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

throat tight. "You look bigger and better than ever, Dave."
 DAVE Hawke laughed, a deep bass laugh that seemed to start at the soles of his feet. "Couldn't very
well look thin and wan," he said. He pushed a cigar box across the desk. "Here, light up. I'm on these
exclusively these daysтАФremember how you tried to get me to smoke them, back at the University? How
you couldn't stand cigarettes? Said they were for women, a man should smoke a good cigar. You finally
converted me."
Tam grinned, suddenly feeling the warmth of the old friendship swelling back. "Yes, I remember. You
were smoking that rotten corncob, then, because old Prof Tenley smoked one that you could smell in the
back of the room, and in those days the Prof could do no wrongтАФ"
Dave Hawke grinned broadly, settled back in his chair as he lit the cigar. "Yes, I remember. Still got
that corncob around somewhereтАФ" he shook his head, his eyes dreamy. "Good old Prof Tenley! One in
a millionтАФthere was an honest man, Tam. They don't have them like that in the colleges these days.
Wonder what happened to the old goat?"
"He was killed," said Tam, softly. "Just after the war. Got caught in a Revolt riot, and he was shot
down."
Dave looked at him, his eyes suddenly sad. "A lot of honest men went down in those riots, didn't
they? That was the worst part of the Revolt. There wasn't any provision made for the honest men, the
really good men." He stopped, and regarded Tam closely. "What's the trouble, Tam? If you'd been going
to make a friendly call, you'd have done it years ago. You know this office has always been open to
you."
Tam stared at his shoe, carefully choosing his words, lining them up in his mind; a frown creasing his
forehead. "I'll lay it on the line," he said in a low voice. "I'm in a spot. That passage to the Rings wasn't
voluntary. I was shanghaied onto a freighter, and had to work for eight years without pay to get passage
back. I'm broke, and I'm hungry, and I need to see a doctorтАФ"
"Well, hell!" the big man exploded. "Why didn't you holler sooner? Look, TamтАФwe've been friends
for a long time. You know better than to hesitate." He fished for his wallet. "Here, I can let you have as
much as you needтАФcouple hundred?"
"No, noтАФThat's not what I'm getting at." Tam felt his face flush with embarrassment. "I need a job,
Dave. I need one bad."
Dave sat back, and his feet came off the desk abruptly. He didn't look at Tam. "I see," he said softly.
"A jobтАФ" He stared at the ceiling for a moment. "Tell you what," he said. "The government's opening a
new uranium mine in a month or soтАФgoing to be a big project, they'll need lots of menтАФon MercuryтАФ"
Tam's eyes fell, a lump growing in his throat. "Mercury," he repeated dully.
"Why, sure, TamтАФgood pay, chance for promotion."
"I'd be dead in six months on Mercury." Tam's eyes met Dave's, trying to conceal the pain. "You
know that as well as I do, DaveтАФ"
Dave looked away. "Oh, the dots don't know what they're talking aboutтАФ"
"You know perfectly well that they do. I couldn't even stand Venus very long. I need a job on Mars,
DaveтАФor on Earth."
"Yes," said Dave Hawke sadly, "I guess you're right." He looked straight at Tam, his eyes sorrowful.
"The truth is, I can't help you. I'd like to, but I can't. There's nothing I can do."
Tam stared, the pain of disillusionment sweeping through him. "Nothing you can do!" he exploded.
"But you're the director of this bureau! You know every job, open on every one of the planetsтАФ"
"I know. And I have to help get them filled. But I can't make anyone hire, Tam. I can send
applicants, and recommendations, until I'm blue in the face, but I can't make a company hireтАФ" He
paused, staring at Tam. "Oh, hell," he snarled, suddenly, his face darkening. "Let's face it, Tam. They
won't hire you. Nobody will hire you. You're a Sharkie, and that's all there is to it, they aren't hiring
Sharkies. And there's nothing I can do to make them."
Tam sat as if he had been struck, the color draining from his face. "But the lawтАФDave, you know
there's a law. They have to hire us, if we apply first, and have the necessary qualifications."