tz.theicarushunt-第59部分

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　He　eyed　me　speculatively。　〃You　can　see　for　yourself　why　I've　been　secretive　about　myself　and　my　agenda；〃　he　said；　waving　a　hand　around　him。　〃What's　your　excuse？〃
　〃I　like　my　life；〃　I　told　him。　〃Not　my　current　circumstances；　necessarily；　but　the　basic　idea　of　continued　existence。〃
　〃And　what　are　your　current　circumstances？〃
　〃Somewhat　messy；〃　I　said。　〃But　we're　getting　away　from　the　point。　How　do　you　know　so　much　about　the　stargate？〃
　We　locked　gazes　for　another　few　seconds。　Then　his　eyes　drifted　away　from　mine；　as　if　he　was　too　tired　to　keep　up　his　end　of　the　nonverbal　battle。　〃Elaina　doesn't　know　this；〃　he　said；　〃but　the　archaeologists　had　already　cracked　much　of　the　alien　script　before　my　people　and　I　arrived　on　Meima　to　build　the　Icarus。　With　that　hurdle　crossed；　we　were　able　to　gain　considerable　knowledge　of　the　inner　workings　of　the　artifact。〃
　His　lips　puckered。　〃Though　we　still　thought　that　what　we　had　was　a　new　stardrive；　with　the　destination　and　ining　displays　having　to　do　with　navigation。〃
　〃So　where　is　all　this　knowledge？〃　I　asked。　〃I　presume　you're　not　going　to　try　to　tell　me　you　memorized　it。〃
　His　expression　had　gone　all　speculative　again。　〃Why　do　you　need　to　know？〃
　〃In　case　something　happens　to　you；〃　I　explained　patiently。　〃I　don't　know　whether　you　know　it；　but　you're　the　very　last　of　the　Mohicans　now…the　rest　of　your　group　has　been　rounded　up　and　are　in　Ihmisit　hands。　Possibly　Patth　hands　by　now；　actually；　I　haven't　kept　up…to…date　on　developments。　If　they　get　you；　too；　that'll　be　it　as　far　as　the　good　guys　are　concerned。〃
　〃And　if　you　know　where　the　data　is；　you　might　be　tempted　to　trade　it　for　that　life　you　want　so　much　to　keep；〃　he　pointed　out。　〃I　think　it　might　be　safer　if　I　kept　that　little　secret　to　myself　for　the　time　being。〃
　I　snorted。　〃Standing　tall　and　stalwart　against　the　invading　hordes　might　be　good　melodrama；　but　it　makes　lousy　real…world　policy；〃　I　told　him　flatly。　〃Face　it；　Cameron；　you're　in　a　dangerous　and　pletely　untenable　position　here；　and　you're　going　to　have　to　bite　the　bullet　and　trust　someone。　At　the　moment；　that's　me。〃
　Again　his　eyes　drifted　away。　〃I　suppose　you're　right；〃　he　said　with　a　sigh。　〃All　right。　The　data　is　stored　in　code　in　a　file　on　my　notepad　here。　If　something　happens　to　me；　either　Elaina　or　my　executive　assistant　Stann　Avery　will　be　able　to　locate　and　decode　it。〃
　〃Got　it；〃　I　said。　It　wasn't　the　entire　truth；　I　knew…he'd　given　in　much　too　easily　for　that。　But　it　was　probably　at　least　a　partial　truth；　and　for　the　moment　I　could　live　with　that。　〃All　right；　then。　I'll　send　you　in　some　more　food　and　water　when　I　get　back　to　the　Icarus。　Is　your　little　toilet　system　working　okay？〃
　〃Wait　a　minute；〃　he　said；　his　face　suddenly　gone　taut。　〃What　do　you　mean；　when　you　get　back？　We　can　both　go…no　one　has　to　stay　here　to　operate　the　device。〃
　I　shook　my　head。　〃Sorry；　but　I'm　afraid　you　can't　show　your　face　yet。　I　didn't　tell　you：　We've　disassembled　most　of　the　ship's　interior。　Makes　it　a　lot　safer　for　the　return　trip；　but　it　also　means　there's　no　place　left　where　you　could　have　been　hiding。　You　suddenly　pop　up　now　and　someone's　going　to　start　putting　the　pieces　together。〃
　〃What　about　the　smaller　sphere？〃　he　asked；　his　voice　taking　on　an　edge　of　panicked　insistence。　〃I　could　have　been　hiding　in　the　smaller　sphere。〃
　〃Besides　which；　you're　the　one　who　holds　the　key　to　this　bombshell；〃　I　continued；　gesturing　at　his　notepad。　〃Don't　forget；　we've　got　a　murderer　aboard　the　Icarus。　The　farther　you　and　your　notepad　stay　away　from　him；　the　better。〃
　He　wasn't　happy　about　it…that　much　was　evident　from　the　play　of　emotions　across　his　face。　But　he　could　see　the　logic　in　what　I　was　saying；　and　a　few　extra　days　of　isolation　didn't　stack　up　all　that　badly　against　the　possibility　of　being　knifed　in　the　back。　Slowly；　reluctantly；　he　gathered　control　of　himself　and　nodded。　〃You're　right；〃　he　said　with　a　sigh。　〃All　right；　I'll　stay。　Any　idea　how　long　I'll　have　to　be　here？〃
　〃Until　we　find　a　safe　place　to　put　down；〃　I　said。　〃Don't　worry；　I'll　let　you　know。〃
　〃You'd　better；〃　he　warned　with　a　game　attempt　at　a　smile。　〃The　view　in　here　doesn't　really　have　all　that　much　to　remend　it。〃
　〃You　can　start　naming　the　constellations；〃　I　suggested；　getting　to　my　feet。　〃So。　How　do　I　work　this　thing？〃
　He　gestured　to　the　articulated　arm　angling　its　way　toward　the　center　of　the　sphere　twenty　meters　above　us。　〃Once　I've　set　the　destination　panel；　I　expect　all　you'll　need　to　do　is　work　your　way　along　the　arm　to　the　trigger　section　at　the　end；〃　he　said。　〃Basically　the　same　as　you　did　on　the　Icarus。〃
　Except　that　on　the　Icarus　the　gravitational　field　had　been　pointing　the　other　way。　It　looked　like　I　was　in　for　a　long　climb。　〃Right；〃　I　said。　〃Don't　worry　if　it　takes　me　a　couple　of　hours　to　get　the　supplies　to　you。　There　isn't　a　lot　of　privacy　in　the　ship　right　now；　and　I　don't　want　anyone　to　catch　me　putting　a　survival　pack　together。　Someone　might　jump　to　the　wrong　conclusion。〃
　〃Or　even　the　right　one？〃　he　suggested。
　I　nodded。　〃Especially　the　right　one。〃
　A　ghost　of　something　flicked　across　his　face。　〃You'll　let　my　daughter　know　I'm　all　right；　won't　you？　We've　hardly　spoken　since　the　trip　began…there　just　haven't　been　any　safe　opportunities…but　I　know　she's　worried　about　me。〃
　〃And　vice　versa？〃　I　suggested。
　His　lips　pressed。　〃Very　much　vice　versa；〃　he　agreed　quietly。　〃I'd　appreciate　it　if　you'd　watch　over　her　for　me。〃
　〃I　will；〃　I　promised。　〃You　can　count　on　it。〃
　For　a　moment　he　studied　my　face；　as　if　trying　one　last　time　to　see　if　I　was　indeed　someone　in　whom　he　could　place　this　kind　of　trust。　I　met　his　eyes　stolidly；　not　flinching　away　from　the　probe；　exuding　all　the　sincerity　I　could　muster。　And　after　a　couple　of　heartbeats　he　nodded。　〃All　right；〃　he　said　with　a　sigh。　〃You'd　best　be　on　your　way；　then。〃
　I　nodded　and　gave　a　whistle。　Pax　emerged　from　a　mass　of　wiring　he'd　been　nosing　through　and　bounded　enthusiastically　over　to　me。　I　managed　to　catch　him　before　he　could　start　with　equal　enthusiasm　up　my　leg　and　settled　him　into　a　cradling　carry　in　the　crook　of　my　elbow。　〃I'll　let　you　know　when　you　can　e　out；〃　I　told　him；　crossing　the　sphere　to　where　the　arm　was　anchored。　〃I'll　either　e　myself　or　send　in　one　of　the　ferrets。〃
　〃Understood；〃　he　said。　〃Good　luck。〃
　〃You；　too；〃　I　said。　Reaching　up　with　my　free　hand；　I　wrapped　my　legs　around　it　and　started　awkwardly　to　climb。
　The　awkwardness　didn't　last　long。　I'd　barely　started　my　climb　when　I　felt　myself　rapidly　going　weightless。　For　about　five　seconds　I　hung　there　in　zero　gee；　and　then　the　gravity　began　again；　only　this　time　pointed　the　opposite　direction；　toward　the　center　of　the　sphere。　I　quickly　turned　myself　around；　noticing　that　Cameron　was　still　glued；　albeit　openmouthed；　to　the　inner　surface。　I　don't　know　why　finding　a　two…tier　artificial　gravity　in　our　unknown　aliens'　bag　of　tricks　should　have　surprised　me；　but　it　did。　The　level　of　the　pull　stayed　about　where　it　had　been　aboard　the　Icarus；　keeping　me　moving　inward　without　giving　me　the　feeling　of　uncontrolled　falling。　I　looked　over…up；　rather…at　Cameron　once　as　Pax　and　I　slid　down　toward　the　center；　wondering　if　he'd　noticed　that　I'd　somehow　never　gotten　around　to　agreeing　to　his　request　that　I　tell　Tera　he　was　here。
　Because　there　was　no　way　I　was　going　to　let　her　in　on　what　the　Icarus　really　was。　No　way　in　hell；　for　the　simple　reason　that　that　would　require　me　letting　her　know　that　I　knew　what　it　really　was。　As　a　possibly　advanced　stardrive　that　might　or　might　not　still　function；　the　Icarus　had　a　value　that　was　potentially　high　but　still　nebulous。　As　a　stargate　with　proven　capabilities；　that　value　had　suddenly　solidified　to　an　astronomical　level。
　And　I　had　no　intention　of　letting　Tera　e　to　the　realization　that　the　Icarus's　asking　price　was　now　light…years　beyond　the　paltry　half…million　debt　that　held　me　enslaved　to　Brother　John　and　the　Antoniewicz　organization。　Enough　to　buy　me　out　of　that　contract；　guarantee　me　immunity　from　prosecution　for　every　illegal　act　I'd　ever　mitted；　and　set　me　up　for　a　lifetime　of　luxury　on　top　of　it。
　I　had　reached　the　trigger。　I　took　one　last　look　at　Cameron；　who　didn't　know　any　of　what　his　daughter　had　learned　about　me。　But　as　I　squeezed　the　trigger；　and　the　tingling　and　blackness　closed　in　around　me；　I　wondered　oddly　if　he　might　possibly　have　guessed　the　truth。
　　
　CHAPTER　18
　
　THE　TRIP　BACK　to　the　Icarus　probably　took　no　longer　than　the　trip　out　from　it　had。　I　say　probably　because　it　definitely　seemed　longer。　Partly　that　was　due　to　the　fact　that　I　was　expecting　it；　with　the　acpanying　sense　of　slightly　cringing　anticipation；　and　partly　because　this　time　I　had　a　Kalixiri　ferret　cradled　in　my　arm；　whose　main　reaction　to　the　tingling　sensation　was　to　attempt　to　dig　his　claws　into　whatever　patches　of　skin　were　within　easy　reach。
　Mostly；　though；　it　was　due　to　the　unfortable　awareness　that　a　single　miscalculation　on　Cameron's　part　would　leave　me　in　very　serious　trouble　indeed。　Because　if　Cameron　had　guessed　that　I　was　not　precisely　what　he　thought　he'd　hired　back　at　that　Meima　taverno；　and　if　he'd　decided　he　didn't　want　someone　like　me　aboard　his　ship　anymore；　then　a　small　mistake　on　the　encoding　panel　would　be　the　absolute　simplest　way　of　getting　rid　of　me　for　good。
　But　Pax's　claws　didn't　get　to　anything　that　wouldn't　heal　by　itself；　and　Cameron　hadn't　made　any　mistakes；　deliberate　or　otherwise。　There　below　me　were　the　stacks　of　interior　wall　panels　awaiting　the　attention　of　Chort　and　his　welding　team　outside；　the　other　stacks　of　equipment　and　paraphernalia；　and　the　archaic　puter　humming　beside　the　gaping　access　panel。
　The　relatively　minuscule　part　of　my　mind　that　hadn't　been　worried　about　me　ending　up　in　the　wrong　stargate　at　the　wrong　end　of　the　universe　had　occupied　itself　with　the　question　of　how　I　was　going　to　explain　my　sudden　appearance　to　Tera　without　giving　away　the　true　nature　of　her　father's　discovery。　But　to　my　mild　surprise　Tera　was　nowhere　to　be　seen；　either　at　the　access　panel　or　half…hidden　in　the　shadows　thrown　by　the　sections　of　inner　hull　that　we'd　left　in　place　because　of　the　wiring　conduits　fastened　to　their　undersides。　For　a　moment　I　wondered　uneasily　if　she　might　have　taken　it　upon　he