"Larry Niven - Crashlander (2)" - читать интересную книгу автора (Niven Larry)

The puppeteer had released my arm. It went on: "And what do you think of Hrodenu?"

"He's ruining my eyes."

"Naturally. The Kdatlyno are blind to all but radar. FTLSPACE is not meant to be seen but to be
touched. Run your tongue over it."

"My tongue? No, thanks." I tried running my hand over it. If you want to know what it felt like,
hop a ship for Jinx; the thing's still there. I flatly refuse to describe the sensation.

The puppeteer cocked its head dubiously. "I'm sure your tongue is more sensitive. No guards are
nearby."

"Forget it. You know, you sound just like the regional president of General Products on We Made
It."

"It was he who sent me your dossier, Beowulf Shaeffer. No doubt we had the same English teacher.
I am the regional president on Jinx, as you no doubt recognized from my mane."

Well, not quite. The auburn mop over the brain case between the two necks is supposed to show
caste once you learn to discount variations of mere style. To do that, you have to be a puppeteer.
Instead of admitting my ignorance, I asked, "Did that dossier say I was a spendthrift?"

"You have spent more than a million stars in the past four years.,'

"And loved it."

"Yes. You will shortly be in debt again. Have you thought of doing more writing? I admired your
article on the neutron star BVS-1. 'The pointy bottom of a gravity well ...' 'Blue starlight fell
on me like intangible sleet.' Lovely."

"Thanks. It paid well, too. But I'm mainly a spaceship pilot."

"It is fortunate, our meeting here. I had thought of having you found. Do you wish a job?"

That was a loaded question. The last and only time I took a job from a puppeteer, the puppeteer
blackmailed me into it, knowing it would probably kill me. It almost did. I didn't hold that
against the regional president of We Made It, but to let them have another crack at me -- "I'll
give you a conditional maybe. Do you have the idea I'm a professional suicide pilot?"

"Not at all. If I show details, do you agree that the information shall be confidential?"



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"I do," I said formally, knowing it would commit me. A verbal contract is as binding as the tape
it's recorded on.