"Alan E. Nourse - Morley's Chain" - читать интересную книгу автора (Nourse Alan E)

"I need a job," he said. "I've had plenty of experience with radio-electronics and remote control power
operations. I'd make a good mine-operatorтАФ"
"I can read," the man cut in sharply, gesturing toward the application form with the ink blot in the
middle. "I read all about your experience. But I can't use you. There aren't any more openings."
Tam's ears went red. "But you're always advertising," he countered. "You don't have to worry about
me working on Mars, eitherтАФI've worked on Mars before, and I can work six, seven hours, even,
without a mask or equipmentтАФ"
The man's eyebrows raised slightly. "How very interesting," he said flatly. "The fact remains that there
aren't any jobs open for you." The cold, angry flame flared up in Tam's throat suddenly, forcing out the
sense of futility and defeat. "Those other men," he said sharply. "I was here before them. That girl
wouldn't let me inтАФ"
Randall's eyes narrowed amusedly. "What a pity," he said sadly. "And just think, I hired every one of
themтАФ His face suddenly hardened, and he sat forward, his eyes glinting coldly. "Get smart, Peters. I
think Marsport Mines can somehow manage without you. You or any other Sharkie. The men just don't
like to work with Sharkies." Rage swelled up in Tam's chest, bitter futile rage, beating at his temples and
driving away all thought of caution. "Look," he grated, bending over the desk threateningly. "I know the
law of this system. There's a fair-employment act on the books. It says that men are to be hired by any
company in order of application when they qualify equally in experience. I can, prove my experienceтАФ"
Randall stood up, his face twisted contemptuously. "Get out of here," he snarled. "You've got nerve,
you have, come crawling in here with your law! Where do you think you are?" His voice grated in the still
air of the office. "We don't hire Sharkies, law or no law, get that? Now get out of here!"
Tam turned, his ears burning, and strode through the office, blindly, kicking open the door and almost
running to the quiet air of the street outside. The girl at the desk yawned, and snickered, and went back
to her typing with an unpleasant grin.
Tam walked the street, block after block, seething, futile rage swelling up and bubbling over, curses
rising to his lips, clipped off with some last vestige of self-control. At last he turned into a small downtown
bar and sank wearily onto a stool near the door. The anger was wearing down now to a sort of empty,
hopeless weariness, dulling his senses, exaggerating the hunger in his stomach. He had expected it, he
told himself, he had known what the answer would be тАФbut he knew that he had hoped, against hope,
against what he had known to be the facts hoped desperately that maybe someone would listen. Oh, he
knew the laws, all right, but he'd had plenty of time to see the courts in action. Unfair employment was
almost impossible to make stick under any circumstances, but with the courts rigged the way they were
these daysтАФhe sighed, and drew out one of his last credit-coins. "Beer," he muttered as the barkeep
looked up.
The bartender scowled, his heavy-set face a picture of fashionable distaste. Carefully he filled every
other order at the bar. Then he grudgingly set up a small beer, mostly foam, and flung some small-coin
change down on the bar before Tam. Tam stared at the' glass, the little proud flame of anger flaring
slowly.
A fat man, sitting nearby, stared at him for a long moment, then took a long swill of beer from his
glass. "'Smatter, Sharkie? Whyncha drink y'r beer 'n get t' hell out o' here?"
Tam stared fixedly at his glass, giving no indication of having heard a word.
The fat man stiffened a trifle, swung around to face him. "God-dam Sharkie's too good to talk to a
guy," he snarled loudly. "Whassamatter, Sharkie, ya deaf?"
Tam's hand trembled as he reached for the beer, took a short swallow. Shrugging, he set the glass on
the bar and got up from his stool. He walked out, feeling many eyes on his back.
He walked. Time became a blur to a mind beaten down by constant rebuff. He became conscious of
great weariness of both mind and body. Instinct screamed for rest.. .

TAM sat up, shaking his head to clear it. He shivered from the chill of the parkтАФthe cruel pressure
of the bench. He pulled up his collar and moved out into the street again.