I had to hand it to him； the man was sharp。 〃Very good；〃 I said approvingly。 〃I hereby withdraw all the unkind thoughts I've had toward EarthGuard Marines over the years。 Most of them； anyway。〃
〃Thanks；〃 Nicabar said dryly。 〃The answer's a qualified yes。 I've dealt with my share of pirates and hijackers； and I don't like them much。 You can count on me to help fight them off。 But。〃
He leveled a finger at my chest。 〃My support and my presence are conditional on the cargo being totally legit。 If I find out we're running drugs or guns or that we're mask…shilling for the Patth； I'm out at the next port。 Clear？〃
〃Clear；〃 I said firmly； hoping I sounded heartily on his side on this one。 If he ever found out about my connection with Brother John； I was going to have some fancy verbal dancing to do。 〃But I don't think you have anything to worry about on any of those scores。 Borodin told me the cargo had been cleared through customs on Gamm； and one would assume they were reasonably thorough。〃
〃Borodin told me that； too；〃 Nicabar said darkly。 〃But then； Borodin's not here； is he？〃
〃No； he's not；〃 I conceded。 〃And before you ask； I don't know why。〃
〃I didn't think you did。〃 He peered at me thoughtfully。 〃If you ever find out； I presume you'll tell me。〃
〃Of course；〃 I said； as if it went without saying； as I stood up。 〃I've got to get back to the bridge。 See you later。〃
I made my way back through the wiring undergrowth； wishing irreverently for a machete； and ducked through the aft airlock hatch into the wraparound。 Nicabar was sharp； all right。 Maybe a little too sharp。 Perhaps his lack of reaction to my story about being jumped was because he already knew all about it。
In which case； unfortunately； I ran immediately and solidly into the question of why he hadn't then done something to keep the Icarus from leaving Xathru。 Unless the Lumpy Brothers were just hunting cargoes at random； maybe working strictly on their own。
But that one didn't wash at all。 They'd known me by sight and name； and they'd known I'd e in from Meima。 And they sure as hell hadn't bought those corona weapons off a gun…shop rack。
I was halfway through the wraparound； still turning all the questions over in my mind； when I heard a dull； metallic thud。
I stopped dead in my tracks； listening hard。 My first thought was that we had another pressure ridge or crack； but that wasn't at all what the noise had sounded like。 It had been more like two pieces of metal clanking hollowly against each other。
And near as I could tell； it had e from someplace immediately ahead of me。
I unglued myself from the deck and hurried ahead； ducking through the forward airlock and into the main sphere； all my senses alert for trouble。 No one was visible in the corridor； and aside from the galley/dayroom three rooms ahead on my right all the doors were closed。 I paused again； listening hard； but there was nothing but the normal hum of shipboard activity。
The first door ahead on my right was the puter room。 I stepped up to it and tapped the release pad with my left hand； my right poised ready to grab for my plasmic if necessary。 The door slid open…
Tera was seated at the puter； holding a hand pressed against the side of her head。 〃What？〃 she snapped crossly； glaring at me。
〃Just checking on you；〃 I said； glancing around the room。 No one else was there； and nothing seemed out of place。 〃I thought I heard a noise。〃
〃That was my head banging against the bulkhead；〃 she growled。 〃I dropped a datadisk and ran into the wall when I leaned over to get it。 Is that all right with you？〃
〃No problem；〃 I said hastily； backing out rapidly and letting the door close on her scowl。 This was twice now； counting my spectacularly unnecessary floor dive back in that Meima hotel room； where I'd overreacted and made something of a fool of myself。
The difference was that Ixil was already used to that sort of thing from me。 Tera wasn't； and my face was hot as I glowered my way forward。
Ixil was seated in the restraint chair when I reached the bridge； Pix and Pax nosing curiously around the bases of the various consoles in their rodent way。 〃How was Nicabar？〃 he asked。
〃Smart； petent； and apparently on our side；〃 I told him。 〃Tera； unfortunately； probably now thinks I'm an idiot。 Did you hear a metallic clunking noise a couple of minutes ago？〃
〃Not from here； no；〃 he said； snapping his fingers twice。 The two ferrets abandoned their exploration in response to the signal； scampering up his legs and onto his shoulders。 〃They didn't hear anything； either；〃 he added。 〃Could it have been a pressure ridge forming？〃
〃No； it wasn't anything like that；〃 I said。 〃Tera told me she'd bumped her head on the bulkhead。 But that's not what it sounded like to me。〃
〃Perhaps it was Shawn across the corridor from her in the electronics workshop；〃 Ixil suggested as the ferrets headed down his legs to the deck again。 〃He said he was going to be tearing apart and cleaning one of the spare trim regulators。〃
〃He came here？ Or did he use the inter？〃
〃He came here；〃 Ixil said。 〃He wanted to ask you to run a decision/diagnostic on the regulators already on…line； not wanting to have one of the spares torn apart if there was any chance we might need it。〃
〃Unfortunately； this ship has all the decision…making capabilities of a politician up for reelection；〃 I said。 〃Tera's puter back there is just this side of utterly useless。〃
〃Yes； he mentioned that；〃 Ixil agreed。 〃I did what I could in the way of a diagnostic； then told him to go ahead。〃
〃Fine；〃 I said； pulling out the console's swivel stool。 I sat down facing Ixil； keeping the door visible at the corner of my eye。 〃I presume you took the opportunity to find out a little about him？〃
〃Of course；〃 he said； as if there would be any doubt。 〃An interesting young man； though he strikes me as something of the rebellious type。 He's quite well traveled…he went on several survey…match trips while in tech school； including one that followed Captain Dak'ario's famous journey across the Spiral three hundred years ago。〃
〃Sounds like a flimsy excuse to get out of real classes。〃 I sniffed。 〃Which school was it？〃
〃Amdrigal Technical Institute on New Rome；〃 he said。 〃Graduated fifth in his class； or so he says。〃
〃Impressive； if true；〃 I admitted grudgingly。 〃What was he doing on Meima？〃
〃He was out of work；〃 Ixil said。 〃Why； he wouldn't say…he went rather evasive every time I tried to move us back to that topic。 He did say that he was sitting in a taverno wearing his class jacket and being picked on by some kids from a rival school when he caught Cameron's eye。〃
〃Borodin； please； at least in public；〃 I cautioned him。 〃That's the name everyone else aboard knows him by。〃
〃Right。 Sorry。〃 He paused； an odd expression flitting across his face。 〃There's one other thing that may or may not mean anything。 Have you noticed Shawn seems to have a rather peculiar odor about him？〃
I frowned。 My first reaction was to think that that was possibly the strangest ment Ixil had ever made； certainly in recent memory。 But Ixil was a nonhuman； with access to a pair of even more nonhuman outriders； and all of them had different sensory ranges from mine。 〃No； I hadn't；〃 I said。
〃It's quite subtle；〃 he said。 〃But it's definitely there。 My initial thought was that it might be related to a possible medical problem； the odor ing either from the illness itself or induced by medication。〃
I felt my throat tighten。 〃Or it could be ing from some other kind of drug。 The illegal type； maybe？〃
〃Could be；〃 Ixil said。 〃Not standard happyjam； I don't think； but there are any number of variations I'm not familiar with。〃 He shrugged。 〃Then again； it could also be a result of something exotic he had for lunch in the port。〃
〃Nice to have it narrowed down。〃 Still； in all the years I'd known Ixil his instincts had never steered him wrong in this sort of thing。 And there had been the attitude change I'd noticed myself in Shawn earlier in the trip； a change that could well have had something to do with drugs。 〃All right； we'll keep an eye on him。 See if he smells the same tomorrow after a day of shipboard food。〃
〃I will；〃 he promised。 〃Speaking of tomorrow； I notice you've scheduled our next fueling stop on Dorscind's World。 I thought I might remind you that Dorscind's World is not exactly a highlight of the average five…star tourist cruise。〃
〃Which is precisely why I picked it；〃 I told him。 Pix and Pax had finished their deck…level tour of the bridge now and had scampered out the door into the corridor。 I sent up a silent prayer that they wouldn't run across Everett； with his bulk； the big medic might step on them before he even noticed they were underfoot。 〃Paperwork accuracy has never been exactly a high priority with the Port Authority there； particularly if you're a few marks heavy on the docking fees。 I figure that the eighty…two hours it'll take to get there should be long enough for us to create a new identity for the Icarus that'll be good enough to pass muster。〃
〃I'm sure we can put something together；〃 he rumbled； eyeing me speculatively。 〃Did your tangle with the Lumpy Brothers bother you that much？〃
〃More than you know；〃 I ass