"John DeChancie - Skyway 1 - Starrigger" - читать интересную книгу автора (Dechancie John)

тАЬIt wasnтАЩt me.тАЭ He inclined his head to our rear. I looked back and was astonished to see Darla
crouched down, holding a monster of a Walther 20kw on the proceedings. тАЬAll right, people.тАЭ
I looked around the loom. About four other people had guns drawn. The man who had spoken was
immediately to my left. I knew none of them.
тАЬYou,тАЭ the man said to me. тАЬYou leave. WeтАЩll entertain this group while youтАЩre doing it. WeтАЩll give
you five minutes. Then weтАЩll let тАШem go. The humans, that is. The bug we might fry for lunch.тАЭ
тАЬThanks.тАЭ
 We all backpedaled our way out after Tomasso had poked his head out me front door and yelled that
it was clear. In the interim, I got out my key and buzzed Sam, told him to pick us up on the road about a
block away.
Out in the lot, I thanked Tomasso and Chang, told them their dues were taken care of for the rest of
the year.
тАЬHell, weтАЩre paid up!тАЭ Tomasso complained.
тАЬNext year!тАЭ
Darla and I ducked into the brush bordering the lot. The undergrowth was tangled, but we made it
with a little help from DarlaтАЩs blunderbuss. When we reached the road, Sam was there, and we piled in.
 3
тАЬNEVER FIGURED WILKES to make a grandstand play like that,тАЭ Sam said as we searched the
hinterlands of Mach City for an out-of-the-way motel. тАЬWouldтАЩve made a martyr out of you.тАЭ тАЬJust call
me Venerable Jake, and take my cause to the Pope. I donтАЩt really think he meant to. His boy got too
excited.тАЭ
тАЬProbably. They would have had the exits covered for a genuine ambuscade. HowsoeverтАФтАЬ тАЬThere
being only one way off this tropical paradise, and that being the SkywayтАФтАЬ тАЬItтАЩs safe to say they have
the exits covered now,тАЭ Sam said.
тАЬA good bet. Anybody still following us?тАЭ I asked.
тАЬNot a soul.тАЭ
We passed plantations, a power plant, a few lonely residences off the road. There was not much to
see besides jungle.
тАЬWhatтАЩs this up ahead?тАЭ
I squinted. Off in the mass of overhanging greenery were little houses nestled in the treetops. It
looked like a movie set. A sign by the road.
тАШтАЭGreystoke GrovesтАФTreecabins, Free Total Vid, Whirlpool Jungle Lagoon, Guided Safari Tour,
Reasonable RatesтАФ VACANCY.тАЩ Charming. Just the thing for a cozy getaway weekend. What say,
Sam?тАЭ
тАЬAll the same to me. I live in a truck.тАЭ
тАЬHeck, youтАЩll miss the safari. Pity.тАЭ
тАЬWouldnтАЩt miss it for the world. Hang on.тАЭ There was a large parking lot, which Sam traversed.
Without stopping, he plunged the rig into the wall of undergrowth that bordered same. Branches
thumped against the bulkhead, creaked, and shattered. Sam kept going, cutting a swath through the
jungle.
Brightly colored flying critters took wing in our path, screeching their panic. We hit a hidden ditch
and slammed down. The engine whined, groaned, and we were out of it, crashing forward again through
a cataract of vinery. тАЬSam, large tree.тАЭ , тАЬI know. Damn! Let me back up.тАЭ The rollers crackled to
maximum grab, and spun. тАЬDouble diddley damn. This stuff is wet.тАЭ тАЬThey donтАЩt call it a rain forest for
nothing.тАЭ We backed up and whanged against something. тАЬOuch. Hold on.тАЭ After some uncomfortable
maneuverings, we battered our way onward. A centipede like animal found itself clinging to our forward
viewport, much to its chagrin. It extended two sets of antennae, fore and aft, and elongated itself
vertically, each end checking out a possible escape route. It (they?) decided on up, and crawled out of
sight.
Finally, we came to a crunching halt near the base of a stout treetrunk. Sam cut the engine, and we