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

The PresidentтАЩs face was smaller than it appeared on TV, Charlie found. The size of an ordinary human
face, no doubt, looking small precisely because of all the TV images. On the other hand it had a
tremendous solidity and three-dimensionality to it. It gleamed with reality.

His eyes were slightly close-set, as was often remarked, but apart from that he looked like an aging
movie star or catalog model. A successful businessman who had retired to get into public service. His
features, as many observers had observed, mixed qualities of several recent presidents into one blandly
familiar and reassuring face, with a little dash of Ross Perot to give him a piquant antiquity and edgy
charm.

Now his amused look was like that of everyoneтАЩs favorite uncle. тАЬSo they reeled you in for this on the
fly.тАЭ Then, holding a hand up to stop all of them, he nearly whispered: тАЬSorryтАФshould I whisper?тАЭ

тАЬNo sir, no need for that,тАЭ Charlie assured him in his ordinary speaking voice. тАЬHeтАЩs out for the duration.
Pay no attention to that man behind the shoulder.тАЭ

The President smiled. тАЬGot a wizard on your back, eh?тАЭ

Charlie nodded, smiling quickly to conceal his surprise. It was a pastime in some circles to judge just
how much of a dimwit the President was, how much of a performing puppet for the people manipulating
him; but facing him in person, Charlie felt instantly confirmed in his minority position that the man had such
a huge amount of low cunning that it amounted to a kind of genius. The President was no fool. And hip to
at least the most obvious of movie trivia. Charlie couldnтАЩt help feeling a bit reassured.

Now the President said, тАЬThatтАЩs nice, Charles, letтАЩs get to it then, shall we? I heard from Dr. S. here
about the meeting this morning, and I wanted to check in on it in person, because I like Phil Chase. And I
understand that Phil now wants us to join in with the actions of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change, to the point of introducing a bill mandating our participation in whatever action they recommend,
no matter what it is. And this is a UN panel.тАЭ

тАЬWell,тАЭ Charlie said, shifting gears into ultradiplomatic mode, not just for the President but for the absent
Phil, who was going to be upset with him no matter what he said, since only Phil should actually be
talking to the President about this stuff. тАЬThat isnтАЩt exactly how I would put it, Mr. President. You know
the Senate Foreign Relations Committee held a number of hearings this year, and PhilтАЩs conclusion after
all that testimony was that the global climate situation is quite real. And serious to the point of being
already almost too late.тАЭ

The President shot a glance at Strengloft. тАЬWould you agree with that, Dr. S.?тАЭ

тАЬWeтАЩve agreed that there is general agreement that the observed warming is real.тАЭ

The President looked to Charlie, who said, тАЬThatтАЩs good as far as it goes, certainly. ItтАЩs what follows
from that that mattersтАФyou know, in the sense of us trying to do something about it.тАЭ

Charlie swiftly rehearsed the situation, known to all: average temperatures up by six degrees Fahrenheit
already, CO2levels in the atmosphere topping six hundred parts per million, from a start before the
industrial revolution of 280, and predicted to hit a thousand ppm within a decade, which would be higher
than it had been at any time in the past seventy million years. Two and a half billion metric tons of CO2
added to the atmosphere by American industry every year, some 150 percent more than the Kyoto