"James Alan Gardner - League of Peoples 06 - Trapped" - читать интересную книгу автора (Gardner James Alan)

"Why are you so goddamned happy?" growled a voice from the door.

We turned. Three burly gentlemen had just entered, accompanied by the pungent odor of rancid
fishтАФprobably boat workers who'd docked at Dover-on-Sea and headed straight to Simka because of
our higher quality night life (i.e., ladies of the evening who still looked female after they'd removed their
clothes). These particular fishermen had already sampled copious liquid refreshment at other drinking
holes, judging by the volume of their voices and the way they slurred their words.

"I'm afraid," said Myoko, "it's hard to explain the reason for our toast."

" 'It's hard to explain,' " the most voluble fisherman repeated, mimicking her voice and accent. "You
come from that goddamned school, don't you?"

"We're teachers there, yes."

The talkative fisherman sneered. "So you sit around all day, kissing the arses of rich goddamned
thumbsuckers who think they're too good for a normal school."
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Sister Impervia pushed back her chair. "That is three times you've said 'goddamned.' The clergy
occasionally debate whether such talk is truly blasphemous or simply vulgar, but they're universally
agreed it's ignorant and rude."

"Are you calling me ignorant and rude?"

"Also drunk and smelly," Impervia said.

The tapman behind the bar removed a flintlock from his bandoleer and thumbed back the hammer.
"Closing time," he announced.

"What the hell?" said the fisherman.

"The bar owner says to close this time every night."

"What time?"

"Thirty seconds before the fight." The tapman pointed his pistol at the newcomers. "We reopen thirty
seconds after. Come back if you're still on your feet."

"If!"The head fisherman looked at the five of us, then emitted what would be called a Hearty Guffaw by
anyone who didn't disdain words like Hearty. And Guffaw. "These pantywaists," the man said, "will fall
down if I breathe on them."

"Quite possibly," Impervia replied. "On the other hand, we have little to fear from your fists."