"Ludlum, Robert - Matlock Paper" - читать интересную книгу автора (Ludlum Robert)

'.rhat!s asinine."
"That!s espionage. We stay clean. We're strictly according to
Interpol-Hoyle; no funny business. I thought you knew that."
"I do' " replied Uring wearily. "It's still asinine."
'You worry about New England, USA. We'll handle the pampas, or whatever
they are.-it is."
 TBE MATIAXX PAPER 9

'New England, USA, is a goddamn microcosm. Tbaes what's frightening. What
happened to all those poetic descriptions of rustic fences and Yankee
spirit and ivied brick walls?"
"New poetry. Get with it."
'Your sympathy is overwhelming. Thanks."
'You sound discouraged."
"There isnI enough time. . .
'Mere never is." Cranston steered the small car into a faster lane only to
find it bottlenecked at Nebraska and Eighteenth. With a sigh, he shoved the
gearshift into neutral and shrugged his shoulders. He looked at Lorin& who
was staring blankly at the windshield. "At least you got the green light.
Thaes something.'
'Sure. With the wrong personnel."
"Oh ... I see. Is that him?" Cranston gestured his head toward Loring's
briefcase.
"That's him. From the day he was bom*
"What's his name?"
"Matlock James B. Matlock II. The B is for Barbour, very old family-two
very old families. James Matlock, B.A., M.A., Ph.D. A leading authority in
the field of social and political influences on Elizabethan literature. How
about that?"
"Jesusl Are those his qualifications? Where does he start asking questions?
At faculty teas for retired professorsr
"No. That part of ies all right; he's young enough. His qualifications are
included in what Security calls 'flawed but mobile in the extreme.' Isn't
that a lovely phrase?"
'Inspiring. What does it mean?"
"Ies supposed to describe a man who isn't very nice. Probably because of a
loused-up, army record, or a
 io Robert Ludlum
divorce-rm sure ies the army thing-but In spite of that insurmountable
handicap, is very well liked."
I like him already~-
"Maes my problem. I do, too.*
The two men fell into silence. It was clear that Cianston had been in the
field long enough to realize when a fellow professional had to think by
himself. Reach certain conclusions--or rational=tions-by himself. Most of
the time, it was easy.
Mph Loring thought about the man whose life was detailed so completely in
his briefcase, culled from a score of data-bank sources. James Barbour
Matlock was the name, but the person behind the name refused to oome into
focus. And that bothered Loring; Matlock's life had been shaped by