tz.theicarushunt-第18部分
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carrying a Patth cargo？〃
There were a lot of things； I knew； that a petent actress could do with her body； voice； and expression。 But the last time I checked； the red flush that rose to briefly color Tera's cheeks wasn't one of them。 〃We'd better not be；〃 she said； the studied casualness in her voice a sharp contrast to the emotion implicit in that reddened skin。 〃Though I doubt we'll find out for sure anywhere this side of Earth。〃
〃If even then；〃 I pointed out。 〃Whoever Borodin's got working that end isn't under any obligation to let us watch while he cuts the cargo bay open。〃
〃No； of course not；〃 she murmured； almost as if talking to herself。 〃I wonder why he lied to us about ing along。〃
〃Who； Borodin？ What makes you think he did lie？〃
She shrugged。 〃You saw that note he left。 He had to have written it before the Ihmisits closed the port down for the night。〃
I thought about Director Aymi…Mastr of the Meima Port Authority and that murder charge she'd talked about。 〃Unless he just had it here as a precaution；〃 I suggested。 〃Maybe he fully intended to join us； but circumstances prevented him。〃
She snorted。 〃Right。 A full bottle； or a warm bed。 Circumstances。〃
〃Or a small matter of murder；〃 I said。
She looked at me； her eyes narrowing。 〃Murder？〃
〃That's right；〃 I said。 〃I was told there was a warrant out for his arrest on a possible murder charge。〃
She shook her head。 〃Hard to believe；〃 she said。 〃He seemed like such a normal； upstanding man。〃
〃That's exactly what I said when they asked me about it；〃 I said approvingly。 〃Nice to know there's at least one thing we agree on。〃
〃Well； now； wait a minute；〃 she warned cautiously。 〃I never said I thought he didn't do it； I just said it was hard to believe。 I don't know anything about the man。〃
〃Sure； I understand；〃 I assured her。 In fact； I understood far more than she probably realized。 Just as her involuntary blush when talking about the Patth had given me a glimpse into her emotional state； so； too； had the plete lack of any such coloring when I told her about Cameron's murder charge。 And that despite her alleged total surprise at hearing such shocking news。
Maybe she'd already used up all of her emotional reactions for one day。 Or maybe she hadn't been surprised by the murder charge for the simple reason that she'd already known all about it。
〃puter Specialist Tera？〃 Chort's whistly voice came over the speaker。 〃I believe I'm finished here。 Shall I check the rest of the hull？〃
I was still watching Tera closely； which was why I caught the slight but unmistakable tightening of her facial muscles。 Perhaps she was thinking along the same line that had suddenly occurred to me： that it had been just as Chort had set off on a similar check of the cargo and engine hulls his last time out that the accident with the grav generator had occurred。
If it was； in fact； an accident。 Perhaps someone aboard didn't want anyone taking a close look at the outside of the cargo sphere。
For a moment I was tempted to tell him to go ahead； just to see if our theoretical spoilsport still had his same access to switches or junction boxes or whatever。 But only for a moment。 Ixil was sharing the hot spot with Chort； and the spoilsport might decide he didn't like Ixil any more than he'd liked Jones。 I had no interest in risking Ixil's life or health； at least not then。 Certainly not over a theory that hadn't even occurred to me until five seconds ago。
〃This is McKell；〃 I said toward the speaker before Tera could answer。 〃Don't bother； Chort…we don't have time for it。 You and Ixil just get back in and button up。〃
〃Acknowledged；〃 he whistled。
〃That was my job；〃 Tera reminded me； throwing a brief glare in my direction。 But to my hypersensitive eye； the glare didn't seem to have the kind of fire behind it that I would have expected。 Maybe she and I had indeed been thinking along the same lines； or maybe her chip…shoulder act was starting to wear a little thin。 〃You're off…duty； remember？〃
〃Right；〃 I said。 〃I keep forgetting。 You can handle things here？〃
She didn't even bother to answer that one； just gave me a look that said volumes all by itself and turned back to the monitors。 Properly chastened； I floated out of the bridge； maneuvered down the ladder well； and returned to my cabin。 I was once again stripping off my jacket when the warning tone sounded and gravity came back on。
For a long time after that I just lay in my bunk； staring at the closed door in the dim light； as I ran that last conversation through endless repeats in my mind。 Tera was an enigma； and in general I hated enigmas。 In my experience； they nearly always spelled trouble。
Unless I had been reading her words and her reactions all wrong。 Or； worse； had somehow imagined them entirely。 It certainly wouldn't be the first time I had oh…so…cleverly Sherlocked myself straight down a blind alley。
But I hadn't imagined the mishap with the grav generator or Jones's death。 I hadn't imagined my brief detention on Meima； or the Lumpy Brothers； or their unreasonably advanced hand weaponry。
And I certainly hadn't imagined Arno Cameron； amateur archaeologist and head of one of the largest and most influential industrial bines in the Spiral； sitting in a grimy Vyssiluyan taverno and all but begging me to fly the Icarus to Earth for him。
No； the facts were there； at least some of them。 What they meant； though； I didn't have the foggiest idea。
But a small group of unclearly related facts can chase each other around a single overtired brain for only so long。 Eventually； I fell asleep。
CHAPTER 6
THE PORT FACILITIES on Xathru had been a couple of steps above those on Meima。 The single mercial port on Dorscind's World； in contrast； was at least five steps back down again。
Not that the equipment itself was a problem。 On the contrary； the landing cradle was the best the Icarus had seen yet； with the kind of peripheral and support equipment that a place like Meima could only dream of。 It was； rather； the port's clientele that put Dorscind's World well below the standards set by the Spiral's tour cruise directors。 Planned by its developers as a high…class gambling resort； things hadn't quite worked out that way for the colony。 It had been slipping since roughly day two； with the big money and high…spinners fading equally rapidly into the sunset。
The only thing that had kept the place from vanishing from the map altogether was its gradual and reluctant transformation into the sort of place where questionable papers and shady cargoes were generally winked at。 With the Patth shipping domination； the shady…cargo slice of the pie chart had been steadily growing among non…Patth carriers。
And as a result； business at the Dorscind's World port was booming。
There was of course no record of a freighter named the Second Banana having filed a flight plan for Dorscind's World。 But as I'd expected； minor technicalities of that sort didn't even raise an eyebrow here。 The usual docking fee； plus a few more of Cameron's hundred…mark bills； and we had our landing cradle。 I paid off the port official who came to the ramp to collect； made arrangements for refueling； and ordered delivery of replacement foodstuffs and some more of Chort's magic hull…repair goo。
And after that； it was time for me to venture out into the dubious charm of the port city。 Leaving the rest of the Icarus's crew behind。
The rest of the crew wasn't happy about that。 Not one bit。 〃This is insane；〃 Shawn snarled as I faced down the pack of them at the forward wraparound pressure door； a task made all that harder psychologically by the upward tilt of the Icarus's decks that had them all looming over me。 〃I've been to a dozen places like this…it's no more dangerous than downtown Tokyo as long as you mind your own business。〃
〃It would be nice to get out into the open air；〃 Everett seconded。 〃Medically speaking； recycled air starts wearing on a person after a while。 Besides； the exercise would do us good。〃
〃The exercise could also get you killed；〃 I told him bluntly； charitably passing up the obvious ment about how his bulk hardly indicated that exercise would be his top priority out there。 〃Or weren't any of you listening to what I said about what happened to me on Xathru？〃
〃We were all listening； McKell；〃 Tera said。 〃As far as I'm concerned； that's a reason for you to stay out of sight； not us。〃
〃Believe me； I wish I could；〃 I said with one hundred percent honesty。 The last thing I wanted to do was face down more of the Lumpy Clan and their coronal…discharge weapons。 Though to be honest； without having a flight schedule to guide them； the chances they could have tracked me here were vanishingly small。 〃Unfortunately； I have an errand to take care of out there。 One which I have to do personally。〃
Which wasn't quite as hundred…percent honest as the first part had been。 Ixil could make the long…overdue call to Uncle Arthur as well as I could。 But Ixil had made it abundantly clear that he really didn't want to field that one； more to the point； I wanted him and the ferrets here to watch over the Icarus。 〃But none of that matters；〃 I went on。 〃What matters is that as pilot； I'm also the captain。 And I say you're staying here。〃
〃So that's where the pig stick goes； huh？〃 Shawn snarled； his face working as he glared at me with blazing eyes。 Once again； as it had when we'd first met； Shawn's veneer of civility had cracked badly； revealing the callously rude young brat underneath。 〃You little tin…plate dictator…you love this； don't you？ Well； forget it…just forget it。 I'm not sitting here staring at the walls while you're out having fun。 Neither is anyone else。〃
〃That's enough； Shawn；〃 Nicabar said quietly。 Quietly； but with the full weight of all those years as an EarthGuard Marine in his voice。
Shawn either didn't notice or didn't care。 〃Well； runny muck to you； too；〃 he bit out at Nicabar。 His whole body was trembling now； his fists opening and closing like relays in an unstable feedback loop； and out of the corner of my eye I saw Ixil ease a little closer beside him。 〃I'm not staying cooped up in here…I'm not。〃
〃Look； son； I understand how you feel；〃 Everett said； laying a hand on Shawn's shoulder
