"L. E. Modesitt - The Ecolitan Institute 01 - Ecologic Envoy" - читать интересную книгу автора (Modesitt L E)

independent of the Coordinate. So independently, thought the Ecolitan who was the needle-boat's pilot, captain, and
crew, that the government itself had no idea of the Institute's strength.

"Sooner or later, they'll need us again," murmured the pilot. "Sooner, if this is any indication. Much sooner."

Nathaniel Firstborne Whaler, sometime scholar and full-time practicing Ecolitan, automatically squared himself
within his seat cocoon and cleared the board readouts, returning all the data to the coded master disc in the center of
the boat.

As the bell chime sounded in his ears. Whaler tapped the sequencing plate, and the needle-boat vanished from the
norm-space where the Imperial detectors had failed to notice the discrepancy in the energy levels that had been the
only sign of its presence.
...II...



The Admiral glared around the conference table that circled an empty space, then tapped the flat control panel.

The panel flashed twice before settling into a steady amber glow to signify that the full security screens were on-line
and functioning.

A tap on another panel stud brought the holo star map into being in the once-vacant center of the encircling table.

The Admiral lifted the light pointer from the console and rapped the table. Once. The low murmur from the dozen
senior officers died.

Guiding the pointer into the holo map, the Admiral focused the tip on a G-type system on the far side of the Rift.

"Accord. You can see how it controls the trade lines. Particularly since the Secession."

The pointer tip moved from the holo and jabbed at the Commodore.

"Let's have your isolation strategy report." The Commodore stood stiffly and gestured at the blank wall to the right of
the senior officer. A segment of the holo, blown to larger dimensions, appeared. On the inner edge of the Rift, the
Imperial side, three stars appeared in red. .

II "Haversol, Fonderal, and Cubera. Until the success of our recent operation, Haversol was the largest out-Rift
trade staging point on the Imperial side dealing with the Coordinate traders. The economics dictated that we hit
Fonderal first, and that was completed before we even planned the Haversol campaign. The embargo on Fonderal was
a simpler matter, of course, because of its lack of an internally supported infrastructure. Even they couldn't tackle that
kind of rebuilding job, not in the short run, and especially with Haversol still open.

"Next came the flanking movement. We managed to get adequate support to the statist insurgents, who, in turn,
were able to topple the monarchy. Of course, the new provisional government asked for Imperial assistance, and the
Fourth Fleet was close enough to provide the necessary support." .

"That left Hernando and Haversol along this corridor, and we've just about completed the establishment of the
military support agreement with the new government of Haversol."

Another system on the holo blowup began to alternate flashing white and red. "That leaves Hernando."