"Debra Doyle & James MacDonald - Mageworlds 03 - By Honor Betray'd" - читать интересную книгу автора (Doyle Debra)

The glidewalk slid into an interchange where several of the routes peeled away and others joined
the main stem. Overhead, a lighted holosign flashed its crimson letters on and off: DINING AND
ENTERTAINMENT/PORT ALLEY-SECOND STREET/NEXT LEFT; MAIN DOCKING/NEXT
RIGHT; LAST EXITS/ FORWARD THIS WALK.
Jessan glanced up at the sign. тАЬ тАШLast ExitsтАЩ? What have we got there-mortuary services?тАЭ
тАЬNot exactly,тАЭ Beka said.
 тАЬWhat do you mean, тАШnot exactlyтАЩ?тАЭ
тАЬWell . . . some of the higher-class firms do include final disposition in their package deals.тАЭ
тАЬPackage deals,тАЭ said Jessan. тАЬPackages of what?тАЭ
BekaтАЩs lips twitched in a humorless smile. тАЬExecutions. Formal, semiformal, or impromptu, all
nice and legal.тАЭ
тАЬHow charming.тАЭ
тАЬThis is Suivi Point, remember-if you canтАЩt buy it here, itтАЩs not for sale anywhere.тАЭ
Jessan looked curious. тАЬI suppose you have to buy a trial and a conviction first?тАЭ
тАЬIt helps.тАЭ
A little farther on, the glidewalk for Main Docking split off the primary track. The stores
alongside changed from gaudy souvenir shops to cheap eating establishments and grim-looking transient
hotels. Sealed airlocks broke the graffiti-stained walls at irregular intervals.
Beka pointed at one of the locks. It had a sign stenciled on the hatch: CAUTION! P-SUIT
AREA. NO GRAVITY OR ATMOSPHERE BEYOND THIS POINT.
тАЬYou have to watch those. Sometimes the portside kids take the warning signs down for laughs.тАЭ
тАЬIтАЩll bear that in mind,тАЭ Jessan told her. тАЬAlong with all the other quaint local customs.тАЭ
Beka chuckled. тАЬNot the sort of place the group tours from Khesat make a habit of visiting, I
suppose.тАЭ
тАЬI have never,тАЭ said Jessan, тАЬtraveled anywhere with a group tour. And while the Space Force, in
its infinite wisdom, sent me to a number of fascinating places, Suivi Point wasnтАЩt one of them.тАЭ
тАЬLucky you. I got Suivi Point for my very first port call after I left home. It was a real
eye-opener, let me tell you-if IgnacтАЩ hadnтАЩt been looking after me that time, I might never have made it
back to the ship.тАЭ
тАЬThen I owe Gentlesir LeSoit a debt of gratitude,тАЭ Jessan said with a marked lack of enthusiasm,
as they followed a smaller glidewalk off the main branch. тАЬRemind me to pay it back to him someday.тАЭ
They stopped in front of an airlock door with a security palmplate set into the hatch. Beka put
her hand on the plate; it beeped, and the synthesized voice of the doorтАЩs annunciator said, тАЬID scan
confirmed. Docking bay atmospheric integrity confirmed.тАЭ
тАЬGood,тАЭ said Beka. тАЬIтАЩd hate to think that somebody had let all our air out while we were gone.
That happened to the Claw Hard once, while I was crewing on her,тАЭ she went on while the lock cycled
them through. тАЬCaptain Osa didnтАЩt want to put up the nonrefundable one-week deposit on the docking
fee when we were only going to be here for two days. So the Port Authority depressurized our bay until
he handed over the money.тАЭ
тАЬSomehow IтАЩm not surprised,тАЭ murmured Jessan.
Inside the docking bay, Warhammer rested on landing legs beneath the transparent dome. On
the far side of the enclosed space another airlock, this one with its NO GRAVITY OR ATMOSPHERE
warning still fresh and clean, led out to the asteroidтАЩs surface.
The тАЩHammerтАЩs ramp was down, but the force field was up. It took BekaтАЩs hand on another ID
panel to turn off the field so that she and Jessan could pass through.
An unfamiliar p-suit hung in the open locker inside the тАЩHammerтАЩs door. Beka and Jessan
glanced at each other.
тАЬLooks like our problem is a visitor,тАЭ Jessan said.
тАЬNot to mention somebody IgnacтАЩ doesnтАЩt think he can handle all on his lonesome,тАЭ Beka said.
тАЬWhich means that shooting him, her, or it wonтАЩt be an option for us, either.тАЭ