"Andre Norton - Redline The Stars" - читать интересную книгу автора (Norton Andre)

Van Rycke leaned back in his chair. "Ms. Cofort, I confess that I'm finding it a bit difficult to believe you were sent all the way to Trewsworld on the chance of finding a small freighter coming up for sale. Trade here isn't all that spectacular, and similar chances to latch onto a ship aren't all that uncommon even put here on the rim, much less in the inner systems you often frequent, not when there's a good supply of credits on hand to pay for her."

"I was not sent here, of course. I came on the Mermaid." "The Mermaid lifted yesterday morning." Her eyes flashed with the anger she otherwise chained. "I didn't like the way Riff Slate ran his ship."

Van Rycke's brows raised. "He just let you go, or hadn't you formally signed on?"

"I'd signed. — He didn't dare try to hold me. He doesn't keep many hands for long." Her lips tightened in a hard, cold line. "Most Captains economize when business is lean, but not on the life-support and emergency systems. An apprentice died during the voyage in an inconceivable outcome of an accident that should never have occurred and would not have occurred on any other vessel. To my mind, that death was nothing short of murder." "You can't prove that?" Jellico asked sharply. "No, and I wasn't vacuum-brained enough to spread my opinion around, either. I just muttered things about jinxed voyages, and Slate let me out of my contract before I scared the rest of his crew away or into making some move that might start a formal inquiry into the number of hands the Mermaid's shipped over the last few years. As it is, he has a lot of extremely unhappy people aboard."

"What did you think you'd do here once you were let loose?" Van Rycke inquired.

"Stay alive. That's a singulariy appealing idea even if one has to work as a planet hugger for a time to keep eating. I knew something would eventually come along."

Rael squared her shoulders. "If you are satisfied, perhaps we could discuss the Space Wrack instead of delving into my uninspiring history."

The Cargo-Master made a formal bow with his head. "What are Cofort's terms?"

It would come down to that. Teague Cofort was merely willing to pick the ship up if he could conveniently do so. They would have to work with his terms or be prepared to reject them outright.

"We'll give what you initially paid for her."

"Plus ten percent for the work we put into her."

The woman shook her head. "Our price is fair. You've knocked at least that much out of her, and right now she's chaining you hands and feet. You won't do better, and if you wait, she'll wind up costing you besides in port expenses and maintenance."

"We've been carrying those costs. We have to get them back at the least, or we don't deal."

"I'd say you already have. This isn't a wildly rich charter, but it's solid and it's steady."

Van Rycke leaned back in his chair, as if closing the discussion. "I'm sorry, Ms. Cofort. We have to do better than break even. If it means we have to wait a bit and take on another mail run, so be it. The Space Wrack's a good ship, a fine one for her class. Buyers will eventually come for her."

She eyed him thoughtfully. "I have my brother's permission to trade for myself as well."

Van Rycke bent forward again. "We'll be happy to accommodate you in any way consistent with the Queen's welfare. What do you propose?"

"The expenses you mention in return for passage to Canuche of Halio, preferably a paid working passage. I could use a few extra credits, and I don't think you'll be sorry for my services. You'll be heading for there anyway," she added practically, "so I won't be putting you out." "What makes you imagine that?" "Canuche's the nearest planet where you'll have a reasonable chance of picking up a decent charter as well as be able to flesh out your stock of trade goods."

The Cargo-Master took the ID she withdrew from her portfolio. He looked sharply at her. "A Medic?" Rael nodded. "Aye. Fully accredited." Her fingers reached for the disk and closed over it. "I'm aware that you don't need an Assistant Medic aboard. No ship of the Queen's class does, or believes she does, unless the incumbent plans to retire in the near future and wants to train in his replacement. I'm working my way as a jackof-all-trades."

"The So/ar Queen is fully staffed," Jellico interjected. "I'm not about to let go any of my permanent crew."

"Hardly," she agreed, "but tell me the department that can't use a bit of help now and then—Mr. Van Rycke's when cargo's being laded or shifted, the Engineering section during preventive maintenance, even the Steward and Medic once in a while depending on the press of their particular duties. About the only place I won't volunteer to serve is on the bridge. I'm as good as the next and probably better than most at basic astrogation, but that one is definitely best left to the experts."

The smile she turned on them was winning. Rael was sure of getting the passage, but she was out for more than that. "I want to be part of the So7ar Queen," she told them frankly, "if only for one voyage."

"Why?" Miceal asked bluntly. "She won't match a Cofort ship, especially not the Roving Star, for comfort, and you can put credits down that we won't be calling at the Federation's most fashionable spaceports."

The woman sighed. "You talk about our holdings as if we were a miniature Company. I assure you that is very much not the case. We have a few frills, aye, but we're Free Traders like the rest of our kind. We don't live soft.

"My interest in your Queen stems from two sources. First, your former Cargo-apprentice, Mara Ingrain, is the best Cargo-Master we've ever had. She obviously had superb training, and, happy as she is on the Star, she speaks with nothing but pride and affection of her time as part of your crew. Second is the response of your apprentices and Mr. Weeks to the crisis of being framed as a plague ship. They proved they could think quickly and clearly and then make and carry through the desperate plan needed to clear you. Furthermore, at the end, the Queen not only came out of it all solvent with a relatively good contract but managed to avenge herself on her enemies as well. I think I could learn more serving with you for a voyage or two than I could in ten years bumming around the rim."