"Richard Hatch - Battlestar Galactica 5 - Paradis" - читать интересную книгу автора (Hatch Richard)

home world of Caprica to the Cylon enemy. But this was the same man
who sustained injuries putting down a dangerous coup led by Sire Aron.

If Baltar had not acted, she might not be alive right now and tending
his wounds. Baltar had saved Apollo and Starbuck and the others whom
the girl considered personal heroes. And of course he'd once been a
member of the Council of Twelve! Naturally, the girl was reticent in his
presence.

"What is your name, young lady?" he prompted her to talk to him some
more.

She blushed again and almost whispered, "Elayna."

"Thank you for treating me so well."

He had not spoken falsely. She did remind him of Athena, Apollo's regal
sister and a woman he could not get out of his mind. It amused him to
think how horrified they would all be if they knew how he really felt about
Athena. Everyone would pronounce the idea of such a union as impossible
and insulting, Athena first.

But Baltar had learned one thing in his interesting life. The future is
unpredictable. The wheel of fate turns. The one certainty is that people
most certain of the future are certain to be disappointed.

As he watched the young nurse busy herself with attending to the tubes
in his arms and reading the dials on his life support, he comforted himself
with different scenarios of the future. What if he should regain his
position of authority on the Council? With wealth and power in his hands
once again, what would Athena think of him then?

Baltar believed that there was no creature more practical and less
romantic than a woman. He probably thought this because of his personal
experiences. He had prevailed with beautiful and powerful women in his
past, but they were never at their best when he was in their lives.

Baltar made a lousy hero. But he was the kind of villain who had a
certain panache. He had his moments.

"How have you been sleeping?" asked Elayna, breaking his reverie.

"How thoughtful of you to ask. I dream a lot, as I complained earlier, so
I assume that I must be sleeping some of the time."

She wrinkled her cute little nose. "I never know when you're serious."

He always rose to a challenge. "I'll be serious. What can you tell me
about the new planet? It's all they talk about in here; but the feeble
invalids in here are the last to know anything of substance."