CHAPTER 18

THE TRIP BACK to the Icarus probably took no longer than the trip out from ithad. I say probably because it definitely seemed longer. Partly that was dueto the fact that I was expecting it, with the accompanying sense of slightlycringing anticipation, and partly because this time I had a Kalixiri ferretcradled in my arm, whose main reaction to the tingling sensation was toattemptto dig his claws into whatever patches of skin were within easy reach.

Mostly, though, it was due to the uncomfortable awareness that a singlemiscalculation on Cameron's part would leave me in very serious troubleindeed.

Because if Cameron had guessed that I was not precisely what he thought he'dhired back at that Meima taverno, and if he'd decided he didn't want someonelike me aboard his ship anymore, then a small mistake on the encoding panelwould be the absolute simplest way of getting rid of me for good.

But Pax's claws didn't get to anything that wouldn't heal by itself, andCameron hadn't made any mistakes, deliberate or otherwise. There below me were thestacks of interior wall panels awaiting the attention of Chort and his weldingteam outside, the other stacks of equipment and paraphernalia, and the archaiccomputer humming beside the gaping access panel.

The relatively minuscule part of my mind that hadn't been worried about meending up in the wrong stargate at the wrong end of the universe had occupied itself with the question of how I was going to explain my sudden appearance toTera without giving away the true nature of her father's discovery. But to mymild surprise Tera was nowhere to be seen, either at the access panel orhalf-hidden in the shadows thrown by the sections of inner hull that we'd leftin place because of the wiring conduits fastened to their undersides. For amoment I wondered uneasily if she might have taken it upon herself to crawlinto the small sphere after me, but as I began the by-now-familiar downward drifttoward the surface I realized she had more likely simply gone around to theaccess panel in the engineering section to see if I was coming out there.

For a change, Lady Luck seemed to be smiling on me. Then again, maybe thefickle wench was just lulling me into a false sense of security while she reached fora rock.

I had made it to the surface, ready this time for the sudden surge ingravitational strength in that final meter, and was picking my way through theobstacle course toward the access panel when the hatchway to the wraparoundopened. Tera, undoubtedly, come to ask questions I had no intention ofanswering.

But to my mild surprise it wasn't Tera who came crawling out of the zero geeof the wraparound toward me. It was, instead, Chort, still vacsuited but with hishelmet hanging from the neck connector and bouncing gently against hisshoulder blades. "Captain McKell," he puffed as he caught sight of me. "Good—I hadhopedto find you here."

I resisted the impulse to ask where else he thought I might have gotten to. Itwould have been unnecessarily sarcastic, and given my experiences of the pasthour, would have been rather disingenuous as well. "Is there a problem?" Iasked instead as I set Pax down.

"We have to leave this place," he said, pulling himself the rest of the wayinto the sphere and standing up. "As soon as possible."

I frowned. "Are you finished with the cowling already?"

He twitched his head. "No, not entirely," he said. "But there will be nofinishing. Electronics Specialist Shawn is ill."

I grimaced. In the excitement of my trip to nowhere and back I'd almostforgotten about this constraint on our little operation. "How bad is he?"

"You will see for yourself soon," Chort said, his voice noticeably morewhistlythan usual. "Drive Specialist Nicabar will be bringing him inside as soon ashis seizure is ended."

I felt the hairs on the back of my neck tingling unpleasantly. Seizures? Thatwas a new one on me. "Does Revs need help?"

Another twitch of the head. "He assured me he can manage on his own. But wewill need to obtain more medicine as soon as possible."

"Understood," I said, stepping over to the computer and tapping the intercomto the engine room. "Ixil?"

"There you are," Tera's voice came back almost instantly. "Where have youbeen?"

"Where do you think I've been?" I retorted. "Inside that damn puzzle box disentangling Ixil's damn ferret from all that damn wiring. Why, wasn't Imovingfast enough for you? Put Ixil on."

She didn't reply, and I could imagine her floundering with surprise at myuncharacteristic harshness. I felt a twinge of guilt, but at the moment hurtfeelings were low on my priority list. "Yes, Jordan?" Ixil's voice camecalmly.

"Shawn's having some kind of seizure," I told him. "Revs will be bringing himin as soon as it's over. Start kicking the thrusters and stardrive back to life, and send Everett and Tera over to this side before we have to seal down the wraparound again."

"Understood," he said. "They're on their way."

"Good," I said. "Oh, and I've got Pax. He's safe and sound." A thoughtoccurred to me—"I'll bring him back around to you in a minute."

I keyed off before he could ask why I would waste time bringing a safe andsound ferret around to him now instead of concentrating on the navigational part ofour upcoming trip. "What shall I do?" Chort asked.

"Go get the treatment table ready for him," I said, pointing across toward thepile of sick-bay equipment. "Then stand by to assist Everett. I've got to getPax back to Ixil in case he needs him."

The excuse, lame though it was, was unnecessary. Chort probably didn't evenhear it as he took off at a quick jog across the sphere. I headed in the oppositedirection, toward my personal kit and the food supplies that had been storednear my cabin and were now conveniently piled nearby. I'd promised Cameronsome supplies, and this could very well be my last clear chance for a while to getthem to him.

I'd just finished filling my bag with food bars and water bottles when Everettand Tera emerged from the wraparound. Everett made a beeline for Chort and themedical setup; Tera, not surprisingly, made an equally straight beeline forme.

I met her halfway. "Well?" she asked in a low and anxious voice, herexpressionthat of someone braced for the worst.

I shook my head. "He's not in there," I said. "Not alive, not dead, notinjured."

The anxiety in her face eased, but only fractionally. "Then where is he?" sheasked.

"I don't know," I told her, a statement that was technically correct, thoughmisleading as hell. "Maybe he got off at Potosi after all."

She turned her eyes away from me. "He wouldn't have left the Icarus," she saidquietly. "Not voluntarily."

I thought about that one. Another technically correct statement, though shedidn't know it. "Perhaps," I said. "I wouldn't give up hope, though. If anyonecan find a place to hide where the Patth can't find him, it'll be yourfather."

She took a careful breath. "I hope so."

"I know so," I said, turning my eyes away from her in turn. The quiet pain onher face was tugging hard at my conscience, making me want to tell her that hewas all right.

But with a heroic effort I resisted the temptation. If I even let myself startdropping hints as to the true situation here, I would go from comforter tosuspect in nothing flat. Neither of us could afford that. "Look, I'd love to chat some more," I said instead. "But I have to get this stuff to Ixil beforeNicabar needs to turn the wraparound into an airlock again."

"Sure," she said automatically, her thoughts clearly still with her father.

Which for the immediate moment was all to the good. If I could get out of hersight before she thought to ask what I had in my bag, it would mean one lessthing I would have to lie to her about. Whistling for Pax, who was rootingaround the food stores, I headed out into the wraparound.