"Kevin O'Donnel Jr. - The Journeys of McGill Feighan 03 - Lava" - читать интересную книгу автора (O'Donnell Jr Kevin)

Chapter III
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"Don't you understand? I don't care!" He slammed the phone down.
Psychiatrists! The nerve, criticizing his order to Greystein as
"counter-productive: it might trigger an undesirable response."
"Undesirable response." Phaugh! What could be less desirable than
drunken lechery? The idiot psychiatrists just did not understand. His
half-psychotic employees had to maintain Earth's links in an interstellar
transportation web. The only way to keep them working was to crucify
anyone who stepped out of line.
He picked up the holocube and stroked it with a fingertip. Thank God
somebody had his head on straight, and would help him bring those spoiled
brats to heel. This clear plastic box, fifteen centimeters on a side, offered
enough evidence to justify scouring Greystein's skull twice over.
"Undesirable response." Like whatтАФmutiny? He almost hoped it came to
that. The more insubordinate Greystein became, the more severe an
indoctrination his behavior would warrant. Even PsychSection would agree
to that. So let Greystein flout him. Just let him.
The system had rules so it would run smoothly and efficiently. When
people started breaking the rules, they threatened its survival. But the
Network was bigger than people, and star travel more important. It had to
survive. Even if some of them did not.
The obedient ones, like Harry Lipsiento, would do very well.
And the Greysteins would make very nice examples.




Chapter IV
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Feighan settled gingerly onto the terrace railing. The night wind moaned in
his ears; all around gleamed the light jewels of Manhattan. Shock waved
tremors through his voice: "Why do they want you?" He gripped the cool
wrought iron for support.
Greystein rattled another sheet of paper. "Because of this."
"What?"
"Do you know they put a detective on me?"
"What?"
"That bastard Davis hired a detective to investigate me, and this is what
she came up with." It crackled when he passed it over. "She listed all my
alleged violations of the FNC Code. You ever seen such crap?"
"Can I see?" asked Sam.
"No," said Feighan instinctively. "This is, ah, this is grownup stuff here."
"Aw, come on, he's my roommate, too."
"Sam," said Feighan in a warning tone.
Greystein bounced impatiently on the balls of his feet. "Just look at that,
can you believe it? The NAC spent good money on a detective just to smear
me!"