"Chad Oliver - Blood's a Rover" - читать интересную книгу автора (Oliver Chad)

тАЬThe kidтАФhowтАЩs the kid?тАЭ
тАЬAndy is dead,тАЭ said Julio Medina.
Conan Lang stood stock-still while an iron fist smacked into his stomach with cold, monotonous
precision. Andy dead. It could not be, could not be. There had been no word, nothing. He clenched his
fists. It couldnтАЩt be true.
But it was. He knew that with ice cold certainty.
тАЬIt just happened the other day, Conan,тАЭ Julio said. тАЬHe was a fine boy.тАЭ
Conan Lang couldnтАЩt speak. The whole planet, his mind tortured him. The whole stinking planet
isnтАЩt worth AndyтАЩs life.




тАЬIt was an accident,тАЭ Julio said, his voice carefully matter-of-fact. тАЬWarfare has sprung up between
the rival villages like we figured. Andy was out after information and he got between themтАФhe was hit by
mistake with a spear. He never had a chance, but he managed to walk away and get back here before he
died. The Oripesh donтАЩt suspect that he wasnтАЩt a god and could die just like anyone else. He saved the
rest of us by coming back hereтАФthatтАЩs something.тАЭ
тАЬYeah,тАЭ Conan Lang said bitterly, тАЬthatтАЩs something.тАЭ
тАЬI buried him here in the field,тАЭ Julio Medina went on. тАЬI thought heтАЩd like that. HeтАж said good-by to
you, Conan.тАЭ
It had been a long time since Conan Lang had had tears in his eyes. He turned without a word and
walked away, across the green field and into the hut where he could be alone.
 V.

From that time on, by unspoken mutual consent, the two men never again mentioned the kidтАЩs name.
They gave him the best possible write-up in their reports, and that was all that they could ever do for
Andy Irvin.
тАЬI think weтАЩve about done it here, Conan,тАЭ Julio told him. тАЬIтАЩd like to have you make your own check
and see if you come up with the same stuff I did. ThereтАЩs a lull in the raiding right nowтАФthe natives are
worried because that spear hit an ancestor by mistake and theyтАЩre pretty well occupied with rituals
designed to make us feel better about the whole thing. You shouldnтАЩt have any trouble, and that ought to
about wind things up.тАЭ
Conan Lang nodded. тАЬItтАЩll be good to get home again, eh Julio?тАЭ
тАЬYes, you know thatтАФand for you it should be for keeps.тАЭ
Conan Lang raised his eyebrows.
тАЬItтАЩs no secret that youтАЩre due to be kicked upstairs,тАЭ Julio said. тАЬI rather think this is your last field
job.тАЭ
тАЬWell, itтАЩs a nice theory anyhow.тАЭ
тАЬYou remember all us old men out here in the stars, the slave labor of the Process Corps. Bring us all
home, Conan, and weтАЩll sit around in the shade and drink cold wine and fish and tell lies to each other.тАЭ
тАЬConsider it done,тАЭ said Conan Lang. тАЬAnd IтАЩll give you all some more medals.тАЭ
тАЬIтАЩve got medals.тАЭ
тАЬCanтАЩt have too many medals, Julio. TheyтАЩre good for what ails you.тАЭ
тАЬTheyтАЩre not good for what ails meтАЭ said Julio Medina.
Conan Lang smiled and fired up his pipe. The kid, his mind whispered. The kid liked that pipe. He
thrust the thought from his mind. A man had to take death in his stride out here, he told himself. Even
when it was a kid who reminded you of yourself a million years agoтАФ
A million years ago.
тАЬIтАЩll start in tomorrow,тАЭ Conan Lang said, puffing on his pipe. тАЬDo you know Ren, Julio?тАЭ