"Eric Flint - Ranks of Bronze 2 - Carthago Delenda Est" - читать интересную книгу автора (Flint Eric)

AgayanтАЩs indignation overwhelmed him. He fell silent, fiercely trying to bring his fury
under control.

The Investigator interjected itself. тАЬNo species in the historical record has reached industrial
chain reaction in less than two hundred thousand years since initial habitat domestication,тАЭ it
stated ponderously. тАЬAnd none has done so since the last of the Doge Species.тАЭ
 The Pilot said nothing. She was tempted to point out that the policies of both the
Federation and the Guilds were precisely designed to prevent such occurrences, but suppressed
the whimsy ruthlessly. Foolish, she was not.

Agayan finally restored his calm enough to speak. Icily:

тАЬThat is quite enough, Pilot. You may go. This informationтАФthis preposterous twaddle, I
should sayтАФwill be corrected as soon as we reach that planet. Set the course.тАЭ

тАЬYes, Guild Voivode. I have already done so. Your instructions, as always, were very clear
and precise.тАЭ

Agayan spread his clusters in acknowledgement of the praise. тАЬSend a message to Guild
Headquarters informing them that we are Transiting to the human planet.тАЭ

The Pilot scuttled out of the chamber as fast as her ungainly form of locomotion permitted.

Agayan resumed his position of rest. тАЬI cannot believe how incompetent some of the
FederationтАЩsтАФтАЭ

тАЬPtatti gattokot poi toi rhuch du! Ptatti gatt!тАЭ

All six of AgayanтАЩs clusters knotted in shock. The sheer volume of the Gha commanderтАЩs
voice had been almost like a physical blow.

The shock deepened. Deepened.

Dazed, the Voivode watched one of the Gha sepoys stride forward from its position against
the wall and shatter the InvestigatorтАЩs spinal cord with a single blow of its fist. Shatter it again.
Seize Yuaw KhtaтАЩs lolling head and practically twist it in a full circle.

The Voivode could hear the bones break.

Ancestral reflex coiled Agayan into a soft ball. He heard the Gha commander bellowing
more phrases in the sepoy language. Two of the Gha immediately left the chamber.

Agayan was utterly paralyzed. He could not even speak. Only watch.

His soft-bodied species, some distant part of his brain noted, did not respond well to
physical danger.

Standing in front of him, now, he recognized the figure of the Gha commander.

The Gha spoke to him. He did not understand the words.