Quote Originally Posted by Ramil
7

Van Curtis invited Kay to dinner. After receiving brief instructions on the code of conduct given by the silicoid, wincing, Kay rose from the armchair and undressed ignoring the still stone mass. He bleakly looked at his reflection in the mirror. The armor didn’t protect him from bruises. It didn’t protect against the blow to the liver also if the instructor was right.
“The bulrathi are the best fighters in the galaxy” said the silicoid hollowly.
“Even better than you are?” Kay touched his shoulder and made a quiet howling sound.
“Probably. They have found a way to kill us in a hand-to-hand combat.”
“Really? And what is it?” Kay was interested.
“I wouldn’t tell you that even if I knew.”
“I’ll ask about it.”
“Lie down on the floor.”
Kay looked at the silicoid with surprise but chose not to argue. He stretched out on the thin and somewhat dusty carpet and the silicoid slowly floated over him. A heavy wave passed over his body.
“The gravity massage” the silicoid explained for some reason, swaying back and forth. “You will feel better. We can not/We don't only kill with that field of ours…”
The bodyguard from the planet Altos usually didn’t suffer from any bad flashbacks, but for some reason he remembered the spaceport on Cailis and the bloody spot fifty yards away from his ship. Those little bastards always creep under the nozzles…
“Thank you, I feel better already.” Kay rolled from under the silicoid. “Will Curtis junior be present at dinner?”
“Probably.”
Kay put on a rich/richly colored suit with a wide opalescent tie and hard leather shoes that were totally unsuitable for any action (occasion ?) and then went after the silicoid. He was curious and vexed at the same time as he always was before a meeting with a client to whom it was impossible to say no. A professional should have a choice, damn it.
“Do you have a desire to ask questions?”
“What? Ah, well… yes, of course. Do you wear clothes?”
“I am dressed now” replied the silicoid with dignity.
Key choked up but held a laugh.
“Now it’s my turn to ask questions.” The silicoid slowed down and waited for Kay, “if the humans gain the power, what would they do?”
“I don’t understand” answered Kay honestly. They went out of the spire house and walked towards a small round pavilion not far away. They had to cross a pine grove, to pass by some stupid stones that were installed in a circle and by a tiny corvette from the Feud War era that was melted into a granite pedestal.
“Let’s rephrase it. If the might of the Human Empire grows beyond measure how would the policy of mankind change?”
“We would stop paying attention to other races. We will/would simply ignore them. Would you act differently?”
The silicoid didn’t answer. Then he swayed towards the corvette and said:
“During the Feud War Curtis Van Curtis served in the units of freelance hunters. They didn’t have any regulations, orders and strategic objectives. We never found out/We never learned how to fight this unorganized enemy.”
“Van Curtis is a courageous man!” said Kay aloud.
“I agree. But many say that his ship survived the war in amazingly good shape. The drives are worn out but the armor is intact. The most surprising fact is that he returned from his last flight with a broken computer. We have arrived. I don’t consume organics but I wish you a good gustatory sense and successful digestion.”
The silicoid spun graciously in half a circle and floated back. Kay stood staring at Curtis’s ancient ship. Then he opened a door to the pavilion. He had an organic body that needed food and a perfect appetite stirred up by the/his training session with the bulrathi.