"Keith Laumer - Galactic Odyssey" - читать интересную книгу автора (Laumer Keith)

find here?тАЭ
тАЬI was cold,тАЭ I said. тАЬIt was warm here тАФтАЭ
He snorted. тАЬLetting yourself in for a devilish change of scene, werenтАЩt you?тАЭ
His first words were beginning to filter through. тАЬWhat is this place?тАЭ I asked him.
тАЬYouтАЩre aboard Lord DesroyтАЩs yacht. HeтАЩs not keen on contraband holed up in the aft lazaretтАФтАЭ
тАЬA boat?тАЭ I felt IтАЩd missed something somewhere. The last I remembered was a farmhouse, in
the middle of nowhere. тАЬYou must be fooling me.тАЭ I tried to show him a smile to let him know I
got the joke. тАЬI donтАЩt feel any waves.тАЭ
тАЬSheтАЩs a converted ketch, stressed-field primaries, ion-pulse auxiliaries, fitted with full antiac
and variable G gear, four years out of Zeridajh on a private expedition. Every square inch of her is
allocated to items in specific support of her mission in life, which brings us back to you. WhatтАЩs
your name?тАЭ He asked that last in a businesslike tone.
тАЬBilly Danger. I donтАЩt understand all that about a catch . . .тАЭ
тАЬJust think of her as a small spaceship.тАЭ He sounded impatient. тАЬNow, Billy Danger, itтАЩs up to
me to тАФтАЭ
тАЬSpaceship? You mean like they shoot astronauts off in?тАЭ
Orfeo laughed. тАЬAstronauts, eh? Couple of natives paddling about the shallows in a dugout
canoe. No, Billy Danger, this is a deep-space yacht, capable of cruising for many centuries at
multiple-light velocities. At the moment, sheтАЩs on course for a world very distant from your native
Earth.тАЭ
тАЬWalt a minute,тАЭ I said; I wanted everything to slow down for just a second while I got caught
up with it. тАЬI donтАЩt want to go to any star. I just want out of here.тАЭ I tried a step and had to lean
against the bale beside me. тАЬJust let me off, and IтАЩll disappear so quick youтАЩll think you dreamed
meтАФтАЭ
тАЬIтАЩm afraid thatтАЩs not practical.тАЭ Orfeo cut me off short. тАЬNow youтАЩre here, the question is what
to do with you. As you doubtless heard, Lord DesroyтАЩs in favor of putting you out the lock. As for
myself, I have ho pes of making use of you. Know anything about weapons? Hunted much?тАЭ
тАЬJust let me off,тАЭ I said. тАЬAnywhere at all. IтАЩll walk home.тАЭ
тАЬYou must answer my questions promptly, Billy Danger! What becomes of you depends on how
well you answer them.тАЭ
 тАЬI never hunted,тАЭ I said. My breath was short, as if IтАЩd run a long way.
тАЬThatтАЩs all right. Nothing to unlearn. How old are you?тАЭ
тАЬNineteen, next April.тАЭ
тАЬAmazing. You look younger. Are you quick to learn, Billy Danger?тАЭ
тАЬItтАЩs kidnaping,тАЭ I said. тАЬYou canтАЩt just kidnap a man. ThereтАЩs lawsтАФтАЭ
тАЬMind your tongue, Billy Danger! IтАЩll tolerate no insolence, youтАЩd best understand that at the
outset! As for law, Lord Desroy makes the law here. This is his vessel; with the exception of the
Lady Raire and myself, he owns every ato m aboard her, including stowaways.тАЭ
A sudden thought occurred to me, like an icepick through the heart. тАЬYouтАЩre not . . . Earthmen,
are you?тАЭ
тАЬHappily, no.тАЭ
тАЬBut you look human; you speak English.тАЭ
тАЬOf course weтАЩre human; much older stock than your own unfortunate branch. WeтАЩve spent a
year on your drab little world, going after walrus, elephant, that sort of thing. Now, thatтАЩs enough
chatter, Billy Danger. Do you think you can learn to be a proper gunbearer?тАЭ
тАЬHow longтАФbefore we go back?тАЭ
тАЬTo Earth? Never, I trust. Now, see here! DonтАЩt fret about matters out of your control! Your job
is to keep me happy with you. If you can do that, youтАЩll stay alive and well. If not . . .тАЭ He let the
rest hang. тАЬBut then, IтАЩm sure youтАЩll try your best, eh, Billy Danger?тАЭ
It was crazy, but the way he said it, I believed every word of it. The thing I had to do right now