"Norton, Andre - Redline the stars" - читать интересную книгу автора (Norton Andre)

to be dissatisfied as you said." He slid the ID into his
recorder and pushed the button, officially sealing his new
hand to the ship. That done, he returned it to her. "Wel-
come aboard, Doctor. Thorson should be waiting outside
now to show you around. You'll have just enough time to
see something of the Queen and stow your gear before we

lift off."

4

Dane glanced at his timer. What was keeping the woman in
there anyway? His own initial interview had taken only the
few seconds necessary to process his ID. . .

He glared at the door, angry with her and with himself
because he recognized that his present ill will stemmed
from his own uncertainty.

Damn, he thought. He knew as well as the next that
mixed crews were supposedly better on every count, but
th6 Queen had managed just fine with only men since he
had joined her company, and he was not anxious to see
anything intrude that might cause trouble now. They faced
enough of that from the outside without introducing it into
their own company.




32 Andre Norton & P.M. Griffin

It was no question of Rael Cofort's probable skill or lack
of it that was bothering him. Certainly, it was not her


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gender. There had been an abnormally low percentage of
women in his class at the Pool, but they had still comprised
more than a third of the total. To a one, they had proven
equal to the work and had pulled their part both individu-
ally and in the group projects assigned to them.

He sighed to himself. The newcomer's capabilities
hardly interested him at the moment. He was simply afraid
of what she might do. He liked the SoJar Queen the way
she was. He was settled, comfortable, and he did not relish