"3 Star Brothers" - читать интересную книгу автора (Bova Ben)

As a graduate student, Lela had been concentrating on theoretical studies of ecological change and environmental protection But once she looked into those fathomless eyes of Nkona she was swept up in an irresistible frenzy of dedication

"The work you do here is the best that human souls can achieve," Nkona had told the eager students He smiled at them, a sparkling bright smile in his deeply black African face "You know that we must learn to control our behavior, to think before we act, to accept responsibility for the consequences of our actions We cannot live by exterminating others, that much you have learned in your studies, I know By saving the gorillas, you help humankind to save itself "

"Many oppose what we do," said one of the students

Nkona closed his eyes briefly Then, "All life is linked together, from the humblest forms to the most grandiose Thirty-three years ago the human race made its first contact with an alien intelligence, a race from another world, another star I say to you that our contacts with the life of this world are just as important--no, more important--than our link to other races in space "

He turned a full circle to sear each of the students crowded around him with his compelling gaze "We are all links of the same chain, the chain of life, which extends out to the stars and the farthest reaches of creation Your struggle to save the gorilla is the struggle to preserve that chain, to keep faith with all the forms of life that share this universe "

Theory could never be enough for Lela after that Aflame with Nkona's passion, she volunteered eagerly for the biochip operation that would allow her to maintain sensory contact with a selected gorilla She battled the entire faculty and field staff for the right to work with one of the animals through its difficult transition from the human environment of its childhood to the wild mountain forests where it would live as an adult

For nearly two years Lela had trained hard, both physically and mentally Out of a soft, self-indulgent adolescent cocoon there emerged a leggy, lean-muscled young woman with lustrous brown eyes and a smile that dazzled

She was not smiling now Out here in the thick brush of the forest, with the early morning sunlight just beginning to filter down through the trees, with the sweat of near-exhaustion chilling her, Lela knew that Koku was in danger

She should have been the only human being within a hundred square kilometers of the young male gorilla But she was not Through Koku's eyes she saw a band of hunters thrashing through the brush White men and black, carrying rifles

"Run Koku'" she directed "Run'"

Startled by her abrupt warning, the big gorilla crashed off through the brush Lela felt his sudden fear as her own Look-

ing back through the gorilla's eyes, she saw the hunters dwindling in the distance until they disappeared altogether in heavy green foliage

Lela sighed out a breath of relief Koku could easily outdistance them in the thick brush But within minutes he would feel safe and slow down or stop altogether Lela knew she had to reach Koku before the hunters did











CHAPTER 6






fO dropped the two men off at their hotels, then instructed her chauffeur to drive to Washington National Airport A Vanguard Industries executive jet was waiting for her there, and shortly after midnight she leaned back in an utterly comfortable leather lounge chair and watched the stately monuments of Washington glide past her window as the plane climbed to its cruising altitude Once above the normal traffic patterns of commercial airliners, the plane's wings slid back for supersonic flight and the cabin lights dimmed for sleeping

But Jo had no intention of sleeping Not yet Hsen and Kruppmann were threatening her Now she knew why the board of directors had suddenly insisted on a special meeting to review Vanguard's participation in the HA Hsen was making a power play The sneaky little bastard must have nearly half the board in his pocket already, in addition to Kruppmann, Jo said to herself While I've been helping Keith he's been maneuvering to acquire leverage on my board

She dictated a memo to the computer outlet built into her seat's armrest "Check all board members and executive staff to see which of them also sit on the board of Pacific Commerce " Then she added, "Also, I want a complete list of all

Vanguard executives above the level of divisional vice president who have been involved in any transactions whatever with Pacific Commerce "