"S. M. Stirling - Draka 03 - The Stone Dogs" - читать интересную книгу автора (Stirling S. M)

wineglass.

"Thank yo'," Eric murmured as Rahksan waded across with
another for him. "No, not since this mornin.Those lung
transplant operations are still tricky…"

"Wouldn't have minded if yo'd stuck it in Archona," Johanna
said' Eric nodded gratefully; his sister had always liked Sofie,
even though his wife came from what passed as a lower class
among the Citizen caste.

"Yo' know Sofie, wouldn't hear of it," he said. A scowl:
"Wouldn't stop smokin', either."

Tom shrugged. "If'n I knows our Sofie"—his voice made an
attempt at a hoarse soprano—" People who expect to live a long
time don't join the paratroops, and if I hadn't done that I
wouldn't have met Eric. And think that clinches the argument."

"Well, now she's goin' to quit," Eric said, and for a moment
his voice went entirely flat. Then he shook off the mood. " Relief
to get away from all the politics, too."

"Well, Archona is the capital," Johanna said. "Some grapes,
Hahksi… which is why I stay away from it as much as I can." She
cocked an affectionate eye at him. "Yo' know, brothah dear, I
always figured Pa pulled in his polit'cal debts to get yo' the
Senatorial seat just so yo' could write those damn subversive
novels without gettin' a pill from the headhunters."

A Senator had a certain immunity from the Directorate of
Security, even for offenses that would merit a pistol-bullet in the
back of the head for an ordinary Citizen.

Eric turned his hands up from the edge of the pool and raised
the palms. "Think that's how he thought about it." Eric's own
war record had not hurt, but that was something he preferred
not to remember. "I… it's a matter of responsibility." He grinned.
"Service to the State," he added.

"Glory to the Race," they muttered back, in the obligatory
formality.

"Well, just between thee an' me, the headhunters are still
tryin' to trip me up. Tried to block me from the Science and
Technology section of the Strategic Plannin' Board, but failed."

"Oh, ho, we are movin' up in the world," Tom said. "Why,
though?"