"James P. Hogan - Leapfrog" - читать интересную книгу автора (Hogan James P)

I passed you. DidnтАЩt your people ever check them out?тАЭ
тАЬHmph.тАЭ The smile left VusilovтАЩs face abruptly. тАЬI know nothing
about that. My department, it was not.тАЭ Halloran got the impression
that it was more a slight detail that Vusilov had conveniently
forgotten. Aifredo placed two glasses on the bar. Vusilov picked them
up.
тАЬCome,тАЭ he said. тАЬThere are two quiet chairs over there, by the window.
Never before do you see so many stars, and so flammable, yes?тАЭ
тАЬDonтАЩt change the subject,тАЭ Halloran said as they began crossing
the lounge. тАЬYou have to admit that we undid your whole operation in
Bonn. When we exposed Skater and he got sent back to Moscow, it pulled
the linchpin out of it.тАЭ
Vusilov stopped and threw his head back to roar with mirth,
causing heads to look up all around the room. тАЬWhat, you still believe
that? He was the decoy you were supposed to find out about. We were
intercepting your communications.тАЭ
тАЬHell, we knew that. We were feeding you garbage through that
channel. That was how we kept ReuthenтАЩs cover. He was the one you
should have been worrying about.тАЭ
Vusilov blanched and stopped in midstride. тАЬReuthen? The
interpreter? He was with you?тАЭ
тАЬSure. He was our key man. You never suspected?тАЭ
тАЬYou are being serious, I suppose?тАЭ
Halloran smiled in a satisfied kind of way. тАЬWell, I guess youтАЩll
never know, will you?тАЭ It was a pretty tactless way to begin a
relationship with his future boss, he admitted to himself, but he
hadnтАЩt been able to resist it. Anyhow, what did career prospects matter
at his age? Hell, it had been worth it.
Vusilov resumed walking, and after a few paces stopped by a chair
where a lean, balding man with spectacles and a clipped mustache was
reading what looked like a technical report of some kind, in French.
тАЬThis is Leon, who you should know.тАЭ Vusilov spoke stiffly, his
joviality of a moment ago now gone. тАЬLeon is with the European group
here, who will build the launch base and make spaceships here.тАЭ
тАЬтАШAllo?тАЭ Leon said, looking up.
тАЬPlease meet Ed Halloran,тАЭ Vusilov said. тАЬHe comes here to work
with us at MCM.тАЭ
тАЬA pleasure, Monsieur тАШalloran.тАЭ LCon half-rose from his chair to
shake hands.
тАЬMine, too,тАЭ Halloran said.
тАЬThey work very hard on the race for the nuclear pulse drive back
home,тАЭ Vusilov went on. He seemed to have smoothed his feathers, and
lowered his voice in a tone of mock confidentiality. тАЬThey think they
will be first, and when they get it, they are already Out here at Mars
ahead of us all to go deep-space. IsnтАЩt it so, Leon, yes?тАЭ
The Frenchman shrugged. тАЬAnything is possible. Who knows? I
think we тАШave a good chance. Who else is there? Your prototype has
problems. Rockwell and Kazak-Dynamik both admit it.тАЭ
тАЬWell, there is always the Chinese,тАЭ Vusilov said, resuming his
normal voice. He evidently meant it as a joke. For the past six months