"E. E. Doc Smith - D' Alembert 8 - Eclipsing Binaries" - читать интересную книгу автора (Smith E. E. Doc)

was
rumored, allowed instant access to all the conspiracy's files as well as a
direct telecom
link to the mysterious person known only as C. That immense jade egg
represented the
very heart of the conspiracy-and seated within this egg, back straight and
looking as
though she'd been born to rule the universe, was Lady A.

The woman who ran the greatest conspiracy in human history was of average
height-but
that was the only thing average about her. Tanya Boros, never modest and
renowned for
her own attractiveness, always felt plain in the presence of this magnificent
woman. Her
figure and face were of classic beauty, mature but unwrinkled, and there was
something
inhumanly cold about them. She wore a tight-fitting dress of jade green silk
one shade
darker than the egg about her, with gold and silver phoenixes embroidered on
the
shoulders and sleeves. Her jet black hair, tightly braided, was draped
casually across her
left shoulder, and her green eyes peered out from beneath those arching black
brows
with painful intensity.

As the door closed behind her, Tanya Boros stood in this regal presence not
knowing
what to say. Even though she'd been raised in the upper echelons of galactic
nobility,
she'd never met anyone else who was as awe-inspiring as Lady A.

"Don't just stand there, child," Lady A said. "Have a seat." She gestured with
a perfectly
manicured hand at one of the two black lacquered chairs.

"Thank you," Boros said, taking the indicated seat. The two women sat in
silence for a
long moment. Boros grew increasingly uncomfortable at the appraising scrutiny
she was
being given. It felt as though Lady A were weighing her very soul and finding
it a feather's
weight this side of perfection.

"We haven't had much chance to talk recently, have we?" Lady A said at last,
breaking
the unbearable silence. "No, ma'am."

"Not since Gastonia, really."