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

indignation; at some point the manipulation of facts became a kind of vast lie, and this was what Charlie
felt when he had to confront people like Strengloft: he was combating liars, people who lied about
science for money, thus obscuring the clear signs of the destruction of their present world. So that they
would end up passing on to all the children a degraded planet, devoid of animals and forests and coral
reefs and all the other aspects of a biological support system and home. Liars, cheating their own
children, and the many generations to come: this is what Charlie wanted to shout at them, as vehemently
as any street-corner nutcase preacher. So that when he went at them, with his tightly polite questions and
pointed remarks, there was a certain edge to him. Opponents tried to deflect it by labeling it as
self-righteousness or affluent hypocrisy or whatnot; but the edge could still cut if he hit the right spots.

In any case it was perhaps best that Charlie not be there at PhilтАЩs meeting with the Khembalis, so that
Phil would not be distracted, or feel that Charlie was somehow coaching the visitors. Phil could form his
own impressions, and Sridar would be there to do any shepherding necessary. By now Charlie had seen
enough of the Khembalis to trust that Rudra Cakrin and his gang would be up to the task of representing
themselves. Phil would experience their weird persuasiveness, and he knew enough of the world not to
discount them just because they were not Beltway operators dressed in suit and tie.

So Charlie hustled back from the predictably irritating hearing, and arrived right at 10:20. He hurried up
the stairs to PhilтАЩs offices on the third floor. These offices had a great view down the MallтАФthe best any
senator had, obtained in a typical Phil coup. The Senate, excessively cramped in the old Russell, Dirksen,
and Hart buildings, had finally bitten the bullet and taken by eminent domain the headquarters of the
United Brothers of Carpenters and Joiners of America, who had owned a fine building in a spectacular
location on the Mall, between the National Gallery and the Capitol itself. The carpentersтАЩ union had
howled at the takeover, of courseтАФonly a Republican House and Senate would have dared to do it,
happy as they were to smack a union whenever possibleтАФbut it had left a political stink such that very
few senators were actually willing to brave the negative PR of moving into the new acquisition once all the
legal wrangling was over and the building was theirs. Phil, however, had been quite happy to move in,
claiming he would represent the carpentersтАЩ and all the other unions so faithfully that it would be as if they
had never left the building. тАЬWhere better to defend the working people of America?тАЭ he had asked,
smiling his famous smile. тАЬIтАЩll keep a hammer on the windowsill to remind myself who IтАЩm representing.тАЭ

At 10:23A .M., Phil ushered the Khembalis out of his corner office, chatting with them cheerfully. тАЬYes,
thanks, of course, IтАЩd love toтАФtalk to Evelyn about setting up a time.тАЭ

The Khembalis looked pleased. Sridar looked impassive but faintly amused, as he often did.

Just as he was leaving, Phil spotted Charlie and stopped. тАЬCharlie! Good to see you at last!тАЭ

Grinning hugely, he came back and shook his blushing stafferтАЩs hand. тАЬSo you laughed in the PresidentтАЩs
face!тАЭ He turned to the Khembalis: тАЬThis man burst out laughing in the PresidentтАЩs face! IтАЩve always
wanted to do that!тАЭ

The Khembalis nodded neutrally.

тАЬSo what did it feel like?тАЭ Phil asked Charlie. тАЬAnd how did it go over?тАЭ

Charlie, still blushing, said, тАЬWell, it felt involuntary, to tell the truth. Like a sneeze. Joe was really tickling
me. And as far as I could tell, it went over okay. The President looked pleased. He was trying to make
me laugh, so when I did, he laughed too.тАЭ