"Modesitt,.L.E.-.Ecolitian.Enigma.v1.1" - читать интересную книгу автора (Modesitt L E)

knew the Institute had good medical techniques, but knowing. . . and experiencing . . ."

"This is Accord." He forced a soft laugh, ignoring the wave of pain that the sound sent down his side. "But I wish you hadn't gotten the experience firsthand."
"You are impossible."
"How are-" he asked. "I'm fine. The arm hurts, and the nerves burn all the way to my neck sometimes, but the medtechs say that's normal and there's no lasting damage."

"Good." Nathaniel offered a smile. The last thing he wanted was for her to arrive on Accord and be crippled . . . or worse. But why had someone been after them?

"Has anyone-" He had trouble concentrating, his thoughts skittering from one image to another, reinforced by the tightness in his stomach that kept insisting that something was very wrong.

"Your Prime Ecolitan talked to me, while they were still working on you." Sylvia smiled. "He was more forthright than anyone from the Empire would have been."

"And?" Nathaniel tried to bring up the relaxation techniques to reduce muscular tension and pain, and eased himself back against the pale green sheets-sheets, soft as they were, that felt like hundreds of pins where his bare skin brushed them.

"The needles were Imperial military issue-the ones they use for Special Ops. They're transparent to everything. They found a dead Coordinate trooper, minus his uniform and equipment, just off the Debar base-"

"DeHihns," corrected Nathaniel. "Named after the first planetary chairman."

"They think he'd only been killed a few hours before."
"It couldn't have been an Imperial Special Op." Nathaniel shook his head momentarily, then stopped as a line of fire slashed up his left side. He closed his eyes against the light from the window. Even that seemed to glare.

"I'd agree." Sylvia smiled ironically. "I'd like to know why you think that, though."

"First," he said slowly, "it's unlikely one could pass the screens, but if he or she did, they'd be good enough that one or both of us would be dead. Second, they'd have had a better opportunity on Old Earth. There, the timing would have been far better . . . easier. . ." He took a slow deep breath, letting the relaxation techniques blunt the pain. Sylvia nodded.

After all, Nathaniel reflected silently, for an Imperial Special Operative to get to Accord before they had in time to set up an assassination attempt meant that it had to have been planned almost before Nathaniel had completed his trade negotiations. "Third . . . it's too obvious."
"It was meant to be obvious." But why? That was the question. His vision blurred. Sylvia stood quickly and stepped up beside the bed, touching his forehead with her good hand, with fingers chat were cool and soothing. "Just relax . . . you need to rest." He tried to smile, but found blackness looming over him.

IV

As he had the last time he had visited the Institute, Delegate Minister of Interstellar Commerce Restinal paused outside the open door.

"Come on in, Werlin," called the Prime Ecolitans cheerful voice. "Remember, we don't stand on ceremony. We don't even sit on it."

Restinal forced a genial smile and carried his datacase into the lorkin-paneled office, bowing to the silver-haired man who stood by the wide table that served as his desk.

"Take a seat." Without waiting for Restinal to follow the suggestion, Gairloch Pittsway, Prime of the Ecolitan Institute, sat down in the hand-carved armchair behind the table.

Restinal eased into the chair closest to the door, his datacase on his lap. "I wished to convey personally my thanks to you and to the Institute for its willingness to relinquish Ecolitan Whaler to the Ministry. His efforts as Trade Legate to New Augusta were most effective." Restinal smiled again. "Most effective."
"I'm glad you recognize that." "I was sorry to hear that the Empire rather belatedly also recognized his expertise and effectiveness."

"Professor Whaler will be incapacitated for a short while, no longer, and I am sure he will appreciate your concern, Werlin. Even if I did have to force him on you." The Primes smile was faint.

"I bowed to your wisdom then, and I still do."
"Werlin, you only bow to superior force of one type or another, and we both know it." There was a slight pause. "You didn't come all the way out here just to offer congratulations and condolences. What did you have in mind?"

Restinal shifted his weight on the chair, already hard. "I understand that Professor Whaler is a highly regarded expert on development economics, and especially economic infrastructures."
"That is his specialty," acknowledged Pittsway. "We understand that New Avalon may be requesting our assistance with such a matter on Artos." Restinal kept his voice even. "We are to prepare a report on the economic development structure and possibilities of Artos . . ."

"We? The Coordinate government doesn't have either the expertise or the impartiality. Why did you agree to this before talking with the Institute?" asked Pittsway, his voice equally level.