"Timothy Zahn - Spinneret" - читать интересную книгу автора (Zahn Timothy)
There was a long pauseтАФso long, in fact, that Meredith wondered if the translator
had hit a snag somewhere. He was trying to come up with a complete rephrasing
when Beaeki spoke. "Forgive our breach of understanding," he said, slipping his
hands momentarily behind his back. "I am named Beaeki nul Dies na. We did not
realize you were of equal status with your home planet. We assumed you were a
vassal world, or possibly a detention center. We apologize."
"It's all right," Meredith assured him. Now what brought that on? he wondered.
The business about selling them our sulfur! He wished desperately the Ctencri had
given them a little more data on Rooshrike psychology. "Human political and
organizational structures can be pretty hard even for humans to understand, let
alone outsiders. I take it the Ctencri didn't tell you very much about us?"
"The Ctencri do not give information away free. We ascertained you would be no
military threat to us, even if you were outcasts, but could afford no more."
"Mm. The Ctencri charge too much, you think?"
"The Ctencri are usurers," the Rooshrike said flatly. "They perhaps appear
generous to you at this time because you are newly contacted and they do not yet
know what they want from you. But you will learn, as we did, that their only
interests are building their own power and influence."
Zahn, Timothy - Spinneret
"Well, we have a long history of that ourselves. Once we find our feet the Ctencri
may find us harder to fleece than they expect." Meredith suddenly remembered his
duties as host, and gestured back toward the cars. "May I offer you that look
around now? I'm sure the Ctencri didn't tell you what we had planned for
AstraтАФand we don't charge for the tour."
"I will accept." If Beaeki had caught the attempt at humor he gave DO sign of it.
"I would prefer we use my vehicle, though. If you have no objection."
Meredith shrugged, trying hard not to read anything sinister into the suggestion.
"No objections at all. Whenever you're ready."
It took only a few minutes to offload the vehicle, a sort of cross between a
hovercraft and a powerboat with stubby outriggers; but once he and Beaeki were
inside, Meredith understood the alien's reluctance to rough it in Astra's more
primitive cars. The passenger compartment was large, comfortable, and whisper-
quiet, with a climate control Beaeki had thoughtfully set to match the outside air
temperature. The ground effect cushion, which seemed both more powerful and
less dust-making than those of the military ground-effect vehicles Meredith was
used to, handled even boulder-sized obstacles with ease. Meredith's escort,
confined as they were to cars and the water-only hovercraft, had a hard time
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