《Grimes 013 The Big Black Mark 》作者：- A. Bertram Chandler【EPUB】

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THE BIG BLACK MARK A. Bertram Chandler LAST CHANCE "Now, Grimes, I'm going to be frank," said the admiral. "There are many people in the Service who don't like you, and who did not at all approve of your last two promotions. I didn't altogether approve of them myself, come to that, although I do admit that you possess one attribute that might, in the fullness of time, carry you to flag rank. You're lucky, Grimes. You could fall into a cesspit and come out not only smelling of roses but with the Shaara Crown Jewels clutched in your hot little hands. You've done it, figuratively, more than once. But I only hope that I'm not around when your luck runs out!" "You mean, sir," asked Grimes, "that this is some sort of last chance ?" "You said it, commander. You said it. . . ." Chapter 1 Commander John Grimes, Federation Survey Service, should have been happy. Rather to his surprise he had been promoted on his return, in the Census Ship Seeker, to Lindisfarne Base. He now wore three new, gleaming stripes of gold braid on his shoulder boards instead of the old, tarnished two and a half. Scrambled egg-the stylized comets worked in gold thread-now adorned the peak of his cap. And not only had he been promoted, from lieutenant commander to commander, he had been appointed to the command of a much bigger ship. He should have been happy, but he was not. The vessel, to begin with, was