tz.theicarushunt-第69节
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〃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 you don't make it back； we don't lift。〃
〃I'll make it back；〃 I assured her； brushing past her and heading up toward the wraparound。 〃Don't worry about me；〃 I added over my shoulder。 〃You just concentrate on getting those lights up and running。〃
The transition between the different gravity vectors of the sphere and the wraparound was as always a bit tricky to navigate； but I managed it without any serious loss of balance or dignity。 Nicabar had already opened the hatchway and lowered the ladder the ten meters to the ground； checking to make sure my plasmic was riding loose in its holster； I stepped to the top of the ladder and looked down。
Nicabar had been right： It was indeed a zoo out there。 The close packing of the parked ships was funneling the prospective merrymakers down the relatively narrow lanes between them； lanes they were further having to share with fueling trucks； the occasional token customs vehicle； and about a million little two…man runaround cars that were obviously intended to alleviate the pedestrian congestion but were only succeeding in making it worse。
All of which boiled down to about as ideal a situation as I could have asked for。 Even if the Patth and their lumpy Iykami allies were out there looking for us； the sheer volume of people they would have to sift through ought to make this as quick and clean as possible。 Getting my bearings toward the nearest spur of the tram lines Nicabar had mentioned； I headed down the ladder and elbowed my way into the river of pedestrians。
My first thought had been to try to corral one of the cars for myself。 But there weren't any unused ones in sight； so I set off on foot。 Which was just as well； I quickly realized； as I saw how easily the cars were getting snarled up in the traffic flow。 The tram spur wasn't that far away； and I could use the exercise。 And the time to do some hard thinking。
But not about how I was going to acquire Shawn's borandis。 Despite my somewhat melodramatic pronouncement to Tera about doing whatever I had to； that part was actually going to be the least of my worries。 With borandis a perfectly legal substance for at least a dozen of the species jostling against me； every pharmacy on the planet would have the stuff in stock； with few if any questions asked。 No； the immediate and burning question right now was the same one that had been gnawing at me for quite a while： how to get the Icarus to Earth ahead of the Patth。
Along with the subsidiary question of whether that was even the smart thing for me to do。
Because lurking in the back of my mind was my most recent conversation with Ixil； and his half…joking question of whether I would be offering the Icarus to Brother John instead。 Then； I'd assured him I had no intention of doing so； now； though； I wasn't nearly so sure it wasn't the best solution we had。 It would keep the stargate in human hands…bloody hands； certainly； but human nevertheless…as well as giving me the kind of career boost someone in my position could usually only dream of。 I might even get to meet the elusive Mr。 Antoniewicz； which would put me in exalted pany indeed。
Cameron wouldn't be pleased by such a move； of course。 Neither would Tera； and if Tera wasn't happy； Nicabar probably wouldn't be happy； either。 The two of them seemed to have bee quite chummy since that confrontation on the bridge regarding my shadier business associations。 Still； at this point； other people's happiness or lack thereof wasn't particularly high on my priority list。 We'd covered barely a fifth of the distance from Meima to Earth； and already we'd had far too many close calls than I cared to think about。 The others； believing that the Icarus was a superfast alien stardrive； undoubtedly still had their hopes pinned on using it to beat out the Patth net； Ixil and I； on the other hand； knew that hope was nonexistent。
On almost every level I could think of； the idea made sense。 And Cameron and Tera would surely get over their pique eventually。 Still； I reluctantly concluded； I wasn't quite ready to make such a decision。 Not yet。 Maybe once we were off Palmary。
The tram line； for all its obviously quick assembly； was still more fortable and professional than transports I'd used on a lot of supposedly more advanced worlds。 I arrived at the platform to find a pair of trams already waiting； one each heading in to the cities of Drobney and k'Barch。 I picked the k'Barch one； reasoning that the place with a k'Tra name would probably have a more frenetic celebration level； and hence more cover for a man on the run。
Most of my fellow travelers had apparently e to a similar conclusion； though undoubtedly with different motivations。 I let the traffic flow carry me in through the doors and to a standing point midway down one of the cars； jammed between a group of sweaty Narchners and a group of clean but equally aromatic Saffi。
We headed out。 I had enough of a view out one of the side windows to see that Nicabar's assumption had been correct： Not only was there a good…sized outfitters' store at the junction of the two tram lines； but also a collection of restaurants； tavernos； and gawk…shops。 Even Starrm had gotten into the act； setting up a prefab satellite station so that spacers who felt the need to get in touch with the outside universe wouldn't have to go to wherever their main building was in the twin…city area。 Once again； I raised my estimate of how much money this Grand Feast must pour into the Palmary economy。
We rumbled our way to the end of the line； which from the look of things was relatively close to the middle of k'Barch and perilously near the epicenter of the uping celebrations。 The earlier flow through the tram doors reversed itself； and a few chaotic minutes later I was maneuvering my way down a sidewalk that was only marginally less crowded than the inside of the tram had been。 About a block ahead； I could see the rustling display flag of a pharmacy； and I concentrated on making my way toward it。
I had reached the shop and was working my way sideways through the crowd toward the door； when something exploded against the back of my neck； plunging me into darkness。
CHAPTER 19
I CAME TO slowly； drifting back toward consciousness in gradual and tortured stages。 There was a vague sensation of disfort； which first coalesced into an overall chill and stiffness before zeroing in on a throbbing somewhere in the back of my head。 There was something wrong with my arms； though I couldn't figure out exactly what。 There was light somewhere； too； though as vague and undefined as the disfort had originally been； and the distant thought occurred to me that if I turned my head maybe I could figure out where it was ing from。 It took some time and effort to remember how that could be done； but finally I had it doped out。 Feeling rather pleased with my acplishment； I turned my head a little to the side。
And instantly came fully awake as a flare of pain burned through the back of my skull。 Someone； apparently； was doing his best to rip my head off my spine with his bare hands。 Clenching my teeth； I waited until the pain had mostly subsided； then； keeping my head as motionless as possible； I eased open my eyes。
I was sitting in a plain wooden armchair； unpadded； my head lolled forward with my chin resting on my chest。 What was wrong with my arms was quickly apparent： both wrists were handcuffed to the chair arms on which they were resting。 Experimentally； I shifted my right foot a bit and found that they hadn't bothered to lock my feet in place as they had my arms。 In the background I could hear the faint sounds of distant music； closer at hand； somewhere just in front of me； I could also hear the sounds of quiet alien conversation。 Slowly； mindful of the trip…hammer waiting to resume work on the back of my skull； I carefully raised my head to look。
And immediately wished I hadn't。 I was in a medium…sized room； plain and largely unfurnished； with a single light in the ceiling and a single closed door maybe four meters directly ahead of me。 Seated behind a low wooden table midway between the door and me； my partially disassembled phone on the tabletop in front of them； were two more members of the lumpy Iykami Clan。
At the moment； though； they weren't paying any attention to the phone； nor to any of the rest of my pocket equipment that had been unceremoniously dumped out onto the table。 My efforts at stealthy wakefulness to the contrary； they were looking straight at me。
And not； as near as I could tell from those alien faces； with particularly friendly expressions。 They were more the sort of expressions worn by people who have orders to keep a prisoner alive and mostly well； but who are at the same time secretly longing for said prisoner to make trouble and thus provide them with an excuse to beat the living daylights out of him。
Cooperative type that I was； it seemed a shame to disappoint them。 I came up on my feet； hunched forward for balance as I gripped the arms to hold the chair more or less in place against my back and rear。 Their secret hopes not
