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

with a big loose body, affable large eyes, a wide mouth with heavy
teeth, a small rapacious nose. Mr. Hoskins was an Earthman: so
much was clear from his clothes and skin-toning, which were gen-
erally similar but different in detail to those of Alphanor. Gersen
put the folder aside, reluctantly decided against a visit to Earth,
where he probably could identity Mr. Hoskins. Such a detour would
take too much time-and undoubtedly get him into the IPCC's
blackbook. He made a final check of the boat, called Port Control
for departure processing.

Half an hour later, Alphanor was a shining orb astern. Gersen
engaged the monitor, and watched as the nose of the boat swept
across the sky, finally to point in a direction sixty degrees off the
baseline between Rigel and Sol.

The Jarnell Coverdrive now seized the ship, or, more accu-
rately, created conditions where a few pounds of thrust caused near-
instantaneity of transfer.

Time passed. Random photons curling and seeping through the
Jarnell laminae entered the ship, to allow the outside universe to
be seen: stars by the hundreds and thousands, drifting past like
sparks on the wind. Gersen kept a careful astrogational record, fix-
ing on Sol, Canopus, and Rigel. Presently the ship crossed the sep-
aration between the Oikumene and the Beyond, and now law,
order, civilization had no formal existence. Projecting the line of
travel, Gersen finally was able to identify Bad World: Carina LO-
461 IV in the Star Directory, Bissom's End in the terminology of
Beyond. Henry Bissom was seven-hundred-years dead; the world,
or at least the region surrounding the principal town Skouse, was
now the preserve of the Windle family. Bad World was no mis-
nomer, thought Gersen; in fact, should he put down at Skouse with-
out good reason-offhand he could think of none-he would
without fail be picked up by the local platoon of the Deweaseling
Corps.* He would be rigorously questioned. After which, if he were
lucky, he would be allowed ten minutes to leave the planet. Ifwea-
seling were suspected, he would be killed. Gersen thought harsh
thoughts concerning Ben Zaum and his overelaborate secrecy. Had
he known his destination, he might conceivably have set up some
kind of cover.

The single intei-world organization of Be\ond, existing only to identify and destroy un-
dercover agents of the IPCC

17S THE DRMON PRINCES

Ahead a greenish-yellow star of no great luminosity clung to
the crosshairs, waxing brighter and larger. Presently the intersplit
kicked off; ether collapsing in upon the ship sighed and shuddered