"Dead Men Walking" - читать интересную книгу автора (Mcauley Paul J)

veteran whoТd served in one of the Navy supply ships during the Quiet War, he
had led the team that put down the trouble in the library. Three prisoners had
died and eighteen had been badly injuredЧone had gouged out the eyes of another
with her thumbsЧand the incident had left him subdued and thoughtful. After
studying me for a few moments, he said, УIf it was me, I wouldnТt touch the
files. I hear the warden is compiling a list of people who are poking around,
looking for clues and so forth. He tolerates their nonsense because he
desperately wants to put an end to the trouble as soon as he can, and heТll be
pretty damn happy if some hack does happen to uncover the assassin. But it isnТt
likely, and when this thing is over you can bet heТs going to come down hard on
all those amateur sleuths. And itТs possible the assassin is keeping tabs on the
files too. Anyone who comes close to finding him could be in for a bad surprise.
No, my brother, screwing around in the files is only going to get you into
trouble.Ф
I knew then that Willy had a shrewd idea of what I was about. I also knew that
the warden was the least of my worries. I said, as lightly as I could, УSo what
would you do?Ф
Willy didnТt answer straight away, but instead refilled his bulb from the jar of
iced tea. We were sitting on the porch of his little shack, at the edge of a
setback near the top of the cityТs shaft. Banana plants and tree ferns screened
it from its neighbors; the vertical forest dropped away on either side. WillyТs
champion cricket, a splendid white and gold specimen in a cage of plaited
bamboo, was trilling one of BachТs Goldberg Variations. Willy passed the jar to
me and said, УWeТre speaking purely hypothetically.Ф
УOf course.Ф
УYouТve always had a wild streak,Ф Willy said, УI wouldnТt put it past you to do
something recklessly brave and dangerously stupid.Ф
УIТm just an ordinary hack,Ф I said.
УWho goes for long solitary hikes across the surface. Who soloed that route in
Prospero Chasma and didnТt bother to mention it until someone found out a couple
of years later. IТve known you almost nine years, Roy, and youТre still a man of
mystery.Ф Willy smiled. УHey, whatТs that look for? All IТm saying is you have
character, is all.Ф
For a moment, my hardwired reflexes had kicked in. For a moment, I had been
considering whether or not this man had blown my cover, whether or not I should
kill him. I carefully manufactured a smile, and said that I hadnТt realized that
I seemed so odd.
УMost of us have secrets,Ф Willy said. УThatТs why weТre out here, my brother.
WeТre just as much prisoners as anyone in our sticks. They donТt know it, but
those dumbasses blundering about in the files are trying to find a way of
escaping what they are.Ф
УAnd thereТs no way you can escape what you are,Ф I said. The moment had passed.
My smile was a real smile now, not a mask IТd put on to hide what I really was.
Willy toasted me with his bulb of tea. УAnyone with any sense learns that
eventually.Ф
УYou still havenТt told me how you would catch the assassin.Ф
УI donТt intend to catch him.Ф
УBut speaking hypotheticallyЕФ
УFor all we know, itТs the warden. He can go anywhere and everywhere, and he has
access to all the security systems too.Ф