"Eric Frank Russel - WASP" - читать интересную книгу автора (Russell Eric Frank)

WASP by Eric Frank Russell

Chapter I

HE AMBLED INTO the room, sat in the indicated chair and said
nothing. The baffled expression had been on his face quite
a time and he was getting a bit tired of wearing it.

The big fellow who had brought him all the way from
Alaska now departed, silently closing the door and leaving
him alone with the man contemplating him from behind the
desk. A small plaque informed that this character's name was
William Wolf. It was inappropriate: he looked more like a
bull moose.

Wolf said in hard, even tones, "Mr. Mowry, you are entitled
to an explanation." A pause, followed by, "You will get one."
Then he stared unblinkingly at his listener.

For a long-drawn minute James Mowry suffered the intent
scrutiny before he asked, "When?"

"Soon."

With that, Wolf went on staring at him. The gaze was
unpleasantly piercing, analytical, and the face around it
was about as warm and expressive as a lump of hard rock.

"Mind standing up?"

Mowry stood up.

"Turn around."

He rotated, looking bored.

"Walk to and fro across the room."

He walked.

"Tsk-tsk!" grunted Wolf in a way that indicated neither
pleasure nor pain. "I assure you, Mr. Mowry, that I am quite
serious when I ask you to oblige by walking bow-legged."

Splaying his knees as much as possible, Mowry stumped
around as if riding an invisible horse. Then he resumed his
chair and said pointedly. "There'd better be money in this.
I don't come three thousand miles and make like a clown for
nothing."