"Andre Norton - Jern Murdock 02 - Uncharted Stars" - читать интересную книгу автора (Norton Andre)

had to explore, take smallgains at high risks, and hope for some trick of
fate which would render abig profit. And such happened just often enough to
keep them in space.But seeing their ships as the only worlds to which they
owed allegiance,they were a clannish lot, marrying among themselves when
they wed at all.They had space-hung ports now, asteroids they had
converted, on which theyestablished quasi family life. But they did not
contact the planet-born savefor business. And to find one such as Ryzk adrift
in a port--since the FreeTraders cared for their own--was so unusual as to be
astounding."It is true." He did not raise his eyes from the beaker. He
must haveencountered the same surprise so many times before that he was
weary of it."I didn't roll some star-stepper to get that plate."That, too,
must be true, since such plates were always carried close to aman's body.
If any other besides the rightful owner had kept that plate, theinformation
on it would be totally unreadable by now, since it had aself-erase
attuned to personal chemistry.There was no use in asking what brought a
Free Trader shipless into theDiving Lokworm. To inquire might turn him so
hostile I would not be able tobargain. But the very fact he was a Free Trader
was a point in his favor. Abroken combine man would be less likely to take
to the kind of spacing weplanned."I have a ship"--I put it bluntly now--"and
I need a pilot.""Try the Register," he mumbled and held out his hand. I closed
the case andlaid it on his palm. How much was the exact truth going to serve
me?"I want a man off the lists."That did make him look at me. His pupils were
large and very dark. He mightnot be on fash-smoke, but he was certainly under
some type of mind-dampeningcloud."You aren't." he said after a moment, "a
runner.""No," I replied. Smuggling was a paying game. However, the Guild
had itsewed up so well that only someone with addled brains would try it."Then
what are you?" His scowl was back."Someone who needs a pilot--" I was
beginning when Eet's thought pricked me."We have stayed here too long. Be
ready to guide him."There was silence. I had not finished my sentence. Ryzk
stared at me, buthis eyes seemed unfocused, as if he did not really see me
at all. Then hegrunted and pushed aside the still unfinished second
beaker."Sleepy," he muttered. "Out of here--""Yes," I agreed. "Come to my
place." I was on his left, helping him tobalance on unsteady feet, my
hand slipped under his elbow to guide him.Luckily he was still enough in
command of his body to walk. I could not havepulled him along, since, though
he was several inches shorter than I, hisplanet days had given him bulk of
body which was largely ill-carried lard.The lizard stepped out as if to bar
our way and I felt Eet stir. Whether heplanted some warning, as he seemed to
have planted the desire to go in Ryzk,I do not know. But the waiter turned
abruptly to the next booth, leaving usa free path to the door. And we made
it out of the stink of the placewithout any opposition. Once in the
backways of the Off-port, I tried to puton speed, but found that Ryzk, though
he did keep on his feet and moving,could not be hurried. And pulling at
him seemed to disturb the thought Eethad put in his mind, so I did not dare to
put pressure on him. I was hauntedby the feeling that we were being
followed, or at least watched. Thoughwhether our cover had been detected or
we had just been marked down for preygenerally by one of the lurking harpies,
I did not try to deduce. Either wasdangerous. The floodlights of the port cut
out the night, reducing all threemoons now progressing at a stately pace
over our heads to pallid ghosts oftheir usual brilliance. To pass the gates