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

"I didn't like the way Riff Slate ran his ship."

Van Rycke's brows raised. "He just let you go, or hadn't
you formally signed on?"

"I'd signed. -- He didn't dare try to hold me. He doesn't


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keep many hands for long." Her lips tightened in a hard,
cold line. "Most Captains economize when business is
lean, but not on the life-support and emergency systems.
An apprentice died during the voyage in an inconceivable
outcome of an accident that should never have occurred
and would not have occurred on any other vessel. To my
mind, that death was nothing short of murder."
"You can't prove that?" Jellico asked sharply.
"No, and I wasn't vacuum-brained enough to spread my
opinion around, either. I just muttered things about jinxed
voyages, and Slate let me out of my contract before I scared
the rest of his crew away or into making some move that
might start a formal inquiry into the number of hands the
Mermaid's shipped over the last few years. As it is, he has
a lot of extremely unhappy people aboard."




20 Andre Norton &P.M. Griffin

"What did you think you'd do here once you were let
loose?" Van Rycke inquired.

"Stay alive. That's a singulariy appealing idea even if
one has to work as a planet hugger for a time to keep eating.
I knew something would eventually come along."

Rael squared her shoulders. "If you are satisfied, perhaps
we could discuss the Space Wrack instead of delving into
my uninspiring history."

The Cargo-Master made a formal bow with his head.
"What are Cofort's terms?"

It would come down to that. Teague Cofort was merely
willing to pick the ship up if he could conveniently do so.
They would have to work with his terms or be prepared to
reject them outright.