"C. J. Cherryh - Chanur 03 - The Kif Strike Back" - читать интересную книгу автора (Cherryh C J)

"So we've got our own detainee," Pyanfar said, puzzling Hilfy: she saw the ears cant in bewilderment. She opened a channel below to the accessway com. "Skkukuk. What do we do with you?"

The kif had tucked down in a ball. It stood up and straightened. "I am freezing, hunter Pyanfar."

"Good. What if I blow your head off? Would the hakkikt like that? You offend him somehow?"

"I lack all status with him."

"Hope to gain it, do you?"

"I am hopeless, unless your sfik is greater than it seems."

She laid her ears back. "Kif, you want to live?"

"Naturally."

"Strip and get inside that lock. Leave the robes in the lock. Walk into the main corridor. And wait there."

It bowed, hands tucked away again.

She leaned and keyed the outer hatch open, powered the chair around and met Hilfy's quick, flat-eared stare. "Got ourselves a sfik item down there. Tully it isn't. We'll see what we've just been handed. Tell Vigilance and Aja Jin we're playing this business out and staying at dock; they can do what they like about it."

"We've got scan image going out," Haral said. "Jik says affirmative, he's still coming in."

"Gods hope he isn't kidding," Geran said.

"Gods hope," Pyanfar muttered. Visions of attack assailed her. One swift blast at the dock from either of her two incoming allies and it was ail over. But she trusted Jik. She hoped. "Khym. Come on."

"You going down there?" Hilfy asked, turning her chair about.

"Nose to that board, youngster. Stay put. Come on, Khym. This one's yours."

Khym's ears came up. He had not looked so cheerful since they took him into fire on the docks in the Kshshti mess.



She had her pocket gun in one hand, a com unit at her belt with the gain turned up full as the two of them rode the lift down. Khym had his bare hands; and those were not bad odds--unless, she thought, the kif down in their airlock had a knife or worse: gods witness, they were not a warship, to have security precautions and detectors. They went on guess-work, took the gamble-

-lunatic, a small voice said. For a bedraggled, half-crazed human's sake, to risk The Pride.

"Don't push it," she said to Khym while the lift was on the way down. She thumbed the safety off the pistol. "Gods forbid it's called our bluff and brought us a grenade."

"What do you do then?" Khym asked.

"Throw it back, for godssakes! How should I know?" The thought ruffled her nape-hairs. And punching the button on the in-lift com: "Haral-Stand by that inside hatch release!"

The lift door whisked open. She walked out after Khym with her gun ready in her hand.

"Now, captain?" Haral asked.