"David Drake - Hammer's Slammers 02 - Cross The Stars (2)" - читать интересную книгу автора (Drake David)

Margritte raised a hand to hold the Terzia one final moment. When she spoke, it was not as Life Baron, not as the
representative of FrieslandтАФif it had ever been, since the link had been forged so strongly. тАЬLady,тАЭ Margritte said,
тАЬothers have planned to kill Don Slade, you know. And the mistake has always been theirs.тАЭ
She nodded, and the gray envelope of the Stadtler Field brightened for both into separate living worlds.
 CHAPTER FOUR
An armed man in the crimson livery of the Dyson family waved. His helmet speakers boomed, тАЬAll right, clear to
land.тАЭ
The air car sagged gratefully into the courtyard of Slade House. The vehicleтАЩs bright caparisoning had been
stained by spray and perhaps a storm in its journey from one of the more distant of the Council IslandsтАФbaronies, in
effectтАФof Tethys. There were more shouted orders from the man in crimson. The driver lifted minusculely and slid
the car sideways. It joined the line of other cars parked along the courtyardтАЩs southern wall.
More than a score of Councilors had already arrived. Teddy Slade did not recognize the trappings of this vehicle,
nor could he place the youngish man who got out of it with his entourage of flunkies.
тАЬWasnтАЩt used to be like this, Teddy,тАЭ rasped Coon Blegan. The old man shifted on the skirt of the gun drone to
take some of his bellyтАЩs pressure off his belt. тАЬIf your great grand-dadтАЩd learned a Dyson was giving orders in the
compound, heтАЩd have reached for his boat gun. And their tarted-up bully boys running things at Slade House, well. . .
.тАЭ
Blegan morosely scratched his left armpit. Thomas Slade had ordered Blegan to stop wearing his illegal shoulder
holster when he appointed the old retainer as servant to his son Edward. Increasingly since Master Thomas had died,
the old man had felt the lack of a burden he had thought he had forgotten. тАЬDidnтАЩt call the old man Devil for nothing,
you know,тАЭ Coon went on. тАЬDevil Don. Always wondered how it came they named your uncle after him, Teddy.
WouldnтАЩt have thought there was any way to know how a little baby like that was going to grow up.тАЭ
The youthтАЩs control was born of a lifetimeтАЩs experience with Blegan. He said, тАЬPerhaps Uncle Donald had a
chance to grow into a perfectly decent, useful human being like Father, Coon. Only he heard too much talk by old
farts about the grand days of the Settlement, when a Slade could shoot a man for looking cross-eyed. IтАЩd be obliged if
nobody tried to repeat the experiment with me.тАЭ
Three more cars were approaching over the perimeter wall; the Rices and the Mortons, trailed by a larger van
carrying additional retainers for Madame Morton. Even when everyone arrived, however, the most noticeable livery
would be crimson. The Dysons shared Main Island with the SladesтАФand the Port, which was supposed to be neutral
ground for all the Councilors. Even if Beverly Dyson had needed to bring his men in from half across the planet,
however, they would have been here in strength for the present occasion.
тАЬIt was never like that, Teddy,тАЭ Blegan said.
тАЬVia!тАЭ the youth shouted. тАЬAll the rest of the world can remember to call me тАШEdwardтАЩ, CoonтАФat least part of the
time. How come you canтАЩt?тАЭ
Blegan looked at young Slade reproachfully. тАЬPerhaps I didnтАЩt think the rest of the world knew you the way I do,
Master Edward,тАЭ he said. тАЬBut IтАЩm an old man and ready to be cut up for bait, IтАЩm sure.тАЭ
тАЬOh, Lord and Martyrs, Coon,тАЭ Teddy muttered. He squeezed BleganтАЩs hand. тАЬWhatтАЩs a word matter? But I wish .
. .тАЭ He looked up. A supply truck was balancing awkwardly in the air, waiting for landing permission from the man
in crimson. The truckтАЩs color was weather-beaten blue-green, Slade Blue. тАЬBut I wish. . . .тАЭ the youth repeated, and
he let his voice trail off again.
тАЬThings were hard during the Settlement, they tell me,тАЭ Coon Blegan said. He did not look at Slade, just squeezed
the ladтАЩs hand and released it. тАЬIтАЩm not that old, not even Coon, but they told me. TheseтАФтАЭ he patted the skirt of the
gun drone. For all the old manтАЩs apparent flabbiness, the metal rang with authority. тАЬThese werenтАЩt for men, they
were for the orcs and the knife-jaws. I know you donтАЩt believe it because they steer clear of Council Islands by now,
but I myself saw an orc come right over this wall.тАЭ
Coon waved toward the three-meter perimeter barrier, then back up at the gun of the drone the pair of them leaned
against. тАЬTen centimeter bolts cooked her just fine, sameтАЩs they did during Settlement when the orcs came in packs.тАЭ
 тАЬThose days are over, Coon,тАЭ Slade said quietly as he watched liveried hangers-on rumaging through the
provisions truck. They were squabbling, each of a dozen parties trying to snare any special delicacy for the Councilor
whom they served.