"Timothy Zahn - Angelmass" - читать интересную книгу автора (Zahn Timothy)

window. Overhead, stars were visible in the black sky, even though the sun could still be seen off to
one side. She marveled at the novelty of that for a while, shifting her attention back and forth

file:///G|/Program%20Files/eMule/Incoming/Timothy%20Zahn%20-%20Angelmass.htm (13 of 374) [10/18/2004 3:37:36 PM]
Angelmass

between sun and stars.

Presently, above and ahead of them, she got her first glimpse of the Xirrus.

It didn't look like much at first; a sort of toy or model, its shadowy shape outlined by strings of little
lights. But as the shuttle kept getting closer, and the shape kept getting bigger, it finally dawned on
her that calling a ship like that a flying city wasn't nearly as much puff-talk as she'd always thought.

Pressing her nose against the cold window, she smiled to herself. If there was one thing the Barrio
had taught her, it was how to survive in a city.



They arrived at the Xirrus a few minutes later, to the accompaniment of a lot of clanking and the
sudden return of weight. Joining the other passengers, she climbed a steep set of fold-down stairs
through the roof of the shuttle and found herself in a large room with a huge layout diagram of the
Xirrus covering one wall. Her ticket listed her cabin number; glancing once at the diagram to get its
location, she headed toward the rear of the ship.

Her roommates were already there when she arrived: three of them, middle-class as all get out,
chattering away about college and other middle-class things as they moved around the room stuffing
lockers full of clothes and generally checking the place out. Silently, Chandris stepped through the
activity toward the fourth bed, where her small suitcase had already been deposited, and the
conversation waffled a little as the others checked her out. What they saw made the conversation
waffle even more. "Nice travel outfit," one of them commented from behind her, the dry tone
sparking umphs of not-quite giggles from her companions. "Design it yourself?"

Chandris turned to look her straight in the eye. "Sure," she said coolly. "Had to. It's one of the
requirements."

The other seemed taken aback. "Requirements for what?" she asked.

"Where are you going to school?" Chandris countered.

"UhтАФAhanne University on Lorelei," the other said, looking even more confused.

Chandris shrugged. "Well, there you have it, then."

She turned back to her unpacking, watching their quiet confusion out of the corner of her eye and
revising her class estimate downward a little. Real middle-class typesтАФor at least the middle-class
types she'd scored tracks onтАФwould have dumped right away on that kind of skidly-talk. These puff-
heads must be freshly moved up, smart enough to imitate middle-class mannerisms and speech but
too dumb to really know what the hell they were doing.