"Paul J. McAuley - Winning Peace" - читать интересную книгу автора (Mcauley Paul J)

that would open the hatch.
 Nothing happened.

Carver knew then that the !Cha was awake; it must have locked the hatch from
the inside. He was crouched on top of the escape pod in the wash of the gas giantтАЩs
corpse light with nowhere else to go. Blowing the hatch had compromised the tugтАЩs
integrity; if it plowed into SheffieldтАЩs upper atmosphere, it would break up. And in
less than thirty minutes, it would reestablish contact with Mr. KanzaтАЩs scow. Mr.
Kanza would have to alter the tugтАЩs course to save it, and then he would torture
Carver until CarverтАЩs air supply ran out. So Carver did the only thing he could do: he
opened all the com channels and started talking. He told the !Cha who he was, told it
about Mr. Kanza and Lieutenant Rider, explained why he needed its help. He talked
for ten minutes straight, and then a flat mechanical voice said, тАЬTell me exactly what
you plan to do.тАЭ

Relief washed clean through Carver, but he knew that he was not saved yet.
With the feeling that he was tiptoeing over very thin ice, he said, тАЬI plan to keep us
both out of Mr. KanzaтАЩs clutches. IтАЩd like to surrender to the Navy, but Mr. Kanza
partnered up with an officer in the garrison here, so our only chance is to escape
through one of the wormholes.тАЭ

тАЬBut you do not have command of the tug.тАЭ

тАЬI donтАЩt need it.тАЭ

Another pause. Then the flat voice said, тАЬYou have my interest.тАЭ

Carver explained that the escape podтАЩs motor was small but fully fueled, that
with the tugтАЩs delta vee and a little extra assist it should be able to get them where
they needed to go.

тАЬI hope you understand that IтАЩm not going to give you the flight plan. YouтАЩll
have to trust me.тАЭ

тАЬYou are afraid that I killed Dr. Smith. You are afraid that I will kill you, if I
know the details of your plan.тАЭ

тАЬIt crossed my mind, but youтАЩre a better bet than my owner.тАЭ

тАЬIf I wanted you dead, I would not need to do it myself. Your owner will do
that for me.тАЭ

Carver wondered if that was an attempt at humor. тАЬHeтАЩll kill both of us.тАЭ

тАЬHe will not kill me if he believes that I have something he wants.тАЭ
 тАЬIf you do have something, heтАЩll kill you and take it. And if you donтАЩt, heтАЩll
kill you anyway.тАЭ

Carver sweated out another pause. Then, with a grinding vibration he felt
through his pressure suit, the hatch of the escape pod opened.