"Gordon R. Dickson - Childe Cycle 04 - Tactics of Mistake" - читать интересную книгу автора (Dickson Gordon R)

 "Yes, sir," he said. "What time are we supposed to go to this party, Colonel?"


6
Thunder, deeper toned than Earth's, muttered beyond the ridge of hills inland from Bakhalla like a
grumbling of giants, as Cletus and Arvid arrived at the residence of Mondar. But above the city the sky
was clear. Out over the rooftops of the buildings leading down the harbor, the yellow sun of Kultis was
filling the sky and sea alike with pinkish gold.
Mondar's home, surrounded by trees and flowering shrubs, both native and Earth variform, sat alone
on a small hill in the eastern suburbs of the city. The building itself was made up of an assortment of basic
building units put together originally with an eye more toward utility than appearance. However, utility no
longer controlled any but the basic forms of the house. In everything else an artistic and gentle influence
had been at work.
The hard white blocks of the building units, now tinted by the sunset, did not end abruptly at the green
lawn, but were extended into arbors, patios and half-rooms walled with vine-covered trellises. Once
Cletus and Arvid had left their car and passed into the first of these outer structures of the house, it
became hard for them to tell at any time whether they were completely indoors or not.
Mondar met them in a large, airy half-room with solid walls on three sides only, and an openwork of
vines on the fourth. He led them deeper into the house, to a long, wide, low-ceilinged room deeply
carpeted and scattered with comfortably overstuffed chairs and couches. A number of people were
already there, including Melissa and Eachan Khan.
"DeCastries?" Cletus asked Mondar.
"He's here," said Mondar. "He and Pater Ten are just finishing their talk with some of my fellow
Exotics." As he spoke he was leading the two of them toward the small bar in one corner of the room.
"Punch for whatever you'd like to drink. I've got to see some people right nowтАФbut I'd like to talk to
you later, Cletus. Is that all right? I'll look you up just as soon as I'm free."
"By all means," said Cletus. He turned toward the bar as Mondar went off. Arvid was already picking
up the glass of beer for which he had punched.
"Sir?" asked Arvid. "Can I get you тАж "
"Nothing right now, thanks," said Cletus. He was glancing around again and his eye lit upon Eachan
Khan, standing alone with a glass in his hand next to a wide window screen. "Stay around here, will you,
Arvid? So I can find you easily when I want you?"
"Yes, sir," said Arvid.
Cletus went toward Eachan Khan. The older man glanced around with a stony face, as though to
discourage conversation, as he came up. Then, seeing who it was, Eachan's face relaxedтАФinsofar as it
could ever be said to be relaxed.
"Evening," Eachan said. "I understand you've met your commanding officer."
"News travels fast," said Cletus.
"We're a military post, after all," said Eachan. His gaze went past Cletus for a moment, and then
returned. "Also, I hear you suggested something about a new infiltration of Neulander guerrillas through
fitter's Pass?"
"That's right," said Cletus. "You don't think it's likely?"
"Very likelyтАФnow you've pointed it out," said Eachan. "By the wayтАФI got hold of those three
volumes on tactics you've already published. The Exotic library here had copies. I've only had time to
glance through them, so far"тАФhis eyes suddenly locked with Cletus'тАФ"but it looks like sound stuff. Very
sound тАж I'm still not sure I follow your tactics of mistake, though. As deCastries said, combat's no
fencing match."
"No," said Cletus, "but the principle's applicable, all the same. For example, suppose a simple tactical
trap you lay for an enemy consists of enticing his forces to strike at what seems to be a weak section of
your line. But when they do, your line pulls back and draws them into a pocket, where you surround