"Timothy Zahn - Hero of Cartao 2" - читать интересную книгу автора (Zahn Timothy)

That's nothing but a bunch of-" He stopped as heavy footsteps suddenly sounded
outside the office door. "What in the world?" he muttered, starting to rise to
his feet.
With a crash, the door was shoved violently inward, the warped panel
slamming to the floor and bouncing another two meters across the room.
Binalie dropped back into his chair with a curse, his hand darting toward
one of the desk drawers. "No!" Tories snapped, reaching out with the Force to
lock the other's arm in place.
He was just in time. Half a second later the monstrous metal shapes of
two large combat droids strode into the room, the heavy blasters permanently
attached to their forearms lifted and ready. Their heads and weapons swung
once around the room as they searched for danger, and then they moved back to
flank the doorway in guard positions.
Through the opening stepped a pair of brightly dressed Neimoidians. The
one in the lead wore the blue and purple robes and black miter of a unit
commander, while the other wore a simpler outfit of red and purple. His
headgear was blue, with four twisted horns atop it. "Good day, Lord Binalie,"
the commander said in a stilted voice. "I trust we do not intrude?"
Tories looked a silent warning at Binalie, got merely a glare in return.
But the other brought his hand up-empty-and let it drop onto the desktop. "Of
course not," he growled sarcastically. "It's not like I have any actual work
to do. What do you want?"
"Permit me to introduce myself," the spokesman said, sending glances at
first Tories and then Corf. "I am Tok Ashel, Commander of the Cartao
Expeditionary Army." He gestured to his companion. "This is Dif Gehad, Master
Creator of New Products."
"And what new products are you trying to build in my factory?" Binalie
asked. Gehad started to speak. - "Not so quickly, Lord Binalie," Ashel
interrupted.
"First, let us have the rest of the introductions." His large red eyes
turned pointedly to Tories.
"I'm Corf Binalie," Corf spoke up before either of the two men could
answer, his voice strong and defiant. 'This is my private tutor, Master Jafer.
Does this mean there's no school today?"
Ashel made a sound like crumpling tin wrap. "It may, young one," he said,
eyeing Tories. "What do you teach, Master Jafer?
"A little of everything," Tories told him. "Ethics, wisdom, the ways of
life."
"Ah-a philosopher," Ashel said, giving a dismissive wave of his hand and
turning back to Binalie. "Now, to business." He gestured to Gehad.
"As you have surmised, we wish to use Spaarti Creations to work for us,"
the Master Creator said, his voice neat and precise. "But thus far we have
been unable to restructure the assembly lines. You will tell me now how to do
that."
Binalie shook his head. "I can't."
"Do not speak foolishness," Gehad warned. "You are director of this
facility. You know everything there is to know about it."
"Of course I do," Binalie agreed. "Including what can and cannot be done.
Only the Cranscoc twillers can manipulate the fluid tooling system." He lifted
his eyebrows at Gehad. "I take it they haven't been willing to do so?"