"Edward M. Lerner - Part I of IV - A New Order of Things" - читать интересную книгу автора (Lerner Edward M)

"I believe that dispenses with the security matter, so if you'll excuse me...."

What a tissue of rationalizations, Art thought, starting with Chung's takeover of the governor's office.
What wink-wink, nudge-nudge intimations that this UP presence was not a routine environmental
inspection had conveyed the ambassador's desire for suitable accommodations? Any violation of their
cover story put at risk the desired privacy of the first meeting, and conceivably endangered the Snakes
themselves.

Issue two was Chung's blithe confidence that the ETs had learned their lesson. He might even be correct,
but Art doubted it. Design flaw was diplomat-speak; no one at the ICU doubted that the Snakes had
cleverly inserted the trapdoors in their biocomps. The ongoing censorship of the Snake infosphere
certainly suggested their thinking remained clan-oriented. Could anyone be sure Pashwah's learning here
had been adopted by the clans back home?

Art's mind raced. To which arguments might the diplomat be receptive? Unpredictable consequences of
the physics superiority underlying the starship drive? The disingenuousness of the Snakes' few
transmissions to date, pretense that Chung had already shrugged off at the big kickoff? The common
sense of contingency planning? Trying to verbalize so complex a web of concepts had him tongue-tied.

Chung mistook, or chose to misinterpret, the conversational lull. "Good. I see we're done." He emerged
from behind his massive borrowed desk to usher Art out.

"What about Himalia?" Art was skirting security restrictions, but saw little choice. An astronomical
reference did not quite make him culpable under the Official Secrets Act.

"Himalia?" Chung was either uninformed or a superb actor; he looked sincerely befuddled. "The
maximum-security penitentiary? You can't possibly believe the K'vithians crossed six light-years to run a
jail break."

Crap! As was so often the case, Security rules were like the locks on his house--they kept out the honest
people. The prison was a cover story.

The small outer moon of Jupiter did, however, host a high-security institution. Not only was Himalia
base's true purpose deeply classified; the code name of its security compartment was itself classified. Art
had been there briefly as a consultant two standard years before joining the ICU, work that remained
sensitive. Chung's diplomatic mission was equally clandestine, within its own need-to-know security
compartment. It would take time and several coded communications exchanges with Earth before Art
could openly discuss his concern.

"I suppose not." As Chung shepherded him to the door, Art gave it one final try. "What if Himalia's patrol
ships misunderstand this incoming, non-communicating vessel?"

Chung froze. "I thought only the ICU had reason to look towards Barnard's Star."

"Perhaps prison guards look in all directions."

It was Chung's turn for pensive silence. "Perhaps it would be prudent to add an inconspicuous military
liaison. I take your point that the Himalia base must be told something. A few military escort ships may
even prove helpful for policing the region when the starship's arrival eventually becomes public. I'll see to