"Asprin, Robert - Myth 09 - M.Y.T.H Inc. In Action" - читать интересную книгу автора (Asprin Robert)

"Would you believe it was our own team?" she sez, flashin' a quick smile, though I knew it hurt.

"Come again?"

"The hair is courtesy of Gleep," she ex plained. "I guess it was an accident. I must have gotten between him and dinner or something. Any way, it's not as bad as it looks... Or could have been, Chumley saw it coming even if I didn't and got me out of the way of the worst of it... Which is both where the bruise came from and why I'm not co MPlaining about it. Honestly, you should see what happened to the wall that was behind me at the time."

"Speakin' of which, where are Chumley and Gleep?" for the first time in our conversation, Tananda down lookin' uncomfortable. "They've... Ah... Headed back to big Julie's. Actually, big brother's in a bit worse shape than I am, so rather than have him trying to work with his arm in a sling, I told him to take Gleep somewhere out of the action and stay with him for awhile. Ifs funny, you know? I still can't figure what set Gleep off... But until we can get a handle on it, I figure he's more of a danger than a help on this assignment. Any way, I decided to stay on and use this disguise gizmo to see if I could do any thing to help the cause on my own. I sure couldn't do much worse than we were doing as a team."

Somethin' was tuggin' at the back of my mind... Somethin' that Nunzio had said about his last assignment and bein' nervous about workin' with Gleep again. I couldn't put my finger on it, though, and seein' as how the discussion was makin' Tananda uncomfortable, I decided not to pursue the subject. I did, however, make a mental note to talk with Nunzio about it when we had a chance.

"Sounds like things weren't goin' too well even before the accident," I sez, pickin' up on her last aside.

"You can say that again," Tananda sez, heavin' a little sigh. "We were trying to work a variation on the old badger game... you know, where I give a soldier the come on, then Chumley bursts in and raises a ruckus because the guy's co MPromising his sister's honor?"

"I know the scam, " I sez , 'cause I do...though I've never run it or been victimized by it my self. Still, it's a time- tested, classic gambit.

"Well, it wasn't working anywhere near as well as we would have hoped. Most of the soldiers around here are under orders to keep their hands off the local women, and if I upped the voltage to make them forget their orders, then the locals would spot what I was doing and take the position that I was as king for whatever attentions I got."

"Gee, that's tough," I said. "It musta been hard on you... particularly if you was workin' injured."

I still didn't like the way that bruise was healin', and it must have shown in my voice 'cause Tananda leans forward and puts a hand on my arm.

"I'm all right, Guido, really... though it's sweet of you to be worried. I've gotten a lot worse just rough -housing with Chumley... Honest."

Realizin' that her big brother is a troll, I can well believe that Tananda is used to gettin' dinged up a bit in family squabbles. Right now, however, there is somethin' else weighin' on my mind.

You see, Tananda's touch was real soft and warm when she laid her hand on my arm, and it gets me to thinkin' again about the original reason I had for bringin' her up to this room. As I said before, it has been a long time since I have been alone with a skirt on any thin' resemblin' an intimate basis... But Tananda is still a business associate, and as with any profession, it is unwise at best to allow oneself to become intimately involved with a fellow worker. Besides, she has never indicated to me any interest beyond friendship... Or maybe a big sister. Still it was real nice to have woman touchin' me...

"Umm... All right. If you say so," I sez, movin' slightly to break the physical contact between us. "We was just assigned here ourselves, so we haven't had a chance to do much of anythin'. I think maybe we should try to figure out how Nunzio and me can work the same area as you without us gettin' in each other's way."

"Don't be silly, Guido. Since you're here, we can all work together!"

"Come again?"

"Think about it, " she sez, gettin' all bouncy in her eagerness. "I've been having trouble finding soldiers to take the bait on my little routine, but you're soldiers, so it can make both our jobs easier. If we're working both sides of the game, we can control exactly how we want things to go."

I make a sincere effort to ignore her bouncin' whilst I try to think of a good reason not to go along with her suggestion. Somehow I am not sure my actin' skills are up to pretendin' to be physically forward with Tananda... But I am even less enthusiastic about havin' Nunzio take the part.

"I dunno, Tananda," I sez, reluctant-like. "I'm not so sure that's a good idea. I mean, we might pull it off once... But if we're successful in our play-actin', then Nunzio and me end up in the stockade and out of action for the duration."

"Oh yeah?" she sez, cockin' her remamin' eyebrow at me. "So what were you thinking would happen when you brought me up here this evening?"

"Ummm..." I sez, recallin' that, unfortuitously, takin' the fifth amendment only works in court.

"Never mind, Guido," she grins. "I withdraw the question. Tell you what, though. If being directly involved makes you uneasy, just line me up with one of your army buddies. You've been in long enough that you should have a pretty good idea of who we can sucker."

I find that I am not wild about this idea either; first, because it seems like a dirty trick to play on any of the crew what's been workin' with Nunzio and me the last few weeks, and second, because I find I am not overjoyed with the idea of anybody pawin' Tananda. Still, I had to accept that we was gonna have to break somebody's eggs to get this omelet made, and that Tananda is right, it would be easier and quicker to do if we set the thing up ourselves.

"Okay, Tananda, " I sez. "We'll try it that way."