"Gregory Kern - Cap Kennedy 01 - Galaxy of the Lost" - читать интересную книгу автора (Kern Gregory)

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Galaxy of the Lost by
Gregory Kern
Chapter One
On Sartelle the seas are red and the sands black, the sky is emerald and
the rain azure when it rains at all, which is seldom and never during the
long, hot days of summer. A fine place on which to rest, with giant fish in
the seas and the air scented with flowers. A soft place for a vacation, and
Kennedy was enjoying every moment of it.

He lay sprawled on the ebon grains, the sun hot on the hard lines of his
near-naked body, eyes closed against the glare as he listened to the soft
murmurs from a group of young girls lying a few yards distant. They did
not know or were careless of the way in which voices could travel over the
sand and their comments about his person were getting too pointed for
comfort. For a moment he wondered whether he should rise and face them
and perhaps answer some of their speculations, then decided against it.
Who he was and what he did were matters of no concern to any but
himself. And, young and innocent as they appeared, the girls needn't be
what they seemed. On Sartelle, as on everywhere else, information was a
thing which had value, items which could be bought and sold to those who
had an interest in such matters, and no one like himself could afford to
risk anyone learning more than they needed to know.

He turned a little as feet scuffed at the sand close to where he lay. A
voice, softly modulated, whispered in his ear.

"A message for you, Captain. Prime urgency and no delay acceptable.
Shall I tell them that you are at sea?"

Service, he thought, opening his eyes. The thing for which the hotel
demanded a high price but always provided. Diplomatic lies and the
bending of truth a little to give privacy. Here the wishes of the guests were
paramount.

It was tempting to take advantage of it, but Kennedy was proof against
temptation.

"Thank you, but no."

"Are you sure?" The voice softened even more. "You look so comfortable
lying here in the sun and it would be only a slight distortion of the truth. A
boat is about to leave. I could have missed youтАФa matter of a minute or