"Vonda N. McIntyre - Starfarers" - читать интересную книгу автора (McIntyre Vonda N)

"I see," J.D. said, relieved-



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"Don't worry, you'll fit right in. There's no dress code,
and the environment is moderate. Too moderate, I think. We
don't have weather, we have climate. I wouldn't mind some
snow, or a thunderstorm. Satoshi thinks it's too cold, but he's
spoiled—he grew up in Hawaii."

Victoria leaned against her couch and fastened the straps.
"I'm ready," she said. "So let's get going."

"I should tell you something," J.D. said.

"Oh?"

The careful neutrality in Victoria's tone told J.D. that her
own original decision—to turn down the invitation to join
Siarfarer's alien contact department—had had an effect mat
would take time to overcome.

"I resigned from the Department of State," J.D. said.
"And turned back my grant."

"Did you? I'm glad. I'm sorry I snapped at you about

STARFARERS 5

having such close ties to your government. But these days
you never know when they might slap 'classified' all over
your research." Suddenly Victoria grinned. "Though if you
were still an ambassador, that would put you higher on the
protocol list than the chancellor, eh?"

"I was more on the level of special attache, and anyway
the orcas don't use titles. They don't even understand them,
as far as I could ever tell. It's one of those human concepts
like ownership or jealousy that if you finally get through a
hint of what it means, they just think it's funny. We're pretty
funny to them in general. I used to wonder if they let me
hang around for my entertainment value."

"What made you decide to quit?" Victoria asked bluntly.

"I thought about what you said, about the arguments be-