"Alastair Reynolds - Nightingale" - читать интересную книгу автора (Reynolds Alastair)

I thought about that for a moment. тАЬKessler worked for Colonel Jax,
didnтАЩt he?тАЭ

Martinez opened the door and ushered me through, into the
windowless room beyond. By now we must have been back into the canyon
wall. The air had the inert stillness of a crypt. тАЬYes, Kessler was JaxтАЩs man,тАЭ
Martinez said. тАЬIтАЩm glad you made the connection: it saves me explaining
why Jax ought to be brought to justice.тАЭ

тАЬI agree completely. Half the population would agree with you. But IтАЩm
afraid youтАЩre a bit late: Jax died years ago.тАЭ

Two other people were already waiting in the room, sitting on settees
either side of a low black table set with tea, coffee and pisco sours.

тАЬJax didnтАЩt die,тАЭ Martinez said. тАЬHe just disappeared, and now I know
where he is. Have a seat, please.тАЭ

He knew I was interested; knew I wouldnтАЩt be able to walk out of that
room until IтАЩd heard the rest of the story about Colonel Brandon Jax. But
there was more to it than that: there was something effortlessly
commanding about his voice that made it very hard not to obey. In my time
in the Southland Militia IтАЩd learned that some people have that authority and
some people donтАЩt. It canтАЩt be taught; canтАЩt be learned; canтАЩt be faked.
YouтАЩre either born with it or youтАЩre not.

тАЬDexia Scarrow, allow me to introduce you to my other two guests,тАЭ
Martinez said, when IтАЩd taken my place at the table. тАЬThe gentleman
opposite you is Salvatore Nicolosi, a veteran of one of the Northern
CoalitionтАЩs freeze/thaw units. The woman on your right is Ingrid Sollis, a
personal security expert with a particular interest in counter-intrusion
systems. Ingrid saw early combat experience with the Southland, but she
soon left the military to pursue private interests.тАЭ

I bit my tongue, then turned my attention away from the woman before
I said something I might regret. The manтАФNicolosiтАФlooked more like an
actor than a soldier. He didnтАЩt have a scar on him. His beard was so neatly
groomed, so sharp-edged, that it looked sprayed on through a stencil.
Freeze/thaw operatives rubbed me up the wrong way, no matter which side
theyтАЩd been on. TheyтАЩd always seen themselves as superior to the common
soldier, which is why they didnтАЩt feel the need for the kind of excessive
musculature Norbert carried around.

тАЬLet me introduce Dexia Scarrow,тАЭ Martinez continued, nodding at
me. тАЬDexia was a distinguished soldier in the Southland Militia for fifteen
years, until the armistice. Her service record is excellent. I believe she will
be a valuable addition to the team.тАЭ

тАЬMaybe we should back up a step,тАЭ I said. тАЬI havenтАЩt agreed to be part
of anyoneтАЩs team.тАЭ