"H. Beam Piper - The Edge of the Knife" - читать интересную книгу автора (Piper H Beam)

"I realize nothing of the sort. The death of Khalid ib'n Hussein is a fact of history, unalterably set in its
proper place in time-sequence. It was a fact of history a month ago no less than today."

"So that's going to be your attitude; that your wild utterances of a month ago have now been vindicated
as fulfilled prophesies? And I suppose you intend to exploit thisтАФthis coincidenceтАФto the utmost. The
involvement of Blanley College in a mess of sensational publicity means nothing to you, I presume."

"I haven't any idea what you're talking about."

"You mean to tell me that you didn't give this story to the local newspaper, the Valley Times?" Whitburn
demanded.

"I did not. I haven't mentioned the subject to anybody connected with the Times, or anybody else, for
that matter. Except my attorney, a month ago, when you were threatening to repudiate the contract you
signed with me."

"I suppose I'm expected to take your word for that?"

"Yes, you are. Unless you care to call me a liar in so many words." He moved a step closer. Lloyd
Whitburn outweighed him by fifty pounds, but most of the difference was fat. Whitburn must have
realized that, too.

"No, no; if you say you haven't talked about it to the Valley Times, that's enough," he said hastily. "But
somebody did. A reporter was here not twenty minutes ago; he refused to say who had given him the
story, but he wanted to question me about it."

"What did you tell him?"

"I refused to make any statement whatever. I also called Colonel Tighlman, the owner of the paper, and
asked him, very reasonably, to suppress the story. I thought that my own position and the importance of
Blanley College to this town entitled me to that much consideration." Whitburn's face became almost
purple. "He ... he laughed at me!"

"Newspaper people don't like to be told to kill stories. Not even by college presidents. That's only made
things worse. Personally, I don't relish the prospect of having this publicized, any more than you do. I can
assure you that I shall be most guarded if any of the Times reporters talk to me about it, and if I have
time to get back to my class before the end of the period, I shall ask them, as a personal favor, not to
discuss the matter outside."

Whitburn didn't take the hint. Instead, he paced back and forth, storming about the reporter, the
newspaper owner, whoever had given the story to the paper, and finally Chalmers himself. He was livid
with rage.

"You certainly can't imagine that when you made those remarks in class you actually possessed any
knowledge of a thing that was still a month in the future," he spluttered. "Why, it's ridiculous! Utterly
preposterous!"

"Unusual, I'll admit. But the fact remains that I did. I should, of course, have been more careful, and not
confused future with past events. The students didn't understand...."