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

trap of yours."He was not in the least disconcerted. "One way of putting
it.""And the right way. What do you want to do, plant one of your men in
ourship?""As protection for you and, of course, to alert us.""Very altruistic.
But the answer is no." The Patrol's highhanded method ofusing pawns made me
aware that there was something to being their opponent."You cannot find a
pilot.""I am beginning to wonder"--and at that moment I was--"how much my
presentdifficulty may be due to the influence of your organization."He
neither affirmed nor denied it. But I believe I was right. Just as apilot
might be black-listed, so had our ship been, before we had even had achance
for a first voyage. No one who wanted to preserve his legal licensewould sign
our log now. So I must turn to the murky outlaw depths if I wasto have any
luck at all. I would see the ship rust away on its landing finsbefore I would
raise with a Patrol nominee at her controls."The Guild can provide you with
a man as easily, if you try to hire anoff-rolls man, and you will not
know it," he remarked, as if he were verysure that I would eventually be
forced to accept his offer.That, too, was true. But not if I took Eet with
me on any search. Even ifthe prospective pilot had been brainwashed and
blanked to hide his trueaffiliation, my companion would be able to read
that fact. But that, Ihoped, my visitor and those who had sent him did
not know. That Eet wastelepathic we could not hide--but Eet himself--"I will
make my own mistakes," I allowed myself to snap."And die from them," he
replied indifferently. He took one last glance atthe room and suddenly
smiled. "Toys now--I wonder why." With a swoop asquick and sure as that of
a harpy hawk he was down and up again, holding thepookha by its whisker mane.
"Quite an expensive toy, too, Jern. And you mustbe running low in funds,
unless you have tapped a river running withcredits. Now why, I wonder,
would you want a stuffed pookha."I grimaced in return. "Always provide my
visitors with a minor mystery. Youfigure it out. In fact, take it with
you--just to make sure it is not asmuggling cover. It might just be, you
know. I am a gem buyer-- what betterway to get some stones off world than in
a play pookha's inwards?"Whether he thought my explanation was as lame as it
seemed to me I do notknow. But he tossed the toy onto the nearest chair and
then, on his way tothe door, spoke over his shoulder. "Dial 1-0, Jern,
when you have stoppedbattering your head against a stone wall. And we shall
have a man for you,one guaranteed not to sign you over to the
Guild.""No--just to the Patrol." I countered. "When I am ready to be bait, I
shalltell you."He made no formal farewell, just went. I closed the door
sharply behind himand was across the room to let Eet out as quickly as I
could. My aliencompanion sat back on his haunches, absent-mindedly smoothing
the fur on hisstomach."They think that they have us." I tried to jolt him--
though he must alreadyhave picked up everything pertinent from our
visitor's mind, unless thelatter had worn a shield."Which he did," Eet
replied to my suspicion. "But not wholly adequate, onlywhat your breed
prepares against the mechanical means of detecting thoughtwaves. They are
not," he continued complacently, "able to operate against mytype of talent.
But yes, they believe that they have us sitting on the palmof a hand"--he
stretched out his own--"and need only curl their fingers, so--" Hisclawed
digits bent to form a fist. "Such ignorance! However, it will bewell, I
believe, to move swiftly now that we know the worst.""Do we?" I asked
morosely as I hustled out my flight bag and began to pack.That it was not