"Heinlein, Robert A - A Bathroom of Her Own" - читать интересную книгу автора (Heinlein Robert A)

I ducked out soon after, feeling much better, not because I thought I could win, but because of Mrs. Holmes and Dr. Potter and more like them. The team spirit you get in a campaign is pretty swell; I was feeling it again and recovering my pre-War zip.
Before the War our community was in good shape. We had kicked out the local machine, tightened up civil service, sent a police lieutenant to jail, and had put the bidding for contracts on an honest-to-goodness competitive basisЧnot by praying on Sunday, either, but by volunteer efforts of private citizens willing to get out and punch doorbells.
Then the War came along and everything came unstuck.
Naturally, the people who can be depended on for the in-and-out-of-season grind of volunteer politics are also the ones who took the War the most seriously. From Pearl Harbor to Hiroshima they had no time for politics. ItТs a wonder the city hail wasnТt stolen during the WarЧbolted to its foundations, I guess.
On my way home I stopped at a drive-in for a hamburger and some thought. Another car squeezed in close beside me. I glanced up, then blinked my eyes. УWell, IТll beЧMiss Nelson! Who let you out alone?Ф
She jerked her head around, ready to bristle, then turned on the vote-getter. УYou startled me. YouТre Mr. Ross, arenТt you?Ф
УYour future councilman,Ф I agreed. УYou startled me. HowТs the politicking? WhereТs Cliff Meyers? Dump him down a sewer?Ф
She giggled. УPoor Mr. Meyers! I said goodnight to him at my door, then came over here. I was hungry.Ф
УThatТs no way to win elections. Why didnТt you invite him in and scramble some eggs?Ф
УWell, I just didnТt wantЧI mean I wanted a chance to think. You wonТt tell on me?Ф She gave me the yougreat-big-strong-man look.
УIТm the enemyЧremember? But I wonТt. Shall I go away, too?Ф
УNo, donТt. Since you are going to be my councilman, I ought to get acquainted. Why are you so sure you will beat me, Mr. Ross?Ф
УJack RossЧyour friend and mine. Have a cigar. IТm not at all sure I can beat you. With your natural advantages and TullyТs gang behind you I should Сa stood in bed.
Her eyes went narrow; the vote-getter smile was gone. УWhat do you mean?Ф she said slowly. УIТm an independent candidate.Ф
It was my cue to crawl, but I passed. УYou expect
me to swallow that? With Cliff Meyers at your elbowЧФ The car hop interrupted us; we placed our orders and I resumed. She cut in.
УI do want to be alone,Ф she snapped and started to close her window.
I reached out and placed a hand on the glass. УJust a moment. This is politics; you are judged by the company you keep. You show up at your first meeting and Cliff Meyers has you under his wing.Ф
УWhatТs wrong with that? Mr. Meyers is a perfect gentleman.Ф
УAnd heТs good to his mother. HeТs a man with no visible means of support, who does chores for Boss Tully. I thought what everybody thought, that the boss had sent him to chaperone a green candidate.Ф
УItТs not true!Ф
УNo? YouТre caught in the jam cupboard. WhatТs your story?Ф
She bit her lip. УI donТt have to explain anything to you.
УNo. But if you wonТt, the circumstances speak for themselves.Ф She didnТt answer. We sat there, ignoring each other, while we ate. When she switched on the ignition, I said, УIТm going to tail you home.Ф
УItТs not necessary, thank you.Ф
УThis town is a rough place since the War. A young woman should not be out alone at night. Even Cliff Meyers is better than nobody.Ф
УThatТs why I let themЧ Do as you see fit!Ф I had to skim red lights, but I kept close behind her. I expected her to rush inside and slam the door, but she was waiting by the curb. УThank you for seeing me home, Mr. Ross.Ф
УQuite all right.Ф I went upon her front porch with her and said goodnight.
УMr. RossЧI shouldnТt care what you think, but IТm not with Boss Tully. IТm independent.Ф I waited. Presently she said, УYou donТt believe me.Ф The big, beautiful eyes were shiny with tears.
УI didnТt say soЧbut IТm waiting for you to explain.Ф
УBut what is there to explain?Ф
УPlenty.Ф I sat down on the porch swing. УCome here, and tell papa. Why did you decide to run for office?Ф
УWell . . . У She sat down beside me; I caught a disturbing whiff of perfume. УIt started because I couldnТt find an apartment. No, it didnТtЧit was farther back, out in the South Pacific. I could stand the insects and the heat. Even the idiotic way the Army does things didnТt fret me much. But we had to queue up to use the wash basins. There was even a time when baths were rationed. I hated it. I used to lie on my cot at night, awake in the heat, and dream about a bathroom of my own. A bathroom of my own! A deep tub of water and time to soak. Shampoos and manicures and big, fluffy towels! I wanted to lock myself in and live there. Then I got out of the ArmyЧФ
УYes?Ф
She shrugged. УThe only apartment I could find carried a bonus bigger than my discharge pay, and I couldnТt afford it anyhow.Ф
УWhatТs wrong with your own home?Ф
УThis? This is my auntТs home. Seven in the family and I make eightЧone bathroom. IТm lucky to brush my teeth. And I share a three-quarters bed with my eight-year-old cousin.Ф
УI see. But that doesnТt tell why you are running for office.Ф
УYes, it does. Uncle Sam was here one night and I was boiling over about the housing shortage and what I would like to do to Congress. He said I ought to be in politics; I said IТd welcome the chance. He phoned the next day and asked how would I like to run for his seat? I saidЧФ
УUncle SamЧSam Jorgens!Ф
УYes. HeТs not my uncle, but IТve known him since I was little. I was scared, but he said not to worry, he
would help me out and advise me. So I did and thatТs all there is to it. You see now?Ф
I saw all right. The political acumen of an Easter bunnyЧexcept that the bunny rabbit was likely to lick the socks off me. УOkay,Ф I told her, Уbut housing isnТt the only issue. How about the gas company franchise, for example and the sewage disposal plant? And the tax rate? What airport deal do you favor? Do you think we ought to ease up on zoning and how about the freeways?Ф
УIТm going after housing. Those issues can wait.Ф
I snorted. УThey wonТt let you wait. While youТre riding your hobbyhorse, the boys will steal the public blindЧagain.Ф
УHobbyhorse! Mister Smarty-Britches, getting a house is the most important thing in the world to the man who hasnТt one. You wouldnТt be so smug if you were in that fix.Ф
УKeep your shirt on. Me, IТm sleeping in a leaky trailer. IТm strong for plenty of housingЧbut how do you propose to get it?Ф
УHow? DonТt be silly. IТll back the measures that push it.Ф
УSuch as? Do you think the city ought to get into the building business? Or should it be strictly private enterprise? Should we sell bonds and finance new homes? Limit it to veterans, or will you help me, too? Heads of families only, or are you going to cut yourself in on it? How about pre-fabrication? Can we do everything you want to do under a building code that was written in 1911?Ф I paused for breath. УWell?Ф
УYouТre being nasty, Jack.Ф