"Bunch, Chris - Last Legion 01 - The Last Legion 2.0" - читать интересную книгу автора (Bunch Chris)

THE LAST LEGION
by Chris Bunch



CHAPTER 1

Ross 248/Waughtal's Planet/Primeport

The police sweeper drifted past the alleyway, white faces under helmets
inside staring straight ahead, disinterested.

Baka, Njangu Yoshitaro thought. He peered after them, saw the red-banded
gravsled lift over the dome where the street curved. Fools.

Njangu wore dark brown pants and tunic, and a roll-down mask on his
head. He pulled it over his face, adjusted the eyeholes, and went out of
the alley. The wide boulevard was deserted under the hissing lights.
Some shop windows were dark, more were lit with posturing mannequins,
furniture, tron gear that no one in Yoshitaro's district of Dockside
would ever own unless they stole it.

Njangu darted across the street to the steel-barred, blank doorway. The
lock was a Ryart Mod 06. Not the hardest, not the easiest. Four numeric
buttons. He would have three chances before the lock either set off an
alarm or froze, depending on the store owner's paranoia and budget.

Try easy. The factory setting was 4783. He tried it, nothing happened.
The owner thinks he's clever. But his salesmen open for him sometimes.
Perhaps... the shop's address was 213. Blank first, blank second? Most
likely first.

He spun the dials, and the door clicked open.

Not that clever.

There were a dozen clear-topped cases in the thick-carpeted room. The
half-sentient gems inside caught the light from the street, reflected it
back in moving, kaleidoscopic splendor as | they moved like jeweled
snakes.

Njangu took a com from his pouch, touched a transmit button, held it
down for a count of three, then a count of one, then three once more.
Half a dozen shadows ran silently toward the shop's yawning door.

Yoshitaro trotted out, not looking back. He'd see the others later, get
his share.

He ran for three long blocks, then turned down a dark street. He
stripped off his hood, gloves, stuffed them in his belt pouch. He was