"David Weber & Linda Evans - Bolos" - читать интересную книгу автора (Weber David)

excitement: What if something goes wrong? Something always goes
wrong on a project this big, not just little stuff like Tommie Watkins
getting his nose bloodied by Sarah Pilford, but really big stuff, and I’m
the one on the hotseat. . . .
Tillie wasn’t trained in Project Administration. She just happened to
be good at organizing things, had a knack for solving problems and
soothing tempers, and—coincidentally—was married to the Phase I
Colony Director. She also held Phase II’s only veterinary sciences
degree.
So Tillie Matson had, by popular acclaim and logical choice, been
chosen to lead this misfit band of farmers, educators, agricultural
production specialists, wide-eyed kids, irritable nanny goats, sweating
horses, balking cattle, and screaming chickens onto Star Cross for a two-
week Hyper-L voyage.
She wished someone else had been elected mayor.
But she wasn’t about to reveal how genuinely scared she was. So, with
her idiotic grin, her sheen of nervous sweat, and her badge, Tillie stepped
onto the transport’s deckplates. A freckled young crewman in a crisp
uniform grinned when he saw her. Tillie greeted him with her widest
smile and firmest handshake.
“I’m Tillie Matson, thank you for meeting us like this.”
“Kelly McTavish, ma’am, and welcome aboard the Star Cross. I’m the
Passenger Steward.” His smile was bright and genuine, same as his
carroty hair. “If you have that passenger list, ma’am, I’ll double check it
against mine and we’ll be set to board your people. Booker Howard,
down in Cargo One, is ready to onload bio-specimens.”
Tillie hid a smile, wondering if Booker Howard’s experience with
“bio-specimens” was up to irascible goat temperaments. Even crated,
they could be a handful. She handed over the micro-crystal wafer with
their personnel roster. Kelly McTavish scanned it, ran a compare, then
nodded. “Very good, ma’am. And your transfer authorities for the bio-
specimens are here, too. It’s all in order. Welcome aboard, Dr. Matson. If
I might suggest it . . . Allow me to handle onloading the passengers.
You’d maybe better help Book with the animals?”
Tillie didn’t bother to hide this smile. “I think so, yes. My brood mares
are pretty broody just now, even with the tranks I gave them. They don’t
like to travel. Particularly not while they’re in foal. I’d hate for them to
injure themselves trying to get out of the crates. And the goats are even
worse.”
“That,” Kelly McTavish gave her a broad grin and a wink, “is why I
stick to handling people. All my passengers generally do is scream at
me.”
She laughed and used her com-link to let Itami Kobe, her second-in-
command, know the drill; then made her way to Cargo One. They hadn’t
left space port yet, but she felt better already. Soon, she promised her
lonely heart, soon you’ll be back with Carl again and everything will be
perfect.

Hal Abrams wasn’t one to run from a fight.
Shucks, he’d been a combat engineer in Space Arm—and earned