"Michael McCollum - Gibraltar earth" - читать интересную книгу автора (McCollum Michael)

He smiled. тАЬThen you must be Professor Arden. He rose and crossed the curved floor of the
compartment. тАЬMy name is Dieter Pavel. I am on the staff of the World Coordinator.тАЭ

тАЬThen you must know what is going on.тАЭ

тАЬIndeed I do.тАЭ

тАЬMind telling me?тАЭ

He glanced around, making a show of inspecting the walls. тАЬOnce we are aboard ship, IтАЩll answer that
question. As for now, you will have to trust us.тАЭ

тАЬWhatтАЩs the big mystery?тАЭ she asked, refusing to be put off.

He laughed. тАЬLook, I have my orders. I do not like them, but they are orders. I take it that you were
rushed into ... тАШvolunteering?тАЩтАЭ

Now it was her turn to laugh. тАЬIt all happened so fast, I barely had time to buy this outfit,тАЭ she said,
gesturing toward her shipsuit.

тАЬIt is very fetching. Now then, shall we relax and talk about something wecan talk about. Why donтАЩt you
start by telling me the story of your life? After all, we are going to be together for quite some time.тАЭ


CHAPTER 4


Lisa Arden floated in midair before the orbit-to-orbit ferryтАЩs small viewport and searched the firmament
in front of her. Save for the yellow-white billiard ball that was the sun, there was nothing to see. The stars
were too faint to compete with the Great Hydrogen Bomb in the Sky, and the Earth was somewhere
behind her. Of the vast orbiting mirror that was their destination, there was no sign. It was as though the
artifact were hidden behind some great black veil.

тАЬWhy canтАЩt we see it?тАЭ she asked. Dieter Pavel floated beside her at the viewport inMercanterтАЩs Wind ,
the high-delta-V orbital ferry they had boarded at Equatorial Station.

тАЬSee what?тАЭ Pavel asked, moving to float directly behind Lisa. She thought he hovered closer than was
necessary, but decided not to make an issue of it. After all, they would be cooped up together for the
next several weeks.

тАЬPoleStar! Where is it?тАЭ

тАЬRight in front of you,тАЭ Pavel replied. As he spoke, he pointed over her shoulder. тАЬSee the dimly glowing
patch?тАЭ

She strained her eyes, and sure enough, a patch of - something - seemed to be obscuring the blackness
of space. It was remarkably difficult to focus her eyes on the spot, however.

The ferryтАЩs pilot had announced that they were bound for PoleStar shortly after leaving Equatorial
Station, and while the information had answered one of LisaтАЩs questions, it had generated several others.