"Survivors Quest (Timothy Zahn)" - читать интересную книгу автора (Zahn Timothy)

warning light."
"It's certainly bright enough." Luke shook his head. "I am never, ever,
going to get used to that color."
"I kind of like it," Mara said. "Especially given where it came from."
"You mean Booster strong-arming General Bel Iblis to refit and repaint?"
"I was thinking of the paint itself," Mara said. "Did you know the New
Republic bought all of it from Karrde?"
Luke blinked. "You're kidding. Did Bel Iblis know?"
"Don't be silly," Mara said with a lopsided smile. "You know Bel Iblis.
He'd have had a fit on general principles if he'd known Karrde had made any
money on this deal. No, Karrde played it all very cool and through at least
three intermediaries and a dummy corporation. I don't think even Booster
knows."
"Trust me, he doesn't," Luke said. "Corran once told me that one of
Booster's great joys in life these days is telling people how he managed this
whole thing without any help or interference from the great Talon Karrde. I
wonder what he'd say if he knew that was Karrde's Paint on his hull."
"I know what Karrde would say," Mara warned. "Both before and after he
nailed my hide to the hull. One of his great joys is watching Booster strut
around blissfully unaware of the ways he's dipped in and out of the old
pirate's life over the years."
Luke shook his head. "They're a matched pair. You know that?"
"Don't tell them that, either," Mara said. There was a beep from the
board. "Okay, here we go. Encrypt Paspro-nine..."
She touched a few keys. There was a second beep, and suddenly the comm
display lit up with Karrde's familiar face.
He wasn't smiling.
"Mara; Luke," he greeted them, his voice as grim as he looked. "Thank you
for coming so promptly. I'm sorry I had to drag you out here like this, away
from your schedule. Especially you, Luke; I know how much you went through to
free up time for this."
"Don't worry about it," Mara said for both of them. "The trip was getting
a little routine anyway. What's up?"
"What's up is that I've lost a message," Karrde said bluntly. "Four days
ago my sector relay post at Comra picked up a transmission, marked urgent, and
addressed to you, Luke."
Luke frowned. "Me?"
"So the chief of the station says," Karrde replied. "But that was about
all he got. Before he or anyone else could pass it on down the line, it
vanished."
"You think it was stolen?" Luke asked.
Karrde's lips compressed briefly. "I know it was stolen," he said. "We
even know the name of the man who stole it, because when the message
disappeared from the station, so did he. Have you ever heard of anyone by the
name of Dean Jinzler?"
"Doesn't sound familiar," Luke said, searching his memory. "Mara?"
"No," Mara said. "Who is he?"
Karrde shook his head. "Unfortunately, I don't know, either."
"Wait a second," Mara said. "This is one of your people, and you don't
know everything there is to know about him?"