"Ron Goulart - The Panchronicon Plot" - читать интересную книгу автора (Goulart Ron)

"Well, you are and you aren't."
"If I know RFA they want to keep me on the Temporarily Retired list forever."
"They might, I don't," said Geer. "I can still do what I want with the Wild Talent Division. You
know, you wouldn't be getting any dough at all if I hadn't set it up."
"Yeah, I know. You're not going to try to use my gratitude to get me toтАФ"
"Just simply listen a minute, Jake. I wouldn't have teleported out from Manhattan if I had an
ordinary problem," Geer said up at him. "I've got a couple of other agents who have your particular
talent. Neither of them is as good as you, but IтАФ"
"Ripley is. Matter of fact, Ripley is the best invisibility man you've got in WTD."
"He used to be, maybe. Right now . . . well, I don't know if I can trust him." Geer did further
damage to his frizzled hair by running a hand through it. "I don't trust anybody. But I do trust you,
Jake."
THE PANCHRONICON PLOT 3


Conger asked, "What the hell's going on? You always felt your men were honest andтАФ"
"Let me explain." Geer took a few deep breaths, snorted. "What do you think of President
Bisbiglia?"
"He's okay as presidents go. Didn't vote for him. Why?"
Geer's head swiveled and he scanned the deserted stretch of morning beach. "He's gone goofy,
completely bonkers."
"It doesn't show. I heard part of his fireside chat the other night and he seemed about as usual,"
said Conger. "If he is crazy wouldn't the Secretary of Mental Health know about it? That's one of
his main functions, to test the president every so often."
"Bisbiglia has sent the Secretary of Mental Health to Vienna."
"So? Can't you get in touch with him there?"
"Vienna, 1897."
Conger's eyebrows rose. "How'd he do that? The Time Travel Overseeing Committee wouldn't
sit still for that."
"I don't know, Jake. I can't get anybody at TTOC to say anything. And they turn down my
requests to use one of their machines."
Conger shifted his position, scratched at his ankle. "Where did you get the idea Bisbiglia was
actually crazy? How do you know he sent the MH Secretary backwards in time?"
Geer inched closer to the rock. "The head of the Federal Time Bureau came to me with his
suspicions, about six weeks ago, Jake. He'd been getting odd reports from Time Police agents all
through history. He developed the idea somebody was dumping people in time, to get rid of them."
"You figure it's not only the MH guy then?"
"The FTB head estimated about thirty people have been marooned in time since the start of this
year," answered Geer. "When he, very casually, mentioned it to the Mental Health secretary he was
told that President Bisbiglia is behind it. The president's got a plan to ship all his enemies and
detractors off to suitable periods in history."
"Okay, so maybe Bisbiglia's crazy. TTOC isn't. How'd he get them to co-operate?"
"The bureau head was certain TTOC time machines aren't being used. Which means we're
talking about a private setup."
"But TTOC licenses all private machines; watches them."
"Maybe. The head was going to run a check and get back to me."
"You've been using the past tense quite a lot. What's happened to him?"
"I don't know for sure, Jake. His office says he's on leave. I figure he was sent somewhere, too."
Geer, grunting and puffing, pulled himself up onto the rock next to his former agent. "Jake, I'm
maybe the only one left who knows what's going on. If those yoohoos on the other side, the goofy