"Jack Williamson - The Happiest Creature" - читать интересную книгу автора (Williamson Jack)

code of blood revenge.
"So you gotta take me wherever you're going." The creature 's dark, frightened
eyes studied the collector cun-ningly. "If you put me back, you'll be killing me."
"On the contrary. " The collector's thick upper lip twitched slightly, and a slow
smile oozed across his wide putty face, warming everything except his frosty little
eyes. "Human life is sacred. We can arrange to make you the safest creature of your
kind—and also the hap-piest—so long as you are willing to observe two necessary
conditions."
"Huh?" The anthropoid squinted. "Whatcha mean?"
"
You understand that we violated the quarantine in allowing you to get aboard," the
collector explained pa-tiently. "We, and not you, would be held responsible in case
of detection, but we need your help to conceal the violation. We are prepared to do
everything for you, if you will make and keep two simple promises. "
"Such as? "
"First, promise you won't talk about us."
"Easy enough." The beast grinned. "Nobody'd believe me, anyhow."
"The quarantine people would." The collector's cold eyes narrowed. "Their
undercover agents are alert for rumors of any violation. "
"Okay, I'll keep my mouth shut. " The creature shrugged. "What else? "
"Second, you must promise not to kill again. " The anthropoid stiffened. "What's it
to you?"
"We can't allow you to destroy any more of your fellow beings. Since you are
now in our hands, the guilt would fall on us." The collector scowled at him.
"Prom-ise? "
The anthropoid chewed thoughtfully on his thin lower lip. His hostile eyes looked
away at nothing. The collector caught a faint reflection of his thoughts, through the
trans-lator, and stepped back uneasily.
"The cops are hot behind me," he muttered. "I gotta take care of myself."
"Don 't worry." The collector snapped his fat fingers. "We can get you a pardon.
Just say you won't kill again."
"
No." Lean muscles tightened in the anthropoid's jaws. "There's one certain man I
gotta knock off. That's the main reason I busted outs the pen. "
"Who is this enemy?" The collector frowned. "Why is he so dangerous?"
"But he ain't so dangerous, " the beast grunted. "I just hate his guts. "
"I don't understand."
"I always wanted to kick his face in." The creature's thin lips snarled. "Ever since
we was kids together, back in Las Verdades."
"
Yet you have never received any corrective treatment for such a monstrous
obsession? " The collector shook his head incredulously, but the anthropoid ignored
him.
"His name is Gabriel Melendez," the creature muttered. "Just a dirty greaser, but he
makes out he's just as good as me. I had money from my rich aunt and he was
hungry half the time, but he'd never stay in his place. Even when he was just a
snotty-nosed kid, and knew I could beat him because I was bigger, he was always
trying to fight me. " The beast bared his decaying teeth. "I aim to kill him, before I'm
through."
"Killing is never necessary, " the collector protested un-easily. "Not for civilized