"Timothy Zahn - The Blackcollar" - читать интересную книгу автора (Zahn Timothy)


So much for the rest of his training... but if he wasn't going to be spending much time with
government people he could probably get by without it. "You've got Rienzi tucked away?"

Marinos nodded. "Picked him up this morning. No problems." He gestured to an envelope on the
table. "There's his IDтАФsuitably altered, of courseтАФand the rest of your stuff."

Caine picked up the package, careful not to bump the mushroom-shaped "bug stomper" which sat in
the table's center, electronically blanking out any nearby monitoring devices. Opening the envelope,
he withdrew a blue ID, a wallet containing both government and personal credit plates and several
hundred marks in crisp TDE banknotes, and an unconfirmed ticket for the distant world of Plinry.
"The ticket is basically just a reservation," Marinos explained. "You'll need to have your ID checked
at the 'port before you can board."

The face on the ID was long and a bit thin, framed by a carefully coiffured mass of brown hairтАФa
clean-shaven replica of Caine's own. But there were also a set of thumbprints and retinal patterns
sealed under the supposedly tamper-proof plasticтАФand those patterns were duplicated in a heavily
guarded computer system not ten kilometers away. "You're sure my prints and patterns have made it
into the government's records?" he asked Marinos.

"It's all been taken care of," the other said, his offhand tone belying the difficulty of what must have
been one hell of a job. Broaching Ryqril security was no joke.

"We don't yet have authorization for you to examine the Plinry archives," Kratochvil said, "but it'll
be here by six this evening. If you're lucky all you'll have to do is walk in, spin your yarn about a
book, pull the proper record, and cut out." He gave Caine a tight smile. "In practice it's never that
easy, of course. But I expect you'll be able to handle most problems they throw at you."

Caine nodded. Though he'd never been on any actual missions, he'd had the best combat and psycho-
mental training the Resistance could offer. "What's the latest military situation, and how is it likely
to affect conditions on Plinry? The Ryqril will probably have a base there, right?"

"We expect so, but it shouldn't bother you any." Kratochvil turned to Hurlimann. "Captain?"

"The reports of a big Ryqril victory over the Chryselli near Regulus appear to be true," Hurlimann
said, his manner reminding Caine of a college lecturer. "However, it seems to have cost more than
they admit. Already they've pulled two Elephant-class troop carriers and a full wing of Corsairs from
various bases on Earth and sent them off, presumably to the Chryselli front. If there's a base on
Plinry the same sort of mobilization may be going on there. But that shouldn't be a problem; as long
as you've got the proper papers any extra confusion will be to your advantage." He smiled. "And for

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The Blackcollar

our purposes, the more the Ryqril are tied up in Chryselli territory, the better."

"As I said, the cards are falling right," Kratochvil said. "By the time you get back with the
information we hope to have crews ready to leave." He glanced around at the others. "Was there
anything else?"