"David Weber & Linda Evans - Bolos" - читать интересную книгу автора (Weber David)

you soon. Real soon, I promise. YouтАЩd better see to your people, maтАЩam.
Find out how many casualties you have. Get someone to check the
livestock. IтАЩm afraid all shipтАЩs personnel are going to be, uh, real busy
for a few hours.тАЭ
He started to leave.
тАЬMr. McTavish . . .тАЭ
He halted; turned reluctantly to face her.
тАЬJust how many crewmen were killed?тАЭ
He lost another shade of color, which she wouldnтАЩt have believed
possible. Carrot-red hair and freckles stood out from the pallor,
reminding Tillie of the scared children back in the nursery. Very slowly,
and with a sinking sensation in her middle, she realized he really wasnтАЩt
much more than a kid. Twenty, maybe. Not much older. Just what was
the chain of command on a passenger/cargo freighter?
тАЬIтАЩll update you soon as I can, maтАЩam. I just wanted to make sure you
understood youтАЩre in no immediate danger. Hang tight, longтАЩs you can.
IтАЩll be back. Or someone will. I promise.тАЭ
With that, he left her standing in the corridor with nothing but fear in
her mouth and tremors in all her muscles.

The bad news arrived in the guise of a crewman Tillie hadnтАЩt met yet.
She was hip-deep in crises of her own, trying to calm hysterical colonists
with the little she knew of their situation.
тАЬтАФbut who attackedтАФтАЭ
тАЬтАФor whatтАФтАЭ
тАЬтАФhow long will repairs takeтАФтАЭ
тАЬтАФmy babyтАЩs due in three weeks!тАФтАЭ
тАЬтАФour children are having hystericsтАФтАЭ
тАЬPlease, people,тАЭ Tillie lifted her hands, trying to shout over the
babble of frightened voices. тАЬYouтАЩve already heard everything I know.
There was a hull breach somewhere, but I donтАЩt know how serious it
was. Everyone felt us drop out of FTL into normal space. The crew has
asked us to verify our statusтАФтАЭ
тАЬWhy the hell donтАЩt they verify theirs!тАЭ
тАЬWe paid тАЩem enough for this passage!тАЭ
Tillie shouted to be heard. тАЬThe sooner we know how we are, the
sooner the crew can help us get through this crisis. Itami, Saros, please
take charge of the roster. Verify everyoneтАЩs situationтАФinjuries, losses,
whatever. WeтАЩll worry about the livestock later. Right now we sort out
ourselves . . .тАЭ
They were still working on the casualties list when several people
stared past her shoulder. Tillie turned and found a lean crewman with a
torn, stained uniform and haunted, dark eyes standing in the open
bulkhead doorway, watching them.
Pandemonium erupted.
тАЬтАФwhatтАЩsтАФтАЭ
тАЬтАФhow soonтАФтАЭ
 тАЬтАФyou mustтАФтАЭ
Thin lips went thinner just before the explosion: тАЬQUIET!тАЭ
Whoever he was, he had Command Voice down to a science. Shocked