"Gordon R. Dickson - Brother Charlie" - читать интересную книгу автора (Dickson Gordon R)

"All right," he said




Gordy is so good at creating believably alien characters
that once at a convention I tugged on his face to see if it
would come off. (It didn't, but I'm not entirely sure that
proves anything.) Two of his most fascinatingly unique
aliens decorate the following story. If you squint at the
plot, you'll notice that it's one of the hoariest cliches in the
business – turned around one hundred eighty degrees.
The art of diplomacy is a subtle and difficult one . . .
especially out there in the field.


BROTHER CHARLIE

I

The matter of her standby burners trembled through the APC9
like the grumbling of an imminent and not entirely unominous
storm. In the cramped, lightly grease-smelling cockpit, Chuck
Wagnall sat running through the customary preflight check on
his instruments and controls. There were a great many to check
out – almost too many for the small cockpit space to hold; but
then old number 9, like all of her breed, was equipped to
operate almost anywhere but underwater. She could even have
operated there as well, but she would have needed a little time
file:///G|/Program%20Files/eMule/Incoming/Gordon%20R.%20Dickson%20-%20Brother%20Charlie.htm (1 of 46) [10/31/2004 11:05:50 PM]
"All right," he said


to prepare herself, before immersion.
On his left-hand field screen the Tomah envoy escort was to be
seen in the process of moving the Tomah envoy aboard. The
Lugh, Binichi, was already in his bin. Chuck wasted neither time
nor attention on these – but when his ship range screen lit up
directly before him, he glanced at it immediately.
"Hold Seventy-nine," he said automatically to himself, and
pressed the acknowledge button.
The light cleared to reveal the face of Roy Marlie, Advance Unit
Supervisor. Roy's brown hair was neatly combed in place, his
uniform closure pressed tight, and his blue eyes casual and
relaxed – and at these top danger signals, Chuck felt his own
spine stiffen.
"Yo, how's it going, Chuck?" Roy asked.
"Lift in about five minutes."
"Any trouble picking up Binichi?"
"A snap," said Chuck. "He was waiting for me right on the