"Heinlein, Robert A - Delilah And The Space Rigger" - читать интересную книгу автора (Heinlein Robert A)

"Brooksie?"
"Brooksie McNye, she says to call her Brooks. Is it true?" I admitted it, then went on, wondering if I should have lied.
It takes four hours, about, for a ship to lift from Earth. The shift before the Pole Star was due, with Miss Gloria's relief, the timekeeper brought me two separation slips. Two men were nothing; we averaged more each ship. An hour later he reached me by supervisors circuit, and asked me to come to the time office. I was out on the rim inspecting a weld job; I said no. "Please, Mr. Witherspoon," he begged, "you've got to." When one of the boys doesn't call me 'Dad,' it means something. I went.
There was a queue like mail call outside his door; I went in and he shut the door on them. He handed me a double handful of separation slips. "What in the great depths of night is this?" I asked.
"There's dozens more I ain't had time to write up yet."
None of the slips had any reason given-just "own choice." "Look, Jimmie what goes on here?"
"Can't you dope it out, Dad? Shucks, I'm turning in one, too."
I told him my guess and he admitted it. So I took the slips, called Tiny and told him for the love of Heaven to come to his office.
Tiny chewed his lip considerable. "But, Dad, they can't strike. It's a non-strike contract with bonds from every union concerned."
"It's no strike, Tiny. You can't stop a man from quitting."
"They'll pay their own fares back, so help me!"
"Guess again. Most of 'em have worked long enough for the free ride."
"We'll have to hire others quick, or we'll miss our date."
"Worse than that, Tiny, we won't finish. By next dark period you won't even have a maintenance crew."
"I've never had a gang of men quit me. I'll talk to them."
"No good, Tiny. You're up against something too strong for you."
"You're against me, Dad?"
"I'm never against you, Tiny."
He said, "Dad, you think I'm pig-headed, but I'm right. You can't have one woman among several hundred men. It drives 'em nutty."
I didn't say it affected him the same way; I said, "Is that bad?"
"Of course. I can't let the job be ruined to humor one woman."
"Tiny, have you looked at the progress charts lately?"
"I've hardly had time to-what about them?"
I knew why he hadn't had time. "You'll have trouble proving Miss Gloria interfered with the job. We're ahead of schedule."
"We are?"
While he was studying the charts I put an arm around his shoulder. "Look, son," I said, "sex has been around our planet a long time. Earthside, they never get away from it, yet some pretty big jobs get built anyhow. Maybe we'll just have to learn to live with it here, too. Matter of fact, you had the answer a minute ago."
"I did? I sure didn't know it."
"You said, 'You can't have one woman among several hundred men. Get me?"
"Huh? No, I don't. Wait a minute! Maybe I do."
"Ever tried ju jitsu? Sometimes you win by relaxing."
"Yes. Yes!"
"When you can't beat 'em, you join 'em."
He buzzed the radio shack. "Have Hammond relieve you, McNye, and come to my office."
He did it handsomely, stood up and made a speech-he'd been wrong, taken him a long time to see it, hoped there were no hard feelings, etc. He was instructing the home office to see how many jobs could be filled at once with female help. "Don't forget married couples," I put in mildly, "and better ask for some older women, too."
"I'll do that," Tiny agreed. "Have I missed anything, Dad?"
"Guess not. We'll have to rig quarters, but there's time."
"Okay. I'm telling them to hold the Pole Star, Gloria, so they can send us a few this trip."
"That's fine" She looked really happy.

He chewed his lip. "I've a feeling I've missed something. Hmm-I've got it. Dad, tell them to send up a chaplain for the Station, as soon as possible. Under the new policy we may need one anytime." I thought so, too.