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

was stay alive. Then, later, I could worry about getting home.
тАЬSure,тАЭ I said. тАЬIтАЩll try.тАЭ
тАЬRight. ThatтАЩs settled, then.тАЭ Orfeo looked relieved, as if heтАЩd just found an excuse to put off a
mean chore. тАЬYou were lucky, you know. You took eight gravities, unprotected. A wonder you
didnтАЩt break a few bones.тАЭ
I was still holding my left arm by the wrist ; I eased it around front, and felt the sharp point
poking out through my sleeve.
тАЬWho said I didnтАЩt?тАЭ I asked him, and felt myself folding like a windblown newspaper.
 CHAPTER TWO

I woke up feeling different. At first, I couldnтАЩt quite dope out what it w as; then I got it: I was
clean, fresh-shaved, sweet-smelling, tucked in between sheets as crisp as new dollar bills. And I
felt good; I tingled all over, as if IтАЩd just had a needle shower and a rubdown.
The room I was in was a little low-ceilinged cubbyhole with nothing much in it but the pallet I
was lying on. I remembered the arm then, and pulled back a loose yellow sleeve somebody had
put on me. Outside of a little swelling and a bright pink scar under a clear plastic patch, it was as
good as new.
Something clicked and a little door in the wall slid back. The man named Orfeo stuck his head
in.
тАЬGood; youтАЩre awake. About time. IтАЩm about to field-strip the Z-guns. YouтАЩll watch.тАЭ
I got up and discovered that my knees didnтАЩt wobble anymore. I felt strong enough to run up a
wall. And hungry. Just thinking about ham and eggs made my jaws ache. Orfeo tossed me a set of
yellow coveralls from a closet back of a sliding panel.
тАЬTry these; I cut them down from JongoтАЩs old cape.тАЭ
I pulled them on. The cloth was tough and light and smooth as glove silk.
тАЬHow are you feeling?тАЭ Orfeo was looking me up and down.
тАЬFine,тАЭ I said. тАЬHow long did I sleep?тАЭ
тАЬNinety -six hours. I doped you up a bit.тАЭ
I ran a finger over my new scar. тАЬI donтАЩt understand about the arm. I remember it as being
broken; broken badтАФтАЭ
тАЬA hunter has to know a little field medicine,тАЭ he said. тАЬWhile I was about it, I gave you a good
worming and balanced up your body chemistry.тАЭ He shook his head. тАЬBloody wonder you could
walk, the rot that boiled out of you. Bloody microbe culture. HowтАЩs your vision?тАЭ
I blinked at the wall. If thereтАЩd been a fly there, I could have counted his whiskers. тАЬGood,тАЭ I
said. тАЬBetter than itтАЩs ever been.тАЭ
тАЬWell, youтАЩre no good to me sick,тАЭ he said, as if he had to apologize.
тАЬThanks,тАЭ I said. тАЬFor the arm, and the bath and the pretty yellow pajamas, too.тАЭ
тАЬDonтАЩt thank me. The Lady Raire took care of that part.тАЭ
тАЬYou mean . . . the girl?тАЭ
тАЬSheтАЩs the Lady Raire, Jongo! And IтАЩm Sir Orfeo. As for the wash-up and the kit, someone had
to do it. You stank to high heaven. Now come along. WeтАЩve a great deal to cover if youтАЩre to be of
any use to me on the hunt.тАЭ




2
 The armory was a small room lined with racks full of guns that werenтАЩt like any guns IтАЩd ever
seen before. There were handguns, rifles, rocket-throwers, some with short barrels, some with
just a bundle of glass rods, some with fancy telescopic sights, one that looked like a flare pistol