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

Carmen stayed where she was another minute before starting back toward her
office. What Meredith would think of all this she couldn't guess, but with any sort
of backing from the scientific community, he should find it impossible to refuse at
least a trial run. And once set up, the council would be worthwhileтАФshe knew it.

And then life on Astra might settle down a bit тАж and she would have to finagle a
flyer for Hafner. But that was all right; she'd manage it.

Somehow.

Chapter 6
"тАж and the elections will be exactly two weeks from today, terms to be six
months each." Meredith glared over the top of the computer screen, and Carmen
felt the room chill down a degree or two. "Will that be satisfactory?"

"Yes, sir," she said promptly. A longer preelection period would have been nice,
but as long as the council was strictly advisory it didn't much matter whether or
not the best people got on it. "Thank you for giving this a chance, sir. I know you
won't be sorry."

Meredith leaned back in his chair and gave her a long, measuring look. "It's a pity
you never actually joined the service, Olivero. You have the type of self-
confidence that makes for the kind of officer COs either love or can't wait to
transfer."

Carmen swallowed and said nothing.

"But I like to think of myself as open-minded," Meredith continued. He reached
forward and typed for a moment on his terminal. "So I'm going to give that
optimism a real test. As of right now, you are in complete charge of this council:
its organization, election, proceduresтАФeverything. Your file lists an impressive
paralegal background, so this should be right up your alley. It'll all be done in your

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Zahn, Timothy - Spinneret


off-duty time, of course."

Carmen stiffened, but she knew she should have expected something like this.
She'd backed the colonel into a corner and he was getting his revenge. "I
understand, sir," she said.

"Good. Now, since your organizational department conveniently keeps track of
Astra's progress versus the original projected schedule, we know thatтАФafter two
weeksтАФwe're about five days behind, overall. If we ever drop to ten days behind,
your council will be summarily disbandedтАФno arguments or appeals. If, on the
other hand, we ever get ahead of schedule, you can come to me and we'll discuss
whether to relieve you of the extra council duty or else cut back your official work