"Robert A. Heinlein - Farnham's Freehold" - читать интересную книгу автора (Heinlein Robert A)

stared. "Duke, are you seriously proposing to finish a card game while we're
being attacked?"
"I'm four hundred dollars serious. And another hundred says we aren't
being attacked. In a half hour they'll call it off and tomorrow's papers will
say the northern lights fouled up the radar. Play the hand? Or default?"
"Mmm -- My partner will play it; I'm busy."
"You stand behind the way she plays it?"
"Of course."
Barbara found herself sitting down at the table with a feeling that she
had wandered into a dream. She picked up her partner's hand, studied it.
"Lead, Karen."
Karen said, "Oh, hell!" and led the trey of clubs. Duke picked up the
dummy, laid it out in suits. "What do you want on it?" he asked.
"Doesn't matter. I'll play both hands face up."
"Better not."
"It's solid." She exposed the cards.
Duke studied them. "I see," he admitted. "Leave the hands; Dad will want
to see this." He did some figuring. "Call it twenty-four hundred points. Dad!"
"Yes, Son?"
"I'm writing a check for four hundred and ninety-two dollars-and let
that be a lesson to me."
"You don't need to -- "
All lights went out, the floor slammed against their feet. Barbara felt
frightening pressure on her chest, tried to stand up and was knocked over. All
around was a noise of giant subway trains, and the floor heaved like a ship in
a cross sea.
"Dad!"
"Yes, Duke! Are you hurt?"
"I don't know. But make that five hundred and ninety-two dollars!"
The subterranean rumbling went on. Through this roar Barbara heard Mr.
Farnham chuckle. "Forget it!" he called out. "The dollar just depreciated."
Mrs. Farnham started to scream. "Hubert! Hubert, where are you? Hubert!
Make it stop!"
"Coming, dear!" A pencil of light cut the blackness, moved toward the
bunks near the door. Barbara raised her head, made out that it was her host,
on hands and knees with a flashlight in his teeth. He reached the bunk,
succeeded in quieting Grace; her screams ceased. "Karen?"
"Yes, Daddy."
"Are you all right?"
"Yes, Just bruised. My chair went over."
"All right. Get the emergency lighting on in this bay. Don't stand up.
Crawl. I'll light you from here. Then get the hypo kit and-ow! Joseph!"
"Yes, sir."
"You in one piece?"
"I'm okay, Boss."
"Persuade your furry-faced Falstaff to join you. He jumped on me."
"He's just friendly, Mr. Farnham."
"Yes, yes. But I don't want him doing that while I'm giving a hypo. Call
him."
"Sure thing. Here, Doc! Doe, Doe, Doe! Fish, Doe!"