"Arcady And Boris Strugatsky. Prisoners of Power" - читать интересную книгу автора "It's not mine."
"I give up," repeated Guy. "But you really are alive! Rada, make some tea! No, wake up the old man and ask him for some whiskey." "Be careful," warned Maxim. "No noise. They're looking for me." "Who is? Why? What nonsense. Rada, let him change his clothes. Come, Mac, sit down. Or do you want to lie down? What happened? How come you're alive?" Seating himself carefully on the edge of the chair, and placing his hands on his knees to avoid soiling anything, he looked at them, looked at them with affection, for what might be the 1ast time. And with a certain curiosity, too. How would they react to what he was about to tell them? "My friends. I'm a criminal now. I just blew up a tower." He wasn't surprised that they understood him immediately, understood what tower he was talking about, and did not question him about it. Rada only clenched her fists and could not tear her eyes from him. Guy grunted and, with a familiar gesture, ran his hands through his hair and looked away. "You blockhead! So you decided to get revenge. Against who? Oh, Mac, you're still as crazy as ever. You're like a little kid. But remember, you didn't say anything and we didn't hear anything. I don't want to know anything more. Rada, make some tea. And no noise. We don't want to wake anyone. Take off your clothes, Mac. What a mess. Where the hell have you been?" Maxim rose and undressed. He stripped off his dirty wet shirt (Guy saw the scars and swallowed hard) and pulled off his filthy boots and trousers. "Well, that's a lot better." He sat down again. "Thanks, Guy. I won't be staying long. Only till morning, and then I'll leave." "Did the porter see you?" "He was sleeping." "Sleeping?" Guy was dubious. "Well, maybe he really was. He has to sleep sometime." "What are you doing home?" asked Maxim. "I'm on leave." "What do you mean-on leave? The whole damn Legion is probably out there scouring the countryside." "But I'm no longer a legionnaire." Guy smiled wryly. "Mac, I've been kicked out of the Legion. I'm just an ordinary army corporal now. I teach the country bumpkins how to tell their right foot from their left. Then off they go to the Khonti border, into the trenches. So, Mac, that's the way things are with me now." "On account of me?" "Well, yes." They looked at each other and Guy looked away. Suddenly it struck Maxim that if Guy turned him in immediately, he could probably return to the Legion and the Officer's Independent Study Program. He also realized that such an idea never would have crossed his mind two months ago. He felt uneasy and wanted to leave, but Rada ordered him to go and wash. While he cleaned himself up, she prepared something to eat and a pot of tea. Guy sat in his usual place, propping up his downcast face between his fists. Apparently fearful of hearing something devastating, something that would |
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