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Nicabar grunted。 〃Sloppy。〃
〃We are doing the best we can with what we have；〃 Nask insisted； his voice still civil but clearly showing some strain。 〃It was mere blind luck that one of Enig's defenders spotted McKell heading for that pharmacy and was able to see through his disguise。〃
〃Enig's defenders？〃 Nicabar echoed； looking over at Enig。
〃Yes；〃 Nask said。 〃Enig and Brosh are the pilot and copilot of the freighter Considerate。〃
〃Civilians？〃 Nicabar demanded； his eyes blazing。 〃You brought civilians into this？〃
〃I had no choice；〃 Nask snapped back。 〃I couldn't involve my staff for the same reason I didn't take McKell to the embassy。 Besides； Brosh and Enig are no longer precisely civilians。 Their ship happens to be the only Patthaaunutth vessel currently on the planet； and once we have the Icarus we'll need someone who can fly it back to Aauth。 I've therefore mandeered both of them into official service。〃
〃I see；〃 Nicabar said； glancing at me。 〃You know where the ship is； then？〃
〃Not yet；〃 Nask had to admit。 〃I was just beginning negotiations when you arrived。〃 He sent me a rather disgusted look。 〃Now； I presume； the question is moot。〃
〃Not quite；〃 Nicabar said。 〃The rest of the crew know he's missing and are on the alert。 We have to be careful or we'll risk damaging the artifact。〃
〃That would just be too bad； wouldn't it；〃 I murmured。
Nicabar regarded me as if I were something he'd found on the bottom of his shoe。 〃Who are all of these？〃 he asked； waving at the assembled Iykams。 〃More merchant…ship conscripts？〃
〃They're my ship's personal defenders； Expediter；〃 Brosh said； bristling noticeably at what he obviously took to be a slight。 〃They're more than equal to whatever task you require of them。〃
〃I suppose we'll find that out； won't we？〃 Nicabar said； leaving the desk and moving through the gathered Iykams； looking at each in turn with the piercing glance of military inspection officers everywhere。 〃Do I also assume you have cloaks of invisibility for all of them？〃
〃What？〃 Brosh asked； clearly startled。 〃Cloaks of what？〃
〃That's the only way they're going to get close enough to the Icarus to use these；〃 Nicabar said； lifting the nearest Iykam's gun hand and tapping the corona weapon。
〃Yes； I see；〃 Nask said with a nod。 〃A good point。 Brosh； do any of the defenders standing guard outside have plasmics with them？〃
〃Some of them； yes；〃 Brosh said； glaring from under his hood at Nicabar。 Apparently； he wasn't used to dealing with top…ranking Patth agents。 He certainly didn't seem to care much for their style。 〃I'll call them and ask。〃
〃No…no phones；〃 Nicabar said as Brosh reached beneath his robe。 〃We don't want anything going through the phone system that could be backtracked later。 You three〃…he jabbed a finger at a clump of Iykams…〃go to the others and collect all their plasmics from them。〃
〃Wait a minute；〃 Brosh protested； pointing at me。 〃You can't just send them away。 What about him？〃
〃What； it takes more than five of your highly petent defenders to guard a single manacled prisoner？〃 Nicabar countered scornfully。
〃He has a point； Expediter；〃 Nask put in。 〃McKell is a highly dangerous human； and has slipped out of several other traps。 Enig can go check on the weapons。〃
〃I don't want you three going outside this room any more than you have to；〃 Nicabar said in a voice of strained patience。 〃You shouldn't even be in this part of town； let alone wandering around loose。〃
〃It's the Grand Feast；〃 Nask pointed out tartly。 〃All races mix freely together for that。 But if you insist。〃 He nodded to the three Iykams Nicabar had marked out。 〃Carry out your orders。〃
〃And make sure you bring back one for me；〃 Nicabar added as the three headed to the door。
〃You're not armed； Expediter？〃 Nask asked as the Iykams left the room； closing the door behind them。
〃You know I'm not；〃 Nicabar said。 〃I presume you were watching as Enig and his defenders checked me for weapons outside。〃
〃My question was more along the lines of why you didn't have a weapon at all；〃 Nask said。 〃I was under the impression Expediters were routinely armed。〃
〃Most Expediters don't have to live aboard a ship the size of the Icarus with people like McKell poking their noses into everything；〃 Nicabar reminded him。 〃He'd have fingered me long ago if I'd brought a gun aboard。〃
〃You had us fooled； all right；〃 I growled； trying not to sound too bitter。 〃Especially that little speech you made back in the engine room。 That was a nice touch。〃
He lifted his eyebrows mockingly。 〃I don't know why；〃 he said。 〃I thought I made it pretty clear that I thought the Patthaaunutth were being unfairly picked on just because they happened to be more technically innovative than the rest of us。 You must not have been listening very well。〃
〃I guess not；〃 I murmured； a sudden surge of adrenaline jolting through my system。 I had been listening to that conversation； had been listening with everything I had。 And that was not in any way what Nicabar had said or implied。
Which either meant he was playing a pletely pointless game with me。。。 or else there was something else entirely going on here。
And then； even as Nicabar turned contemptuously away from me and back to Nask； I heard the most beautiful sound I'd ever heard in my life。 A soft sound； hardly audible； certainly not at all melodic。 But a sound nevertheless that three minutes ago I would have sworn I would never hear again。
The soft sneeze of a Kalixiri ferret。
I would have been surprised if any of the others noticed it。 Certainly they gave no sign that they had。 Nicabar was conversing in a low but intense tone with Nask； probably discussing plans for the uping raid on the Icarus； and all the Iykams in my field of view were still glowering at me with the same unfriendly expressions that their panions had worn in the back room just before I'd dropped a chair on them。 Slowly； making it look like I was checking them out in turn； I moved my head just enough to see the lower of the room's air vents。
And there he was； barely visible in the shadows behind the vent's crosshatched grating： Pix or Pax； I couldn't tell which； his head turned to the side as if he was grooming himself or gnawing at an itch。 Just as slowly； I turned back to the desk again； not wanting my interest in that part of the room to spark any unwele curiosity。
Nicabar was looking sideways at me； still talking to Nask。 I dropped one eyelid a millimeter and got an equally microscopic nod in return from him before he seemed to notice his ID still lying on the desk and returned it to his pocket。 Not his ID； rather； but the one I'd taken off the Patth agent on Dorscind's World after my old buddy James Fulbright's attempt to cash in on the reward。 Clearly； my original estimation of Thompson as little more than a glorified Patth accountant had been seriously off target。
〃I suppose you're wondering what we've got planned；〃 Nicabar spoke up into my thoughts。
〃Oh； no； don't tell me；〃 I said； remembering to put the same bitterness into my voice that I'd been feeling two minutes earlier。 〃I just love surprises。〃
〃I'd be a little less flippant if I were you；〃 Nicabar said reprovingly。