"Mack Reynolds - After Utopia" - читать интересную книгу автора (Reynolds Mack)

Christ.тАЭ
They all laughed with him.
Jo Edmonds brought the fresh drink and Cogswell
knocked it back in one long swallow.
He considered for a moment. тАЬLook,тАЭ he said, тАЬI donтАЩt
suppose anyone remembers what happened to a fellow
named Dan Whiteley.тАЭ
тАЬWhiteley?тАЭ the Academician scowled.
тАЬHe was a member of the organization,тАЭ Tracy
explained. тАЬA very active one.тАЭ
тАЬDan Whiteley,тАЭ Betty said. тАЬI read something about
him. Let me see. He was a Canadian.тАЭ
тАЬThatтАЩs right,тАЭ Tracy Cogswell said, leaning forward.
тАЬHe was from Winnipeg.тАЭ
тАЬDid you know him?тАЭ Betty said, her voice strange.
He said slowly, тАЬYes, yes I knew him quite well.тАЭ
Unconsciously, he stroked his left elbow. The others had
been in favor of leaving him behind. Dan had carried
him, one way or the other, half the night. Toward
morning, TitoтАЩs secret police had brought up dogs and
theyтАЩd been able to hear them baying only half a mile or
so behind.
Betty said gently, тАЬThe Communists got him when he
was trying to contact some of their intellectuals and get
your movement going in China. He succeeded, but later
was caught and shot in, I believe, Hankow. HeтАЩs now sort
of a martyr. Students of the period know about him.тАЭ
Cogswell took a deep breath. тАЬYeah,тАЭ he said. тАЬThatтАЩs
the way Dan Whiteley would have ended. In action.
Could I have another drink?тАЭ
Stein said, тАЬYouтАЩre not overdoing, are you?тАЭ
тАЬNo, of course not. Look, how about cancer, and space
flight, and how about interracial problems and juvenile
delinquency?тАЭ
тАЬHold it!тАЭ Jo Edmonds told him. Somehow there was a
strained quality in the laugh that Cogswell couldnтАЩt quite
put his finger on.
Stein said, тАЬYou can imagine how long any of the old
diseases lasted once we began to devote the amount of
time to them that our scientists had formerly put into
devising methods of destroying man.тАЭ
Betty said, тАЬAbout the space program. We have a few
observatories and some laboratories on the moon, and
orbiting communications satellites.тАЭ
Edmonds brought the drink and Tracy took a long
swallow and then shook his head.
 Walter Stein was quickly on his feet. тАЬSee here,тАЭ he
said, тАЬyouтАЩre pale. WeтАЩve allowed you to push yourself too
far.тАЭ He clucked unhappily. тАЬBetty was premature, this
morning. We hadnтАЩt expected to allow you so much