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

children, the widow Mahalia had nearly died from the same illness that had killed her husband.
Her emaciated form and the doubt that she would ever bear healthy children again was why she
had been returned to her father's house after her husband's death. Even after she had recovered
from her illness, Mahalia remained gaunt, hardly feminine any longer.
Rena's figure was distinctly maternal, or would have been had she not been also quite fat. As
it was, her size was such thatтАФat least when in coat and trousersтАФshe made a large and
convincing man.
The first stage of their deception was cutting their hair to the shorter style favored by
spacefaring men, and never worn by women. The danger involved in this simple act was
tremendous, for the three of them would be marked out for notice, even if Exodus was called off.
Dinah had come up with several excuses to explain the oddity, but Judith still felt a thrill of fear
when she felt cool air against her bare neck.
Men's clothing wasn't a problem. Ephraim Templeton was well-off, but he firmly believed
that idle hands were the devil's playground. Laundry, mending, cooking, as well as child-tending
and other "feminine" tasks were handled in the women's quarters. Dinah had long been such a
superlative manager that Ephraim hardly ever listened to the reports she recorded for him.
Making several sets of men's clothing in appropriate sizes and styles had been easy for the
resourceful head wife.
Judith and her allies had also practiced adopting a man's gait and mannerisms. It had been
hard at first to step out in the fashion trousers demanded, but oddly enough, boots made it easier.
Even more difficult had been learning to look up and to make casual eye contact, for such
directness was considered slatternly, even by a veiled woman, and was avoided even in the
women's quarters except among close friends.
However, Judith didn't really feel like a woman once she'd donned her man's clothing. Only
her eyes, still striking with their green rimmed in darker hazel, looked familiar. Once she had
donned the very special contact lenses Dinah had insisted each woman wear, not even the eyes
that gazed outward from the mirror were her own.
Mahalia and Rena were equally transformed, and Judith felt a thrill of satisfaction. If the rest
of Dinah's planning was as thorough, Exodus might indeed succeed.
Although the Sisters had been tempted to carry out their deception under the friendly cover of
night, Dinah had vetoed that. The Faithful did not approve of frivolous entertainment. Unless
there was a major religious festival, streets and businesses grew quiet at the conclusion of the
business day. This meant that the Sisters would find it more difficult to leave their homes.
Moreover, morals proctors were more likely to make random vehicle checks after nightfall.
Therefore, Judith, Mahalia, and Rena crossed the chilly grounds toward the Templeton
business property beneath a sun that shone with harsh brightness while granting no comforting
warmth.
Flower was berthed in a voluminous hangar that protected the vessel from snow and ice. The
hangar was large enough to permit cargo to be loaded and unloaded under cover. An attached
hangar held Blossom, a smaller vessel, better equipped to carry people and used for ship-to-shore
trading missions.
Blossom would have been the Sister's first choice, for the personnel shuttle was smaller and
easier to maneuver. However, even with its cargo bay open, they could not squeeze in all the
members of the Sisterhood. Even with the capacity of the heavy-lift cargo shuttle, it would be a
tight fit. In fact, Judith was half afraid that if all of the Sisters succeeded in reaching the shuttle,
she would be unable to get them all aboard.
Not, she reminded herself grimly, that all the Sisters would reach them safely.
No one challenged them as they entered the hangar. Ephraim, jealous of keeping his wealth in
the family, employed his sons as free labor and crew. His desire to bring an impressive entourage
to the conclave meant that all but those sons least in favor were with him. This meant that in turn