"Robert A. Heinlein - Rocket Ship Galileo" - читать интересную книгу автора (Heinlein Robert A)

тАЮA fair question. I hadnтАЩt been invited, had I?тАЬ
тАЮOh, I didnтАЩt mean that.тАЬ
тАЮBut I owe you an explanation. When I breezed into town yesterday, I already
knew of the Galileo Club; ArtтАЩs mother had mentioned it in letters. When my
sister told me where Art was and what he was up to, I decided to slide over in
hope of getting here in time to watch your test run. Your hired girl told me
how to find my way out here.тАЬ
тАЮYou mean you hurried out here just to see this stuff we play around
with?тАЬ
тАЮSure. Why not? IтАЩm interested in rockets.тАЬ
тАЮYes, but-we really havenтАЩt got anything to show you. These are just
little models.тАЬ
тАЮA new model,тАЬ Doctor Cargraves answered seriously, тАЮof anything can be
important, no matter who makes it nor how small it is. I wanted to see how
you work. May I?тАЬ
тАЮOh, certainly, sir-weтАЩd be honored.тАЬ Ross showed their guest around, with
Morrie helping out and Art chipping in. Art was pink-faced and happyтАФthis
was his uncle, one of the worldтАЩs great, a pioneer of the Atomic Age. They
inspected the test stand and the control panel. Cargraves looked properly
impressed and tut-tutted over the loss of Starstruck V.
As a matter of fact he was impressed. It is common enough in the United
States for boys to build and take apart almost anything mechanical, from
alarm clocks to hiked-up jaloppies. It is not so common for them to
understand the sort of controlled and recorded experimentation on which
science is based.
Their equipment was crude and their facilities limited, but the approach was
correct and the scientist recognized it.
The stainless steel mirrors used to bounce the spotlight beams over the
barricade puzzled Doctor Cargravcs. тАЮWhy take so much trouble to protect
light bulbs ?тАЬ he asked. тАЮBulbs are cheaper than stainless steel.тАЬ
тАЮWe were able to get the mirror steel free,тАЬ Ross explained. тАЮThe spotlight
bulbs take cash money.тАЬ
The scientist chuckled. тАЮThat reason appeals to me. Well, you fellows have
certainly thrown together quite a set-up. I wish I had seen your rocket before
it blew up.тАЬ
тАЮOf course the stuff we build,тАЬ Ross said diffidently, тАЮcanтАЩt compare with a
commercial unmanned rocket, say like a mailcarrier. But we would like to
dope out something good enough to go after the junior prizes.тАЬ
тАЮEver competed?тАЬ
тАЮNot yet. Our physics class in high school entered one last year in the novice
classification. It wasnтАЩt muchтАФjust a powder job, but thatтАЩs what got us
started, though weтАЩve all been crazy about rockets ever since I can
remember.тАЬ
тАЮYouтАЩve got some fancy control equipment. Where do you do your machine-
shop work? Or do you have it done?тАЬ
тАЮOh, no. We do it in the high-school shop. If the shop instructor okays you,
you can work after school on your own.тАЬ
тАЮIt must be quite a high school,тАЬ the physicist commented. тАЮThe one I went to
didnтАЩt have a machine shop.тАЬ
тАЮI guess it is a pretty progressive school,тАЬ Ross agreed. тАЮItтАЩs a mechanical-