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

equipment ofthe creature involved, or rather, the meaning it attaches to the
reports ofthose exploring and testing senses. Therefore, while our universe,
as we seeit, may be akin to that of an animal, a bird, an alien, it still
differs.There are barriers set mercifully in place (and I say mercifully
aftertasting what can happen when such a barrier goes down) to limit
one'sconception of the universe to what he is prepared to accept. Shared
mindsbetween human and human is not one of the sensations we are fitted
toendure. The Patrolman and I had learned enough--too much--of each other
toknow that a bargain could be made and kept. But I think I would face a
laserunarmed before I would undergo that again.Legally the Patrol had
nothing against us, except suspicions perhaps andtheir own dislike for what
we had dared. And I think that they were in ameasure pleased that if they
had to swear truce, the Guild still held us asa target. And it might well be
that once we had lifted from the Patrol basewe had been regarded as
expendable bait for some future trap in which tocatch a Veep of the
Guild--a thought which heated me more than a littleevery time it crossed
my mind.I gave a last hurried glance around the room as the warn light
flashed on,and then went to thumb the peephole. What confronted my eye was
a wrist,around which was locked, past all counterfeiting, the black and
silver of aPatrol badge. I opened the door."Yes?" I allowed my real
exasperation to creep into my voice as I frontedhim. He was not in uniform,
wearing rather the ornate, form-fitting tunic ofan inner-world tourist. On
him, as the Patrol must keep fit, it lookedbetter than it did on most of
the flabby, paunchy specimens I had seen inthese halls. But that was not
saying much, for its extreme of fashion wastoo gaudy and fantastic to suit
my eyes."Gentle Homo Jern--" He did not make a question of my name, and
his eyeswere more intent on the room behind me than on meeting mine."The same.
You wish?""To speak with you--privately." He moved forward and involuntarily I
gave astep before I realized that he had no right to enter. It was the
prestige ofthe badge he wore which won him that first slight advantage and he
made themost of it. He was in, with the door rolled into place behind him,
before Iwas prepared to resist"We are private. Speak." I did not gesture him
to a chair, nor make a singlehospitable move."You are having difficulty in
finding a pilot." He looked at me about halfthe time now, the rest of his
attention still given to the room."I am." There was no use in denying a
truth which was apparent. Perhaps hedid not believe in wasting time either,
for he came directly to the point"We can deal--"That really surprised me.
Eet and I had left the Patrol base with theimpression that the powers
there were gleefully throwing us forth to whatthey believed certain disaster
with the Guild. The only explanation whichcame to me at the moment was
that they had speedily discovered that theinformation we had given them
concerning the zero stones had consisted ofthe whereabouts of caches only
and they suspected the true source was stillour secret. In fact, we knew no
more than we had told them."What deal?" I parried and dared not mind-touch Eet
at that moment, much asI wanted his reception to this suggestion. No
one knows what secretequipment the Patrol had access to. And it might well
be that, knowing Eetwas telepathic, they had some ingenious method of
monitoring our exchange."Sooner or later," he said deliberately, almost as
if he savored it, "theGuild is going to close in upon you--"But I was ready,
having thought that out long ago. "So I am bait and youwant me for some