"Bc16" - читать интересную книгу автора (Niven Larry & Pournelle)

"Damn," Trish said. "You're really good."
Edgar preened. He was, and everyone knew it, but he had something else going here.
Trish likely hadn't found Edgar Sikes impressive. Chaka knew her style, and it was domination. But here and now, Edgar Sikes was no schmuck, no mere decoration for a woman. This was Aaron Tragon's wizard, and a wizard makes a risky servant.
"Hey. Chaka? Do you know about a crab that lives in the tops of horsemanes?"
"Sure."
"I wondered why the grendels didn't eat them all."
"Grendels never did climb the big horsemanes. They knocked down smaller ones and ate them. Anything that lived in the top of a big one of those might survive. These do. Dad's studied them. They breed by getting the attention of the pterodons, who see a wiggle of prey in the top of a horsemane, and dive, and get eggs on their feet."
Edgar's fingers were still molding the shape of a hurricane. "What brought it to mind was my back. When Aaron and I climbed that tree. Raced for it. I was winning. I got just in reach of the top, and something with teeth flashed right at my eyes. I dropped right past Aaron."
He watched the hurricane raging at the hangars. Nodded to himself. He said, "I was a long time healing. Cassandra was still relearning the old medical techniques she lost to Greg's fire. Trish, Chaka, this should do it, and it's set to go. I should be on duty throughout."
"Then we'd better get on the stick," Chaka said. "Here." He'd made Edgar a second cappuccino. Trish set it down for him, and kissed him. Chaka watched that for a bit, then stepped outside.