"Andre Norton - Cat's eye" - читать интересную книгу автора (Norton Andre)



with the catch of the arms locker. But his thumb

pressure could not unlock it.

Zul sent the flitter into a burst of speed, which tore
them out of the mouth of an avenue into one of the
circles of space surrounded by the first ring of shops.
With an expert's skill the small man wove a devious
pattern among the other flitters there. Troy, tense,
kept his attention divided between the path ahead
and the near misses Zul guided them through. There
had been no further outburst from the cage. But he
did not need the wave of expectation issuing from
there to warn him of trouble yet to come.

They might have made it free and clear had not Zul
miscalculated, or been outplayed, by inches. Troy was
slammed against the arms locker, his raised arm
protecting his head, as the flitter smashed into an
ornamental standard, edged into that to avoid the

forward ram of another flyer.

The shock of his impact must have sprung the lock
on the arms compartment. As Troy pushed back from
it, the panel gaped and he grabbed the butt of a
stunner inside. The arm that had taken the shock of
his weight was numb, hanging heavy from his shoulder,
but the other was all right and his fingers curled

hungrily about the weapon.

On Zul's left the door had burst open, spilling the
little man into the street. He was already dragging
himself up, blood pouring from a cut over one eye.
When he tried to stand, he gave a grunt and reeled
back against the flitter, apparently unable to rest his

weight on his right ankle.

Troy sent his shoulder against the door on his own
side, went out and down in a roll, the stunner in his

22

hand and ready. He was sure he was going to face
some aggressor more dangerous than any indignant
flitter owner Zul might have scraped. As he brought up