"Continuing Time - 01 - Emerald Eyes" - читать интересную книгу автора (Moran Daniel Keys)

The flickering, blue-tinged monovideo showed very little of his expression as
Gerry leaned back in the driverТs seat and folded his arms across his chest
УOkay, I was under the impression I was doing you a favor.Ф
УHow so?Ф
УWellЧcorrect me if IТm wrongЧtelepaths are people. IТm even willing to grant de
Nostri that status, you and yours strike me as being a bit more human than that
lot. I thought IТd spread the news.Ф The newsdancer in him popped up with a
quick grin УAlso, it was a hell of a good story.Ф
From the outer office Carl heard the faint sound of the doors gliding open.
Voices. Jany and Malko. Without turning away from the image in the holofield, he
touched a key on the control panel to his InfoNet terminal. With a whisper the
door between his office and the outer offices slid shut and locked itself. He
sank into his seat slowly. He measured his words off carefully УFirst of allЧyou
correct me if IТm wrong, GerryЧisnТt it contrary to newsdancer ethics to write a
story on a subject to which you are connected in a personal fashion without
explicitly identifying the fact?Ф
УOnly if you get caught. Damn it, Carl, if nothing else it was good publicity.
Count the number of favorable stories thereТve been about you folks of late
andЧФ
УIЧweЧdonТt need the publicity. I donТt want the publicity. The Peaceforcers
donТt want the publicity.Ф
УWhat do you care what the Peaceforcers want?Ф McKann looked honestly bewildered
УMan, youТre free! ThatТs what all this was allЧФ
УI am not free!Ф roared Carl Castanaveras. He found him self on his feet glaring
down into the screen
Gerry McKann was staring at him.
УDamn, damn, damn,Ф Carl swore in a monotone УGerry, I have two hundred and
thirty-six children who depend on me to take care of them. The Secretary General
doesnТt like me. He may hate MalkoЧJerril Carson does hate me, heТd love to see
me dead. Half of the Peaceforcers in the world are terrified of us, and the
other half think weТre traitors.Ф He slammed a fist down on the desktop, and the
entire desk shivered УAnd you, you stupid son of a bitch, rub their noses in it
in front of an audience of one and a quarter billion Electronic Times
subscribers. We got a loveforsaken piece of paper signed, today new copies of
the Statement of Principles get transmitted around the world, saying the
Peaceforcers canТt use us without paying us anymore, canТt tell us to do
anything anymore. Do you think the Peaceforcers care what that piece of paper
says?Ф Gerold McKann just looked at him. Carl Castanaveras shouted, УWell? Do
you?Ф McKannТs voice was barely audible УNo.Ф The word drained away. Carl
CastanaverasТ anger left him standing there, cold and empty inside УI shouldnТt
have to say things like this, Gerry. You know better.Ф
The older man sighed УI didnТt think I was trying to do you a favor.Ф He
shrugged and looked out the window at what was, to Carl, only a blurred image of
countryside УI was trying to help.Ф McKann looked back directly into his camera.
His eyes seemed to meet CarlТs УSorry. But Jerril Carson was your mistake.Ф
He hung up and left Carl looking at a blank sheet of dim laser light.
Carl nodded after a moment. He spoke to the empty screen УYeah, well, we all
make mistakes.Ф
After a long moment he turned away from the field, called the sunlights up, and
went out to face what promised to be a very long day.