"Jeff Verona - Field Day" - читать интересную книгу автора (Verona Jeff)

Patrick. I was able to get away from the meeting sooner than I
anticipated."
Extending a hand to me, he said "IтАЩm Jeb Stuart Lee."
We shook. "Mister Lee," I said.
"Jeb, please."
"Jeb, IтАЩm Doug Hammond, and this is Tevi." I nodded to my partner.
"Welcome to Sovereignty," Jeb said. "Do you need anything brought from your
ship? Patrick can help."
I glanced at Tevi. "Would you like to help Patrick fetch our gear?" As I
spoke, I twitched my fingers in a shooing motion.
Her eyes flickered. "Of course, Doug," she said smoothly. "Patrick, you
will
follow me, please."
Patrick glared at Jeb. Then, stiff-shouldered, he followed Tevi back to the
car. As it rose toward the docking ring, Jeb began another apology. "WeтАЩre
not
used to visitors here on Sovereignty," he said.
"Or having people check up on you," I said.
His smile slipped. "Well put. We file our curricula and our standardized
test
scores with the Registry every year, Doug. ThereтАЩs no need for EC to come
visiting."
"I agree," I said, spreading my hands. "But you know how a bureaucracy is.
They want an on-site inspection. WeтАЩre not here to cause trouble, Jeb. We
wonтАЩt get underfoot, and weтАЩll be gone in a couple of days."
"Good." JebтАЩs wristband suddenly began to beep. "Ah, hell, IтАЩve got another
meeting. Would you mind waiting here for your partner? WeтАЩll talk again
later." With a quick wave, he bounded off.
IтАЩve met many Jebs in my day, and many Patrick Henrys. The Patricks donтАЩt
bother me. They donтАЩt like the EC, and they donтАЩt disguise the fact. The
Jebs
are another story. Always smiling, always reassuring, always ready to
clarify
things to the traveling ECO. People like Jeb Stuart Lee are why I travel to
out-of-the-way habitats like Sovereignty. Sure, I can check all their data
through the Registry; in fact, the EC would prefer it. ThatтАЩs why I donтАЩt
do
it. The real story is always out in the field.
The slap of leather on leather broke my train of thought. A gangly kid
stood
beside a shed ten meters away, kicking a small bag into the air and
studying
it intently. I looked up and saw four of the bags rising and falling above
him
in delicate, slow arcs. The kid pushed a shock of blonde hair back from his
eyes and squinted upwards, catching the next bag on an elbow and flipping
it
up again. He was maintaining a patternтАФtwo rising, two fallingтАФas he kept
the
bags airborne with elbows, knees, and ankles.