"Blish, James - Beep" - читать интересную книгу автора (Blish James)

Weinbaym blasted his way back into his own office, at
least twice as mad as the proverbial nest of hornets, and at
the same time rather dismally aware of his own probable
future. If Stevens's second prediction turned out to be as
phenomenally accurate as his first had been, Capt. Robin
Weinbaum would soon be peddling a natty set of second-
hand uniforms.
He glared down at Margaret Soames, his receptionist
She glared right back; she had known him too long to be
intimidated.
"Anything?" he said.
"Dr. Wald's waiting for you in your office. There are some
field reports, and a couple of Diracs on your private tape.
Any luck with the old codger?"
"That," he said crushingly, "is Top Secret."
"Poof. That means that nobody still knows the answer
but J. Shelby Stevens."
He collapsed suddenly. "You're so right. That's just what
it does mean. But we'll bust him wide open sooner or later.
We've got to."
"You'll do it," Margaret said. "Anything else for me?"
"No. Tip off the clerical staff that there's a half holiday
today, then go take in a stereo or a steak or something your-
self. Dr. Wald and I have a few private wires to pull . . .
and unless I'm sadly mistaken, a private bottle of aquavit
to empty."
"Right," the receptionist said. "Tie one on for me, Chief.
I understand that beer is the best chaser for aquavitI'll
have some sent up."
"If you should return after I am suitably squiffed," Wein-
baum said, feeling a little better already, "I will kiss you for
your thoughtfulness. That should keep you at your stereo
at least twice through the third feature."
As he went on through the door of his own office, she
said demurely behind him, "It certainly should."
As soon as the door closed, however, his mood became
abruptly almost as black as before. Despite his comparative
youthhe was now only fifty-fivehe had been in the
service a long time, and he needed no one to tell him the
possible consequences which might flow from possession by
a private citizen of the Dirac communicator. If there was
ever to be a Federation of Man in the Galaxy, it was within
the power of J. Shelby Stevens to ruin it before it had fairly
gotten started. And there seemed to be nothing at all that
could be done about it.
"Hello, Thor," he said glumly. "Pass the bottle."
"Hello, Robin. I gather things went badly. Tell me about
it."
Briefly, Weinbaum told him. "And the worst of it," he
finished, "is that Stevens himself predicts that we won't find