"Jerry Pournelle - 01 - Janissaries" - читать интересную книгу автора (Pournelle Jerry)

тАЬNow, wait just a damned minuteтАФтАЭ
тАЬItтАЩs okay, Captain,тАЭ Mason said. тАЬIтАЩm as safe here as out there.тАЭ
тАЬAll right.тАЭ Rick went back to the doorway. It opened for him. When he reached
the entry chamber, another door opened on the side opposite the entrance to the
chamber where the aliens sat. He saw a large empty compartment, more than fifty
feet long and perhaps fifteen wide.
тАЬHave the men go in there with their weapons,тАЭ a voice said. It seemed to speak
from the walls, but there was no sign of a speaker grille.
Rick jumped out of the ship and ran to his com-mand post. Half the
troopsтАФperhaps moreтАФhad gathered there to stare at the ship. They stood
clutching rifles and grenades for what comfort weapons could give.
тАЬI did not entirely expect to see you again,тАЭ Lieutenant Parsons said. тАЬWelcome
back.тАЭ
тАЬThanks. WeтАЩve got no time at all. Get the men aboard. Men, weapons; food,
equipment, every-thing. Fast.тАЭ
тАЬButтАФтАЭ Sergeant Elliot was stammering. Rick had never seen the big sergeant
confused before.
тАЬThatтАЩs a CIA ship,тАЭ Rick said. He spoke loudly so that many of the troops could
hear him. тАЬSecret stuff. TheyтАЩve come to get us out, but they donтАЩt want the
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 JANISSARIES


Cubans to see the ship, so weтАЩve got to load up quickly. Now move it.тАЭ
тАЬSir!тАЭ Elliot ran over to the mortar emplacement, and some of the other troops
gathered their gear and headed for the ship. Rick didnтАЩt know if he had fooled
them or not, but the тАЬCIA shipтАЭ explanation seemed the easiest and fastest way to
handle the situation.
Parsons looked at him with raised eyebrows. His expression said clearly that he
knew Rick was a liar. Then he shrugged and began urging the men onto the ship.
Sergeant Elliot rounded up more.
Good troops, Rick thought. And each one had probably made the same decision:
they knew what the Cubans could do. This was at least a chance.
The mortar team ran by with their tube, followed by others with the base and
packs of mortar bombs. Men grabbed boxes and bandoliers of ammunition,
stuffed their pockets with grenades. They were going aboard well armed.
Not, Rick thought, that it will do a hell of a lot of good. Weapons wonтАЩt make us
safer. But they do make us feel safer, and thatтАЩs important.
тАЬWhat is this nonsense?тАЭ Parsons demanded in a low voice. тАЬYou know that is
notтАФтАЭ
тАЬCan it. Hold onto the questions.тАЭ Rick held up his hand and gestured toward the
south. There was sporadic firing down there, some of it much closer than Hendrix
could possibly be. The Cubans were mopping up the last pockets of resistance
before coming up the hill. тАЬHendrix has had it,тАЭ Rick said. тАЬHis last orders were
to get as many men out as we could. Got a better way?тАЭ
тАЬNo. ButтАФтАЭ
тАЬBut nothing. That ship wonтАЩt wait, and we canтАЩt do anything for Hendrix and his
people.тАЭ Fear and a sense of guilt at abandoning their wounded made Rick speak
more sharply than he had intended. тАЬShut up and get the men aboard. ThereтАЩs no
time for talk.тАЭ