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

Rider Jackson looked at the pistol Carver was holdingтАФMr. KanzaтАЩs
pistolтАФand said, тАЬI wondered if youтАЩd have the guts to pick it up. The ques-tion
now is, do you have the guts to use it?тАЭ

тАЬIf I have to.тАЭ

тАЬLook at us,тАЭ Rider Jackson said. тАЬIтАЩm an officer in the Collective Navy;
youтАЩre a prisoner of war sold into slavery, trying to get home.. .We could fight a
duel to see who gets the scow. It would make a good ending to the story, wouldnтАЩt
it?тАЭ

Carver smiled and said, тАЬIt would, but this isnтАЩt a story.тАЭ

тАЬOf course itтАЩs a story. Do you know why !Cha risk their lives chasing after
Elder Culture artifacts?тАЭ

тАЬItтАЩs something to do with sex.тАЭ

тАЬThatтАЩs it. Back in the oceans of their homeworld, male !Cha constructed
elaborate nests to attract a mate. The strongest, those most likely to produce the
fittest offspring, made the biggest and most elaborate nests. Simple, straight-ahead
Darwinism. The !Cha left their homeworld a long time ago, but the males still have to
prove their worth by finding something novel, something no other male has. They
have a bad jones for Elder Culture junk, but these days they get a lot of useful stuff
from us too.тАЭ

тАЬItтАЩs lying about what it found,тАЭ Carver said. тАЬIt told me it lost it, but I know
it has it hidden away inside that tank.тАЭ

Rider Jackson shook his head. тАЬIf it still had it, it would have killed you and
paid off Mr. Kanza. And it wouldnтАЩt have called up the garrison back at Ganesh
Five.тАЭ

тАЬIt did? Is that why the cutter came after us?тАЭ

тАЬWhy do you think traffic control spotted you so quickly? It told them what
you were up to, and it told them all about my deal with Mr. Kanza too. Dana Sabah
told me all about it when she tried to get me to surrender,тАЭ Rider Jackson said. тАЬI
guess our friend thought that involving the Navy would make the story more
exciting.тАЭ

тАЬSon of a bitch. And I thought it was on my side because it owes me its life.тАЭ

тАЬAs far as itтАЩs concerned, it doesnтАЩt owe you anything. The only reason it
stuck with you is because you have something it needs. Something as unique as any
ancient artifact, something it believes will win it a mate: the story of how you tried to
escape.тАЭ

тАЬYour own story is just as good, Lieutenant Jackson,тАЭ Useless Beauty said.