"Alan Dean Foster - Empowered" - читать интересную книгу автора (Foster Alan Dean)

you get past all the thornbushes and poison ivy I brought forth to discourage
interlopers?"
The small, heavyset man set himself down in a high-backed chair which was
growing right out of the cave floor. He mopped at his sweat-streaked brow with a
monogrammed handkerchief. "Nice place you've got up here. Spacious, but a little
dark for my taste." He smiled. "I'm mildly claustrophobic."
"And hugely curious," said Earth Spirit. "You haven't answered my questions."
"I put out the word quietly. Announced a reward for information. Local farmer
noticed a lot of sudden growth up on this mountaintop and got in touch with a
regional contact of mine. At that point I decided that a personal visit was in order.
May I call you Earth? It's a lot easier, I prefer to be on a first-name basis with
people, and besides, the other half's copyrighted."
"If it'll make you comfortable." The green one settled himself into a chair
opposite. A compliant vine handed him a drink.
"As for the thorns and the ivy, as you can see, I dressed accordingly.
Abercrombie and Fitch. I'm not used to this sort of thing. Silk three-pieces are more
to my taste."
"You're from the government," Earth Spirit surmised.
"Not at all, though I'm sure they'll be here shortly. My name is Lemuel French. I'm
a lawyer."
 The green man frowned. "What would I need with a lawyer, Mr. French?"
The smaller man stared at him in disbelief. "You really don't know? Well, maybe
not. Ever since the Vaan Pelsen's debacle you've kept pretty quiet, except for
vine-wrapping the occasional mugger."
Earth Spirit smiled. "My actions seem to have had a deterrent effect on local
crime."
"That they have. It's one of the problems you're going to have to deal with."
"Problems?" The vine held the drink neatly.
"You're really out of touch up here on this mountaintop, aren't you? No paper, no
cable."
"I prefer the company of the natural world," the green man said stiffly.
"You want to live like a Granola that's fine with me, but your activities impinge on
the real world. That's why I sought you out. See, I believe in what you're doing and I
want to help." He smiled broadly. "For a fee, of course. We really need to discuss
your putting my firm on retainer."
"I told you, I have no need of a lawyer."
"So you said." French popped the polished brass clasp on an elegant eelskin
briefcase and removed a thick sheaf of papers. "Copies. You'll be served as soon as
they can find you. That gives us some time."
Earth Spirit eyed the papers in spite of himself. "What is all that?"
"Let's see. Where to start?" French shuffled the sheaf as cleanly as a Vegas dealer
handling cards. "The first suit is from Vaan Pelsen's Inc."
"Vaan Pelsen's? Why would they want to sue me? I saved their merchandise."
"But a lot of it was damaged in the gang's escape attempt. Fancy gold work, that
sort of thing."
"They wouldn't have it to fix if I hadn't stepped in."
"I agree completely, and I'm sure the court will take that into account." French
had his reading glasses on now. "Here's another: 'Mildred Fox, plaintiff for Sissy
and Michael Fox, juvenile principals.' "
The green man looked baffled. "I've never heard of these people."