"Laurence M. Janifer - Count Down" - читать интересную книгу автора (Janifer Laurence M)

Freeman moved forward and cut off the recording. The silence that came down on the room seemed
exceptionally empty, exceptionally sad. "It goes on for some time," Freeman said as briskly as he knew
how, trying to dispel the general wash of emotion. "But you've heard the essentials."
"Very well," Walther IV said rather slowly. Murin, hands behind his back, kept silence, watching and
waiting; Sam was a good man, all in all. Not a subtle man but a good one. "What is it you want of me?"
Freeman shrugged. "It ought to be obvious, Sire."
Walther's grin was as sharp and distant, as cold and plain, as ever Walther had been. An unusual
man to be elected emperor, Freeman thought briefly; one would expect a friendlier type, more
accessible, more obviously "understanding." But thenтАФ
The phrase father image occurred to him and he dismissed it with impatience: Whatever the truth
was it went deeper than that. Another ancient saying, from God knew who or where: The most
thorough lie that can be told is: It was as simple as that. Probably quite true, which was why
politicians were in the lying business...
"I'm afraid," Walther said coolly, "you'll have to tell me, Minister. I'm not in the mood for riddles this
afternoon."
Which bothered Murin, a good man but not a subtle one. Freeman knew that the luxury of
responding to personal insult had to be jettisoned in the first month of elective-political life, if there were
to be a second month. Walther had got rid of it long ago. "Very well: I want Imperial backing for a series
of appearances on 3V. Appearances by meтАФ"
"Obviously," Walther said dryly.
"тАФTalking about this superstition and trying to combat it with the facts."
Walther's grin returned. "The facts, Minister?"
Sam said: "DallтАФ"
"The facts," Freeman said. Walther appeared to assess the idea for a minute.
"You'll lose," he said then. "The Roubins won't take off. Why, DallтАФ you know as well as I do that
the public isn't influenced by facts." A very odd person for an elective emperor. One would think . . .
well, Freeman told himself, never mind. "Nevertheless," he said.
Walther turned away, washing his hands of the matter. "Minister, I want the Roubins in flight as much
as you do, and you know that."
"ThenтАФ"
"But thisтАФgiving facts to the public . . . this has no chance of success. And you must know that, as
well."
"I've made my request," Freeman said.
The room seemed to' hold its breath. After a long timeтАФperhaps fifteen secondsтАФWalther's dry,
distant voice said, almost casually: "Granted."
"I thank you, Sire."
"But I shall not speakтАФ"
"Of course not," Freeman said, shocked. Did the man want to ruin everything? "I'd never considered
it."
Walther turned away from them, nodded slowly. "I have learned, Minister, that you almost always
know what you're doing. I very much hope that this time you are right. And if there were any other
wayтАФ"
"If there were any other way," Freeman said flatly, "I wouldn't have made my request."

CENTRAL BUILDING,
PUBLIC VIEW SERVICES:
STUDIO 3:
JUNE 1, 2113-1930 H.
"And here, brought to you by Public View, the first with the best, to be interviewed by our panel of
accredited newsmen, is the Minister for the Dichtung himself, whom you're all anxious to see and hear, so