"Vernor Vinge - A Deepness in the Sky" - читать интересную книгу автора (Vinge Vernor)

They boosted high into clean indigo air, arcing southward. Sammy ignored the Triland тАЬUrban SecurityтАЭ
boss sitting right beside him; just now he had neither the need nor the desire to be diplomatic. He punched
a connection to his Deputy Fleet Captain. Kira LisoletтАЩs autoreport streamed across his vision. Sum
Dotran had agreed to the schedule change: all the fleet would be going to the OnOff star.

тАЬSammy!тАЭ KiraтАЩs voice cut across the automatic report. тАЬHow did it go?тАЭ Kira Lisolet was the only other
person in the fleet who knew the true purpose of this mission, the manhunt.

тАЬIтАФтАЭWe lost him, Kira. But Sammy couldnтАЩt say the words. тАЬSee for yourself, Kira. The last two
thousand seconds of my pov. IтАЩm headed back to Lowcinder now. . .one last loose end to tie down.тАЭ

There was a pause. Lisolet was fast with an indexed scan. After a moment he heard her curse to herself.
тАЬOkay. . .but do tie that last loose end, Sammy. There were times before when we were sure weтАЩd lost
him.тАЭ

тАЬNever like this, Kira.тАЭ

тАЬI said, you make absolutely sure.тАЭ There was steel in the womanтАЩs voice. Her people owned a big hunk
of the fleet. She owned one ship herself. In fact, she was the only operational owner on the mission. Most

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 A DEEPNESS IN THE SKY


times, that was not a problem. Kira Pen Lisolet was a reasonable person on almost all issues. This was
one of the exceptions.

тАЬIтАЩll make sure, Kira. You know that.тАЭ Sammy was suddenly conscious of the Triland Security boss at his
elbowтАФand he remembered what he had accidentally discovered a few moments earlier. тАЬHow are things
top-side?тАЭ

Her response was light, a kind of apology. тАЬGreat. I got the shipyard waivers. The deals with the
industrial moons and the asteroid mines look solid. WeтАЩre continuing with detailed planning. I still think
we can be equipped and specialist-crewed in three hundred Msec. You know how much the Trilanders
want a cut of this mission.тАЭ He heard the smile in her voice. Their link was encrypted, but she knew that
his end was emphatically not secure. Triland was a customer and soon to be a mission partner, but they
should know just where they stood.

тАЬVery good. Add something to the list, if itтАЩs not already there: тАШPer our desire for the best specialist crew
possible, werequire that the Forestry DepartmentтАЩs university programs be open to all those who pass our
tests, not just the heirs of First Settlers.тАЩ тАЭ

тАЬOf course . . .тАЭ A second passed, just enough time for a double take. тАЬLord, how could we miss
something like that?тАЭWe missed it because somefools are very hard to underestimate.



A thousand seconds later, Lowcinder was rising toward them. This was almost thirty degrees south
latitude. The frozen desolation that spread around it looked like the pre-Arrival pictures of equatorial
Triland, five hundred years ago, before the First Settlers began tweaking the greenhouse gases and