"Andre Norton - Solar Queen 7 - A Mind For Trade" - читать интересную книгу автора (Norton Andre)

shifts ago. Tooe hears. Dr. Tau says, 'Tooe, do work.' You think dream is
from bad food?"

"No." The voice came from the other end of the corridor: Dr. Craig Tau,
senior member of the newly formed crew.

"I'm sorry," Ali said, his handsome face tight with strain. Dane could
almost feel how much his crewmate hated the situation. Ali was not one to
share emotions, much less data about his personal life. "I seem to have
acquired the knack of making childhood nightmares into some kind of
dream vid," Ali went on. Dane could feel his crewmate's effort to keep his
tone light. "I wonder if I can collect an entertainment fee for general
broadcast?"

Tau smiled slightly, then said, "I invite you four to meet me in the mess
in… ten minutes? It's time, I believe, for a talk I probably should have had
with you long ago. Tooe, why don't you hold down the control deck for
now? We can brief you afterward."

The little Rigelian hybrid nodded, grinning.
 "What's funny?" Dane asked.

Tooe gave a little hop, her blue, faintly scaled skin glossy with good
health. "Hold down deck? Control deck holds,me down!" Her crest flicked
up in the shape that indicated a joke. "Space-leak holds me down." She
hissed laughter through her teeth—Dane's explanation of how Ali could
tune the engines to let hyperspace "leak through" to create varying
amounts of pseudo-gravity had not been very successful.

Her crest snapped to a flatter angle as she added, "Snapout soon! Then
real free fall before go into gravity well."

In, Dane thought. She still said "In," not "Down." He was afraid she still
didn't have the concept of planetary gravity; intellectually she understood
it well, but not physically, despite her fantastic adaptability. Dane didn't
say anything. Time would tell, and he wasn't sure how much to say, and
how much to leave to experience.

Tooe watched him for a moment, and then her crest flicked up, and she
bounced away down the corridor and disappeared. The two cats followed.

Tau didn't wait for an answer. He returned to his cabin and Dane heard
the door hiss closed.

The others exchanged looks and shrugs, then Dane said, "Whatever it's
about, it can wait on a shower and something hot to drink."

Ali nodded and disappeared into his cabin.

Jasper watched him go, then said, "I'd better close down my work." He