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

hardly surprising given that it was Dinah's household and Dinah was the Sisterhood's head.
Escape for Judith herself was comparatively close at hand. Along with Mahalia and Rena, she
was to take the cargo shuttle, Flower. If they failed, the rest of the program would not even be put
into motion, for without Flower they could not reach Aaron's Rod.
Judith was woefully aware how few trained people she had to crew Aaron's RodтАФassuming
the Sisters would even manage to get aboard the ship, subdue its caretaker crew, and get it out of
orbit. However, the ship's computer contained numerous preprogrammed routines, and each of
Judith's department heads had several assistants. Those assistants at least understood how to get
the most out of what the computer could offer.
Judith was mulling over her options for alternate crew assignmentsтАФall her information
memorized, for the first rule of the Sisterhood was to leave as few written records as possibleтАФ
when Dinah signaled for her to join her among the noisy children in the nursery.
The older woman's eyes were shining with barely suppressed excitement.
"I believe God is parting the Red Sea for us," she said softly. Then she spoke in more usual
tones. "I have just come from Ephraim. He summoned me to give orders for what is to be done
during his forthcoming absence."
Despite Dinah's initial words, Judith's heart sank. Was Ephraim preparing to take Aaron's Rod
out on another voyage?
"Absence?" she managed.
"Yes," Dinah said. "A delegation has arrived from one of the star nationsтАФthe one ruled by a
queen."
Now Judith understood that light in the older woman's eyes. Judith had always favored the
People's Republic of Haven as their potential sanctuary, both for its name and for the marvelous
way it had declared itself the protector of the weak and the oppressed. Dinah, however, preferred
the Star Kingdom of Manticore.
Dinah's preference wasn't only because the Star Kingdom was ruled by a queenтАФthough that
did make a difference to her. Dinah reasoned, rather cynically to Judith's way of thinking, that
any nation that spent as much time talking about how it defended the oppressed as the People's
Republic did probably had something to hide.
"Honestly, child," Dinah had said a trace impatiently one day. "Look at our own men and how
they go on about loving God and doing his Will and battling the Apostate. We know that few of
them love God as much as they love their own honor and position.
"Ephraim may say he wants to build and train his fleet so that he can be in the forefront when
the battle against the Apostate comes, but he certainly doesn't mind the benefits he has garnered
in the meantime. You wouldn't recall the day he was elected into the Council of Elders, but Satan
in all His peacock majesty never was prouder. Was that honor enough? No, now Ephraim's trying
to be promoted to Senior ElderтАФand him not even three score years."
Judith had agreed that Dinah had a point, but she found the monstrous creatures that adorned
the Manticoran heraldry frightening and disturbing. She also didn't much like the idea of a ruling
nobility. It sounded far too much like the hierarchy on Masada.
Dinah had another, more telling point, to offer.
"And why, if this People's Republic of Haven is so willing to respect other people's rights,
why are they improving Ephraim's ships for himтАФeven to their fighting capacities? I might
believe they were motivated by simple altruism, but for how easily he swayed them to his way of
thinking when it came to weapons."
Judith had to admit Dinah's argument had weight, but she also knew how persuasive Ephraim
could be. In any case, it didn't matter whether she or Dinah were right. The Sisterhood had agreed
to let God guide the path of their escape, and the arrival of the Manticoran vessel at the very time
the Sisterhood was setting Exodus into motion did seem like an omen of His intent.
"Why would the coming of a Manticoran vessel mean Ephraim must leave home?" Judith