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

тАЬYou have some old-fashioned ideas. But then, you always did.тАЭ
тАЬGoing to pick her up?тАЭ
I braked and started to answer, but as we passed, the smile faded a little and her eyebrows lowered
questioningly, as if she thought she recognized me. The expression was only half-completed before we
flew past. That made it definite. I braked hard, eased the rig onto the shoulder, pulled to a stop, and
waited, watching her through the side-view parabolic as she hoofed it up to us,
тАЬSomething?тАЭ Sam asked.
тАЬUh... donтАЩt know. Do you recognize her?тАЭ тАЬNope.тАЭ
I rubbed the stubble on my chin. I seem never to be clean-shaven when it counts. тАЬYou figure sheтАЩs
trouble?тАЭ
тАЬA woman that good-looking is always trouble. And if you think thatтАЩs an outdated notion, wipe off
the backs of your ears and wise up.тАЭ
I took a deep breath, equalized the cab pressure and popped the passenger-side hatch. Out in the
desert it was quiet, and her approaching footsteps were muffled in the thin air. She was a good distance
back, since I usually roar by star hikers to intimidate them- Some tend to get aggressive, pulling cute
stunts like stepping right out in front of you and flagging you down. A while back, I smeared one such
enterprising gentleman over a half-klick of road. The Colonial cops took my report, told me I was a bad
boy, and warned me not to do it again, or at least not on their beat.
I heard her puff up to the cab and mount the ladder up the side. Her head popped up above the seat,
and a fetching head it was. Dark blue eyes, clear fair skin, high cheekbones, and general fashion-model
symmetry. A face you donтАЩt see every day, one IтАЩd thought didnтАЩt exist except in the electron-brushed
fantasies of glamour photographers. Her makeup was light, but expertly, effective. I was sure IтАЩd never
seen her before, but what she said was, тАЬI thought it was you!тАЭ She took off her clear plastic assist mask
and shook her head wonderingly. тАЬMy -God, I never expected...тАЭ She trailed off and shrugged. тАЬWell,
come to think of it, I guess it was inevitable as long as I stayed on the Skyway.тАЭ She smiled.
I smiled back. тАЬYou like this atmosphere?тАЭ тАЬHuh? Oh, sorry.тАЭ She climbed in and closed the hatch.
тАЬIt is kind of thin and ozoney.тАЭ She folded up the parasol the rest of the way, struggled out of her combo
backpack-respirator and put it between her knees on the deck, then opened it and stashed the brolly
inside. тАЬYou should try to stand out there for a couple of hours bareheaded. Trouble isтАЭтАФshe pulled up
the hood on her suitтАФтАЬif you wear this, nobody knows what you look like.тАЭ
Indeed. I gunned the engine and pulled onto the ramp. We rode along in silence until we swung out
onto the Skyway. I goosed the plasma flow and soon the rig was clipping along at 100 meters/sec or so.
Ahead, the Skyway was a black ribbon racing across ocher sand straight toward its vanishing point on
the horizon. It would be about an hourтАЩs drive to the next set of tollbooths. The sky was violet and clear,
as it usually was on TC-II. I had a pretty woman riding shotgun, and I felt reasonably good about things,
even though Sam and I expected trouble on this run. Except for the present puzzle of why she was acting
as if we knew each other, when I was sure we didnтАЩt, everything was cruising along just fine. The way
she was looking at me made me a little self-conscious, though, but I waited for her to take the lead. I was
playing this one strictly by ear.
Finally she said, тАЬI expected a couple of possible reactions, but silence wasnтАЩt one of them.тАЭ I
checked the bow scanners, then gave the conn to Sam. He took over the controls and acknowledged.
She turned to SamтАЩs eye on the dash and waved. тАЬHi, Sam,тАЭ she said. тАЬLong time no see, and all
that.тАЭ
тАЬHowтАЩs it going?тАЭ he answered. тАЬNice to see you again.тАЭ Sam knew the tune. I eased the captain
chair back, and turned sideways on the seat. тАЬWhat did you expect?тАЭ I asked her. .
тАЬWell, first maybe pleasant conversation, then a little acrimony seeping out. From your end, of
course.тАЭ
тАЬAcrimony? From me?тАЭ I frowned. тАЬWhy?тАЭ
She was puzzled. тАЬI guess I really donтАЩt know.тАЭ She turned her head slowly and looked out the port,
watching the desert roll by. I studied the back of her head. Presently, without looking back, she said,