"Robert A. Heinlein - The Man who sold the Moon (collected sto" - читать интересную книгу автора (Heinlein Robert A)

have not consulted Pinero. Can't we afford to wait until the scientists show
him up?"
Bidwell snorted. "You blasted optimist! They won't show him up.
Aldrich, can't you face a fact? The fat little blister has got something; how I
don't know. This is a fight to the finish. If we wait, we're licked." He threw his
cigar into a cuspidor, and bit savagely into a fresh one. "Clear out of here, all
of you! I'll handle this my own way. You too, Aldrich. United may wait, but
Amalgamated won't."
Weems cleared his throat apprehensively. "Mr. Bidwell, I trust you will
consult with me before embarking on any major change in policy?"
Bidwell grunted. They filed out. When they were all gone and the door
closed, Bidwell snapped the switch of the inter-office announcer. "O.K.; send
him in."
The outer door opened; a slight dapper figure stood for a moment at the
threshold. His small dark eyes glanced quickly about the room before he
entered, then he moved up to Bidwell with a quick soft tread. He spoke to
Bidwell in a flat emotionless voice. His face remained impassive except for
the live animal eyes. "You wanted to talk to me?"
"Yes."
"What's the proposition?"
"Sit down, and we'll talk."
Pinero met the young couple at the door of his inner office.
"Come in, my dears, come in. Sit down. Make yourselves at home. Now
tell me, what do you want of Pinero? Surely such young people are not
anxious about the final roll call?"
The boy's honest young face showed slight confusion. "Well, you see,
Dr. Pinero, I'm Ed Harley and this is my wife, Betty. We're going to have-that
is, Betty is expecting a baby and, well-"
Pinero smiled benignly. "I understand. You want to know how long you
will live in order to make the best possible provision for the youngster. Quite
wise. Do you both want readings, or just yourself?"
The girl answered, "Both of us, we think."
Pinero beamed at her. "Quite so. I agree. Your reading presents certain
technical difficulties at this time, but I can give you some information now,
and more later after your baby arrives. Now come into my laboratory, my
dears, and we'll commence." He rang for their case histories, then showed
them into his workshop. "Mrs. Harley first, please. If you will go behind that
screen and remove your shoes and your outer clothing, please. Remember, I
am an old man, whom you are consulting as you would a physician."
He turned away and made some minor adjustments of his apparatus.
Ed nodded to his wife who slipped behind the screen and reappeared almost


12
at once, clothed in two wisps of silk. Pinero glanced up, noted her fresh
young prettiness and her touching shyness.
"This way, my dear. First we must weigh you. There. Now take your
place on the stand. This electrode in your mouth. No, Ed, you mustn't touch
her while she is in the circuit. It won't take a minute. Remain quiet."
He dove under the machine's hood and the dials sprang into life. Very