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

"What do you want?"
"My prediction-it's in there-we're all in there."
"Yes, yes. We're all in here. Let's have them."
Baird placed both hands over the box. He held the eye of the man
opposite him but did not speak. He licked his lips. The corner of his mouth
twitched. His hands shook. Still he did not speak. The man opposite relaxed
back into his chair.
"You're right, of course," he said.
"Bring me that waste basket." Baird's voice was low and strained but
steady.
He accepted it and dumped the litter on the rug. He placed the tin
basket on the table before him. He tore half a dozen envelopes across, set a
match to them, and dropped them in the basket. Then he started tearing a
double handful at a time, and fed the fire steadily. The smoke made him
cough, and tears ran out of his smarting eyes. Someone got up and opened
a window. When he was through, he pushed the basket away from him,
looked down, and spoke.
"I'm afraid I've ruined this table top."




15
тАЬLet There Be LightтАЭ

by Robert A. Heinlein


ARCHIBALD DOUGLAS, Sc.D., Ph.D., B.S., read the telegram with
unconcealed annoyance.
тАЬARRIVING CITY LATE TODAY STOP DESIRE CONFERENCE COLD
LIGHT YOUR LABORATORY TEN P M (signed) DR. M. L MARTINтАЭ
He was, was he? He did, did he? What did he think this lab was; a hotel?
And did Martin think that his time was at the disposal of any Joe Doakes
who had the price of a telegram? He had framed in his mind an urbanely
discouraging reply when he noticed that the message had been filed at a
mid-western airport. Very well, let him arrive. Douglas had no intention of
meeting him.
Nevertheless, his natural curiosity caused him to take down his copy of
WhoтАЩs Who in Science and look up the offender. There it was: Martin, M. L.,
bio-chemist and ecologist, P.D.Q., X.Y.Z., N.R.A., C.I.O.тАФenough degrees
for six men. Hmmm...тАФDirector Guggenheim Orinoco Fauna Survey,
Author; Co-Lateral Symbiosis of the Boll Weevil, and so on, through three
inches of fine print The old boy seemed to be a heavyweight.
A little later Douglas surveyed himself in the mirror of the laboratory
washroom. He took off a dirty laboratory smock, removed a comb from his
vest pocket, and put a careful polish on his sleek black hair. An elaborately
tailored checked jacket, a snap-brim hat and he was ready for the street. He
fingered the pale scar that stenciled the dark skin of one cheek. Not bad, he
thought, in spite of the scar. If it werenтАЩt for the broken nose he would look