"H. Beam Piper - The Cosmic Computer (2)" - читать интересную книгу автора (Piper H Beam)

how glad we all are to see him back . . . . Now, Franz, put away
the recorder; save the

8

interview for the Chronicle till later. Ali, Professor Kellton;
one pupil Litchfield Academy can be proud of!"

He shook hands with them: Judge Ledue, Franz Veltrin, old
Professor Dolf Kellton. They were all happy; how much, he
wondered, because he was Conn Maxwell, Rodney Maxwell's son,
home from Terra, and how much because of what they hoped he'd
tell them. Kurt Fawzi, edging him aside, was the first to speak
of it.

"Conn, what did you find out?" he whispered. "Do you know where
it is?"

He stammered, then saw Tom Brangwyn and Colonel Klein Zareff
approaching, the older man tottering on a silver-headed cane and
the younger keeping .pace with him. Neither of them had been
born on Poictesme. Tom Brangwyn had always been reticent about
where he came from, but Hathor was a good guess. There had been
political trouble on Hathor twenty years ago; the losers had had
to get off-planet in a hurry to dodge firing squads. Klein
Zareff never was reticent about his past. He came from Ashmodai,
one of the System States planets, and he had commanded a
regiment, and finally a division that had been blasted down to
less than regimental strength, in the Alliance Army. He always
wore a little rosette of System States black and green on his
coat.

"Hello, boy," he croaked, extending a hand. "Good to see you
again."

"It sure is, Conn," the town marshal agreed, then lowered his
voice. "Find out anything definite?"



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9

"We didn't have much time, Conn," Kurt Fawzi said, "but we've
arranged a little celebration for you. We'll start it with a
dinner at Senta's."

"You couldn't have done anything I'd have liked better, Mr.