"Michael Flynn - Wreck of The Rivers of Stars" - читать интересную книгу автора (Flynn Michael)

particular day, that one particular sperm reached that one particular egg ahead of all the others? One
small diversion andтАФping!тАФno Ivar. ItтАЩs like the poet, Carson, once said: тАШLife is all collisions.тАЩтАЭ

тАЬNone of that тАШrandom spermтАЩ muff applies to me,тАЭ deCant said in tones both defiant and sad. тАЬButтАжтАЭ
and her smile was a blossom of red against the raven black of her skullcap hair as she rubbed
AkhaturianтАЩs back, тАЬтАжIтАЩm just gladyour probabilities worked out inmy favor.тАЭ The junior wrangler
glowed under her touch.Imprinted like a duckling, Bhatterji thought sadly.

тАЬHow bad was the damage to my antennae?тАЭ asked The Lotus Jewel, bringing the discussion back to
practicalities. тАЬI get intermittent reception. I donтАЩt think IтАЩm transmitting at all.тАЭ

That wasnтАЩt quite true. The Lotus Jewel was transmitting on several frequencies. Certainly, Evermore
was receiving, the way he tracked her every move; and Akhaturian too despite the grapple on his arm.
Even Eaton Grubb used the pretext of checking particulates just to pass through the mess and catch a
glimpse of her. The Lotus Jewel had a laugh like small bells. It was hard for anyone to ignore her when
she was in the room. Even Bhatterji enjoyed her company. They were alike in so many ways, the two of
them: loving sport and physical exertion, enjoying their own bodies, both craving the attention of others.

тАЬThere was a bit of damage to your equipment,тАЭ he told her.

тАЬI was watching the feed, Ram. It looked like more than тАШa bitтАЩ to me.тАЭ

тАЬIтАЩmtired of muffing freefall,тАЭ deCant said. тАЬMy muffing head feels bloated and swollen. My nose is
stuffy. I blew breakfast for three muffing days. When can we get acceleration back? A couple milligees
isnтАЩt much, maybe, but it beats the heaves.тАЭ

тАЬI havenтАЩt reviewed the videos yet,тАЭ Bhatterji said, тАЬbut I thought of three or four patches while I was
eyeballing the damage. DonтАЩt worry,тАЭ Bhatterji added with no sense at all of prophecy. тАЬIf I canтАЩt fix
those engines, they canтАЩt be fixed.тАЭ



file:///K|/eMule/Incoming/WreckofTheRiversofStars,The.html (33 of 424)5-9-2007 13:26:52
 TheWreckofTheRiverofStars



Bhatterji had read the lack of a summons from Gorgas as a lack of urgency and therefore was puzzled
and upset when the captain grilled him over his whereabouts when he finally did report.

тАЬDecompressing,тАЭ Bhatterji answered. He did not add asir. No one had said тАЬsirтАЭ onThe River of Stars
for twenty-three years.

Gorgas would neither plead nor rage. His practice was to inform people of their transgressions and let
their own sense of duty shame them. He steepled his fingers before his pursed lips, and said, тАЬYou didnтАЩt
think the shipтАЩs condition important enough to warrant an immediate report? Well, never mind that,
now. ItтАЩs the forward plan that matters.тАЭ

Bhatterji, who had no shame to appeal to, took the brevity of GorgasтАЩs reprimand as a further sign of
unimportance. If Gorgas had really wanted an immediate report, he would have spent more words on it.