"Mike Moscoe - Society of Humanity 03 - They Also Serve" - читать интересную книгу автора (Moscoe Mike)

in it was the shrapnel removed from his spine. His mistakes that day had cost him his
mobility and a lot of his people their lives. Ray knew the price of a lost battle. He'd pay
any price to win the peace his daughter or son would grow up in. That he swore. For that
little one, he'd be a bureaucrat.
"It's time to go." Ray turned to see his wife leaning against his office door, a hand on
her stomach that had yet to show her pregnancy. Her words said one thing. Underlying
them was a plea: Please don't.
Rita Nuu-Longknife was still the sharp ship driver that had caught his attentionтАФand
his heart. Why she'd fallen in love with an old warhorse was anybody's guess. Ray was
glad she had. But today, the gallant, balls-to-the-wall commander of an assault transport
squadron contended with the frightened wife and mother-to-be. Ray knew the battle
well. The wounded, frightened bureaucrat in him was ready to burrow into the carpet.
The old warrior demanded he get back on the horse that threw him.

"They also serve who only go to meetings," Ray said, tossing her a grin, since both
hands were too busy with canes to salute. "Besides, they asked for me," he said, letting
that settle the matter.

"That's what worries me."
"I'm the man who killed President Urm. Was in all the papers." They both tasted the
truth and the lie in that statement. "The spy wants me to take the measure of these folks.
Somebody has to." That was the limit of modern communication; they did a poor job of
measuring the human soul. Trust was built on the pressure of a handshake, the flinch of
an eyelid, the quick glance away after a key statement. There were computer programs
that purported to measure those things. Other programs guaranteed they'd take out of
your transmission what you didn't want in. With your life on the line, you pressed the
flesh. "It looks like a straight-up visit," he finished.
"If they're telling the truth. And if this oh so secret visit hasn't been leaked," Rita shot
back.

He reached the door; Rita hugged him, burying her head in his chest. Her hair smelled
of sunshine and spring, bringing back warm memories. He put his arms around her. It felt
so much better to lean on her rather than sticks. They hugged, and for a brief moment
the universe and its problems went away.

"You'll be careful," was muffled against his chest.
Before Ray could answer, "We'll take damn good care of him" came from the outer
office. Ray glanced up. Captain Matt Abeeb, ivory teeth grinning against ebony skin, was
already waiting. He had skippered the cruiser that changed the geography of human
space. Then he'd sailed the Sheffield for Earth's Society of Humanity and against Unity
and had damn near blown up Wardhaven. Now he worked for Ray, captain of the armed
merchant scout Second Chance for Wardhaven's Ministry of Science and Technology.
Peace had a logic, war its own crazy rationality. The transition between the two was
patently insane.

Beside him stood Mary Rodrigo, the chief of Second Chance's security team. In civilian
clothes today, she held herself rigid, as if still in the armored space suit she'd worn the day
she fought Ray's brigade. That day, the intelligence estimate said the 2nd Guard faced
only a handful of raw recruits. Intelligence had been rightтАФand dead wrong. Mary had
only one platoon, a mixed bag of middle-aged ex-miners and tough, young street kids.