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〃Well； they didn't all go down the rabbit hole；〃 I explained apologetically。 〃A second group was hidden somewhere in or near the lodge to take care of anyone you'd left outside the ship。 Once the mander learned from Pix's memories that Nicabar and the others were being held hostage there； he knew to call in the details to the reserve troops as soon as they popped in here。〃
Tera looked at Brother John； then back to me。 〃But I thought you worked for these people；〃 she protested。 〃You said you owed them a half…million marks。〃
〃So I did；〃 I acknowledged。 〃And so I do。 But you see； I was working for someone else long before Brother Johnston Scotto Ryland came out of the woodwork and smilingly mortgaged my soul。 For that matter； long before I even ran up the debt that attracted him to me in the first place。〃
And then； finally； she got it。 〃You mean…？〃
〃Yes；〃 I said； straightening up into an almost…forgotten military attention。 I had my pride； too。。。 and it had been a long time since I'd been able to say this to anyone at all。 〃I'm Major Jordan McKell； EarthGuard Military Intelligence； detached on Special Covert Branch duty。 May I also introduce my boss： Colonel Ixil T'adee； Kalixiri Special mand for Drug Enforcement。 Our job these past twelve years has been to work our way inside the Spiral's worst drug and gunrunning organizations and try to bring them down。〃
I turned to Antoniewicz。 〃And as I said before； Mr。 Antoniewicz；〃 I added quietly； 〃I'm very pleased to meet you。 Badgemen all over the Spiral have been waiting a long time for you to e out of your hole so that you could finally be arrested。 I'm honored you chose to do it for me。〃
CHAPTER 25
IT WAS NOT exactly what you would call a cheerful group that was gathered around the table in the lodge dining room a little after dawn the next morning； but it beat to hell the atmosphere that had been there the last time around。 Partly it was the smaller and more intimate nature of the assemblage； with Shawn and Chort off somewhere being debriefed； Ixil directing the group looking over the Icarus； and Antoniewicz and his assorted plug…uglies long gone under heavy Kalixiri guard。 The fact that Cameron had had time for a shower probably helped a lot； too。
〃I hope you know how close you came to getting your neck broken last time we were in here；〃 Nicabar mented； picking carefully at the Kalixiri military delicacies the occupation troops had whipped up。 It was a far cry from Chort's gourmet Craean stew； but the taste was adequate and it was certainly filling enough。 〃When you turned that plasmic on me I figured all that talk about Everett was just you stalling while you waited for your pals to arrive。〃
〃You'd never have made it even halfway to my neck；〃 I told him。 〃Antoniewicz's thugs would have cut you down in a heartbeat if you'd tried anything。 Including going for your gun； incidentally； which is why I drew on you in the first place。〃
He snorted gently。 〃I thought I was being reasonably subtle about it。〃
〃You were；〃 I agreed。 〃But I haven't spent twelve years in Intelligence work without knowing what a surreptitious grab for a weapon looks like。 Give me some credit。〃
〃Personally； I give you a great deal of credit；〃 Cameron mented around a mouthful of food。 Alone of the four of us； he was already on his second helping。 〃You had me fooled all the way down the line； from Meima to our little chat at the other end of the star…bunny trail； right up to the moment those Kalixiri mandos popped in and nearly gave me a heart attack。〃
〃Sorry about that；〃 I apologized。 〃Though I did wonder after our talk at the edge of forever whether you'd finally figured me out。〃
〃I knew you weren't as simple as you seemed；〃 he said； shaking his head。 〃But beyond that I didn't have a clue。〃
〃You might have told him；〃 Tera said； a touch of reflexive accusation in her voice。 〃He certainly wasn't going to tell anyone in there。〃
〃But he would be ing out sometime；〃 I reminded her。 〃And I didn't yet know what the circumstances of that homeing were going to be。〃
〃And it's infinitely safer in this sort of game if no one has had even a peek at your cards；〃 Cameron said； rising to my defense。 〃Sir Arthur explained all of that in his message。〃
〃What message？〃 Tera asked。
〃A note from my boss；〃 I explained。 〃Retired…sort of…General Arthur Sir Graym…Barker； former Intelligence Level Two Overseer and the Earthside director of this quiet little bined…services unit Ixil and I have been involved with all these years。 The mando team brought it through the stargate with them so that your father would know what was going on。〃
〃Unlike the rest of us；〃 Nicabar said pointedly。 〃So what was that fluff you spun to Tera about having been kicked out of EarthGuard？〃
〃Not a single bit of fluff to it；〃 I assured him。 〃The court…martial was pletely and totally official。 It had to be…I was trying to worm my way into the center of the Spiral's underworld； and everything in my record had to stand up to the kind of scrutiny we knew it would be getting someday。 The time I spent with Customs and Rolvaag Brothers Shipping was more of the same window dressing； with the added value of giving me practical training in the sorts of things a soon…to…be smuggler needs to know。 When I was finally ready； they gave me the Stormy Banks and instructions to pile up a mountain of debts and turned me loose。〃
〃And that was when you met Ixil？〃 Nicabar asked。
〃Actually； Ixil and I go back all the way to my EarthGuard days；〃 I said。 〃In fact； he was the one who spotted me while trolling for prospective recruits and suggested to Uncl…I mean； Sir Arthur…that I be invited in。 He spent my training years building up his own sordid background； so that when we publicly linked up we were about as sorry a pair of misfits as you could ever hope to meet。〃
〃And you already knew this General Graym…Barker？〃 Tera asked； looking at her father。
〃I met him about fifteen years ago； when we were developing an advanced targeting…system countermeasure for military stealthers；〃 Cameron said。 He made a face at me。 〃Of course； I thought he really was retired now or I never would have contacted him in the first place。 The last thing I wanted was for the leaky bureaucratic sieve at Geneva to get hold of any of this。〃
〃So that's why you were on Meima when this whole thing started；〃 Tera said； turning back to me。 〃You never did answer that question。〃
I nodded。 〃Sir Arthur told us your father was in some kind of trouble on Meima during one of my check…ins and asked us to swing over and assess the situation。 I'd been wandering around the local tavernos for nearly four hours looking for him when we finally ran into each other。〃
I looked at Cameron。 〃Interestingly enough； he even said that； depending on how serious the danger you were in； I was authorized to do whatever was necessary to protect you； up to and including blowing my cover if there was no other way。 Shows you just how highly you're considered up there in the corridors of power。〃
〃I'm honored；〃 Cameron murmured。 〃That's rather amusing； really； considering that I was prepared in turn to tell whoever he sent everything about the Icarus if there was n