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

clouds. Merinda leaned over even further, barely sitting on the seat at all. She hadnтАЩt had much occa-
sion to travel between worlds over the last few years and had forgotten just how exciting and beautiful
it could be.
Even the ship had become beautiful to her although its lines were rough and angular for the
most part тАФ an efficient ship for an efficient job, she thought. For a moment, she leaned back fully into
the cushioned back of the command chair, grasping both of the control grips mounted on the armrests
and staring purposefully at the crystal displays. I could command a ship like this, she thought. I could
lose myself in the stars and wander forever.
тАЬDo you wish control of the ship?тАЭ The voice was gentle and deep.
Yes, Merinda thought in her reverie but suddenly realized that it was the shipтАЩs synthetic that
had asked her the question.
тАЬNo!тАЭ Merinda blurted out suddenly. тАЬI most certainly do not wish control of the ship.тАЭ
тАЬThatтАЩs all right, Librae Neskat,тАЭ the voice purred but with an edge of concern in the voice.
тАЬPlease, donтАЩt be offended or upset. You havenтАЩt done anything wrong. People sit on the bridge all the
time in the command chair, Occasionally, someone asks me to disengage all of the command functions
from the consoles so that they can push the buttons and move the arm controllers. I even run simula-
tions for them so that they can pretend they are flying the ship. They really are quite entertaining.
Would you like me to run such an entertainment for you?тАЭ
Merinda blanched slightly. There was a part of her quivering to say yes, to pretend to actually
fly a ship of the stars. However, another voice saying that such a thing was too much like playing to be
dignified. Some part of her was afraid someone would walk onto the bridge and see her talking to

┬й Copyright 1997 by Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman / All Rights Reserved. Page 18
herself as though she were commanding the entire Ruqua battlefleet. That was not an image that one
wanted bandied about when she was the one left in charge of the sift group while the EтАЩTorus Librae
was away.
She swung the chair around and, leaning her head rather dejectedly on her hand, gazed through
the open bridge hatch into the compartment beyond. The room was crowded, the thin center table
seeming to press those sitting at it toward the sliding doors of the sleeping compartments on either side
of the room. Evon sat, as usual, laying out a spread of cards in the pattern of a solitaire game the rules
for which he never seemed able to explain to anyone else.
Across from him sat Oscan тАФ dear, old Oscan who never seemed to have a momentтАЩs ambition
beyond being a level two sifter for the rest of his career. A small man with small dreams, Merinda
thought. HeтАЩll lead a quiet life desperately seeking simple pleasures. It suddenly occurred to Merinda
that Oscan may have a better shot at happiness than anyone else in her group тАФ except possibly for
Terica. OscanтАЩs attentions to the tall beauty were about as subtle as a kick to the stomach and had hardly
escape the notice of everyone in the sifter group. Terica was aware of his attentions but so far had
walked a tightrope of friendship and cool disregard. Merinda suspected that Terica enjoyed toying with
Oscan like a cat enjoys a mouse. Merinda knew Terica well enough to know that she would never
actually harm Oscan if she could possibly help it.
MerindaтАЩs reveries were suddenly interrupted by the sweet-faced image of Kiria, motioning for
Merinda to come into the common room. Merinda tried suddenly not to notice her but knew, even as
she did, that it was too late. The effervescent little acolyte had already flashed that тАШdonтАЩt be such a spoil
sportтАЩ look at her and was rising to come and talk to her. The constantly soiled hem of her robes gently
swished against the carpeted floor, a rather comedic effect for Kiria never seemed to find robes that
would fit her length properly. Her build was pixie-slight, as she so often said to others in describing
herself, and the robes never seemed to fall properly around her no matter how they were altered or
taken in. She had a wide mouth fixed in a perpetual grin that was supported by her smiling eyes. These
were all framed by her straight, brown hair which fell curving around her face until it stopped most
abruptly just at the shoulders. Her generally cheerful appearance would have become annoying if it