tz.theicarushunt-第4部分
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
work； I'd often thought； the Kalixiri might well have taken over that field the same way the Patth had done with general shipping。
〃So what on the roof do you expect to find interesting？〃 I asked； giving Pax another scritch and wondering for the millionth time whether Ixil got the same scritch through their neural link。 He'd never mented about it； but that could just be Ixil。
〃Not on the roof；〃 Ixil said； lifting a massive arm。 〃Off of it。 Over there。〃
I frowned where he was pointing。 Off in the distance； beyond the buildings of the spaceport periphery and the more respectable city beyond it； was a gentle glow against the wispy clouds of the nighttime sky。 As I watched； three thruster sparks lifted from the area and headed off horizontally in different directions。 〃Interesting；〃 I said； watching one of the sparks。 It was hard to tell； given our distance and perspective； but the craft seemed to be traveling remarkably slowly and zigzagging as it went。
〃I noticed it about forty minutes ago；〃 Ixil said。 〃I thought at first it was the reflected light from a new munity that I simply hadn't seen before。 But I checked the map； and there's nothing that direction except a row of hills and the wasteland region we flew over on our way in。〃
〃Could it be a fire？〃 I suggested doubtfully。
〃Unlikely；〃 Ixil said。 〃The glow isn't red enough； and I've seen no evidence of smoke。 I was wondering if it might be a search…and…rescue operation。〃
From the edge of the window came a gentle scrabbling sound； and with a soft rodent sneeze Pix appeared on the sill。 A sinuous leap over to Ixil's arm； a quick scamper…with those claws digging for footholds the whole way up…and he was once again crouched in his place on Ixil's shoulder。
There was a tiny scratching sound like a fingernail on leather that always made me wince； and for a moment Ixil stood silently as he ran through the memories he was now pulling from the ferret's small brain。 〃Interesting；〃 he said。 〃From the parallax； it appears to be considerably farther out than I first thought。 Well beyond the hills； probably ten kilometers into the wilderness。〃
Which meant the glow was also a lot brighter than I'd thought。 What could anyone want out there in the middle of nowhere？
My chest tightened； the ache in my leg suddenly forgotten。 〃You don't happen to know；〃 I asked with studied casualness； 〃where exactly that archaeology dig is that the Cameron Group's been funding； do you？〃
〃Somewhere out in that wilderness；〃 Ixil said。 〃I don't know the precise location。〃
〃I do；〃 I said。 〃I'll make you a small wager it's smack…dab in the middle of that glow。〃
〃And why would you think that？〃
〃Because Arno Cameron himself was in town tonight。 Offering me a job。〃
Ixil's squashed…iguana face turned to look at me。 〃You are joking。〃
〃Afraid not；〃 I assured him。 〃He was running under a ridiculous alias…Alexander Borodin； no less…and he'd dyed that black hair of his pure white； which made him look a good twenty years older。 But it was him。〃 I tapped my jacket collar。 〃He wants me to fly him out of here tomorrow morning in a ship called the Icarus。〃
〃What did you tell him？〃
〃At three thousand marks for the trip？ I told him yes； of course。〃
Pix sneezed again。 〃This is going to be awkward；〃 Ixil said； and then added what had to be the understatement of the week。 〃Brother John is not going to be pleased。〃
〃No kidding；〃 I agreed sourly。 〃When was the last time Brother John was pleased about anything we did？〃
〃Those instances have been rare；〃 Ixil conceded。 〃Still； I doubt we've ever seen him as angry as he can get； either。〃
Unfortunately； he had a point。 Johnston Scotto Ryland…the 〃Brother〃 honorific was pure sarcasm on our part…was the oh…so…generous benefactor who had bailed Ixil and me out of looming financial devastation three years ago by adding the Stormy Banks to his private collection of smuggling ships。 Weapons； illegal body parts； interdicted drugs； stolen art； stolen electronics； every disgusting variety of happyjam imaginable…you name it； we'd probably carried it。 In fact； we were on a job for him right now； with yet another of his secretive little cargoes tucked away in the Stormy Banks's hold。
And Ixil was right。 Brother John had not clawed his way up to his exalted position among the Spiral's worst scum peddlers by smiling and shrugging off sudden unilateral decisions by his subordinates。
〃I'll square it with him；〃 I promised Ixil； though how exactly I was going to do that I couldn't quite imagine at the moment。 〃It was three grand； after all。 How was I supposed to turn that down and still keep up the facade that we're impoverished independent shippers？〃
Ixil didn't react； but the ferrets on his shoulders gave simultaneous twitches。 Sometimes that two…way neural link could be handy if you knew what to look for。 〃Anyway； there's no reason why Brother John should get warped out of shape over this；〃 I went on。 〃You can take the Stormy Banks the rest of the way to Xathru by yourself。 Then he can have his happyjam and guns and everybody can relax。 I'll look at Cameron's flight path in the morning and leave you a message at Xathru as to where the most convenient place will be for you to catch up with us。〃
〃Regulations require a minimum of two crewers for a Capricorn…class ship；〃 he reminded me。
〃Fine；〃 I said shortly。 It was late； my leg and head were hurting； and I was in no mood to hear the Mercantile Code being quoted at me。 Especially not from the one who'd ultimately gotten me in this mess to begin with。 〃There's you； there's Pix； and there's Pax。 That's three of you。 The details you can work out with the Port Authority in the morning。〃
With that I stomped out of the living area…being careful to stomp on my good leg only…and went into the bath/dressing room。 By the time I'd finished my bedtime preparations and rejoined Ixil I'd calmed down some。 〃Anything new？〃 I asked him。
He was still staring out the window； the two ferrets perched on his shoulders staring out right alongside him。 〃More aircraft seem to have joined in the activities；〃 he said。 〃Something out there has definitely piqued someone's curiosity。〃
〃Piqued and a half；〃 I agreed； taking one last look and then heading for my bed。 〃I wonder what Cameron's people dug up out there。〃
〃And who could be this interested in it；〃 Ixil added； turning reluctantly away from the window himself。 〃It may be； Jordan； that our discussion of Brother John's cargo will turn out to be moot。 You may reach the Icarus in the morning to find it already in someone's hands。〃
〃Not a chance；〃 I said； easing my aching leg gingerly under the blankets。
〃And why not？〃
I lay back onto a lumpy pillow。 Yet another lumpy pillow； at yet another lumpy spaceport； in what seemed to be an increasingly lumpy life。 〃Because；〃 I said with a sigh； 〃I'm not nearly that lucky。〃
CHAPTER 2
THE SKY TO sunward was gaudy with splashes of pink and yellow when I arrived at the spaceport at five the next morning。 A crowd of spacers； humans and aliens both； was already milling around the gates； most of them impatient to get to their ships and head out on the next leg of their journeys。 A few of the more impatient were making the standard disparaging ments about Ihmis customs； the Ihmis door wardens standing watch by the gates as usual ignored them。
There were no Patth in the waiting group； of course。 Over the past few years there had been enough of what the diplomats call 〃unpleasant incidents〃 around spaceports for most port authorities to assign Patth ships their own gates； service facilities； and waiting areas。 Port authorities hate dealing with the paperwork associated with assault and murder； and planetary governments are even less interested in earning the sort of sanctions the Patth routinely dish out for any affront to their people； real or imagined。
Which； e to think about it； made the three Patth I'd seen mixing with the mon folk at the taverno last night something of an anomaly。 Either they'd been young and brash； old and confident of local protection； or simply very thirsty。 Distantly； I wondered if they'd run into any accidents on their way home。
At 5：31 the edge of the sun appeared over the horizon； and at that moment the gates unlocked and swung open。 I joined the mass of beings flowing through； checking my collar once to make sure the tag Cameron had given me was still there。 I hadn't spotted Cameron himself in the crowd； which either meant he was waiting at a different gate or that whoever had been searching his archaeological dig last night had already picked him up。 Either way； I still planned to check out the Icarus； if only to see which species was standing guard over it。
A heavy； aromatic hand fell on my shoulder。 〃Captain Jordan McKell？〃
I turned。 Two of the Ihmis wardens had e unglued from their posts and were standing behind me； impressive and intimidating in their ceremonial helmets。 〃I'm McKell；〃 I confirmed cautiously。
〃e with us； please；〃 the Ihmisit with his hand still on my shoulder said。 〃Port Director Aymi…Mastr would like to speak to you。〃
〃Sure；〃 I said as casually as I could manage with a suddenly pounding heart as they gestured to the side and we worked our way across the pedestrian stream toward the Meima Port Authority building just inside the fence twenty meters away。 Our papers were in order； our cargo cleared； our fees paid。 Had someone finally backtracked one of Brother John's cargoes to the Stormy Banks？ If so； we were going to have some very awkward explaining to do。
I'd never been in this particular Port Authority before； but I'd logged enough hours in Ihmis hotels and tavernos to have a pretty good idea what to expect。 And I was mostly right。 The friendly lighting； extremely casual furniture； and smiling faces were hallmarks of the Ihmis style； all designed to put visitors at their ease。
From what I'd heard； all those same friendly touches remained cheerfully in place right up to the point when they strapped you to the rack and started cranking。
〃Ah…Captain McKell；〃 a deep voice called as I was led across the bustling main room to a large and cluttered desk in the corner。 Director Aymi…Mastr was typical of the species； with bulging； f
