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

were as often offered between the lips. The wine was tasted mouth to mouth.
Sweets were given more intimately.
Reich endured it all with a seething impatience, waiting for the vital
word from Tate. Part of Tate's Intelligence work was to locate D'Courtney's
hiding place in the house. He watched the little peeper drift through the
crowd of diners, probing, prying, searching, until he at last returned with
a negative shake of his head and gestured toward Maria Beaumont. Clearly
Maria was the only source of information, but she was now too excited by
sensuality to be easily probed. It was another in a never-ending series of
crises that had to be met by the killer-instinct. Reich arose and crossed
toward the fountain. Tate intercepted him.
"What are you up to, Reich?"
"Isn't it obvious? I've got to get the Chervil boy off her mind."
"How?"
"Is there any way but one?"
"For God's sake, Reich, don't go near the boy."
"Get out of my way." Reich radiated a burst of savage compulsion that
made the peeper recoil. He signaled in fright and Reich tried to control
himself.
"It's taking chances, I know, but the odds aren't as long as you
think. In the first place, he's young and green. In the second place, he's
a crasher and scared. In the third place, he can't be flying full jets or
he wouldn't have let the fag secretaries peep him so easily."
"Have you got any conscious control? Can you double-think?"
"I've got that song on my mind and enough trouble to make
doublethinking a pleasure. Now get the hell out of the way and stand by to
peep Maria Beaumont."
Chervil was eating alone alongside the fountain, clumsily attempting
to appear to belong.
"Pip," said Reich.
"Pop," said Chervil.
"Bim," said Reich.
"Bam," said Chervil.
With the latest fad in informality disposed of, Reich eased himself
down alongside the boy. "I'm Ben Reich."
"I'm Gally Chervil, I mean... Galen. I---" He was visibly impressed by
the name of Reich.
Tension, apprehension, and dissension...
"That damned song," Reich muttered. "Heard it for the first time the
other day. Can't get it out of my mind. Maria knows you're a phoney,
Chervil."
"Oh no!"
Reich nodded. Tension, apprehension...
"Should I start running?"
"Without the picture?"
"You know about that too? There must be a peeper in the house."
"Two of them. Her social secretaries. People like you are their job."
"What about that picture, Mr. Reich? I've got fifty credits riding on
the line. You ought to know what a bet means. You're a gamb---I mean,
financier."