"Robert Grossbach - Of Scorned Women and Causal Loops" - читать интересную книгу автора (Grossbach Robert)

beyond the complex, he thought he could see sheep grazing and paused
for an instant to squint before moving through the entrance.

He signed in at a long, polished wooden desk, filling in the тАЬName,тАЭ
тАЬEntry Time,тАЭ and тАЬPerson to Be SeenтАЭ columns, but leaving blank the
тАЬPurpose of VisitтАЭ space. When the young receptionist had finished on the
phone, she presented him with a plastic yellow rectangle that identified him
as a visitor, тАЬlei est votreтАФтАЭ

тАЬEnglish will be fine,тАЭ he said.

She nodded. тАЬHere is your badge, Inspector. Someone will be out
momentarily to escort you.тАЭ

He grunted a thank-you, then went to stand awkwardly near one of the
vinyl waiting area couches, pausing to knead his eyebrows and temples in a
futile at-tempt to ward off the headache he already knew was inevitable.
When he looked up a moment later, a fortyish woman stood before him,
wearing a loose blouse and pleated gray skirt.

тАЬInspector Lagrange?тАЭ

Short black hair framed a slightly roundish Kewpie-doll face: button
nose, cherub mouth, dark red lipstick, touch of rouge. Lagrange thought her
just short of pretty. тАЬIтАЩm here to see Dr. Elizabeth Parkes,тАЭ he said.

тАЬI am she.тАЭ

Apparently, his expression did not sufficiently conceal his reactions.

тАЬI do not fit your conception of a nuclear physicist?тАЭ
 He smiled back. тАЬNo, no, itтАЩs just. . . the receptionist said they were
sending somebody. I assumed тАФ тАЬ He waved his hand. тАЬItтАЩs of no
importance.тАЭ

She stared at him bemusedly. тАЬWell then, shall we?тАЭ She motioned
toward a doorway. тАЬI assume youтАЩd like a look at the experiment first?тАЭ

тАЬThat would be fine, yes.тАЭ

She held the door, and he stepped through.

The hangar area was vast; they padded along a blue steel catwalk
past a dozen rows of huge, thrumming machines. тАЬGenerators,тАЭ said
Elizabeth, over the din. тАЬThey feed the superconducting magnets for the
accelerator.тАЭ

тАЬThey give me a headache,тАЭ shouted Lagrange. He now had pain in
his head and his ass; he supposed somewhere along the way heтАЩd stub a
toe. They emerged finally into the rear half of the building, seemingly empty