JК
Crashlander :: Нивен Ларри
Страница: 55 из 199«Just a sec,» I said. «I may have information to sell you.»
There was a long pause. Elephant looked at me in surprise.
«You are Beowulf Shaeffer?»
«Yeah. You remember me?»
«We find you in our records. Beowulf Shaeffer, we have information for you, already paid. The former regional president of General Products on Jinx wishes you to contact him. I have a transfer-booth number.»
«That's late news,» I said. «The puppeteers are gone. Anyway, why would that two-headed sharpie want to see me?»
«I do not have that information. I do know that not all puppeteers have left this region. Will you accept the transfer-booth number?»
«Sure.»
I wrote down the eight digits as they came. A moment later Elephant was yelling just as if he were a tridee set turned on in the middle of a program. «— hell is going on here?»
«Sorry about that,» said the translator.
«What happened?» I asked.
«I couldn't hear anything! Did that mon— Did the Outsider have private business with you?»
«Sort of. I'll tell you later.»
The translator said, «Beowulf Shaeffer, we do not buy information. We sell information and use the proceeds to buy territory and food soil.»
«You may need this information,» I argued. «I'm the only man within reach who knows it.»
«What of other races?»
The puppeteers might have told them, but it was worth taking a chance. «You're about to leave known space. If you don't deal with me, you may not get this information in time.»
«What price do you set on this item?»
«You set the price. You've got more experience at putting values on inforrnation, and you're honorable.»
«We may not be able to afford an honest price.»
«Tbe price may not exceed our ferry fee.»
«Done. Speak.»
I told him of the Core explosion and how I'd come find out about it. He made me go into detail on what I'd seen: the bright patch of supernovas, spreading out as my ship caught up with ancient light waves, until all the bright multicolored ball of the Core was ablaze with supernovas. «You wouldn't have known this until you got there, and then it would have been too late. You don't use faster-than-light drives.»
«We knew from the puppeteers that the Core had exploded. They were not able to go into detail because they had not seen it for themselves.»
«Oh. Ah, well. I think the explosion must have started at the back side of the Core from here. Otherwise it would have seemed to go much more slowly.