"Norton, Andre - Flight in Yiktor" - читать интересную книгу автора (Norton Andre)

"There is always an end to good fortune," said the woman,
standing tall so that only the tips of her fingers touched
Dung, yet light as that touch was now, captivity remained.
"Also for everything there is a price. You have fought that
smux ten--double ten--triple ten times, starving it between
so that it will come to battle as you wish. There is a flicking
of life force in it now. Would you kill it rather than profit?"

Dung's dark tongue swept across pale lips. "Toggor." He
was not aware that he had spoken aloud until he heard his


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own word.

FLIGHT IN YIKTOR

The spaceman moved his wrist out into the open, closer to
the lantern. That light showed a cal dial, its light steady. As
Russtif saw that, his small eyes held a new glitter. Every-
thing this off-worlder said was true. The smux was--or had
been--a strong contender, the best he had ever been able to
find. He had marked the day he had had it out of the hands of
the drunken crewman who had wanted to raise a stellar to see
him back to his ship, as a fortunate one for him. But who
knew how long the thing would continue to live? Russtif was
greedy, but there was an undercurrent of sly profit sense in
him, too.

"Off-worlders cannot run gaming," he pointed out. He
was absentmindedly rubbing the wrist the spacer had struck
with the fingers of his other hand.

"We have a license to buy," the woman cut in. "We do
not choose fighters as such, but only strange beings or
creatures."

Now Russtif made a wide gesture that took in the other
cages and prisoners. "Take then your choice. Gentle Fern;

we have such in abundance here. There is a hopper from
Grogon, a dry tongue sucker from Basil, a--"

"Smux from--from where, Beastmerchant? From which
world comes your lucky fighter?"

Russtif s thick shoulders arose in a shrug. "Who knows?