"Vance, Jack - Alastor 2 - Trullion-2262" - читать интересную книгу автора (Vance Jack)

"It is a difficult problem," said Glinnes. "Indeed, I had never considered it before. Glay, you
amaze me You are unique!" Glay gave a deprecatory grunt. "I'm not so sure of this. There must be
many, many folk desperate to fulfill themselves." "Perhaps this is why people become
starmenters," suggested Glinnes. "They are bored at home, at hussade they're inept, the girls turn
away from them-so off tkey go in their black hulls, for sheer revenge!"
"The theory is as good as any," agreed Jut Hidden. "But revenge cuts both ways, as thirty-three
folk discovered today." "There is something here I can't understand," said Glinnes. "The Connatic
knows of their crimes. Why does he not deploy the Whelm and root them out once and for all?"
Shira laughed indulgently. "Do you think the Whelm sits idle? The ships are constantly on the
prowl. But for every living world you'll find a hundred dead ones, not to mention moons,
asteroids, hulks and starments. The hiding places are beyond enumeration. The Whelm can only do
its best." Glinnes turned to Glay. "There you are: join the Whelm and see the cluster. Get paid
while you travel!" "It's a thought," said Glay.
Chapter 3
* * *
In the end it was Glinnes who went to Port Maheul and there enlisted in the Whelm. He was
seventeen at the time. Glay neither enlisted in the Whelm, played hussade, nor be-Shortly after
Glinnes joined the Whelm.
Glay also left home. He wandered the length and breadth of Meriank, from time to time working
to gain a few ozols. as often living off of the land. On several occasions he attempted the ruses
Akadie had recommended in order to travel to other worlds, but for one reason or another his
efforts met no success, and he never accumulated sufficient funds to buy himself passage.
For a period he traveled with a band of Trevanyi,* finding their exactness and intensity an
amusing contrast to the imprecision of the average Trill. After eight years of wandering he
returned to Rabendary Island, where everything went about as before, although Shira last had given
up hussade. Jut still waged his nocturnal war against the merlings; Marucha still hoped to win
social acceptance among the local gentry, who had absolutely no intention of allowing her to
succeed. Jut, at the behest of Marucha, now called himself Squire Hulden of Rabendary, but refused
to move into Ambal Manse, which, despite its noble proportions, grand chambers and polished
wainscoting, lacked a broad verandah overlooking the water.
The family regularly received news from Glinnes, who had done well in the Whelm. At bootcamp he
had earned a recommendation to officer training school, after which he had been assigned to the
Tactical Corps of the 191st Squadron and placed in command of Landing Craft No. 191-539 and its

twenty-man complement.
Glinnes could now look forward to a rewarding career, with excellent retirement benefits. Still,
he was not entirely happy. He had envisioned a life more romantically adventurous; he had seen
himself prowling the cluster in a patrol boat, searching out starmenter nests, then putting into
remote and picturesque settlements for a few days' shore-leave a life far more dashing and
haphazard than the perfectly organized routine in which he found himself. To relieve the monotony
he played hussade; his team always placed high in fleet competition, and won two championships.
Glinnes at last requested transfer to a patrol craft, but his request was denied. He went before
the squadron commander, who listened to Glinnes' protests and complaints
*Trevanyi: nomadic folk of a distinctive racial stock, prone to thievery, sorcery, and other petty
chicaneries; an excitable, passionate, vengeful people. They consider cauch a poison and guard the
chastity of their women with fanatic zeal.
with an attitude of easy unconcern. "The transfer was denied for a very good reason."
"What reason?" demanded Glinnes. "Certainly I am not considered indispensable to the survival of
the squadron?" "Not altogether. Still, we don't want to disrupt a smoothly functioning
organization." He adjusted some papers on his desk, then leaned back in his chair. "In confidence,