"Gordon R. Dickson - Chantry Guild" - читать интересную книгу автора (Dickson Gordon R)

here as an undercover agent from Old Earth for three years now; helping the
local populace endure, and wherever possible, resist these followers of
Others-the new overlords of the Younger Worlds. These soldiers would at least
have heard rumors of her. Undoubtedly it was inconceivable to them that she
could be alone and elude them that long-that she must have some organization
helping her.
She smiled a little, to herself'. Actually, her most active work in those
three years had amounted to occasionally rescuing a prisoner of these same
jack-booted imitation soldiers, when this could be done without giving away
her true identify. Mostly, her job had been to provide reassurance to the
local Kultans. So that they, like the other dominated peoples of' the Younger
Worlds, would know they had not been entirely forgotten by those still holding
out behind the phase-shield of Old Earth. Holding yet, against the
THE CHANTRY GUILD 5
combined strength of the Younger Worlds and the self-named, multitalented
Others who ruled them.
But now, her hopes lifted. Those following had delayed almost too long. She
had at last reached the little hillock of flourishing undergrowth and young
trees, which she had transplanted here three years before with great care and
labor. She stopped; and, almost casually, began to tear up a strip of turf
between two of the trees.
That, she thought, should intrigue them enough to keep them from rushing upon
her too swiftly. The turf came free, as it had been designed to do; being
artificial, rather than real, like the rest of the vegetation in the hillock.
Below it was the metal face and handle of a ship's entry port.
At last, she moved swiftly, now. A second later the door was open and she
was inside, closing it behind her. As she turned the handle to locking
position, the blast from a power rifle rang ineffectively against its outer
side. She took two strides, seated herself in the chair before the command
panel and laid hands on the controls.
A Dorsai courier vessel did not need time to warm its atmosphere drive before
responding, even after three years of idleness. Almost in the same moment as
she gripped the control rod, the ship burst from the hillock, sending an
explosion of earth, grass and trees in all directions. On ordinary atmosphere
drive she lifted and hedgehopped over the nearest ridge. As soon as she knew
she was out of her pursuers' sight, she phase-shifted the craft clear of the
planet in one jump. Her next shift was almost immediate, to two light-years
beyond the sun just now rising, which was the star called Beta Procyon by
those on Old Earth.
Out at last in interstellar space, she was beyond pursuit and discovery by any
ship of the Younger Worlds. Here in deep space, she was as unfindable as a
minnow in a world-wide Ocean.
She glanced around the unkempt interior of the vessel. It was hardly in
condition for a formal visit to Old Earth, let alone to the Final
Encyclopedia. But that was beside the point. What mattered was that she had
got away safely past whatever ships had been on guard patrol around the Worlds
under Beta Procyon. Ahead of her still lay the greater task, the matter of
6 Gordon R. Dickson reaching Old Earth itself-, which would
mean running the gauntlet of the Younger Worlds' fleet besieging that world.
Somehow she must slip safely through a thick cordon of much better armed and