"Andrew J. Offutt - Spaceways 02 - Corundums Woman" - читать интересную книгу автора (Offutt Andrew J)

shall not take on Murph! But then it will be the better for our anticipation."
He patted his suit-bag with a gauntleted hand. "Bearcat, Sakbir: here is
approximately two kilos of tetrazombase." 32 The smile in his voice
prompted Hing to ask, "Whose is it, Captain?" "Ship's shares," Corundum
said, and watched the flashing of teeth in delighted smiles. "Perhaps we can
analyze it before we reach a buyer, Sakbir?" "Immediately, Captain!" "Good,
good. Hing, you charming four-armed mysterious alien, you, do please go and
tend the con. Sub-space entry after fifty-second warning; Jinni is plotting
course. There is both a pulsar and a collapstar to avoid between here and
Murph. We are now honest but poor merchants, hauling needed equipment to those
needy pnamprum grabbers on Dot. Corundum shall unsuit in his cabin. Identity
Beta, comrades, if need arises. Janja?" The others-except for Hing-gazed after
the two. One lithe and short and nigh naked, the other tall and baggy-bulky in
the gleaming white coverall. Corundum's ungauntleted hand moved easily and
without pressure to her buttock, a taut oval of moving muscle hard as the
front of his-flexed-thigh. Sakbir licked his full lips. "So. Your first
boarding, Janja. Your first act of piracy, that impossibility of the
spaceways. Now you merit being called outlaw, and deserve your position on the
wanted list. And was it exciting?" "Of course! You know that, my dear. Here,
get your hand out of there-at least while you're suited up!" "What an
inducement to unsuit! And was Milady Janja disappointed that all was so
routine, so dull?" He's asking for compliments on his planning and handling,
Janja thought, for she felt or chermed it from him. She could not read minds,
Janja whose people were not truly human. But she had the cherming, the feeling
of emotion and intents, of others. It was more than they had, those she
thought of as the Thingmakers. A month (thirty twenty-five-hour days-standard)
with Corundum had heightened her ability where he was 33 concerned.
Otherwise the hard toughness of corundum, with a hardness of nine to diamond's
ten, made it difficult to work. They shared a common enemy and the common
goal: Jonuta's destruction. Their eventful meeting had taken place in a
spacefarers' watering hole on Franji, There Janja had used him, meanwhile
fascinating him with her looks and her ruthless resourcefulness. He had
impressed her with his own surpassing resourcefulness, quick
thinking-unto-action, and enormous courtly charm. Since then they had also
shared life, his cabin, and his bed. Janja of Aglaya was Corundum's woman, and
more. And perhaps less. She was answering his question: "Perhaps, but not
truly. A battle would have been their error, and ours. I was impressed with
the smoothness of the operation. I am impressed, evil pirate." Behind her
brow, she frowned. But why did you kill that man?-and how easily, coolly you
did it! How long before I bring up that subject-murder? How long before you,
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my ally and my mentor and my lover with that lovely ever-ready slicer of
yours, disrupt my infatuation and force me to find you abhorrent? And then
what? He thumbed the door of his cabin, said, "Open, sesame," was ignored, and
with a chuckle he undogged his helmet and spun the seal. She took the helmet
from him; a man who was very dark even in a galaxy of dark peoples. Black hair
hung in waves nearly to his shoulders, framing a nose that was large; a beak.