"FWLS41" - читать интересную книгу автора (A Future We'd Like to See)

A Future We'd Like To See 1.41 - Good Bad Guy
By Twoflower (Copyright 1994)

Oh, it's a pirate's life for me. Yo ho ho and all that rot.
It's my life's calling, really, to relieve others of the burden
of material possessions. I'm not the walk-the-plank kinda guy,
though... what's the point in blasting your victims to bits?
It's all in the economics of the matter. A trader NEVER gives
up, since trading is such a time-consuming skill that they rarely
have any other job training.

So, what you do is hijack the ship, loot it, and eject them
out in an escape pod to the nearest spaceport. I have deals
going with several casinos and used ship salesmen. The trader,
now without ship, has to work up the money to get back in the
biz. They gamble or slave away to get the cash, buy a ship, and
head out again. And I hijack them again. Repeat.

So, not only do I get loot, ship parts, and money, but I get
commissions from the other people who benefit from my victim's
misery. It's a sweet setup. The glory of it is my reputation;
traders that get hijacked by Lowbeam know they're going to be
treated with class and send off with their mind and body intact.
Often, they'll cooperate. It's almost too easy.

However, you do get the occasional maniac on this job. I
only have ONE failure to my name. I'd call that a good ratio,
much better than other cargo jackers, but everybody rags on me
for it. "Look at that silly pirate Lowbeam, he can't even take
out a MAILMAN!"

In fact, the guy at the Emerald Saloon yesterday was saying
exactly that.

"You talkin' to me?" I asked, turning casually to the
offending drunkard.

"Yeah, fuzzy ass," the drunkard spat. Traders who knew me
calmly moved at least two stools away from the jerk. "You ain't
all THAT hot shit, if you can't even take out a moronic little
letter-carrier."

Now, I don't mind the 'fuzzy ass' insult. I've had to deal
with quite a few species slurs, being a Ytt in a job
traditionally held by Sarens and Humans. It's the rest of the
offending remark that was, well, offending.

"I'd like to remind you, inebriated sot, that I have the
best record of any cargo swiper here," I said. Calmly. That's
my watchword, calm. Calm and secure. Casual-like.