"Theodore Sturgeon - Microcosmic God" - читать интересную книгу автора (Sturgeon Theodore)

consciously with his mind as he crossed the compound and entered the old
laboratory. One was that perhaps it might be wise to surround his buildings with a
field of force of some kind and post warnings for tres-passers. The other thought
was of Conant and the vague uneasiness the man had been sending to him through
the radiophone these last weeks. His suggestion, two days ago, that a power plant
be built on the island-horrible idea!

Conant rose from a laboratory bench as Kidder walked in.
They looked at each other wordlessly for a long moment Kidder hadnтАЩt seen the
bank president in years. The manтАЩs presence, he found, made his scalp crawl.
тАЬHello,тАЭ said Conant genially. тАЬYouтАЩre looking fit.тАЭ
Kidder grunted. Conant eased his unwieldy body back onto the bench and said,
тАЬJust to save you the energy of asking questions, Mr. Kidder, I arrived two hours
ago on, a small boat. Rotten way to travel. I wanted to be a sur-prise to you; my
two men rowed me the last couple of miles. YouтАЩre not very well equipped here
for defense, are you? Why, anyone could slip up on you the way I did.тАЭ
тАЬWhoтАЩd want to?тАЭ growled Kidder. The manтАЩs voice edged annoyingly into his
brain. He spoke too loudly for such a small room; at least, KidderтАЩs hermitтАЩs ears
felt that way. Kidder shrugged and went about preparing a light meal for himself.
тАЬWell,тАЭ drawled the banker. тАЬI тАШmight want to.тАЭ He drew out a Dow-metal cigar
case. тАЬMind if I smoke?тАЭ
тАЬI do,тАЭ said Kidder sharply.
Conant laughed easily and put the cigars away. тАЬI might,тАЭ he said, тАЬwant to urge
you to let me build that power station on this island.тАЭ
тАЬRadiophone work?тАЭ
тАЬOh, yes. But now that IтАЩm here you canтАЩt switch me off. Now-how about it?тАЭ
тАЬI havenтАЩt changed my mind.тАЭ
тАЬOh, but you should, Kidder, you should. Think of it- think of the good it would
do for the masses of people that are now paying exorbitant power bills!тАЭ
тАЬI hate the masses! Why do you have to build here?тАЭ
тАЬOh, that. ItтАЩs an ideal location. You own the island; work could begin here
without causing any comment whatsoever. The plant would spring full-fledged on
the power markets of the country, having been built in secret. The island can be

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made impregnable.тАЭ
тАЬI donтАЩt want to be bothered.тАЭ
тАЬWe wouldnтАЩt bother you. WeтАЩd build on the north end of the island-a mile and a
quarter from you and your work. Ah-by the way-whereтАЩs the model of the power
transmitter?тАЭ
Kidder, with his mouth full of synthesized food, waved a hand at a small table on
which stood the model, a four-foot, amazingly intricate device of plastic and steel
and tiny coils.
Conant rose and went over to look at it. тАЬActually works, eh?тАЭ He sighed deeply
and said, тАЬKidder, I really hate to do this, but I want to build that plant rather
badly.
тАЬCarson! Robbins!тАЭ