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！
d 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； staring accusingly at me。 〃So that's how you got the borandis so easily。 I should have guessed that a big simon…pure hotshot like you…〃
〃Put a baffle on it； Shawn；〃 Nicabar cut him off。 〃So what did you do to earn this lesson； McKell？〃
〃Ixil and I had a cargo of his bound for Xathru；〃 I said。 〃We were running a little ahead of schedule； so I diverted us briefly to Meima。〃
〃Why？〃 Tera asked。
〃I'll get to that later；〃 I said。 〃Ryland has informers everywhere； even on a backwater world like Meima。 I think Ryland was already having suspicions about my loyalty； so when one of his snitches reported I'd landed there instead of Xathru he apparently concluded I was getting ready to jump ship or double…cross him or some such thing。 Regardless； he decided I needed a lesson on why that was a bad idea。 Were you that informer； Everett； or just the local muscle for the territory？〃
Everett didn't answer。 〃Well； the personnel list's not important；〃 I said。 〃Either way； Ryland ordered Everett to tail me and fin