tz.theicarushunt-第60节

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　I　frowned　at　her。　There　was　no　humor　in　her　face　that　I　could　detect。　〃Excuse　me？〃
　〃What　if　I　offered　to　buy　out　your　indenture？〃　she　repeated。　〃I　asked　you　that　once；　if　you　recall。　You　rather　snidely　countered　by　asking　if　I　had　a　half　million　in　spare　change　on　me。〃
　I　felt　my　face　warm。　〃I　didn't　know　who　you　were　then。〃
　〃But　now　you　do；〃　she　said。　〃And　you　also　know…or　you　ought　to　if　you　don't…that　I　have　considerably　more　than　a　half…million　marks　to　play　with。〃
　A　not…entirely…pleasant　tingle　ran　through　me。　〃And　you're　suggesting　that　bailing　me　out　of　my　own　pigheaded　mismanagement　would　be　worth　that　much　to　you？〃　I　asked；　hearing　a　hint　of　harshness　in　my　voice。
　〃Why　not？〃　she　asked。　〃I　can　certainly　afford　it。〃
　〃I'm　sure　you　can；〃　I　said。　This　was　not　safe　territory　to　be　walking　on。　〃The　Cameron　Group　probably　spends　half　a　million　a　year　just　on　memo　slips。　Which；　if　I　may　say　so；　is　a　hell　of　a　better　investment　than　I　would　be　for　you。〃
　〃Who　said　anything　about　you　being　an　investment？〃　she　asked。
　〃Process　of　elimination；〃　I　said。　〃I　don't　qualify　as　a　recognized　charity；　and　I'm　too　old　to　adopt。〃
　Somewhere　along　in　here　I'd　expected　her　to　take　offense。　But　either　she　was　too　busy　worrying　about　her　father　to　notice　my　ungrateful　attitude；　or　she　had　a　higher　annoyance　threshold　than　I'd　thought。　〃Perhaps　it's　a　reward　for　bringing　the　Icarus　safely　home；〃　she　said。　〃Payment　for　services　rendered。〃
　〃Better　wait　until　it's　sitting　safely　on　the　ground　before　you　go　off　the　edge　with　offers　of　payment；〃　I　warned。　〃Unless；　of　course；　you　think　I'm　likely　to　weaken　before　we　get　to　Earth　and　figure　this　is　the　best　way　to　lock　in　my　loyalty。〃
　〃Or　else　I　just　want　to　give　you　a　new　chance；〃　she　said；　still　inexplicably　unruffled。　〃You　don't　belong　with　smugglers　and　criminals。　You're　not　the　type。〃
　It　was　worse　than　I'd　thought。　Now　she　was　sensing　nobility　and　honor　and　decency　in　me。　I　had　to　nip　this　in　the　bud；　and　fast；　before　there　was　trouble　I　couldn't　talk　my　way　out　of。　〃Not　to　be　insulting　or　anything；〃　I　said；　〃but　the　high…society　life　you　grew　up　with　is　not　exactly　the　sort　of　background　you　need　for　judging　people　in　my　line　of　work。　I　could　tell　you　about　a　man　with　a　choirboy　face　and　manner　who　could　order　one　of　his　thugs　to　rip　your　heart　out　and　watch　him　do　it　without　batting　an　eye。〃
　〃You　seem　awfully　vehement　about　this；〃　she　mented。
　〃I　don't　want　you　to　get　hurt　dabbling　in　things　you　don't　understand；　that's　all；〃　I　muttered。　〃More　than　that；　I　don't　want　me　to　get　hurt。　Stick　with　corporate　mergers　or　archaeological　digs　or　whatever　it　is　you　do　for　your　father；　Elaina　Tera　Cameron。　You'll　live　longer　that　way。〃
　I　frowned；　an　odd　connection　suddenly　slapping　me　in　the　face。　〃Elaina　Tera　Cameron；〃　I　repeated。　〃E。T。C。　As　in　et　cetera？〃
　She　smiled　wanly。　〃Very　good；〃　she　plimented　me。　〃Yes；　it　was　my　father's　little　joke。　I　was　the　fourth　of　the　three　children　they'd　planned　on。　But　the　first　three　were　boys；　and　Mom　had　always　wanted　a　girl。　And　Mom　generally　got　what　she　set　her　mind　on。〃
　〃Hence；　the　et　cetera？〃
　〃She　didn't　even　notice　for　four　years；〃　Tera　said。　〃Not　until　I　started　learning　to　write　and　was　putting　my　initials　everywhere。〃
　〃I'll　bet　she　was　really　pleased　with　your　father。〃
　〃Actually；　she　was　mostly　just　annoyed　that　she'd　missed　the　joke。　Especially　since　Dad　was　famous　for　that　sort　of　wordplay。〃
　〃Nothing　like　that　with　your　brothers'　initials？〃
　She　shrugged。　〃If　there　was；　it　was　something　so　obscure　none　of　us　ever　figured　it　out。　Dad　certainly　never　let　on　about　any　jokes　hidden　there。〃
　〃Sounds　like　him；〃　I　said。　〃He's　always　had　a　reputation　for　playing　his　cards　all　the　way　inside　his　vest。〃
　〃Only　when　it　was　necessary；〃　Tera　insisted。　〃And　he　never　hid　them　from　his　family　and　close　friends。〃　She　looked　past　me　at　the　access　hole。　〃Which　just　makes　this　all　the　stranger。　Why　would　he　go　in　there　without　telling　me？　Especially　after　forbidding　anyone　else　to　do　so？〃
　〃Maybe　he　was　afraid　I　would　e　into　the　'tweenhull　area　after　him　again；〃　I　suggested。
　〃But　why　didn't　he　tell　me？〃　she　persisted。　〃There　was　a　day　and　a　half　between　that　incident　and　our　landing　on　Potosi。　If　he　thought　he　needed　to　hide　out　from　you；　there　was　plenty　of　time　for　us　to　talk　it　over。〃
　〃Unless　he　thought　I　might　drop　in　on　him　unexpectedly；〃　I　said。　〃Remember；　there　was　nowhere　else　on　the　ship　he　could　hide。〃
　〃Of　course　there　was；〃　she　said。　〃The　Number　Two　cabin　on　the　top　deck；　the　one　Jones　used　before　he　died。　After　Ixil　took　the　release　pad　off　to　put　on　his　own　door；　it　would　have　been　a　perfect　place　for　him　to　hide。　We　were　planning　to　move　him　in　there　while　we　were　on　Potosi。〃
　〃With　access　in　and　out　through　the　inner　hull？〃　I　asked；　feeling　my　face　warm　and　hoping　it　didn't　show。　Once　again；　an　angle　I'd　missed　pletely。　Though　to　be　fair；　by　the　time　I　knew　we　even　had　a　stowaway　he　was　already　gone。
　〃If　he　needed　to　move　around；　yes；〃　she　said。　〃We　couldn't　very　well　take　the　chance　of　letting　one　of　the　others　see　him；　could　we？　We　had　some　of　the　hull　connectors　gimmicked　so　that　he　could　get　quickly　in　and　out。〃
　〃Ah；〃　I　said；　feeling　even　more　like　Nobel　prize　material。　I'd　been　through　that　whole　'tweenhull　area　from　starboard　to　port；　and　it　had　never　even　occurred　to　me　to　check　for　loose　or　missing　inner…hull　connectors。　〃But　he　never　took　up　residence　there？〃
　She　shook　her　head。　〃We　were　planning　to　move　him　in　while　you　were　out　hunting　for　Shawn's　medicine。　But　then　Shawn　escaped；　and　we　all　had　to　go　out　and　look　for　him。　Then　with　the　trouble　we　had　with　customs；　I　didn't　get　a　chance　to　look　for　Dad　until　we　were　long　gone　from　there。〃
　〃Is　that　why　you　were　in　the　mechanics　room　when　Everett　found　you？〃　I　asked。　〃You　were　actually　there　to　pick　up　a　connector　tool？〃
　She　smiled　tightly。　〃You　are　sharp；　aren't　you？〃　she　mented。　〃Yes；　that's　exactly　why　I　was　there。　When　Everett　charged　in　on　me　I　thought　we'd　been　found　out；　but　he　just　told　me　Shawn　was　gone　and　charged　back　out　again　without　asking　any　questions　about　what　I　was　doing　there。〃
　She　shrugged。　〃Then；　of　course；　after　you　asked　and　I'd　spun　you　the　puter　story；　I　had　to　take　the　puter　apart　and　pretend　there　was　a　genuine　glitch　somewhere。　Just　as　well　I　did；　I　suppose；　given　all　the　sand　that　had　gotten　in。　That　was　as　big　a　surprise　to　me　as　it　was　to　anyone　else。〃
　There　was　a　faint　and　distant…sounding　noise　like　metal　scratching　on　metal；　and　I　looked　hopefully　back　at　the　access　hole。　But　there　was　no　sign　of　Pax。　Probably　one　of　the　group　outside　had　banged　the　hull　or　something。　〃Maybe　one　of　the　others　did　see　him；〃　I　suggested　slowly。　〃That　might　account　for　his　deciding　he　needed　somewhere　else　to　hide。〃
　〃But　then　why　hasn't　that　person　said　something？〃　Tera　pointed　out。　〃I　mean；　after　that　note　he　left　you　about　how　he　wouldn't　be　ing　along；　don't　you　think　seeing　him　aboard　would　have　been　worth　at　least　a　passing　ment？〃
　〃It　should　have；〃　I　agreed。　〃Unless　that　someone　had　a　reason　for　keeping　it　secret。　Maybe　your　father　caught　him　doing　something　that…oh；　damn。〃
　Tera　got　it　at　the　same　time　I　did。　〃The　poison　you　found　in　Ixil's　room；〃　she　breathed。　〃Of　course。　Dad　was　going　down　the　corridor　for　some　reason　and　spotted　him　setting　that　up。〃
　Abruptly；　her　eyes　widened。　〃Oh；　my　God。　McKell…maybe　he　didn't　go　in　there　voluntarily。　Maybe　he　was。。。　put　there。〃
　I　got　to　my　feet。　〃I'm　going　in；〃　I　told　her；　snagging　my　flashlight　and　stuffing　it　securely　into　my　belt。　〃There　should　be　a　couple　of　medkits　over　with　the　sick…bay　stuff。　Go　get　me　one。〃
　She　set　off　across　the　curved　surface　at　a　fast　run；　her　footsteps　echoing　eerily　through　the　mostly　empty　space。　I　headed　off　in　nearly　the　opposite　direction；　across　the　broken　landscape　that　was　what　was　left　of　the　Icarus's　inner　hull；　toward　the　two　piles　of　equipment　from　the　mechanics　and　electronics　shops。　Sorting　through　the　piles；　I　picked　out　a　tool　belt；　an　electronic…field　detector；　a　couple　of　rolls　of　insulator　tape；　and　a　handful　of　small　tools。
　Tera　was　already　waiting　by　the　puter　by　the　time　I　started　back。　〃Here's　the　medkit；〃　she　said　as　I　came　up　to　her；　holding　out　a　large　belt　pack。　〃I　put　in　a　bottle　of　water　and　some　emergency　ration　bars；　too。〃
　〃Thanks；〃　I　said；　resisting　the　urge　to　remind　her　that　wrapping　me　in　unnecessary　bulk　would　only　make　my　trip　through　the　sphere　more　difficult　than　it　was　promising　to　be　already。　But　she　was　only　trying　to　help；　and　I　couldn't　see　how　a　single　water　bottle　was　likely　to　be　the　deciding　factor　one　way　or　the　other。　I　strapped　the　pack　around　my　waist　where　it　wouldn't　block　access　to　my　tools；　and　settled　everything　in　place。　〃All　right；〃　I　said　as　casually　as　I　could　manage。　〃I'll　see　you　later。〃
　〃Good　luck；〃　she　said　quietly。
　I　threw　her　a　frown；　wondering　if　I　was　imagining　the　concern　I　heard　in　her　voice。　But　then　I　realized　that　the　fear　wasn't　for　me；　or　at　least　not　primarily　for　me。　It　was　for　her　father。
　Turning　away　from　her；　I　lay　down　on　the　floor　beside　the　access　hole。　Taking　a　deep　breath；　I　got　a　grip　on　the　edge　and　pulled　mysel