"Julian May - Rampart Worlds 2 - Orion Arm" - читать интересную книгу автора (May Julian)

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Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 99-91747

ISBN 0-345-39519-0

Manufactured in the United States of America

First American Edition: April 1999

10 987654321
 Prologue
His Daimler-Tori hoppercraft hurtles down from the ionosphere on its programmed
course. The time is 0247 hours and the appointment with Alistair Drummond is at 0330.
Below, the land is hidden by a thick layer of clouds, but the ship's ground display shows
the enormous expanse of the capital conurbation and its satellite residential communities,
spread along the entire northern shore of Lake Ontario.
The hopper joins a sparse swarm of other light aircraft hovering within a holding
pattern at nine thousand meters. The ship's navigation unit says: "Now arriving Toronto
Conurb ATZ. Please supply next routing."
He has dozed fitfully most of the way from the Sky Ranch in Arizona, exhausted by
the stress of the general board meeting and fearful of the challenge that lies ahead.
Rousing with a muttered curse, he removes the templets of the dream machine and says:
"Wait."
The navigator acknowledges.
He leaves the flight deck and enters the Daimler's tiny lavatory. After relieving
himself, he fumbles at the convenience console and calls up shave-gel, mouth rinse, an
astringent towel, and a mild stimulant. As he completes the grooming ritual and the drug
takes hold, his reflection in the mirror changes. The features lose the blotched puffiness
of fatigue, becoming keen and judicial, and the sunken, haunted eyes take on a
counterfeit sparkle. He combs his hair low on his forehead and to the side, concealing the
prominent widow's peak that characterizes so many members of his famous family.
Returning to the flight deck, he opens a locker, removes a hooded featherweight soft-
armor jacket with a one-way visor and puts it on over the tropical business suit he had
worn to the board meeting. The personal weaponry can wait until he's on the ground.
He addresses the ship's navigator again. "Go to Blue Disenfranchised Persons
Reserve. Prep for manual touchdown at junction of Mamertine and Borstal streets."
"Warning. This area is outside the jurisdiction of Toronto Conurb Public Safety-"
"Cancel advisory."
"Warning: Touchdown in a DPR is at your own risk. No aid units will respond to
emergency summons—"
"Cancel."
"Warning. Touchdown in a DPR will render all vehicle insurance coverage null and
void. The following precautions are— "
"Cancel all advisories and go."
"Air access to Blue DPR visitor landing sites requires barrier override code. Please
enter code."
His fingers tremble only slightly as he plugs in the data-dime furnished by