"Jane Lindskold - Endpoint Insurance" - читать интересную книгу автора (Lindskold Jane)

by most shippers instead of his usual suit. As he listened, he kept his hands in his
pockets, playing with some junk he’d stuffed into them.
“So,” I concluded, “there’s no way that this is just an insurance matter anymore. We
need to notify the authorities. There’s time before morning reaches Gilbert City.
They might be able to catch the Absolute.”
“Endpoint system,” Spike said, quite mildly for someone who had been forced to
endure a monologue, “is neutral regarding the Batherite conflict.”
“But the Absolute is a mass murderer!” I said aghast.
“Technically, he is the leader of a political group-the legitimate elected ruler of a large
portion of Bath.”
‘Technically,“ I snarled.
“Allie,” Spike said, still mildly , “I didn’t know you were so political.”
“I’m not,” I replied, more calmly, “but you and I both know that the Absolute is a
fiend-that the votes of those who elected him were meaningless.”
“So his opponents say.”
“So the chemists say,” I retorted. Then I calmed down, realizing that I was being
unfair to Spike. “Chemists who have analyzed the blood of some of his deceased
followers. The fanatics are so pumped up they’d shoot their own sweethearts if the
Absolute gave the command.”
“The Absolutists say that their soldiers are chemically enhanced to make them strong
and faithful,” Spike said, in-furiatingly insisting on playing the devil’s advocate.
“And there seems to be some evidence to support that position.”
“You’re not,” I growled stubbornly, “on his side, are you?”
“No,” Spike assured me. “Personally, I can’t stand the Absolute and what he
advocates, but going after him isn’t my job. That wouldn’t stop me if I thought we
could actually do anything about him, but without Endpoint’s support, we can’t
touch him groundside. I’m more interested in the contents of those crates you saw.
Those might fall within the range of my job.”
“Stolen goods?” I asked.
“Maybe,” Spike rubbed his chin. “Most of the ships carrying refugees don’t carry
just refugees. It wouldn’t pay. Nor do they make a one system trip. It would be easy
to make a trade for passage, to use some of the refugees as mules for stolen goods.”
“The pirates would give them some identification code,” I said, nodding, for Spike’s
picture matched the one I’d been working out while I staked out the building. “Then
when the refugees get here, they hand over whatever they’ve been carrying. It’s
repacked and sold. The plan’s a bit elaborate, though, and it doesn’t account for
larger shipments like crates of wine.”
Spike shook his head. “I don’t agree-you haven’t been elaborate enough-and you
haven’t accounted for the presence of the Absolute. Absolutist holdings in the Bath
system have suffered serious assaults. Their troops move constantly-buoyed,
doubtless, by some of those chemical stimulants you mentioned earlier. Their ships
gnaw, bite, and snap-winning battles but rarely holding ground. Even so, the
Loyalists are hard pressed.”
“That’s what the news services say,” I agreed. “Now, tell me, what elaboration am I
missing?”
“Those very chemicals you mentioned,” Spike said, “take time and high-tech
facilities to synthesize. Their formulas are highly guarded secrets, known only to the
Absolute and a few trusted minions. One of the first things the Loyalists did was
pinpoint and destroy as many of the Absolutist factories as they could and so limit
the supply.”