tz.theicarushunt-第47节

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　Ixil　gave　me　an　odd　look。　〃As　a　matter　of　fact；　there's　a　note　that　suggests　inside　information　might　have　been　leaked　to　the　Patth。　Are　you　seeing　a　connection？〃
　〃Could　be；〃　I　said　grimly。　〃Three　months　is　just　the　right　length　for　a　private　confidential　court…martial。〃
　〃You　sure？〃
　〃Trust　me；〃　I　assured　him。　〃I　went　through　one；　remember？　One　other　thing。　I　told　you　about　seeing　three　more　of　the　Lumpy　Clan　back　in　that　taverno。　What　I　didn't　tell　you　was　that　Nicabar　reacted　rather　strongly　when　we　got　our　first　glimpse　of　one　of　them。　Strongly　for　Nicabar；　anyway。〃
　For　a　moment　Ixil　digested　that　in　silence。　〃Still；　there　must　not　have　been　a　real　case　against　him；　or　he　wouldn't　have　been　allowed　to　resign　and　leave　gracefully。〃
　〃But　there　must　have　been　enough　of　one　for　them　to　hold　him　for　court…martial　in　the　first　place；〃　I　pointed　out。
　〃Unless　there　was　no　court…martial　involved；〃　Ixil　also　pointed　out。　〃It　might　have　just　been　three　months　of　general　debriefing。〃
　〃And　he　then　picked　up　and　left　a　promising　ten…year　career　just　for　the　hell　of　it？〃　I　shrugged。　〃Well；　maybe。　Still；　bad　feelings　might　explain　why　he　jumped　his　last　ship　just　because　they　were　mask…shilling　for　the　Patth。　Is　there　anything　else？〃
　〃Various　details　of　his　life；〃　Ixil　said；　scanning　down　the　text。　〃Nothing　all　that　interesting；　though　again　you'll　want　to　look　them　over　when　you're　up　to　deciphering　Kalixiri　again。　Mostly　public　and　official…record　material…Uncle　Arthur　must　not　have　had　time　to　have　anyone　dig　deeper　than　that。〃
　〃I'm　sure　he'll　have　the　really　juicy　details　later；〃　I　said。　Uncle　Arthur's　knack　for　getting　his　hands　on　supposedly　confidential　information　was　legendary。　〃The　trick　will　be　how　we　get　hold　of　it。　Who's　next？〃
　〃Hayden　Everett；〃　he　said。　〃He　was　indeed　a　professional　throw…boxer　for　two　years；　leaving　the　ring　twenty…two　years　ago。〃
　〃Was　he　any　good？〃
　Ixil　shrugged。　〃His　win/loss　record　would　say　no。　Still；　he　did　last　two　years　on　the　circuit；　so　he　must　at　least　have　had　stamina。〃
　〃Or　was　just　a　glutton　for　punishment；〃　I　said。　〃I　wonder　if　the　circuit　back　then　went　into　Patth　space。〃
　〃I　don't　know；〃　Ixil　said。　〃However；　you　might　be　interested　in　knowing　that　his　last　fight　was　a　contested　loss　to　Donson　DiHammer。　That　name　sound　familiar？〃
　〃It　certainly　does；〃　I　said；　frowning。　Twenty　years　ago　DiHammer　had　been　at　the　epicenter　of　one　of　the　biggest　scandals　ever　to　hit　organized　throw…boxing。　〃He　was　wholly　owned　and　operated　by　one　of　the　partners　in　the　Tr'darmish　Spiracia　shipping　conglomerate；　wasn't　he？〃
　〃You　have　a　good　memory；〃　Ixil　confirmed。　〃We　have　the　highlights　listed　here。　Plus　the　interesting　fact　that　Tr'darmish　Spiracia　was　one　of　the　first　panies　to　go　bankrupt　when　the　Talariac　came　onto　the　scene。〃
　〃Interesting；〃　I　murmured。　〃You　sure　it　wasn't　just　a　case　of　bad　management　or　overextension？〃
　〃Not　sure　at　all；〃　Ixil　said。　〃Spiracia's　directors　certainly　had　a　reputation　for　corporate　edge…walking。　Don't　forget；　too；　that　the　Talariac　didn't　even　appear　until　a　good　six　years　after　that　fight　and　four　years　after　the　DiHammer　scandal　broke。　If　Everett　was　partially　owned　by　the　Patth；　and　if　they　took　his　defeat　that　personally；　it　would　imply　a　long　grudge　on　their　part。〃
　〃As　grudges　go；　six　years　wouldn't　even　be　a　regional　record；〃　I　told　him。　〃Another　question　to　put　on　our　next　wish　list　for　Uncle　Arthur。　Who's　next？〃
　〃Chort；〃　Ixil　said；　peering　at　the　reader。　〃Full　name。。。　never　mind；　it's　unpronounceable。　He's　been　in　the　spacewalking　business　only　four　years；　which　puts　him　barely　into　journeyman　status。　That　might　explain　why　he　was　available　for　Cameron　to　hire　on　Meima。〃
　〃Not　to　me　it　doesn't；〃　I　said。　〃Crooea　are　still　the　cream　of　the　spacewalking　crop；　and　just　because　Chort　hasn't　got　twenty　years'　experience　is　no　reason　why　he　should　have　been　free　in　the　middle　of　nowhere　like　that。〃
　〃Have　you　asked　him　about　that？〃
　〃Not　yet；〃　I　said。　〃e　to　think　of　it；　I　never　got　around　to　getting　Tera's　story；　either。　I'll　have　to　remedy　that　soon。　Anything　else　on　him？〃
　〃No　indication　of　any　direct　ties　between　him　and　the　Patth；　if　that's　what　you　mean。〃　Ixil　frowned　suddenly。　〃Hmm。　Interesting。　Did　you　know　that　the　Craean　economy　has　been　expanding　at　an　annual　rate　of　nearly　sixteen　percent　over　the　past　twelve　years？〃
　〃No；　I　didn't；〃　I　said。　Considering　the　Spiral　average；　that　kind　of　sustained　growth　was　practically　unheard…of。　〃Does　it　say　what　it　was　pre…Talariac？〃
　〃Yes；〃　he　said　after　a　brief　search。　〃Between　one　and　two　percent。　And　that　was　in　their　better　years。〃
　I　shook　my　head。　〃The　stuff　Uncle　Arthur　es　up　with。　Does　he　include　an　explanation　for　this　remarkable　economic　boom？〃
　〃Apparently；　the　Crooea　grow　and　export　a　considerable　range　of　perishable　food　delicacies　that　can't　handle　normal　preservation　methods；〃　Ixil　said。　〃The　greater　speed　of　the　Talariac　has　vastly　increased　their　potential　market。〃
　I　grimaced。　〃Which　puts　them　right　at　the　top　of　the　list　of　governments　ripe　for　Patth　pressure。〃
　〃Yes；〃　Ixil　said。　〃Fortunately；　I　doubt　they　know　a　Craea　is　aboard　the　Icarus。〃
　〃Unless　they've　gotten　to　Cameron　and　made　him　talk；〃　I　said。　〃He's　presumably　the　only　one　who　knows　the　whole　crew　list。〃
　Ixil　frowned　again。　〃I　thought　your　current　theory　was　that　Cameron　was　in　a　shallow　grave　somewhere　back　on　Meima。〃
　〃I　have　no　current　theories；〃　I　told　him　sourly。　〃All　I　have　are　useless；　outdated　ones　that　couldn't　hold　glue　with　both　hands。〃
　Ixil　didn't　say　there；　there；　but　from　the　expression　on　his　face　he　might　just　as　well　have。　〃Next　on　the　list　is　Geoff　Shawn；〃　he　said　instead。　〃For　someone　only　twenty…three　years　old；　he's　piled　a　remarkable　record：　a　long　string　of　academic　awards　and　honors；　plus　an　almost　equally　long　list　of　legal　troubles。〃
　〃Serious　ones？〃
　〃Not　particularly。　Traffic　citations；　semi…vandalistic　pranks；　some　petty　theft　of　university　electronics　property…that　sort　of　thing。〃
　I　grunted。　〃Typical　hotshot　student　genius。　Brilliant　and　knows　it；　and　figures　none　of　the　usual　rules　apply　to　him。　Does　it　mention　anything　about　his　jaunt　out　to　Ephis？〃
　〃Not　a　word；〃　Ixil　said。　〃Of　course；　he　did　say　no　one　knew　about　that；　didn't　he？〃
　〃That's　what　he　implied；〃　I　agreed　doubtfully。　〃But　the　more　I　think　about　it；　the　more　I　wonder　if　he　and　his　buddies　could　really　have　pulled　it　off　without　at　least　being　noticed。〃
　Ixil　pondered　that　a　moment。　〃In　which　case；〃　he　said　slowly；　〃it　would　raise　the　question　of　whether　his　borandis　dependence　is　really　a　medical　matter　at　all。〃
　〃It　would　indeed；〃　I　agreed。　〃Of　course；　Everett　did　confirm　that　was　the　diagnosis。　But　then；　Everett　apparently　also　didn't　recognize　the　symptoms　of　either　the　drug　dependency　or　the　Cole's　disease　until　Shawn　really　started　getting　twitchy。　Is　there　anything　there　about　Everett's　medical　training？〃
　Ixil　adjusted　the　document　in　the　reader。　〃Looks　like　just　the　basic　Mercantile　course　and　certification。〃
　〃How　long　ago？〃
　〃Two　years。〃
　〃Which　leaves　a　twenty…year　gap　between　his　throw…boxing　and　medical　careers；〃　I　said。　〃What　was　he　doing　to　fill　the　idle　workday　hours？〃
　〃A　variety　of　different　jobs；〃　Ixil　said；　scanning　down　the　text。　〃Let　me　see。　He　did　five　years　of　throw…boxing　instruction；　two　as　a　judge/referee；　and　six　as　a　casino　security　officer。　Then　there　was　one　year　each　as　bartender　on　a　liner；　mechanics'　apprentice；　and　tour　packager/guide　on　the　throw…boxing　circuit。　After　that　he　went　in　for　his　medical　certificate。〃
　〃By　my　count；　that　leaves　us　two　years　short。〃
　〃That's　taken　up　by　the　instruction　regimens　for　the　various　career　changes；〃　Ixil　explained。　〃One　to　eight　months　each。〃
　〃I　wonder　what　he　wants　to　be　when　he　grows　up；〃　I　murmured。　Though　to　be　fair；　it　didn't　sound　a　whole　lot　worse　than　my　own　employment　resume。　〃All　right；　back　to　Shawn。　Anything　in　there　that　might　suggest　he'd　dabbled　with　any　other　drugs　besides　borandis？〃
　〃Nothing；〃　Ixil　said。　〃Though　nothing　that　would　preclude　it；　either。　Something　else　for　our　wish　list？〃
　〃Right；〃　I　agreed；　making　yet　another　mental　note。　〃Okay。　That　just　leaves　Tera。〃
　〃Tera；〃　Ixil　echoed；　peering　at　the　reader。　〃We　start　with　a　negative：　Preliminary　checks　of　appropriate　religious…group　listings　fail　to　find　anyone　by　that　name　with　the　description　you　gave。　After　that。。。〃
　He　paused；　his　face　going　suddenly　rigid。　〃Jordan；〃　he　said；　his　voice　studiously　conversational；　〃would　you　say　that　Uncle　Arthur　has　a　tendency　toward　the　dramatic？〃
　〃Is　moss　slimy？〃　I　countered；　feeling　the　hairs　tingling　on　the　back　of　my　neck　as　I　swung　my　legs　over　the　side　of　my　cot　and　sat　up。　〃How　dramatic　is　he　being　this　time？〃
　Wordlessly；　he　handed　me　the　reader。　I　took　it；　glanced　at　the　indistinct　photo　that　might　or　might　not　have　been　our　Tera；　and　with　a　feeling　of　nameless　but　impending　doom　plowed　my　way　into　the　final　section　of　the　Kalixiri　text。
　It　was　as　if　I'd　been　slapped　across　the　face　with　a　wet　rag。　I　read　it　twice；　sure　I　must　have　gotten　it　wrong。　But　I　hadn't。　〃Where's　Tera　now？〃　I　asked；　looking　up　at　Ixil。
　〃Probably　in　her　cabin；〃　he　said。