"Continuing Time - 98 - Lord November" - читать интересную книгу автора (Moran Daniel Keys)

leather Bible; not the one which he held now, the black Bible that he clutched,
closed, in both hands.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still
waters.
УFinal life support checks.Ф Peaceforcer EvanТs tone of voice was bored, the
nothing-wrong-here drawl affected by pilots for more than a century. Evans
himself, United Nations Peace Keeping Force Officer though he was, was a good
Catholic who regularly failed to report his colleagueТs treasonable talk. Bear
Corona suited up next to him, an Excalibur Series One slung across his back;
Evans bore the same weapon himself. УSheila, check Father Michael for me.Ф
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his nameТs
sake.
Standing near the rear of the suiting room, Father Michael straightened at the
sound of his name, and with easy self-control tucked the Bible that he had been
holding into an outer pocket of his pressure suit. Breaking away from the
others, Sheila Moore, a plump, rather plain molecular biologist with whom Father
Wellsmith often played chess in the evenings, came back to check his vitals for
him. She was with the party because she had taken a course in exobiology ten
years prior: such as it was, that background made her the closest thing the
colony had to an expert on aliens.
She found the Bible in the outer pocket, and scolded, УYou forgot to seal the
pocket. You want to be more careful.Ф At Ganymean temperatures, even plastipaper
grew fragile and shattered. She clipped his helmet photo diode to his earlobe,
and turned it on; the vampire gauge paused a moment before flickering to life.
Еmark Take text from Ecclesiastes.
She glanced quickly at the Bible before sealing the pocket; the bookmark was in
Ecclesiastes. He would be reading the most depressing book in the damn Bible.
The voice from Control came across the outspeaker: УSergeant Evans, Bear, IТve
got some new stuff. The Zaradin transmitted a new message to us.Ф
Yea, though I walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, I will fear no
evil.
УLargely bad news. TheyТre saying that weТd better bring out ourЧuh, defiler of
truths is how the computer is translating itЧor weТll be sorry. They said theyТd
demonstrate how sorry weТd be. Nothing on that yet.Ф
There was a brief pause before conversation resumed. Bear Corona said, УPushy
bastards, arenТtЧФ
The landscape outside the window glared in a sudden wash of light.
Peaceforcer Evans said calmly, locking his gloves into place, УControl? What is
it?Ф
УЧI thinkЧI think they just blew Europa out of the sky.Ф

The large airlock finished cycling. Peaceforcer Evans, Bear Corona, Sheila
Moore, and Father Michael moved forward, onto the frozen ground, in slow,
gliding steps. The stars above shone bright and hard. The cold sunlight glared
down at them; their faceplates polarized away most of it.
In the southern portion of their sky, about ten degrees from Jupiter, hung a
bright, slowly expanding cloud of debris.
Bear Corona moved next to Father Michael, and sketched УC4Ф on Father MichaelТs
faceplate. Father Michael switched to the sideband.
УFather,Ф he said, Уbeen wondering what your plans are.Ф