"John G. Hemry - Lady Be Good" - читать интересную книгу автора (Hemry John G)

I'd never realized how slowly the airlock cycled. I couldn't feel anything, including fear, but out of force of
habit I made my way cautiously over the battered cargo containers and along the hull as I moved toward
the vent. I found Dingo still tethered there. The emergency vent through the secondary had blown away
part of its shield, and some of those parts had gone through Dingo's suit and Dingo on their way to
forever.

I checked the work on the vent. Dingo had done a good job. Better than I could've done. Then I
untethered all that remained of my Third Officer and towed him back to the airlock.

There was a group waiting at the airlock. Dingo had never been a particularly good-looking man.
Explosive decompression hadn't improved things any. "Let's get him into the burial capsule." I'd kept one.
I could've hocked it, like I had the others, but was afraid if I got rid of the last one I'd suddenly need it.
Now I needed it anyway.

The other sailors wrestled Dingo's body into the capsule. "Drop it into the cold storage bin. We'll hold a
service later and send it toward Carnavon." I watched them carry the capsule away, wondering what I'd
say at the service.

Halley stood watching me. "Did he have any friends?"

"Who? Dingo? No."

"You're sure? Nobody he went ashore with?"

I managed a short, sharp bark of laughter. "I'm the only one who ever went ashore with Dingo."

"Really?"

"Yeah." I rubbed my forehead, trying to push away the pain there. "Dingo was a drunk, and he'd usually
get mean."

"Why'd you go with him, then?"

"Somebody had to. Somebody had to make sure he was okay and get him back to the ship."

"You could've told someone else to do it."

I frowned and shook my head. "No. I couldn't trust anyone else not to ditch Dingo when he started
getting mean drunk. And it was just easier for me to keep an eye on him." I looked up and saw Halley
still watching me. "What?"

"I was just thinking that Dingo did have one friend. And I think he knew it, too."

I shrugged. "And I was just thinking that I wish I'd checked Dingo's suit before we sealed that capsule to
see if it could be repaired."

I don't know what kind of reaction I was expecting from her, but Halley Keracides just shook her head.
"You're a damned liar, Kilcannon." Then she walked away and left me standing there alone at the airlock.
****
We made it the next two days without further problems. Before Lady jumped for Fagin, I held a brief