"George R. R. Martin -- Second Helpings" - читать интересную книгу автора (Martin George R R)

тАЬI am a better ecological engineer than mathematician,тАЭ said Tuf. тАЬPerhaps eight?тАЭ
тАЬFour. No more. Cregor will implode on me as it is.тАЭ
Tuf fixed her with an unblinking stare, and said nothing. His face was cool and still and impassive.
тАЬFour and a half million,тАЭ she said under the weight of his gaze. She felt Dax staring, too, and suddenly
wondered if that damn cat was reading her mind. She pointed. тАЬDamn it,тАЭ she said, тАЬthat little black
bastard knows just how high IтАЩm authorized to go, doesnтАЩt he?тАЭ
тАЬAn interesting notion,тАЭ said Tuf. тАЬSeven million might be acceptable to me. I am in a generous mood.тАЭ
тАЬFive and one-half,тАЭ she snapped. What was the use?
Dax began to purr loudly.
тАЬLeaving a net principal of eleven million standards to be paid within five years,тАЭ said Tuf. тАЬAccepted,
Portmaster Mune, with one additional proviso.тАЭ
тАЬWhatтАЩs that?тАЭ she said suspiciously.
тАЬI will present my solution to First Councillor Cregor Blaxon and yourself at a public conference, to be
attended by newsfeed peeps from all of your vidnets, and broadcast live over the entirety of SтАЩuthlam.тАЭ
Tolly Mune laughed aloud. тАЬIncredible,тАЭ she said. тАЬCreg will never agree. You can forget that idea.тАЭ
Haviland Tuf sat petting Dax, and said nothing.
тАЬTuf, you donтАЩt understand the difficulties. The situation is too damned volatile. YouтАЩll have to give on this
one.тАЭ
The silence lingered.
тАЬPuling hell,тАЭ she swore. тАЬTell you what, write down what you want to say, and let us look it over. If you
avoid anything that might stir up problems, I suppose we can give you access.тАЭ
тАЬI prefer that my remarks be spontaneous,тАЭ Tuf said.
тАЬMaybe we can record the conference and broadcast it after editing,тАЭ she said.
Haviland Tuf kept silent. Dax stared at her, unblinking.
Tolly Mune looked deep into those knowing golden eyes, and sighed. тАЬYou win,тАЭ she said. тАЬCregor will
be furious, but IтАЩm a puling heroine and youтАЩre a returning conqueror, I suppose I can cram it down his
gullet. But why, Tuf?тАЭ
тАЬA whim,тАЭ said Haviland Tuf. тАЬI am often taken by such fancies. Perhaps I wish to savor a moment in the
light of publicity and enjoy my role as savior. Perhaps I wish to show the SтАЩuthlamese billions that I do
not wear a mustache.тАЭ
тАЬIтАЩll believe in goblins and ghouls before I pay one standard for that load of ore,тАЭ said Tolly Mune. тАЬTuf,
there are reasons why our population size and the gravity of the food crisis are kept secret, you know.
Policy reasons. Now, you wouldnтАЩt be thinking about, ah, opening that particular box of vermin, would
you?тАЭ
тАЬAn interesting concept,тАЭ Tuf said, blinking, his face blank and noncommittal.
Dax purred.


тАЬUnaccustomed as I am to public speaking and the unflattering glare of publicity,тАЭ Haviland Tuf began, тАЬI
felt it incumbent upon myself to come before you and explain certain things.тАЭ
He stood before a four-meter-square telescreen in the largest hall in Spiderhome, with a seating capacity
for almost a thousand. The room was packed; newsfeed reporters were jammed in elbow-to-elbow up
front, twenty rows of them, a tiny miniaturized camera in the center of each forehead busily recording the
scene. Farther back were the curious who had come to watchтАФspinnerets of all ages, sexes, and
professions, from cybertechs and bureaucrats to eroticists and poets, wealthy groundworms who had
come up the elevator for the show, flies from distant systems passing through the web. On the platform
with Tuf were Portmaster Tolly Mune and First Councillor Cregor Blaxon. BlaxonтАЩs smile looked forced;
perhaps he was recalling how the newsfeed peeps had all captured the long, awkward moment when Tuf
blinked at his proffered hand. For that matter, Tolly Mune looked a bit uneasy.
Haviland Tuf, however, looked impressive. He loomed over every man and woman in the hall, his gray