"Mike Moscoe - Society of Humanity 03 - They Also Serve" - читать интересную книгу автора (Moscoe Mike)

before the chief village elder gave one of them the obligatory beer to settle a deal. He
seemed in charge, she following his wishes, though it was too soon to see who really called
the shots. Jeff had seen the metal disks the bully Sean waved. Quite a pay for a ruined
crop. Then again, if they could extract minerals from pulverized mountains, it was chicken
feed, like Vicky's favorite story about buying an island for a handful of trinkets.

Jeff used the confusion to approach the two unnoticed. Three hundred years, and the
language hadn't changed that much. The titles caught him: Captain, Colonel. Those were
military ranks. He'd have to check his references to see which one outranked the other.
According to the old texts, soldiers were poor businesspeople. Fascinating. Why was the
military doing the exploration? Was this a rediscovery or what the history books called an
invasion? Did people who vanished mountains need to invade? Jeff's head started to spin.

Annie grabbed his arm. "Did you hear them, man? Did you hear them?"
"No, I arrived late."

"Oh." A dour glance from a grandmother reminded Annie that, party or no, that was a
Sterling arm she was hanging on. She backed off a decorous foot before she gushed on.
'They're from Earth's own Society of Humanity. They've come to take us home."

Jeff glanced around. "And this isn't home?" He usually avoided their half-serious
attempt at an Irish brogue, but now was a good time for questions; he had a million. As
nice as it was to look at Annie, he kept an eye on the two. The woman was rearranging the
uniformed people who stood around like potted plants, decorating their lander. Groups
boarded the lander and returned without their long guns. They still had things at their
waists that looked like pistols. Trusting, but not too trusting.

"Of course this is home, you silly man. But to hear from Earth, to talk to them again
after three hundred years."
"Right, and we're all going to love what they do to us?" Jeff wondered how many other
people here saw in the Earth people only what they wanted. Jeff was logical. He saw
metal, all kinds of metal, and lots of it. The scarcity of which had made the Sterlings the
power on this planet.
Annie took a second to think about that one. "They said they came in peace."

"Whose peace? Yours, mine, theirs? Annie, excuse me, I've got to go talk to them." Jeff
took two steps back. In a moment, Annie was lost in the flow of people. Jeff didn't actually
want to talk to anyone. Shadow. Listen. Learn. Then, when he knew more, talk. He
couldn't wait too long. As soon as Vicky found out about this, she'd be headed out here
with bells on her toes and shovels in both hands.


In the bustle of setting up for the party, a few benches showed up around one table.
Mary edged Ray toward one; he didn't resist, his back was aching. There was no talk of
business, just proud claims that he was about to taste the best breads, stews, and other
things whose names escaped him. Apparently business without hospitality was impossible
here. Seated, Ray measured the pain in his back against wooziness from meds, and
swallowed a pill.

The mayor and wife joined Ray at the table. A gray-haired man, Father Joseph, was