Part 42 (1/2)

”Trondariok,” Ixil repeated. ”It's a Dariok colony world about ten light-years from Rachna.”

For a moment Cameron still didn't get it. I watched his face, wondering idly how long it was going to take. And then, his face suddenly cleared. ”Of course,”

he said, nodding. ”Rachna. It's the duplicate Icarus we were building at the construction plant there. The one I was going to have flown to Meima.”

”That's the one,” I confirmed. ”One of my other suggestions to Sir Arthur. A second Kalixiri commando team got in and commandeered it, with instructions to fly around that area for a week or so and make sure they're seen and identified.”

”By then, if we're lucky,” Ixil added, ”the group we've got at Hinsenato will have finished making their copy off the blueprints the Kalixiri sent them from Rachna.”

”Wait a minute,” Nicabar said, his forehead wrinkled in thought. ”Rachna.

That's way over in the Eta Sindron region, isn't it?”

”That's right,” I said.

”Well, h.e.l.l, that's no good,” he objected. ”The Patth know we were on Palmary less than a week ago. We couldn't possibly have made it all the way to-”

He broke off, his face changing as he suddenly got it. ”Oh,” he said. ”Right.

Of course we couldn't make it with a standard stardrive. But the Icarus isn't supposed to be running with just a standard stardrive.”

”And as far as the Patth are concerned, this little incident should solidly clinch that theory for them,” I said, nodding. ”So now we just have to lead them on. A couple of days after the Icarus disappears from the Trondariok area, it'll be spotted near Hinsenato, then somewhere else, and so on. The idea is to draw the chase far enough away from here that we'll be able to quietly move the real Icarus somewhere secure where we can start studying it.”

”And what happens to us?” Nicabar asked. ”The same gilded cage the Patth were offering?”

”For Shawn and Chort, some kind of protective custody will be required,” I conceded. ”At least until the Icarus has been tucked away someplace safe.

That'll also give us some time to get their testimonies against Everett.”

”So that was why you maneuvered him into admitting Jones's murder in front of all of us,” Tera murmured. ”So you'd have witnesses to his confession.”

”Right,” I said. ”Just one more lever we can use against him if he decides to be stubborn about helping us dismantle Antoniewicz's organization. As for you and your father, power and influence being what it is, you're pretty much exempt from any threats Geneva can throw at you. Though I suspect Sir Arthur will strongly suggest you both stay with the project, wherever it finally gets set up.”