"Lee Edgar - Andromeda Time" - читать интересную книгу автора (Edgar Lee)

anyone could do without a complete refit.тАЩ
тАШI suppose not.тАЩ
тАШIтАЩd be happier if you had Sarah with you.тАЩ
Cassi paused thoughtfully. тАШOn one condition.тАЩ
тАШWhatтАЩs that?тАЩ
тАШNo guns.тАЩ
тАШNo what?тАЩ
тАШNo guns. This is a peaceful scientific expedition. IтАЩm not having
stray projectiles punching holes in the hull of my nice new spaceship.тАЩ

тАФтАФ тАФтАФ
 Cassi made only one stop on her way home. Fifteen minutes later, she
arrived at the farm and switched off the engine. She turned to her
fourteen-year-old step-daughter whom she had picked up from school.
тАШYouтАЩre very quiet today, Maggie. Is anything wrong?тАЩ
The teenager quickly opened the car door and stepped out. тАШNo, itтАЩs
nothing I canтАЩt handle.тАЩ
Cassi followed her inside, frowning at the sight of a slight limp.
She didnтАЩt say anything more but simply greeted the baby-sitters and
took seven-month-old Andi in her arms. тАШYou can go if you like.тАЩ
тАШItтАЩs okay,тАЩ said the male security officer. тАШI have very strict
orders to wait for Mike.тАЩ
There was obviously to be no repetition of the events during the
Andromeda Trial. The young woman with him smiled her agreement. Cassi
sighed. Were they going to need this kind of protection for the rest of
their lives? Perhaps that is why she liked space travel. It was a lot
safer than living on Earth.
Noticing that Maggie had gone straight to her room, Cassi left the
baby in her high chair, excused herself, and went into the hall. On the
telephone table was MaggieтАЩs homework. She picked it up and began to
climb the stairs when she dropped one of the books. It fell open.
Scrawled across the fly-leaf in blood red felt-tip pen were the words
in a strange handwriting: тАЬ My step-mother is an alien.тАЭ
Without knocking, she went into MaggieтАЩs room and softly closed the
door behind her. For several minutes, she waited for her step-daughter
to explain her mood. When she didnтАЩt, she spoke quietly. тАШTake off your
dress.тАЩ
Maggie frowned. тАШWhat?тАЩ
тАШTake off your dress.тАЩ
With trembling fingers, Maggie unbuttoned her school dress and
dropped it onto the bed. Cassi gently turned her round and carefully
examined her bare back. Eventually, she hooked her finger into the top
of the girlтАЩs knicker elastic and looked inside. тАШWho did this to you?тАЩ
тАШItтАЩs nothing, mum, honest.тАЩ
тАШItтАЩs a very big, blue nothing. Your bottom is covered in bruises.тАЩ
тАШI darenтАЩt say anything. TheyтАЩll kill me.тАЩ
тАШI think тАЬ killтАЭ is an overstatementтАУbut I know what you mean.тАЩ
Maggie gaped. тАШYou do?тАЩ
тАШI know about bullies. ItтАЩs a concept unique to human civilisation.
What did they do to you?тАЩ