"Asimov, Isaac - Profession" - читать интересную книгу автора (Asimov Isaac)

A thought struck him. Had an alarm been sent out for him? Was his description known, or his picture? Was Gray-hair behind him trying to get a good look at his face?
He hadnТt seen any news reports. He craned his neck to see the moving strip of news headlines parading across one section of the city shield, somewhat lackluster against the gray of the cloudy afternoon sky. It was no use. He gave up at once. The headlines would never concern themselves with him. This was Olympics time and the only news worth headlining was the comparative scores of the winners and the trophies won by continents, nations, and cities.
It would go on like that for weeks, with scores calculated on a per capita basis and every city finding some way of calculating itself into a position of honor. His own town had once placed third in an Olympics covering Wiring Technician; third in the whole state. There was still a plaque saying so in Town Hall.

George hunched his head between his shoulders and shoved his hands in his pocket and decided that made him more noticeable. He relaxed and tried
to look unconcerned, and felt no safer. He was in the lobby now, and no authoritative hand had yet been laid on his shoulder. He filed into the hall itself and moved as far forward as he could.
It was with an unpleasant shock that he noticed Gray-hair next to him. He looked away quickly and tried reasoning with himself. The man had been nght behind him in line after all.
Gray-hair, beyond a brief and tentative smile, paid no attention to him and, besides, the Olympics was about to start. George rose in his seat to see if he could make out the position assigned to Trevelyan and at the moment that was all his concern.

The hall was moderate in size and shaped in the classical long oval, with the spectators in the two balconies running completely about the rim and the
contestants in the linear trough down the center. The machines were set up, the progress boards above each bench were dark, except for the name and contest number of each man. The contestants themselves were on the scene, reading, talking together; one was checking his fingernails minutely. (It was, of course, considered bad form for any contestant to pay any attention to the problem before him until the instant of the starting signal.)
George studied the program sheet he found in the appropriate slot in the arm of his chair and found TrevelyanТs name. His number was twelve and, to GeorgeТs chagrin, that was at the wrong end of the hail. He could make out the figure of Contestant Twelve, standing with his hands in his pockets, back to his machine, and staring at the audience as though he were counting the house. George couldnТt make out the face.
Still, that was Trev.
George sank back in his seat. He wondered if Trev would do well. He hoped, as a matter of conscious duty, that he would, and yet there was something within him that felt rebelliously resentful. George, professionless, here, watching. Trevelyan, Registered Metallurgist, Nonferrous, there, competing.
George wondered if Trevelyan had competed in his first year. Sometimes men did, if they felt particularly confidentЧor hurried. It involved a certain risk. However efficient the Educative process, a preliminary year on Earth (Уoiling the stiff knowledge,Ф as the expression went) insured a higher score.
If Trevelyan was repeating, maybe he wasnТt doing so well. George felt ashamed that the thought pleased him just a bit.
He looked about. The stands were almost full. This would be a wellattended Olympics, which meant greater strain on the contestantsЧor greater drive, perhaps, depending on the individual.
Why Olympics, he thought suddenly? He had never known. Why was bread called bread?
Once he had asked his father: УWhy do they call it Olympics, Dad?Ф
And his father had said: УOlympics means competition.Ф
George had said: УIs when Stubby and I fight an Olympics, Dad?Ф
Platen, Senior, had said: УNo. Olympics is a special kind of competition and donТt ask silly questions. YouТll know all you have to know when you get Educated.Ф
George, back in the present, sighed and crowded down into his seat.
All you have to know!
Funny that the memory should be so clear now. УWhen you get Educated.Ф No one ever said, УIf you get Educated.Ф
He always had asked silly questions, it seemed to him now. It was as though his mind had some instinctive foreknowledge of its inability to be Educated and had gone about asking questions in order to pick up scraps here and there as best it could.
And at the House they encouraged him to do so because they agreed with his mindТs instinct. It was the only way.
He sat up suddenly. What the devil was he doing? Falling for that lie? Was it because Trev was there before him, an Educee, competing in the Olympics that he himself was surrendering?
He wasnТt feeble-minded! No!
And the shout of denial in his mnd was echoed b5Т the sudden clamor in the audience as everyone got to his feet.
The box seat in the very center of one long side of the oval was filling with an entourage wearing the colors of Novia, and the word УNoviaФ went up above them on the main board.
Novia was a Grade A world with a large population and a thoroughly developed civilization, perhaps the best in the Galaxy. It was the kind of world that every Earthman wanted to live in someday; or, failing that, to see his children live in. (George remembered TrevelyanТs insistence on Novia as a goalЧand there he was competing for it.)
The lights went out in that section of the ceiling above the audience and so did the wall lights. The central trough, in which the contestants waited, became floodlit.
Again George tried to make out Trevelyan. Too far.
The clear, polished voice of the announced sounded. УDistinguished Novian sponsors. Ladies. Gentlemen. The Olympics competition for Metallurgist, Nonferrous, is about to begin. The contestants areЧФ
Carefully and conscientiously, he read off the list in the program. Names. Home towns. Educative years. Each name received its cheers, the San Franciscans among them receiving the loudest. When TrevelyanТs name was reached, George surprised himself by shouting and waving madly. The gray-haired man next to him surprised him even more by cheering likewise.
George could not help but stare in astonishment and his neighbor leaned over to say (speaking loudly in order to be heard over the hubbub), УNo one here from my home town; IТll root for yours. Someone you know?Ф
George shrank back. УNo.Ф
УI noticed you looking in that direction. Would you like to borrow my glasses?Ф
УNo. Thank you.Ф (Why didnТt the old fool mind his own business?)
The announcer went on with other formal details concerning the serial number of the competition, the method of timing and scoring and so on. Finally, he approached the meat of the matter and the audience grew silent as it listened.
УEach contestant will be supplied with a bar of nonferrous alloy of unspecified composition. He will be required to sample and assay the bar, reporting all results correctly to four decimals in percent. All will utilize for this purpose a Beeman Microspectrograph, Model FX-2, each of which is, at the moment, not in working order.Ф

There was an appreciative shout from the audience.
УEach contestant will be required to analyze the fault of his machine and correct it. Tools and spare parts are supplied. The spare part necessary may
not be present, in which case it must be asked for, and time of delivery thereof will be deducted from final time. Are all contestants ready?Ф
The board above Contestant Five flashed a frantic red signal. Contestant Five ran off the floor and returned a moment later. The audience laughed good-naturedly.
УAre all contestants ready?Ф
The boards remained blank.
УAny questions?Ф