"Allen, Roger MacBride - Chronicles of Solace 3 - Shores of Tomorrow" - читать интересную книгу автора (Allen Roger Macbride)

Koffield shook his head. УI donТt think so. I think itТs to ask us our opinion of his researchЧand his plans, whatever those turn out to be. He brought us here so he could ask us if we think heТs crazy.Ф

УWhat?Ф

УThink about itЧheТs in worse shape to judge than we are. We just got through agreeing that heТs been cut off from human society for a long, long timeЧand been a power answerable to no one but himself for even longer. ItТs enough to turn anyoneТs head around. Ifwe can see that, so can he.Ф

УSo he needs us around just to be sure he hasnТt gone around the bend?Ф

УAmong other reasons,Ф Koffield said. УWhich reminds me, we had another reason for coming down here. IТd still like to get this bomb removed.Ф

Marquez looked startled. УIТd almost forgotten about it. Where the hell is it?Ф

УRight where Sparten left it,Ф Koffield said. УOr rather, whereI put it back after I removed it to disarm it.Ф He knelt and pointed to a small blue cylinder, about ten centimeters long and three wide, taped to one of the propellant surge tanks.

Marquez let out a low whistle. УItТs not big, but it wouldnТt have to be, right there. Set that off, and youТd blow all the propellant in that tank. Might or might split the hull, but at the very least itТd make sure neither set of engines ever fired again. AhЧyoudid disarm it, didnТt you?Ф

УYes,Ф Koffield said. УBut then I put it back in place, just in case Sparten decided to check on it.Ф Moving very slowly and carefully, he reached down and peeled back the two thin strips of very ordinary adhesive tape that held it to the tank. He pulled the bomb away, and handed it up to Marquez.

УItТs safe now, right?Ф Marquez asked, feeling nervous holding even a small amount of high explosive in his hands.

УItТs a bomb,Ф Koffield said calmly. УItТs safe enough if youТre careful, but it wonТt everreally be safe, until we blow it up out where it wonТt hurt anyone.Ф

УDo you think heТll let us out on the surface to do that?Ф Marquez asked. He had imagined that theyТd all be forced to stay underground for good.

УWhy not? ThereТs no breathable air. ThereТs barely any atmospheric oxygen left. Besides, itТs cold enough that all the carbon dioxideТs frozen out and fallen like snow,Ф Koffield said. УItТs a dead world. HeТs got the only light and heat, perhaps for light-years around. Where could we go?Ф

УLight-years?Ф Marquez suddenly realized he was in the very rare position of knowing something Koffield did not. УItТs not quitethat far to light and heat. Try about seven hundred kilometers south,Ф he said triumphantly.

УWhat?A settlement?Ф

Marquez had actually managed to surprise Koffield. That was a most rare accomplishment. УBunch of diehard types,Ф Marquez said, quite pleased with himself. УProbably buried so deep and insulated so well our scans missed their base on the way in. DeSilvo let it slip.Ф

УUnless he let it slip on purpose,Ф Koffield said.

Koffield stood up and held out his hand for the bomb. Marquez handed the deadly little thing back to him. Koffield carefully took it and twisted one end of it until the end cap popped free. He slipped the cap into one pocket of his trousers and tucked the rest of the cylinder into the breast pocket of his shirt. УThat should make it just a bit less unsafe, anyway. But, getting back to this settlementЧwhat more did he say?Ф

УNot much at all. I was at the viewport with him this morning, watching the bulldozers and earthmovers taking the outside of this place apart. I said something like it was a mighty cold world out there. And he said, СNot all of it is quite so cold as you think.Т I asked what he meant. He hesitated, like heТd said too much. Then he pointed sort of to one side of the viewport, off toward the south, and said, СWhy not tell you? That way, about seven hundred kilometers. They call it Last Chance Canyon. But I think youТll find the accommodations more comfortable here.Т After that, he shut up.Ф

Koffield leaned his back against a convenient bulkhead, crossed his arms in front of his chest, and let out a weary sigh. УWonderful. HeТs been playing games with us so long, so why not play same more? Was he lying or telling the truth? Was what he said spontaneous or planned? Is it important or not?Are we supposed to act on itЧor not? All that just for starters.Ф

Marquez shook his head. УAll I know for sure is we donТt know anything for sure. But Ithink it was just a bit of trivia to him.Ф

УSo assuming the place is even there, you have no idea how many people, what theyТre doing there, if they know about this placeЧor about us?Ф

УIТve told you all I know,Ф Marquez replied. УI donТt know if they could help us.Ф

УHelp us do what?Ф Koffield asked.

УEscape, obviously,Ф Marquez replied.