"Keith Laumer - The Monitors" - читать интересную книгу автора (Laumer Keith)

"What I'd do if I was your age, Ace, I'd head for Ecuador. I heard a guy can make a fortune
down there now, with this revolution they got coming up."
"A misnomer," one of the drinkers called from his end of the bar. "What we call revolutions are
merely the normal Latin method of holding elections. That is to say, bullets are as good as ballots
and much more easily counted. Now -- "
"Nix, Prof. Ya wanna get us all picked up for some kind of Reds?" his drinking partner
protested. They went on with the discussion. Blondel used the first half of the drink.
"Hey, Harry. I said the pink label stuff ... "
"Too hot for rot- gut." Harry leaned confidentially close. "You know what I think? I think the
whole world situation's a deal Washington cooked up with the Rooshians to like simulate the
economy - - " He stopped talking and cocked his head at the TV set. The musical adenoids had
stopped and an eerie whistling of the sort usually associated with mad scientists was modulating
up and down the scale. The screen flashed solid white; then zigzags began running across it from
right to left. The zigzags blinked out and circles started whirling up out of the center of the screen.
"What's this, some new kind of commercial?" The Prof's buddy sounded grieved.
"That set ain't given me any trouble before." Harry went to stand in front of it. "It's these
noocular bombs they're testing," he stated positively. "The weather -- "
"Attention," a strong, he- man voice said from the TV. "Your attention please! An announcement
of vital importance will be made in five minutes. All persons are requested to go at once to a radio
or television set and stand by. Attention! An announcement of vital importance ... "
There were echoes from outside; the voice was coming in strongly on a distant PA system.
Harry reached for the volume, turned it down - - but the voice continued loud and clear. Harry
flipped the set off; there was a click. But the voice kept on: " ... stand by! An announcement of
vital importance ... "
"I knew they'd pull one like this some day." Harry was snapping the switch on and off with a
sound like a ping- pong match. "Commercials you can't turn off, yet! I got a good mind - - "
"Now, Harry," the Prof said. "Don't do anything hasty." He was frowning fixedly at the set. "Try
pulling the plug."
"Yeah." Harry yanked the cord from the wall. The voice went on; the blooping circles threw
spooky light on the Profs face.
" ... importance will be made in four minutes! Your attention please! All persons are requested
... "
Muttering, Harry reached up, seized the set in a bearhug and hauled it down from its shelf,
deposited it heavily on the bar. He slapped the top and sides. The voice bobbled and went on: " ...
to the nearest radio or television set and stand by. Your attention, please ... "
"Enough's enough!" Harry swept the set off behind the bar with a crash like an airliner hitting a
mountain side. Light flashed once, brightly, and went out. The voice cut off in mid - word.
" ... vital importance," the PA system outside boomed. " ... three minutes ... "
 "Harry, you shouldn't have done that," Prof said unhappily. "The phenomenon - - "
"You can still hear it." Harry waved an arm. "I give up!" He stepped over the wreckage,
grabbed a glass and began polishing furiously.
"What was the guy selling?" Prof's buddy asked.
"Who cares?" Harry barked. "Laxatives? Deodorant? Hell, what's wrong with smelling natural? A
new kind of toilet paper that'll revolutionize the art? Some kind of reducing pills that'll take it off
faster than you can pack it on eating the stuff the other commercials are selling? The latest ten-
port-hole gas-eater with built - in metal- fatigue -- ?"
"Maybe we ought to listen," Blondel said. "It might be important."
"Hah!" Harry snorted, but he was listening now. Outside, the PA sounded louder than ever. A
siren was howling somewhere, getting closer.
" ... one minute," the big voice was saying. "Attention ... " Blondel slid off the stool and went to