"Lawrence Watt-Evans - War Surplus 01 - The Cyborg And The Sorcerers" - читать интересную книгу автора (Watt-Evans Lawrence)

A sensation like a mild electric current filled the room; Slant's skin prickled, though he could see nothing
out of the ordinary. He resisted the urge to look wildly about for the source of the eerie feeling, since
nobody else seemed to pay any attention to it.

The computer informed him, "Anomalous disturbance representing enemy weapons research activity
occurring in immediate vicinity of cyborg unit, directly ahead, at a distance of approximately two meters.
No visual confirmation received. Interference assumed. Report situation in detail."

"I can't see anything odd either, just the seven councillors looking at my gun. I thought I felt something,
like an electrical discharge of some kind; did you detect anything of that sort?" Although he gave no
outward sign and tried to keep his communication with the computer calm and efficient, Slant was
confused and astonished. It looked like there really was something new here, something that used no
machinery that he could detect.

"No electrical discharge noted. No unusual activity detected other than anomalous disturbance
representing enemy weapons research activity."

One of the councillors looked up from the gun and asked, "Where did you get this?"

"In the woods. What is it? What were you doing to it?"

The other councillors had turned away from the gun now; the white-bearded old man replied, "We were
just studying it. It's a weapon, a death machine, tike so many of the relics that turn up. There's something
strange about this one, though; it's almost new, not more than twenty years old, while all the other relics
are from the Bad Times, more than three hundred years ago. Now, will f you please tell us, truthfully,
where you got it?" |

"Question indicates doubt as to authenticity of cover story. Deception may be aborted." .

"Shut up!" He shouted mentally, nervous enough without the computer's interference; he was out of
practice in dealing with people, despite his training and conditioning. "I told you, I found it in the woods
southwest of here."

"Nonsense." It was the middle-aged woman who spoke,

"Perhaps not; true, it can't be a relic of the Bad Tunes, but this man might not be its rightful owner," a new
speaker said, a man of indeterminate age and curly brown hair.

"Is it yours? Tell the truth." The white-bearded man's gaze fixed on Slant's face, and he felt a faint electric
tingle again.
"I did tell the truth; I found it in the woods!"

"Enemy officials are displaying extreme suspicion. An immediate escape attempt may be advisable," the
computer warned.

"No, you didn't. Surely you know that a wizard can read the truth, and that you cannot deceive any of the
seven of us. No one can fool seven wizards. There is something very strange about you; who are you
really?"