"Vance, Jack - Gaean Reach - Demon Princes 02 - The Killing Machine" - читать интересную книгу автора (Vance Jack)

duced his effectiveness-which meant that he might not return
from the Beyond. Gersen wondered how to turn down the job with-
out alienating Ben Zaum and so drying up a pipeline into the IPCC.
"What if I found Mr. Hoskins?" he asked.

"You have four options, which I'll name in order of decreasing
desirability. Bring him to Alphanor alive. Bring him to Alphanor
dead. Infect him with one of your horrible Sarkoy mind-drugs. Kill
him outright."

"I'm no assassin."

"This is more than simple assassination! This is-confound it,
I'm not permitted to explain in detail. But it's truly urgent, I assure
you of this!"

"I don't disbelieve you," said Gersen. "Still, I won't-in fact, I
can't-kill without knowing why. You'd better get someone else."

Under normal circumstances, Zaum would have terminated the
interview, but he persisted. Gersen thereby was given to understand
that either qualified weasels were hard to come by or that Zaum
regarded his services highly.

"If money is any object," said Zaum, "I think I can arrange-"

"I think I'll pass this one up."

Zaum made a half-serious display of beating his forehead with
his fists. "Gersen-you're one of the few men whose competence
I'm sure of. This is a murderously delicate operation-if, of course,
Mr. Hoskins visits Bad World, which I myself think is likely. I'll
tell you this much: Kokor Hekkus is involved. If he and this Mr.
Hoskins make contact-" He flung up his hands.

Gersen maintained his attitude of disinterest, but now all was
changed. "Is Mr. Hoskins a criminal?"

176 THE. DEMON PRINCES

Zaum's bland brow creased in discomfiture. "I can't go into
details."

"In that case, how do you expect me to identify him?"

"You'll get photographs and physical characteristics; this should
suffice. The job is perfectly simple. Find the man: kill him, confuse
him, or bring him back to Alphanor."

Gersen shrugged. "Very well. But since I'm indispensable I