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

Politics, then? Luden!"

The lights dimmed as the professor reached toward his instruments.
Fresh light shone against the wall, red, green, swathes of blue. Brilliant
points of white sprang into life and thin lines traced a spider web against
the rest, a skein of somber black.

"The area in which the ships vanished," said the professor from the
shadows. His thin face, touched with varying hues, seemed to shift, to
alterтАФat one moment that of a dedicated friar, at another the visage of an
idiotic clown. "The bright points, circled, are the points of departure, the
others the points of landing. The lines are the flight paths each ship would
have followed." Twin spots of violet sprang into being. "The positions of
the last two ships as given by their respective beacons. As you see, they are
close."

"Conclusions?"

"A moment, Cap." More light sprang into life against the wall, swirls of
orange, a Crosshatch of purple. "The orange is the sphere of Terran
influence. There you see Commander Breson's forces, MALAGA 7. The
purple is the Deltanian Domain. As you see, the flight paths of all ships
cross that area which intrudes like a headland thrusting into an ocean. We
have no quarrel with the Deltanians; in fact we work in close unison with
them. Their ships cross into our sector, ours into theirs. However, should
some other power be wanting to create discord, the destruction of ships
taking that passage would be a good way to start. Given time and the
inevitable spreading of rumor, all direct space travel will cease. Journeys
will become longer as ships make circuitous detours, freight prices rise,
dissension created. Pressure will be brought to bear for the intrusion to be
eliminated. If our forces move in, the Deltanians, naturally, will object. In
such a case, if neither side yields, the probability of war cannot be
ignored." Luden paused, then added, "The probability is very high. Terra
is weak in these regions and too many worlds are sparsely populated. If
one should be occupied, it could start a chain of destruction which could
reach to Earth itself."

Earth, with its teeming cities, its parks and playgrounds, recreational
areas and vast museums. The hub and center of Terran culture and
influence which fought to maintain peace among the stars. Kennedy
imagined the fury of war reaching toward it, the menacing shapes of
atomic missiles which could blast a continent to dust. A terrifying
conclusion to draw from the loss of a few ships, and yet small things could
cause momentous results. A virus was small, yet a virus could decimate a
world, a system. Size, in all things, was relative.

He said quietly, "Could Armat Chan be an agent working to bring mat
about?"

Luden was shrewd. "You suspect him?"