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latter。 〃You're missing someone；〃 I mented； tapping him on the flat shoulder。
〃I sent Pix up onto the roof；〃 Ixil said in that cultured Kalixiri voice that fits so badly with the species' rugged exterior。 One of the last remaining simple pleasures in my life； in fact； was watching the reactions of people meeting him for the first time who up till then had only spoken with him on vidless starconnects。 Some of those reactions were absolutely priceless。
〃Did you； now；〃 I said； circling around to his right side。 As I did so； the lump on top of that shoulder twitched and uncurled itself； and a whiskered nose probed briefly into my ear。 〃Hello； Pax；〃 I greeted it； reaching over to scritch the animal behind its mouselike ear。
The Kalixiri name for the creatures was unpronounceable by human vocal apparatus； so I usually called them ferrets； which they did sort of resemble in their lean； furry way； though in size they weren't much bigger than laboratory rats。 In the distant past； they had served as outriders for Kalixiri hunters； running ahead to locate prey and then returning to their masters with the information。
What distinguished them from dogs or grockners or any of a hundred other similar hunting partners was the unique symbiotic relationship between them and their Kalixiri masters。 With Pax riding on Ixil's shoulder； his claws dug into the tough outer skin； Pax's nervous system was right now directly linked to Ixil's。 Ixil could give him a mental order； which would download into Pax's limited brain capacity； and when he returned and reconnected； the download would go the opposite direction； letting Ixil see； hear； and smell everything the ferret had experienced during their time apart。
For Kalixiri hunters the advantages of the arrangement were obvious。 For Ixil； a starship…engine mechanic； the ferrets were invaluable in dealing with wiring or tubing or anything else involving tight spaces or narrow conduits。 If more of his people had taken an interest in going into offworld mechanical and electronic work； I'd often thought； the Kalixiri might well have taken over that field the same way the Patth had done with general shipping。
〃So what on the roof do you expect to find interesting？〃 I asked； giving Pax another scritch and wondering for the millionth time whether Ixil got the same scritch through their neural link。 He'd never mented about it； but that could just be Ixil。
〃Not on the roof；〃 Ixil said； lifting a massive arm。 〃Off of it。 Over there。〃
I frowned where he was pointing。 Off in the distance； beyond the buildings of the spaceport periphery and the more respectable city beyond it； was a gentle glow against the wispy clouds of the nighttime sky。 As I watched； three thruster sparks lifted from the area and headed off horizontally in different directions。 〃Interesting；〃 I said； watching one of the sparks。 It was hard to tell； given our distance and perspective； but the craft seemed to be traveling remarkably slowly and zigzagging as it went。
〃I noticed it about forty minutes ago；〃 Ixil said。 〃I thought at first it was the reflected light from a new munity that I simply hadn't seen before。 But I checked the map； and there's nothing that direction except a row of hills and the wasteland region we flew over on our way in。〃
〃Could it be a fire？〃 I suggested doubtfully。
〃Unlikely；〃 Ixil said。 〃The glow isn't red enough； and I've seen no evidence of smoke。 I was wondering if it might be a search…and…rescue operation。〃
From the edge of the window came a gentle scrabbling sound； and with a soft rodent sneeze Pix appeared on the sill。 A sinuous leap over to Ixil's arm； a quick scamper…with those claws digging for footholds the whole way up…and he was once again crouched in his place on Ixil's shoulder。
There was a tiny scratching sound like a fingernail on leather that always made me wince； and for a moment Ixil stood silently as he ran through the memories he was now pulling from the ferret's small brain。 〃Interesting；〃 he said。 〃From the parallax； it appears to be considerably farther out than I first thought。 Well beyond the hills； probably ten kilometers into the wilderness。〃
Which meant the glow was also a lot brighter than I'd thought。 What could anyone want out there in the middle of nowhere？
My chest tightened； the ache in my leg suddenly forgotten。 〃You don't happen to know；〃 I asked with studied casualness； 〃where exactly that archaeology dig is that the Cameron Group's been funding； do you？〃
〃Somewhere out in that wilderness；〃 Ixil said。 〃I don't know the precise location。〃
〃I do；〃 I said。 〃I'll make you a small wager it's smack…dab in the middle of that glow。〃
〃And why would you think that？〃
〃Because Arno Cameron himself was in town tonight。 Offering me a job。〃
Ixil's squashed…iguana face turned to look at me。 〃You are joking。〃
〃Afraid not；〃 I assured him。 〃He was running under a ridiculous alias…Alexander Borodin； no less…and he'd dyed that black hair of his pure white； which made him look a good twenty years older。 But it was him。〃 I tapped my jacket collar。 〃He wants me to fly him out of here tomorrow morning in a ship called the Icarus。〃
〃What did you tell him？〃
〃At three thousand marks for the trip？ I told him yes； of course。〃
Pix sneezed again。 〃This is going to be awkward；〃 Ixil said； and then added what had to be the understatement of the week。 〃Brother John is not going to be pleased。〃
〃No kidding；〃 I agreed sourly。 〃When was the last time Brother John was pleased about anything we did？〃
〃Those instances have been rare；〃 Ixil conceded。 〃Still； I doubt we've ever seen him as angry as he can get； either。〃
Unfortunately； he had a point。 Johnston Scotto Ryland…the 〃Brother〃 honorific was pure sarcasm on our part…was the oh…so…generous benefactor who had bailed Ixil and me out of looming financial devastation three years ago by adding the Stormy Banks to his private collection of smuggling ships。 Weapons； illegal body parts； interdicted drugs； stolen art； stolen electronics； every disgusting variety of happyjam imaginable…you name it； we'd probably carried it。 In fact； we were on a job for him right now； with yet another of his secretive little cargoes tucked away in the Stormy Banks's hold。
And Ixil was right。 Brother John had not clawed his way up to his exalted position among the Spiral's worst scum peddlers by smiling and shrugging off sudden unilateral decisions by his subordinates。
〃I'll square it with him；〃 I promised Ixil； though how exactly I was going to do that I couldn't quite imagine at the moment。 〃It was three grand； after all。 How was I supposed to turn that down and still keep up the facade that we're impoverished independent shippers？〃
Ixil didn't react； but the ferrets on his shoulders gave simultaneous twitches。 Sometimes that two…way neural link could be handy if you knew what to look for。 〃Anyway； there's no reason why Brother John should get warped out of shape over this；〃 I went on。 〃You can take the Stormy Banks the rest of the way to Xathru by yourself。 Then he can have his happyjam and guns and everybody can relax。 I'll look at Cameron's flight path in the morning and leave you a message at Xathru as to wh