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

understood of the scope and sophistication of Soviet technology ... "
"So they was holding out on us." Freddy dismissed the objection. "I say let's jump 'em fast and
show the bums they can't just walk in and take over, even if SAC is asleep at the switch!"
"This is no time for dramatics." Blondel turned to face the others. "Men, we've got to evade
their dragnet and join up with an organized Underground!"
"Nuts! I got a good mind to -- "
"Freddy," Prof silenced him.
"We'll have to sneak out the back way," Blondel planned aloud. "Once clear of the city, we can
make contact -- "
"How?" Prof interrupted.
"Hey!" Freddy said brightly. "Keen! We'll go into some little like tavern in some hick town, and
there'll be some beautiful dames and some old peasant types sitting around, and we'll give the
password or something ... "
"Ummm. Too risky," Prof demurred. "They might turn out to be counterintelligence agents. I'm
too old to perform well under torture."
"Gee, yeah, you're right," Freddy conceded. "We might break and spill the whereabouts of the
secret headquarters, or something."
"What secret headquarters?" Blondel demanded.
"I said, or something!" Freddy returned.
 "Look, we can worry about contacting the Resistance later." Blondel cut the discussion short.
"Right now, we have to get clear of the city."
"Don't you imagine the coup embraces a wider area than the me tropolitan district?" Prof
sounded doubtful.
"Maybe - - but let's not think negatively. We'll have to pack a few iron radons and possibly
some brandy, as a stimulant ... "
"Why not just, er, depart openly?"
"Are you kidding? What kind of Underground activity would that be?"
"Sorry," Prof murmured.
"I don't guess we need to blacken our faces," Blondel mused. "I guess we could snitch a couple
of ice picks from back of the bar for weapons."
"I got this bad wrist," Freddy said.
"Perhaps we'd better stand by and see what develops," the Prof offered. "Probably our forces
are on the way even now; any abrupt moves on our part might merely complicate matters."
"And be trapped here?"
" ... remain in your homes" the voice of the Monitor boomed from the street. "Further
instructions will be issued shortly ... "
"Ah ... " The Prof tugged at his stiff collar. "I think perhaps, on the whole, it might be better to
do as they say -- "
"What? Take orders from some interloper you didn't even get a chance to vote for?" Blondel
expostulated.
"I've been voting losing tickets for some decades," Prof said mildly.
"Well, suit yourself," Blondel said. "Freddy and I will just have to try it alone."
"I got this back, too," Freddy said. "Ask Prof, he'll tell you." Freddy put a hand on his hip and
arched his back, registering pain stoically endured.
"You mean both of you are going to just sit here and let this ... this invasion happen without
lifting a finger?"
"No!" Freddy declared. He went to the bar, poured out drinks all around, tossed his back.
"Ahhh ... " he said, and patted his stomach.
"Well, it looks like I'll have to contact the loyalists on my own," Blondel said. He looked
expectantly at the others. They looked back.