"Charles Ingrid - The Sand Wars 02 - Lasertown Blues" - читать интересную книгу автора (Ingrid Charles)

farm on DormanтАЩs Stand and volunteer for the army in the first place. He
had little enough memory left of his family and home planet.

тАЬAmen,тАЭ answered Daku and they drained their glasses.

тАЬEver see a Thrakian sand planet?тАЭ Daku asked casually.

Jack had. HeтАЩd been there on Milos, fighting, while the Thraks
terraformed the planet into a vastness of dunes, sands to be filled with their
eggs for hatching. But he couldnтАЩt answer without giving himself away. He
took a long draught of beer before answering, тАЬNo.тАЭ

тАЬI have. DormanтАЩs Stand, one of the last to go under. ItтАЩd eat away at
you, tell you that. A dead planet now, for all that itтАЩs a nursery to Thraks.тАЭ

His home. His family. His fields and orchards, ground to dust and sand.
His hand clenched around his beer glass, and to distract himself, Jack
watched the amber-haired blonde at the bar shrug off a potential customer.
Her gaze flickered briefly over Jack. He cleared his throat, hoping that Daku
hadnтАЩt noticed. He checked his watch as his drinking companion began to
slip his card into the table slot to order another round of drinks. He held up
his palm. тАЬThatтАЩs enough for me. I want to get back.тАЭ

Daku looked up. He smiled pleasantly. тАЬBut thereтАЩs no need to worry,
Jack. You wonтАЩt be going back. IтАЩve been sent to turn you back into the clay
we are all made of. Dust to dust.тАЭ

He looked into a needle-nosed palm laser. Jack reacted before he knew he
was going to react. He dropped down, kicked the table up into DakuтАЩs teeth,
and rolled out of the way of the spray of fire. The blonde at the bar
screamed and tables rang as they overturned, the area clearing as customers
hit the deck.
 As Jack dove into a shadowy corner and skidded into a crouch, Daku got
to his feet. Blood poured from his upper lip. The palm laser shook.

тАЬYou wonтАЩt get out of here. ItтАЩs not my job to let you go.тАЭ

Jack ducked as laser fire crisped the booth behind his head. He kissed the
floor as sprinklers went on and a fine mist drifted down in response to the
assault. He could hear Daku move to another position.

The blonde crawled over to Jack and slipped him a handgun. тАЬWhat
would you do without me?тАЭ

тАЬLive alone,тАЭ he said. тАЬNow find a corner and stay the hell out of the
way.тАЭ

She gave him a pout and crawled past him as ordered.

тАЬI suppose you wonтАЩt tell me who hired you.тАЭ Jack paused and calculated