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

that proposal would be declined.



ANOTHER DAY for Charlie and Joe. A late spring morning, temperatures already in the high nineties
and rising, humidity likewise.

They stayed in the house for the balm of the air-conditioning, falling out of the ceiling vents like spills of
clear syrup. They wrestled, they cleaned house, they ate breakfast and elevenses. Charlie read some of
thePost while Joe devastated dinosaurs. Something in thePost about IndiaтАЩs drought reminded Charlie of
the Khembalis, and he put in his earphone and gave his friend Sridar a call.

тАЬHey Sridar, itтАЩs Charlie.тАЭ

тАЬCharlie, good to hear from you! I got your message.тАЭ

тАЬOh good, I was hoping you had. HowтАЩs the lobbying business going?тАЭ
тАЬWeтАЩre keeping at it. WeтАЩve got some interesting clients, if you know what I mean.тАЭ

тАЬYes I do.тАЭ

Charlie and Sridar had worked together for a lobbying firm several years before. Now Sridar worked
for Branson and Ananda, a small but prestigious firm representing several foreign governments in their
dealings with the American government. Some of these governments had customs at home that made
representing them to Congress a challenge.

тАЬSo you said something about a new country? IтАЩm glad youтАЩre keeping an eye out for new clients for
me.тАЭ

тАЬWell it was through Anna, like I said.тАЭ Charlie explained how they had met. тАЬWhen I was talking to
them I thought they could use your help.тАЭ

тАЬOh dear, how nice.тАЭ

тАЬYeah well, you need some challenges.тАЭ

тАЬRight, like I have no challenges. WhatтАЩs this new country, then?тАЭ

тАЬHave you heard of Khembalung?тАЭ

тАЬI think so. One of the League of Drowning Nations?тАЭ

тАЬYeah thatтАЩs right.тАЭ

тАЬYouтАЩre asking me to take on a sinking island nation?тАЭ

тАЬActually theyтАЩre not sinking, itтАЩs the ocean thatтАЩs rising.тАЭ

тАЬEven worse. I mean what are we going to be able to do about that, stop global warming?тАЭ