"Dick, Philip K - Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch v1.1" - читать интересную книгу автора (Dick Phillip K)

But there was nothing he could do about it. The UN was a windowless monad over which he had no influence.
He could without difficulty perceive the intentions of the Narcotics Control Bureau. It wanted P. P. Layouts to initiate litigation aimed at regaining the shipload. Because this would establish that the illegal drug Can-D, chewed by so many colonists, was grown, processed, and distributed by a hidden subsidiary of P. P. Layouts. So, valuable as the shipload was, better to let it go than to make a stab at claiming it.
УThe homeopape conjectures were correct,Ф Felix Blau, boss of the police agency, was saying on the vidscreen. УIt is Palmer Eldritch and he appears to be alive although badly injured. We understand that a UN ship of the line is bringing him back to a base hospital, location of course undisclosed.Ф
УHmm,Ф Leo Bulero said, nodding.
УHowever, as to what Eldritch found in the Prox systemЦФ
УYouТll never find that out,Ф Leo said. УEldritch wonТt say and itТll end there.Ф
УOne fact has been reported,Ф Blau said, Уof interest. Aboard his ship Eldritch hadЦstill hasЦa carefully maintained culture of a lichen very much resembling the Titanian lichen from which Can-D is derived. I thought in view ofЦФ Blau broke off tactfully.
УIs there any way those lichen cultures can be destroyed?Ф It was an instinctive impulse.
УUnfortunately Eldritch employees have already reached the remains of the ship. They undoubtedly would resist efforts in that direction.Ф Blau looked sympathetic. УWe could of course tryЕ not a forceful solution but perhaps we could buy our way in.Ф
УTry,Ф Leo said, although he agreed; it was undoubtedly a waste of time and effort. УIsnТt there that law, that major UN ordinance, against importing life forms from other systems?Ф It would certainly be handy if the UN military could be induced to bomb the remains of ElditchТs ship. On his note pad he scratched a memo to himself: call lawyers, lodge complaint with UN over import of alien lichens. УIТll talk to you later,Ф he said to Blau and rang off. Maybe IТll complain directly, he decided. Pressing the tab on his intercom he said to his secretary, УGet me UN, top, in New York. Ask for Secretary Hepburn-Gilbert personally.Ф
Presently he found himself connected with the crafty Indian politician who last year had become UN Secretary. УAh, Mr. Bulero.Ф Hepburn-Gilbert smiled slyly. УYou wish to complain as to the seizure of that shipment of Can-D whichЦФ
УI know nothing about any shipment of Can-D,Ф Leo said. УThis has to do with another matter completely. Do you people realize what Palmer Eldritch is up to? HeТs brought non-Sol lichens into our system; it could be the beginning of another plague like we had in Т98.Ф
УWe realize this. However, the Eldritch people are claiming it to be a Sol lichen which Mr. Eldritch took with him on his Prox trip and is now bringing backЕ it was a source of protein to him, they claim.Ф The IndianТs white teeth shone in gleeful superiority; the meager pretext amused him.
УYou believe that?Ф
УOf course not.Ф Hepburn-GilbertТs smile increased. УWhat interests you in this matter, Mr. Bulero? You have an, ah, special concern for lichens?Ф
УIТm a public-spirited citizen of the Sol system. And I insist that you act.Ф
УWe are acting,Ф Hepburn-Gilbert said. УWe have made inquiriesЕ we have assigned our Mr. LarkЦyou know himЦto this detail. You see?Ф
The conversation droned to a frustrating conclusion and Leo Bulero at last hung up, feeling irked at politicians; they managed to take forceful steps when it came to him but in connection with Palmer EldritchЕ ah, Mr. Bulero, he mimicked to himself. That, sir, is something else again.
Yes, he knew Lark. Ned Lark was chief of the UN Narcotics Bureau and the man responsible for the seizure of this last shipment of Can-D; it had been a ploy on the part of the UN Secretary, bringing Lark into this hassle with Eldritch. What the UN was angling for here was a quid pro quo; they would drag their feet, not act against Eldritch unless and until Leo Bulero made some move to curtail his Can-D shipments; he sensed this, but could not of course prove it. After all, Hepburn-Gilbert, that dark-skinned sneaky little unevolved politician, hadnТt exactly said that.
ThatТs what you find yourself involved in when you talk to the UN, Leo reflected. Afro-Asian politics. A swamp. ItТs run, staffed, directed by foreigners. He glared at the blank vidscreen.
While he was wondering what to do his secretary Miss Gleason clicked on the intercom at her end and said, УMr. Bulero, Mr. Mayerson is in the outer office; heТd like a few moments with you.Ф
УSend him in.Ф He was glad for a respite.
A moment later his expert in the field of tomorrowТs fashions came in, scowling. Silently, Barney Mayerson seated himself facing Leo.
УWhatТs eating you, Mayerson?Ф Leo demanded. УSpeak up; thatТs what IТm here for, so you can cry on my shoulder. Tell me what it is and IТll hold your hand.Ф Re made his tone withering.
УMy assistant. Miss Fugate.Ф
УYes, I hear youТre sleeping with her.Ф
УThatТs not the issue.Ф
УOh, I see,Ф Leo said. УThatТs just a minor aside.Ф
УI just meant IТm here about another aspect of Miss FugateТs behavior. We had a basic disagreement a little while ago; a salesmanЦФ
Leo said, УYou turned something down and she disagreed.Ф
УYes.Ф
УYou precogs.Ф Remarkable. Maybe there were alternate futures. УSo you want me to order her in the future always to back you up?Ф
Barney Mayerson said, УSheТs my assistant; that means sheТs supposed to do as I direct.Ф
УWellЕ isnТt sleeping with you a pretty fair move in that direction?Ф Leo laughed. УHowever, she should back you up while salesmen are present, then if she has any qualms she should air them privately later on.Ф
УI donТt even go for that.Ф Barney scowled even more.
Acutely, Leo said, УYou know because I take that E Therapy IТve got a huge frontal lobe; IТm practically a precog myself, IТm so advanced. Was it a pot salesman? Ceramics?Ф
With massive reluctance Barney nodded.
УTheyТre your ex-wifeТs pots,Ф Leo said. Her ceramics were selling well; he had seen ads in the homeopapes for them, as retailed by one of New OrleansТ most exclusive art-object shops, and here on the East Coast and in San Francisco. УWill they go over, Barney?Ф He studied his precog. УWas Miss Fugate right?Ф
УTheyТll never go over; thatТs GodТs truth.Ф BarneyТs tone, however, was leaden. The wrong tone, Leo decided, for what he was saying; it was too lacking in vitality. УThatТs what I foresee,Ф Barney said doggedly.
УOkay.Ф Leo nodded. УIТll accept what youТre saying. But if her pots become a sensation and we donТt have mins of them available for the colonistsТ layoutsЦФ He pondered. УYou might find your bed-partner also occupying your chair,Ф he said.
Rising, Barney said, УYouТll instruct Miss Fugate, then, as to the position she should take?Ф He colored. УIТll rephrase that,Ф he murmured, as Leo began to guffaw.
УOkay, Barney. IТll lower the fnard on her. SheТs young; sheТll survive. And youТre aging; you need to keep your dignity, not have anyone disagree with you.Ф He, too, rose; walking up to Barney, he slapped him on the back. УBut listen. Stop eating your heart out; forget that ex-wife of yours. Okay?Ф
УIТve forgotten her.Ф
УThere are always more women,Ф Leo said, thinking of Scotty Sinclair, his mistress at the moment; Scotty right now, frail and blonde but huge in the balcony, hung out at his satellite villa five hundred miles at apogee, waiting for him to knock off work for the week. УThereТs an infinite supply; theyТre not like early U. S. postage stamps or the truffle skins we use as money.Ф It occurred to him, then, that he could smooth matters by making available to Barney one of his discardedЦbut still serviceableЦformer mistresses. УI tell you what,Ф he began, but Barney at once cut him off with a savage swipe of his hand. УNo?Ф Leo asked.
УNo. Anyhow IТm wound up tight with Roni Fugate. One at a time is enough for any normal man.Ф Barney eyed his employer severely.
УI agree. Lord, I only can see one at a time, myself; what do you think, IТve got a harem up there at Winnie-the-Pooh Acres?Ф He bristled.
УThe last time I was up there,Ф Barney said, Уwhich was at that birthday party for you back in JanuaryЦФ
УOh well. Parties. ThatТs something else; you donТt count what goes on during parties.Ф He accompanied Barney to the door of the office. УYou know, Mayerson, I heard a rumor about you, one I didnТt like. Someone saw you lugging one of those suitcase-type extensions of a conapt psychiatric computer around with youЕ did you get a draft notice?Ф
There was silence. Then, at last, Barney nodded.
УAnd you werenТt going to say anything to us,Ф Leo said. УWe were to find out when? The day you board ship for Mars?Ф