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

тАЬNo, she was very reticent. IтАЩve heard about the problem. The Colonials are very touchy about it.тАЭ
She walked back toward the bed, sat down. тАЬFunny thing. SheтАЩs very sensitiveтАФ receptive. She asked
me if the people who were chasing us were near.тАЭ
тАЬWhat?тАЭ The notion that the animal could have known gave me an odd feeling. I sat down on the
Empire chair. тАЬHow?тАЭ
тАЬShe said she could smell the fear on us.тАЭ
Odder still was to realize that Cheetah had been right. At the root of all actions taken for the sake of
survival lies fear unvarnished, the basic component of the mechanism. тАЬDid she think they were near?тАЭ
тАЬShe said no, not now.тАЭ
тАЬReassuring.тАЭ
тАЬIтАЩm tired. I think IтАЩll go freshen up.тАЭ She got up, took her pack and walked toward the bathroom.
Before she got to the door, I said, тАЬBy the way, I didnтАЩt get a chance to thank you... for a welltimed,
beautifully placed shot. Where the hell were you hiding that cannon?тАЭ тАЬIтАЩll never tell,тАЭ she said craftily,
over her shoulder. тАЬI did it for old timesтАЩ sake.тАЭ She went in and closed the door.
I buzzed Sam.
тАЬYeah?тАЭ
тАЬSomething Wilkes said. He said a lot of strange things. But there was something about stories.
Stories about me, and I guess about you, circulating around.тАЭ
тАЬStories?тАЭ тАЬRumors. I donтАЩt know. How does it strike you?тАЭ
тАЬLeaves me cold.тАЭ тАЬWe need information.тАЭ
тАЬThat we do. But how? Dare we risk the skyband?тАЭ тАЬIтАЩm going to take a stroll down to the lounge,
see if anyoneтАЩs there.тАЭ
тАЬBe careful. By the way, any way of getting down here from that birdhouse?тАЭ тАЬYes. ThereтАЩs a rope
ladder rolled up on the porch. Fire escape, I guess. WouldnтАЩt have taken the place if there had been no
way down.тАЭ
I knocked on the bathroom door and told Darla where I was going.
тАЬI still have Brown Bess,тАЭ she said.
And she could use it. It was a risk to separate, but I thought I had spotted a familiar rig in the parking
lot.
Outside, a patch of sky peeking through the jungle canopy was turning silver, spraying beams of
sunlight downward. The air was thick, moist, gravid with a million scents. Something chittered in the
branches above me as I crossed the first bridge, scolding, warning me. Before I got to the lounge it
occurred to me that I should ask about the clearing projectтАФwhere, how nearтАФthinking of it as a
possible means of escape. There were usually logging roads around such an endeavor.
No one was at the desk. I waited for a few minutes, then went around behind to a door. I opened it.
 Perez had his back to me, holding a long, thin wooden rod raised toward Cheetah, who cowered
pitifully in a comer of the office. PerezтАЩs head snapped around. He turned quickly and held the rod
behind his back.
тАЬYes?тАЭ
тАЬExcuse me. My lifecompanion wishes another errand run. Could you send someone up?тАЭ
тАЬYes. Yes, right away.тАЭ
тАЬSheтАЩs taken a particular liking to Cheetah here. Loves animals, you know. Could Cheetah go?тАЭ
Perez was reluctant. тАЬYes, of course.тАЭ He motioned to her without taking his eyes from me. When
she had left, I said, тАЬUnless you desire a totally new look and a fresh approach to life, youтАЩll not abuse
that creature while I am a guest here.тАЭ
Perez bristled. тАЬMr. Snerd, is it? This is none of your affair. I must ask you toтАФтАЬ I closed the door.
The lounge was very big, with shaman fright-masks looming from the walls, shrunken heads dangling
from the open-beam тАШ ceiling, potted fronds growing everywhere, a striped native animal hide nailed
above the bar. It was a crazy concatenation of Micronesian, African, and native motifs. Memories of
Terra grow more blurred with the years. There were few customers, but Jeny Spacks was in a comer