"Robertson, R Garcia - Gone To Glory" - читать интересную книгу автора (Robertson R Garcia Y)

"Because Azur is dying." Lila spoke softly. "The sea is overloaded. The steppe
is salting up." From the way Ellenor scowled Defoe guessed this was an old
argument.

Lila matched her mother's stubbornness, insisting that "Sea and grass aren't
returning water to the air as fast as the canals are draining it away. The thin
layer of soil atop this cinder and bedrock cannot absorb new arrivals. We saw
it. Hello sees it. Willungha must know as well. Hello wants the Azur closed off
to settlement. So do I. But he apparently thinks it will take a war to do it."

Ellenor gave Lila a sour to-think-I-suckled-you look. But as far as Defoe could
see, Hello might be right, even AID wouldn't dump settlers into a war zone. With
the colonists diverted and the Tuch-Dah pushed back, Helio would have the Azur
to himself.

Hearing hoots outside, Defoe lifted the bison hide for a peek. Thals were
looking up. From over the steppe came the beat of paired propellors, announcing
more unwanted company. The Joie de Vivre was approaching.

Ellenor swore. Her daughter began to gather her strength for a getaway. No one
was burning to confront the guilty culprit. Defoe had pictured them sending a
signal to Spindle, then lying low until AID organized a rescue operation. Armed
and reckless felons should be cared for by the pros.

While Ellenor hustled her daughter out, Defoe scooped up the recorder. Telling
his navmatrix to turn the recorder on, he pointed the business end at the yurt
fire, getting a long shot of the flames.

By the time Defoe tumbled out, the Joie de Vivre was poking her nose over the
nearest rise, looming larger as she descended. Mother and daughter were
disappearing into the long grass beyond the yurt circle. When he caught up with
them, Ellenor had her wings on and communicator out, preparing to punch through
a call to Spindle. He grabbed her hand, stopping her from opening the channel.
"Wait."

"Why?" Ellenor looked angry, annoyed, and scared. Her recoilless pistol was out
and armed.

"Helio will be listening," he reminded her. Ellenor might be absolutely ready to
sacrifice everything just to see justice done, but Defoe was not near as
determined to die for the law. "Give us a chance to get away first."

"How?" she demanded. Running was ridiculous. Helio would swiftly spot them. Nor
was there any reason for Willungha to take their side.

"Start by lying down," Defoe insisted, "so we don't disturb the grasstops. Right
now we can see him, but Helio can't see us." He had to make the most of that.

The Joie settled down on a hillock near camp, close enough to cover the exits,