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

the skill. However, sheтАЩs on honeymoon.тАЩ
тАШWhat kind of an organisation are you running here?тАЩ asked Doctor
Schmidt. тАШHalf your staff seem to be gallivanting all over the place.тАЩ
тАШBob and Juanita are away together,тАЩ said Cassi patiently. She longed
to reach over and bop him one on his big nose but restrained herself
with some difficulty. тАШThey were married on Saturday and are spending
their honeymoon traversing the Martian South Pole. They will be out of
radio contact for several weeks.тАЩ
тАШSo we have to be lumbered with second best, I suppose.тАЩ
тАШNot at all. You can always postpone your expedition till they get
back.тАЩ
тАШDo you have a substitute for this Doctor...?тАЩ
тАШCarerra,тАЩ said Cassi. тАШNow Doctor Walker, of course. I will come
back to you tomorrow with a suitable alternative in case you insist on
leaving before her return.тАЩ
тАШWhat about the other crew members?тАЩ asked the scientist. тАШWho does
the cooking and the cleaning?тАЩ
тАШThe crew share those duties on a rota basis,тАЩ interjected the
Director. тАШThere are neither chiefs nor indians on board a Wayfarer. In
any case, there are only ten cryonic chambers. If we reduce the crew to
five or six, there will still be room for yourselves and two research
assistants.тАЩ When neither of the scientists replied, he looked round at
the other members of the Directorate. тАШAnything more to add?тАЩ
The others shook their heads. There was much to think about.
The Director smiled at Cassi. тАШThank you, my dear. Would you please
inform Janine and Carla of the idea in principle and see if they are
prepared to volunteer. Remember that this trip is, to all intents and
purposes, not happening.тАЩ
Cassi stood up. тАШOf course. I will also let you know about medic and
engineer if I can come up with anyone suitable.тАЩ
When she had gone, Doctor Schmidt protested. тАШWhy on earth do you
take counsel from that...girl?тАЩ
The Director shrugged. тАШWhy not? She is, as I said earlier, our most
experienced astronaut.тАЩ
There was silence for a moment. тАШAnd another thing. This Admiral
Duncan on Orion. How do you know you can trust him? WasnтАЩt there some
rumour about him having brought back some strange kind of an alien
creature from Andromeda? Is this true?тАЩ
тАШPerfectly true.тАЩ
тАШI think that before we can make any decision as to his integrity, we
must meet and evaluate this alien.тАЩ
The Director smiled. тАШBut you just did.тАЩ

тАФтАФ тАФтАФ



2
 Mike Hardy greeted his wife with a sly grin as she strode into his
office at Europoort Space Terminal. тАШAnd what was all that about?тАЩ