"Baldwin, Bill - The Helmsman 01 - The Helmsman" - читать интересную книгу автора (Baldwin Bill)

!!!!"Well, you're not the original early riser, young man," the watchman chuckled, "nor I
suppose the last, either. Bring yourself in here while I try to find where you belong. And don't
open the door more'n you must!" While Brim parked the traveling case and made his way into
the pungent warmth of the shack, the old campaigner placed his orders card in the side of a
battered communications cabinet (which also doubled as storage for six cracked and stained
teacups, none particularly clean). Presently, a shimmering display globe materialized over the
crockery. He studied the contents. "Hmm. All the way from Carescria," he observed without
looking around. "Caught in Anak's big sneak attack, I suppose?"
!!!!Brim only nodded to the man's back.
!!!!"Lose anybody?"
!!!!Brim shut his eyes. Did people have to ask? All he personally wanted was a chance to
forget. Even after six years, the war's sudden onset was as real as the night before. Wave after
wave of heavy cruisers from Emperor Nergol Thannic's League of Dark Stars. Concussion.
Agonizing heat-his tiny sister's last, anguished screams. He shook his head. "Everyone," he
whispered almost to himself, "everyone."
!!!!"Sorry," the old man said. "I didn't mean to-"
!!!!"It's all right," Brim interrupted dully. "Forget it."
!!!!Neither occupant found more words until the old man broke his silence with another
pregnant "Hmm." He scratched his head. "T.83, eh?" Apparently, this needed no answer, for
he continued moving age-spotted fingers over his small control panel, concentrating on rapidly
changing patterns in the globe. Finally, he looked up to consult a large three-dimensional map
tacked above a ragged chair. Tracing a long finger along the causeway, he stopped near the
image of a tiny, fenced-in square. "You're here, now, d' you see?" he asked.
!!!!Brim peered at the map. "Yessir," he said. "I see."
!!!!"All right, then," the watchman continued. "Now let me think, G-31 at, ah. . ." He peered
nearsightedly at the globe again without moving the finger. "Oh, yes, G-3l at B-19." Now he
continued across the map until he stopped at a basin carved into a far corner of the island.
"B-19," he announced.!!!!"Your Truculent's moored here, Carescrian. On the gravity pool
numbered R-2134. D' you see?"
!!!!Brim squinted at the map near the man's black fingernail. A tiny "R-2134" was just visible
printed inside one of seven rectangular gravity pools bordering the circular basin. "I see it, all
right," he said.
!!!!"Bit of a distance on foot," the old man observed, stroking his thin, stubbled chin. "First
skimmers from the transport pool I won't run for another metacycle or so, and I can't imagine
the ship'll send one of their own. You're not even signed aboard as a crew member yet."
!!!!Brim snorted. He knew what the watchman really meant-that they wouldn't send a skimmer
for a no-account Carescrian. He'd been here before, often. The old man smiled sympathetically.
"1 can offer you a spot of tea to warm your stomach until then, if you'd care to have a seat."
!!!!"Thanks just the same," Brim said, making his way toward the door. "But I think I'll walk
off some of this excitement before I try to check in." He nodded. "R-2134. I'll find it."
!!!!"Thought you might do something like that," the old man observed. "You'll get there with no
trouble. Just keep the set of blue tracks on your left. Snow won't stay on 'em."
!!!!Brim nodded his thanks and stepped quickly into the cold, summoning the traveling case to
his heel. A thickening carpet of snow lay over the still-sleeping complex, already hiding much
of the unsightly dockyard clutter beneath a mantle of white. Carefully keeping the blue-glowing
tracks on his left, he made his way along a dark concourse, noting that his pace curiously
increased as soon as he cleared the gate. While he hurried along the rough pavement, he asked
himself if it was the cold that made him hurry so-or was it the excitement?
!!!!On either side of the road, powerful forms of warships loomed through the falling snow,
hovering ponderously over shallow gravity pools, dimly lit from beneath by the glow of