"Lee Edgar - Princess 04 - Checkmate for a Princess" - читать интересную книгу автора (Edgar Lee)

the radio but he didn't. He sent you to watch us instead. Does he think we're
going to attack his precious Task Force?'
'I don't know,' the Major said with head bowed. 'I just obey orders.'
'Look. We saved the fleet from destruction just a few days ago. Marianne
radioed and told you precisely where the rebel headquarters was and my brother
found out where all the other bases were and led you to them. Now, we keep a
twenty-four hour vigil here to ensure you are informed of any other
activities. Why does your Commander not trust us?'
'I wish I knew.'
She sighed. 'I won't object to your being here nor to your reporting in. I'll
even give you a copy of the print-out every day if that will make him feel any
better. It's just that I resent it when there is so much work to be done and
your people just sit there, out in the bay, watching us.'
'I think it is not so much you who is not to be trusted. The Admiral cannot
believe your equipment can do all the things you have said it will.'
'Well, you have watched us now for the last thirty-six hours, what conclusions
have you reached?'
'I'm not sure.' He looked at the lists of figures on the print-outs. 'It's all
mumbo-jumbo to me.'
'Then let me explain.' She turned to her colleague. 'Excuse me, Jim.'
Jim stood up and put his arm around Gillian who had seen it all before.
'Do you mind if we go down to the house?' he asked. 'I'm shattered.'
'Of course. Do you want to take the car?'
'Not likely, I'm alright on a straight road but that forest trail frightens me
to death even as a passenger. We'll go down on the ski-lift.'
'Can I make a suggestion?' Suzette asked the Major. 'Send Martin down with
them. He can take a portable radio with him to my villa and we will always be
in contact with each other.'
The Major thought for a moment then nodded and gave the order. The three of
them left, leaving Suzette alone with Al Slazinski and the pilot who was
resting in one of the bunks on the upper floor.
'Sit down here,' said Suzette, patting the swivel stool beside her. 'How much
do you know about computers?'
'Not a great deal. In my line, I don't come across them much except to control
weapons.'
'Okay, I'll explain.' She tucked loose strands of hair into her headband while
Al pretended not to look down the front of her blouse.
'On the roof is a scanner dish which receives signals from Princess. These
signals come from different kinds of sensors on board. First, there are the
air temperature probes on board the satellite. They scan the upper atmosphere
and send back data from three areas of Europe designated AX, BX and CX. These
signals, which the computer analyses, indicate weather patterns in France,
Britain and the surrounding areas. I was trained in Paris to interpret this
data. It is in French and so takes someone who is bilingual to sort it out
properly.'
'That was your job at Cambridge?'
'Precisely. Unfortunately for the Consortium I discovered, almost by accident,
that the satellite is capable of scanning other areas by means of heat-seeking
ground probes. They called it section DX.'
'Ground probes? You mean to scan the ground temperature?'