JК
World Of Ptavvs :: Нивен Ларри
Страница: 74 из 127What drives the unfortunate victim to thoughts of suicide is, the pain never lets up. There is no escape.
Marda felt the gentle, reminding pull in her abdomen every time she moved.
Many Belt women were childless. Some had been spayed by solar storms. Some were frigid, and their frigidity let them endure the loneliness of a singleship. Some had undesirable recessive genes; and, contrary to popular terran belief; the Belt had fertility laws. Some could not conceive in free or nearly free fall. They were a special class, the exiles from Confinement.
What was Lit doing in that phone booth? It had been over an hour.
He was furious, she could see that. She'd never seen him so mad. Even after the screen went dark, he just sat there glaring at the screen.
Something made Marda get up and push open the soundproof door. Lit looked around. "That Arm. That flatlander. Marda, can you imagine an Arm getting huffy with me?"
"He really pushed all your buttons, didn't he? What happened, Lit?"
"Oh…" Lit banged the heels of his hands together. "You remember those two ships that took off from Topeka Base without-"
"I never heard about it."
"Right. I forgot." She'd hardly been in a mood to listen then. "Well, two days ago…"
By the time he finished he was almost calm. Marda felt safe in saying, "But, Lit, you cross-examined him for a full hour. What else could he do but cut you off or admit he was lying?"
"Good point. What I'm really mad about is that tale he told me."
"You're sure he was lying? It sounds almost too fantastic."
"Aw, honey. It is too fantastic."
"Then forget it."
"That's not the point. What's he want with Neptune? Why's he need three ships? And why, in the name of Reason, does he commandeer the Golden Circle from Titan Enterprises?"
"To back up his story?"
"No. I think it's the other way around. His story was tailored to fit the facts."
Slowly he turned back to face the blank screen. He sat for a while, with Marda watching him, and then he said, "I'm going to have to do just as he told me. That burns me. Remind me to tell you someday why I hate Arms."
"Okay. Later today, then."
"Good girl." But he'd already forgotten her. Still he stared at the blank screen, not willing to give Ceres its orders until he'd thought them out completely. Finally he muttered, "I can get the jump on him. I'll send the ships from the lead Trojans; he'll be passing right over them. We'll be after him faster than he thinks." His hand darted out. "And- mph. I can send a radar proof.
Marda felt the gentle, reminding pull in her abdomen every time she moved.
Many Belt women were childless. Some had been spayed by solar storms. Some were frigid, and their frigidity let them endure the loneliness of a singleship. Some had undesirable recessive genes; and, contrary to popular terran belief; the Belt had fertility laws. Some could not conceive in free or nearly free fall. They were a special class, the exiles from Confinement.
What was Lit doing in that phone booth? It had been over an hour.
He was furious, she could see that. She'd never seen him so mad. Even after the screen went dark, he just sat there glaring at the screen.
Something made Marda get up and push open the soundproof door. Lit looked around. "That Arm. That flatlander. Marda, can you imagine an Arm getting huffy with me?"
"He really pushed all your buttons, didn't he? What happened, Lit?"
"Oh…" Lit banged the heels of his hands together. "You remember those two ships that took off from Topeka Base without-"
"I never heard about it."
"Right. I forgot." She'd hardly been in a mood to listen then. "Well, two days ago…"
By the time he finished he was almost calm. Marda felt safe in saying, "But, Lit, you cross-examined him for a full hour. What else could he do but cut you off or admit he was lying?"
"Good point. What I'm really mad about is that tale he told me."
"You're sure he was lying? It sounds almost too fantastic."
"Aw, honey. It is too fantastic."
"Then forget it."
"That's not the point. What's he want with Neptune? Why's he need three ships? And why, in the name of Reason, does he commandeer the Golden Circle from Titan Enterprises?"
"To back up his story?"
"No. I think it's the other way around. His story was tailored to fit the facts."
Slowly he turned back to face the blank screen. He sat for a while, with Marda watching him, and then he said, "I'm going to have to do just as he told me. That burns me. Remind me to tell you someday why I hate Arms."
"Okay. Later today, then."
"Good girl." But he'd already forgotten her. Still he stared at the blank screen, not willing to give Ceres its orders until he'd thought them out completely. Finally he muttered, "I can get the jump on him. I'll send the ships from the lead Trojans; he'll be passing right over them. We'll be after him faster than he thinks." His hand darted out. "And- mph. I can send a radar proof.