[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
"I don't recognize any commissions," Rhoda said. "We've always been
independent, we're not part of your goddam fascist commission. Christ
almighty, you've found us guilty before we even knew there'd be a trial! We
weren't even heard!"
Page 127
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
"Why should you be? As you say, you're independent. Or have been up to now."
"We'll fight, Dalquist. Those company cops will never get here alive. Even if
they do-"
"Oh, come now." Dalquist made an impatient gesture. "Do you really believe
we'd take the trouble of sending Intertel police, now that you're warned?
Hardly. We'll merely seize all your cargo in the pipeline and see that no ship
comes here for any reason. How long will it be before your own people throw
you out and come to terms with us?"
That hit her hard. Her eyes narrowed as she thought about it. "I can see you
don't live to enjoy what you've done-"
"Nonsense."
I figured it was my turn. "Rhoda, you may not believe this, hut I heard him
argue them out of sending the cops without any warning at all. They were ready
to do it."
The shouts came From the bar as Jed opened the door to see if we wanted
anything. "There's gonna be a great day!"
"Everything all right here?" Jed asked.
"No!" Rhoda shoved herself away from the table and glared at Dalquist. "Not
all right at all! Jed, he's-"
"I know what he's saying, Rhoda," Jed told her. "Cap'n Rollo and I had a long
talk with him last night."
"With the result that I'm speaking to you at all," Dalquist said. "Frankly,
I'd rather see you dead." His face was a bitter mask of hatred, and the
emotionless expression fell away. He hated
Rhoda. "You've killed the best friend I ever had, and I find that I need you
anyway. Captain
Anderson has convinced me that it will be difficult to govern here without
you, which is why you'll remain nominally in control after this sale is made,"
"No. No sale."
"There will be. Who'll buy from you? Who'll sell to you? This was a unanimous
decision. You're not independent, no matter how often you say you are. There's
no place for your kind of nationalism out here."
"You bastards. The big boys. You think you can do anything you like to us."
Dalquist recovered his calm as quickly as he'd lost it. I think it was the
tone Rhoda used; he didn't want to sound like her. I couldn't tell if I hated
him or not.
"We can do whatever we can agree to do," Dalquist said. "You seem to think the
Corporations
Commission is some kind of government. It isn't. It's just a means for
settling disputes. We've found it more profitable to have rules than to have
fights. But we're not without power, and everyone's agreed that you can't be
let off after trying what you did."
"So we pay for it," Jed said.
Dalquist shrugged. "There's no government out here. Are you ready to bring
Rhoda to trial? Along
file:///G|/Program%20Files/eMule/Incoming/Jerry%20Pournelle%20-%20High%20Justi
ce.txt (93 of 94) [11/1/2004 12:18:02 AM]
file:///G|/Program%20Files/eMule/Incoming/Jerry%20Pournelle%20-%20High%20Justi
ce.txt with all the others involved?"
Jed shook his head. "Doubt it-"
"And there's the matter of restitution, which you can't make anyway. And
you're bankrupt, since you sent no cargo to Luna and the launch window's
closed."
"Just who the hell is this syndicate?" Rhoda demanded.
Dalquist's expression didn't change, but there was a note of triumph in his
voice. He'd won, and he knew it. "The major sums are put up by Hansen
Enterprises."
"And you'll be here as their rep."
Page 128
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
He nodded. "Certainly. I've been with Hansen most of my life, Ms. Hendrix. The
company trusts me to look out for its best interests. As I trusted Joe
Colella. Until he retired he was my best field agent."
She didn't say anything, but her face was sour.
"You might have got away with this if you hadn't killed Joe," Dalquist said.
"But retired or not, he was a Hansen man. As I'm sure you found when he
discovered your plan. We take care of our people, Ms. Hendrix. Hansen is a
good company."
"For company men." Jed's voice was flat. He looked around the small back room
with its bare rock walls, but I think he was seeing through those walls, out
through the corridors, beyond to the caves where the rockrats tried to make
homes, "A good outfit for company men. But it won't be the same, for us."
Outside they were still singing about the great days coming.
file:///G|/Program%20Files/eMule/Incoming/Jerry%20Pournelle%20-%20High%20Justi
ce.txt (94 of 94) [11/1/2004 12:18:02 AM]
Page 129
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]