"Norton, Andre - Solar Queen 01 - Sargasso of Space" - читать интересную книгу автора (Norton Andre)

eating with Rip and Kamil.

"New?" the single word came from him with some of the same snap as the impulses in his communicators.

"Yes, sir. I'm to sign on--"

"Captain's office--next level," and he was gone.

Dane followed him at a more modest pace. It was true that the Queen was no giant of the spaceways, and
she doubtless lacked a great many refinements and luxurious fittings which the Company ships boasted.
But Dane, green as he was, appreciated the smartly kept interior of the ship. Her sides might be battered
and she had a rakish, too worn appearance without--inside she was a smooth running, tight-held vessel. He
reached the next level and knocked at a half open panel. At an impatient order he entered.

For one dazed moment he felt as if he had stepped into the Terraport X-Tee Zoo. The walls of the confined
space were a montage of pictures--but such pictures. Off-world animals he had seen, had heard described,
overlapped others which were strictly culled from more gruesome nightmares. In a small swinging cage sat
a blue creature which could only be an utterly impossible combination of toad--if toads had six legs, two
of them ending in claws--and parrot. It leaned forward, gripped the cage bars with its claws, and calmly
spat at him.

Fascinated, Dane stood rooted until a rasping bark aroused him.

"Well--what is it?"

Dane hastily averted his eyes from the blue horror and looked at the man who sat beneath its cage. Grizzled
hair showed an inch or so beneath the Captain's winged cap. His harsh features had not been improved by
a scar across one cheek, a seam which could only have been a blaster-blister. And his eyes were as cold
and imperious as the pop ones of his blue captive.

Dane found his tongue. "Apprentice-Cargo-Master Thorson come aboard, sir," again he tendered the ID.
Captain Jellico caught it up impatiently. "First voyage?"

Once more Dane was forced to answer in the affirmative. It would have been, he thought bleakly, so much
better had he been able to say "tenth".

At that moment the blue thing sirened an ear piercing shriek and the Captain swung back in his chair to
strike the floor of the cage a resounding slap which bounced its occupant into silence, if not better
manners. Then he dropped the ID into the ship's recorder and punched the button. Dane dared to relax, it
was official now, he was signed on as a crew member, he would not be booted off the Queen.

"Blast off at eighteen hours," the Captain told him. "Find your quarters."

"Yes, sir." He rightly took that for dismissal and saluted, glad to be out of Captain Jellico's zoo--even if
only one inhabitant was living.

As he dropped down again to the cargo section, Dane wondered from what strange world the blue thing
had come and why the Captain was so enamoured of it that he carried it about in the Queen. As far as Dane
could see it had no endearing qualities at all.