"Connie Willis - Uncharted Territory" - читать интересную книгу автора (Willis Connie)

"Can't we all go back in the rover?" Evelyn said, looking upset. "We could tie the ponies to the back."

"The rover can't go that slow," Carson muttered.

"You've got no reason to get back early, Carson," I said. "I've got to check the purchase orders, and the
pursuants, and fill out the report on the binocs you lost." I got in the rover and sat down.

"I lost?" Carson said, getting red in the face again. "I laid 'em—"

"Expedition member riding in wheeled vehicle," Bult said.

We turned around to look at him. He was standing beside his pony, talking into his log. "Disruption of
land surface."

I got out of the rover and stalked over to him. "I told you, you can't fine somebody who's not a member
of the expedition."

Bult looked at me. "Inappropriate tone and manner." He straightened some finger joints at me. "You
member. Cahsson member. Yahhs?" he said in the maddening pidgin he uses when he's not tallying fines.

But his message was clear enough. If either of us rode back with Evelyn, he could fine us for using a
rover, which would take the next six expeditions' wages, not to mention the trouble we'd get into with Big
Brother.

"You expedition, yahhs?" Bult said. He held out his pony's reins to me.

"Yeah," I said. I took the reins.

Bult grabbed his log off his pony's saddlebone, jumped in the rover, and folded himself into a sitting
position. "We go," he said to Evelyn.

Evelyn looked questioningly at me.

"Bult here'll ride in with you," I said. "We'll bring the ponies in."

"How on hell are we supposed to bring three ponies in when they'll only walk two abreast?" Carson said.

I ignored him. "See you back at King's X." I slapped the side of the rover.

"Go fahhst," Bult said. Ev started the rover up and waved and left us eating a cloud of dust.

"I'm beginning to think you're right about loaners, Fin," Carson said, coughing and smacking his hat
against his leg. "They're nothing but trouble. And the males are the worst, especially after C.J. gets to
'em. We'll spend half the expedition listening to him talk about her, and the other half keeping him from
labeling every gully in sight Crissa Canyon."

"Maybe," I said, squinting at the rover's dust, which seemed to be veering off to the right. "C.J. said
Evelyn got in this morning."
"Which means she's had almost a whole day to give him her pitch," he said, taking hold of Bult's pony's
reins. It balked and dug in its paws. "And she'll have at least another two hours to work her wiles before