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

тАЬPennsylvania тАФ the nice part. I spent a lot of time here after Mother
and Daddy split up.тАЭ Trudy gestured around her. тАЬGrandmotherтАЩs garden
was my favorite place of all, especially at this time of year, when IтАЩd help
her get it into shape after the winter; itтАЩs mid-April here now, in case you
couldnтАЩt tell from the flowers. The other gardens I wrote were just
practice; I wanted to get this one right.тАЭ
Jacobs looked around. тАЬI think you did. ItтАЩs beautiful. I wish IтАЩd met
your grandma. Is she here?тАЭ
тАЬOh, God, no, Jonny Lee!тАЭ Trudy said, disconcerted. тАЬI couldnтАЩt write
her! No, weтАЩre the only ones here тАФ and we ought to get down to business.
You were in a mad rush, remember?тАЭ
тАЬI guess I was. Hey, looky here.тАЭ Jacobs bent and picked up an insect.
He held it lightly between his fingers and grinned. тАЬHey, honey, your
programтАЩs got a тАФ тАЭ
тАЬDonтАЩt you dare say it.тАЭ
тАЬShoot. All right, I wonтАЩt.тАЭ He stooped to let the thing drop safely to the
ground and watched as it skittered away. тАЬWhat have you got for me?тАЭ
Trudy bent quickly and picked a daffodil. тАЬFirst of all, hereтАЩs the
summary of the deal Bannister says Ambassador Chaylaifa wants to strike
with the Bloxx,тАЭ she said, handing him the flower. тАЬThe wish list has
pharmaceuticals, minerals and other standard stuff on it;
BannisterтАЩs given us the quantities desired and what Chaylaifa intends
to offer for them in goods and credits standard. Chaylaifa runs the biggest
import trust in the Rhuum Organization, so this deal could mean billions
of creds stan to him personally. Bannister Investments is brokering it, so
they get the usual huge cut.тАЭ
тАЬAll right,тАЭ Jacobs said, sniffing at the flower. As he did, his mind filled
with the details of what he needed to know. тАЬSeems to pass the smell test.
The Rhuum bids are low, but thatтАЩs why traders get together and haggle.
Okay, no problem so far. Now, what have we got on the clients?тАЭ
Trudy picked another flower тАФ a hyacinth, this time. тАЬFirst of all, hereтАЩs
what the neural net has on the Rhuum,тАЭ she said. тАЬItтАЩs a condensation of a
Survey report done about fifty years back.тАЭ
 тАЬA little history, and thatтАЩs it,тАЭ Jacobs said, sniffing again. тАЬPretty
damned condensed, if you ask me.тАЭ
тАЬThereтАЩs not much in the extended Survey report, either,тАЭ Trudy said.
She picked a perfect tomato from a nearby vine and handed it to Jacobs.
тАЬThis is out of season, isnтАЩt it?тАЭ he asked.
тАЬI needed an analogue you might be able to handle, O ye of common
tastes. Anyway, the report is largely technical; you probably wonтАЩt want to
eat all of it.тАЭ
тАЬWeтАЩll see about that.тАЭ Jacobs bit into the tomato, and juice dribbled
down his chin. Suddenly, his eyes bulged. тАЬUgh muff mughh,тАЭ he said.
тАЬProblem?тАЭ Trudy asked sweetly.
тАЬGluph fwu.тАЭ Working hard, Jacobs chewed slowly and then more slowly
still before giving up. It was like chewing lead. Turning aside politely, he
spit into a convenient bush.
тАЬWarned you,тАЭ Trudy said. тАЬI didnтАЩt get much further into it than that
myself.тАЭ
тАЬWeтАЩll hire an expert to come up with a summary,тАЭ Jacobs said.