"Williamson-DarkStarOne" - читать интересную книгу автора (Williamson Jack)

taught him, to get a position that let him add one more black ink-dot to the
line of black dots on the blank page that was to be their map. And he called the
ship.

"Rima Virili here." La rubia's voice startled him. A voice like a song, musical
with her beauty. "Acting aide to Mr. Glengarth."

"Buenas --" He stopped himself. He should not be speaking Spanish. Not to her.
"Carlos Mondragon, reporting."

"Yes?" Her words were courteous and quick, with none of what he felt. "Anything
unusual?"

"No problems." He tried for the same expressionless briskness. "Position three
hundred seventy-one kilometers east of the ship. Eighteen north. We swung north
to get around a crater where Mr. Andersen says a meteor struck the ice. Ice
temperature nine degrees Kelvin. The way ahead looks clear. Nothing unusual. No
island, no mountain, no signal light."

"Thank you, Mr. Mondragon. I'll inform Mr. Glengarth. Have you anything to add?"

He wanted to ask of el joven Kip. And of Day, the younger ninita, who had la
rubia's bright hair and grieved for Me Me, the panda doll she had to leave on
Earth. He wanted to tell her that even an untaught campesino might have the
feelings of a man.

"Mr. Mondragon?" He had not spoken. "Anything else?"

She was still the gringa extranjera. He heard no warmth in her crisp, inquiring
tone.

"Nada," he said. "Nothing more."

"Keep in touch," she said. "Mr. Glengarth is concerned. He wants full reports."

The telephone clicked.

He was nadie. Nobody to her. Not to any Anglo, except perhaps her fine
muchachito Kip. Yet he sat there searching the frost, wondering if her art of
terraforming could be truly the magic that might turn this planet of ice into
the home she wished to make for los ninitos. How could they survive at nine
degrees Kelvin? Who except the ice gods, which were only El Senor Andy's joke --

"Carlos!" Cruzet's sharp, impatient voice. "Carlos, are you awake?"

"Que?" Groggy with sleep, he sat up in the chair. "Now I am."

"Look out ahead and call the ship."

Stiff from sitting too long, he turned to look. Cruzet had slowed the scout. A