"Mike Resnick - Ivory" - читать интересную книгу автора (Resnick Mike)

later a robot entered the room, bearing a single glass on a polished silver tray.

тАЬThank you,тАЭ said Son-of-Man as the robot placed the drink on the table.

тАЬYou are welcome, Honored Sir,тАЭ replied the robot in a grating monotone.

тАЬHe looks so ludicrous!тАЭ tittered Son-of-Man as the robot walked away. тАЬA metal monstrosity shaped
like a man!тАЭ

тАЬWhat's wrong with metal?тАЭ asked the Iron Duchess, as the reflected glow of a blue lightning bolt
illuminated her platinum nails and titanium teeth. тАЬIt wears a lot longer than flesh.тАЭ
тАЬOh, my dear lady!тАЭ said Son-of-Man. тАЬI meant no disrespect, truly I did not. Please believe me.тАЭ

She stared at him coldly, her pupils contracting slightly as tiny microchips within each eye made instant
adjustments to the light of the explosions just beyond the viewport.

тАЬI forgive you,тАЭ she said at last.

тАЬThank you. I assure you thatтАФтАЭ

тАЬI forgive you,тАЭ she repeated. тАЬThat does not mean I believe you.тАЭ

тАЬEnough talk,тАЭ rumbled the Gorgon. тАЬIt is time to play.тАЭ

тАЬIn a minute,тАЭ said Tembo Laibon, calling his consciousness back from the green African savannah where
it spent most of its time. тАЬTwo more participants have arrived.тАЭ

тАЬCan they afford the game?тАЭ

тАЬNobody gets into this room without an invitation,тАЭ Tembo Laibon assured him. тАЬThey can afford it.тАЭ

There was a momentary silence, and then the panel in front of Tembo Laibon flashed a silent message.
He frowned and looked up.

тАЬMy robots tell me there arethree of them out there.тАЭ

тАЬWho is the third?тАЭ asked the Iron Duchess.

тАЬThey're not sure. She looks likes a human female, but the readings are all wrong.тАЭ

тАЬI hope she's pretty,тАЭ said Son-of-Man with what it thought was rugged masculine enthusiasm.

Tembo Laibon tapped a message on his panel. тАЬLet's let them in and find out.тАЭ

A moment later the door slid back, and two men and a woman stepped into the room. One of the men
was powerfully built, broad and burly, with curly black hair and small dark eyes; he was Ajax the First,
the brawn of the pair. The brain was small and wiry, and sported a bushy red beard; he was Ajax the
Second. More than twenty outpost worlds had posted rewards for their capture, and yet they moved
freely across the Outer Frontier and the Rim, and more than one bounty hunter who had tracked them
down had wished he had gone after easier prey.