"Doohan, James & Stirling, S M - Flight Engineer 02 - The Privateer 1.0" - читать интересную книгу автора (Doohan James)

He glanced up at his glum face in the mirror behind the bar. The mirror
was augmented to make the viewers look younger, handsomer, happier than
they actually were.

It's having a hell of a time with me, Raeder thought. He looked extremely
serious. But in a positive way, rather than reflecting the
overdose-on-sleeping-pills-slit-your-wrists-and-jump-off-a-cliff mood he
was actually enduring. Which means that in reality I must actually look
like I feel. He forced himself to smile. You could almost hear the mirror
sigh with relief.

Raeder looked around. I really like Patton's, he thought. It's a nice
place. He wished Sarah James was with him. He doubted he'd feel the need
to suck down liquid solace if he were in the lieutenant commander's
excellent company. But he'd sent her away with the others and, to his
dismay, she'd gone without argument. Ah, well. He sighed, and added that
brick to his pile of misery.

He took another sip of his whiskey and forced himself to contemplate the
type of desk job a man of his experience and training might be given. And
sighed more deeply still.

"Whoa. That sounds like the weight of the world being shifted."

Reader glanced to his right. A Marine captain was taking the seat beside
him. The man had a pleasant grin and the gold complexion and jet-black
hair of an Indonesian.

"Not quite that bad," Raeder said with an easygoing smile.

"Jason Sjarhir," the Indonesian said, offering his hand.

Peter took it. "Peter Raeder."

Sjarhir shook a finger at Raeder.

"Aren't you the guy . . . yeah, you are. You're the guy who brought in the
Dauntless, aren't you?"

"No. Montoya brought in the Dauntless. I'm a glorified mechanic, is what I
am. Nothing happens to me. I just did a little repair work. . . ."

"The hell you did!" Sjarhir exclaimed. He grabbed Peter's hand and started
shaking it vigorously. "I'd like to shake your hand."

You are, Peter thought in bemusement.

"Can I buy you a drink?" The captain raised his hand to attract the
bartender. "I insist," he insisted.