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entrance into the ship that morning。 Probing carefully with my little finger； I felt in one of the two bottom grooves for the piece of guidance tag I'd wadded up and put inside。
The folded piece of plastic was no longer wedged halfway down the opening as I'd left it。 Instead； it had been jammed all the way to the bottom of the groove。 A quick check of the other groove showed the other half of the tag had likewise been crammed into the bottom。
Feeling my way along the side of the ship； I circled around the drive thrusters and worked my way back to the base of the ladder。 Then； and only then； did I turn on my flashlight and head up to the lodge。
Everett was not； as I'd expected； waiting for me in the expansive foyer where I'd left him。 He had instead found his way to the dining room and seated himself at the far end of one of the rustic hewn…wood tables。 Shawn； Tera； and Nicabar had reappeared from their rooms and were in the process of choosing seats of their own at the table； with Chort and Ixil just lugging in a large steaming stewpot containing whatever it was I'd smelled earlier。 Four seats were still empty： one on each side of Everett at the far end； one beside Shawn； the fourth at the end of the table closest to me； the seat facing away from the entrance archway。 Choosing that one； leaving Chort and Ixil to fight over the other three chairs； I sat down。
Dinner was a curious affair； full of odd contrasts。 The couple of hours of privacy had done small but noticeable wonders for the civility level among the group； particularly for Tera and Shawn； who mentioned that they'd spent their time catching up on badly needed sleep。 The fact that the quiet surroundings lent themselves to a sense of security was also undoubtedly a calming factor。
At the same time； though； there was an underlying tension permeating the whole event； a tension that showed up in a hundred little ways； from the slightly stilted conversation and long unfortable silences to the way everyone's eyes periodically and suddenly darted to the archway behind me as if expecting the entire population of the Patth homeworld Aauth to suddenly e charging in on us。 Tera seemed the worst in this respect； though Shawn's natural twitchiness brought him in a close second。 By a sort of unspoken mutual consent we avoided the topic of the rest of our trip； and our chances of actually getting to Earth with the whole Spiral breathing down our necks。
I gave it half an hour； until the stew was gone and the conversation had again lagged and they were starting to make the small but unmistakable signs of getting ready to take their leave。 Then； clearing my throat； I lifted my left hand for attention。 〃I know you're all tired and anxious to start settling down for the night；〃 I said。 〃But there are one or two matters we still need to deal with。〃
Their expressions could hardly be considered hostile； but there certainly was no particular enthusiasm I could detect。 〃Can't it wait until morning？〃 Everett asked from the far end of the table。 〃My leg's starting 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