"Eric Flint - 1632" - читать интересную книгу автора (Flint Eric)

fit the man perfectly, but seemed at odds with the smile on his face. There was something a bit rakish
about that smile, Mike thought. And he suspected, from the man's poised stance, that the body beneath
the suit was far more athletic than its sober cut would suggest.

"Mike, this is Sharon's father. I want to introduce you." She reached back, more or less hauled the
parent in question to the fore, and moved her hand back and forth vigorously. "My brother, Mike
Stearns. Doctor James Nichols. Be very polite, brother of mine. He's a surgeon. Probably got four or
five scalpels tucked away somewhere."

An instant later she was charging off, hauling Tom and Sharon toward a cluster of people chattering
away in a corner of the cafeteria. Mike and Dr. Nichols were left alone.

Mike eyed the stranger, unsure of how to open a conversation. He opted for low humor. "My new
brother-in-law's in for a long night," he said dryly. "If I know my sister."

The doctor's smile widened. The hint of rakishness deepened. "I would say so," he drawled. "Is she
always this energetic?"

Mike shook his head fondly. "Since she was a toddler."

Having broken the ice, Mike took the time to examine the man next to him more carefully. Within a few
seconds, he decided his initial impression was correct. Sharon's father was a study in contradictions. His
skin was very dark, almost pure black. His hair was gray, kinky, cut very short. His features were blunt
and rough-lookingтАФthe kind of face associated more with a longshoreman than a doctor. Yet he wore
his fine clothing with ease, and the two rings on his fingers were simple in design and very tasteful. One
was a plain wedding band, the other a subdued pinky ring. His diction was cultured, but the accent came
from city streets. ThenтАФ

James Nichols was not a big man. No more than five feet, eight inches tall and not particularly stocky.
Yet he seemed to exude a certain physical presence. A quick glance at the doctor's hands confirmed
Mike's guess. The faint scars on those outsized hands had not come from working in the medical
profession.

Nichols was returning Mike's examination with one of his own. There seemed to be a little twinkle in his
eyes. Mike guessed that he would like the man, and decided to probe the possibility.

"So, Doc. Did the judge giveyou a choice? Between the Army and the Marines, I mean."

Nichols snorted. Therewas a twinkle in his eyes. "Not hardly! 'Marines for you, Nichols.' "

Mike shook his head. "You poor bastard. He let me pick. Since I wasn't crazy, I took the Army. I
wanted no part of Parris Island."
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Nichols grinned. "Well . . . You were probably just up for assault and battery, I imagine. One brawl too
many." He took Mike's smile for an answer. His own headshake was rueful. "They couldn't prove it,
since I fumbled the thing like a Laurel and Hardy routine, but the authoritieshad their dark suspicions. So