"Frank Herbert - The Dragon In The Sea" - читать интересную книгу автора (Herbert Brian & Frank)

The admiral's mouth spread into what he probably imagined as a disarming grin. It succeeded only in
making him appear even more piratical. "The boys call the barge a slug, and the pump is a mosquito."



Dutiful chuckles sounded through the room. Ramsey smiled at the forced response, noted that Dr.
Oberhausen maintained his reputation as Old Stone Face.
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Admiral Belland said, "A slug will carry almost one hundred million barrels of oil. The EPs know they're
losing oil. They know how, but they can't always be sure of where or when. We're outfoxing them." The
admiral's voice grew louder. "Our detection system is superior. Our silencer planes --"



Dr. Oberhausen's brittle voice interrupted him. "Everything we have is superior except our ability to keep
them from sinking us."



The admiral scowled.



Ramsey picked up his cue, entered the breach. "What was the casualty percentage on those twenty
subtugs we lost, sir?"



An owl-faced captain near Belland said dryly, "Of the last twenty missions, we lost all twenty."



"One hundred per cent," said Dr. Oberhausen. The sightless eyes seemed to look across the room at a
beet-faced lieutenant commander. "Commander Turner, would you show Mr. Ramsey the gadget your
boys found?"



The lieutenant commander pushed a black cylinder about the size of a lead pencil down the table. Hands
carried the object along until it reached Ramsey. He studied it.



"Mr. Ramsey's work, of course, involves electronics," said Dr. Oberhausen. "He's a specialist with the
instruments used for detecting traumatic memories."