'd　chosen　the　name　Sleeping　Beauty　for　our　current　ship's　ID　on　the　assumption　that　few　people　in　the　Spiral　were　going　to　name　their　ships　after　obscure　nineteenth…century　Russian　ballets。　It　would　be　the　height　of　irony　if　I'd　not　only　guessed　wrong；　but　had　managed　to　pick　the　name　of　a　bona　fide　smuggling　ship　in　the　bargain。
　Unfortunately；　in　about　five　minutes　the　how　and　why　of　it　weren't　going　to　matter　anymore。　There　were　a　dozen　different　numbers　etched　on　engines　and　consoles　all　over　the　ship；　numbers　that　were　on　various　lists　all　across　the　Spiral。　If　Cameron　had　done　a　proper　job　of　creating　a　history　for　his　phantom　freighter；　those　numbers　would　be　in　a　Mercantile　file　labeled　Icarus；　and　the　minute　the　Najik　started　checking　them　we　would　be　finished。　If　Cameron　hadn't　filed　the　numbers；　it　would　simply　take　a　little　longer　for　the　soap　bubble　to　burst。
　The　Najik　were　still　waiting。　〃Of　course；〃　I　said　again；　turning　back　and　stepping　to　where　Tera　was　still　clinging　to　Shawn's　left　arm。　There　was　one　very　tenuous　hope　here；　a　hope　based　on　Brother　John's　off…handed　ment　earlier　about　the　Najik；　and　my　own　hopefully　not…too…cynical　interpretation　of　it。　〃Let　me　get　the　hatch　unlocked　first　and　get　us　in　out　of　the　rain。　Especially　Geoff　here…he's　not　well。〃
　Some