"George R. R. Martin - The Plague Star" - читать интересную книгу автора (Martin George R R)

balls again. Rica Dawnstar—“the hireling,” as Nevis called her—leaned back in her seat with a look of
sardonic amusement in her bright green eyes. Beneath her drab jumpsuit and silvery mesh-steel vest, the
long, hard body looked relaxed, almost indolent. No concern of hers if her employers wanted to argue all
night and all day.
“Insults are useless,” Anittas said. It was hard to tell what the cybertech was thinking; his face was as
much polished metal and translucent plastic as flesh, and only minimally expressive. The shiny bluesteel
fingers of his right hand interlocked with the mocha-colored fleshy digits of his left; he studied Nevis with
two shining silver-metal eyes that moved smoothly in black plastic sockets. “Kaj Nevis has made some
valid points. He is experienced in these areas, where we are not. What is the use of having brought him
into this affair if we are unwilling to listen to his counsel?”
“Yes, that’s so,” Jefri Lion agreed. “What do you suggest then, Nevis? If we must avoid the transcorps,
how will we reach the plague star?”
“We need a ship,” Celise Waan said, loudly stating the obvious.
Kaj Nevis smiled. “The transcorps have no monopoly on ships. That’s why I suggested we meet here
today, rather than at Lion’s office. This dump is close to the port. The man we want will be here, I’m
sure.”
Jefri Lion looked hesitant. “An independent? Some of them have rather, uh, unsavory reputations, don’t
they?”
“Like me,” Nevis reminded him.
“Still. I’ve heard rumors of smuggling, even piracy. Do we want to take that kind of a chance, Nevis?”
“We don’t want to take any chances at all,” Kaj Nevis said. “And we won’t. It’s a matter of knowing the
right people. I know lots of people. The right people. The wrong people.” He made a small gesture with
his head. “Now, way in the back there, that dark woman with all the black jewelry. That’s Jessamyn
Caige, mistress of the Free Venture. She’d hire out to us, no doubt. At a very reasonable rate.”
Celise Waan craned around to look. “Is she the one, then? I hope this ship of hers has a gravity grid.
Weightlessness makes me nauseous.”
“When are you going to approach her?” Jefri Lion asked.
“I’m not,” Kaj Nevis told them. “Oh, I’ve used Jessamyn to move a cargo or two for me, but I won’t
take the risk of actually riding with her, and I’d never dream of involving her in anything this big. The
Free Venture has a crew of nine—more than enough to handle me and the hireling. No offense, Lion,
but the rest of you don’t count.”
“I’ll have you know I’m a soldier,” Jefri Lion said, in a wounded tone. “I’ve seen combat.”
“A hundred years ago,” Nevis said. “As I said, the rest of you don’t count. And Jessamyn would as soon
kill all of us as spit.” The small, dark eyes regarded each of them in turn. “That’s why you need me.
Without me, you are just naive enough to engage Jessamyn, or one of the transcorps.”
“My niece serves with a very successful independent trader,” Celise Waan said.
“And who might that be?” Kaj Nevis inquired.
“Noah Wackerfuss,” she said, “of the World of Bargains.”
Nevis nodded. “Fat Noah,” he said. “That would be a lot of fun, I’m damn sure. I might mention that his
ship is kept constantly in weightlessness. Gravity would kill the old degenerate—not that it matters.
Wackerfuss isn’t especially blood-thirsty, that’s so. Fifty-fifty chance he wouldn’t kill us. He is, however,
as greedy and as shrewd as they come. At the very least, he’d find a way to get a full share. At worst,
he’d get it all. And his ship has a crew of twenty—all women. Have you ever asked your niece about the
precise nature of her duties?”
Celise Waan flushed. “Do I have to listen to this man’s innuendoes?” she asked Lion. “This was my
discovery. I won’t be insulted by this third-rate hoodlum, Jefri.”
Lion frowned unhappily. “Really now, enough of this squabbling. Nevis, there’s no need to flaunt your
expertise. We brought you into this for good cause, I’m sure we all agree. You must have some idea of
who we can engage to take us to the plague star, don’t you?”
“Of course,” Nevis agreed.