"Sharon Green - Terrillian 1 - Warrior Within" - читать интересную книгу автора (Green Sharon)

maybe I was mistaken and it was sup-posed to be a mating call. I've never heard
the mating call of a quadriwagon."
"It won't envelop," he explained apologetically, gesturing vaguely toward the
'wagon. "What good is a quadriwagon that won't envelop?"
"What good indeed," I agreed pleasantly. "All you can do with it then is take
ground trips. Long, distant ground trips. Why the hell don't you try it!"
He flinched a little at my almost-shrill roar, then pushed his palms placatingly at
me. "Now, Terry, no need to lose your temper." I had no idea you were home yet,
or I would have. ..."
"Well, now you know!" I snapped. "It isn't bad enough that I had to spend four
months straightening out that mess in Dremmler's sector, just to get back in time
for the Nervous Nellies' Annual Hysterics and Fit-Throwing Convention. Oh, no!
After fourteen solid hours of diplomatically assuring ev-ery neurotic xenophobe
on the planet that we are not in im-minent danger of being invaded by the nearest
alien barbarian horde, I really needed your symphonic, rendition of 'When Worlds
Collide'! Sandy, you may be a colleague of sorts, but so help me if I hear even
one more tinkle out of

THE WARRIOR WITHIN 7
you, I'll call the peacemen and activate an action against you for fire, flood,
pestilence and rape! Do you read me?"
"Loud and clear," he groaned, covering his eyes with one hand. "Very, very loud
and perfectly clear."
"You'd better," I told him fatly. "Your XD-5 rating will be as worthless as that
quadriwagon if / press charges. Just remember that."
I gave his tall, thin form a last glare, turned to go back to my house, and promptly
bounced off a brick wall instead. I "oofed" and went down, my hair obligingly
covering my en-tire face.
"Terry, are you all right?" Sandy asked anxiously as I pawed the hair out of my
eyes. He reached down fast to help me to my feet, but I ignored his outstretched
hands in favor of the brick wall Pd collided with.
The man who stbod there looked ten feet tall from where I sat hi the grass. He also
seemed about six feet wide, and ev-• ery inch of his deeply tanned body was hard-
muscled and trim. He had brilliant, light blue eyes, a mane of thick, light blond,
hair, and a grin pasted on his broad, rugged face. He stood easily relaxed with his
brawny arms folded across his enormous chest, and all he wore was a pair of brief,
dark gray swim trunks. I frowned as I looked at him, seeing some-thing very out-
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of-place about him, there in the suburbs ,of Tallion City. For some reason, he did
not belong.
"Here, let me help you up." Sandy fidgeted next to me, but Fd already decided to
try out a theory that had just to me. I raised my knees a little and leaned on them
with my forearms, then smiled sweetly at Sandy.
"I think I'll add assault to that list of charges," I told him, and watched his face go
pasty yellow. "Who's your co-assailant?"
"Terry, please be reasonable," Sandy begged, beads of sweat forming on his
forehead. "This is just a friend of mine from Ashton who's visiting me for a week