tz.theicarushunt-第75节
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ction； this one acpanied by a startlingly forlorn sort of squeak。 〃I got him；〃 a hoarse voice croaked。 〃e on…I got him！〃
〃Stay here；〃 Ixil ordered quietly； pushing me unceremoniously into the cover of the table beside Nicabar。 Before I could do more than flail around for balance he heaved himself up from his prone position on the floor and was gone； charging in a broken run across the open area with a speed and agility that were surprising in a being of his size and bulk。 Pix and Pax had already made it across the floor； and I caught a glimpse of them as they disappeared among the maze of tables and chairs on that side。 I held my breath； watching Ixil run； waiting in helpless agony for the shot that would take him down。
But that killing shot didn't e； and then he was there； ducking down and using the tables for maximum cover as he headed in。 Abruptly he stopped。 I held my breath again…〃e on；〃 he called； waving toward us as he holstered his plasmic。 〃It's Everett。 He's hurt。〃
I felt like saying who isn't； but with an effort I managed to restrain myself。 Helping each other； with the added incentive of not knowing whether another attacker might be lurking in the shadows somewhere； Nicabar and I made it across the wiggle floor in record time。
It was indeed Everett； lying beside a tangle of chair legs； and he was indeed hurt。 A single plasmic burn； a pretty severe one； in his left thigh just above the knee。 〃I must have been looking the wrong way at the wrong time；〃 he explained； managing a wan smile as Ixil carefully tore the charred pant leg away from the wound。 〃Sorry。〃
〃Don't worry about it；〃 I said； taking his plasmic from him and making a quick but careful survey of the area。 If there were more attackers lying in wait； they were being awfully quiet about it。 〃None of the rest of us are exactly in mint condition at the moment； either。 Where's the chap who was shooting at us？〃
〃He's over there somewhere；〃 he said； nodding to the side。
〃I see him；〃 I said； stepping over to a misshapen bundle on one of the chairs a couple of tables away from Everett's position。 The bundle turned out to be another of the ubiquitous Iykams； this one lying draped across the seat with a plasmic still hanging loosely from his hand。 Cause of death was obvious： a close…range plasmic burn in his back。 〃Nice shooting。〃
〃Thanks；〃 Everett said； the word cut off by a hissing intake of breath as Ixil finished with the charred cloth。 〃I'm sorry I didn't get him sooner…I've been drifting in and out of consciousness。 I didn't even know he was there until he took that shot at you。 How bad is that burn； Revs？〃
〃Hurts like hell； but I don't think there's any serious damage；〃 Nicabar said。 He was on one knee beside Everett； rummaging around in the medical pack lying on the floor beside him。 〃So how e they left you here alive after they shot you？〃
〃I don't know；〃 Everett confessed。 〃I'm just glad they did。〃
〃Ditto；〃 I said。 〃Can you walk？〃
〃Do I have a choice？〃 Everett countered。 He dug into the med pack； pushing Nicabar's hands impatiently out of the way； and came up with a couple of burn pads。 〃I presume you know how to apply one of these；〃 he said to Nicabar as he handed him one of the pads。
〃I've had more practice than I care to remember；〃 Nicabar grunted； pulling the charred shirt material away from his shoulder with stoic disregard for the pain。
〃What about you； McKell？〃 Everett went on as he opened his own pad and arranged it carefully over his burn。 〃I seem to remember you being the one we were charging in to rescue in the first place。〃
〃I'm all right；〃 I assured him。 〃I could use a painkiller for my head； but they hadn't started on the really rough stuff yet。 Aside from Ixil； I think I'm probably in the best shape of all of us。〃
〃I wouldn't tempt fate that way if I were you；〃 Nicabar warned。 〃Everett？〃
〃I'm ready；〃 Everett said； wincing once as he pressed the edges of the pad firmly into place against his leg。 〃Though I may need some help until the anesthetic takes effect。〃
I sighed。 We were； without a doubt； just exactly the right men to be challenging the giant octopus of Patth economic domination。 Humanity was counting on us； and humanity was in trouble。 〃Tell me some more good news；〃 I said sourly。
〃As a matter of fact； I can；〃 he said； digging out a bottle of painkillers and tossing it to me。 〃I've found us a safe haven。 A temporary one； at least。〃
I frowned at him。 〃What are you talking about？〃
〃I got in touch with a friend of mine on my way over from the ship；〃 he said； dropping his voice。 〃Called him on that Starrm station by the tram lines。 He's a retired doctor； one of my instructors when I went through med training。 He's running a private ski and ice…climbing place now on a quiet little resort world about five days away； plete with a small but full…service landing area。 Fuel supply； landing…pad repulsors； perimeter lift…assist grav beams…the works。〃
〃He'll be used to private yachts there；〃 Nicabar pointed out doubtfully。 〃Can he handle a ship the size of the Icarus？〃
〃I spelled out the dimensions and he says he can；〃 Everett said。 〃And it's off…season there right now； which means the place is deserted。〃
〃Other towns？〃 Ixil asked。
〃Nearest is two hundred kilometers away；〃 Everett said。 〃We'll have time to finish the camouflage work on the ship and give all these burns some healing time。〃 He lowered his voice still further。 〃We might even be able to get the stardrive working。〃
〃Sounds too good to be true；〃 I said。 〃What's the catch？〃
〃No catch；〃 Everett said。 〃He has no idea who or what we are…I told him you were a group of investors interested in buying into resorts like his and pouring expansion money into the more successful ones。 He won't even be there…he's heading out in two days on an equipment…buying trip。 We'll have the whole place to ourselves。〃
I looked at Ixil and lifted my eyebrows questioningly。 He shrugged slightly in reply； his expression mirroring my own thoughts。 Even if this turned out to be a trap； given that the Patth were already breathing down our necks we didn't have a lot to lose。 At least with a trap set the Patth and Iykams might not be so quick to flail around with blunt objects； a restraint that would not only give my head a chance to heal but would also automatically raise our chances of slipping or fighting our way out of it。 〃All right；〃 I said。 〃We'll try it。 Where is this place？〃
Everett hesitated； glancing around the darkened room。 〃I don't know；〃 he said。 〃Out here in the open…you know。〃
〃I want to know now；〃 I told him； moving close and putting my ear to his lips。 〃Just whisper it。〃
He sighed； his breath unpleasantly warm on my cheek。 〃It's on Beyscrim；〃 he whispered。 〃The northwest section of the Highlandia continent。〃
〃Got it；〃 I said； getting a grip under his arm。 He was right； even whispering it in here was risky。 But I needed to know； and I needed to know before we got back to the ship。 〃Okay。 Now we can go。〃
CHAPTER 21
AFTER ALL THE firepower that had been expended inside the club； I'd half expected to find a wall of local police surrounding the place as we slipped out the emergency exit and down the alley onto the crowded k'Barch streets。 But to my mild surprise not a single badgeman was visible anywhere among the colorfully dressed celebrants。 Either they just hadn't made it to the scene yet because of the crowds or because they were tied up with other more pressing business； or else a little good…natured gunplay wasn't remarkable enough during the Grand Feast to warrant official attention。
Especially without the club's ownership making any plaints； and it was for sure that Ambassador Nask wouldn't have risked losing Patth control of the Icarus by calling the local authorities in。
Which was just as well； considering how much trouble we had making our escape even without governmental interference。 Now that it was full night； the crowds filling the streets were at least twice as dense as they'd been when I'd first arrived； and it seemed like every third step one of us managed to get jostled or bumped in a tender spot by some boisterous or flat…out drunk reveler。 Even the high…quality painkillers and anesthetic pads Cameron had stocked the Icarus with could only do so much； and by the end of the second block I was about ready to haul out my plasmic and start shooting us a clear path。
Adding to the physical torture of pushing through the morass was the tension of wondering if and when the Patth would be able to regroup for another stab at us。 Even in a multispecies gathering like this Ixil and his ferrets stood out； drawing far more attention than any of us liked。 But like the badgemen； the Patth and their Iykami minions failed to materialize。 Either we'd already taken out the bulk of their force； or else Nask had decided to concentrate whatever he had left on the various spaceport entrances instead of trying to b the entire city。 I could only hope that the informally thrown…together Bangrot Spaceport wouldn't have made it onto his map。
It turned out that the night…to…dawn club wasn't too far from the pharmacy where the Iykams had jumped me； which was itself not very far from the tram station where I'
