"Eliot Fintushel - Uxo, Bomb Dog" - читать интересную книгу автора (Fintushel Eliot)

тАЬAh, Blackie, you poor sap. As between a dog and a machine, when it comes to war, only a fool would
go for the canine.тАЭ

тАЬIтАЩll take Uxo.тАЭ



KEEP TO THE LANE!



тАЬYou go straight to hell,тАЭ is what I told Spot, when he said we should throw in the towel. My kids yipped
and swore at him, too.
Spot smiled. He tried to pat MumpsтАЩs shoulder. тАЬHey, IтАЩm only thinking of old Uxo, you little cherry
bombs,тАЭ says he. One Finger reached over and swatted his knuckles with the spent ammo belt she uses
to bundle her swag. Spot pulled back quick. He sucked his fingers. тАЬCrusty shame you canтАЩt see reason.
DogтАЩs the one thatтАЩll pay for it. Damn it all, I could get General Checkers to requisition you a waterproof
tent and a safe spot to put it on if you pulled the hound and made nice. But no . . . тАЭ

One Finger said, тАЬYour sweetie general so sure that heap of gears gonna win, why he send you here to
buy us off?тАЭ

тАЬHe didnтАЩt send me, brat. I come on my own, out of pity for you.тАЭ

тАЬAw, you donтАЩt pee without your generalтАЩs say-so.тАЭ

The call went up: тАЬHe rises!тАЭ

Uxo was on his feet again.

Mumps was so happy, she jumped higher than the tripwire bomb that sculpted her chin and collar bones
back in Jersey. тАЬтАШAtaboy, Uxy!тАЭ She leapt and skipped to the lane Volkovoy had just cleared.

тАЬHey, wait!тАЭ I jumped after. Her white lace skirt, the dumpster find of a little lifetime, fluttered as she
skipped.

Queenie snagged my elbow. тАЬLeave her be, Blackie. ItтАЩs cleared, ainтАЩt it?тАЭ

If IтАЩd had the time, I would have told her, thereтАЩs clear and thereтАЩs clear. тАЬLet me go.тАЭ If IтАЩd had the time,
I would have told her that the armyтАЩs idea ainтАЩt zero injury like yours or mine, itтАЩs тАЬacceptable losses.тАЭ
тАЬQueenie, for NaderтАЩs sakes . . . тАЭ If a tank can go through it, I would have said, if IтАЩd had the time -
тАЬDammit, Queenie.тАЭ - or if a platoon can cross and have enough left to bivouac on the other side, why,
by the army, thatтАЩs okay, and thatтАЩs the standard Volkovoy toes to. тАЬLet go!тАЭ I shook Queenie loose and
bounded for Mumps . . .

There was a flash and a wave of heat. I couldnтАЩt see anything for a minute, but I felt Mumpsy all over me,
clinging and clawing, and when my hearing came back, I heard her wail. I was on my back, I discovered
shortly, and I had all my parts, and so had Mumps.

These damn days, you canтАЩt ask much more than that.