"David Gerrold - Chtorr 3 - A Rage for Revenge" - читать интересную книгу автора (Gerrold David)

"Uh, I would hope not."
"I didn't ask what you hope. Do you notice that you don't answer questions? You comment on them.
That's how you avoid responsibility. All I'm asking from you are simple yes or no answers. Can you
handle that?"
"I think so-"
Foreman looked annoyed.
"-I mean, yes," she corrected, hastily.
"Thank you." He pointed the gun at her again. "Now, if I pulled this trigger, would you die?"
"Probably."
"Probably. . . ?" Foreman said it with as much amusement as startlement. He looked around at us to
share the joke. There was nervous laughter in the room.
"Well, it depends on where you hit me."
He looked at her again. "You see-you can't give me a simple yes or no answer, can you?"
"Well, you're not being precise. The chances are pretty good that I would die if you shot me-"
"I'm not being precise-?" Foreman gaped at her astonished. "This is a .45 caliber service revolver. The
chances are one hundred percent if I shot you at point-blank range you would die. Do you see that?"
The lady still looked defiant. "Well, that's what you say."
"All right," sighed Foreman. "Let me make it even more precise for you-so that there is absolutely no
doubt." He stepped abruptly forward and placed the barrel of the gun firmly in the colonel's mouth.
Several of the men in the room were suddenly on their feet, shouting--
Foreman turned around, bellowing. "Sit down! You agreed to follow the instructions! If you don't follow
the instructions, you won't get the results! Now, sit down!"
They sat.
I started shivering. I knew what was going to happen next. Foreman turned back to the colonel, put the
gun in her mouth again and said, "Now, then-if I pulled this trigger, would you die?"
The colonel's eyes were wide. She stared down the barrel of the gun and there was terror in her face.
She nodded her head as best she could and managed to get out a muffled, "Umh-hmh."
"Good. That was a very clear answer. So now we're clear about the consequences, right?"
"Umh-hmh. "
"Good. Now-if I told you that you had to keep your word and be in your seat on time every day, or else
I was going to blow your brains out, would you keep your word?"
The woman hesitated. I was trembling for her.
"It's a simple question," said Foreman. "But take your time. I want you to be certain of your answer.
Because that may be the agreement I'll ask you to make." He repeated it carefully. "If you knew that you
had to be here, in your seat, on time, every day-or else I was going to blow your brains out-could you do
it?"
The colonel nodded and said, "Umh-hmh!"
"Sure, you could-and you would too. You'll do whatever is necessary to ensure your survival. If you
knew that keeping your


42 DAVID GERROLD

word was absolutely necessary for your survival, you would keep your word, wouldn't you?"
"Umh-hmh!"
"Good. Thank you." Foreman took the gun out of her mouth. "So now we know that you can keep your
word. The real question is will you?"
The woman didn't answer. She collapsed in a faint.
Foreman went down with her. He said quietly, "That won't work either, Colonel Irving! You don't get to
hide out in here. The question is, will you keep your word?"