"Benford G - Tides of Light" - читать интересную книгу автора (Benford Gregory)

in Argo's central hall. Ling was the last remaining true
starship Cap'n in the Family chip inventory. The micromind had
commanded a forerunner of Argo and had exciting though often
unintelligible yarns to tell.


Yes, and following my advice is bringing a reward.


Thinking about Ling had brought the Aspeet's firm, Cap'nly voice
sounding in Killeen's mind. He let a skeptical frown cross his
face and Ling picked it up.


You make this hull-walk serve the added purpose of displaying
your personal calm and unconcern in the face of the enemy.


Killeen said nothing; his sour doubt would faintly trickle down
to Ling, like runoff from a rainstorm. He kept up his pace, making
sure his boots got a firm magnetic clamp on the hull before he
freed the following leg. Even if he kicked himself free of the hull,
there was a good chance that his low trajectory would carry him
into a strut or an antenna downhull from him. That would save the
embarrassment which he had often suffered when he had started
this ritual. Five times he had been forced to haul himself back to
the ship using a thrown, magnet-tipped line. He was sure crew
had seen it, too, and had gotten a good laugh.

Now he made it a point not to have his line even within easy
reach on his belt. He kept it in a leg pocket. Anyone watching him
from the big agro pods downhull would see their Cap'n loping
confidently over the broad curves of the Argo, with no visible
safety line. A reputation for dashing confidence in his own abilities
might come in handy in the difficult times to come.

Killeen turned so that he was facing the pale yellow disk of


4
Gregory Benford


Abraham's Star. They had known for months that this was the
destination of their years-long voyage a star similar to Snowglade's.
Shibo had told him that planets orbited here as well.

Killeen had no idea as yet what kind of planets these might be,
or whether they held any shelter for his Family. But Argo's
automatic program had brought them here, following knowledge