Robert Asprin

C chem tolko ne prikhoditsja stalkivatsja rabotnikam korporatsii M. I. F. po dolgu sluzhby - s voinstvennymi amazonkami, kovarnymi proiskami torgovoj mafii, zlobnymi drakonami i depressivnymi edinorogami! Ne govorja uzhe o tom, chto inogda nuzhno podumat i o lichnoj zhizni - ne vse zhe zhit odnoj rabotoj... Vot i Velikij Skiv reshil vremenno pokinut post prezidenta korporatsii, chtoby v glukhomani da v tishi kak sleduet zanjatsja magicheskoj praktikoj. Zrja on dumal, chto smozhet ostatsja odin...

Vojna - estestvennoe sostojanie prirody. V tom ili inom vide vojny vedutsja nepreryvno: zhivotnye stremjatsja zanjat bolee vygodnoe polozhenie v pischevoj tsepi, a chelovek - otvoevat sebe lishku zhiznennogo prostranstva. Na stranitsakh etogo sbornika vojujut vse - khladnokrovnye predstaviteli tsivilizatsii amfibij srazhajutsja nasmert protiv polchisch razumnykh nasekomykh, a stol zhe khladnokrovnye finansisty iz superkorporatsij - protiv takikh zhe finansovykh vorotil iz konkurirujuschikh firm. Takticheskoe napadenie i strategicheskoe otstuplenie. Prjamolinejnyj udar i khitraja intriga... Poistine, ves mir - borba, i Robert Asprin, blestjaschij rasskazchik i vdokhnovennyj konstruktor fantasticheskikh mirov, shirokimi mazkami opisyvaet eto zhestokoe i uvlekatelnoe dejstvo!

Vot, dozhili... Esche vchera podmastere melkogo maga Skiv byl strannikom bez osobykh nadezhd na buduschee, a segodnja ego imenujut Velikij Skiv i pod ego rukovodstvom - tselaja komanda professionalov, masterov na vse ruki: troll i ego sestritsa, dva gangstera, maginja-moshennitsa, izverg Aaz i drakon Glip. S takim kollektivom vporu sozdavat korporatsiju po okazaniju magicheskikh uslug naseleniju! No na puti stanovlenija korporatsiju M. I. F. podzhidaet mnozhestvo opasnostej...

ROBERT ASPRIN (1946-2008) proslavilsja svoim fentezijnym jumoristicheskim tsiklom "Mify" (MYTHs), prichem pervyj zhe roman, "Esche odin velikolepnyj mif" (Another Fine Myth), stal stol uspeshnym, chto izdateli zakljuchili s nim kontrakt na 6 knig, a zatem prodlili esche na stolko zhe. Posle 12 "klassicheskikh" asprinovskikh romanov serial prodolzhila Dzhodi Linn Naj. Sredi drugikh izvestnykh rabot avtora tsikl "Shuttovskaja rota" o prikljuchenijakh bravykh kosmicheskikh naemnikov, a takzhe kropotlivaja redaktura mnogotomnoj serii "Mir vorov", obedinivshej desjatki pisatelej, ot priznannykh masterov zhanra do debjutantov, sozdavshikh uvlekatelnuju vselennuju, naselennuju avantjuristami i razbojnikami. Junomu ucheniku maga Skivu s planety Pent ne povezlo - ego nastavnik gibnet pri popytke vyzvat chudovische, skovav ego pentagrammoj. Odnako... monstr okazalsja ne takim uzh i strashnym i dazhe vyzvalsja stat novym uchitelem Skiva! Vot tolko soglashenie mezhdu junym prostachkom i demonicheskim khitretsom vvergnet Skiva v takie peredrjagi, kakikh on ne mog i voobrazit.

Nesvoevremennaja initsiativa lejtenanta Skaramusha, kotoryj pri bombardirovke unichtozhil lichnyj korabl vrazheskogo posla prjamo vo vremja mirnykh peregovorov, privela k diplomaticheskomu skandalu. Odnako lejtenanta ne uvolili iz rjadov Kosmicheskogo Legiona, a, naprotiv, povysili v zvanii i otpravili na zakholustnuju planetku Khaskena komandovat rotoj Omega, sostavlennoj iz otschepentsev, neudachnikov i buntarej, nezhelatelnykh v drugikh voinskikh soedinenijakh. O tom, kak nakhodchivyj kapitan lepit iz svoikh novykh podchinennykh slazhennyj i effektivnyj kollektiv, i povestvuet tsikl "Shuttovskaja rota".

Uillard Shutt po prozvischu Kapitan Shutnik prochno stoit na nogakh pod nepreryvnym naporom nedobrozhelatelej! Otchasti eto rezultat ego fantasticheskogo vezenija, otchasti - neprobivaemogo zhizneljubija, da i armejskaja vyuchka tozhe igraet ne poslednjuju rol. No nedarom govorjat, chto korolja delaet svita! Rota neudachnikov i otschepentsev, kotoroj vzjalsja komandovat Shutt, prosto neverojatnymi tempami stanovitsja khorosho otlazhennoj mashinoj, sostojaschej iz vysokoprofessionalnykh voennykh, vsegda gotovykh prijti na vyruchku drug drugu i svoemu obozhaemomu komandiru. Supermaljavka - surovaja i spravedlivaja zhenschina. Obizhat ne rekomenduetsja. Gambolty - koty-razvedchiki, obladajuschie mgnovennoj reaktsiej. Sintiantsy - razumnye slizni, navyki upravlenija glajdbordom vyshe vsjakikh pokhval. Iskrima - povar, kotorogo byl by schastliv uvidet v svoem shtate ljuboj modnyj restorator. Sushi i Rvach - takie raznye, no pritershiesja drug k drugu kak dve nadezhnye detali odnogo mekhanizma. I mnogie, mnogie drugie - ljudi i zoomorfy, - Vsja shuttovskaja rat... Perevodchik: Sosnovskaja Nadezhda Andreevna, Nesterova N.

What's a millionaire bachelor to do? Join the army--with his butler Captain Willard Phule is the only officer in the Space Legion with his own butler, but Beeker has stuck with him through thick and thin. Which is why Phule simply can't comprehend why his butler would run off-planet without a word--and taking with him Omega Company's lovely new medic. Without his right-hand man, Phule has no idea what his left hand is doing. So he takes off after his errant butler, just as General Blitzkrieg decides to make a surprise visit to Zenobia. And the only thing Blitz would like better than catching Phule off guard is to catch Phule AWOL...

What's a millionaire bachelor to do? Join the army--with his butler Captain Willard Phule is the only officer in the Space Legion with his own butler, but Beeker has stuck with him through thick and thin. Which is why Phule simply can't comprehend why his butler would run off-planet without a word--and taking with him Omega Company's lovely new medic. Without his right-hand man, Phule has no idea what his left hand is doing. So he takes off after his errant butler, just as General Blitzkrieg decides to make a surprise visit to Zenobia. And the only thing Blitz would like better than catching Phule off guard is to catch Phule AWOL...

What's a millionaire bachelor to do? Join the army--with his butler--of course. Meet Captain Willard Phule and his company of misunderstood misfits. Together, they've taken space by storm--and left a tradition of zaniness and laughter in their wake... Desperate to kick Phule out of the Space Legion, General Blitzkrieg sends a crack team of environmental investigators--including celebrity canine Barky the Environmental Dog--to sniff out Phule and his unnatural disasters. It doesn't take long. Phule is hosting a group of big-game hunters who think they can bag a dinosaur on Zenobia. Needless to say, dinosaurs are not a native species. But cold, hard facts never stopped a Phule... And neither will Barky's cold, wet nose.

You can't mistake just anyone for a Phule. When the planet Zenobia is invaded, Captain Willard Phule is made their military advisor. The first priority for Phule's Company: staying out from underfood of the peaceful, dinosaurlike Zenobians... But, unbeknownst to the Zenobians, they're getting two Phules for the price of one. A robot double of Phule appears out of nowhere. And only the real Phule knows who the real Phule is...

"A winning story... part science fiction, part spoof, part heart-warmer."-Publishers WeeklyCaptain Willard Phule has whipped his troops into shape, turning Phule's Company from the laughingstock of the Legion into...a crack team of casino security guards. Now his company is deployed to help an underdeveloped planet. And what better way to utilize their major area of expertise-goofing off-than to turn the planet into the biggest intergalactic playground ever?

THE FEW. THE PROUD. THE STUPID. THE INEPT. It was the perfect solution, put highly connectedCaptain Willard Phule in charge of the worstdregs of the Space Force. Sure, Phule's Companymay be a band of rejects and misfi ts, but they didmanage to save the day with their unorthodoxmethods. Embarrassed, the Space Force may have found theperfect equation for disaster: Assign Phule's packof oddballs to save the Fat Chance Casino from acriminal take over. Phule's Company may stop themob ... but who will save the casino from them?