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

тАЬI did?тАЭ

тАЬYou forgot youтАЩre an indentured worker. Your Judas bridge led me straight
to you. Your owner will be here as soon as he can find a place to park his ship. I
reckon youтАЩve got just enough time to tell me your side of the story.тАЭ

While the scow lowered toward a setback below the ridge, Carver told Rider
Jackson more or less everything that had happened out at the brown dwarf. Rider
Jackson knew most of it, of course, because heтАЩd seen the foot-age and data the tug
had sent to Mr. Kanza, but he listened patiently and said, when Carver was finished,
тАЬI didnтАЩt know he was lying about your brother. If I had, I would have put an end to
this a lot sooner.тАЭ

тАЬHe was probably lying about a lot of things.тАЭ

тАЬLike giving me a fifty percent share in the prize, uh?тАЭ

тАЬLike giving you any share at all.тАЭ
 тАЬYou might well be right,тАЭ Rider Jackson said, and looked for the first time at
Useless BeautyтАЩs tank. тАЬCare to explain why you came along for the ride?тАЭ

тАЬI have nothing to give you,тАЭ it said.

тАЬI bet you donтАЩt. But that wasnтАЩt what I asked,тАЭ Rider Jackson said, and that
was when Mr. Kanza arrived.

Grim and angry and out of breath, he bulled straight across the roof-less cube
and stuck his shock stick in CarverтАЩs face. Carver couldnтАЩt help flinching and Mr.
Kanza smiled and said, тАЬTell me what the !Cha found and where it is, and maybe I
wonтАЩt have to use this.тАЭ

Rider Jackson said, тАЬThereтАЩs no point threatening him. You want to know the
truth, figure out how to get the !Cha to talk straight.тАЭ

Mr. Kanza stepped back from Carver and aimed the shock stick at Rider
Jackson. тАЬYou were indentured once, just like him. Is that why youтАЩre taking his
side? I knew it was a mistake to let you go chase him down.тАЭ

тАЬYou could have come with me,тАЭ Rider Jackson said, тАЬbut you were happy to
let me take the risk.тАЭ

тАЬHe told you. He told you what that thing found and you made a deal with
him.тАЭ

тАЬYouтАЩre making a bad mistake.тАЭ

The two men were staring at each other, Rider Jackson impassive, Mr. Kanza
angry and sweating. Saying, тАЬI bet you tasted the stick in your time. YouтАЩll taste it
again if you donтАЩt drop that pistol.тАЭ