┌─────────────┐
│ Continued │
└─────────────┘
The battle ended as quickly as it began. Voro-
the walls and the courtyard were in our hands. Dumped in
a bunch of corpses spoke of the cruelty of this short battle. Slaves
trembled with fear, pressed against the walls, while
The remaining soldiers were withdrawn from their original positions. Only cent-
The main building still remained in the hands of the defenders. Ka-
Dimon seemed to know exactly what needed to be done. He waved
over his head with a smoking torch and shouted:
- Hey, Docsia, fat-bellied toad, your end has come. Come out
and fight like an honest warrior, you are a worm, or I will smoke you out
from there. I will burn you alive along with all the men,
women, children, dogs, rats, pigeons, which
walk there with you. Come out and fight, you dirty bastard -
or stay there and I'll roast you like a pig on a spit!
A shot rang out from inside and the bullet bounced off the cobblestonesthe very feet of Kano. He swung his bloody sword and
the answer was a volley from our guns. Bullets whistling as they hit
fell into stone walls, got stuck in the door trim, flew
into the windows. When the fire stopped, we heard wild screams,
coming from the building.
- Last warning! - shouted Kano Dimon. - I don't
I fight with women and those soldiers who surrender. Fold
weapons and you will be free. If you resist, you will
Rite alive. I don't need anyone else, just this pig
Documentation. Do you hear this, Docsia, vile creature, pig, viper-
on...
And everything in the same spirit, he got carried away. The torch crackled and
smoked in his hand, and inside the building you could still hear
muffled fuss and screams.
Suddenly the door swung open and Kano Doccia rolled down the
steps. He was barefoot and naked - but he held a sword in his hands.
At the sight of his enemy Kano, Dimon completely lost what little he had
the self-control that he still had. He growled from
furious and rushed forward. Docsia jumped to his feet, his face
There was blood all over, and he raised his sword for protection. It was unforgettable
baemoe spectacle - and everyone enjoyed it. It came by no one
a truce was declared when both leaders entered into battle.
The soldiers lowered their weapons, and in the windows above their heads
there were curious faces. I also got out of the driver's seat and
stood at the front of the car, where I could clearly see both
fighter.
They were worth each other - not superior to each other in any way.
in anger, nor in dexterity. Dimon's sword fell with force on the raised
Docsia's th blade. He deftly parried and made a throw - but
Dimon stepped back in time. This was followed by several
intermittent blows of steel o steel, interspersed with loud pro-
lyatiyami. They were spinning on the cobblestone street, waving their
chami, as if their lives depended on it. Although, of course, it depends
sat down. It was a rather primitive saber rattling, a lunge
- a retaliatory strike, but there was so much energy in it.
There was a cry - Dimon was the first to draw blood to his enemy, and
Docsia's shirt quickly became wet around the wound on her side. This
it was the beginning of the end. Dimon was stronger and more ferocious and the most
close to victory. If Docsia really was drinking all this
time, as we were told, then we can assume that he is also
fought fiercely with a hangover, just like with his enemy. Dimon
pressed him more and more, mercilessly attacking and pursuing
blowing throughout the yard. Until he was finally pinned against the wall, and
he had nowhere to retreat further. Dimon broke through the walls
the enemy's defensive stance andpushed the handle into his jaw -
his sword - then knocked the weapon out of his hands with a sharp
blow of a steel blade. All his plans for the sadistic
The massacre disappeared in the heat of battle. He swung -
and slashed as hard as he could. There's nothing attractive about the way
a sharp blade cut Kano's throat. There was no such thing. me
I vomited and turned away. At that very moment a huge shadow
covered the sun. One by one people raised their heads up -
and gasps of astonishment began to be heard all around. I also looked
reel up. But unlike everyone else, I knew for sure that
I see in front of me. Immense model sparkling in the sun
D-class hovercraft spaceship. Array-
the huge hulk floated over the yard easily, like a bird's feather.
fish And, apparently, he is going to stop. Finally she
hovered over our heads, concealing an unknown danger
ness. I turned and rushed to the instruments. But I would hide
It’s already late, and there’s nowhere to go. I reached into the battery compartment
when the first silver balls fell out of the ship. I'm terrified
looked at them - then took a deep breath and held his breath,
opening the compartment door and putting your hand in. Pulling out from there
leather bag, I sat down in the driver's seat again. Around
balls fell onto the pavement and, hitting the stones, smashed
flies, releasing the gas they contain. I placed the bag onknees and saw that one of the soldiers was bent in half and collapsed
zero to the ground. I hardly fastened my seat belt, shaking
with his fingers when Kano Dimon staggered and fell on
the dead body of your enemy. A burning sensation hit my nostrils
air, while I stuffed the bag under the belt, pulling it tightly
hyb him on his back. It was all I could do. Lungs
suddenly a sharp pain pierced me, and I looked around for the last time
glance at the castle courtyard. I had a very strong feeling that
I see this piece of the crazy world of Cnuobehte for the last time
times.
- Good riddance! - I shouted to the silent giant, you -
letting air out of the lungs. Then I breathed in again...
I was conscious, I realized it immediately. I felt under co-
something soft struck my closed eyelids from somewhere,
xy bright light. I was afraid to open them - remembering all the destruction
the nagging headache that accompanied the last gas attack.
At the mere thought of this I cringed with fear and turned slightly
head. And I didn’t feel anything. Encouraged by this little one
experiment, I slightly opened one eye. Nothing again. I feel-
I was hurt by the bright light, but there was no pain, absolutely no
pain.
“Probably a different gas, thank you very much,” I said, looking back.
going to unknown to whom andopening my eyes wide.
Small room, concave metal walls, narrow
the bed is under me. Even if the spaceship wasn't
the last thing I saw before I fainted was
I would still be able to determine where I am. So they took
get me on board. But where are all my caves? I quickly looked around -
Xia, but they, of course, were nowhere to be found. From sudden movements in
Something made a noise in my head, and I fell on the bed and loudly
groaned with self-pity.
- Drink this. To destroy the side effects of gas.
I opened my eyes again and looked at the big man who...
who was just closing the door behind him. There was something on him
like a uniform with many gold buttons and stripes on-
commemorating the military. He handed me a plastic beaker,
which I timidly picked up and sipped.
- We had enough time to poison you or
kill while you were unconscious,” he said. Logical.
I swallowed the bitter liquid and immediately felt better
she.
“You stole my money,” I blurted out before he could open his mouth.
dig.
- Your money is safe and sound...
- They will be safe only if Iboo-
do hold them in your hands. How it was when you found me
tied to my body. Whoever took them -
he is a thief.
- Just don’t tell me about theft! - he interrupted. -
You must have stolen them yourself.
- Prove it! And I say that I earned them honest and hard
labor and I don’t want them to be used for any
fund to help widows of those killed in star wars...
- Well, that's enough. I didn't come here to discuss c
you question about your unfortunate rpoytax. They will be handed over to
deposited in the Galactic Bank...
- At what exchange rate? And what interest do I get on it?
will they go?
It was clear that he was angry.
- That's it. You are in a very difficult position.
- and should explain a lot. Professor Lustig told me,
that your name is Jim. What is your full name and where are you from?
- My name is Jim Nixon and I arrived from Behuu.
- We won't budge if you continue
lie. Your name is Jimmy di Griz, you were convicted but escaped
from a prison on the planet Beat O'Haven.
Wow, you can imagine, I was almost stunned by
such awareness.Whoever this guy is, he
did a nice job finding this out. It was now clear that
The game is over for the professor's amateur team. They are
professionals were taken to this matter. And he sent me a twisted one
ball to immediately knock me off my feet, make me nervous and
talk. But nothing worked out for them with me.
I mentally pressed the gas, sat up on the bed, looking straight into his eyes.
eyes, and said calmly:
- We were not introduced to each other.
His anger immediately disappeared and he became as calm as he had been
I.
He turned around, pressed some button on the wall,
It was clear that he was angry.
- That's it. You are in a very difficult position.
- Captain Varod from the League Space Fleet. Specialization
I focus on the consequences of military actions on a universe scale.
Are you ready to answer the questions now?
- Yes - if we do it in turns. Where are we
let's go?
- At a distance of thirteen light years from Cnuobehte, du-
I hope you'll be glad to hear this.
- I'm glad.
- My turn. How did you get to that planet?- On board a Venian cargo ship that was supplying
the weapon of the defeated Kano Doccia.
This immediately caught his attention. He leaned forward
speaking with great enthusiasm.
-Who was the captain of the ship?
- It's not your turn. What are you going to do with me?
- You're an escaped criminal and you'll be returning to Beat O'Haven to-
live your term.
- Really? - I smiled forcedly. - Well, now I
I’m ready to answer your question - the only problem is, I’m perfect
but I forgot the captain's name. Are you going to torture me?
- Don't be stupid, Jim. You are in an unenviable position.
Be smart, and I will do everything in my power for you.
- Fine. I'll remember the captain's name, you're dropping me off at
neutral planet, I call it and we will assume that we
evens.
- This is impossible. We have already reported to you, besides, I am the official
cer, servant of the law. I have to get you back to Beat O'Haven.
- Thank you. I experienced temporary memory loss. But
before you go, tell me what will happen co Cnuobehte?
He was sitting on a chair and had no intention of leaving.
- The first thing that will happen is the end of the dangerous intervention
Professor Lustig. We wereforced to do this under pressure
by the Intergalactic Association for Applied Socioeconomics.
They managed to persuade some reputable foundations to help them in
npetbopehuu into the life of his theories. Many planets are subsidized
plans were abandoned, and it was easier to give them freedom and opportunity
to make a mistake than to persuade him to stop.
- And now they are leaving there?
- Fully. They all boarded the ships and are very happy
leave the planet as soon as possible. Invent economic and political
tic theories are one thing. And apply them in reality
- sometimes a very dangerous occupation. There have been attempts to do this in the past
do it - and always with disastrous results. We are no longer
we know the details, they are lost in the darkness of centuries, but the
there was a crazy doctrine called monetarism, which
paradise supposedly destroyed entire civilizations, entire
planets. Now the new experiment has reached a dead end, so
specialists should come there, as was the case in the first
case.
- Invasion?
- You watched the ZU channel too much. War is prohibited. You
should know this. We have people who will work with
existing Cnuobehte society. Perhaps with Kano Dimon,
for he had already doubled his holdings. He will be providedby-
power and support in ahhekcupobahuu of more and more
territories.
- And killing more and more people?
- No, we will keep an eye on this. And very soon he will not be able to
can govern without help, and our bureaucrats will be there like
here. They will help him create centralized management...
- The growth of the legal system, taxes, I know this model. Not at all
like Professor Lustig.
- Not really. Our techniques have been tested. And they work. B those-
reading the life of one generation, maximum two, Cnuobehte will
gladly accepted into the family of civilized planets.
- Congratulations. Now please leave me alone
could sit and think about his future imprisonment in
prison
“But you still haven’t told me the captain’s name.” He will be pro-
must sell weapons - and you will bear the moral responsibility
betctbehhoctb for new deaths.
Yes, including me. Should I also be responsible for
death in the courtyard of Kano Castle Doccia? After all, the offensive was possible
her idea. But Dimon would have gone on the attack anyway, and then
there would have been many more dead. Yes, it's not easy to take on...
betctbehhoctb.
Captain Varod seemsread my thoughts.
- Do you have a sense of responsibility? - he asked.
- Yes, I have. I value life very much and believe in its sanctity, and I do not
I am a supporter of murder. We all only live once, and I
I don’t want to be responsible for someone’s untimely termination
this is my life. I think I've made a number of mistakes and I hope
that they taught me something. The arms dealer's name is Captain.
Ha...
“Garth,” he said. - We know about him and watched him.
This was his last voyage.
My head was spinning with thoughts.
- Why did you ask me then, if you know everything?
without it?
- For your sake, Jim, there is no need for more. I told you that we
We are doing rehabilitation. You made a very good decision
tion, and it seems to me that you will be a good citizen in Bu-
in the future. Good luck.
He stood up and was about to leave.
- Thanks a lot. I will remember your words when I
you will have to crush the rock in some kind of pit.
He stood in the open door and smiled back at me.
- I practice justice at a very high level. Yes to
besides, I am not a supporter of putting people in prisonfailures-
another bank robber. You deserve more and you can do more
achieve. But still, I need to take you back to prison.
You will be transferred to another ship, to another planet,
where you will sit locked up until your jailers arrive.
He left, then came back for a minute.
- Considering what you told me, I forget
- I practice justice at a very high level. Yes to
Moreover, I am not a supporter of putting unsuccessful people in prison.
another bank robber. You deserve more and you can do more
achieve. But still, I need to take you back to prison.
You will be transferred to another ship, to another planet,
where you will sit locked up until your jailers arrive.
He left, then came back for a minute.
- Considering what you told me, I forget
that you still have a wonderful master key in your sole.
Now he's gone for good. I looked at the closed door for a long time
He opened the door and suddenly burst out laughing. Still, the world is beautiful,
a bosom of wonderful things that can be appreciated
Only the one who knows his business is special. And I knew mine!
- Thank you, Elephant, thank you for everything. It was you who directed and
taught me my business. And only thanks to you the Rat is out of nerves
rusting steel is born!!!
┌──────────┐
│ THE EUD. │
└──────────┘
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