"R. Garcia Y Robertson - Oxygen Rising" - читать интересную книгу автора (Robertson R Garcia Y)

"Who said I was trained?" Derek hated to start off relationships on a lie.

That got a grin, a major accomplishment given the circumstances. "There must be something in the
negotiator's code of ethics against flirting."
"Heavens, I hope not!" Derek returned her grin. "They couldn't pay me enough. What's your favorite
place on Earth?"

"That's easy, the Olympic Peninsula, it's grand and homey at the same time; we used to camp there when
I was a kid. Or maybe Paradise Island, a holo-playland off Hawaii. I went there with my boyfriend for
high school graduationтАж" She stopped and stared hard at him, asking, "It doesn't bother you to get
personal with someone you're negotiating over?"

"Not if she's human." And here was the real thing, straight from Earth, fresh and unpretentious, not at all
cowed by her current disastrous position. He could easily see how humans had gotten so far.

"So, what do you think?" the Earthwoman switched subjects. "Are we getting out of this alive?"

"Hope so." He meant it. Derek figured that Pender would let non-combatants goтАФbut that would not do
the gunner from Portland much good. Right now she had an assault-cannon and layers of steel and
concrete between her and the Greenies. He was asking her to surrender her weapon, and turn herself
over to folks who were driving humans off HarmoniaтАФexcept for those they executed. At best, she
faced a fair trial, though she wouldn't see any Homo sapiens on her jury.

General Pender returned with the women and kids, including his wife, Charlotte, a white-haired woman in
a militia colonel's uniformтАФshe too was condemned in absentia. Pender spoke for the group. "We took a
voteтАФfirst time I ever resorted to polling the staff, but we had to be sure. Charlotte and I are staying, but
you can take the kids, and anyone else who wants to go."

"Thanks." Derek meant to get going before anyone changed their minds. "Come on, kids, who wants to
meet a real live SuperCat?" No one leaped at the chance, but with the help of some scared mothers, he
herded the children to the door, picking up the smallest orphan boy to hurry things along. As the pressure
lock cycled, he called to Leo, "Hey, we are coming out with mothers, kids, and non-combatants. Don't
shoot."

("Well done, human," Leo sounded pleasantly surprised.)

He looked over at the Portland woman, lying in her niche, asking her, "Are you coming out?"

"Maybe." Her head was back in the sighting hood, covering the exit of the kids. Hoping this was not the
last he saw of her, Derek entered the lock.

When the outer door dilated, Derek sent his bug scurrying ahead of them, and gave the boy in his arms a
squirt of oxygen, asking, "What's your name?"

"Brad," replied the boy, staring wide-eyed at the burned-out Bug-mobile and the two dead Greenies.
According to Pender, Brad's parents had been killed by Greenie orbital bombs. Greenies preferred
fighting from five hundred klicks up.

"My name's Derek, and we get to go first." He tried to make stepping into the line of fire sound like an