"ae1" - читать интересную книгу автора (Steele Allen)

Yes, he minded. In fact, he minded just about everyth
right now. This motel, purposely selected because it was
of the way and unlikely to be found by reporters covering
morrow's launch. Having Mister Mom for a roommate on
last night on Earth for the next ten days, when he'd just
soon be left alone until morning. And the job itself-Jes
why hadn't the Germans picked someone else instead of hi
Someone who really wanted to go to the Moon?
But if anyone had asked what the single most irritat
thing in his life was right now, the one thing that irked
the most in a universe seemingly determined to make life
sufferable, he would have replied that his pizza was late.
It had been almost a half-hour now since Mister Mo
whose real name, almost forgotten by now in his disdain,
Mike Momphrey-had used his cellular phone to call so
no-name pizzeria just down AIA and place an order for a
inch pizza. A half-hour ago, for Christ's sake ... in Bosto
would have been delivered ten minutes ago, and not just
cause it came from Domino's. It was this kind of lousy se
that drove him straight up the wall. No wonder the cou
was going down the toilet; twenty miles from the place w
rockets are launched into space, and you can't get pizza de
ered before it's cold.
Of course, he realized upon further reflection, if the cou
wasn't heading down the tubes, he wouldn't be killing ti
before he boarded a ferry rocket almost as old as he was. Pi
and the American space program: they were much the sa
thing these days, when you stopped to think about it....
He didn't want to think about it. He tried to shut it ou
his head as he hunched over his Tandy/IBM, set up on a t
at the far end of the room and wired into the room pho
dataport. Meanwhile, his jacket off and cast aside to.exp
the black leather shoulder-holster strapped across his s
Mister Mom lay on the single bed near the door watching
ATS Evening News on TV. The volume was turned down I
but the man at the computer could still hear the anchorm
droning voice ...






THE TRANQUILLITY ALTERNATIVE

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