"Philip Jose Farmer - Tongues of the Moon" - читать интересную книгу автора (Farmer Phillip Jose)

Russians were building it. It was, if my intelligence is right, a device 100% efficient in converting matter into energy.
And it was supposed to have an amplification factor in it. You might say it was 500% efficient. Yes, I know, that's
impossible. But, effectively that was what it was supposed to do. Don't ask me the principle behind it
"ThisтАФcall it a bombтАФwas not intended to be used as a weapon on Earth. It would have destroyed the
Russians also, even if set off at the South Pole. But the Russians wanted to build and test one. They had planned to
explode it on Juno. It was their prediction that the asteroid, even though it has a diameter of 210 kilometers, would be
shattered into a million tiny fragments."
Broward felt frozen. He said, "You can't be thinking of sending some one down there... ?"
"Why not?" replied Scone. "I'd go myself, but it's obvious that I must stay here. I know where the bomb is
located. And we have a small experimental vessel that's shielded heavily enough to withstand twenty times the
radiation you'll find down there. Moreover, I've already given orders to have special suits equipped for any work you
have to do outside the ship. Believe me, it can be done. I've talked to those who know, and they've told me it can be
done."
"But, even if it's found, how do you know it'll be operative? Who knows how to control it?"
Broward became aware that he was breathing hard and that his fists were clenched.
"Why me?" he said, "I'm a physical anthropologist and a doctor! What do I know about getting a ship down
there, or handling a device of that nature?"
"You're a doctor, and you've had a great deal of training in radiation. You won't be piloting the ship; another
man will do that. As for the bomb, it's a comparatively small package, and perfectly safe. Besides, I picked you for
another reason I haven't mentioned yet."
"What's that?" said Broward. He caught himself in time, bit down on the words. A little more anger, and he
would have accused Scone of sending him in order to have a free hand with Ingrid.
"Didn't you spend a year in East Siberia on an anthropological study of the descendants of the colonists?"
"Yes," said Broward. "What of it?"
"The bomb is located in an underwater installation off the coast of East Siberia."
Broward sighed. Trust the man to have checked through the biographical files to find data he could use.
Scone had him. He was, in many ways, a logical choice.
"Am I being ordered to go? Or being asked to volunteer?" he said.
"The survival of all men on the Moon demands that someone get that bomb. You should be proud because I
think enough of your qualifications to order you to go."
Broward knew better than to ask him what would happen if he refused. For a moment, he wondered if Scone
wanted him to rebel. That would give Scone an easy and legal way to get rid of Broward. Now, there was a chance
Broward could return from the mission. How much chance, Broward would not know until he evaluated the situation.
"Who's going with me?" he said.
"Captain Yamanuchi will be your pilot and navigator."
"You think of everything," Broward said. Fleetingly, Scone looked surprised. But if he guessed what Broward
meant, he did not care to pursue it.
"It'll be some time before the ship is ready," Scone said. "Report to Dr. Wellers in Section T. I'll see you
before you leave."
"Yes, sir," Broward answered. He saluted, spun around, and walked stiffly out of the office. His only thought
was to talk to Ingrid before he left. He did not care what obstacles Scone would put in his way to prevent that.
Wellers and Yamanuchi were waiting for him. Wellers was a tall thin Englishman with large brown eyes and
sunken cheeks. He had two Ph.D.'s, one in selenic physics, one in spatial navigation. Generally, he was regarded as a
nut His outspokenness had gotten him in trouble, but he was so brilliant that the Terrestrial authorities had ignored his
views as much as possible. They had sent him to the Moon where he would have only a small audience and could be
watched more closely. His case, however, was nothing unusual. The Moon was half-populated with people of dubious
views but great usefulness.
The other man was Moshe Yamanuchi. He was stocky, about thirty, had light-brown curly hair and deep
purple-blue eyes with long eyelashes. Aside from his name, he had nothing about him to indicate his Japanese
ancestry. In his own way, he was even more of a curiosity than Wellers. His grandfather, one of the many Japanese