"Arcady And Boris Strugatsky. Prisoners of Power" - читать интересную книгу автораdegens?"
Pandi became very thoughtful. "H'm, how can I explain it? Well, our job is to handle the city degens and the wild ones in the forest. The army people are trained to deal with anything they come up against in Khonti or anywhere else. All you need to know is that the Khontis are our worst enemies. Before the war they obeyed us, but now they are getting their revenge. And that's it. Got it?" "More or less," replied Maxim. Pandi reprimanded him instantly. "That's no way for a legionnaire to answer. A legionnaire says 'Yes, sir' or 'No, sir.' 'More or less' is for civilians, for the corporal's sister. You don't answer like that in the service." With a subject so inspiring and dear to his heart and with such an attentive and respectful audience, Pandi would have babbled on indefinitely. But the officers were returning. Pandi broke off in midsentence, whispered "Attention," and froze into position-after completing the required maneuvers between the table and the prisoner's seat. Maxim followed suit. The officers were in fine spirits. Captain Chachu, with a contemptuous expression on his face, was telling them in a loud voice how, in '96, they had stuck some dough on red-hot armor and it turned out delicious. The brigadier and civilian retorted that fighting spirit was damned important, but the Fighting Legion's mess should be second to none; the less canned food, the better. With half-closed eyes the adjutant rattled off some recipes from memory. The others fell silent and listened to him with strange tenderness in their eyes. Then the adjutant choked with emotion and coughed to clear his throat. The brigadier, sighing, said: "Yes. Splendid. But we'll Still coughing, the adjutant opened the folder, dug through the papers, and announced: "Ordi Tader." The woman entered, looking as pale and as transparent as she had yesterday. When Pandi extended his hand to take her by the elbow and seat her, she recoiled sharply, as if from a snake, and Maxim thought she was going to strike Pandi. She didn't; she was handcuffed. She just calmly and distinctly told him to keep his ; filthy hands off her and walked around him and sat down. The brigadier asked her the usual questions. She did not reply. The civilian reminded her of her child and husband, but still she refused to answer. She sat straight and tall. Maxim could not see ' her face, only her tense thin neck beneath disheveled hair. Suddenly she said in a low voice: "You are real swine. All of you. Murderers! But you will all die. You, brigadier - I am seeing you for the first and last time. You will die a cruel death. Not by my hands, unfortunately, but it will be a cruel, cruel death. And you, you bloodthirsty animals. I personally finished off two like you. If these two idiots weren't standing behind me, I'd kill you this instant." She caught her breath. "And you, you fat-headed cannon fodder, we'll get you yet. But you'll die an easy death. Gel missed, but I know people who won't." They did not interrupt her but listened attentively. They seemed ready to listen to her for hours, when suddenly she rose and stepped toward the table. Pandi caught her by the shoulder and threw her back on the seat. Then she spat with all her strength but failed to reach |
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