"Anderson, Poul - 1970 Flandry 09 - A Circus of Hells" - читать интересную книгу автора (Anderson Poul)

happenstance that he and Tachwyr had met again did not look especially
important. Nonetheless, he went robotlike through the motions of
sociability and of being an interpreter. His gaze and mind kept straying
toward his former acquaintance. And Tachwyr himself was too young to
mask entirely the fact that he was as anxious to get together with
Flandry.

Their chance came in a couple of hours, when they managed to dodge out
of their respective groups and seek the refreshment table. Flandry
gestured. "May I pour for you?" he asked. "I fear that except for the
telloch, we've run out of things native to your planet."

"I regret to say you have been had," Tachwyr answered. "It is a dreadful
brand. But I like your--what is it called?--skoksh?"

"That makes two of us." Flandry filled glasses for them. He had already
had several whiskies and would have preferred this one over ice.
However, he wasn't about to look sissified in front of a Merseian.

"Ah … cheers," Tachwyr said, lifting his tumbler. His throat and
palate gave the Anglic word an accent for which there were no Anglic
words.

Flandry could form Merseian speech better if not perfectly. "Tor
ychwei." With both hands he extended his glass so that the other might
take the first sip.

Tachwyr followed it with half of his own in a single gulp. "Arrach!"
Relaxed a little, he cocked his head and smiled; but under the shelf of
brow ridge, his glance held very steady on the human. "Well," he said,
"what brings you here?"

"I was assigned. For a Terran year, worse luck. And you?"

"The same, to my present ship. I see you are now in the Intelligence
Corps."

"Like yourself."

Tachwyr the Dark--his skin was a slightly deeper green than is usual
around the Wilwidh Ocean--could not altogether suppress a scowl. "I
started in that branch," he said. "You were a flyer when you came to
Merseia." He paused. "Were you not?"

"Oh, yes," Flandry said. "I transferred later."

"At Commander Abrams' instigation?"

Flandry nodded. "Mostly. He's a captain now, by the way."