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

тАЬSo you know how deeply the differences between beings can run,тАЭ said
Trudy.
Kethrommon shook his head. тАЬThere is always decency, and decency
never changes. Never. Let me tell you something. I lost my father, he at my
side against outsystem pirates terrorizing our good neighbors of the
fourth planet in our system. He was blown apart by a fragmentation
projectile. I had to wash him off me that night, after the battle.тАЭ
KethrommonтАЩs teeth clenched. тАЬI could overlook a slur upon myself, given
a lack of intent, but I will not тАФ cannot тАФ countenance even an
unintended insult against the memory of my father. My people desperately
need the trade the Rhuum Organization can provide, but I am no longer
the one to get it for them.тАЭ
Trudy blinked. тАЬSo what will you do?тАЭ
тАЬThere is only one way the Rhuum can
answer for his insult тАФ his death, by my hand.тАЭ
тАЬI hope there is another way, mтАЩlord.тАЭ
 Suddenly Kethrommon sagged, the fight gone out of him. тАЬIn justice, I
cannot take his life from him; I do indeed realize he meant no harm by
what he said. Trudy Burke, I am not unable to see that my killing the
Rhuum would be a terrible crime under these circumstances; I am not
stupid. I will, however, leave Hotel Andromeda in the morning. As you are
still acting as facilitator for these talks, please have my ship made ready
for departure at that time.тАЭ He carefully did not look at her.
Trudy took a deep breath, somehow sensing that this was a dangerous
moment and that whatever she might say to him, angry as he was and
hurt as he was, could be dreadfully important. тАЬI will do exactly as you
ask,тАЭ she finally said, and she saw Kethrommon relax just a touch.
тАЬThank you,тАЭ he said in a low voice. тАЬAny other answer would not have
done ... and I did not want to kill myself in front of you, Trudy Burke.тАЭ
Trudy saw the dagger hidden in his hand for the first time as he placed it
on the table, the point facing him. тАЬI must not kill myself until I stand in
front of the King. That is the only way I may properly apologize to my
patron god for my failure.тАЭ
Trudy needed pills to get to sleep that night, and that was why the
persistent beeping of the phone did not disturb her. Jacobs had to shake
her awake.
тАЬTrudy, thereтАЩs a problem,тАЭ he said in the darkness. тАЬA big one.тАЭ
тАЬWhazzit?тАЭ his wife mumbled.
тАЬThat was Security. Chaylaifa is dead. Better start getting dressed; IтАЩll
dial a wake-up for you.тАЭ
Several minutes later Jacobs and Trudy caught a тАШlift to the VIP section.
The door to ChaylaifaтАЩs suite was ajar; they entered.
Several Security people were in the foyer, standing near their chief of
detail. There was a briefing going on. The chief was hard to make out,
surrounded as he was by the others; he was only a meter and a fraction
tall, like most adults of his race. He was, generally speaking, a lizard.
тАЬAh,тАЭ he said, noticing Trudy and Jacobs. His mouth twitched into the
semblance of a smile. тАЬThe partners of Jacobs & Burke, no? I am
Lieutenant Hrock-Leff of Hotel Security. These are several of my
associates.тАЭ