"Harry Harrison - SSR 09 - The Stainless Steel Rat Goes to He" - читать интересную книгу автора (Harrison Harry)

"All automatic now."
"Memory?" James asked.
"About ten-thousand hours at a molecular level. More than we are going to need. Now let us
get a drink and a meal and some sleep and see what morning will bring."
Morning brought more darkness instead of sunshine since Vulkann had a ten-hour-long day;
daylight had come and gone while we slept. The sun was speedily rising again by the time we had
finished our breakfast. We looked on unenthusiastically as the servbot cleared away the dishes
while the beds made themselves. Since this was an all-robot hotel no notice was taken of our
surveillance operations. Across the road the first parishioners were entering the church. None
were familiar. By the time the church doors had closed I found myself nibbling my nails: I jumped
to my feet.
"I'm going to work out in the gym and have a swim," I announced.
"Be there before you," Bolivar said, hurtling towards the door to his bedroom.
When we entered the pool room and threw aside our towels we were delighted to see that our
guide Dee had entered through the other door and had thrown aside her towel as well. Since there
is no nudity taboo on Vulkann this was a serious towel-throwing.
"I hope that you are enjoying your visit to our fair world," she said with a broad smile
just as lovely as the rest of her.
The answer to that question was obvious. I dived into the pool and swam a number of
enthusiastic laps while the twins indulged in enthusiastic conversation with her, for such is the
way of youth. I could see the attraction of this, particularly when I came up for breath and
paused to admire the scenery.
We met in the gym and the boys worked up a good lather of sublimation since we were here
for work, not dalliance. All this mindless exercise cheered us greatly-and kept our thoughts off
of the Seekers of the Way. Refreshed, and with lunch holding breakfast down nicely, we trooped
back to our rooms. I fast-reran the recording, then played back some of the conversations. Then
amplified the images of the parishioners so I could make prints of their faces. Spread them out on
the table so we could look at them.
With mutual feelings of glum depression. It was James who spoke for all of us.
"One thing certain-none of us is going to be able to join up and make any investigations
inside that church."
"Not without some radical surgery," Bolivar said with a broad smile; we glowered back.
Everyone who had visited the church so far had been a woman.
"We need help," I said. "Still in touch with the Special Corps?" James asked.
"There is no escaping them. Though I have not talked to our noble leader, Inskipp, for a
long time. Which is all for the best." I glanced at my watch, then bit a few settings and smiled.
"Very good news. It is now the middle of the night at Prime Base. I will be forced to wake that
dear man up."
His secretary answered first but I knew the code that bypassed its tiny robotic mind.
After a number of rings, growing steadily louder since Inskipp was a heavy sleeper, a familiar and


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angry voice rustled in my ear. "If this isn't a major emergency you are dead, whoever you are,"
Inskipp growled.
"Jim diGriz here, good friend. Did I awake you?"
"I'm issuing an order now to seize all the assets in your bank accounts. Even the ones you
think I don't know about!"