"Kristine Kathryn Rusch - The Room of Lost Souls" - читать интересную книгу автора (Rusch Kristine Kathryn)

con on me. In the twenty years before, I’d get one or two of these
approaches a year, mostly from rivals wanting coordinates to the wrecks I
refused to salvage.

I’ve always believed that certain wrecks have historical value only
when they’re intact—not a popular belief among salvagers and scavengers
and most wreck divers—but one that I’ve adhered to since I started in this
business at the ripe old age of eighteen.

I point to Karl, a slight but muscular diver who has the best reputation
on Longbow. He’s not very good at finding things, but he has his moments.
He was with me on that last run and we haven’t spoken since we docked.

“Karl’s good,” I say. “In fact, if you want real adventure, not the touristy
kind, he’s the best. He’ll take you to deep space, no questions asked.”
 “I want you,” the woman says.

I sigh. Maybe she does. Maybe she’s been led astray by some
old-timer. Maybe she thinks I still have some valuable coordinates locked in
my ship.

I don’t. I dumped pretty much everything the day I decided I would
only do tourist runs.

“Please,” she says. “Just let me tell you what’s going on.”

I sigh. She’s not going to leave without telling me. Unless I force her.
And I’m not going to force her because it would take too much effort.

I take another swig of my ale.

She folds her hands together, but not before I see that her fingers are
shaking.

“I’m Riya Trekov, the daughter of Commander Ewing Trekov. Have
you heard of him?”

I shake my head. I haven’t heard of most people. Among the living, I
only care about divers, pilots, and scavengers. Among the dead, I know
only the ones whose wrecks would have once made my diving worthwhile. I
also knew the ones who had piloted the wrecks I found, as well as the
people who sent them, and the politicians, leaders or famous people of
their time, their place, their past.

But modern commanders, people whose names I should recognize?
I am always at a loss.

“He was the supreme commander in the Colonnade Wars.”

Her voice is soft, and it needs to be. The Colonnade Wars aren’t