"Kay Kenyon -The Seeds of Time" - читать интересную книгу автора (Kenyon Kay)

wrong half the time.
She smiled back. "Well, they said you were smart. "
"Now I can see why they call you the Red Queen. " He was looking at her in frank dazzlement.
This time Clio didn't wince at the title, found herself genuinely smiling. Felt good, a real smile. "And
you're Golden Boy. Zee, of Princeton. " She held out her hand.
He grasped it, released it hurriedly. Clio suppressed a hoot. My God, too hot to handle! The kid's
sweet, real sweet.
Hillis looked up at them, taking it all in, looking pointedly at Clio with a knowing smile. Means what,
Clio wondered. Jealous? Maybe. But of who?
"They say you're going to prove that Dive pilots don't have to burn out, " Zee said. "You're going to be
the first. "
Clio's mood crashed in a hurry. "Why burn out when you can burn up, I always say. Live fast, Zee.
Didn't they teach you anything worthwhile at Princeton?" She took the seat next to Hillis. "How's old Gaia
doin'?"
"One day at a time... " Hillis was punching the keyboard, shifting the colors on the map screen, deep
into the Hillis crusade.
"What's Hillis up to today, Zee? You got it figured out, or is all you care about protons and stuff?"
"Well, technically, most everything has protons, so I like to think of myself as a generalist. But to
answer your question, this is forest ecosystem mapping. " Zee watched the screen as though it made sense
to him, and perhaps it did.
Clio swung back to the screen. Now she could detect the general outline of a northern chunk of South
America, with a dark purple artery and veins that must be the Amazon. Well, if it was forest research, that
would be the Amazon, of course. The last forest. From space, the last big expanse of green that was visible
on Earth.
Hillis had windowed down to a local section. Resolution was poor. He frowned and plunked at the keys
irritably.
"I've never been off-planet, " Zee said. "Seems kinds of funny. "
Clio swung back around. "What does?"
"An astrophysicist nervous about being in space. "
"You mean here? Vanda?"
Zee glanced over at the corridor wall. "No. Out there. On mission. "
"Well, space is the easy part. It's the Dive that's tough, and you'll be asleep for that part. No sweat. "
Hillis chimed in, "And when you wake up, you'll be in a different solar system. " He had swung around,
joined them. "And that's an astronomer's dream, right?" The computer clicked at him, and he turned back,
jabbing a key, blanking the screen.
"Right. All for science, " Zee said.
"Shuttle's leaving in a couple hours, Hill, " Clio said. "The Bureau's called a hearing. "
"I know. " Still punching in commands. Always doing two things at once.
"You coming?"
He turned to her. "Think I'd let you go Earthside without me?" He resumed his program. "After the
hearing, we'll take a car trip. "
"We will?"
"Sure. Have some fun. "
Clio watched his profile, intent on his task. How could he worry about the Bureau when he had the
whole Earth to worry about?
He glanced quickly over at her. "Hey. " Flicked his shoulder, dismissing the Bureau. "Piece of cake. "

Chapter 3

Earthside, Clio sat on a hard bench outside the hearing room at the BTM, Bureau of Time