tz.theicarushunt-第68节

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　I　shrugged。　〃Something　like　that。〃
　The　inter　clicked。　〃McKell？〃　Tera's　voice　came。　〃Wraparound's　ready　again。　You　feel　like　getting　your　butt　in　here　and　finding　us　a　place　to　land？〃
　〃Yes；　dear；〃　I　murmured。
　〃What　was　that？〃
　〃I　said　I'll　be　right　there；〃　I　said。　〃And　tell　Revs　to　get　back　here　and　give　Ixil　a　hand　with　the　startup　procedure。〃
　*　*　*
　　
　PALMARY　WAS　ONE　of　those　semi…independent　colony　worlds　that；　while　relatively　newly　settled；　still　somehow　managed　to　seem　like　it　had　been　there　forever。　Part　of　that　was　the　fact　that；　unlike　most　colonies；　there　was　no　dominant　species　controlling　most　of　the　local　real　estate。　The　Trinkians　had　found　the　world　about　twenty　years　ago　and　started　its　development；　but　within　a　few　years　they'd　been　joined　by　Wanch　settlers；　Porpyfian　miners；　and　k'Tra　foresters。　Someone　on　some　news　service　had　touted　the　place；　menting　favorably　on　its　egalitarian　flavor；　and　within　a　few　years　more　the　planet　was　starting　to　seem　almost　crowded。
　The　Grand　Feast　of　Plorins　was　something　the　k'Tra　had　brought　with　them；　and　the　rest　of　the　egalitarians　on　the　planet　had　grabbed　on　to　the　idea　with　both　hands。　Depending　on　who　you　talked　to；　the　Grand　Feast　was　either　a　deeply　meaningful　manifestation　of　esoteric　historic　and　cultural　significance；　or　else　the　greatest　excuse　to　party　the　Spiral　had　ever　known。　I　assumed　the　truth　was　probably　somewhere　in　the　middle；　where　truth　has　a　tendency　to　lurk　anyway；　but　I　was　certainly　willing　to　concede　the　point　that　millions　of　beings　who　had　not　the　slightest　interest　in　k'Tra　history　or　culture　nevertheless　descended　enthusiastically　on　the　planet　every　year　for　a　three…week　bash。
　The　Grand　Feast　was　sometimes　pared　to　the　annual　Mardi　Gras　celebrations　that　still　took　place　in　various　places　on　Earth　and　its　colonies。　Mardi　Gras　invariably　lost。
　I　had　used　the　hull　cameras　to　take　a　quick　look　at　the　changes　that　had　been　made　to　the　ship　before　we　ever　took　to　hyperspace　again。　Chort　was　right：　The　disguise　was　far　from　perfect。　On　the　other　hand；　he　and　his　helpers　had　gotten　enough　of　the　plates　in　place　to　markedly　change　both　our　visual　and　radar　signatures；　which　was　hopefully　all　we　would　need　to　get　to　the　ground　without　tripping　alarms　from　the　underworld　to　the　Patth　and　back　again。
　Once　we　were　on　the　ground；　of　course；　it　would　be　a　different　story。　Someone　who　wandered　in　close　for　a　good　look　would　easily　be　able　to　see　through　the　gaps　to　the　distinctive　joined　spheres　beneath。　But　I　had　a　couple　of　ideas　for　dealing　with　that　one；　and　anyway；　getting　to　the　ground　was　the　first　order　of　business。
　After　the　near　disaster　at　Utheno　the　situation　at　Palmary　was　decidedly　anticlimactic。　The　official　start　of　the　Grand　Feast　was　still　three　days　away；　but　the　hard…core　party　types　were　already　clogging　the　space　lanes　as　they　headed　in　to　scope　out　the　best　celebration　spots　or　just　get　a　head　start　on　the　festivities。　With　our　new　silhouette；　plus　yet　another　of　Ixil's　fake　IDs　identifying　us　as　the　Sherman's　Blunder；　we　sailed　straight　through　the　prelanding　formalities。　A　harried…sounding　controller　directed　me　to　a　landing　rectangle　at　the　Bangrot　Spaceport；　a　name　that　didn't　even　show　up　on　my　supposedly　prehensive　listing；　and　instructed　us　to　have　a　good　time。
　The　reason　for　the　lack　of　a　listing　was　apparent　as　soon　as　I　got　within　visual　range　of　the　coordinates　I'd　been　given。　The　Bangrot　Spaceport　was　nothing　more　than　a　large　open　area　stretching　across　the　southern　ends　of　the　twin　cities　Drobney　and　k'Barch；　an　area　that　looked　to　me　like　a　former　condemned　building　development。　Apparently；　the　Grand　Feast　had　grown　so　large　they　were　now　having　to　park　spaceships　on　every　reasonably　sized　vacant　lot　they　could　find。
　And　the　official　celebration　didn't　even　start　for　three　more　days。　Give　this　whole　thing　a　few　years；　and　they　might　as　well　declare　it　a　permanent　party　and　be　done　with　it。
　One　might　have　assumed　that　the　Bangrot　Expansion　Spaceport　would　be　only　sparsely　settled；　with　the　bulk　of　the　space　still　waiting　for　the　arrival　of　the　lateers。　But　one　would　have　been　wrong。　The　place　was　crowded　with　ships；　already　crammed　in　practically　nose　to　tail；　with　the　narrow　spaces　between　them　crawling　with　activity。　As　far　as　this　party　was　concerned；　we　were　the　lateers。
　I　was　also　a　little　worried　about　what　would　happen　to　the　definitions　of　〃up〃　and　〃down〃　inside　the　Icarus　as　we　went　deeper　into　the　Palmary　gravity　field。　Tera　had　told　us　that　on　Meima　the　alien　gravity　generator　in　the　large　sphere　had　been　able　to　cancel　out　all　other　gravitational　effects；　but　that　was　before　Cameron's　techs　had　gotten　in　and　started　messing　around。　If　it　failed　to　overe　Palmary's　gravitational　attraction　I　was　going　to　suddenly　find　myself　lying　on　my　back　in　my　seat　as　I　tried　to　pilot　the　ship　to　the　ground。　Or　worse；　our　jury…rigged　seating　system　might　fail　pletely　and　I　would　find　myself；　my　seat；　and　possibly　my　entire　control　board　falling　to　the　bottom　of　the　sphere　some　twenty　meters　below。
　That　particular　set　of　fears　proved　groundless。　With　the　removal　of　the　metal　baffling　that　had　been　created　by　the　inner　hull；　walls；　and　corridors；　the　alien　generator　had　e　back　to　full　strength；　and　I　didn't　feel　so　much　as　a　flicker　of　change　in　the　gravity　as　I　eased　the　Icarus　down　onto　the　undersized　plot　of　ground　we'd　been　assigned。
　〃Now　what？〃　Tera　called　to　me　from　across　the　sphere；　her　voice　echoing　through　the　open　space　as　I　keyed　the　ship's　systems　back　to　standby。
　〃I　go　scare　us　up　some　borandis；〃　I　said；　craning　my　neck　to　look　up　at　her；　watching　the　top　of　her　head　as　she　got　up　from　her　seat　at　the　puter　and　walked　toward　the　wraparound。
　〃What　about　the　rest　of　us？〃　Shawn　called　up　from　a　quarter　of　the　way　around　the　sphere；　at　the　natural　bottom　point　of　the　ship。　I'd　stationed　everyone　else　except　Nicabar　down　there　on　the　theory　that　there　was　no　point　in　letting　everyone　fall　to　their　deaths　if　the　alien　gravity　failed。　〃I　suppose　we're　all　going　to　sit　around　here　like　we　did　before　and　just　wait　for　you？　Twiddling　our　thumbs　or　whatever？〃
　〃You're　wele　to　twiddle　whatever　you　want；〃　I　told　him；　walking　down　the　curve　toward　them；　〃since　you　and　Everett　are　staying　in　here　where　he　can　try　to　keep　you　quiet　until　I　get　back　with　the　medicine。〃
　I　pointed　at　Chort　and　Tera；　the　latter　approaching　the　group　from　the　other　side。　〃You　two　and　Nicabar；　on　the　other　hand；　aren't　going　to　have　time　to　twiddle　much　of　anything。　I　want　the　three　of　you　to　collect　all　the　emergency　lights　we've　got　and　start　stringing　them　just　inside　the　gaps　in　the　shroud　out　there；　with　the　lights　shining　outward。　All　nice　and　decorative　for　the　Grand　Feast；　and　with　any　luck　the　glare　will　keep　everyone　from　seeing　past　them　to　the　linked　spheres　underneath。〃
　〃Maybe　we　could　also　get　hold　of　some　colored　transparent　sheeting　to　cover　them　with；〃　Tera　suggested。　〃They'd　look　even　more　festive　that　way。〃
　〃Probably　would；〃　I　agreed。　〃But　I　don't　know　how　well　they've　got　this　temporary　spaceport　equipped。　I　don't　want　anyone　wandering　too　far　afield　hunting　for　anything　that's　not　really　vital。〃
　〃They've　got　tram　systems　leading　from　the　port　into　each　of　the　two　city　centers；〃　Nicabar　put　in　from　the　wraparound；　apparently　having　arrived　in　time　to　hear　this　last　exchange。　〃I　spotted　them　on　the　monitors　while　you　were　putting　us　down。　If　they　had　time　to　set　those　up；　they've　surely　got　an　outfitters'　shop　or　two　in　place。　I　can　go　check…it　won't　take　me　long。〃
　〃Forget　it；〃　Shawn　growled　before　I　could　answer。　〃He　never　lets　anyone　go　anywhere　except　him；　remember？　Just　him。〃
　〃Shawn；〃　Everett　said　warningly；　putting　a　massive　hand　on　the　kid's　shoulder。
　〃Don't　'Shawn'　me；〃　Shawn　snapped；　angrily　shrugging　off　the　hand。　〃I'm　not　a　child；　you　know。〃
　〃If　you　want　to　make　a　quick　check；　go　ahead；〃　I　told　Nicabar。　〃Just　watch　yourself；　and　be　back　in　half　an　hour　to　help　Tera　and　Chort　with　the　lights。〃
　〃I　will；〃　Nicabar　promised。　〃Don't　worry…it's　a　zoo　out　there。　I　won't　even　be　noticed。〃　Turning；　he　disappeared　back　down　the　wraparound。
　〃What　about　him？〃　Tera　asked；　nodding　toward　Ixil；　who　was　standing　slightly　off　to　the　side　keeping　out　of　the　conversation。
　〃He'll　be　in　overall　charge　here；〃　I　told　her；　ignoring　the　glare　Shawn　was　giving　me；　this　particular　bile　probably　a　result　of　me　proving　him　wrong　by　letting　Nicabar　go。　Even　at　his　best　Shawn　hated　being　proved　wrong；　and　in　the　middle　of　borandis　withdrawal　he　was　a　long　way　from　his　best。　〃He'll　also　be　using　Pix　and　Pax　to　keep　an　eye　on　things　outside　the　ship。〃
　〃How　do　you　plan　to　get　it　this　time？〃　Tera　asked。　〃The　borandis；　I　mean。〃
　I　focused　on　her　face。　She　was　gazing　evenly　back　at　me；　her　expression　not　giving　anything　away。
　But　then；　the　fact　that　she　didn't　want　her　expression　giving　anything　away　spoke　volumes　all　by　itself。　〃Why；　you　feeling　squeamish？〃　I　countered。　〃I'll　do　whatever　I　have　to。　Leave　it　at　that。〃
　〃Fine；〃　she　said；　not　taking　offense。　At　least　no　visible　offense。　〃I　just　want　to　remind　you　that　we　can't　afford　for　you　to　get　into　any　trouble。　If