"George R. R. Martin - Override" - читать интересную книгу автора (Martin George R R)

look dead at all, but you looked very guilty. And suddenly I got it. You were the only one with a clear
view of that stuff on the beach. You were the only one in the cave."
He paused, awkward. His voice broke a little, and softened. "OnlyтАФwhy? Why, Ed?"
Cochran looked up at him again. He shrugged. "Money," he said. "Only money, Matt. What else?"
He smiled; not his usual grin, but a strained, tight smile. "I like you, Matt."
"You've got a peculiar way of showing it," Kabaraijian told him.
He couldn't help smiling as he said it. "Whose money?"
"Bartling's," said Cochran. "I needed money real bad. My estimates were low, I didn't have anything
saved. If I had to leave Grotto, that would've meant selling my crew just for passage money. Then I'd be
a hired handler again. I didn't want that. I needed money fast."
He shrugged. "I was going to try smuggling some swirlstones, but you didn't make that sound good.
And last night I got another idea. I didn't think that crap about organizing us and outbidding Bartling
would work, but I figured he'd be interested. So I went to see him after I left the tavern. Thought he
might pay a little for the information, and maybe even make an exception, let me stay."
He shook his head dourly. Kabaraijian stayed silent. Finally Cochran resumed. "I got to see him, him
with three bodyguards. When I told him, he got hysterical. You'd humiliated him already, and now he
thought you were on to something. HeтАФhe made me an offer. A lot of money, Matt. A lot of money."
"I'm glad I didn't come cheap." Cochran smiled. "Nah," he said. "Bartling really wanted you, and I
made him pay. He gave me the override box. Wouldn't touch it himself. He said he'd had it made in case
the `meatminds' and their `zombies' ever attacked him."
Cochran reached into the pocket of his tunic, and took out a small, flat cartridge. It looked like a twin
for the controller on his belt. He flipped it lightly through the air at Kabaraijian.
But Kabaraijian made no effort to catch it. The box sailed past his shoulder, and hit the water with a
splash.
"Hey," said Cochran. "You shoulda got that. Your corpses won't respond till you turn it off."
"My shoulder's stiff," Kabaraijian started. He stopped abruptly.
Cochran stood up. He looked at Kabaraijian as if he were seeing him for the first time. "Yeah," he
said. His fists clenched. "Yeah." He was a full head taller than Kabaraijian, and much heavier. And
suddenly he seemed to notice the extent of the other's injuries.
The wrench seemed to grow heavier in Kabaraijian's hand. "Don't," he warned.
"I' m sorry," Cochran said. And he dove forward.
Kabaraijian brought the wrench around at his head, but Cochran caught the blow before it
connected. His other hand reached up and wrapped itself around Kabaraijian's wrist, and twisted. He felt
his fingers going numb.
There was no thought of fair play, or mercy. He was fighting for his life. His free hand went to his
waist and grabbed the screwdriver. He pulled it out, and stabbed. Cochran gasped, and his grip sud
denly loosened. Kabaraijian stabbed again, and twisted up and out, ripping a gash in tunic and flesh.
Cochran reeled back, clutching at his stomach. Kabaraijian followed him and stabbed a third time,
savagely. Cochran fell.
He tried to rise once, and gave it up, falling heavily back to the floor of the launch. Then he lay there,
bleeding.
Kabaraijian went back to the motor, and kept the boat clear of the walls. He guided them down the
passages smoothly, through the caves and the tunnels and the deep green pools. And in the harsh boat
light, he watched Cochran.
Cochran never moved again, and he spoke only once. Just after they had left the caves and come out
into the early afternoon sun of Grotto, he looked up briefly. His hands were wet with blood. And his eyes
were wet too. "I'm sorry, Matt," he said. "I'm damn sorry."
"Oh, God!" Kabaraijian said, his voice thick. And suddenly he stopped the boat dead in the water,
and bent to the supply cache. Then he went to Cochran and dressed and bandaged his injuries.
When he reached the controls again, he flipped the speed up to maximum. The launch streaked