tz.theicarushunt-第39部分

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n　eliminating　Jones；　but　I'd　already　had　Ixil　standing　in　line　to　fill　the　vacancy。　Was　the　implied　threat　of　cyanide　poisoning　a　heavy…handed　attempt　to　scare　Ixil　off？
　If　so；　he　was　going　to　be　sorely　disappointed。　Kalixiri　in　general　didn't　scare　very　well；　and　Ixil　was　even　worse　at　it　than　the　average。
　Which　unfortunately　still　left　the　question　of　why　the　Icarus　wasn't　already　in　Patth　hands；　and　maybe　I'd　now　e　up　with　an　answer　to　that　one；　too。　Uncle　Arthur　had　said　the　Patth　Director　General　was　personally　calling　the　various　governments　along　our　route；　but　what　if　he　was　not；　in　fact；　speaking　for　the　entire　Patth　government？　I'd　always　assumed　the　Patth　were　fairly　monolithic；　at　least　insofar　as　their　relations　with　other　species　were　concerned。　But　what　if　that　wasn't　the　case？
　In　that　event　our　saboteur　might　not　have　turned　us　in　to　the　Patth　simply　because　he　hadn't　yet　run　across　the　right　Patth　to　turn　us　in　to。　Maybe　the　customs　flap　on　Potosi　had　indeed　been　an　attempt　to　alert　someone；　only　they　hadn't　gotten　the　message　in　time。　Or　else　my　maneuver　with　Antoniewicz's　name　had　gotten　us　out　of　trouble　and　off　the　planet　faster　than　anyone　had　anticipated。
　The　politics　of　the　situation；　I　knew；　I　didn't　have　a　hope　of　unraveling　without　more　detailed　information　about　the　Patth；　which　I　didn't　expect　to　be　getting　anytime　soon。　However；　with　this　assumption　came　an　unexpected　opportunity。　Unless　our　saboteur　had　been　recruited　on　the　spot　at　the　Meima　spaceport…which　seemed　unlikely…it　meant　that　he　must　have　had　previous　ties　to　the　Patth。　Ties　that；　if　I　was　lucky；　would　show　up　in　the　background　reports　Uncle　Arthur　had　promised　to　deliver　to　me　at　our　next　stop。
　I　looked　over　my　instruments　and　displays　again；　and　despite　the　extra　fuel　cost　involved　edged　our　speed　up　a　little。　Suddenly；　I　was　very　anxious　to　get　to　Morsh　Pon。
　　
　CHAPTER　11
　
　IT　WAS　AN　eighty…four…hour　flight　from　Potosi　to　Morsh　Pon；　eighty…four　hours　that　went　both　smoother　and　more　annoyingly　than　I'd　expected　them　to。　We　had　to　make　only　two　stops　along　the　way　for　Chort　to　repair　more　hull　ridges；　which　considering　the　Icarus's　haphazard　construction　was　not　a　bad　showing　at　all。　Perhaps　the　main　hull's　spherical　design；　unlovely　though　it　was；　actually　stood　up　better　against　hyperspace　pressure　than　the　lean；　graceful　lines　that　I　was　more　used　to　with　starships。　Or　maybe　it　was　just　that　all　of　our　good　luck　was　being　unidirectionally　expended　on　our　hull。
　There　were　no　more　attempts　at　sabotage；　at　least　none　that　came　to　light；　but　we　had　plenty　of　other　trouble。　Successive　doses　of　borandis　were　able　to　bring　Shawn　back　from　the　edge　and　ensure　that　he　wouldn't　have　any　permanent　neural　damage；　at　least　this　time　around。　Unfortunately；　he'd　apparently　been　far　enough　along　that　it　took　more　of　the　medicine　than　normal　to　get　him　properly　stabilized。　Everett　thought　we　would　be　okay　to　Morsh　Pon　and　probably　the　stop　after　that；　but　we　were　going　to　have　to　get　hold　of　a　new　supply　sooner　than　I'd　hoped。
　Our　archaic　puter　was　another　problem　that　reared　its　ugly　head　shortly　into　the　flight。　The　glitch　Tera　had　mentioned　with　her　display　turned　out　to　be　nothing　as　simple　as　an　adjustment　problem。　Once　she　opened　the　puter　casing　the　trouble　was　instantly　obvious：　thin　layers　of　almost　microscopic　dust　inside；　dust　that　apparently　had　just　enough　electrical　conductivity　to　create　flickers　of　random　havoc　as　the　cooling　fans　blew　it　across　the　various　boards　and　ponents。
　It　was　equally　obvious；　at　least　to　Ixil　and　me；　how　it　had　happened。　Shoved　off　to　the　side　somewhere　in　one　of　the　underground　chambers　on　Meima　while　Cameron's　techs　put　the　Icarus　together；　it　had　had　plenty　of　opportunity　to　collect　dust　through　its　various　apertures。　But　of　course　none　of　the　rest　of　our　crew　knew　the　ship's　history；　and　dodging　the　constant　stream　of　questions　and　plaints…most　of　the　latter　from　Shawn；　despite　the　alleged　civilizing　effects　of　his　medicine…wore　pretty　thin　after　a　while。　Ixil　bore　the　brunt　of　that　one　as　he　spent　the　better　part　of　seventy　hours　helping　Tera　and　Shawn　disassemble　the　system；　clean　it　thoroughly；　and　put　it　back　together　again。
　That　all　by　itself　scored　as　both　a　plus　and　a　minus　on　my　mental　tally　sheet。　A　plus　because　Ixil　closeted　with　Shawn　and　Tera　meant　neither　of　those　two　would　be　skulking　around　crimping　torch　nozzles　or　tapping　into　inters；　a　minus　because　it　meant　that　for　those　same　seventy　hours　I　was　robbed　of　Ixil's　assistance　in　anything　I　might　want　to　do。
　Which　meant　that　by　the　time　we　had　a　chance　to　send　Pix　and　Pax　into　the　open　area　between　the　two　hulls　for　a　thorough　exploration；　there　was　no　longer　anything　in　there　for　them　to　find。　No　footprints　in　whatever　dust　might　have　been　present　before　the　multitude　of　vibrations　redistributed　it；　no　leftover　tool　lying　behind　one　of　the　supports　where　its　owner　might　have　missed　it；　no　trace　of　the　short…circuited　inter　power　lines；　which　had　apparently　been　carefully　and　unobtrusively　fixed。　About　all　the　ferrets　could　e　up　with　was　the　odd　fact　that　the　outer　hull　didn't　feel；　smell；　or　taste　like　anything　else　they'd　ever　e　across。　It　certainly　wasn't　any　standard　hull　metal。　At　one　point　I　actually　wondered　if　perhaps　the　Potosi　customs　people　hadn't　been　as　far　off　the　mark　as　I'd　thought；　that　all　Cameron　was　doing　was　smuggling　gold　or　iridium　or　some　other　exotic　metal　plated　along　the　inside　edge　of　the　outer　hull。　But　that　seemed　both　too　plicated　and　too　petty　for　someone　with　Cameron's　reputation　and　resources。　Besides　which；　it　didn't　even　start　to　explain　the　increasingly　obsessive　Patth　interest　in　us。
　Earlier　I　had　also　taken　advantage　of　Tera's　and　Shawn's　preoccupation　with　the　puter　to　do　a　quiet　check　of　their　cabins；　but　both　searches　came　up　empty。　Neither　of　them　had　a　cache　of　hidden　weapons；　secret　Patth　code　books；　or　instruction　manuals　on　how　to　sabotage　a　starship。　On　the　other　hand；　I　found　nothing　in　Tera's　cabin　to　confirm　that　she　was　a　member　of　any　of　those　first…name…only　religious　sects；　either。　Perhaps　she　was　just　the　cautious　type　who　didn't　like　giving　her　full　name　to　strangers。
　Overall；　crew　morale　didn't　fare　very　well　during　that　leg　of　the　trip。　Everett's　private　reservations　about　going　to　a　criminal　hellhole　like　Morsh　Pon　didn't　stay　private　very　long；　and　starting　about　two　hours　into　the　trip　I　had　him；　Shawn；　and　Tera　all　campaigning　for　me　to　find　someplace　else　for　our　next　fueling　stop。　Nicabar　and　Chort　didn't　join　in　the　chorus；　but　in　Nicabar's　case　I　had　the　distinct　feeling　he　was　wondering　if　I'd　chosen　Morsh　Pon　deliberately　to　make　sure　he　and　Tera　couldn't　find　anyone　more　trustworthy　to　replace　me。
　In　short；　it　was　a　frustrating；　aggravating　three　and　a　half　days　for　all　of　us。　And　with　Morsh　Pon　waiting；　I　wasn't　expecting　it　to　get　any　better　at　the　far　end。
　It　was　late　afternoon　and　early　evening　across　the　main　Morsh　Pon　colony　area　when　we　arrived　over　the　planet；　with　the　sunset　line　probably　an　hour　past　the　Blue　District　that　was　our　destination。　We　were　the　only　ship　ining；　though　I　spotted　a　couple　of　other　freighters　on　their　way　out；　all　of　them　running　IDs　that　were　probably　as　phony　as　ours。　I　gave　the　control　center　our　destination　port；　got　a　rectangle　assignment；　and　eased　the　Icarus　down　into　the　darkness。
　The　others　were　all　waiting　in　the　wraparound　by　the　time　I'd　secured　the　ship；　called　for　a　fueling　team；　and　made　my　way　aft。　The　entryway　hatch　was　unopened；　by　mon　consent；　apparently；　they'd　all　decided　I　should　get　the　honor　of　being　first　in　line　for　any　stray　shots　that　might　be　flying　around　out　there。　Leaving　my　plasmic　in　its　holster…Nicabar　aside；　none　of　the　others　knew　about　the　weapon；　and　I　didn't　feel　the　need　to　enlighten　them…I　keyed　the　hatch　and　waited　tautly　as　it　swung　ponderously　open。　This　particular　spaceport　didn't　have　any　of　the　nice　concave　landing　cradles　we'd　had　at　our　last　couple　of　stops；　with　the　result　that　I　was　looking　out　over　the　landscape　from　a　vantage　point　ten　meters　up。
　I'd　never　actually　been　on　Morsh　Pon　before；　but　I　couldn't　imagine　the　view　was　any　better　up　here　than　it　would　be　at　ground　level。　Even　in　the　admittedly　bad　street　light；　the　tavernos；　flophouse　brothels；　and　other　assorted　dives　that　crowded　into　the　spaces　between　the　various　landing…pad　clusters　looked　dingy　and　unfriendly。　Most　of　the　buildings　had　darkened　windows　and　doorways；　adding　their　individual　bits　to　the　overall　gloom。　Across　the　strip　of　buildings　facing　us　was　an　empty　pad　cluster；　looking　rather　like　a　bald　spot　amid　the　uneven　rows　of　buildings　encircling　it。　A　few　stars　were　visible　in　the　darkening　sky；　but　even　they　seemed　subdued；　as　if　they　didn't　really　want　to　look　down　at　the　Blue　District；　either。
　〃Interesting；〃　Ixil　murmured　from　beside　me。　〃Where　is　everyone？〃
　I　frowned；　looking　at　the　scene　with　new　eyes。　He　was　right。　I'd　already　noted　the　dark　buildings　and　empty　landing…pad　cluster　directly　in　front　of　me；　now；　leaning　partially　out　of　the　entryway；　I　could　see　that　none　of　the　nearest　landing　clusters　was　occupied。　In　the　distance　I　could　see　what　might　have　been　the　curved　hulls　of　a　pair　of　ships；　and　a　couple　hundred　meters　off　to　my　right　I　could　see　a　single　taverno　with　its　doorway　lights　on。　But　that　was　it。　Virtually　no　ships；　virtually　no　open　businesses；　no　vehicles　except　for　the　fueler　I　could　see　heading　our　way　along　an　access　road；　and　no　pedestrians　at　all。　It　was　as　if　we'd　landed　in　a　ghost　town。
　〃Hey；　Everett；　I　thought　you　said　this　place　was　crawling　with　murderers　and　pirates；〃　Shawn　said　accusingly。　〃So　where　are　they？〃
　〃I　don't　know；〃　Everett　muttered　behind　me。　〃Something's　wrong。　Something's　very　wrong。〃
　〃Did　Landing　Control　say　anything　when　you　checked　in？〃　Nicabar　asked。　〃Disease；　plague；　quarantine…anything？〃
　〃Not　a　word；〃　I　said；　studying　the　single　lit　taverno　I　could　see。　We　were　too　far　away　for　me　to　read　the　nameplate；　but　knowing　Uncle　Arthur　I　was　willing　to　bet　it　was　the　Baker's　Dozen；　the　place　he'd　named　in　our　last　conversation。　〃Maybe　they　can　tell　us　something　in　there；〃　I　suggested；　pointing　to　it