"James P. Hogan - Leapfrog" - читать интересную книгу автора (Hogan James P)

side? You pick up speed, right? The tough partтАЩs over. People just look
at it the wrong way.тАЭ
Byacheslav smiled. тАЬNever thought about it that way. Maybe youтАЩre
right.тАЭ
тАЬHow about you?тАЭ
тАЬMe? IтАЩm going to be too busy to worry much about things like
that. WeтАЩre scheduled to begin excavating the steel plant within a
month. Oh, and there was something else. . . .тАЬ Byacheslav reached
inside his jacket, took a billfold from the inside pocket, and peeled
out Unodollar tens and ones. тАЬThatтАЩs to settle our poker accountтАФbefore
I blow it all in the mess bar down at Mainbase.тАЭ
Halloran took the money and stuffed it in his hip pocket. тАЬThanks. You
know, By, there was a time when I wouldnтАЩt have trusted a
Russian as far as I could throw one of your earthmovers. It came with
the trade.тАЭ
тАЬWell, youтАЩre in a different business now.тАЭ
тАЬI guess we all are.тАЭ
They entered the antechamber, with its suiting-up room and two
EVA airlocks on one side, and passed through the open doors of the
docking port into the body of the shuttle. To align with the direction
of the Mikhail GorbachevтАЩs simulated gravity, the shuttle had docked
with its roof entry-hatch mating to the port, which meant they had to
enter down a ladder into the compartment forward of the passenger
cabin. The seats were small and cramped, and Halloran and Byacheslay
wedged themselves in about halfway to the back, next to a young
Indonesian who was keeping up a Continuous chatter with someone in the
row behind.
тАЬDo you know where youтАЩre going yet, Ed?тАЭ Byacheslav asked as
they buckled themselves in.
тАЬProbably a couple of weeks more up in orbit, until the new admin
facility is ready down below,тАЭ Halloran replied. тАЬThe director IтАЩll be
working for from MCM is supposed to be meeting me at MARSMOS. I should
find out for sure then. I guess it depends on you construction people.тАЭ
тАЬDonтАЩt worry. We wonтАЩt leave you stuck up here. . . .тАЬ Byacheslav
looked at Halloran and raised his eyebrows. тАЬSo, one of the directors
is meeting you personally, eh? And will they have a red Carpet? If
thatтАЩs the kind of reception an administrator gets, I think IтАЩm
starting to worry already. I can see how the whole place will end up
being run. That was what I came all this distance to get away from. Hmm
maybe IтАЩve changed my mind. Perhaps we will leave you up here.тАЭ
HalloranтАЩs rugged, pink-hued face creased into a grin. тАЬI
wouldnтАЩt get too carried away if I were you. HeтАЩs based up at MARSMOS
most of the time, anyway. IтАЩm just here to take care of resource-
allocation schedules. Nothing special. They used to call it being a
clerk.тАЭ
тАЬNow I think youтАЩre being too modest. ThereтАЩs a lot more to it
than scratching in ledgers with pens these days. You have to know corn-
puter systems. And in a situation like this, the function is crucial.
You canтАЩt tell me youтАЩre not good.тАЭ
тАЬDonтАЩt believe a word of it. ItтАЩs just Uncle SamтАЩs way of