"Chalker, Jack L - G.O.D. Inc 3 - The Maze in the Mirror" - читать интересную книгу автора (Chalker Jack L)

that Diane could also pick up and record just about everything inside and out.
There is more here than getting Bond before he could lead us to them. That was
the catalyst, but only the catalyst. They clearly knew who lived here and they
clearly picked their own spot. There is more to this than simply a chase after a
man who knows too much. Something darker is afoot as well."
Sam nodded. He felt cold, empty inside, though, and he felt only anger and a
strong desire for vengeance. He sighed, got hold of himself, and asked, "How is
Brandy?"
"The same. There are certain pressure points which only an expert can find as
you well know. Depending on the pressure and the degree of exactitude the
paralysis may be temporary or permanent. Fortunately, thanks to the recorder, we
know it's a Ginzu move. I have summoned the Guild Master and he should be here
some time today. I fear I was a bit forceful with him. I told him that if his
Guild was going to commit treason against the Company then we could well give up
the steak knives import-export business and manufacture them ourselves, and that
to insure things and perhaps make an example we might also exterminate all life
on their world. I think he'll come."
Sam snapped out of it and stared at Prang. "Uh-yeah. Um, Aldrath? Would you
really do that?"
"Of course. We are already manufacturing them right here, in New England
somewhere, I believe."
"I didn't mean the damned knives. Would you exterminate a whole world?"
Prang shrugged. "It's been done. Takes a unanimous vote of the Board, but if we
have this level of treason it's simple self defense. The ones who were here knew
this, as did their employer. That's why they collected all their own dead and
wounded, leaving only the others. Those bodies would lead us to believe that all
the attackers were like them and we'd be off chasing helpless drug slaves rather
than the warriors who have no such excuse."
Sam thought a while, then sat down at a writing desk, tape recorder in front of
him, and began to selectively play back the events of the night. He was deep in
thought, playing small sections over and over. Finally, he sighed and went to
see Prang again.
"I think I got part of it," he told the CEO. "Different parts. The easy part
first. It was very faint, and maybe your lab people can really bring it out, but
I heard at least one car door slam after they carried their prey out the front
door. That's why we didn't catch them in the Labyrinth. They didn't go out the
way they came in. They were ready and they had somebody come and pick them up
and drive them away. I bet if you really enhance the background and filter out
the rest you'll hear several vehicles, maybe enough for all of them. That means
they might still be here, on this Earth. There's no way they could have used a
station after the full security alert."
"You heard Bond saying they had their own stations. Almost a parallel network,
as difficult and frightening as it is to believe."
"Yeah, but not here. I mean, the Labyrinth's been extended to perhaps a million
parallel worlds, but the Company has developed only a very few of them. Most
just aren't worth the trouble, and the others we just don't have the full
manpower and resources to control as yet. That's not true here. Here we've
explored every inch, surveyed, mapped, you name it. We know and have every weak
point covered and monitored. That's why they had to come in using our
substation. If they had their own they'd have had what they needed for a lot