"Jeffrey Lord - Blade 07 - Pearl of Patmos" - читать интересную книгу автора (Lord Jeffery)

CHAPTER 2
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J had asked Blade to stop in at Copra House. It was from this antique structure, onBart Lane
nearThreadneedle Street , that J ran the affairs of MI6A. Here he had a suite of dingy cubicles that were
offices only in a symbolic sense. J, as Blade entered, appeared to be his placid, pipe-smoking, tweedy
self. Upper-class, understated, civil servant.
Blade knew better. J had aged considerably since the computer experiments began. J was nervous at
times now, where BTCтАФBefore The ComputerтАФJ had had ice water for blood. Blade could
understand. His own nerves were not what they had been.
J greeted Blade with a casual wave of his pipe toward a chair. "Good morning, Richard. You are
looking extremely fit."
Blade shrugged his big shoulders. "I am. I should be. I awoke this morning to blackbirds singing and
honeysuckle on the vine. Pippa passing and all that rot."
J sucked on his pipe and gave Blade a meditative look. "Methinks the lad doth protest too much. To
be direct, Richard, I don't think you're too happy about going into Dimension X again."
Blade grinned at the older man. "I'll level with you, sir, as the Yanks put it. I could pass this cup. Not
that I will, naturally. It's my job. I'll do it."
J nodded as he knocked pipe ash into his palm, spilling it on his vest. "Of course, my boy. Of course
you will. But it needn't be forever, you know. That is, er, rather why I asked you to stop past before you
go to the Tower."
Blade left his chair and wandered to one of the grimy windows. He looked down intoLothbury Street
. A newsboy was standing in a doorway, out of the rushing city throng, holding his placard on high. Blade
read the large black letters without much comprehension:LADY DIANA DUCKS DAVID
Blade smiled at the labored alliteration and turned back into the room. He was far from a snob, but
the truth was that he had never read the News of The World in his life. A lively paper, and not too
fastidious about the truth. Yet as he faced J again he could not help wondering who the unfortunate David
was, and why Lady Diana had ducked him.
"I think you have a right to know," said J, "that Lord L and I are trying to find a replacement for you.
It is not easy, I assure you. His Lordship has been running cards through his computers like mad. So far
he hasn't come up with anything much. We do have, er, some likely candidates. About twenty odd who
measure up in a superficial sense, at least. Out of the lot there may be one who will measure up. If we
have the luck."
Blade slouched back into his chair and crossed an ankle over a knee. He smiled at J. "Cooing to
sack me, eh? Work not up to snuff? You think I'm past it?"
For a moment J thought he was serious. He began, "My dear fellow. You know better thanтАФ" He
stopped, gave Blade a reproachful look, then continued, "I am perfectly serious, Richard. Absolutely.
The pitcher can go to the well too often and that mustn't happen. In any case it is only good sense, good
science and good technology. The Americans, for instance, are very careful about overdoing it with their
space people. One trip to the moon is usually the limit, two at the most. Strain, nervous tension, even
fearтАФand we all have thatтАФthese things can be cumulative and they take a toll."
Blade regarded his chief with wry amusement. "You don't have to sell me, sir. I've been out there six
times and I am ready to quit. As of now. Would you like me to write out my resignation?"
J looked miserable. "I only wish it were as easy as that, Richard. It isn't, of course. Lord L is waiting
for you now."
Blade stood up, his sinewy bulk making the room appear even smaller than it was. His dark hair
nearly touched the ceiling. He winked at J.
"Then why are we wasting time here? Let's get on with it, sir. Who knowsтАФthis might be an easy
one."
It would not be, of course. As always there would be death and terror lurking out there in Dimension
X.