"Jack McKinney - Robotech Sentientals 4 - World Killers" - читать интересную книгу автора (McKinney Jack)

"It seems your decision to withhold information from the council was
well conceived," Exedore said.
"Regrettably, yes," Lang answered, showing no regret at all.
Anything said before the council went straight to Edwards's ear, and
both scientists had thought it unwise to let Edwards know that there was any
monopole ore left here on Tirol.
"In my opinion, the battle lines are drawn, and we're only awaiting the
opening shot," Lang added. Exedore, who had seen centuries of war, nodded.
They felt safe speaking their mind there in the center of Lang's
research facility, satisfied that it was debugged and that the people he had
gathered around him were loyal. Besides, his latest project was complete: one
of the SDF Escort-class cruisers had been adapted with a spacefold drive.
It had taken every gram of ore recoverable from the analysis labs and
every speck from the secret cache Lang and Exedore had amassed with Breetai's
help. At last there was a way to contact Earth, to pass along a warning of the
Robotech Masters' intention to seek out the world to which Zor had sent the
SDF-1 and the mysterious Protoculture matrix-provided the rest of the
Plenipotentiary Council could be swayed.
Exedore and Lang sat together, waiting, before the lab's main screen.
The heated debate of the last five hours had them all exhausted, and the
one-hour interlude before the vote, during which each member was to weigh the
pros and cons, had come as a welcome chance to catch their breath.
A tone sounded and the screen lit up again, split so that the other ten
council members' faces appeared there. Former judge Justine Huxley said, "The
moment for the vote has come. If there are no further objections, council
members will be so good as to enter their ballots."
Exedore and Lang complied, not hiding their vote from each other as they
keyed in their codes. The tabulating computer came up with the result
instantly.
"By a two-vote majority, Dr. Lang's proposal to send the refitted SDF-7
class ship back to Earth, with warning of the peril constituted by the
Robotech Masters, is carried."
"I would reiterate my point that the voyage be undertaken as soon as
possible," Lang was quick to put in, "and my recommendation that Major
Carpenter be put in overall charge of the mission."
Suddenly, Edwards's face replaced all others on the screen, flushed with
fury. "You're all making a mistake you'll regret! That's the only spacefold
ship we've got, maybe the only one we'll have for months or years to come!
"Who knows what Carpenter and the others will run into back there? I'll
say it again: the only sane course of action is to wait until we've got an
armada and return to Earth in overwhelming strength!"
"Are you saying that the majority of the council has lost possession of
its mental faculties?" Exedore asked innocently. Edwards made a wordless sound
of rage and broke the connection, so that the council's faces returned to the
screen. After a few quick directives to the effect that Lang and Exedore
should begin organizing the voyage, the meeting was adjourned.
"Edwards never seems to learn his lesson," Exedore remarked. "Even
though the bulk of his Ghost Riders failed to return from their mission to
apprehend Breetai, he speaks as though he has the military might to enforce
his will."