tz.theicarushunt-第40节
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t had been attacked by a gorilla with a small sledgehammer。
Beside me； Everett gasped。 〃What in hell's name…？〃
〃Our friend who wrecks cutting torches does doors； too；〃 I snarled； dropping the cover on the deck and hurrying to the door to my own cabin。 One glance was all I'd needed to know Ixil's release pad was going to need some major work； and I could replace it with the one from my door in a fraction of the time。 〃Go to the puter room and tell Tera to take the bridge；〃 I called back over my shoulder as I set to work on the fasteners。
I had my release pad off and was starting on Ixil's when Everett returned； a first…aid kit clutched in his hand。 〃I thought we might need this；〃 he said grimly； setting it down out of my way。 〃What can I do？〃
〃Hold this；〃 I said； thrusting the damaged pad into his hands。 A first…aid kit wasn't going to do a damned bit of good。 Not now。 Our saboteur had had plenty of time to make this one a leisurely killing。 〃What exactly happened after Shawn got loose？〃
〃He ran out of the ship；〃 Everett said； rubbing at the side of his neck。 〃I'm afraid he got past me…〃
〃What about the others？〃 I cut him off。 〃Where were they when all this was happening？〃
〃Well。。。〃 He fumbled slightly。 〃I'm not exactly sure。 The inter still isn't working； so I had to go find them one by one。 Chort was in his cabin； Nicabar was in the engine room； and I found Tera in the mechanics shop。〃
〃And then？〃
〃We went outside to see if he was still in the area of the ship。 He wasn't； or if he was we didn't see him； so we split up and went looking for him。〃
〃You all left together？〃
〃Except Nicabar；〃 he said。 〃The fuelers had arrived； and he stayed behind for a few minutes to get them started。〃
One of the door's control wires was too tangled to connect properly。 I cut off the end； stripped it； and started wrapping it around its contact。 〃Whose brilliant idea was it not to tell me？〃
〃Mine； I'm afraid；〃 he said； his voice wincing。 〃I thought it would just distract you； and you had enough to do at the time already。〃
I grunted。 〃Did you see any of the others while you were out hunting？〃
〃Of course not…we all went off in different directions；〃 he said。 〃We kept in touch by phone； of course。〃
Which meant that any of them could easily have doubled back to the Icarus with murder on his mind and no one would have been the wiser for it。 He wouldn't even have had to dodge the fuelers； who would have been busy on the opposite side of the ship。
The last contact dropped into place； and I heard the faint transient hum as the system integrated。 I touched the pad； and the door slid open。
The room was dark。 Bracing myself for the worst； I reached inside and turned on the light。
Ixil was lying on the bunk just as I'd left him； Pix and Pax rousing themselves sleepily from beside him in response to the light。 Cautiously； I moved forward； studying Ixil as I approached。 There were no marks of violence on him； at least none that I could see from my angle。
And then； without warning； he inhaled sharply； like a sigh going in reverse； and his eyes fluttered open。 〃Hello；〃 he said； blinking up at me。
I stopped short。 〃You're not dead；〃 I said stupidly。
Ixil's face registered mild surprise。 〃Were you expecting me to be？〃 he asked。 His eyes flicked around the room； paused briefly on Everett standing in the doorway behind me； then shifted down toward the deck。 〃What are those？〃 he added； extending a finger。
I followed the direction he was pointing。 Sitting on the deck just inside the edge of the door were three objects。 One was the missing control chip from the door release pad； the other two were small glass bottles the size and shape of those in the Icarus's limited pharmacopoeia。
I stepped over and picked them up。 One of the bottles held a brown liquid； I noted； the other a fine whitish powder。 Both bottles had safety…seal lids； both lids were still securely fastened。 〃What are they？〃 I asked Everett； handing them to him。
He frowned at the labels。 〃Well； this one is prindeclorian；〃 he said； lifting the brown liquid。 〃It's a broad…spectrum viral inhibitor。 The other one's qohumet； a parasite…control dust for feathered or scaled beings like our friend Chort。 What they're doing here together I can't imagine。〃
〃I can；〃 Ixil said； his voice suddenly very thoughtful as he rose from the bunk and crossed over to Everett。 〃If you mix the two of them together and then set fire to the resulting mixture； you get something quite interesting。〃
The cold chill was starting up again。 I knew that tone Ixil was using。 Knew it far too well。 〃And that is？〃 I prompted。
He took the bottles from Everett and gazed at the labels。 〃Cyanide gas。〃
* * *
〃ALL RIGHT； THEN； try this；〃 I suggested； scowling at the bridge displays。 There wasn't anything there worth scowling at…they were looking just fine…but I was feeling the need to scowl at something。 〃They were put there as a warning to us。〃
〃To us？〃 Ixil asked pointedly from the swivel stool across from me； the words mangled by the enormous sandwich he seemed to be trying to line…feed into his mouth。 Kalixiri healing as were unarguably useful things； but they did e with a certain physical cost。 That was already Ixil's second such sandwich； and he would probably demolish a third before his hunger even started to abate。
〃All right； fine： it was a warning to you；〃 I said； scowling some more。 〃The question is； why bother？ What did our saboteur have to gain by slapping a red flag across our noses？ Sorry…across your nose？〃
〃If it was the saboteur；〃 he said； breaking off a small piece of the sandwich and leaning over to give it to Pax。 Both ferrets were on the floor： Pax crouching where he could see the corridor outside the open bridge door； Pix circling the room by the inner hull listening for any eavesdroppers who might wander in from that direction。 Ixil and I had already made sure that the inter system； conveniently reactivated sometime during or immediately after my borandis search； couldn't be used against us again。 〃Maybe it was someone trying to warn us there's a saboteur aboard。〃
〃If it was； he should learn how to pose letters；〃 I said sourly。 〃Let's try it from a different angle。 Who else aboard might know about that trick with the qohumet and whatever？〃
〃Prindeclorian；〃 he said around another bite of sandwich。 〃Hard to tell； unfortunately。 It was a favorite of armchair revolutionaries twenty years ago； along with a host of other mon…chemical concoctions； and it received a fair amount of word…of…mouth publicity。 But it never really caught on； mainly because you either need a small area to contaminate or a large supply of the necessary chemicals。〃
〃And because the fact that you have to set it on fire limits its subterfuge value？〃
〃Definitely；〃 he agreed。 〃Most people seeing a bright yellow flame spewing a cloud of greenish smoke won't stick around to see what the smoke might do to them。〃
〃Unless the person in question is in a Kalixiri a in a cabin the size of a large shoe box；〃 I concluded with a grimace。 〃You suppose there are other equally handy chemicals aboard？〃
Ixil paused to chew。 〃I imagine almost anything in sick bay would be lethal in a high enough dose；〃 he said when he got his mouth clear again。 〃Unless you want to throw all of it overboard； there's not much we can do about it。〃
〃That might not be such a bad idea；〃 I growled。 〃I'm starting to wonder if the only reason you're alive is that Shawn's escape interrupted our would…be killer in his work。〃
Ixil paused in the act of taking another bite。 〃Excuse me？ I thought your current theory was that the saboteur released Shawn so that he could chase everyone else out of the ship while he came back and did his dirty work。〃
〃That was the old theory；〃 I told him。 〃This is the new theory。 He'd gotten your door open； but then heard the motion on the mid deck and decided he'd better be found someplace else when they came looking for him。 Not wanting to be caught with his pockets full of chemicals； he stashed them inside the room for safekeeping； hied himself off to someplace innocent； and just never got a chance to e back。〃
〃And also put the control chip inside the room so that he wouldn't be able to open the door again himself？〃
I glared at him。 〃That's right； let yourself get mired down in facts。 Never mind the simple elegance of the theory。〃
〃My apologies；〃 Ixil said； an odd look on his face as he set the remains of his sandwich on the nav table。 〃An idea。 I'll be right back。〃
He left。 I started another systems check； just for something to do； and did some more glaring at the various instruments。 Unfortunately； he was right： If the saboteur planned to e back later； why take out the control chip？ Not to mention the rest of the damage he'd done to the release pad。
Unless that had happened since we'd returned。 Maybe he'd tried to e back early and found the ship surrounded by Najik customs officers。 He wouldn't have had a chance to act after that until the Najik had e and gone； while the rest of us were busy getting the Icarus ready to fly。
But why smash the pad at that point？ What did it gain him？
Unless he'd already gotten into the cabin and wanted to make
