"Andre Norton - Ross Murdock 03 - The Defiant Agents" - читать интересную книгу автора (Norton Andre)

Then the colonel spread out his hands and said sullenly:
"I don't agree either, but I don't have the final say-so. Ashe, what would
be needed to speed up any take-off?"
It was Ruthven who replied. "We can use the Redax, as I have said from the
start."
Ashe straightened, his mouth tight, his eyes hard and angry.
"And I'll protest that . . . to the council! Man, we're dealing with human
beings -- selected volunteers, men who trust us -- not with laboratory
animals!"
Ruthven's thick lips pouted into what was close to a smile of derision.
"Always the sentimentalists, you experts in the past! Tell me, Dr. Ashe,
were you always so thoughtful of your men when you sent agents back into
time? And certainly a voyage into space is less risky than time travel.
These volunteers know what they have signed for. They will be ready -- "
"Then you propose telling them about the use of Redax -- what it does to a
man's mind?" countered Ashe.
"Certainly. They will receive all necessary instructions."
Ashe was not satisfied. He would have spoken again, except that Kelgarries
interrupted:
"If it comes to that, none of us here has any right to make final decisions.
Waldour has already sent in his report about the snoop. We'll have to await
orders from the council."
Ruthven levered himself out of his chair, his solid bulk stretching his
uniform coveralls. "That is correct, Colonel. In the meantime I would
suggest we all check to see what can be done to speed up each one's portion
of labor." Without another word, he tramped to the door. Waldour eyed the
other two with mounting impatience. It was plain he had work to do and
wanted them to leave. But Ashe was reluctant. He had a feeling that matters
were slipping out of his control, that he was about to face a crisis which
was somehow worse than just a major security leak. Was the enemy always on
the other side of the world? Or could he wear the same uniform, even pretend
to share the same goals? In the outer corridor he still hesitated.
Kelgarries, a step or so in advance, looked back over his shoulder
impatiently.
"There's no use fighting -- our hands are tied." His words were slurred,
almost as if he wanted to disown them.
"Then you'll agree to use the Redax?" For the second time within the hour
Ashe felt as if he had taken a step only to have firm earth turn into
slippery, shifting sand underfoot.
"It isn't a matter of my agreeing. It may be a matter of getting through or
not getting through -- now. If they've had eighteen months, or even twelve .
. . !" The colonel's fingers balled into a fist. "And they won't be delayed
by any humanitarian reasoning -- "
"Then you believe Ruthven will win the council's approval?"
"When you are dealing with frightened men, you're talking to ears closed to
anything except what they want to hear. After all, we can't prove that the
Redax will be harmful."
"But we've only used it under rigidly controlled conditions. To speed up the
process would mean a total disregard of those controls. Snapping a party of
men and women back into their racial past and holding them there for too