"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.
All his clothing was covered with dark stains.
"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