"Kim Stanley Robinson - Forty Signs of Rain" - читать интересную книгу автора (Robinson Kim Stanley)

Charlie said, тАЬWhat you have to understand is that no congressperson likes to say no.тАЭ

тАЬNo?тАЭ

тАЬNo. They donтАЩt.тАЭ

тАЬThey never say no,тАЭ Sridar amplified.

тАЬNever?тАЭ

тАЬNever.тАЭ

тАЬThey like to say yes,тАЭ Charlie explained. тАЬPeople come to them, asking for thingsтАФfavors,
votesтАФconsideration of one thing or another. When they say yes, people go away happy. Everyone is
happy.тАЭ

тАЬConstituents,тАЭ Sridar expanded. тАЬWhich mean votes, which means their job. They say yes and it means
votes. Sometimes one yes can mean fifty thousand votes. So they just keep saying yes.тАЭ

тАЬThatтАЩs true,тАЭ Charlie admitted. тАЬSome say yes no matter what they really mean. Others, like our
Senator Chase, are more honest.тАЭ

тАЬWithout, however, ever actually saying no,тАЭ Sridar added.

тАЬIn effect they only answer the questions they can say yes to. The others they avoid in one way or
another.тАЭ

тАЬRight,тАЭ Drepung said. тАЬBut he saidтАжтАЭ

тАЬHe said, тАШIтАЩll see what I can do.тАЩтАЭ

Drepung frowned. тАЬSo that means no?тАЭ

тАЬWell, you know, in circumstances where they canтАЩt get out of answering the question in some other
wayтАФтАЭ

тАЬYes!тАЭ Sridar interrupted. тАЬIt means no.тАЭ

тАЬWellтАжтАЭ Charlie tried to temporize.

тАЬCome on, Charlie.тАЭ Sridar shook his head. тАЬYou know itтАЩs true. ItтАЩs true for all of them. тАШYesтАЩ means
тАШmaybeтАЩ; тАШIтАЩll see what I can doтАЩ means тАШno.тАЩ It means тАШnot a chance.тАЩ It means, тАШI canтАЩt believe youтАЩre
asking me this question, but since you are, this is how I will say no.тАЩтАЭ

тАЬHe will not help us?тАЭ Drepung asked.

тАЬHe will if he sees a way that will work,тАЭ Charlie declared. тАЬIтАЩll keep on him about it.тАЭ

Drepung said, тАЬYouтАЩll see what you can do.тАЭ