tz.theicarushunt-第72部分

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to　hurt　again；　and　I'd　like　to　go　somewhere　where　I　can　prop　it　up。〃
　〃This　will　only　take　a　few　minutes；〃　I　assured　him。　〃And　no；　it　really　can't　wait。〃
　〃Of　course　not；〃　Shawn　muttered　under　his　breath。　〃Not　when　McKell　thinks　it's　important。〃
　〃First　of　all；〃　I　said；　nodding　toward　Chort　and　then　Ixil；　〃we　need　to　thank　Chort　and　Ixil　for　the　excellent　dinner　we've　just　eaten。　Especially　Chort；　who　I　understand　did　most　of　the　preparation。〃
　There　was　a　somewhat　disjointed　chorus　of　nods　and　thank…yous；　acpanied　by　the　gentle　scraping　of　chair　legs　on　the　floor　as　Shawn　and　Nicabar　pushed　their　seats　back　in　preparation　for　getting　up。　〃Anything　else？〃　Everett　asked；　half　standing。
　〃Actually；　yes；〃　I　said；　lifting　my　right　hand　above　the　level　of　the　table　to　reveal　the　plasmic　I　was　holding。　〃If　you'll　all　sit　back　down　again　and　put　your　hands　on　the　table；〃　I　said　into　the　suddenly　shocked　silence；　〃there's　a　murderer　I'd　like　you　to　meet。〃
　　
　CHAPTER　23
　
　FOR　A　HALF…DOZEN　heartbeats　they　stood　or　sat　in　utter　silence　like　carved　marble　statues；　every　eye　staring　either　at　my　face　or　else　the　gun　in　my　hand。　I　didn't　move　or　speak　either；　giving　them　as　much　time　as　they　needed　to　catch　up　with　the　bombshell　I'd　just　dropped　in　their　laps。
　Everett　recovered　first；　easing　back　down　onto　his　chair　as　if　there　were　a　row　of　eggs　waiting　there　and　he　didn't　want　to　break　any　of　them。　As　if　that　were　a　signal；　Shawn　and　Nicabar　just　as　carefully　unfroze　and　hitched　their　own　chairs　back　to　the　table。　The　three　men　and　Ixil　already　had　their　hands　on　the　table　as　instructed；　I　sent　a　querying　look　at　Chort　and　Tera　and　they　reluctantly　followed　suit。
　〃Thank　you；〃　I　said；　leaning　back　in　my　chair　but　keeping　my　plasmic　ready。　〃We　have　had；　from　the　very　beginning　of　this　trip；　a　number　of　unexplained　and；　at　least　on　the　surface；　inexplicable　events　dogging　our　heels。　We　had　the　ship's　gravity　go　on　unexpectedly　while　Chort　was　working　on　that　first　hull　ridge；　which　could　presumably　have　seriously　injured　or　even　killed　him　if　he'd　hit　something　wrong　on　his　way　down。　We　had　the　malfunction　with　the　cutting　torch　that　gave　Ixil　some　bad　burns　and　would　probably　have　killed　him　if　Nicabar　and　I　hadn't　been　able　to　shut　it　off　in　time。　We　also　had　a　bination　of　potentially　lethal　chemicals　put　inside　Ixil's　cabin　and　the　cabin　door　release　smashed　while　he　was　recovering　from　those　burns。
　〃There　are　others；　but　I　mention　these　particular　three　first　because　it　turns　out　they're　the　most　easily　and　innocently　explained。　It　seems　that　Tera　was　the　one　who　turned　on　the　gravity　during　the　spacewalk　in　order　to　keep　Chort　from　discovering　a　secret　about　the　ship　that　she　didn't　want　revealed。〃
　All　eyes；　which　had　been　locked　on　me；　now　turned　as　if　pulled　by　a　set　of　invisible　puppet　strings　to　Tera。　〃That　she　didn't　want　revealed？〃　Nicabar　asked。
　〃Specifically；　a　secondary　hatchway　on　the　top　of　the　engine　section；〃　I　said。　〃A　hatch　her　father　had　used　to　sneak　into　the　ship　that　morning　on　Meima。〃
　〃Wait　a　minute；〃　Shawn　said；　sounding　bewildered。　〃Tera　is。。。　she's　Borodin's　daughter？〃
　〃Exactly；〃　I　said；　nodding　approvingly　and　trying　to　ignore　the　aghast　look　on　Tera's　face。　〃Except　that　the　man　who　called　himself　Alexander　Borodin　was　in　fact　a　rather　better…known　industrialist　by　the　name　of　Arno　Cameron。〃
　There　was　the　sound　of　jaws　dropping　all　around　the　table。　〃Arno　Cameron？〃　Everett　all　but　gasped。　〃Oh；　my　God。〃
　〃I　wondered　about　that；〃　Nicabar　murmured。　〃Someone　had　to　have　had　tremendous　resources　to　put　a　ship　like　the　Icarus　together　in　the　first　place。〃
　〃And　if　there's　one　thing　Cameron's　got；　it's　tremendous　resources；〃　I　agreed。　〃It　also　turns　out　that　Cameron　was　the　one　who　sabotaged　the　cutting　torch；　though　Ixil　getting　burned　was　an　accident。　He'd　eavesdropped　on　Ixil　and　me　as　we　discussed　cutting　a　hole　into　the　cargo　area；　and　for　obvious　reasons　didn't　want　us　to　do　that。　Gimmicking　the　torch　was　the　only　way　he　could　e　up　with　to　stop　us　in　the　limited　time　he　had　to　work　with。〃
　〃Borodin…I　mean；　Cameron…was　aboard　the　Icarus　with　us？〃　Shawn　asked。　〃Where　was　he　hiding？〃
　〃He　must　have　been　in　the　gap　between　the　inner　and　outer　hulls；〃　Nicabar　said。　〃It　was　the　perfect　hiding　place。　None　of　us　even　knew　there　was　that　much　space　in　there　until　we　started　taking　the　ship　apart。〃
　〃That's　exactly　it；〃　I　confirmed。　〃He　surfaced　once　or　twice　to　touch　base　with　Tera；　or　to　check　our　course　heading　on　the　puter…room　repeater　displays。　But　mostly　he　just　lay　low。〃
　〃So　where　is　he　now？〃　Everett　asked。　〃I　trust　you're　not　going　to　try　to　tell　us　he's　still　hidden　aboard　somewhere？〃
　〃I'd　be　very　surprised　to　find　that　he　was；〃　I　said。　〃Getting　back　to　the　main　point；　it　turns　out　Cameron　was　the　one　responsible　for　those　lethal　chemicals　being　in　Ixil's　cabin　in　the　first　place。〃
　〃You're　wrong；〃　Tera　snapped；　her　eyes　blazing。　〃I　already　told　you　Dad　didn't　want　to　hurt　him　or　anyone　else。〃
　〃I　didn't　say　he　did；〃　I　said　mildly。　〃Actually；　his　part　in　all　that　was　to　save　Ixil's　life。　But　I'll　e　back　to　that。
　〃So　as　I　said；　some　of　these　incidents　can　be　explained　away；〃　I　continued；　letting　my　gaze　sweep　around　the　table。　〃But　not　all　of　them；　unfortunately。　Which　brings　us　to　the　murder…the　deliberate　murder…of　our　first　mechanic；　Jaeger　Jones。〃
　〃Murder？〃　Chort　said；　his　voice　almost　too　whistly　in　his　agitation　for　me　to　understand。　〃I　thought　it　was　an　accident。〃
　〃It　wasn't；〃　I　told　him。　〃But　the　murderer　hoped　most　of　us　would　think　it　was。　All　of　us；　in　fact；　except　one　person。〃
　〃But　that's　ridiculous；〃　Everett　snorted。　〃Why　would　the　Patth　want　to　kill　Jones？〃
　〃I　never　said　the　Patth　had　anything　to　do　with　it；〃　I　said。　〃But　since　you　bring　it　up；　that　very　question　is　what　had　me　stymied　for　so　long。　You　remember　Shawn's　disease…crazed　escape　on　Potosi；　and　the　Najiki　Customs　officials　who　nearly　impounded　the　ship？　That　was　our　murderer's　handiwork；　too。〃
　〃What　do　you　mean；　his　handiwork？〃　Tera　asked。　〃I　thought　Shawn　broke　free　on　his　own。〃
　〃No；　he　had　help；　though　he　probably　doesn't　remember　it；〃　I　said。　〃The　murderer　needed　Shawn　to　run　away　so　that　everyone　would　scatter　to　search　for　him　and　he'd　be　free　to　make　a　couple　of　private　vid　calls。　The　stumbling　point　here　is　that　our　killer　seemed　hell…bent　on　stopping　the　Icarus；　no　matter　what　he　had　to　do。　Yet　at　every　place　where　he　might　have　turned　us　over　to　the　Patth；　he　didn't　do　it。〃
　〃Sounds　like　you're　describing　a　schizophrenic；〃　Everett　murmured。
　〃Or　a　plain；　flat…out　psycho；〃　Shawn　added；　glancing　furtively　around　the　table。　〃Someone　who　kills　just　for　the　fun　of　it。〃
　〃Actually；　there's　nothing　unbalanced　about　him　at　all；〃　I　assured　them。　〃But　all　right；　let's　assume　for　a　minute　that　he　is　a　nutcase。　Let　me　then　throw　out　another　question；　one　that　helped　me　start　thinking　in　the　right　direction。　Here　we　have　Arno　Cameron；　creator　of　an　enormous　financial　and　industrial　empire；　wandering　through　the　hot　spots　of　Meima　looking　for　a　crew　to　get　this　vitally　important　piece　of　hardware　back　to　Earth。　Question：　Given　that　Cameron's　success　must　have　been　at　least　partially　based　on　being　an　excellent　judge　of　character；　how　in　the　world　did　he　not　catch　on　to　the　fact　that　one　of　the　people　he　was　hiring　was　a　schizophrenic；　psychotic　potential　murderer？〃
　For　a　minute　all　I　saw　in　their　faces　was　confusion；　either　at　the　question　itself　or　because　they　were　puzzling　over　the　answer　to　it。　All　their　faces；　that　is；　except　Tera's。　In　that　instant　I　saw　in　her　suddenly　wide　eyes　that　the　pieces　were　finally　starting　to　fall　into　place。　〃The　answer；　of　course；〃　I　continued；　not　waiting　for　the　class　to　respond；　〃is　that　he　didn't　sense　any　such　problem　because　one　of　you　is　not　the　man　he　hired　for　your　particular　slot　on　the　ship。〃
　Chort　found　his　voice　first。　〃That　is　incredible；〃　he　said；　the　whistling　under　only　slightly　better　control。　〃How　would　anyone　have　known　the　Icarus　was　valuable　enough　to　do　such　a　thing？〃
　〃And　once　he　knew　it；　why　didn't　he　just　go　to　the　Patth　and　turn　us　in？〃　Shawn　added。　〃This　makes　less　sense　than　the　psycho　nutcase　theory。〃
　〃Not　really；〃　I　said。　〃The　answers；　in　order；　are　that　he　had　no　idea　at　all　that　there　was　anything　special　about　the　Icarus。　And　he　didn't　turn　the　ship　in　to　the　Patth　because　his　purpose　in　ing　aboard　was　something　else　entirely。〃
　I　nodded　to　Everett。　〃Everett　was　the　one　who　finally　pushed　me　onto　the　right　track；〃　I　said。　〃It　was　back　when　you　all　learned　what　the　Icarus　was　carrying；　and　he　pointed　out　that　Borodin　and　the　Patth　weren't　the　only　possible　players　in　this　game。　I　suddenly　realized　that　he　was　right；　and　furthermore　realized　who　the　other　player　was。〃
　〃Who？〃　Tera　demanded。
　I　lifted　a　hand。　〃Me。〃
　There　was　a　short　silence。　〃I　don't　get　it；〃　Shawn　said。　〃What　are　you　talking　about？〃
　〃I'm　talking　about　me；　and　about　the　people　I　work　for；〃　I　told　him。　〃And　about　the　fact　that　the　murderer　came　aboard　the　Icarus　for　the　sole　purpose　of　delivering　me　a　message。　A　lesson　in　obedience。〃
　My　gun　had　been　waving　almost　idly　around　the　table；　the　hand　gripping　it　making　small　gestures　as　I　spoke。　Now；　in　a　single　smooth　motion；　I　brought　it　to　point　rock…steady　at　the　center　of　the　large　torso　looming　up　over　the　far　end　of　the　table　from　me。　〃You　can　tell　him；　Everett；〃　I　said　quietly；　〃that　I　got　the　message。〃
　Another　silence　descended　on　the　room；　this　one　as　thick　and　dark　as　tar　paste。　〃I　don't　know　what　the　hell　you're　talking　about；〃　Everett　said　at　last；　his　voice　husky　and　as　dark　as　the　silence　had　been。
　〃I'm　talking　about　a　crime　boss　named　Johnston　Scotto　Ryland；〃　I　said。　〃A　man　who　thought　I　needed　to　be　taught　a　lesson　about　strict　obedience　to　one's　orders　and　one's　master。〃
　〃Wait　a　minute；　wait　a　minute；〃　Shawn　said；　sounding　bewildered。　〃You've　lost　me　pletely。　How　did　a　crime　boss　get　into　this？〃
　〃Because　he's　a　crime　boss　who's　holding　a　half　million　of　McKell's　debt；〃　Nicabar　said；　his　eyes　studying　me　with　an　intensity　I　didn't　much　care　for。　〃McKell's　been　smuggling　for　him　for　the　past　few　years。〃
　〃You're　a　smuggler？〃　Shawn　demanded；