"Michael McCollum - Duty, Honor, Planet" - читать интересную книгу автора (McCollum Michael)

"Maybe the Council will approve the Resolution of Censure," Stassel said, as the Briefing Officer
struck a match and lit a cigarette.

"Care to back your opinion with cash?" the Englishman asked, grinning. "I hate to take advantage
of a babe in the woods, but that is too good a chance at profit to pass up."

"Bet with you, Livingston? Do you think my mother raised stupid children?"

"Hmmm ... I'll not answer that." Livingston glanced at the chronometer on the wall. Its red glowing
numerals read 08:31-- except one of the LED's had burned out and the numeral one was missing half
its height. "You haven't got much time, Fred. The shuttle leaves in twelve minutes."

"Yes sir," Stassel said, gathering up his notes and a situation briefing tape to be studied on the trip
to the satellite. He got up to leave.

"Not so fast," Livingston said, his bantering tone suddenly turned serious. "The guardian of our
virtues wants to see you."
 Stassel strained to keep his expression neutral as Livingston pressed a buzzer. Within a few
seconds, the cabin door opened and a dumpy, hard-faced woman in the uniform of a UN Political
Officer strode in. Stassel avoided looking at her. Colonel Irma Shetland was not one of his favorite
people. She was a dour faced American with a nasty habit of delving into other people's confidential
files. Stassel had spent an uncomfortable hour with her when he'd first come aboard the space station
and he had not forgotten the experience. His face still turned red with anger when he thought about it.

"Good morning, Hauptmann Stassel," she said in her flat, emotionless voice.

"Colonel Shetland," he replied.

"I understand you are going into one of our hot spots. I am sure you will do well there."

He remained silent.

"It is my duty, however, Herr Hauptmann, to inform you of the penalty for violation of Peace Enforcer
regulations should you decide to get involved without authorization."

"I have read the regulations, Colonel," he said.

"I hope you have. In addition, I hope you remember that thirty-five years in a UN prison is a long time.
So stay out of it no matter what your personal biases."

"Should you fail us in this," she said, pausing to let the import of her words sink in. "I will order Alphas
Eight and Ten to laser you out of the sky. Got that?"

"Yes, Colonel," he said aloud. Silently he let the word he never dared say in her presence float to the
surface. Gestapo! It was the worst insult he could think of.

"Then get out. I have important things to do. Seems the UN is sending up another bigwig observer and
I've got to hold his hand," she said.

Stassel hurried to a spoke entrance a hundred meters spinward from the briefing cubicle and punched for