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

MarkтАЩs answering shrug felt callous, even to him. тАЬThere are a lot more fish in the sea.тАЭ

тАЬAt the rate you are going, you just might do a full-scale ecological count on this particular ocean.тАЭ

Irritated with the way the conversation was going, Mark asked, тАЬLook, have we got a bet or not?тАЭ

Gunter smiled. тАЬYou still think Price is going to beat Hoffman in the cis-lunar, do you?тАЭ

тАЬWhy not? His yacht just had a sail replacement and the word is that he has lightened his life support
system by twenty percent.тАЭ

тАЬDoesnтАЩt matter. When Niels Falon quit him, he lost all hope of winning the trophy this year.тАЭ

тАЬI think PriceтАЩs advantage in equipment will overcome any experience loss from FalonтАЩs departure. In
fact, IтАЩll put a thousand on it just to make it interesting.тАЭ

тАЬEven bet? No distance handicap?тАЭ

тАЬNone.тАЭ

тАЬThen you have got yourself a wager, Rich Boy. I just hope you arenтАЩt too drunk to remember this
tomorrow morning.тАЭ

тАЬIтАЩll show you whoтАЩs drunk,тАЭ Mark hissed as he stood. Suddenly, the room began to revolve slowly. He
reached out to steady himself on PerlmanтАЩs shoulder. тАЬMaybe youтАЩre right. I think IтАЩll find Moira and call
it a night.тАЭ

тАЬDonтАЩt forget that I am having a practice session aboardGossamer Gnat in a couple of weeks. I would
love to have you crew for me if you have the time.тАЭ

тАЬSure, sounds like fun,тАЭ Mark said. тАЬNothing I like better than smelling myself after being cooped up in a
vacuum suit for a solid week. Call me in a couple of days and weтАЩll arrange it.тАЭ

#

The lights of the Phoenix-Tucson metroplex were a brilliant carpet of diamonds strewn across the dark
desert floor as Mark RykandтАЩs air car wended its way west. In the intermediate distance were the
ribbon-like communities that lined the banks of the Colorado River, while on the horizon; the sky glow of
San Angeles was just becoming visible. Within the sky car, the only illumination came from the blue glow
of the instruments.

Mark scanned the horizon, searching for other aerial traffic while Moira snuggled close, her left arm
draped around his neck and her head resting on his chest as she emitted soft, snoring sounds. There was
a reason for his vigilance.

Three years earlier, MarkтАЩs parents had been traveling this same flyway when a drunken pilot had chosen
Blythe for his next drink. It had been a busy Friday night and traffic control had refused changes in flight
plans all evening. Rather than take the chance that his maneuver would be disapproved; the drunken flyer
had illegally switched to manual and started a long sweeping turn to the right. Part way through the turn,
his car had encountered that of MarkтАЩs parents.