"E. E. Doc Smith - D'Alembert 10 - Revolt of the Galaxy" - читать интересную книгу автора (Smith E. E. Doc)

attractive face, and she wore a bright-colored blouse and a skirt with a wild, multi-colored
pattern.
Even under normal circumstances she'd have attracted every masculine eye in the spaceport, but her
bearing showed nervousness and not a little apprehension. Something was not quite right with her,
and that made her stand out even more.
Her nervousness brought her to the attention of the SOTE clerk checking identification. One of the
many duties of the Service of the Empire was to keep records of the comings and goings of the
Empire's citizens, and to serve as customs agents to prevent the transport of contraband
materials. Spaceport clerks were trained to spot suspicious behavior - and this traveler was
definitely exhibiting some.
Courtesy was ever the watchword of the Service of the Empire - when more drastic measures were not
called for. "Good afternoon, gospozha," the clerk said politely. "May I see your ID card, please?"
The woman fumbled awkwardly - in the compartmented leather belt she wore and eventually produced



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the card. The officer took it and inserted it in the scanner, which immediately read the encoded
information and informed him that the card was issued to "Beti Bavol," that she held the title
"lady," and that her physical description matched that of the woman standing before him. She was
from the planet Newforest and consequently could be expected to have the typical high grav
physique: short, well-balanced body with thick bones and toughened muscles. That much, at least,
checked out.
"May I ask Your Ladyship to look in the retinascope for a positive ID scan?" the clerk continued.
The fact that Gospozha Bavol was of the nobility meant that even more courtesy was called for, but
he was still suspicious.
Beti Bavol peered into the scope, and a quick comparison with the patterns on her ID card
confirmed that she was indeed who she claimed to be. At the same time, the clerk surreptitiously
had the desk's built-in scanner go over her luggage and clothing to see whether she was carrying
anything illegal. The scanner showed she had a small knife tucked under her clothing next to her
hip, but nothing more serious than that. There was nothing illegal about carrying a hidden knife -
many women did it for protection - but it was one more factor to be considered.
"Thank you," the officer said as Beti Bavol pulled her eyes away from the scope. "Are you visiting
Des Plaines for business or pleasure?"
"I ... I'm not sure. That is, I'm looking for some one, my brother. I think he may be here. I
guess you'd call that pleasure."
The clerk did not respond; he was busy trying to make a decision. He had the full authority to
arrest this newcomer just on the basis of his feeling that something was wrong, but authority that
powerful could not be wielded casually - especially not against a member of the nobility - and he
had no hard evidence to back up his suspicions. At the same time, he didn't feel completely right
about letting her go off unsupervised.
In the end, he made a compromise decision. He entered her card number into his computer with the
order to keep a check on her activities and look for anything further out of order. Whenever her
ladyship took a hotel room, rented transportation, ordered a meal, or made any major purchase, the
fact would be reported to SOTE. The Service could then decide on the basis of more information
what action should be taken.
Ejecting the ID card from the machine, the officer handed it back to the young woman from
Newforest. "Thank you for your cooperation, Your Ladyship," he said politely. "Enjoy your stay on