"William Morrison - The Sack" - читать интересную книгу автора (Morrison William)

necessary, I understand, to refund the total sum. That meant an overall loss to the
Government of, let me see nowтАФone hundred twenty at one hundred thousand
eachтАФone hundred and twenty million credits," he shouted, rolling the words.
"Twelve million, Senator," hastily whispered his secretary.
The correction was not made, and the figure was duly headlined later as one
hundred and twenty million.
Siebling said, "As we discovered later, Senator, the Sack failed to answer
questions because it was not a machine, but a living creature. It was exhausted. It
had been exposed to questioning on a twenty-four-hour-a--day basis."
"And who permitted- this idiotic procedure?" boomed Senator Horrigan.
"
You yourself, Senator," said Siebling happily. "The procedure was provided for
in the bill introduced by you and approved by your committee. "
Senator Horrigan had never even read the bill to which his name was attached, and
he was certainly not to blame for its provisions. But this private knowledge of his
own innocence did him no good with the public. From that moment he was
Siebling's bitter enemy.
"So the Sack ceased to answer questions for two whole hours?"
"Yes, sir. It resumed only after a rest."
"And it answered them without further difficulty?"
"No, sir. Its response was slowed down. Subsequent questioners complained that
they were defrauded of a good part of their money. But as answers were given, we
considered that the complaints were without merit, and the financial department
refused to make refunds."
"Do you consider that this cheating of investors in the Sack's time is honest?"
"That's none of my business, Senator," returned Siebling, who had by this time
got over most of his ner-vousness. "I merely see to the execution of the laws. I leave
the question of honesty to those who make them. I presume that it's in perfectly
good hands."
Senator Horrigan flushed at the laughter that came from the onlookers. He was
personally unpopular, as unpopular as a politician can be and still remain a politician.
He was disliked even by the members of his own party, and some of his best
political friends were among the laughers. He decided to abandon what had turned
out to be an unfortunate line of questioning.
"It is a matter of fact, Mr. Siebling, is it not, that you have frequently refused
admittance to investors who were able to show perfectly valid receipts for their
credits?"
"That is a fact, sir. ButтАФ"
"You admit it, then."
 "There is no question of `admitting' anything, Senator. What I meant to say
wasтАФ"
"Never mind what you meant to say. It's what you have already said that's
important. You've cheated these men of their money!"
"That is not true, sir. They were given time later. The reason for my refusal to
grant them admission when they asked for it was that the time had been previously
reserved for the Armed Forces. There are important research questions that come
up, and there is, as you know, a difference of opinion as to priority. When
confronted with requisitions for time from a commercial in-vestor and a
representative of the Government, I never took it upon myself to settle the question.
I always con-sulted with the Government's legal adviser."