"David Drake - Hammer's Slammers 07 - The Voyage" - читать интересную книгу автора (Drake David)

Tadziki slammed down the handset. тАЬFucking idiot!тАЭ he said.
тАЬYeah, but in an armored unit itтАЩs тАШYou ask why IтАЩm a trooper,тАЩ тАЬNed said. тАЬThatтАЩs the way I learned
it.тАЭ
тАЬWhere?тАЭ Tadziki asked. тАЬAnd for that matter, who the hell are you?тАЩ
тАЬOn Nieuw Friesland,тАЭ Ned said. тАЬIn the Frisian Defense Forces. IтАЩm Reserve Ensign Slade, but IтАЩm
from Tethys originally.тАЭ
тАЬSlade?тАЭ Warson said in amazement. тАЬYouтАЩre Don Slade? Via, you canтАЩt be!тАЭ
NedтАЩs lips tightened. тАЬYouтАЩre thinking oIтАЩmy uncle,тАЭ he said stiffly. тАЬIтАЩm not Don Slade, no.тАЭ
The voices of the jogging troops became faintly louder.
They were making circuits around the vessel under construction. Warson nodded disdainfully toward
the window and said, тАЬHeroe LordlingтАЩs got us doing an hourтАЩs run each day to shape us up. TheyтАЩre
singing that to piss him off.тАЭ
тАЬLordlingтАЩs a general?тАЭ Ned asked.
тАЬHe was a colonel,тАЭ Warson said. тАЬHe sapissant, is what he really is. Sure you want to join a
rinky-dink outfit being run by a pissant, kid?тАЭ
 тАЬLordling isnтАЩt running anything,тАЭ Tadziki said sharply. тАЬCaptain Doormann gave the order, and she
gives all the orders.тАЭ
He suddenly smiled. тАЬVia, Toll,тАЭ he added, patting his gut. тАЬIтАЩm twenty years older than you and IтАЩd
never run across a room before this stuff started. ItтАЩs still a good idea.тАЭ
тАШ I could have been a colonel,тАЭ the joggers chorused, тАЬbut there it is again...тАЭ
тАЬI want to join the Pancahte Expedition, yeah,тАЭ Ned said, handing an identification chip across the
desk to the adjutant. тАЬWhoeverтАЩs running it.тАЭ
тАЬWeтАЩre pretty full up,тАЭ Warson said without emotion. He could have been commenting on the color of
the Telarian sky, pale white with faint gray streaks.
тАЬThe plush seats colonels sit on, they tickle my sensitive skin...тАЭ
тАЬThe captain makes all those decisions, Toll,тАЭ said the adjutant as he watched the data his desk
summoned from NedтАЩs ID. тАЬEspecially those decisions.тАЭ
тАЬI never met your uncle,тАЭ Toll Warson said, eyeing Ned with quiet speculation. His look was that of a
man who had absolutely nothing to proveтАФbut who would be willing to prove it any way, any time,
anywhere, if somebody pushed him a little too far.
Ned recognized the expression well. HeтАЩd seen it often enough in his uncleтАЩs eyes.
The door to the inner room opened. A man in fluorescent, extremely expensive clothing looked out
and said, тАЬDid you say Lissea had . . . ?тАЭ He seemed to be about NedтАЩs age, twenty-four years standard.
A quick glance around the outer office, empty save for the three men, ended his question.
Tadziki answered it anyway. тАЬSorry, Master Doormann,тАЭ he said. тАЬIтАЩm sure sheтАЩs coming, but IтАЩm
afraid she must still be in the armaments warehouse with Heroe.тАЭ
The young man grimaced in embarrassment and disappeared behind the closed door again.
тАЬLucas Doormann,тАЭ Tadziki explained in a low voice. тАЬHeтАЩs son of Doormann TradingтАЩs
presidentтАФthatтАЩs Karel DoormannтАФbut heтАЩs not a bad kid. HeтАЩs trying to help, anyway, when his father
would sooner slit all our throats.тАЭ
тАЬDidnтАЩt have balls enough to volunteer to come along, though,тАЭ Warson said, again without emotional
loading.
тАЬVia, Toll, would you want him?тАЭ Tadziki demanded. тАЬHe maybe knows not to stand at the small end
of a gun.тАЭ
Warson shrugged. тАЬDifferent question,тАЭ he said.
The phone rang. Tadziki winced. тАЬToll,тАЭ he said, тАЬhow about you play adjutant for half an hour and I
take Slade here over the Swift? Right?тАЭ
WarsonтАЩs smile was as blocky as ice crumpling across a river in spring. He reached for the handset.
тАЬYou bet,тАЭ he said. тАЬDoes that mean I get all the rake-off from suppliers, too?тАЭ
Tadziki hooked a finger to lead Ned out of the office. тАЭTry anything funny,тАЭ he growled, тАЬand youтАЩll