"Laumer, Keith - Retief 3 - Retief's War" - читать интересную книгу автора (Laumer Keith)

"My pleasure, Retief. The rascals have been getting pushier by the day. They're up to something,

mark my words! And remember: After the wheels, the juncture between the parietal plates is the best
spot to go for on a Voion."
"I'll remember that. Ta ta."
* * *

In a quieter grog shop half a mile from the scene of the action, Retief and four Terrans found a table
at the back of the room from which they could keep an eye on the street. Through the wide, doorless
arch, Voion cops could be seen hurrying past, grim and businesslike in their black and silver trappings.
Big Leon blew on his skinned fist, looked at Retief almost shyly.

"Sorry about the rough stuff, uh, Mister, uh . . ."

"Retief. No apology needed. I see now why they call you Big Leon."

Leon nodded. "You looked pretty good in there yourself, Mister. Maybe those Bugs'll think about it

before they tackle a bunch of Terries again."

"What's got into them Bugs?" the scarred man demanded. "They been giving us a hard time out in the
field, but I figured they'd be minding their manners here in town."

"That's what we came here to talk about," Big Leon said. "Something's stirring the Voion tribe up. I
thought it was just us planters and traders they were out to get, but they've got the whole town sewed up
like a dead sailor."

"We pretty near didn't get into the city," the steel-toothed man said. "There's a patrol around the port;
a man could get the idea he wasn't welcome."

"The new police force was designed to bring law and order to Quopp," Retief said. "According to
the official T.O. there are supposed to be no more than a hundred of them assigned to the city, with
smaller detachments at the major trading towns."

"A hundred my uncle Edgar," Leon growled. "The whole town's swarming with 'emЧand there must
be another ten thousand between here and Rum Jungle."

"Yes, I'd say our friends the Voion have answered the call to civic duty in surprising numbers," Retief
said.

"They say Longspoon's the one behind it," Scar-face said. "Sometimes I wonder whose side you
CDT boys are on."

"The motivation of the diplomat is an enigma that even his best friend, if he had one, would be hard
put to define," Retief confided. "Technically, the Corps Diplomatique Terrestrienne is dedicated to the
protection of Terran interests, Galaxy-wide. Of course, figuring out what those interests really are can get
a little complicated."

"Like equipping local cops with clubs to pound Terry heads, using fees squeezed out of Terry