"Laumer, Keith - Retief of the COTUC" - читать интересную книгу автора (Laumer Keith)

Magnan looked startled. "Why, that name
is known only to a handful of us in the inner
security circle," he said in a lowered tone,
glancing about. "Who leaked it to you, Retief?"

"A few hundred irate locals. They didn't
seem to know it was a secret."

"Well, whatever you do, act surprised when
the Ambassador mentions it," Magnan cau-
tioned his junior as they took seats at the long
table. "My," he went on as the shouts of the
crowd outside the building rose to a thunder-
ous level, "how elated the locals are, now
they realize we've relieved them of the bur-
dens of Groaci overlordship! Hear their merry
cries!"

20 Keith Lawner

"Remarkable," Retief agreed. "They have a
better command of invective than the Groaci
themselves."

"Why, Wilbur," Magnan said as Colonel
Saddlesore, the Military Attache, slipped into
the chair beside him, avoiding his glance.
"However did you get that alarming discolor-
ation under your eye?"

"Quite simple, actually." The Colonel bit
off his words like bullets. "I was struck by a
thrown political slogan."

"Well!" Magnan sniffed. "There's no need
for recourse to sarcasm."

"The slogan," Saddlesore amplified, "was
inscribed on the rind of a bham-bham fruit of
the approximate size and weight of a well-hit
cricket ball."

"I saw three small riots myself on the way
into the office," the Press Attache said in a
pleased tone. "Remarkable enthusiasm these
locals show for universal sufferage."

"I think it's time, however," the Counselor
put in ponderously, "that someone explained
to them that the term 'political machine' does