"Mike Resnick - A Miracle Of Rare Design" - читать интересную книгу автора (Resnick Mike)

The room's security system informed him that he had a visitor, and, assuming that the blonde had returned
and wondering vaguely if he was pleased or displeased about it, Lennox removed the prosthetic hand, stuck it
beneath his chair, and ordered the door to open. It slid back, revealing a small, chunky, middle-aged woman
in a severely-cut gray business suit that almost matched the color of her hair.
тАЬMr. Lennox?тАЭ she said.
тАЬYes. Who are you?тАЭ
тАЬMy name is Nora Wallace. May I come in?тАЭ
Lennox shrugged. тАЬWhy not?тАЭ
тАЬThank you,тАЭ she said, entering the parlor as the door closed behind her.
тАЬI don't remember seeing you in the audience,тАЭ observed Lennox.
тАЬI wasn't there.тАЭ
тАЬIf you're here to give me my fee, it's supposed to be deposited in my account.тАЭ
She ignored his statement and walked over to the bottle of brandy.
тАЬFrom Alphard!тАЭ she said, impressed. тАЬI haven't had an Alphard brandy in, oh, it must be four years now.
Maybe five. Do you mind?тАЭ
тАЬHelp yourself.тАЭ
тАЬThank you.тАЭ She filled a small glass. тАЬMay I sit down?тАЭ
тАЬWhatever makes you happy,тАЭ said Lennox, staring at her. тАЬYouare eventually going to tell me who you are
and why you're here, aren't you?тАЭ
тАЬCertainly,тАЭ said Nora Wallace, sitting down on a chair that floated gently a few inches above the floor. She
sipped the brandy. тАЬAh! It's as good as I remember!тАЭ
He stared at her silently.
тАЬWon't you join me?тАЭ she said. тАЬPlease feel free to use whatever prosthetic device you employed to open and
pour it.тАЭ
Lennox grinned, pulled the artificial hand out from where he had hidden it, quickly attached it, and picked up
his glass.
тАЬTo Medina,тАЭ she said, lifting her own glass.
тАЬWhat about Medina?тАЭ he asked sharply.
тАЬIt's a fascinating world.тАЭ
тАЬI know.тАЭ
тАЬAnd an important one.тАЭ
He stared at her. тАЬJust who the hell are you?тАЭ
Nora tossed a titanium identification card to him. тАЬI'm the Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of Alien Affairs.
My specialty is the Quinellus Cluster.тАЭ
He made no reply.
тАЬMedina is in the Quinellus Cluster,тАЭ she continued.
тАЬI know where it is.тАЭ
тАЬYou look annoyed, Mr. Lennox,тАЭ she noted with amusement.
тАЬIf your department thinks they're going to censor anything I have to say or write about Medina...тАЭ
тАЬWe're not in the censorship business.тАЭ
тАЬThen you want me to add something, or perhaps slant the material.тАЭ
тАЬWhat you write is a matter of complete indifference to us, Mr. Lennox.тАЭ
тАЬThen what do you want?тАЭ
тАЬThat's what I'm here to talk about,тАЭ said Nora, taking another sip of her brandy. тАЬI heard you speak on
Roosevelt III last week. I think your experiences were remarkable.тАЭ She paused. тАЬI also think they were
incomplete.тАЭ
тАЬHow much more of me did you want chopped off?тАЭ he asked sarcastically.
Nora Wallace smiled. тАЬI admire your sense of humor, Mr. Lennox. It must be very difficult to joke about what
happened to you.тАЭ
тАЬI assume there's a point to all this?тАЭ