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.THEY'RE WORRIED ABOUT MY STABILITY."They ought to be worried about your voice, dammit! This is ridiculous.That should be the firstthing "THANK YOU, Brun wrote again.MY FATHER GAVE YOU TROUBLE?Esmay flushed."They got the tape of what I said to you that night and I'm sorry, it really wasinsulting "YOU WERE RIGHT."No I was angry, that's what.I thought you were stealing Barin as if he were my property, whichis disgusting of me, but that's how I felt."YOU LOVE BARIN? That was something that hadn't occurred to her, even in the months of captivity.Esmay, the cool professional, in love?"Yes.And you had so much more time, and when I was working I knew you were spending time with him."TALKING ABOUT YOU."I didn't know that.Anyway I said I'm sorry.But they think they thought I had something againstyou and your family.Your father didn't want me involved in the planning, or with the mission.Butthat's not the important thing the important thing is getting you a voice." Esmay thought for amoment.Meharry.Meharry knew everyone and everything, as near as Esmay could tell.If that deviceon the station had survived, Meharry would know where it was, and if it hadn't, she'd know whatwould work."A speech synthesizer? Sure I can get you one.Just don't ask where."Ten minutes later, a young pivot, so new he squeaked, delivered a briefcase-sized box that flippedopen to reveal a keyboard of preprogrammed speech tags as well as direct input."Here," Esmay said."Try this."Brun peered at it, and began tapping the buttons."It looks like the one Lady Cecelia used onRotterdam," said a deep bass voice.Esmay jumped, then started laughing."Let's see what this one sounds like," the box said, this time in a soprano."I didn't like that one, let's try this." came out in a mezzo; Brun shrugged."I'll keep thisfile:///F|/rah/Elizabeth%20Moon/Moon,%20Eliz.egacy%2005%20-%20Rules%20Of%20Engagement.txt (207 of 230) [5/20/03 11:37:30 PM]file:///F|/rah/Elizabeth%20Moon/Moon,%20Elizabeth%20-%20The%20Serrano%20Legacy%2005%20-%20Rules%20Of%20Engagement.txtone.""I wonder why they didn't do this first," Esmay said."If they had a speech synthesizer aboard,why not give it to you right away.""Arrogance," Brun keyed in."They knew what I needed; why ask me?""Brun, I'm so sorry ""Don't waste time.Thank you.You saved my life."Esmay was trying to think how to answer that one when Brun's next message came out."And by the way, who's doing your hair? It looks good even after being squashed in a suit.""Sera Saenz Marta Saenz took me to this place, Afino's.""Raffaele's Aunt Marta? You must have impressed her if she took you there.Good for you."Esmay could not believe how fast Brun was keying in the words, as if she'd used one of these foryears."You're good with that thing," she said."Practice," Brun keyed."With Cecelia.And you cannot know how good it feels.Now what's going onwith Fleet and the planet? Hazel wants to get the other kids out.""And your babies," Esmay said."Your father's adamant about that: he's not leaving hisgrandchildren there.""He can have them." Brun's expression dared Esmay to question that, and she didn't."I don't know what the whole situation is," Esmay said."Because, since I'm in disgrace forletting you know I was here, they won't tell me.You're on a search-and-rescue ship; there's atask force with us, but what we're doing is microjumping around keeping out of the way of theMilitia warships.""Who can I talk to?" Brun keyed."Who's giving the orders?""On this ship, Captain Solis.For the task force, Admiral Serrano.""Good.I need to talk to her.""Admiral Serrano?" Esmay remembered in time that Brun already knew the admiral.she might infact listen."I can get you as far as Captain Solis, but there's a blackout on communications withthe task force.""Captain Solis first," Brun keyed in.Esmay nodded and led the way without another word.Brunglanced at Esmay.Besides the more effective haircut, there was something else different.Sherealized, as Esmay led her through the ship and she saw others defer to her, that Esmay mightindeed be in disgrace but she was far more than Brun had imagined.This was what she'd been likeat Xavier, or on Koskiusko? Her own idiocy struck her again, the way she had condescended to thiswoman, the way she had assumed that Esmay was no more than any other student, no more than, forinstance, herself.That man in the combat veterans' bar had been right she had not understood atall.They paused at a cross-corridor while what looked to Brun like huge people in armor moved past."Feeling better, Lieutenant?" one of them asked."Fine, thanks," Esmay said.She turned to Brun."They were on the team that got you out.""Thank you," Brun keyed quickly.She hit the controls to save that phrase; she was going to needit a lot.file:///F|/rah/Elizabeth%20Moon/Moon,%20Eliz.egacy%2005%20-%20Rules%20Of%20Engagement.txt (208 of 230) [5/20/03 11:37:30 PM]file:///F|/rah/Elizabeth%20Moon/Moon,%20Elizabeth%20-%20The%20Serrano%20Legacy%2005%20-%20Rules%20Of%20Engagement.txtCaptain Solis stood as Brun came in and reached to shake her hand."We are so glad to have youback!""I'm glad to be back." Brun had anticipated the need for that phrase, and had it loaded [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]