[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
.He climbed intothe transport and the others scrambled aboard."Back to the camp," he said."Looks to me like you've run into BT's before," LeMat said."Who hasn't?" Haakon asked."Any free spacer who does business within theBahadur hegemony has to take a lot of crap from BT soldiers like that one.""He's no toy soldier," LeMat said, "and neither are the rest of them.They'retough, and they know their work.""They are much better than the old troops," Soun agreed."We used to jokeabout the foolish Bahadur soldiers who died so easily here.We joke no more.They are not as fine as the people of Grass Cutter, but they are fierce andskillful.""Now that we've attracted attention," Soong suggested, "it might be best if wedid not tarry here long.""I agree," Haakon said."If you gentlemen want to continue a businessdiscussion, we'd better pick some other place to do it.""No problem," LeMat said."Just have a few more cold ones and go about yourbusiness.When you get to the wrecking yard, somebody will be there to meetyou."LeMat and Soun left the tavern, and Haakon ordered fresh ones all aroundbefore commencing serious discus-45John Mdddox Roberts sion."Was that the Subadar we met a while back, whenTimur Khan sent us toMughal?" he asked, first checking to make sure they were out of hearingdistance from the other customers."That is the one," Soong confirmed."I believe his name is Hulagu, one ofthose names out of Mongol history that the Bahadurans are so fond of.Hespotted us from the street.I could see his expression from where I sat.Hemight easily have made trouble for us.""I wish he had," Haakon said."Then, if we got out of here alive, we could goback to Timur Khan and tell him one of his own boys blew our cover.""He probably blames us for his being here.This is quite a comedown fromTimur's own personal guard.We humiliated him in front of his boss and he gotsent here as a reprimand.""I have always thought that you behaved precipitately in that incident," Soongsaid."I wonder what Timur's pets are doing here?" Haakon pondered."Do you thinkit's really for punishment?""Undoubtedly," Soong said, "it reflects some internecine power struggle withinthe Serene Powers.That is the kind of situation one is well advised to leavestrictly alone.""Except that it may well be why we're here," Jemal pointed out."Why are things always so complicated?" Haakon bemoaned."Why doesn't he evergive us a simple job?""If it were simple," Soong pointed out, "he would not send the best."46THE SWORD, THE JEWEL, AND THE MIRRORThey hired a small transport to take-them to the wrecking yard and backtrackedalong the road to the port.Two or three kilometers from the port, they turnedoff onto a path surfaced only with stabilized dirt.Apparently, thevicissitudes of nature on Chamuka made paved roads more trouble than they wereworth.The dense growth grew close to the road, and they kept a wary eye outfor flying lethalities.Once in a while they glimpsed odd creatures fadingPage 19ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlback into the brush and they were not tempted to investigate.The wrecking yard was an unfenced area dotted with the gutted hulks of severalcannibalized ships.Most of them were vessels never designed to land, and theysagged and collapsed in a disconsolate fashion as age and the human urge forbargain prices reduced them to scraps of metal and plastic.Rand had equippedHaakon with a shopping list of the kind of items an ordinary free trader mightneed to keep his overaged ship spacing.A man came out of a dome-shaped plastic structure wiping his hands with ascrap of cloth.His helmet had a face plate which was pushed up clear of hisface, disclosing a countenance that was not native to Chamuka."How may I beof service?" he asked.Haakon handed him the list."Do you have any of these whitchits?"The man scanned the list."Some of this we have.These Tesla transmissionnodes, though, they deteriorate pretty fast.There should be some in that hulkover there." He pointed to the sad tail section of an old cruiser.47John Mdddox Roberts"You'll have to show me what they are," Haakon said.The man looked at him suspiciously."You're a ship's captain, and you don'tknow anything about Teslas?""Are you serious?" Haakon asked."I have nothing to do with them.I wouldn'thave the damn things on my ship except it won't go anywhere without them.""Can't say I blame you [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]