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

"And we have come up with nothing else to do," Carson said, in the same even voice. "Sending a
plane up and destroying the cabin and ourтАФblackmailersтАФis impossible: the TV coverage there would
call us murderers, at the least; and, at worst, we might just set the bomb off as well. Dropping a gas
grenade, knocking them out and recovering the bomb is open to the same objections . . . the TV
coverage would be merciless, sir. 'Unwilling even to discuss national goals with these brave youths . .
.You know the sort of thing."
"I'm afraid I do," the President said. "And the freedom of the press . . ."
"Yes, sir," Carson said. "There just isn't any way to shut off the spy-eyesтАФnot without a nationwide
uprising. And the uprising could as well be touched off by coverage calling us murderers, or secretive,
warlike men who cruelly brush aside the earnest voice of youth in order to continue our stockpiling of . .
."
"Stop that," the President said. "It sounds too familiar. Good Lord, Carson: do they really think we
like killing people?"
"I wouldn't know, sir," Carson said. "I have never been able fully to understand such minds. But they
existтАФand in sufficient numbers so that one such act, carried by TV, would set off an uprising . . ."
The President nodded. "I know," he said. "And if we agree to negotiate, and then go inтАФbarring TV
for the actual negotiations, which they'll stand forтАФand gas the kids, get the bomb . . . why, the kids will
speak up later. And if they're not around to speak up . . . Carson, every alternative is horrible. Everything
we have to do is horribleтАФand none of it will even work."
"Exactly, sir," Carson said. "Therefore, since we must do something, and can't think of anything
effective to do, I repeat: what have we got to lose?"
"Send you to negotiate with them? Actually negotiate? With five children? Now, CarsonтАФ"
Carson shrugged. The Oval Office had always had a strange feeling of closeness for him, as if he and
its other occupant were locked in together, permanently. He dismissed the feeling, as irrelevant to the
business at hand. "First, we must recover the bomb with the full agreement of the children," he said.
"After recovery, TV will interview them: that much is plain." The President nodded. "And, too . . . there
are very few adults in this world," Carson said. "I think that I have met four in my lifetime; and I do not
count myself, not in modesty but on rather a long acquaintance. My wife might qualify . . . In any case,"
he said a bit more sharply, "age is certainly not a controlling factor. I have spent a good many negotiating
sessions with children, Mr. President."
"WordplayтАФ"
"With respect: no, sir," Carson said. "Fact."
"And you think these negotiations of yours mightтАФmightтАФ"
"Might remove at least this threat to the Republic and the world," Carson said. "And remove it
entirely. Yes, sir, I do. Leaving us, of course, to deal with all the others."
"But the othersтАФChina, Czechoslovakia, the United Nations, Taiwan, pollution, the balance of
paymentsтАФthe others are normal, Carson. ThisтАФ"
"I agree, sir," Carson said. "This is a trifle odd. Which is why I broke channels to present my idea.
Unless there is a better operation now about to mountтАФ"
"Nothing," the President said. "Nothing. You'd think the CIA, or Defense, or somebodyтАФmaybe
HEW, for all I knowтАФwould have come up with a plan. ButтАФ"
"I'm afraid," Carson said, very gently, "that they tend to have the wrong approach to this sort of
thing."
The President stared. "TheтАФ" he began, and stopped, and tried again. "To this sort ofтАФ"
"Exactly," Carson said. "A pattern does exist. And I suggest, as gently as I may, that we hurry this a
bit. They've given us, you know, a deadline."
"I know," the President said. "It's down to forty-two hours now, from sixty. Forty-two hours ...
Carson, there isn't anything that can be done in forty-two hours!"
"I should rather like to try," Carson said gently. "Mountainview, their nearest suburb, not yet having a
full heliport of its ownтАФif I might emplane to Denver at once, with Mr. Suessman, and proceed from