JК
Crashlander :: Нивен Ларри
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Me (sorrowfully): «Addie is gone, John. We never expect to see her again, and we're just as glad, but I feel she'll always be a part of me.» I waved the camera off.
Now let's see Carlos figure that out. He does like puzzles.
GHOST: SEVEN
«So there you have it,» I told Ander. «Carlos is dead. I saw Feather shoot him before she shot me. Sharrol and the children must have gotten away. Feather stayed to put me in the 'doc, then used the other boat.
«She left me marooned on a desert island. I think she'd already given up on catching Sharrol. Otherwise, why would she need me for a hostage? I can't guess where they all are now, but if Feather was holding Sharrol, I think I'd know it.»
«How?»
«By now she must know I'm gone. She could advertise on the personals net. There hasn't been anything like that.»
Ander held his peace. No point in his telling the poor crashlander that his story leaks like a NASA spacecraft. From the way I'd told it, Ander could only guess that Feather had covered her back trail. Sharrol and the children must be as dead as Carlos, and Beowulf Shaeffer didn't have the courage to face it.
If he bought it, Ander would be hunting Feather, not Carlos.
«And I live in Pacifica because anywhere else I'd need pills to protect me from sunlight. Feather might trace that. Ander, can you do something about Feather? I keep expecting her to pop up behind my ear.»
«I'll see what I can do. She's ARM responsibility. Could she be dead?»
«For all I know. Carlos cut her. I don't know how bad, but I saw blood.»
«Carlos … yeah. Sigmund isn't going to like that. What do I give him for proof?»
«You might find traces of him on the island, but I doubt it, Ander. I think Feather dumped him in the hopper for biomass. The closest you'll get to any remains of Carlos Wu is right here.» He didn't understand. I stretched my arms, flexing my still not quite familiar body. «Not the fish, Ander. Me.»
«Stet. Which island?»
«On another matter,» I said. «Carlos Wu's experimental autodoc is a very valuable item. I propose to sell it to you.»
Ander studied me, mildly amused. His hands wandered into pockets and came out with a silver match and a box of fat green cigars. He said, «Your bargaining position isn't that terrific.»
Was he really going to fire up that thing? Tobacco, it had to be tobacco.
I tore my eyes off his hands. «Cheap,» I assured him. «I can't touch it myself, after all, and you can't afford to lose it.
Me (sorrowfully): «Addie is gone, John. We never expect to see her again, and we're just as glad, but I feel she'll always be a part of me.» I waved the camera off.
Now let's see Carlos figure that out. He does like puzzles.
GHOST: SEVEN
«So there you have it,» I told Ander. «Carlos is dead. I saw Feather shoot him before she shot me. Sharrol and the children must have gotten away. Feather stayed to put me in the 'doc, then used the other boat.
«She left me marooned on a desert island. I think she'd already given up on catching Sharrol. Otherwise, why would she need me for a hostage? I can't guess where they all are now, but if Feather was holding Sharrol, I think I'd know it.»
«How?»
«By now she must know I'm gone. She could advertise on the personals net. There hasn't been anything like that.»
Ander held his peace. No point in his telling the poor crashlander that his story leaks like a NASA spacecraft. From the way I'd told it, Ander could only guess that Feather had covered her back trail. Sharrol and the children must be as dead as Carlos, and Beowulf Shaeffer didn't have the courage to face it.
If he bought it, Ander would be hunting Feather, not Carlos.
«And I live in Pacifica because anywhere else I'd need pills to protect me from sunlight. Feather might trace that. Ander, can you do something about Feather? I keep expecting her to pop up behind my ear.»
«I'll see what I can do. She's ARM responsibility. Could she be dead?»
«For all I know. Carlos cut her. I don't know how bad, but I saw blood.»
«Carlos … yeah. Sigmund isn't going to like that. What do I give him for proof?»
«You might find traces of him on the island, but I doubt it, Ander. I think Feather dumped him in the hopper for biomass. The closest you'll get to any remains of Carlos Wu is right here.» He didn't understand. I stretched my arms, flexing my still not quite familiar body. «Not the fish, Ander. Me.»
«Stet. Which island?»
«On another matter,» I said. «Carlos Wu's experimental autodoc is a very valuable item. I propose to sell it to you.»
Ander studied me, mildly amused. His hands wandered into pockets and came out with a silver match and a box of fat green cigars. He said, «Your bargaining position isn't that terrific.»
Was he really going to fire up that thing? Tobacco, it had to be tobacco.
I tore my eyes off his hands. «Cheap,» I assured him. «I can't touch it myself, after all, and you can't afford to lose it.