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！
them。 I was hardly close to him； just one small employee among thousands； but the Antoniewicz organization hadn't gotten where it was by letting even small employees bee disaffected to the point where they dribbled away money or merchandise or secrets。 Especially secrets。
Brother John was presumably under no illusions about what it was that kept me working for him； I'd already seen how adept he was at making sure that half…million…mark debt would be hanging over my head for a long time to e。 But if he was ever able to penetrate my mask and see the emotion swirling beneath it； he might very well decide I was a walking time bomb that needed to be dealt with。
But there was nothing for it now but to continue on。 I'd made my bed； as the saying went； and now all I could do was make myself as fortable in it as I could。
Unfortunately； for the moment fort of any sort was out of the question。 I'd suffered through yet another conversation with Brother John； and now I had to do what I'd been postponing for at least three worlds now。
It was time for a nice long chat with Uncle Arthur。
The call screener on Uncle Arthur's vid was female； cheerful； and if not actually beautiful； definitely edging in that direction。 Following on the heels of Brother John's surly male screener with the plastic…surgeon…baiting face； it was a contrast that seemed all the vaster for the parison。
Until； that is； you looked closely into her eyes。 For all her attractiveness； for all her easy smile and aura of friendliness； there was something cool and measuring and even ruthless that could be seen in those eyes。 Given the proper circumstances； I had long suspected； she would be able to kill as quickly and efficiently as any of the ice…hearted thugs in Brother John's household。
But then； that was to be expected。 She did； after all； work for Uncle Arthur。
〃It's Jordan； Shannon；〃 I greeted her； pushing such thoughts out of my mind as best I could。 I had to prepare to talk to Uncle Arthur； and anyway； despite the eyes； she was really quite good…looking。 〃Is he available？〃
〃Hello； Jordan；〃 she said； her smile tightening just a bit。 Unlike Brother John's screener； she took my altered face in stride without blinking an eye。 〃I'll see。〃
A superfluous ment； of course； she would have signaled Uncle Arthur as soon as she recognized me。 And if the tightening smile was any indication； I suspected Uncle Arthur was either sufficiently interested or sufficiently annoyed with me to take the call immediately。
I was right。 Even as she turned toward her control board her face abruptly vanished from the screen and was replaced by one considerably less photogenic。 An age…lined face； framed by a thatch of elegant gray hair and an equally elegant gray goatee with an unexpected streak of black down the middle； and topped off with a pair of pale blue eyes peering unwinkingly at me across the top of a set of reading glasses。
It was Uncle Arthur。
Judging from past experience； I fully expected him to get in the first word。 I wasn't disappointed。 〃I presume； Jordan；〃 he said in a rumbling voice that somehow went perfectly with the beard and glasses； 〃that you have some good explanation for all this。〃
〃I have an explanation； sir；〃 I said。 〃I don't know whether you'll think it good or not。〃
For a moment he glared at me； and I could see his face tilting fractionally back and forth。 The glasses； I'd long since decided； were about two…thirds necessity for an inoperable eye condition and one…third affectation； with the added benefit of giving him something he could use to subtly throw distracting flickers of light into people's eyes while he was talking to them。 That was what he was doing now； though through a vid screen it was a plete waste of his time。 Probably pure subconscious habit。
He finished his glaring and leaned back a bit in his chair。 〃I'm listening；〃 he invited。
〃I ran into Arno Cameron in a taverno on Meima；〃 I told him。 He would be wanting details…Uncle Arthur always wanted details…but there was no time for me to go into them now。 〃He was in a jam； with a ship to fly to Earth and no crew。 He asked if I would pilot it； and I agreed。〃
〃You just happened to run into him； did you？〃 Uncle Arthur rumbled ominously。 〃Did I somehow forget to mention that you weren't supposed to do anything but watch him？〃
〃He was the one who accosted me； not the other way around；〃 I said。 〃I didn't think challenging him to a duel for such an impertinence would be a proper response。〃
He turned the shrivel power of his glare up a couple of notches； but I'd just faced down Brother John； and Uncle Arthur's glares didn't seem nearly as potent in parison。 〃We'll leave that aside for the moment；〃 he said。 〃Have you any idea of the furor you and that ship are causing at the moment？〃
Almost the same question； and in very nearly the same tone； that Brother John had asked。 〃Not really；〃 I said。 〃All I know for sure is that there are agents of the Patth spreading hundred…mark bills through the Spiral's sewers； with an extra five thousand for the one who fingers me for them。〃
〃Five thousand marks； did you say？〃 Uncle Arthur asked； cocking an eyebrow。
〃That's what I was told a few hours ago on Dorscind's World；〃 I said carefully。 Uncle Arthur had a latent dramatic streak in him； which generally surfaced at the worst times。 The fact that he had now slipped into that mode was a bad sign。 〃Have they upped the ante since then？〃
〃Considerably。〃 He picked up a sheet of paper； holding it up to the camera as if to prove he wasn't just making it all up。 〃The Patth Director General has personally been in contact with at least fifteen different governments along your projected route in the past twelve hours；〃 he read from it in the precise； clipped tone he always used when delivering bad news。 〃They have been informed that a ship called the Icarus； with a human male named Jordan McKell in mand； is to be detained immediately upon identification。 It is then to be held until a representative of the Director General arrives； at which point it is to be turned over to him。〃
I felt a shiver run up my back。 〃Or else？〃
〃Or else；〃 he added； in that same clipped tone； 〃the Patth will impose mercantile sanctions on the offending governments； the severity of the sanctions to be determined by the offending government's perceived plicity in the Icarus's escape。 Up to and including a plete embargo against that species' cargoes。〃
He laid the paper back down again。 〃As you say； the ante has been upped；〃 he said quietly。 〃What in God's name did Cameron's people dig up out there； Jordan？〃
〃I don't know； sir；〃 I said； just as quietly。 〃But whatever it is； it's sitting in the Icarus's cargo hold。〃
Dramatically； it was the moment for a long； heavy silence。 But Uncle Arthur's dramatic impulses didn't extend to wasting time。 〃Then you'd best find a way to learn what it is； hadn't you？〃 he said。
〃Actually； I think I already have；〃 I said。 〃Found a way； that is。 Can you get hold of a personnel list from that archaeological dig？〃
〃I have it right here；〃 he said。 〃Why？〃
〃Because I suspect one of them is aboard the Icarus；〃 I told him。 〃Masquerading as a member of the crew。〃