"Alfred Bester - Demolished Man, The" - читать интересную книгу автора (Bester Alfred)

sharp skirmish with society. Let's look at it as a problem in strategy and
tactics. My problem's simply the problem of any army. Audacity, bravery,
and confidence aren't enough. An army needs Intelligence. A war is won with
Intelligence. I need you for my G-2."
"Agreed."
"I'll do the fighting. You'll provide the Intelligence. I'll have to
know where D'Courtney will be, where I can strike, when I can strike. I'll
take care of the killing myself, but you'll have to tell me when and where
the opportunity will be."
"Understood."
"I'll have to invade first... cut through the defensive network
surrounding D'Courtney. That means reconnaissance from you. You'll have to
check the normals, spot the peepers, warn me and block their mind-reading
if I can't avoid them. I'll have to retreat after the killing through
another network of normals and peepers. You'll have to help me fight a
rear-guard action. You'll have to remain on the scene after the murder.
You'll find out whom the police suspect and why. If I know suspicion is
directed against myself, I can divert it. If I know it's directed against
someone else, I can clinch it. I can fight this war and win this war with
your Intelligence. Is that the truth? Peep me."
After a long pause, Tate said: "It's the truth. We can do it."
"Will you do it?"
Tate hesitated, then nodded with finality. "Yes. I'll do it."
Reich took a deep breath. "Right. Now here's the course I'm plotting.
I think I can set up the killing with an old game called `Sardine.' It will
give me the opportunity to get at D'Courtney, and I've figured out a trick
to kill him; I know how to fire an antique explosive gun without bullets."
"Wait," Tate interrupted sharply. "How are you going to keep all this
intent concealed from stray peepers? I can only screen you when I'm with
you. I won't be with you all the time."
"I can work up a temporary mind-block. There's a song-writer down on
Melody Lane I can swindle into helping me."
"It may work," Tate said after a moment's peeping. "But one thing
occurs to me. Suppose D'Courtney is protected? Do you expect to shoot it
out with bis body-guards?"
"No. I'm hoping it won't be necessary. A physiologist named Jordan has
just developed visual knock-out drops for Monarch. We intended using it for
strike riots. I'll use it on D'Courtney's guards."
"I see."
"You'll be working with me all along... doing reconnaissance and
intelligence, but I need one piece of information first. When D'Courtney
comes to town he's usually the guest of Maria Beaumont."
"The Gilt Corpse?"
"The same. I want you to find out if D'Courtney intends staying with
her this trip. Everything depends on that."
"Easy enough. I can locate D'Courtney's destination and plans for you.
There's to be a social gathering tonight at Lincoln Powell's house,
D'Courtney's physician will probably be there. He's on Terra for a week's
visit. I'll start the reconnaissance through him."
"And you're not afraid of Powell?"