"Doohan, James & Stirling, S M - Flight Engineer 02 - The Privateer 1.0" - читать интересную книгу автора (Doohan James)

"All right," Raeder said, "what does it take besides intelligence?"

Sjarhir's lips quirked.

"Not that it will do you any good to know," he said. "But it takes sheer
ruthlessness and a great deal of power. The general can do almost anything
he wants with, or to, almost anyone he wants." He cast a sideways glance
at Raeder. "I say almost because it seems logical that there would be some
limitations on his power." He smiled. "But I could be wrong."

Raeder grunted and picked up the pace.

"And for all I know," the captain said, easily keeping up with him, "it
could well take more than that. Because to the best of my knowledge, which
is extensive, no one ever has gotten the best of him."

Raeder glanced at him, and grunted skeptically.

"Why does the high command put up with that sort of thing from a lowly
line general?"

"Because he takes the dirty little jobs nobody else wants, and gets them
done-successfully, so far."

"God help him if there's a major screwup, then."

"Oh, yes. But I wouldn't bet the integrity of my hull seals on that
happening, if I were you, Commander."

Raeder considered that. Then he marched resolutely down the cool,
night-dimmed corridors of Ontario Base, his arms swinging freely at his
sides. He looked like a man with a purpose instead of a man running from
one doom into another.

Raeder's lurid imagination had clothed Scaragoglu in a burgundy satin
smoking jacket, seated him in a deep armchair in a dimly lit, luxuriously
furnished room and given him a brandy to swirl around a balloon goblet.
Maybe there had been a pipe or a cigar in there too.

The reality was a rather spartan, well-lit office with the general wearing
a slightly rumpled undress Marine uniform.

And it was whiskey.

Raeder saluted and the general returned it without looking up from the
document he was scanning. He indicated a chair before the desk and Raeder,
with a glance at Sjarhir, sat down.

After a moment Scaragoglu sighed and turned off the screen. He kept