"E. C. Tubb - Dumarest 01 - The Winds of Gath" - читать интересную книгу автора (Tubb E. C)

Benson returned with a pint of basic. A thin vapor rose from
the cup, scientifically designed to stimulate the appetite. He
smiled as he passed it over.

"Here," he said. "Get this down while it's still warm."

The fluid was sickly with glucose, laced with vitamins, thick
with protein. Dumarest swallowed it with caution, taking small
sips, careful of his stomach. He handed Benson the empty
container and stepped from the box. A drawer beneath held his
clothes and personal effects. He dressed and checked his gear.

"It's all there," said Benson. His voice was hollow against the
echoing metal. "Everything's just as you left it."

Dumarest tightened his belt and stamped his feet in their
boots. They were good boots, A wise traveler looked after his feet.
 "I wouldn't steal anything from you people." The handler was
insistent on his honesty. "I don't blame you for checking your
gear but I wouldn't steal it."

"Not if you've got any sense," agreed Dumarest. He
straightened, towering over the other man. "But it's been tried."

"Maybe. But not by me."

"Not yet."

"Not ever. I'd never do a thing like that."

Dumarest shrugged, knowing better, then looked at the other
boxes. He crossed to them, checking their contents. Three young
bulls, two rams, a solid block of ice containing salmon, a dog, a
plethora of catsтАФthe general livestock cargo of any starship
traveling at random and trading in anything which would yield a
profit. Animals but no peopleтАФdespite all the empty boxes. He
looked at the handler.

"There were other travelers wanting passage at your last port
of call," he said evenly. "Why only me?"

"You came early."

"So?"

"We had a last-minute charter. The Matriarch of Kund and
party. You were already in freeze or you'd have been dumped out
with the other passengers and freight." Benson crossed to the
dispenser and refilled the empty cup. "They took the whole ship."