"Mack Reynolds - Planetary Agent X" - читать интересную книгу автора (Reynolds Mack)

chance. I decided I might as well be what I am.тАЭ
Ross Metaxa looked at him. тАЬO.K.,тАЭ he said finally. тАЬWeтАЩll
give you a try.тАЭ
Ronny said blankly, тАЬYou mean IтАЩve got the job?тАЭ
тАЬThatтАЩs right.тАЭ
тАЬIтАЩll be damned.тАЭ
тАЬProbably,тАЭ Metaxa said. He yawned. тАЬDo you know what
Section G handles?тАЭ
тАЬWell, no, but as for me, just so I get off Earth and see some
of the galaxy.тАЭ
Metaxa had been sitting with his heels on his desk. Now he
put them down and reached a hand into a drawer, to emerge with a
brown bottle and two glasses. тАЬDo you drink?тАЭ he said.
тАЬOf course.тАЭ
тАЬEven during working hours?тАЭ Metaxa scowled.
тАЬWhen occasion calls.тАЭ
тАЬGood,тАЭ Metaxa said. He poured two drinks. тАЬYouтАЩll get your
fill of seeing the galaxy,тАЭ he said. тАЬNot that thereтАЩs much to see.
Men can settle only Earth-type planets, and after youтАЩve seen a
couple of hundred youтАЩve seen them all.тАЭ
Ronny sipped at his drink, then blinked reproachfully down
into the glass.
 Metaxa said, тАЬGood, eh? A kind of tequila they make on
Deneb Eight. Bunch of Mexicans settled there.тАЭ
тАЬWhat,тАЭ said Ronny hoarsely, тАЬdo they make it out of?тАЭ
тАЬLord only knows,тАЭ Metaxa said. тАЬTo get back to Section G:
WeтАЩre Interplanetary Security. In short, Department Cloak and
Dagger. Would you be willing to die for the United Planets,
Bronston?тАЭ
That curve had come too fast. Ronny blinked again. тАЬOnly in
emergency,тАЭ he said. тАЬWhoтАЩd want to kill me?тАЭ
Metaxa poured another drink. тАЬMany of the people youтАЩll be
working with,тАЭ he said.
тАЬWell, why? What will I be doing?тАЭ
тАЬYouтАЩll be representing United Planets,тАЭ Metaxa explained.
тАЬRepresenting United Planets in cases where the local situation is
such that the folks youтАЩre working among will be teed off at the
organization.тАЭ
тАЬWell, why are they members if they donтАЩt like the UP?тАЭ
тАЬThatтАЩs a good question,тАЭ Metaxa said. He yawned. тАЬI guess
IтАЩll have to go into my speech.тАЭ He finished his drink. тАЬNow, shut
up till I give you some background. YouтАЩre probably full of a lot of
nonsense you picked up in school.тАЭ
Ronny shut up. HeтАЩd expected more of an air of dedication in
the Octagon, particularly in such ethereal departments as that of
Interplanetary Justice; however, he was a member now and not
adverse to picking up some sophistication beyond the ken of the
Earth-bound employees of UP.
The otherтАЩs voice took on a faraway, slightly bored tone. тАЬIt
seems that most of the times man gets a really big idea, he goes off