tz.theicarushunt-第50节

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　〃Or　let　the　ship　lift；〃　Ixil　added。
　〃Right；〃　I　said。　〃Okay；　so　much　for　background。　Let's　move　on　to　the　suspicious…activities　list。　I　assume　now　that　you　were　the　one　who　turned　on　the　grav　generator　during　that　first　spacewalk　and　dumped　Chort　down　the　side　of　the　ship。　I'd　told　him　to　check　the　engine　section　for　hull　ridges；　and　you　were　afraid　he'd　spot　that　extra　hatch。〃
　〃Yes；〃　she　said；　another　twinge　of　guilt　crossing　her　face。　〃It's　camouflaged；　but　up　close　it's　pretty　easy　to　spot。〃
　〃And　Jones's　death？〃
　〃No；〃　she　said　emphatically。　〃Neither　Dad　nor　I　had　anything　to　do　with　that。〃
　〃So　we　can　chalk　that　one　up　to　our　Mr。　X；〃　I　said。　〃As　we　can；　I　presume；　the　anonymous　smuggling　tip　to　Najiki　Customs？〃
　〃That　wasn't　me；　either；〃　Tera　said。　〃You　think　I　would　want　to　draw　official　attention　to　us　in　the　middle　of　a　Patth　spaceport？〃
　〃Just　making　sure；〃　I　said。　〃And　we've　already　established　that　your　father　was　the　one　playing　with　cutting　torches　and　inters。　And　circuit　breakers；　I　presume？〃
　〃That　one　was　me；　actually；〃　she　said。　〃He'd　gotten　out　of　the　'tweenhull　area　and　was　warning　me　that　he　might　have　been　spotted　when　the　inter　went　dead。　I　was　up　in　my　cabin；　and　on　a　hunch　I　checked　the　breaker　box。　When　I　couldn't　get　the　one　to　reset；　I　guessed　what　you　were　up　to。　There　wasn't　enough　time　to　fix　the　short　circuit；　so　I　just　pulled　all　the　breakers　and　hid　them。〃
　〃It　was　clever；〃　I　conceded。　〃Annoying；　but　clever。　I　presume　it　was　your　puter…room　inter　I'd　gimmicked？〃
　She　nodded。　〃The　access　panel　we'd　improvised　in　the　wall　wasn't　quite　square；　and　sometimes　I　had　to　bang　it　into　place。　That　was　what　you　heard　the　time　you　came　charging　in　on　me。〃
　〃I　also　heard　it　from　sick　bay　once　when　I　was　talking　to　Shawn　there；〃　I　remembered。　〃He'd　heard　it　a　few　times；　too。　There's　another　job　to　pin　on　Mr。　X；　by　the　way：　loosening　Shawn's　straps　or　whatever　he　did　that　let　the　kid　get　away。〃
　〃You　think　that　was　deliberate？〃　Tera　asked；　frowning。
　〃Of　course　it　was；〃　I　said。　〃Our　Mr。　X　couldn't　very　well　poke　around　Ixil's　room　with　his　toolbox　and　junior　poisoner's　kit　while　the　rest　of　you　were　still　aboard…too　much　risk　someone　would　catch　him　at　it。　But　I'd　told　you　all　to　stay　put；　so　he　had　to　e　up　with　a　good　reason　to　get　you　outside。〃
　Ixil　cleared　his　throat　delicately。　〃I'm　afraid　you　both　may　be　missing　the　more　important　point　here；〃　he　said。　〃Bear　in　mind　that　while　everyone　was　conveniently　off　the　ship；　Arno　Cameron　vanished。　Not　necessarily　of　his　own　volition。〃
　I　looked　at　Tera；　saw　her　face　pale。　〃But　how　could　they　have　done　it？〃　she　breathed。　〃How　could　they　have　even　known　he　was　there？〃
　〃The　same　way　I　figured　it　out；　maybe；〃　I　said；　the　ominous　implications　of　a　Cameron　kidnapping　tumbling　over　each　other　like　leaves　in　a　brisk　autumn　wind。　〃Or　else　he　heard　one　of　those　clunks　and　discovered　you　two　talking　together。〃
　〃Perhaps　that　was　the　true　purpose　for　the　customs　inquiry；　in　fact；〃　Ixil　said。　〃To　delay　the　moment　when　his　disappearance　would　be　discovered。　And　to　ensure　we　left　Potosi　afterward　as　quickly　as　we　could；　so　that　by　the　time　anyone　did　notice　we'd　be　long　gone　from　the　scene。〃
　〃But　why　would　they　take　all　his　things　with　him？〃　Tera　persisted。　Clearly；　this　wasn't　a　scenario　she　was　at　all　willing　to　accept。　〃He　had　a　full　camping　setup：　food　and　water　packs；　a　roll…up　mattress；　even　one　of　those　little　catalytic　waste　handlers。〃
　〃Where　did　he　get　all　that？〃　I　asked。
　〃I　bought　most　of　it　for　him　during　our　stopover　on　Xathru；〃　she　said。　〃He'd　planned　to　e　out　after　the　first　stop；　but　after　Jones's　death　we　decided　he　should　stay　hidden　a　while　longer。〃
　〃Ah；〃　I　said；　remembering　now　all　the　bags　she'd　brought　aboard　at　Xathru；　and　how　annoyed　she'd　been　that　I'd　cut　her　shopping　spree　short。
　〃But　why　would　anyone　bother　to　take　all　of　it　along？〃　she　asked　again。
　〃Perhaps　they　wanted　to　eliminate　any　evidence　that　he　was　ever　here；〃　Ixil　said。　〃Their　contact　would　have　told　them　that　your　father　had　kept　his　presence　aboard　a　secret。　At　this　point　it　would　be　basically　your　word　against　theirs。〃
　〃If　it　ever　even　came　to　that；〃　I　added。　〃They　may　have　something　else　planned　for　you　down　the　line。〃
　She　tried　glaring　at　me　again；　but　her　heart　wasn't　in　it。　〃You're　a　real　fort　to　have　around；　McKell；〃　she　growled。　〃Both　of　you。〃
　〃Yes；　well；　we　haven't　exactly　gotten　what　we　signed　up　for；　either；〃　I　countered。　〃What　I　want　to　know　is　why　this　ship　is　still　flying。　We've　been　half　a　grab　away　from　them　at　least　twice　now。　Why　haven't　they　simply　picked　us　up？〃
　She　sighed。　〃I　don't　know。〃
　〃Perhaps　it　would　help；〃　Ixil　suggested；　〃if　we　knew　what　exactly　this　mysterious　cargo　is。〃
　For　a　long　minute　Tera　remained　silent；　her　eyes　flicking　between　our　faces；　clearly　trying　to　decide　just　how　far　she　was　willing　to　trust　us。　Or　perhaps　just　trying　to　e　up　with　a　convincing　lie。　〃All　right；〃　she　said　at　last。　〃The　Icarus　isn't　carrying　any　cargo。　The　Icarus　is　the　cargo。〃
　She　waved　a　hand　around　her。　〃This　is　what　the　team　uncovered　on　Meima：　two　spheres；　connected　together；　the　larger　one　empty　except　for　its　radial　gravity　generator；　the　smaller　one　crammed　with　alien　electronics。〃
　〃How　alien？〃　Ixil　asked。
　〃Very　alien；〃　she　said　grimly。　〃It　was　like　nothing　they'd　ever　seen　before；　with　markings　and　notations　that　were　also　totally　unknown。　We　still　don't　know　whether　it　predates　the　Spiral　civilizations；　or　is　simply　from　outside　known　territory。　That's　why　that　old　Worthram　T…66　is　aboard…it　was　the　one　the　archaeologists　already　had　hooked　up　to　study　the　small　sphere；　and　when　they　built　the　Icarus　they　just　basically　assembled　the　puter　room　around　it。〃
　〃So　that's　where　the　spare　gravity　inside　the　outer　hull　came　from；〃　I　said。　〃I'd　been　planning　to　ask　you　how　and　why　you'd　set　that　up。〃
　〃We　had　nothing　to　do　with　it；〃　Tera　said。　〃And　we　have　no　idea　what　it's　for。　All　we　know　is　that　it　runs　about　eighty…five　percent　Earth　standard；　and　is　pletely　self…adjusting；　which　is　why　it　isn't　fazed　by　the　Icarus's　own　gravity　generator。〃
　She　smiled　wanly。　〃I　understand　it　worked　the　same　way　on　Meima。　Even　while　it　was　sitting　there　in　a　full　planetary　gravitational　field；　you　could　still　walk　all　the　way　around　inside　the　sphere　without　falling　off。〃
　〃Must　have　been　quite　an　experience；〃　I　murmured。
　〃Half　of　them　loved　it；　the　other　half　couldn't　stand　it；〃　she　said。　〃Anyway；　that's　why　they　built　the　inner　hull　so　far　away　from　the　outer　one…all　the　metal　seems　to　inhibit　the　sphere's　gravity　field　somehow；　but　if　you　put　the　two　hulls　any　closer　together　you　get　a　terrible　disorientation　at　the　edges　where　the　two　grav　fields　intersect。〃
　〃And　that's　what　the　Patth　are　all　hot　and　bothered　over？〃　I　asked。　〃The　chance　to　get　their　hands　on　a　new…style　grav　generator？　Hardly　seems　worth　mitting　murder　for。〃
　She　shook　her　head。　〃I'm　not　sure　the　Patth　even　know　about　the　grav　generator；〃　she　said；　and　there　was　something　in　her　voice　that　sent　a　shiver　up　my　back。　〃I　said　the　team　couldn't　decipher　the　markings　on　anything　in　the　two　spheres。　But　the　grav　generator　wasn't　the　only　thing　still　working。　A　lot　of　the　electronics　in　the　small　sphere　were　on　what　appeared　to　be　some　kind　of　standby；　and　they　were　able　to　take　a　lot　of　readings。　Waveform　analyses；　pattern　operations…that　sort　of　thing。〃
　She　took　a　deep　breath。　〃They're　not　sure；〃　she　said　quietly。　〃There's　a　lot　they　still　don't　understand。　Most　of　it；　actually。　But　from　what　they　could　decipher　of　the　patterns　and　power　levels　and　even　the　geometric　shapes　of　some　of　the　ponents。。。　well；　they　think　this　whole　thing　could　be　a　stardrive。〃
　I　looked　at　Ixil。　〃What　kind　of　stardrive？〃　I　asked　carefully。
　〃A　fast　one；〃　she　said。　〃A　very　fast　one。　From　the　readings；　they　think　it　could　be　as　much　as　twenty　times　faster　than　the　Patth　Talariac。〃
　〃And　that；〃　Ixil　said　softly；　〃is　worth　mitting　murder　over。〃
　　
　CHAPTER　13
　
　WE　LEFT　TERA　to　get　back　to　her　sleep；　or　at　least　what　sleep　she　would　be　able　to　manage　after　that　immensely　cheering　conversation；　and　reconvened　our　private　council　of　war　on　the　Icarus's　bridge。　Shawn；　who'd　been　on　duty；　had　voiced　no　objection　at　all　to　being　relieved；　heading　off　toward　his　cabin　and　bunk　with　a　sort　of　dragging　step　that　suggested　he　still　wasn't　fully　recovered　from　his　recent　bout　with　Cole's　disease。　Or　from　straight　borandis　addiction；　as　the　case　might　be。
　But　while　the　bridge　provided　all　the　privacy　we　could　want；　or　at　least　all　we　were　likely　to　get　on　the　Icarus；　it　didn't　offer　anything　in　the　way　of　either　inspiration　or　answers。
　〃Hard　though　this　may　be　to　believe；〃　I　mented　to　Ixil　as　I　watched　his　ferrets　climb　nose　first　down　his　legs　and　scamper　off　to　their　corridor　and　bulkhead　sentry　duties；　〃I　think　this　whole　thing　is　more　confused　now　than　it　was　before　we　talked　to　Tera。〃
　〃I　don't　see　how；〃　Ixil　said。　〃Instead　of　having　a　mysterious　murderer/saboteur　aboard　the　Icarus；　we　now　only　have　a　mysterious　murderer。〃
　〃Oh；　that's　a　great　help；〃　I　said　sarcastically。
　〃And　we've　also　eliminated　Tera　as　a　suspect；〃　he　continued；　ignoring