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

portion of several spiral arms. But there certainly is more to discover. Every once in a while, a new race
drops into this neck of the woods and stops to be sociable. More information is then acquiredтАФbut the
process is slow.
тАШTell me. Where does the Skyway end?тАЭ I asked.
тАЬAt the beginning of the universe.тАЭ
I drained the last of my sickly sweet drink. тАЬIs there a good motel there?тАЭ Jerry laughed. тАЬJake, you
know how these whoppers get started. Alien booze in human stomachs. Accidental chemically induced
insanity.тАЭ
We talked for a while longer, about five more minutes. Jerry told me what he knew about the jungle-
clearing project. All the while something nagged at me from the back of my mind: the way Perez had
eyeballed me.
тАЬJerry, thanks a lot. Good luck in your new business.тАЭ
тАЬOkay, Jake. Let me know what itтАЩs like at the Big Bang.тАЭ
тАЬIтАЩll write.тАЭ
I went out into the lobby.
Perez was behind the desk, smiling at me strangely, and three sleek roadsters were pulling into the
lot.
I dashed for the elevator, and while waiting for the accursed sluggish thing, buzzed Sam.
тАЬSam, old man, condition puce. Get ready to roll.тАЭ
тАЬWhere to, for GodтАЩs sake?тАЭ
тАЬLook for two roads and a yellow wood that we can diverge into. Otherwise, itтАЩs all over.тАЭ
There was a house intercom by the elevator. I punched our cabin number.
тАЬYes?тАЭ
тАЬDarla, pack up. Now. Drop that ladder and get down to Sam. Make it fast, and use Bess on the rope
bridge. Bum it!тАЭ
тАЬRight!тАЭ
 Three men, one of WilkesтАЩ gunsels and two unknowns, were approaching the transparent entrance
doors. I looked around and saw double doors that probably led to a kitchen. I was right, and three cooks,
one of them alien, a Thoth, looked up from their dirty work. I didnтАЩt stop, and banged out a rear door. It
opened onto a hallway that led into the restaurant. A separate entrance provided access from the parking
lot. The room was dark and empty. From behind a partition by the waitersтАЩ station came the clattering of
dishes. I crossed the floor quietly, crouched against the front wall, and looked out a window.
Five more men were running toward the restaurant door. I dived under the nearest table and froze
just in time to hear the door thump open and feet pound across the floor. The heavy tablecloth prevented
me from seeing. I waited until they left, then got up and risked another look. Three more men waited in
the lot, standing by the side of one vehicle, hands thrust under their tropical shirts.
Trapped like a rodentoid.
I needed to get out the door and to the right, toward the end of the parking lot where the footpath
came out of the woods; but as I watched, two men came out of the front entrance and ran past my
vantage point, no doubt going to cover that very route. The alternative now was to somehow make it
across the lot in the other direction and duck into the woods using SamтАЩs swath as an entry point. The
three lookouts were still there.
Something was moving in the lot; by the sound, a rig. Then I saw it as it backed up between me and
the gunsels. It was Jerry, clearing out in a hurry. Wherever I was, he didnтАЩt care to be. When the
gunselsтАЩ view of the side door was completely blocked, I sprinted out, mounted the rigтАЩs running board,
and knocked on the side port about three inches from JerryтАЩs head. He jumped. He slid back the port.
тАЬHey, Jake. DonтАЩt do that!тАЭ
тАЬSorry, Jerry. Hello, Andromeda. Can you give me a lift to the far end of the lot?тАЭ
тАЬJake, those guys there... Never mind.тАЭ
Resigned, Jerry eased the rig forward. I watched as we passed the main entrance. Nobody showed.