"Heinlein, Robert A - The Man Who Sold the Moon" - читать интересную книгу автора (Heinlein Robert A)
УThe regular agenda being completed,Ф Dixon announced later, Уtime is allotted for our colleague, Mr. Harriman, to speak on a subject of his own choosing. He has not listed a subject in advance, but we will listen until it is your pleasure to adjourn.Ф
Morgan looked sourly at Harriman. УI move we adjourn.Ф
Harriman grinned. УFor two cents IТd second that and let you die of curiosity.Ф The motion failed for want of a second. Harriman stood up.
УMr. Chairman, friendsЧФ He then looked at Morgan. УЧand associates. As you know, I am interested in space travel.Ф
Dixon looked at him sharply. УNot that again, Delos! If I werenТt in the chair, IТd move to adjourn myself.Ф
УСThat againТ,Ф agreed Harriman. УNow and forever. Hear me out. Three years ago, when we were crowded into moving the Arizona power pile out into space, it looked as if we had a bonus in the shape of interplanetary travel. Some of you here joined with me in forming Spaceways, Incorporated, for experimentation, explorationЧand exploitation.
УSpace was conquered; rockets that could establish orbits around the globe could be modified to get to the MoonЧand from there, anywhere! It was just a matter of doing it. The problems remaining were financialЧand political.
УIn fact, the real engineering problems of space travel have been solved since World World II. Conquering space has long been a matter of money and politics. But it did seem that the Harper-Erickson process, with its concomitant of a round-the-globe rocket and a practical economical rocket fuel, had at last made it a very present thing, so close indeed that I did not object when the early allotments of fuel from the satellite were earmarked for industrial power.Ф
He looked around. УI shouldnТt have kept quiet. I should have squawked and brought pressure and made a hairy nuisance of myself until you allotted fuel to get rid of me. For now we have missed our best chance. The satellite is gone; the source of fuel is gone. Even the shuttle rocket is gone. We are back where we were in 19 50. ThereforeЧФ
He paused again. УThereforeЧI propose that we build a space ship and send it to the Moon!Ф
Dixon broke the silence. УDelos, have you come unzipped? You just said that it was no longer possible. Now you say to build one.Ф
УI didnТt say it was impossible; I said we had missed our best chance. The time is overripe for space travel. This globe grows more crowded every day. In spite of technical advances the daily food intake on this planet is lower than it was thirty years agoЧand we get 46 new babies every minute, 6;,ooo every day, 25,ooo,ooo every year. Our race is about to burst forth to the planets; if weТve got the initiative Cod promised an oyster we will help it along!
УYes, we missed our best chance-but the engineering details can be solved. The real question is whoТs going to foot the bill? That is why I address you gentlemen, for right here in this room is the financial capital of this planet.Ф
Morgan stood up. УMr. Chairman, if all company business is finished, I ask to be excused.Ф
Dixon nodded. Harriman said, УSo long, Phineas. DonТt let me keep you. Now, as I was saying, itТs a money problem and here is where the money is. I move we finance a trip to the Moon.Ф
The proposal produced no special excitement; these men knew Harriman. Presently Dixon said, УIs there a second to D.D.Тs proposal?Ф
УJust a minute, Mr. ChairmanЧФ It was Jack Entenza, president of Two-Continents Amusement Corporation. УI want to ask Delos some questions.Ф He turned to Harriman. УD.D., you know I strung along when you set up Spaceways. It seemed like a cheap venture and possibly profitable in educational and scientific valuesЧI never did fall for space liners plying between planets; thatТs fantastic. I donТt mind playing along with your dreams to a moderate extent, but how do you propose to get to the Moon? As you say, you are fresh out of fuel.Ф
Harriman was still grinning. УDonТt kid me, Jack, I know why you came along. You werenТt interested in science; youТve never contributed a dime to science. You expected a monopoly on pix and television for your chain. Well, youТll get Сem, if you stick with meЧotherwise IТll sign up СRecreations, UnlimitedТ; theyТll pay just to have you in the eye.Ф
Entenza looked at him suspiciously. УWhat will it cost me?Ф
УYour other shirt, your eye teeth, and your wifeТs wedding ringЧunless СRecreationsТ will pay more.Ф
УDamn you, Delos, youТre crookeder than a dogТs hind leg.Ф
УFrom you, Jack, thatТs a compliment. WeТll do business. Now as to how IТm going to get to the Moon, thatТs a silly question. ThereТs not a man in here who can cope with anything more complicated in the way of machinery than a knife and fork. You canТt tell a left-handed monkey wrench from a reaction engine, yet you ask me for blue prints of a space ship.
Dixon said, УSuppose it works? Seems to me youТre asking us to bankrupt the company for an exploit with no real value, aside from pure science, and a one-shot entertainment exploitation. IТm not against youЧI wouldnТt mind putting in ten, fifteen thousand to support a worthy ventureЧbut I canТt see the thing as a business proposition.Ф
Harriman leaned on his fingertips and stared down the long table. УTen or fifteen thousand gum drops! Dan, I mean to get into you for a couple of megabucks at leastЧand before weТre through youТll be hollering for more stock. This is the greatest real estate venture since the Pope carved up the New World. DonТt ask me what weТll make a profit on; I canТt itemize the assetsЧbut I can lump them. The assets are a planetЧa whole planet, Dan, thatТs never been touched. And more planets beyond it. If we canТt figure out ways to swindle a few fast bucks out of a sweet set-up like that then you and I had better both go on relief. ItТs like having Manhattan Island offered to you for twenty-four dollars and a case of whiskey.Ф
Dixon grunted. УYou make it sound like the chance of a lifetime.Ф
УChance of a lifetime, nuts! This isТ the greatest chance in all history. ItТs raining soup; grab yourself a bucket.Ф
Next to Entenza sat Gaston P. Jones, director of Trans-America and half a dozen other banks, one of the richest men in the room. He carefully removed two inches of cigar ash, then said dryly, УMr. Harriman, I will sell you all of my interest in the Moon, present and future, for fifty cents.Ф
Harriman looked delighted. УSold!Ф
Entenza had been pulling at his lower lip and listening with a brooding expression on his face. Now he spoke up. УJust a minute, Mr. JonesЧIТll give you a dollar for it.Ф
УDollar fifty,Ф answered Harriman.
УTwo dollars,Ф Entenza answered slowly.
УFive!Ф
They edged each other up. At ten dollars Entenza let Harriman have it and sat back, still looking thoughtful. Harriman looked happily around. УWhich one of you thieves is a lawyer?Ф he demanded. The remark was rhetorical; out of seventeen directors the normal percentageЧeleven, to be exactЧwere lawyers. УHey, Tony,Ф he continued, Уdraw me up an instrument right now that will tie down this transaction so that it couldnТt be broken before the Throne of God. All of Mr. JonesТ interests, rights, title, natural interest, future interests, interests held directly or through ownership of stock, presently held or to be acquired, and so forth and so forth. Put lots of Latin in it. The idea is that every interest in the Moon that Mr. Jones now has or may acquire is mine-for a ten spot, cash in hand paid.Ф Harriman slapped a bill down on the table. УThat right, Mr. Jones?Ф
Jones smiled briefly. УThatТs right, young fellow.Ф He pocketed the bill. УIТll frame this for my grandchildrenЧto show them how easy it is to make money.Ф EntenzaТs eyes darted from Jones to Harriman.
УGood!Ф said Harriman. УGentlemen, Mr. Jones has set a market price for one human beingТs interest in our satellite. With around three billion persons on this globe that sets a price on the Moon of thirty billion dollars.Ф He hauled out a wad of money. УAny more suckers? IТm buying every share thatТs offered, ten bucks a copy.Ф
УIТll pay twenty!Ф Entenza rapped out.
Harriman looked at him sorrowfully. УJackЧdonТt do that! WeТre on the same team. LetТs take the shares together, at ten.Ф
Dixon pounded for order. УGentlemen, please conduct such transactions after the meeting is adjourned. Is there a second to Mr. HarrimanТs motion?Ф
Gaston Jones said, УI owe it to Mr. Harriman to second his motion, without prejudice. LetТs get on with a vote.Ф
No one objected; the vote was taken. It went eleven to three against HarrimanЧHarriman, Strong, and Entenza for; all others against. Harriman popped up before anyone could move to adjourn and said, УI expected that. My real purpose is this: since the company is no longer interested in space travel, will it do me the courtesy of selling me what I may need of patents, processes, facilities, and so forth now held by the company but relating to space travel and not relating to the production of power on this planet? Our brief honeymoon with the power satellite built up a backlog; I want to use it. Nothing formalЧjust a vote that it is the policy of the company to assist me in any way not inconsistent with the primary interest of the company. How about it, gentlemen? ItТll get me out of your hair.Ф
Jones studied his cigar again. УI see no reason why we should not accommodate him, gentlemen . . . and I speak as the perfect disinterested party.Ф
УI think we can do it, Delos,Ф agreed Dixon, Уonly we wonТt sell you anything, weТll lend it to you. Then, if you happen to hit the jackpot, the company still retains an interest. Has anyone any objection?Ф he said to the room at large.
There was none; the matter was recorded as company policy and the meeting was adjourned. Harriman stopped to whisper with Entenza and, finally, to make an appointment. Gaston Jones stood near the door, speaking privately with Chairman Dixon. He beckoned to Strong, HarrimanТs partner. УGeorge, may I ask a personal question?Ф
УI donТt guarantee to answer. Go ahead.Ф
УYouТve always struck me as a level-headed man. Tell me-why do you string along with Harriman? Why, the manТs mad as a hatter.Ф
Strong looked sheepish. УI ought to deny that, heТs my friend . . . but I canТt. But dawggone it! Every time Delos has a wild hunch, it turns out to be the real thing. I hate to string alongЧit makes me nervousЧbut IТve learned to trust his hunches rather than another manТs sworn financial report.Ф
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