"David Weber & Linda Evans - Bolos" - читать интересную книгу автора (Weber David)

himself a few ribbon hangers, while he was at itтАФbefore tackling
another whole career in ag mechanics. In some ways, he could stomach
up-close-and-dirty combat almost easier than he could stomach hearing a
pig scream when you butchered it. (At least when you stared a man in
the eyes, knowing he would try to do you as fast as youтАЩd try to do him,
you knew the son would understand why he was dying.)
HeтАЩd been a good soldier, but Hal had never regretted signing on for
the agricultural expedition to MatsonтАЩs World. HeтАЩd finally stopped
having dreams about skies black as the inside of Hell, thick with smoke
and tons of earth blown skyward when the big Hellbores cut loose with a
blaze like SatanтАЩs own breath. . . . Besides, it was fun tinkering with
agricultural equipment, getting it to do things its designers had never
imagined it would do.
So when Carl Matson first brought in the SWIFT dispatch from
Sector, giving evacuation orders, HalтАЩs gut response was, тАЬHell, no, Carl.
This is our home. We put our sweat and souls into this dirt. If it ainтАЩt
worth fightinтАЩ for, what the hell are we doinтАЩ out here, killinтАЩ ourselves
to turn jungle into farmland?тАЭ
тАЬYou know I trust your judgment,тАЭ Carl told him quietly.
Hal had never seen a look quite like that in the colony directorтАЩs eyes.
Wordlessly, Carl handed over the rest of the message. Hal scanned it;
then read more slowly.
тАЬMama Bear . . .тАЭ
An unknown alien species had broken into Concordiat space.
тАЬSector Intel thinks these things may be running from attack by the
Jyncji.тАЭ
Hal glanced up sharply. тАЬThe Jyncji? ArenтАЩt those the spiny little
bastards that use bacteriological warfare?тАЭ
Carl nodded. тАЬYeah. They xeno-form whatever they run across. Sector
thinks the Jyncji have attacked worlds held by the XykdapтАФwhatever
the hell they look like. Nobody knows yet. But Sector figures the
Xykdap are looking for new homes, new supply bases, new sources of
raw minerals . . .тАЭ
That would certainly explain the strength of the invasion force headed
their way. Space Arm Intelligence estimated it mustered out at full
battle-fleet strength. That would mean potentially thousands of heavy
fighting machines, tens of thousands of infantry, plus fully mechanized
scouts that had been encountered with fatal results in three places
already.
EnemyтАЩd come through MatsonтАЩs like crap through a force-fed goose,
no mistake about it.
Hal glanced up. The look in CarlтАЩs eyes scared him. Hal met the
directorтАЩs gaze steadily, allowing the younger man to see the worry in his
eyes; then spat to one side. For long moments Hal just stood there,
swallowing fire he had no choice but to swallow. Finally he said it. тАЬWe
cainтАЩt fight that, Carl.тАЭ
тАЬDidnтАЩt figure we could. Not even with Digger.тАЭ
Hal spat again. тАЬNope. Not even in his prime, which he ainтАЩt seen for a
couple a centuries. Oh, heтАЩs still got a tactical nuke or two and his small-
weapons systems are operational, although God knows when they were