"Mack Reynolds - Dawnman Planet" - читать интересную книгу автора (Reynolds Mack)

stemming a flow of questions, he would usher the VIP to an opposite door,
where other Section G operatives took over.

The secret room cleared, they would begin all over again.

"His All Holiness, Innocency the Sixteenth, Presidor of the Holy
Theocracy of the Planet Byzantium."

His All Holiness would step forward and gape in turn at the charred
body of the tiny creature. "It's an intelligent alien life form! But there is no
intelligent life in the galaxy, save Created man!"

There was only one break in the routine.

Ronny Bronston had been standing to one side for the nonce, while his
two companions guarding the door processed the latest arrival.

One of them began to say, "The Supreme Matriarch Harriet Dos Passos
of the PlanetтАж"

Ronny snapped "She's a fake!"

The newcomer darted in the direction of the freezer box which
contained the alien carcass, yelling. "I've got a right..."

Ronny put out a foot, cold-bloodedly, and she went down, arms and legs
going every which way.

"Sorry, lady," he said. "Admission is by invitation only."

"Get her, boys" Sid Jakes snapped, coming forward quickly himself.
Ronny and the other two grabbed for the intruder.

But she was made of sterner stuff than they had assumed.

She rolled, bounced to her feet and scrambled toward the freezer.

She stared into its interior, eyes bugging as all eyes had bugged that
morning. Finally, she turned and faced them, her expression unbelieving,
as all expressions had been unbelieving. She turned to face four cold faces,
four leveled Model H hand weapons.

Sid Jakes said, "If she makes one move, any move at all, muffle her." He
grinned at the intruder. "That was bad luck for you, the fact that you
managed to see it, you silly flat. Do you think we'd go to this much security
if it wasn't ultra-important? Now, let's have it. You're obviously not
Harriet Dos Passos. Who are you, how'd you get here, and who sent you?"

The other snapped, her voice not as yet shaky, "I'm Rita Daniels, from
Interplanetary News. That's the corpse of an intelligent alien life form in