"Kristine Smith - Kilian 1 - Code Of Conduct" - читать интересную книгу автора (Smith Kristine)

Until her morning meeting.

Business has dropped over the side these past two weeks, girly. NUVA-SCAN
annex won't answer
our calls. Even the Hadrin are complaining. But you wouldn't know anything
about that, would you?

An overwrought voice interrupted Jani's troubled meditation. "A great honor is being
paid the Commonwealth," the CapNet reporter gushed, "opening a new and exciting
chapter in human-idomeni relations!"

Spoken like someone who has no idea what she's talking about, Jani thought as she
watched members
of the Commonwealth Cabinet walk out onto the sheltered stage that had been
erected in front of the Prime Minister's palatial Main House. Steam puffed from their
mouths. A few of the coatless ministers shivered in their formal, color-coded
uniforms. Chicago in winter looked even less hospitable than NorthPort, if that was
possible.

Treasury Minister Abascal, ever-flushed face glowing in lurid contrast to his gold
tunic, trundled to the podium "to say a few words."

"Where's the ambassador?" someone grumbled.

"He doesn't come out till laterтАФyou want the poor old bastard to freeze to death?"

"Never get to see him at this rate." One of the day-shift waiters checked his
timepiece. "All fourteen ministers gonna talkтАФit'll be hours."

"Not all fourteen," said the restaurant hostess. "Van Reuter's not there."

Really? Jani studied the rows of faces, looking for the one she knew. Had known.
Long ago.
"Too bad," she said. "He's the best speaker of the bunch."

"You like him?" The waiter glanced at Jani over his shoulder and sneered. "He's a
Family boy nance."

"He knows the idomeni," Jani replied. "That's more than you can say for the rest of
them."

"You don't see him much since his wife died," the hostess said. "Poor man."

"You hear about him, though," the waiter muttered. "Nance."

On-screen, Abascal finished to scattered applause and gave way to Commerce
Minister al-Muhammed. Jani leaned forward, straining to hear the commentary over
the buzz of multiple conversations. Commerce controlled trade and transport
schedulesтАФmaybe something al-Muhammed said would shed light on the slowdown