"Brad Ferguson - Rhuum Service" - читать интересную книгу автора (Ferguson Brad)

For example, one of the Terran calendars on the wall was four years out of
date, but the partners left it hanging there because it would be good again
in only another seven.
Jonathan Lee Jacobs was sitting at his desk in the Dark Side, his head
in his hands. тАЬI guess what I donтАЩt appreciate the most,тАЭ he complained,
тАЬis that this crap always gets sprung on us at the last possible goddamn
minute.тАЭ
His partner had not really heard him. Trudy Burke was lying back in
her reclining chair. Her eyes were closed. She was very busy.
Jacobs grabbed his most abused pencil of the day and began tapping a
rapid tattoo on the glass surface of his desk. тАЬFirst I get absolutely no
notice that Bannister Investments is exercising its option with us, this
after we donтАЩt hear from those bloodsuckers for years, so we have to
handle the Rhuum trade reps for them as long as theyтАЩre aboard
Andromeda. So, fine. We say hello and how are you, we get Ambassador
Chaylaifa and his entourage settled, all twenty-three of the useless
bastards, we make sure the hotel is treating everybody right, all that jazz.
We even get a break on the logistics тАФ no arrival ceremonies and no
dinners, thank God; neither side wants тАШem. Good enough. Now it turns
out that the Bloxx rep is going to be late because, hot pilot he, heтАЩs blown a
driver. Not a big deal, but somehow this idiot Chaylaifa thinks itтАЩs our
fault! Before I can even talk to him about it, though, he stalks off to his
room with his wife and kid in tow. This is supposed to be an easy
contract? IsnтАЩt that what Bannister said?тАЭ He sighed and rubbed his eyes.
тАЬDamn. These micro-contacts are killing me.тАЭ
His partner still said nothing.
Jacobs cleared his throat and tried again. тАЬI hear they can rot your
corneas.тАЭ
Trudy remained quiet.
тАЬWell?тАЭ Jacobs demanded as his pencil finally broke. He brushed the
two halves onto the floor.
тАЬтАШWellтАЩ what?тАЭ Trudy answered. Her tone was lazy, distracted. тАЬDo you
want something, Jonny Lee? IтАЩm trying тАФ тАЭ
тАЬI know, I know. IтАЩm bothering you.тАЭ Jacobs waved a hand. тАЬSorry. Find
out anything yet?тАЭ
тАЬCome on in, and IтАЩll show you what IтАЩve isolated so far.тАЭ
тАЬAll right, but letтАЩs not take too long. WeтАЩve got things to do.тАЭ Jacobs
ordered his own chair to recline and, still tense but reasonably
comfortable, he accessed the neural network.
The office was suddenly replaced by a garden. It was a different garden,
though, smaller and prettier than TrudyтАЩs usual interface metaphor. There
was a short picket fence around the plot, and from somewhere not far off
came the sounds of children at play; Jacobs could also hear birds. Turning
around, he saw a small, neat, white house. His view of anything farther
away was blocked by tall hedges ringing the property.
тАЬThis is very nice,тАЭ Jacobs said, and he meant it. тАЬSomeoneтАЩs backyard,
right?тАЭ
тАЬMy grandmotherтАЩs, as a matter of fact,тАЭ Trudy said. тАЬIтАЩve been working
on it for a while. Do you really like it?тАЭ
Jacobs looked up at the clear blue sky. тАЬVery much. Where are we?тАЭ