"E. C. Tubb - Dumarest 05 - The Jester at Scar" - читать интересную книгу автора (Tubb E. C)

The flame danced as he held it close to the faces of the dead
men. Hendris had none of the characteristics of his companion,
but that meant little. They could have come from different
worlds. If they had grown up together it still meant nothing. If
Brephor was the norm, then Hendris could have been an atavist;
if Hendris was the norm, Brephor would have been a freak. Both,
to Dumarest, were strangers.

He found the gun and examined it. It was a simple
slug-thrower of cheap manufacture and used an explosive to
drive the solid projectile. Dumarest threw it into the darkness. It
was useless without matching ammunition and a laser was far
more efficient. Handing the lamp back to Selene: he dragged
both men into the shelter of the hut. Straightening, he looked at
the woman.

"If you want anything, take it," he said. "But don't waste time
doing it."

She hesitated.

"Strip them," he said curtly. "Are you so rich you can afford to
throw away things of value?"

"You know I'm not. Earl," she protested. "But if I take things
which may later be recognized by a friend, I shall be blamed for
having caused their deaths."

"Men like these have no friends," he said flatly. "Let's see what
they were carrying."

The clothes were ordinary, but of a better quality than they
seemed. There was money, a phial of drugs from Brephor, spare
clips of ammunition for the discarded gun of the bearded man,
and five rings of varying quality and size, all with red stones. Also
there were a couple of sleeve knives and an igniter and flashlight
with a self-charging cell, but nothing more of interest or value.

Dumarest frowned as he examined the rings. "Odd," he
mused. "Why should they want to collect rings?"

"They were robbers," said the woman, "raiders. They saw your
ring and thought to take it."

Slowly Dumarest shook his head.

"They were spoiling for trouble," she insisted. "The cat-man
must have sensed your presence. He was a killer desiring sport."
Her finger touched the phial of drugs. "Doped," she said. "Riding