"Arcady And Boris Strugatsky. Prisoners of Power" - читать интересную книгу автора

degens?"
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
have to get back to work now."
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