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

"Whatever I do, it won't be because of Perez's veiled threats," Meredith told her
shortly.

She swallowed. "Yes, sir. Good night, Colonel."

"Good night."

He gazed at the closed door for several seconds after she was gone, wondering
what exactly he'd done to deserve such a day. Then, with a sigh, he turned to his
computer terminal and flicked it on. The screen lit up but remained blank;
apparently the underground light-pipe network was still generating problems.
Cursing under his breath, he turned the machine off and buzzed for Andrews.

"Yes, sir?" the aide said as he entered.

"I hate to do this to you. Lieutenant, but I've got a couple of projects I want started
right away, and I'm just too dog-tired to hunt up a working terminal."

"That's all right, Colonel," Andrews said, pulling out a notebook and sitting down.
"I'm fine." He looked it, too, though Meredith knew for a fact that the other hadn't
had any more sleep lately than he had.



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Zahn, Timothy - Spinneret


"Okay. First off, I want every scrap of information we've got on Cristobal Perez.
Not just his colonist file; check to see if any military, educational, or employment
records came to Astra with us. Second, I want farm equipment assembly bumped
a couple of levels up on the priority chartsтАФand for the time being have some of
the planting equipment in Crosse shifted up to Ceres. The farmers in Crosse are
sitting on their hands now anyway."

He paused. Andrews finished writing and nodded. "Anything else?"

"Yes." Meredith hesitated, then plunged ahead. "I want you to work up a list of
possible replacements for CO at Ceres."

Andrews looked up in obvious surprise. "You're transferring Major Dunlop?"

"I don't know. I haven't yet made up my mind."

Andrews toyed with his pen. "The major's pretty popular with his men," he said
obliquely. "He has a reputation for sticking up for the common soldier, making
sure they get all the rights and privileges they have coming."

"I know," Meredith nodded. "But that 'us versus them' mentality is exactly what's
going to lose him the support and confidence of the civilians in Ceres. We can't