"Brad Ferguson - To Tell The Troof" - читать интересную книгу автора (Ferguson Brad)

тАЬNo. No oneтАЩs been hurt. No crime was committed in my presence. IтАЩm
not a cop, either. Look, Edith, IтАЩve got enough problems without turning
informer. I donтАЩt care what you had aboard. Tell you the truth, IтАЩm relieved
I donтАЩt have to deal with the situation.тАЭ
тАЬThanks. ThatтАЩs honest.тАЭ Edith paused again, more comfortable now.
тАЬWell,тАЭ she finally said, тАЬenough about me. What about you?тАЭ She sipped
at her coffee.
McAleer gave her a small, sad smile. тАЬItтАЩs a pretty short story. I donтАЩt
know how much you know about Henderson тАФ тАЭ
тАЬZero. It was here when I needed it, thatтАЩs all.тАЭ
тАЬOkay. Actually, thereтАЩs not much to tell,тАЭ McAleer began. тАЬHenderson
was first charted fifteen years ago. The exploration team stayed for a
while, but didnтАЩt do much except introduce the Troof to the Fed; thatтАЩs
when Standard was introduced here.
тАЬAnyway, the team left after a few months. There was really nothing
here for it to chart, and its report was buried under a mass of explorersтАЩ
reports from likelier star systems. Henderson doesnтАЩt have much in the
way of natural resources, and itтАЩs not in a good location for easy
exploitation. Its best and pretty much only value is as a way station on an
unpopular trade route. In fact, no one came back here until the Feds
opened a trading post in town about three years ago. ThatтАЩs when the field
you landed on was built, by the way.тАЭ
Edith nodded. тАЬSo what happened to the traders?тАЭ
McAleer shrugged. тАЬIt turned out that the Troof had no interest in trade
with the Fed, so the post was closed down a year or so back. All the Troof
got out of the deal was the field and, six months ago, me. The tradersтАЩ final
report managed not to get itself buried in the bureaucracy, and my bishop
transferred me here right after a summary hit his desk.тАЭ
тАЬJust like that?тАЭ
тАЬSure. ThatтАЩs the way it works, Edith. Someone comes up with a planet
full of sentients, and off we go, if weтАЩre able. My bishopтАЩs rather
determined on the subject, so weтАЩre most often able. Representatives of
other Terran sects will almost certainly come fairly soon but, as of now,
IтАЩm the only human тАФ the only other human тАФ on Henderson. And IтАЩve
done damned little with my, uh, monopoly.тАЭ
тАЬI once work for explorers and trade team,тАЭ Zweebl put in. тАЬWas
go-between with my people for Feds back then. That how I know Terrans
so good. Father Mort show up with no idea of what to do here. He hire me
right away. Found this building for him, hired labor for reconstruct, et
cetera. Showed him the ropes according to Hoyle.тАЭ
тАЬZweebl taught me a lot about the Troof,тАЭ McAleer said. He sighed.
тАЬApparently not enough, though. IтАЩm afraid my efforts here have been
rather fruitless.тАЭ
Edith looked puzzled.
тАЬI mean the mission is far from successful,тАЭ McAleer continued. тАЬI have
no Troof congregants, none at all. I donтАЩt have anyone taking instruction
in the faith, either. I realized that the Troof might not take to Orthodox
Catholicism, but I havenтАЩt even had so much as an inquiry about it. No
oneтАЩs seemed in the least interested, not even Zweebl. He just works for
me, thatтАЩs all.тАЭ