"Kristine Kathryn Rusch - The Room of Lost Souls" - читать интересную книгу автора (Rusch Kristine Kathryn)

Although the portals are opaqued against it, I can feel it looming, almost as
if itтАЩs a living entity, one that grows and changes and becomes something
else.

тАЬIтАЩm a little uncomfortable,тАЭ he says and shifts in his seat as if to prove
the remark. тАЬIтАЩve put this conversation off too long.тАЭ

I stiffen. One of the risks of giving him control is that he would keep it,
that he would make the missionтАФand in some ways, the shipтАФhis. I trusted
him not to do that, but that trust suddenly feels fragile.

тАЬWhatтАЩs going on?тАЭ I ask, careful to keep my voice calm.

тАЬIтАЩve been thinking a lot about tomorrowтАЩs dive,тАЭ he says. тАЬI donтАЩt think
you should do it.тАЭ

The words hang between us. I make myself breathe before
responding.

тАЬHave you seen something that makes the dive untenable?тАЭ I ask.

He shakes his head. тАЬThe dive is fine. I think we should go ahead with
it. I just donтАЩt think you should be the one to go in.тАЭ

My face heats. тАЬThatтАЩs the whole point of this mission.тАЭ

тАЬGoing into the Room to recover Commander Trekov is the point of
this missionтАФthe central point, the one you and I agreed on. But this whole
mission is larger than that, and weтАЩre learning some great things. We
wouldnтАЩt have done that without you.тАЭ

He clearly planned that little speech. It sounds forced.

тАЬWhoтАЩll go in?тАЭ I ask.

тАЬMe,тАЭ he says.

тАЬAlone?тАЭ The word squeaks out. IтАЩm surprised and can no longer hide
it.

тАЬI have the most dive experience next to you,тАЭ he says.

тАЬActually, thatтАЩs not true. Odette does.тАЭ

тАЬAll right, then,тАЭ he says. тАЬYou and I have the most diving experience
on dangerous wrecks. SheтАЩs spent the last fifteen years on tourist runs.тАЭ

тАЬLike me,тАЭ I say softly.
 тАЬYou havenтАЩt spent fifteen years at it, and if that were the only
problem, IтАЩd ignore it.тАЭ