"David Weber - Worlds of Honor 4 - Service of the Sword" - читать интересную книгу автора (Weber David)

reason more."
Dinah paused for so long that Judith thought she might not finish her thought.
"Yes?" the younger woman prompted.
"And," said Dinah, a strange light shining in her grey eyes, "because I thought you might
somehow be the One prophesied, the Moses sent to lead us from this place and into a better life."
***
That Midshipman Winton was polite and dutiful to a fault, no matter how much work or how
many practice sessions the ATO scheduled for him, didn't moderate Carlie's sense of unease
regarding her royal charge.
Unless actually on duty, the young man was rarely without a cadre of hangers-on. Two of
theseтАФAstrid Heywood and Osgood RussoтАФhad been transferred to Intransigent immediately
after Michael's own assignment. The other three had already been assigned to the ship, but that
didn't stop them from taking advantage of their proximity to the Crown Prince.
The presence of this cadre had split the middy berth into two groups, for the remaining six
members seemed to go out of their way to avoid Midshipman Winton. To make matters worse,
even ten days after the last member of the middy berth had reported for duty, Carlie was
uncertain whether Michael did or did not encourage his followers. What she was certain of was
that he did nothing to discourage them, and in her eyes that was just as bad.
Then there was the problem of Michael Winton's extra duties, duties that required him to
spend a great deal of time consulting with the diplomatic contingent that was Intransigent's
reason for heading to the Endicott System. Carlie didn't doubt that once the diplomats had Prince
Michael behind closed doors they bowed and scraped to him in the most abject manner.
Certainly, Michael seemed even more distant and self-contained whenever he returned from one
of these meetings.
That Michael couldn't take his toadies with him to these diplomatic sessions was one of the
few good things about them, Carlie thought, but they served even more than his little cadre to
emphasize that Michael Winton was someone apart from the rest of the middy berth. Hell, from
the rest of Intransigent's crew.
How different Michael Winton was had been reinforced at Captain Boniece's latest dinner. As
was the practice of some of the Navy's better captains, Boniece periodically invited various of his
officers to dine with him. On this particular night, both Carlie and Michael had been included,
and Carlie kept a sharpтАФthough she hoped not too obviousтАФeye on her charge.
The evening went smoothly, Midshipman Winton not speaking unless spoken to, but offering
intelligent answers to those questions put to him. Carlie had even begun to think that maybe
Michael wasn't as stuck-up as she had believed.
Then came the conclusion of the meal, and wine was poured for the traditional toast to the
Queen. As the junior officer present, the duty fell on Midshipman Winton.
He needed no prompting. Nor did Carlie expect him to need such. Carlie had shared stories
with many officers of her acquaintance, and all agreed that this stepping forth into the limelight in
the presence of those who were for the first time your peers rather than those august others
known as Officers was a landmark occasion in a career.
Raising his glass to just the right level, Michael Winton said in a clear, carrying voice:
"Ladies and gentlemen, the Queen!"
"The Queen!" came the affirmation.
Carlie had sipped from her glass, using the action to cover a glance at her charge. Michael
Winton had settled back into his seat, but he wasn't drinking the captain's excellent wine. Instead
he wasтАФCarlie was certain of itтАФhe was smirking.
Lieutenant Carlotta Dunsinane, loyal officer of the Navy and therefore to the Queen it served,
was shocked to the core. Her shock must have shown in her expression because the Intransigent's
communications officer, Tab Tilson, leaned toward her.