tz.theicarushunt-第46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！
〃Oh； that's a great help；〃 I said sarcastically。
〃And we've also eliminated Tera as a suspect；〃 he continued； ignoring the sarcasm。 〃Which leaves us only Chort； Nicabar； Shawn； and Everett。 That should count for something。〃
〃Only if everything she told us was true；〃 I cautioned him。 〃Don't forget that photo Uncle Arthur sent was not exactly definitive。 She could simply be a very acplished liar with a gift for improvisation。〃
〃Really；〃 he said； his polite voice edging as close to sarcasm as Kalixiri ever got。 〃And does the large sphere's gravitational field e under the liar talent or the improvisational talent？〃
〃Fine； then；〃 I growled； giving up。 〃Tera's as pure as the driven snow。 Just bear in mind that even if she is who she says she is； her goals here may not coincide pletely with ours。〃
〃Granted；〃 he said。 〃So where does the extra confusion e in？〃
〃It es in the same place Cameron went out；〃 I said。 〃With all due respect； I don't think much of your kidnapping theory。 If they knew enough to get in here and snatch him； why didn't they grab the Icarus while they were at it？〃
〃Maybe they don't know its actual significance；〃 Ixil said。 〃Maybe they still think the prize is in the cargo hold and didn't think they had time to get to it right then。〃
〃Then why let us leave the planet？〃 I countered。 〃Anyway； they have to have at least an idea of what it is they're chasing。 You don't offer hundred…grand finder's fees pletely on speculation。〃
〃That doesn't necessarily follow；〃 he said。 〃Maybe all they know is that the Icarus is carrying something Cameron desperately wants to get to Earth； which they want to take a look at simply on general principles。 Perhaps that was what the anonymous gem…smuggling tip was all about； to give them an excuse to get into the cargo hold。〃
I ran that one a couple of times around in my mind。 It was not； I decided； as ridiculous as it seemed at first blush。 〃If so； they've got terrible coordination problems；〃 I pointed out。 〃The Najik let us go without even blinking an eye。〃
〃So did Director Aymi…Mastr on Meima；〃 Ixil said。 〃I don't think the Patth have quite made up their minds just how public they're willing to make their involvement with this。〃
〃It's certainly public enough at the top levels；〃 I reminded him darkly。 〃Half the governments in this region have already been threatened with sanctions if they don't find and deliver us。〃
〃True； but that's not the same thing as working directly with local administrators and customs agents；〃 he pointed out。 〃Top…level governmental officials can usually be trusted not to leak that kind of information； especially when it's something that might cause economic panic among their people。〃
I scowled at my displays。 〃So where does that leave us？〃 He shrugged。 〃At least we're not as much in the dark as most of the people looking for us；〃 he said。 〃Whatever the Patth themselves know or don't know； they most certainly haven't given the details to any of their searchers。 If they knew what we were actually sitting on here； there wouldn't be a government in the Spiral who would give us up to them。〃
〃I suppose I should be grateful for small favors；〃 I said； trying to think of how exactly all this knowledge gave us an advantage。 Offhand； I couldn't see any。 〃And that brings up another point。 We might want to consider making ourselves a list of governments we'd be willing to surrender the Icarus to as a last resort； just to keep the Patth from getting it。〃
〃We could；〃 he said doubtfully。 〃The problem is finding someone who'd be less of a threat than the Patth themselves。〃
I cocked an eyebrow。 〃You are joking。〃
〃Not at all；〃 he said； his face deadly serious。 〃As far as we know； the Patth have no real military other than their own defense forces。〃
〃No； they subcontract the muscle jobs out to the Lumpies；〃 I said sourly。
〃Perhaps；〃 Ixil said。 〃My point is that the Patth would use the Icarus stardrive to cement their stranglehold on civilian shipping。 Someone else might instead put it to military uses。〃
I chewed a corner of my lip。 A faster stardrive certainly wouldn't help in space…normal bat； and of course there was no bat possible in hyperspace。 It would make it easier to ferry troops； materiel； and warships around； but that wouldn't be that much of an advantage in the small brushfire conflicts that still flared up now and then。 Unless we got into another of the huge regional wars that we all hoped were safely in the Spiral's past； the Icarus stardrive wouldn't gain an aggressor very much。
But then； maybe something like the Icarus stardrive was just the edge a potential aggressor was waiting for。 Not a particularly pleasant thought。
〃We still ought to make ourselves a surrender list；〃 I said； getting up from the mand chair and crossing to the plotting table。 〃Maybe try for a consortium of governments； just so no one's got a strict monopoly。〃
〃Particularly a consortium that would allow the ship's crew to live；〃 Ixil said。 〃Preferably in something less confining than a small lonely cell somewhere。〃
〃That one's at the top of my wish list； too；〃 I assured him； keying the table on。
〃It's always nice to have a mon goal。 Where exactly are we headed at the moment？〃
〃I don't know；〃 I said； peering at the possibilities as they came up。 〃We're currently heading for Utheno； on the grounds that having a legitimate exit record from Potosi would make it easier to get in and out of another Najiki Archipelago world。〃
〃Utheno is only； what； seventy…five hours away？〃
〃Seventy…three；〃 I said。 〃And since that's only about half the Icarus's range； I also thought a stop there might throw off anyone who might be tracking our movements。〃
I waved at the table。 〃But now I'm starting to wonder if it would be better to not get within any single government's grasp more than once。〃
〃Perhaps；〃 Ixil said slowly。 〃Still； at this point； I'm not sure it really matters。 The Patth have surely alerted everyone along our vector； and whether or not we've crossed paths with any particular government agency is probably more or less irrelevant。〃
〃Do you think we should get off this vector； then？〃 I suggested。 〃Veer off to the side； circle around； and try to sneak up on Earth from behind？〃
〃No。〃 He was definite。 〃The Patth aren't going to be fooled that easily…they'll have the word out anywhere the Icarus can get to。 All that would do is increase the number of fueling stops we would have to make； which is where we're most vulnerable； and give the Patth more time to learn what exactly the Icarus looks like。〃
〃And if they really do have Cameron； to get a plete crew list； too；〃 I agreed glumly。 〃All right； Utheno it is。〃
〃Utheno it is；〃 Ixil agreed； snapping his fingers to recall his ferrets。 〃I'm going back to my cabin to get some sleep；〃 he continued as they bounded up his legs and clawed their way to his shoulders。 〃I'd like to finish healing before we hit Utheno。〃
〃Watch yourself；〃 I warned。 〃Our murderer may not content himself with leaving his next batch of poison gas unmixed。〃
〃I'll have Pix and Pax on alert；〃 he assured me。 〃And there are a couple of door…guard tricks I know。 You just watch yourself。〃
〃What； me？〃 I said； snorting。 〃The only one we know can fly this monster？ I'm the safest person aboard。〃
〃Let's hope our murderer remembers that；〃 Ixil said pointedly； standing up and heading for the door。 〃And doesn't have too inflated an opinion of his own piloting skills。 I'll talk to you later。〃
He left； leaving the door locked open behind him。 I confirmed the vector and timing to Utheno； then shut down the plotting table and returned to my mand chair。 And tried to think。
Our talk with Tera had been good。 It had been enlightening and； assuming always that everything she had told us was true； very useful as well。
The problem was that it had also swept away the whole fragile toothpick…house I'd worked so painstakingly to put together since Jones's murder。 Before； I'd had a puzzle where the pieces didn't seem to fit together。 Now； suddenly； not only had she swept away the pieces； she'd swept away the damn puzzle； too。 The attacks on Jones and Chort； the sabotage to the cutting torch； the anonymous tips to the various customs and port authorities…every time lightning had struck I had carefully added the details to the rest of the mix； making sure to include the locations of all the possible suspects during that time。 And while I didn't kid myself that I'd sorted it out into a neat package； at least I'd been getting a handle on it all。
Now； suddenly； everything had changed。 Half the sabotage had been done by Tera and her father； a character I hadn't even known was on this particular stage of our little drama； and for reasons far less malevolent than their results would have suggested。 And with that confession； my careful checklist of who had been where when went straight out the airlock。 In fact； about all I had left to explain was the gem…smuggling tip to the Najik on Potosi and the poison…gas ponents and smashed release pad on Ixil's room。 And； of course； Jones's murder。
And the damnable part of it was that those were precisely the incidents that no one had any possible alibi for。 Anyone aboard could have sabotaged Jones's rebreather prior to his acpanying Chort on his spacewalk； and everyone was out on their own during the time Ixil's room was tampered with。
Everyone。 Including Tera。
Because Ixil's opinions to the contrary； I still hadn't eliminated her as a suspect。 Far from it。 The photo Uncle Arthur had sent wasn't nearly definitive enough for me to accept her claimed identity； and it was for sure that if the real Elaina Tera Cameron was running around the Spiral somewhere else we'd never hear about it here on the Icarus。 True； she'd known about the hull's alien grav generator； but if she was actually one of the archaeologists or techs； she would have also known about that。 Uncle Arthur had said the Ihmisits had rounded up the whole group； but without knowing his source for that information I was forced to consider it inplete if not downright suspect。 As to the rest of her story； I hadn't actually seen Cameron aboard the Icarus； and I sure couldn't confirm that he was the one I'd chased leisurely
