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

The only real bright spot amidst the gloom was that by the end of the week the
two remaining flyers were back in the air again. The techs at Martello had finally
concluded that Hafner's earlier guess was correct, that some outside electric field
in exact resonance with the repulser confinement fields had allowed the plasma to
leak out. Where such a field could possibly have come from was a question no one
could answer; but as the flyers continued to crisscross the area without the
slightest hint of trouble, even Meredith was finally able to hear their characteristic
whistle overhead without wincing.

And on the tenth day the quiet was shattered.

"Now you listen to me, Major: you will stay put. Is that clear? No sweeps, no
stunner spray; nothing."

Sitting in Meredith's office. Carmen waited for the colonel to finish his
conversation, her fury at Cristobal Perez a churning knot in her stomach. Yes, the
colonel's phone had an unlisted number, and yes, her office was just down the hall
from hisтАФ but Perez still should have called the listed duty officer number instead
of putting her in the middle of something that wasn't any of her business.

"Not unless they start breaking more than windows," Meredith growled into his
phone. "Just go back to observing and keep me informed, okay? тАж Right; out."
Muttering a curse, the colonel flipped off his phone. "Idiot," he growled, shaking
his head. "The planet's practically made of silicon and he's worried about a few
windows." Looking back at Carmen he almost visibly shifted gears. "Right, now.
You were saying you had a message from Perez?"

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"Yes, Colonel." Gritting her teeth, she plunged in. "Mr. Perez called me a few
minutes ago with a couple of suggestionsтАФ"

"You mean demands, don't you?" Meredith interrupted.

"I don't know, sir. They did sound more like suggestions to me."

Meredith dismissed the point with a grunt. "All right. Let's hear them and be done
with it."

"First of all, he again says that Major Dunlop should be relieved of command in
Ceres." The list was short, and Carmen ran through it as quickly and precisely as
she could. When she was finished, Meredith grunted again.

"As it happens, I'm still considering what to do with Major Dunlop," he said.
"Relieving him of command is one possibility, but I'm not going to be rushed in
my decisionтАФcertainly not by some transplanted professional troublemaker."