"John E. Stith - Redshift Rendezvous" - читать интересную книгу автора (Stith John E)

"Will do.Anything else?"

"Yes.Which cabin is hers?"

There was a short delay as Bella looked it up.She did an outstanding job of keeping her curiosity in
check.

In the elevator I pushed the button for Five,the main passenger cabin level,farther out from the center of
the onion-skinnedRedshift. Jenni sagged against one wall.She looked away when I glanced at her.I didn't
know whether I had made an enemy for life— however short her life might turn out to be— or if she was
feeling a mixture of gratitude and embarrassment.

I looked instead at the elevator ceiling.The four comers had appeared to curve upward when we
boarded on level two.As we rose out of the high-gee field,and light started traveling in a straighter path,
the comers began to droop until the ceiling looked almost level.The less than one-half gee on level five
made it seem the elevator was still slowing down when the doors opened onto a wide,gray corridor
edged with black handrails.

The corridor dipped out of sight in the distance in both directions.TheRedshift was a spherical ship with
the gravitational warp at the center.Here we were far enough from the warp to be in a comfortable
gravity.Jenni walked by my side,staring straight ahead,a reasonably attractive zombie with bloodshot eyes
.

The heads and shoulders of a couple of passengers were visible in the distance,but we reached Jenni's
cabin without getting close enough to have to greet anyone.She hesitated at the combination pad long
enough that I was about to use the master,but then she opened her door.I took that to be a good sign.

Light from the hallway spilled into the cabin and bounced around the interior until it reached equilibrium.

The phenomenon repeated itself when I switched on the overhead lamps.A glance around Jenni's cabin
gave no obvious indication that she had settled in; all of her possessions must have been behind closed
doors and in concealed compartments.

"Jenni,I want you to lie down on the bed," I told her with my best command voice.I went to the closest
bedside table and opened the drawer.Besides aWayfarer Word, there was nothing inside.She moved
listlessly to the large bed and fell slowly backward onto it.Her limp body bounced once before coming to
rest.Her arms were flung over her head,and the violet rings on her sleeves looked for an instant like
handcuffs.

I continued my search,my shadow on the wall lagging behind my motions.The second bedside table and
the wall-mounted drawers were similarly devoid of drugs and weapons.I was about to check the
bathroom when the visitor chime sounded.

I opened the door to Rory Willett.He stood there with his case in his hand.His long sideburns together
with his growing bald spot gave the first impression that his hair was migrating.Prominent laugh lines
showed at the comers of his eyes.His white jacket seemed a little too small on his beefy frame.He looked
more like a seasoned gambler than a competent doctor.

"Come on in.Doc," I said.