"Vinge Vernor & William Rupp - Just Peace" - читать интересную книгу автора (Vinge Vernor)

camera had been dropped straight toward the ground. The tiny bay at the center of the screen swelled to
fill the entire display. Now they were looking down through late afternoon haze at a large natural harbor.
Chente identified thirty or forty piers and a number of ships. All along the waterfront buildings cast long,
incriminating shadows. He pushed a button and five tiny red lights glowed over the image of one of those
buildings.

Martha was silent for a long moment. She looked more closely at the picture, and finally she said, тАШThose
ships, theyтАЩre Ontarian. They have an entire naval base hidden away there. The scum! I can imagine what
theyтАЩre planning: to build up a large secret reserve, and then tempt us into a major battle. Why, Chente,
this changes our entire naval situation. ItтАФтАЬ Suddenly she seemed to realize that she was not sitting in
some intelligence briefing, but was instead stranded thousands of kilometers from the people who could
use this discovery.

Chente made no comment, but returned the magnification to its previous level. He followed the coastline
all the way around to the south and eventually found two other settlements, both small villages.

тАЬNow letтАЩs try to find some food,тАЭ he said. тАЬIf IтАЩm oriented properly, IтАЩve got the picture centered on our
location.тАЭ He stepped up the magnification. On the enlarged scale they could see individual hillocks and
identify the small stream they had crossed half a kilometer back. Toward the top of the picture, a
collection of spikelike shadows stretched several millimeters. He magnified the image still further.

тАЬAnimals,тАЭ Chente said. тАЬThey look better than two meters long.тАЭ

тАЬThen theyтАЩre buzzards.тАЭ

тАЬBuzzards?тАЭ

тАЬYes, herbivores. The next largest thing we know about on the Fragge is a predator not much more than
a meter long.тАЭ

Chente grinned at her. тАЬI think IтАЩve materialized that food for you.тАЬ

She looked dubious. тАЬOnly if I can acquire a taste for copper salts in my meat.тАЭ

тАЬPerhaps we can do something about that.тАЭ He looked at the scale key that flickered near the bottom of
the picture. тАЬThat herd isnтАЩt more than five thousand meters away. I hadnтАЩt expected luck this good. How
long till sunset? Two hours?тАЭ

Martha glanced at the sun, which hung some thirty degrees off the stony ridges behind them. тАЬMore like
ninety minutes.тАЭ

тАЬWeтАЩll have buzzard soup yet. Come on.тАЭ
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The pace he set was a slow one, but in their present state it was about the best they could do. The
spidery vegetation caught at their feet and the ground was not nearly as level as it looked. An hour and
three quarters passed. Behind them the sun had set, and only the reddish sky-glow lighted their way.
Chente touched MarthaтАЩs elbow, motioned her to bend low. If they spooked the herd now, they would
have a hungry night. They crawled over a broad hill crest, then lay down to scan the plain beyond. They
had not been too cautious: the herd was some five hundred meters down the slope, near a waterhole.