"Norton, Andre - Redline the stars" - читать интересную книгу автора (Norton Andre)

for wanting the freighter, the opportunity of picking up the


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local Trade operation was likely a good part of the draw.
Ships like the Space Wrack were easily found on the star-
lanes he usually traveled for those with the credits to pay
for them. The Trader prince had no need to come this far
out on the rim hunting one. Space, he could order one new
from the shipyards!

Jellico's finger pensively rubbed the blaster scar that
marred his right cheek. They would be going into the
negotiations very much on the weaker side, but there
would be no negotiations at all if Cofort did not need or
seriously want the Wrack. He was no philanthropist and
drove a good bargain for himself, but he had a reputation
for dealing fairly. There was no reason to expect less of his
sister. If the Queen's representatives kept then" wits about
them, they could come out of this with something to show
over and above the gains they had already made.

No one spoke again for several seconds. Dane broke the
silence. He had seen the famed Trader once but could not
place the woman with whom they would be dealing. "I
don't recall seeing anyone with Cofort at the Survey auc-
tion. Was she there?"

Tang Ya smiled. "If she had been, put credits down that
you'd remember her."

Alt stirred. "Beautiful?"

Thorson frowned but immediately felt ashamed of his
reaction. The Engineer-apprentice himself was strikingly
handsome, to the extent that he almost seemed a carica-

14 Andre Norton & P.M. Griffin

ture, the video stereotype of the daring star-roving hero.
Why shouldn't comeliness in others interest him? As for
the rest, Kamil was not to blame that his appearance and
the poise that accompanied it occasionally annoyed Dane,
and no one could fault his competence or his courage when

the need to display either arose.

The Com-Tech shrugged. "Beauty is common in the uni-