"McCay, Bill - Stargate Rebellion" - читать интересную книгу автора (McCay Bill)

dealing with the primitives on Abydos. And UMC was quite resourceful in
keeping up production of whatever ore was being excavated, despite
piddling complaints by the natives or annoying shifts in their
governments. The general referred briefly to the newspaper clippings in
his UMC file. A native potentate toppled, a separatist movement in the
area of richest mining, a recalcitrant president supplanted by a more
accommodating military junta ... Yes, UMC was certainly a company that
could handle itself in the clinch. And for civilians, they would do
exactly the sort of job he wanted done. He had the names and numbers he
needed to start the ball rolling. No doubt UMC would want to send over
some prospectors, advance men, people to do a feasibility study. All
under the deepest shrouds of national security, of course. Well, he had
just the man to bird-dog them. Someone who had experience on the far
side of the StarGate. A military man who knew how to follow orders and
keep his mouth shut.

Colonel Jack O'Neil.

West smiled. Perhaps someday O'Neil would thank the general for putting
him in touch with the right people. Certainly, West expected to be
thanked ... by UMC. Not immediately, of course. But a person who puts a
company in the way of making a handsome profit-a monopoly position on a
scarce resource with many valuable uses. Well, such a person deserves a
reward. Lucrative consulting opportunities, perhaps a seat on the board
of directors. West leaned back in his seat. After all, the military
would expect him to retire one of these days. The military-industrial
complex just wasn't what it used to be. Even a general had to think
about his future.

CHAPTER 3

INFILTRATION

Shielding his eyes from the brutal desert suns of Abydos, Skaara
conducted a quick head count on the mastadge herd he and his friends
were watching. Sha'uri's brother had to admit that after his brief
stint as a freedom fighter, the shepherd's trade was even more boring
than before. He and his friends had become boy commandos almost by
accident, rescuing the otherworldly visitors from Ra's wrath. Indeed,
Skaara had learned most of his soldiering by observing the man he called
Black Hat-after the black beret worn by Colonel Jack O'Neil. There was
a warrior, despite the dull green clothes he wore. The man had a sharp
temper, exacerbated by the language difficulties-the only visitor who
spoke the local language was Daniel, his sister's husband. But Skaara
had admired O'Neil, and a certain friendship had grown between them.
He'd been vastly disappointed when his idol had disappeared into the
StarGate, returning to whatever unguessable world he had come from. It
wasn't merely a wish for action that fueled Skaara's discontent. He'd
quickly learned that war did not necessarily mean glory-his mates had
suffered casualties, and his friend Nabeh had nearly been killed. Still