"James P. Hogan - Giants 4 - Entoverse" - читать интересную книгу автора (Hogan James P)

behind the rock.
Hunt stretched back on the grassy bank and clasped his hands behind his
head. "Anyhow, life's full and exciting right now. I don't need any of that
kind of complication. A whole alien civilization. A revolution in science --
profound things that need concentration."
"You need all your time," Jerry agreed solemnly. "Can't afford the
distraction."
"To tell you the truth, life has never been simpler and more
exhilarating."
"A good way for it to be."
Hunt lay back in the sun and closed his eyes. "Oh, you don't have to
worry about that. All the complications are three thousand miles away now, in
Germany, and that's about where I intend to keep them."
 At the sound of a car coming to a halt, he opened his eyes and sat up
again. The metallic bronze car that he had glimpsed approaching a minute or
two before had come up the access road and was standing outside the gateway
where the driveways from the two apartments merged. It was a newish-looking
Peugeot import, sleek in line, but with just the right note of restraint in
dark brown upholstery and trim to set it apart from pretentiousness.
The same could be said of the woman who was driving it. She was in her
early to mid-thirties, with a sweep of raven hair framing an open face with
high cheeks, a slightly pouting, well-formed mouth, rounded, tapering chin,
and a straight nose, just upturned enough to add a hint of puckishness. She
was wearing a neatly cut, sleeveless navy dress with a square white collar,
and the tanned arm resting along the sill of the open window bore a light
silver bracelet.
"Hi," she said. Her voice was easy and natural. She inclined her head
slightly to indicate the still-open hood of Jerry's Husky. "Since you're
relaxing, I assume you got it fixed."
Jerry detached himself from the tree and straightened up. "Yes. It's
fine now. Er...can we help you?"
Her eyes were bright and alive, with a deep, intelligent quality about
them that gave the impression of having taken in everything of note in the
scene in a brief, first glance. Her gaze flickered over the two men candidly,
curiously, but with no attempt at beguiling. Her manner was neither overly
assertive nor defensive, intrusive nor apologetic, or calculated to impress.
It was just, simply and refreshingly, the way that strangers everywhere ought
to be able to be with each other.
"I think I'm in the right place," she said. "The sign at the bottom said
there were only these two places up here. I'm looking for a Dr. Hunt."


CHAPTER THREE

The planet Jevlen possessed oceans that were rich in chloride and chlorate
salts. Molecules of these found their way high aloft via circulating winds and
air currents, where they were readily dissociated by a sun somewhat bluer and
hotter than Earth's, and therefore more active in the ultraviolet. This
mechanism sustained a population of chlorine atoms in the upper atmosphere,
which resulted in a palish chartreuse sky illuminated by a greeny-yellow sun.