"Frederik Pohl - The Candle Maker" - читать интересную книгу автора (Pohl Frederick)

The Candle Lighter
THE TRUSTEESHIP DIRECTOR fished out a pack of ciga-
rettes and offered them to Jaffa Doane. "I heard your
speech last night," he said. "Cigarette?"
"I don't smoke," said Jaffa Doane.
"It was a good speech." The Director lit his cigarette
thoughtfully, flicked the match away. Doane waited with
patience in his eyesan expression that seemed very much
out of place on the face of Jaffa Doane. But Doane had
practiced patience before the Director's "invitation" had
reached him that morning. He knew it was coming; you
can't tell blunt truths on a world hookup and not expect
to make a stir.
The Director said, "I've checked your record, Doane.
It's a good one. You have consistently fought for a lot of
things that I happen to believe in myself. Naturally, I
think you're off base this time, but I was with you on the
Kaffirs; I was with you on the Ainus; I'll be with you
again. I'm sure. In fact, if you look it up in the books of
your Equality League, you'll find that I sent in my two
dollars dues long ago." He peered at Doane under his
eyebrows and chuckled. "Don't look so surprised."
"I can't help it," Doane said severely. "After what your
administration has done to the Martians"
"The Martians! Why, thoseNever mind." He clamped
the words down in his throat. "Just what," he demanded,
"have we done to them?"
Doane leaned forward. "Turned them into savages! Ex-
ploited them, degraded them, reduced them to barbarism.
Do you want the entire catalogue, sir? / know how the
Mars Trusteeship has been run! The Administrators have
made themselves gods, sir, godsl Their every whim is a
commandment. That's what you've done!"
The Director managed a smile, though his nostrils were
flaring. "I said I heard your speech," he reminded Doane.
"You had some suggestions to make, didn't you?"
"I did," said Doane proudly.
"And among them, you suggested that we remove Ad-
ministrator Kellem and replace him with someone accept-
able to the Equality League."
"It was. Kellem's handling of the General Mercantile
incident was"
"I know," the Director interrupted, and for the first
time his smile relaxed. "I have here a radiogram from the
Administration Comzone on Mars. Read it, Mr. Doane."
Doane took it suspiciously, but as he read, he began
to beam.
MEDICAL CHECKUP SHOWS LOW-PRESSURE ASTHMA
APPROACHING TERTIARY STAGE, INCURABLE AND DAN-