"Andre Norton - Time Traders 6 - Echoes In Time" - читать интересную книгу автора (Norton Andre)

and Africans. May I remind you, Mikhail Petrovich, that these are all our
allies now? The Time Agency is worldwide. This mission will be carried
through, even if one of us loses a ship."

Misha shook his head, then winced as corresponding pain racketed
through his skull. "I'm sorry. I just don't believe the Americans are going
to help. Or if they do, what their price is going to be."

"None of us know," the Colonel said. "My entire life I have not trusted
them, but necessity forces change. You forced it sooner than I would have
wished."

Misha winced.

The Colonel said, "Our people should be finishing up at the energy plant
right now. Then on their way to St. Petersburg to get ready for the
journey." She dropped her hands to her knees. "None of us trust the
Americans. But balanced against that is the reality of our government
struggling to survive, and the unrest so very close. No one must find out
about these alien artifacts—either the ships or the time-travel
mechanisms. You know that as well as I. Rather than let anyone find out,
anyone at all, we blow up the ship—we blow ourselves up. These secrets
cannot fall into the wrong hands. Every single government who knows the
secrets agrees. And so necessity forces us all to compromise. To work
together. To solve the mysteries we've been presented, before we find
ourselves with bigger problems from outside our gravity well than we're
causing for one another within it."

She sat back.

Misha sighed, presing his hand against his side. It hurt. "The mission?"

"The flight to New York leaves tomorrow. We begin the training there."

Lightning flared behind Misha's eyes. He strugged up, made it to his
feet. "I'm going," he said, not caring that his voice broke. "Get me on that
flight."

"But the doctor—"

"I don't care. I will be on that mission, if I have to blast my way across
eight time zones to do it. And you know I never make empty threats."

They stared at one another.

"Zina." He relented at last. "Please."

The Colonel's lips creased. Just faintly.

Misha sank down onto the hay-stuffed bed. The effort of standing had