Джордж Мартин – Starport (страница 12)

TRYING TO OPEN A STARPORT HERE?

WHAT WAS IT, FIVE YEARS OF

ANTICIPATION BEFORE THEY EVEN

SET FOOT ON AMERICAN SOIL?

ENDLESS CONGRESSIONAL MEETINGS,

TREATIES, AND RED TAPE OUT

THE ASS. THE TUNNEL COLLAPSE,

THE RIOTS IN NEW YORK.

ENDLESS.

POINT IS, THEY

TOOK SIX DECADES

TO COME KNOCKING ON

OUR DOOR, AND ONE MORE

BEFORE KNOCKING ON MINE,

SO DON’T YOU THINK THEY COULD

HAVE WAITED A BIT LONGER? MAYBE

LET ME GET ON WITH MY DAMNED

RETIREMENT BEFORE I BECAME

BEHOLDEN TO SOME PINK

FROG-FACED ASSHAT WHO

INSISTS ON BEING

ADDRESSED AS

"TOPMAN"?

AND WHY HERE,

KELLEHER? WHY ME?

WHY MY CITY?

DON’T WORRY,

CAPTAIN, YOU STILL

GET TO RETIRE. THE

TOPMAN HAS SENT A

SKIMMER. IT SHOULD

BE OUTSIDE RIGHT

NOW.

THAT’S ALL

I NEED. IF GOD HAD

MEANT CARS TO FLY, HE

WOULDN’T HAVE GIVEN

THEM WHEELS.

I SPENT MY

WHOLE LIFE ON

THE FORCE, BOBBI.

UNTIL THE STARPORT

OPENED, I FIGURED I’D

SEEN JUST ABOUT

EVERYTHING...

BUT...HE

LOOKS LIKE A

COCKROACH.

WHO?

THE SKRIT

TRADE ENVOY.

HE’S FIVE FEET THREE

INCHES TALL, ONLY HE’S

A COCKROACH. KAFKA

WOULD BE PROUD, BUT

IT CREEPS ME RIGHT

THE FUCK OUT.

WITH 314

OTHER SPECIES

IN THE HARMONY, IT

FIGURES THAT SOME OF

THEM MIGHT BE

INSECTS...

THE MAYOR

IS GOING TO GIVE