"Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman - StarShield Book 1" - читать интересную книгу автора (Weis Margaret)

тАЬThey are,тАЭ Oscan countered, aware that his voice was taking on an unpleasantly whiny edge to
it but unable to do anything about it. тАЬWe correlate the news from about seventeen inhabited and
participating worlds. We sift the information, determine what is important and what isnтАЩt, then we pass
the important stuff up to the citadel on Tentris. They then correlate that report with the reports from
other monasteries like ours . . .тАЭ
тАЬOscan, youтАЩre wandering,тАЭ Terica spoke soothingly.
тАЬOh, right тАФ sorry,тАЭ Oscan was getting lost in the memory of that hair again. тАЬWell, remember
those reports we were getting out of Eptos system тАФ about how shipments of plasma converters were
being rerouted and apparently stolen?тАЭ
тАЬYes, I remember,тАЭ Terica nodded, trying to hurry the conversation along. тАЬMerinda asked you
to coordinated those reports with some other updata from other star systems that Evon and Kiria were
working on. Something to do with a subversive group, wasnтАЩt it?тАЭ
тАЬRight!тАЭ Oscan was warming to the subject; his stutter disappearing. тАЬEvon was tracking a
faction of the ruling families on old DтАЩRak that wanted to bring back the good old days of Imperial
Rule. Seems like there were a few members of the old royal family that didnтАЩt quite go along with the
Ruling Populist Councils decision to take over the reigns of sixteen stellar governments.тАЭ
тАЬIs there some point to all this?тАЭ
тАЬThe point is that an advanced planetary assault also disappeared about the same time as the
plasma converters. Kiria handled that one. The I.F.S. DтАЩRapiene sailed on it own, leaving the orbital
docks around Isdor IV without its crew. The local dock master was indicted and the captain deeply
embarrassed at having his ship sail away without him. Although the ship was fully armed, the fueling
was not to take place until the crew was back aboard тАФ she sailed with her tanks pretty much dry. The
report concluded that she couldnтАЩt get very far and that eventually they would find the ship and bring it
back in. The story was treated as a light news comedy piece.тАЭ
тАЬ. . . which we correlated with the other pieces,тАЭ Terica finished for him. тАЬand determined that
the Imperial family was going to attempt a government takeover. We reported to central our correlation
findings along with the supporting original news files. So far thereтАЩs no mystery, Oscan. I posted those
reports myself and had them couriered up to Tentris three days ago. So whatтАЩs the problem?тАЭ
тАЬThe problem is,тАЭ OscanтАЩs whine getting more strident by the moment, тАЬthat I received the
reflect reports back today. Most Librae just throw the reflects away тАФ I mean, why read the stuff
youтАЩve read before. But I always read mine . . .тАЭ
тАЬIтАЩm not surprised.тАЭ
тАЬ. . . and theyтАЩre wrong.тАЭ
тАЬWrong?тАЭ Terica looked at him askew. тАЬWhat do you mean wrong?тАЭ
тАЬI mean they are supposed to reflect back our reports with comments for action and routing
information if it continues up into the news of the greater galactic region. The Citadel determined that
our conclusions were wrong тАФ not unusual itself. So I decided to check the reports on which they

┬й Copyright 1997 by Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman / All Rights Reserved. Page 14
based their decision тАФ those same reports we had filed. They were changed, Terica. They werenтАЩt the
reports we filed. KiriaтАЩs reflected report stated that the DтАЩRapiene had already been recovered and
EvonтАЩs reflect completely eliminated the imperial plans for overthrowing the council. Worst of all was
my report, Terica. It reported a theft but not of plasma converters. The package looked as though I had
coupled a report of fruit shipment thefts to reports of the royal family being polite and a ship that had
been missing but later found.тАЭ
тАЬYou looked like an idiot,тАЭ Terica concluded.
тАЬI looked like an idiot,тАЭ Oscan admitted painfully тАФ all the more painful for who he had to
admit it to.
Terica looked out over the edge of the parapet. The Klenith vines obscured the edge of the falls
some fifteen feet below her, with many of its offshoots arcing tendrils of water into a graceful tapestry