"E. C. Tubb - Dumarest 14 - Jack of Swords" - читать интересную книгу автора (Tubb E. C)

with little imagination who stared unflinchingly at his superior.

"What happened?" demanded Avorot. "Go into detail."

"I was on patrol close to the field, as you'd instructed,
Commissioner. The news that a ship is expected had got around
and there was the usual crowd waiting for it to land. Scum,
mostly, those with nothing else to do. You know how it is."

"Go on."

"Gilus Scheem sent me word by a man working for him.
Someone was trying to sell him unlicensed meat. He was gone
when I arrived but I had his description and managed to spot
him. I yelled at him to halt but he just kept going. So I shot him."

And the fool had aimed to kill. A bullet in the air would have
been enough, or a chase to run the man down, but Harm
wouldn't have thought of that.

"And the meat?"

"Here, sir. I thought you'd want to see it."

In that at least, he'd shown sense. Avorot took the package
and ripped it open to reveal the strips of tissue inside. He rubbed
his fingers over a piece and held them to his nostrils. No scent of
smoke, but that was expected. The sun itself would have been
good enough for a man who knew what he was doing. His tongue
told him more; no spice, nothing but the flesh itself. No
commercial house would have turned out such a product.

"Let me taste that." Usan Labria had insisted on
accompanying him. She grunted as she handed back the
package. "Not stolen from a warehouse, that's for sure, nor from
a shop. And no processing plant would turn out such rubbish.
What is it, Commissioner?"

"Owner Harada's bull."

"What?" She was incredulous. "Are you telling me that animal
was slaughtered simply for its meat? That men came in the
storm and killed it andтАФno!" Firmly she shook her head. "It's
impossible. It couldn't be done."

For answer he held out the package.

"Meat," she admitted. "Unlicensed and poorly cured, but still
not proof that it came from Harada's bull."