"Eric Frank Russell - Basic Right" - читать интересную книгу автора (Russell Eric Frank)

There was a brief silence, then Zalumar rasped with all the sarcasm he could muster, "So much for
your well-beloved basic right."
"You've got hold of the correct stick—but at the wrong end," said Fox. "The right we recognize is
that of every species to go to hell after its own fashion."
"Eh?"
"So when you arrived we were willing to help. It was a cinch. One naturally expects the greedy and
ruthless to behave greedily and ruthlessly. You ran true to type." Taking his gun from its holster, Fox
carefully laid it in the center of the table. "This is further assistance."
With that they went out, Fox, McKenzie, Vitelli, and the guard named Milt. The door slammed shut.
The lock clicked. Metal-shod boots commenced a monotonous patroling outside.
Zalumar and Lakin sat unmoving throughout the rest of the night and the whole of next day, staring
blindly at the table and saying nothing. Toward dusk a tremendous bellowing sounded from the
spaceport, screamed into the sky. Another and another, eight in all.
As the sun called Sol sank blood-red into the horizon, Zalumar walked ashen-faced to the table and
picked up the gun. A little later the patroling footsteps went away.