"Keith Laumer - Bolos 5 - Old Guard" - читать интересную книгу автора (Laumer Keith)

of very light fabric, with black boots and belt. Platinum circlets, pinned to his shoulder flares, identified his rank. The
lights overhead highlighted his sharp Mediterranean facial features and complexion, though his brooding Asian eyes
always broke the categorization. Walter was dressed in gray slacks and a designer white shirt that he had just
purchased that day. His long, wavy brown hair reached his shoulders, though it was neatly combed and kept. The
short beard that he sported caused him to scratch his chin and neck constantly. Although of ordinary features, this no
way detracted from his rugged good looks. Bare concrete walls enclosed them, gray and smooth except for numerous
cracks and cement patches that marred the surface. A fine white dust covered everything, though it was more from
the sand outside than from the deterioration of the concrete. A large but simple computer panel was embedded into
the rear wall, black and not activated. Walter had all he needed in his briefcase of a computer that he had opened on
the extremely large table that dominated the center of the small room.
тАЬHave you ever tried your baby in a rain like this?тАЭ Kaethan asked, lazily.
тАЬMy laser will work fine,тАЭ Walter returned, тАЬjust as long as the wind doesnтАЩt pick up.тАЭ
тАЬThe wind?тАЭ Kaethan turned in curiosity.
A cool breeze from the west had picked up off the ocean just as the rain began to pour, slanting the raindrops with
mild fifteen kilometer per hour gusts. Kaethan couldnтАЩt figure out, however, how the wind would be a problem.
тАЬDonтАЩt tell anyone, but we tested out our tracking radar during the last hurricane.тАЭ Walter had stopped typing
momentarily as he confided in his friend. тАЬIf a strong gust created a localized swirl, our radar sometimes registered it
as an incoming missile.тАЭ
тАЬYouтАЩre kidding.тАЭ
тАЬYes, but it was a concern.тАЭ
As Walter happily returned to his typing, Kaethan sighed and turned back to the slit window. Just the two of them
were in this bunker, orchestrating this demonstration. Fifty meters to their right, closer to the ocean, several faces
peered back at him from another bunker. The local aldermen would probably have a poor show today through this
rain. He suspected that theyтАЩd hear the artillery boom a few times, then afterwards theyтАЩd be shown the radar tracks.
If they wanted, theyтАЩd be driven to ground zero to investigate the area for recent impacts.
Somewhere out there in the rain, however, was a modified mining utility Hauler with a multiphase array radar and
an industrial strength battlelaser whose job was to make sure no shell survived long enough to impact the ground.
Many cities on Delas had purchased the Haulers for use as APCтАЩs, but with an additional mini-fission core installed,
it could power a very impressive laser system. There was a great deal of interest in these ongoing tests.
тАЬReady,тАЭ Walter announced, then hit one more key and looked up.
тАЬAre you sure?тАЭ
тАЬYes.тАЭ
тАЬItтАЩs still taking three minutes getting that crystal up to speed, isnтАЩt it?тАЭ
тАЬI told you, IтАЩm sure we can reduce that.тАЭ
Kaethan glared at Walter with narrow eyes for a moment, then picked up his headset from a chair next to him.
Captain Ishida had been given this assignment for the sole reason that its lead engineer, Walter Rice, was a personal
friend of his from long ago. It was either that, or nobody else in the Alabaster Guard wanted to waste their weekends
at the firing range. Either way, he was still unsure of the wisdom of that decision. As much as they were enjoying
working together, Walter might not have been taking this task as seriously as he should. Of course, Kaethan told
himself, Walter had never taken anything very seriously, and yet he always did get straight AтАЩs. That had earned him
an off-planet university scholarship at Angelrath, which had separated them for the past eight years.
Little had changed in either of them since they had last seen each other, Kaethan believed. Although in a business
suit now, WalterтАЩs curly, long, light brown hair still made Kaethan see him as the beach bum that he had always
been. His eternal one-day growth of beard just added to the effect. If he truly did shave every morning, then Kaethan
thought that he might want to do it again at midday. To be tall, handsome, and relaxed had been WalterтАЩs quest in life
since before college, and he had largely succeeded if judged by the reaction of those he valued most, women.
WalterтАЩs and KaethanтАЩs basic physiques had changed little, but at six-foot one, Walter was now a good six inches
taller than Kaethan was.
The rain outside was beginning to slacken now, but the captain wasnтАЩt going to wait any longer. After a quick
wave of warning towards the other bunker, Kaethan activated his headgear and pulled the microphone down to his