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

as a result of his little curse-on-both-your-houses speech,
word would get around that he, Tracy Cogswell, had
rather strong political opinions, and that was the last
thing he wanted.
He went out into his tiny kitchen and poured himself
still another drink. Cogswell wasnтАЩt generally much for
belting the bottle, but at the moment he felt the need for
another drink. He brought his glass back to the living
room and sat it on the coffee table next to his reading
chair.
He picked up the Leibnecht pamphlet and thumbed
through the pages idly. He was still in no mood for
concentration.
Something alien flickered in his eyes, and he scowled
and looked up at the wall opposite. There seemed to be
some sort of light reflection. No, that wasnтАЩt the word.
Cogswell frowned, trying to figure out what it could be.
Some reflection, or something, from somewhere. But
where? Anything coming through the window that
opened onto Rue Dr. Fumey would hardlyтАж
He squinted at the vague flickering. What was it that
it reminded him of? Why, a Fourth of July pin wheel, like
they used to have when he was a kid in Cincinnati. One
of the little penny ones.
His mind went back to Cincinnati.
The big swimming pool where the adults would throw
in pennies and youтАЩd dive for them. You could get enough
to go to the movies if you worked at it long enough. Ten
cents was the price of a kidтАЩs admission.
The movies in Cincinnati, back in the 1920s. HeтАЩd been
a real fan. Lon Chaney, Hoot Gibson, Rin-Tin-Tin, Tom
Mix, Our Gang.
The pin wheel was larger and turning faster. What in
the world could it be? Quite an optical illusion. He knew
that if he got up and walked over to it, either it would
fade away or he would be able to determine what caused
it. He felt too lazy to make the effort.
It still seemed to be growing in size.
That Pernod heтАЩd had at Paul LundтАЩs had hit him
harder than heтАЩd expected. Evidently heтАЩd had too little
dinner, and the alcohol had free range.
Of a sudden, Tracy Cogswell shook his head. He was
getting drowsy and that wasnтАЩt right. That damned
spinning was having hypnotic effect on him. He was
going to have toтАж
Part of him backed away in astonishment. Why, he
was actually, in a strange manner, under. Asleep, though
still awake, from the effects of the spinning andтАж and
something else. He didnтАЩt know what else. Good Jesus
Christ, certainly Paul hadnтАЩt put something in his drink.