"David Drake - RCN 02 - Lt. Leary Commanding" - читать интересную книгу автора (Drake David)

friendly enough to the man who'd brought the threat of an RCN punitive expedition weeks closer to his
planet.
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"If it's not presumptuous of me, Commander," Vaughn continued, "may I ask if this is the Daniel Leary of
whom we've begun to hear so much?"

"Mr. Vaughn," Uncle Stacey said, "may I present my nephew, Lieutenant Daniel Leary. He's a credit to
the Bergens, though he doesn't bear our name."

Vaughn's handshake was firm, pausing just short of the pressure that would have meant he'd seriously
tried to crush Daniel's hand. Daniel's eyes narrowed slightly. Vaughn was testing something more subtle
than strength: he was determining whether Daniel waswilling to try conclusions with a wealthy,
well-connected foreign noble.

Daniel grinned faintly. When he was sixteen, he'd broken with his father in a shouting match that rattled
the windows of the Leary townhouse. After that, neither Delos Vaughn nor Hell itself had any terrors for
Daniel. He squeezed back till Vaughn released his hand.

"And I believe I heard you identify this officer as Ms. Mundy," Vaughn went on, offering his hand
demurely, fingertips only, to make it clear that he wasn't going to attempt to bully the slightly built woman.
"Allow me to say how pleased I am to see members of two of the noblest houses in the Republic
standing together in the uniform of the Republic's staunchest defense."

There was no doubt from Vaughn's phrasing that he knew Speaker Leary had pushed through the
proscriptions which crushed the Three Circles Conspiracy and with it the Mundys of Chatsworth. That
wasn't knowledge to be expected of a foreigner.

"Delos, your schedule for this evening . . . " said one of his aides, a dark-haired man older than Vaughn
who'd been fidgeting in the background ever since the conversation started. "If we're to inspect the . . . ?"

Delos Vaughn displayed the same imperturbable gloss as the throat of a plasma thruster fresh from the
shipping crate. People like that seemed to make the folks around them worry double-time.

Now Vaughn shrugged easily. He gave Daniel and his companions a "you-know-how-it-is" grin and
said, "Yes, Tredegar, I'm not forgetting that the caterer and the Gardens' representative will be coming by
for final approval tonight."

Returning his attention to Daniel he went on, "I wonder, Lieutenant Leary, if you'd care to guide us
through your command here. I wouldn't have thought of imposing, but since you're present . . . ?"

Daniel wouldn't claim to be a politician, but Corder Leary's son couldn't help but have learned that no
matter is simple when there are human beings on both sides of the equation. It was an awareness which
had proved useful in his dealings with women, also.

"Why, under other circumstances I'd be delighted to show you about thePrincess Cecile ," Daniel said
with a smile of regret. "I'm afraid I have other commitments, however."