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

The sneer irritated Bhatterji. Gorgas, in his estimation, not only failed to jump to conclusions, he failed
to walk up to them when they were lying supine in front of him. He would circle and stalk forever, as if
the hunt mattered more than the kill. How in space had Hand tolerated the man?

тАЬIтАЩve roughed out a tentative bill of materials,тАЭ he said, but this was an exaggeration. What he meant
was that he thought he knew what he would need. He wouldnтАЩtreally know until he dove into the work.

Gorgas wondered why it was that no one on board understood contingencies, or that plans needed to be
robust against the unexpected. тАЬSuppose you can repair only one of the engines?тАЭ he suggested. тАЬWhat
then?тАЭ

тАЬThen IтАЩll never enjoy the eulogy.тАЭ

Blinking, Gorgas wondered if he had stumbled into a different conversation. тАЬEulogyтАжтАЭ

тАЬBecause a man canтАЩt hear the eulogy at his own funeral; and the only way I canтАЩt repair both engines is
that IтАЩm dead before I finish the second.тАЭ

Gorgas tried once more. тАЬAt three-quarterтАЩs powerтАжтАЭ

тАЬBy the Bull, Gorgas!тАЭ Bhatterji explained as to a child. тАЬYou saw the damage. Could you repaireither
one in only five days? No one can. Not me, not even Enver Koch. So blitzing one cage just isnтАЩt an

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option. ItтАЩsgot to be both.тАЭ

Gorgas sighed. тАЬVery well.тАЭ He had expected as much, but had thought the chance worth pursuing. He
wondered though whether the impossibility of a five-day blitz repair were a fact of nature or of the
engineerтАЩs legendary inertia. He called up a planning matrix on his screen. тАЬHere is the plan I prepared. I
would like you toтАФтАЭ

тАЬThatyou preparedтАжтАЭ

тАЬYes. While I was waiting for you to report. Time not wasted, eh? I would like you to review it and
make any changes or modifications that you think are needed. I will expect the engines calibrated and
ready by no later than the twenty-eighth. Oh. One other matter. The damaged lithium pump served
engines Two and Three.тАЭ

тАЬAnd the south pump serves One and Four. What of it?тАЭ

тАЬIt struck me as curious. Why not One and Two on the first pump and Three and Four on the second?тАЭ

Bhatterji, for just a moment, could not process the question. It seemed to emanate from another pocket
universe. The words were Anglo but, strung together like that, made no sense. тАЬI donтАЩt know,тАЭ said
Bhatterji, choosing the only possible response.

Gorgas frowned. тАЬTwo and Three sum to five; and so do One and Four. I had thought there might be