"Blish, James - To Pay the Piper" - читать интересную книгу автора (Blish James)

Educated, we can simply announce the fact, and say that
you've agreed to join the advance party when the time comes."
"Ah," Hamelin said. "I see the difficulty. No, that would
make my position quite impossible. If there is no other
way . . ."
"Excuse us a moment," Carson said. Hamelin bowed, and
the doctor pulled Mudgett off out of earshot.
"Don't overplay it," he murmured. "You're tipping our
hand with that talk about a press release. Colonel. He's offering
us a bribebut he's plenty smart enough to see that the price
you're suggesting is that of his whole political career; he
won't pay that much."
"What then?" Mudgett whispered hoarsely.
"Get somebody to prepare the kind of informal contract
he suggested. Offer to put it under security seal so we won't
be able to show it to the press at all. He'll know well enough
that such a seal can be broken if our policy ever comes before
a presidential reviewand that will restrain him from forcing
such a review. Let's not demand too much. Once he's been
Re-Educated, he'll have to live the rest of the five years with
the knowledge that he can live topside any time he wants to
try itand he hasn't had the discipline our men have had.
It's my bet that he'll goof off before the five years are upand
good riddance."
They went back to Hamelin, who was watching the machine
and humming in a painfully abstracted manner.
"I've convinced the Colonel," Carson said, "that your serv-
ices in the army might well be very valuable when the time
comes, Mr. Secretary. If you'll sign up, we'll put the papers
under security seal for your own protection, and then I think
we can fit you into our treatment program today."
"I'm grateful to you. Dr. Carson," Hamelin said. "Very
grateful indeed."
Five minutes after his injection, Hamelin was as peaceful
as a flounder and was rolled through the swinging doors. An
hour? discussion of the probable outcome, carried on in the
privacy of Mudgett's office, bore very little additional fruit,
however.
"It's our only course," Carson said. "It's what we hoped
to gain from his visit, duly modified by circumstances. It all
comes down to this: Hamelin's compromised himself, and he
knows it."
"But," Mudgett said, "suppose he was right? What about
all that talk of his about mass insanity?"
"I'm sure it's true," Carson said, his voice trembling slightly
despite his best efforts at control. "It's going to be rougher
than ever down here for the next five years, Colonel. Our
only consolation is that the enemy must have exactly the
same problem; and if we can beat them to the surface"

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