"Jane Lindskold - Endpoint Insurance" - читать интересную книгу автора (Lindskold Jane)

first officer and several others, including over half of the turncoats. At that point, the
rest of the pirates had submitted philosophically, first pointing out to the Absolute
that they couldnтАЩt run the ship with their brains turned to goo by one of his тАЬteas.тАЭ
Jeremy Langthorp had been the chief gunnery officer- and cook when there was no
shooting to do-and although he had ordered the first volley against our fleet, he had
delayed a second strike, claiming that some of his systems had been damaged.
Then my announcement had thrown the fanatics into a panic-even the Absolute, who
had not realized to that point what danger heтАЩd put himself in.
While the fanatics were dithering, the remaining pirates had counterattacked. The
fanatics had retreated into the chemistry lab where the pirates had imprisoned
them-presumably with the Absolute.
тАЬMy shipmates and I are ready to surrender,тАЭ Jeremy Langthorp said. тАЬReady and
willing if youтАЩll promise us safe delivery to Gilbert.тАЭ
тАЬWhere, doubtless, they have some crooked lawyer ready to get them off,тАЭ I
grumbled to Spike. Then I asked Lang-thorp directly, тАЬHow many of you are left?тАЭ
тАЬFour,тАЭ Langthorp replied promptly, тАЬnot counting the fanatics in the chemistry lab.тАЭ
Spike gave me one of his lopsided grins. тАЬI guess itтАЩs time for me to take over,
Captain Ah Lee. YouтАЩve done your part.тАЭ
Standing, Spike crowded the MercuryтАЩs tiny cabin, but he managed to get his
blaster-a showy metallic blue model with a chromed grip and holographic insets
along the barrel-out of his coverall pocket.
тАЬComing with me, Captain?тАЭ he asked, holding the blaster at a jaunty angle.
I sighed. тАЬLet me see who else can go over to Deep Pockets with you. I donтАЩt quite
trust the pirates. We only have their word that there are just four left.тАЭ
тАЬI trust Langthorp,тАЭ Spike said. тАЬThere was real fear in that manтАЩs voice, but I
suppose I could use a few extra hands to help defeat the fanatics.тАЭ
Rolling my eyes at his supreme overconfidence, I beamed a request to the other
ships.
Remembering various conversations over poker in spaceport bars, I figured that
while many of the smugglers might be apolitical regarding the Batherite question,
there was enough resentment over how the pirates had used the refugees as cover for
their own operations to attract a posse-especially now that we had taken Deep
Pockets and the promise of loot was sweet and near.
With very little persuasion on my part, a volunteer from every ship agreed to go
aboard Deep Pockets-as long as I went, too. Poor SpikeтАЩs feelings were hurt, but I
reassured him as I suited up.
тАЬIt isnтАЩt you, Spike. They trust you-remember, they came on your promise of
payment. ItтАЩs just that I got them into this and theyтАЩre going to make sure IтАЩm in as
deep as they are.тАЭ
тАЬCode of the underworld?тАЭ Spike asked, checking his own suitтАЩs seals.
тАЬSomething like that,тАЭ I muttered.
Jeremy Langthorp, a short, fairly heavyset man with curly hair the color of sunlit
sand and washed-out blue eyes, met us at the entry port. He looked more like a
well-fed cook than the popular action vid depiction of a pirate and I could tell that
Spike was disappointed.
тАЬWhere are the fanatics holing up?тАЭ Spike asked as soon as routine introductions
had been made and four members of our posse had peeled off to discretely cover
the pirates.
тАЬChem lab,тАЭ Langthorp said. He tapped up a schematic on a view screen. тАЬWhen we
took this job, we adapted part of the factory deck to a lab. ItтАЩs the only thing down