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

Rider Jackson said, тАЬI guess we arenтАЩt partners anymore.тАЭ

тАЬYouтАЩre right,тАЭ Mr. Kanza said, and zapped him.

Carver was caught by the edge of the stickтАЩs field. His Judas bridge kicked in,
his muscles went into spasm, hot spikes hammered through his skull, and he fell
straight down.

Rider Jackson didnтАЩt so much as twitch. He put his pistol on Mr. Kanza and
said, тАЬThe Navy took out my bridge when I signed up. Set down that stick and your
pistol, and IтАЩll let you walk away.тАЭ

тАЬWeтАЩre partners.тАЭ
 тАЬYou said it yourself: not anymore. If you start walking now, maybe you can
find somewhere to hide before the cutter turns up.тАЭ

Mr. Kanza screamed and threw the shock stick at Rider Jackson and made a
grab for the pistol stuck in his utility belt. Rider Jackson shot him. He shot Mr.
Kanza twice in the chest and the man sat down, winded and dazed but still alive: his
pressure suit had stopped the flechettes. He groped for his pistol and Rider Jackson
said, тАЬDonтАЩt do it.тАЭ

тАЬFuck you,тАЭ Mr. Kanza said and jerked up his pistol and fired it wildly. Rider
Jackson didnтАЩt flinch. He took careful aim and shot Mr. Kanza in the head, and the
man fell sideways and lay still.

Rider Jackson turned and put his pistol on Useless BeautyтАЩs black cyl-inder
and said calmly, тАЬI donтАЩt suppose this can punch through your casing, but I could
shoot off your limbs one by one and set you on a fire.тАЭ

There was a brief silence. Then the !Cha said, тАЬYou will need a very hot fire,
and much more time than you have.тАЭ

тАЬI have more time than you think,тАЭ Rider Jackson said. тАЬI know Dana Sabah,
the woman flying that cutter. SheтАЩs a good pilot, but sheтАЩs inexperi-enced and too
cautious. Right now, sheтАЩll be watching us from orbit, wait-ing to see how it plays
out before she makes her move.тАЭ

тАЬIf she does not come, then the settlers will rescue me.тАЭ

тАЬUh-uh. Even if the settlers know about us, which I doubt, Dana will have told
them to back off. I reckon I have more than enough time to boil the truth out of
you.тАЭ

Useless Beauty said, тАЬI have already told the truth.тАЭ

Carver got to his feet and told Rider Jackson, тАЬIt doesnтАЩt matter if itтАЩs tell-ing
the truth or not. All that matters is that we can escape in the scow. But first, I want
you to drop your pistol.тАЭ