"E. E. Doc Smith - D' Alembert 5 -Appointment at Bloodstar" - читать интересную книгу автора (Smith E. E. Doc)

After leaving headquarters, Jules raced his car as fast as the laws would permit to the
Canaveral Spaceport to meet his darling Vonnie. Even so he was ten minutes late for
the appointed time; fortunately, the ship's arrival was even later, and she was not left
standing around to wait for him.

When finally she did emerge from the customs checkpoint, he ran over to her and they
embraced like any ordinary pair of long-separated lovers. They had not seen each other
since their assignment together protecting Princess Edna on Ansegria nearly eight
months before. They had each stored up a great deal of emotion during that interval
and, in the first few minutes, they almost completely forgot they were in a public place.

After a while, however, sanity returned, and Jules pulled back a step to look her over
once more. Yvonne Roumenier was the same height as himself, with brown hair,
almond-shaped eyes, an exquisitely beautiful face, and a figure that matched it. Like
him, she was also a DesPlainian, and the child of a noble family. Her father, Ebert
Roumenier, was the baron of Nouveau Calais, one of the most important cities on
DesPlaines.

As the oldest child, she stood to inherit his title one day.

But it was neither her lineage nor her beauty nor the fact that she was engaged to Jules


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d'Alembert that had led the Head to choose her for this assignment. Yvonne Roumenier
had scored 989 on the thousand point test, making her one of the most capable agents
at his disposal. The fact that she and Jules made such a compatible team was at most
a secondary consideration.

"I could stand here looking at you all day," Jules said at last, "but we've got an
assignment that we should be on as soon as possible-meaning ten minutes ago."

"Before I even get a chance to unpack?" Vonnie asked. She was still a little breathless
from Jules's kisses, and was unprepared for such a rush.

"Relax, that's part of the assignment. We're live-in bodyguards for Duke Hanforth of
Melenaria, so we go straight to our assignment and check in there. I've already got a
uniform for you; you can change in back while I'm driving."

Jules took her suitcases out to his car and packed them neatly in the back. As they
drove to the outskirts of town, Jules explained as much of the Head's theories as
Vonnie needed to know-that someone seemed to be in the assassination business, and
that Duke Hanforth appeared to be the next prime target. The two of them were being
assigned as personal servants to the duke in addition to a regular SOTE team of
security agents; the regulars would not know Jules and Vonnie were on their side, for
the security of all concerned.

Once out in the open countryside, Jules converted his car once more into an aircraft,