"E. C. Tubb - Dumarest 06 - Lallia" - читать интересную книгу автора (Tubb E. C)

"I think so," said Dumarest. "I hope so."

"Well," said the officer politely, "there's no harm in hoping." He
turned to move away then halted as Dumarest touched his arm. "What is
it?"

"A matter of curiosity," said Dumarest. He nodded to where the
attendants carried a sheeted figure towards the door of the tavern. "That
man. Who was he?"

"The victim?" The officer shrugged. "No one special. Just a handler
from one of the ships."

"The Starbinder?"

"The Moray. Captain Sheyan's vessel. His name was Elgart. Did you
know him?"

"No. I was simply curious."

Dumarest turned to stare at the mural as the dead man was carried
away.

The Moray was a small ship, battered, old, standing to one side of the
busy field as if ashamed of associating with her sister vessels. Her captain
matched his command. Bernard Sheyan was small. A ruff of white hair
showed beneath his uniform cap. His face, beneath the visor, was
seamed and scored with vicissitude and time. He leaned back in his chair
and stared up at Dumarest over the wide expanse of his desk.

"You wanted to see me," he snapped curtly. For such a small man his
voice was startlingly deep. "Why?"

"I want a job."

"Forget it. I've a full complement."

"No," said Dumarest flatly. "You haven't. You're short a handler. A bit
of Elgart's past caught up with him and he's dead."

Sheyan narrowed his eyes. "This past you're talking about," he said
softly. "You?"

"No. I just saw it happen. My guess is that Elgart was rotten. That he
got his lacks from letting those riding Low wake without the benefit of
drugs. One of them finally caught up with him." Dumarest's eyes were
bleak. "If I'm right, he asked for all he got. The only thing is that he got it
too easily. A man like that should be given a double dose of his own
medicine."