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

activity of a few weeks each. Now I needed a story to tell to Ander Smittarasheed; but what I
remembered best was that I'd disliked him on sight.

***

Sharrol's seat was empty. Ander settled into it. "You really like these water wars? What guild



file:///F|/rah/larry%20niven/Crashlander.txt (3 of 162) [1/14/03 8:12:05 PM]
 file:///F|/rah/larry%20niven/Crashlander.txt

do you favor?"

"No, Ander, it's not like that. You've seen my homeworld. There's only one ocean on We Made It,
and it's all one storm. Nobody swims."

"So what are we doing here?"

I had come here following a woman's whim, but Ander shouldn't know that. "I don't care who wins.
I just get a kick out of watching how good they are."

But I'd listened to enough of Sharrol's prattling. Water war derived from a game the kzinti
played on the continent, on land. In both forms the game is local to Fafnir. No offworld tourist
would know of it. I need only open my mouth and let Sharrol speak.

"They all swim like dolphins, don't they? But the dolphins can't grab the prey, they can only
push the other players around, except that the Structure Team dolphin has hands. It's an option.
But the rig is slowing her down; can you tell? Do you know anything about strategy? They're down
to seven teams, looks like --" I saw that he was only waiting for me to stop talking. "Ander, what
are you doing on Fafnir?"

"Looking for you."

"Yeah, I always thought so. You're with the United Nations police." I need not pretend to like
it.

Ander frowned. "Not ... exactly. I'm not an ARM. I'm with Sigmund Ausfaller, and Sigmund is an
ARM, but he has his own agenda. By which I mean to say I'm not here to bring you back, Beowulf."

"That's good. I don't want to go back." I didn't have my story yet, but it would not include
wanting to return to Earth. "Why, then?"

"Can you tell me what happened to Feather Filip?"

"It's long and ugly."

"No problem. I'll take you to dinner."

"Thanks." It might help me, now or later, if Ander thought I was short of money. Better yet --