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by accident？〃
〃I suppose it's possible；〃 I said； the image of that massive search Ixil and I had spotted out in the Meima wilderness vivid in my memory。 No； it hadn't been any accident。 Not a chance in the world of that。 But there was no sense panicking Everett； either。
〃Hm；〃 Everett said。 For another moment he looked at the scrubber； then smoothed back the covering and put it aside。 〃I know you're not in the mood right now to count your blessings； but bear in mind that if Chort had died or broken his neck in that fall； we'd have lost both of them。〃
〃Blessings like this I can do without；〃 I said bitterly。 〃Have you looked at Chort yet？〃
He grunted。 〃Chort says he's fine and unhurt and refuses to be looked at。 If you want me to run a check on him； you'll have to make it an order。〃
〃No； that's all right；〃 I told him。 I'd never heard anything about the Craean culture being a particularly stoic one。 If Chort said he was all right； he probably was。
But whether he would stay that way was now open to serious question。 With that phony murder charge someone had apparently succeeded in scaring Cameron off the Icarus； and the guilt…by…association bit had nearly bounced me； as well。 Now； Jones had been rather more permanently removed from the crew list； and Chort had e within a hair of joining him。
And all this less than eight hours into the trip。 The universe was spending the Icarus's quota of bad luck with a lavish hand。
〃A pity； too；〃 Everett mented into my musings。 〃Jones being the mechanic； I mean。 He might have been the only one on board who could have tracked down what went wrong with the grav generator。 Now we may never know what happened。〃
〃Probably；〃 I agreed； putting the heaviness of true conviction into my voice。 If Everett…or anyone else； for that matter…thought I was just going to chalk any of this up to mysterious accident and let it go at that； I had no intention of disillusioning them。 〃That's usually how it goes with this sort of thing；〃 I added。 〃You never really find out what went wrong。〃
He nodded in miseration。 〃So what happens now？〃
I looked over at Jones's body again。 〃We take him to port and turn him over to the authorities；〃 I said。 〃Then we keep going。〃
〃Without a mechanic？〃 Everett frowned。 〃A ship this size needs all eight certificates； you know。〃
〃That's okay；〃 I assured him； backing out the door。 〃Nicabar can cover for the few hours it'll take to get to port。 After that； I know where we can pick up another mechanic。 Cheap。〃
He made some puzzled…sounding reply； but I was already in the corridor and didn't stop to hear it。 Cameron's course plan had put our first fueling stop at Trottsen； seventy…two more hours away。 But a relatively minor vector change would take us instead to Xathru； only nine hours from here； where Ixil and the Stormy Banks were due to deliver Brother John's illegal cargo。 We needed a replacement mechanic； after all； and Ixil would fit the bill perfectly。
Besides which； I suddenly very much wanted to have Ixil at my side。 Or perhaps more precisely； to have him watching my back。
CHAPTER 4
THE PARQUET DOCKYARD on Xathru was like a thousand other medium…sized spaceports scattered across the Spiral： primitive pared to Qattara Axial or one of the other InterSpiral…class ports； but still two steps above small regional hubs like the one we'd taken off from on Meima。 The Parquet's landing pits were cradle…shaped instead of simply flat； smoothly contoured to acmodate a variety of standard ship designs。
Of course； no one in his right mind would have anticipated the Icarus's lopsided shape； so even with half its bulk below ground level the floors still sloped upward。 But at least here the entryway ladder could be reconfigured as a short ramp with a rise of maybe two meters instead of the ten…meter climb we had had without it。 Progress。
Nicabar volunteered to help Everett take Jones's body to the Port Authority； where the various death forms would have to be filled out。 I ran through the basic landing procedure； promised the tower that I would file my own set of accident report forms before we left； then grabbed one of the little runaround cars scattered randomly between the docking rectangles and headed out to the Starrm building looming like a giant mushroom at the southern boundary of the port。
Like most Starrm facilities； this one was reasonably crowded。 But also as usual； the high costs involved with interstellar munication led to generally short conversations； with the result that it was only about five minutes before my name was called and I was directed down one of the corridors to my designated booth。 I closed the door behind me； made sure it was privacy…sealed； and after only a slight hesitation keyed for a full vid connect。 It was ten times as expensive as vidless； but I had Cameron's thousand…mark advance money and was feeling extravagant。
Besides； reactions were so much more interesting when face and body language were there in addition to words and tone。 And unless I missed my guess； the ing reaction was going to be one for the books。 Feeding one of Cameron's hundred…mark bills into the slot； I keyed in Brother John's private number。
Somewhere on Xathru； Starrm's fifty…kilometer…square star…connect array spat a signal across the light…years toward an identical array on whichever world it was where Brother John sat in the middle of his noxious little spiderweb。 I didn't know which world it was； or even whether it was the same world each time or if he continually moved around like a touring road show。
Neither did InterSpiral Law Enforcement or any of the other more regional agencies working their various jurisdictions within the Spiral。 They didn't know where he was； or where the records of his transactions were； or how to get hold of either him or them。 Most every one of the beings working those agencies would give his upper right appendage to know those things。 Brother John's influence stretched a long way across the stars； and he had ruined a lot of lives and angered a lot of people along the way。
Considering my current relationship with the man and his organization； I could only hope that none of those eager badgemen found him anytime soon。
The screen cleared； and a broken…nosed thug with perpetual scowl lines around his eyes and mouth peered out at me。 〃Yeah？〃 he grunted。
〃This is Jordan McKell；〃 I identified myself； as if anyone Brother John had answering the phone for him wouldn't know all of us indentured slaves by sight。 〃I'd like to speak with Mr。 Ryland； please。〃
The beetle brows seemed to twitch。 〃Yeah；〃 he grunted again。 〃Hang on。〃
The screen went black。 I made a small private wager with myself that Brother John would leave me hanging and sweating for at least a minute before he deigned to e on； despite the fact that fielding calls from people like me was one of his primary jobs； and also despite what this vid connect was costing me per quarter second。
I thought I'd lost my wager when the screen came back on after only twenty seconds。 But no； he'd simply added an extra layer to the procedure。 〃Well； if it isn't Jordan McKell；〃 a moon…faced man said in a playfully sarcastic voice； looking