Звездный десант
Chapter 5
"Well,"answeredZim,"supposeallyouhaveisaknife?Ormaybenotevenaknife?Whatdoyoudo?Justsayyourprayersanddie?Orwadeinandmakehimbuyitanyhow?Son,thisisreal—it’snotacheckergameyoucanconcedeifyoufindyourselftoofarbehind."
"Butthat’sjustwhatImean,sir.Supposeyouaren’tarmedatall?Orjustoneofthesetoadstickers,say?Andthemanyou’reupagainsthasallsortsofdangerousweapons?There’snothingyoucandoaboutit;he’sgotyoulickedonshowdown."
Zimsaidalmostgently,"You’vegotitallwrong,son.There’snosuchthingasa‘dangerousweapon.’"
"Huh?Sir?"
"Therearenodangerousweapons;thereareonlydangerousmen.We’retryingtoteachyoutobedangerous—totheenemy.Dangerousevenwithoutaknife.Deadlyaslongasyoustillhaveonehandoronefootandarestillalive.Ifyoudon’tknowwhatImean,goread‘HoratiusattheBridge’or‘TheDeathoftheBonHommeRichard’;they’rebothintheCamplibrary.Buttakethecaseyoufirstmentioned;I’myouandallyouhaveisaknife.Thattargetbehindme—theoneyou’vebeenmissing,numberthree—isasentry,armedwitheverythingbutanH-bomb.You’vegottogethim...quietly,atonce,andwithoutlettinghimcallforhelp."Zimturnedslightly—thunk!—aknifehehadn’tevenhadinhishandwasquiveringinthecenteroftargetnumberthree."Yousee?Besttocarrytwoknives—butgethimyoumust,evenbarehanded."
