"Theodore Sturgeon - Killdozer" - читать интересную книгу автора (Sturgeon Theodore)

lunch, would kick his fanny," Dennis groused. "Now they give 'em a man's work and a man's pay."

"Doin' a man's work, ain't he?" Tom said.
'He's a damn Puerto Rican!"

Tom turned and looked at him levelly. "Where was it you said you come from," he mused. "Oh yeah.
Georgia."

'What do you mean by that?"

Tom was already striding away. "Tell you as soon as I have to," he flung back over his shoulder. Dennis
went back to watching the Seven.

Tom glanced at the ramp and then waved Kelly on. Kelly set his housebrake so the shovel could not
swing, put her into travel gear, and shoved the swing lever forward. With a crackling of drive chains and
a massive scrunching of compacting coral sand, the shovel's great flat pads carried her over and down
the ramp. As she tippe over the peak of the ramp the heavy manganese steel bucket-door gaped open
and closed, like a hungry mouth, slamming up against the bucket until suddenly it latched shut and was
quiet. The big Murphy Diesel crooned hollowly under compression as the machine ran downgrade and
then the sensitive governor took hold and it took up its belly-beating thud.

Peebles was standing by one of the dozer-pan combines, sucking on his pipe and looking out to sea. He
was grizzled and heavy, and from under the bushiest grey brows looked the calmest grey eyes Tom had
ever seen. Peebles had never got angry at a machineтАФa rare trait in a born mechanicтАФand in fifty-odd
years he had learned it was even less use getting angry at a man. Because no matter what, you could
always fix what was wrong with a machine. He said around his pipestem:

'Hope you'll give me back my boy, there."

Tom's lips quirked in a little grin. There had been an understanding between old Peebles and himself ever
since they had met. It was one of those things which exists unspokenтАФthey knew little about each other
because they had never found it necessary to make small talk to keep their friendship extant. It was
enough to know that each could expect the best from the other, without persuasion.

'Rivera?" Tom asked. "I'll chase him back as soon as he finishes that service road for the dipper-stick.
WhyтАФgot anything on?"

'Not much. Want to get that arc welder drained and flushed and set up a grounded table in case you guys
tear anything up." He paused. "Besides, the kid's filling his head up with too many things at once.
Mechanicing is one thing; operating is something else."

'Hasn't got in his way much so far, has it?"

'Nope. Don't aim't' let it, either. 'Less you need him."

Tom swung up on the pan tractor. "I don't need him that bad, Peeby. If you want some help in the
meantime, get Dennis."

Peebles said nothing. He spat. He didn't say anything at all.