"Mike Resnick - Hunting The Snark" - читать интересную книгу автора (Resnick Mike)

I took Captain Mbele aside and suggested he do what he could to keep them amused
-- tell them stories of past safaris, make them drinks, do whatever he could to
entertain them while Chajinka and I did a little reconnoitering and learned what
we'd be up against.

"It looks pretty normal to me," said Mbele. "A typical primitive world."

"The sensors say there's a huge biomass about two miles west of here," I
replied. "With that much meat on the hoof, there should be a lot of predators.
I want to see what they can do before I take four novices into the bush."

"Marx brags about all the safaris he's been on," complained Mbele. "Why not
take the Great White Hunter with you?"

"Nice try," I said. "But I make the decisions once we're on the ground. You're
stuck with him."

"Thanks a lot."

"Maybe he's been on other safaris, but he's a novice on Dodgson IV, and as far
as I'm concerned that's all that counts."

"Well, if it comes to that, so are you."

"I'm getting paid to risk my life. He's paying for me to make sure he gets his
trophies and doesn't risk _his_." I looked around. "Where the hell did Chajinka
sneak off to?"
"I think he's helping the cook."

"He's got his own food," I said irritably. "He doesn't need ours." I turned in
the direction of the cooking Bubble and shouted: "Chajinka, get your blue ass
over here!"

The Dabih looked up at the sound of my voice, smiled, and pointed to his ears.

"Then get your goddamned t-pack!" I said. "We've got work to do."

He smiled again, wandered off, and returned a moment later with his spear and
his t-pack, the translating mechanism that allowed Man and Dabih (actually, Man
and just about anything, with the proper programming) to converse with one
another in Terran.

"Ugly little creature," remarked Mbele, indicating Chajinka.

"I didn't pick him for his looks."

"Is he really that good?"

"The little bastard could track a billiard ball down a crowded highway," I