"Jerry Pournelle - High Justice" - читать интересную книгу автора (Pournelle Jerry)

Prince Toki nodded agreement. "I think even if you did not, Dr. MacRae, the sea people would
release the whales. By the way, I'm surprised you've never met Mr. Lewis. But then I haven't
either." The simple statement was a demand for explanations.
"Never come to Tonga," one of the councillors said slowly. "Must be a very stupid man."
"No, sir," Adams told them. "Mr. Lewis is crippled. He never leaves his headquarters in Santa
Barbara."
"I see," Toki said. "I had heard something of the sort but . . . well, sir. We are agreed that we
have common interests. Now what is it you want?"
Adams looked surprised, as if the prince's bluntness was unexpected. "Let's be sure we do agree,"
he said slowly. "The Project is going well?"
Martinez answered quickly. "Very well. I am astonished at how quickly the Tongan fishermen have
learned the techniques of scientific record-keeping. They'll have no trouble operating the farm
projects so that the Station can be manned with few non-Tongans, as agreed in the sale."
"A gentleman's agreement only," the prince said. "Quite unenforceable, but I am happy that you
have voluntarily kept to it."
MacRae was muttering to himself. "'Twill be a pity to see the Station go to people like Overseas
Foods; they've no sense for the future. And 'tis a bonny project."
"There's no hope, then?" the prince asked carefully. "Nuclear General is in that much financial
difficulty?"
"Without the plutonium aboard Persephone we are," Adams answered.
"Of course you wouldn't be talking to me if your government were willing to help get it back," the
prince said. "All right, Mr. Adams, you've an idea. What is it?"
Martinez laughed and everyone looked at him. "I don't know what he has in mind," Martinez
explained quickly, "but one thing I've learned, never count Mr. Lewis out until he's not only dead
but embalmed. Not even then. El Patron has won tougher fights than this." He gestured


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significantly at Bill Adams. "And we know he is concerned, to send his prime minister."
Adams gave Martinez and the prince a twisted grin. "He's worried all right." He took a large chart
from his briefcase and spread it on the table. "Persephone's here?" he asked the prince.
"Yes."
"Aye," MacRae answered. "In that harbor, protected by the entire Fiji Navy, all seven gunboats and
a destroyer."
"Radar scanners, I suppose?"
MacRae nodded.
"We can't do much," Adams said. "But you've said that the Tongans sail to Fiji, Your Highness.
Even in bad weather. In open boats, small outriggers. Is that true?"
The prince grinned carefully. "It's true enough, Mr. Adams. We have sailed those straits for
hundreds of years. I've done it myself often enough. I suppose you've thought of underwater
approaches?"
Adams found it was his turn to laugh. "Yes, sir. My company police say the harbor's too
treacherous for frogmen. We might train the dolphins, but there's not enough time. On the other
hand, our people say the chances of a small outrigger being picked up at night during a storm are
just about nil. Of course, no westerner would be able to navigate an outrigger into that harbor
under such conditions. ..."
"What will you tell the Republic of Fiji if this succeeds?"
"Why, that we found our ship adrift and unmanned in international waters," Adams said. The grin