"E. C. Tubb - Dumarest 19 - The Quillian Sector" - читать интересную книгу автора (Tubb E. C)

and who had failed. Those who had paid with their lives because
of their failure. Others who had been broken. He did not intend
to become one of them.

He said, "You are certain Dumarest is not on this world?"

"I am."

"The prediction that he could be found on Titanus was of
seventy-three per cent probability."

"Not high."

"No, and obviously there were factors we could not take into
account. Even so, we must be close."

As they had been close before, each time to miss the quarry by
a few minutes of time, by coincidence, by the luck which seemed
to follow Dumarest from world to world. A trail marked by the
death of cybers he had killed in order to ensure his escape.
 The irrevocable loss of trained and dedicated intelligences
which should have gone to swell the complex of Central
Intelligence.

The reward of every cyber who proved his worth.

"It is against all logic," said Yoka. "How could one man have
eluded capture for so long?"

Luck, and more than luck. The instinct which gave warning
when danger was close. The intelligence which recognized the
threat and remained alert for the little things which gave
warningтАФa stare maintained too long, a glance, a too-fortuitous
meeting, a proffered friendship, an unexpected invitationтАФwho
could tell?

And yet, the Cyclan should be able to tell. The cybers, with
their trained minds which could take a handful of known facts
and from them extrapolate the logical sequence of events
encompassing any imaginable variation. To arrive at a deduction
and make a prediction which was as close as possible to actual
prophecy. They should know where a man on the move would
come to rest, had known, but still he had managed to dodge, to
stay one jump ahead.

For too long now. Too long.

Irae studied the flowers. Had an insect hummed among the
blossoms he would have been able to predict on which it would
next settle, on the pattern it would follow. Had he wanted to