"A. E. Van Vogt - The Best Of A. E. Van Vogt" - читать интересную книгу автора (Van Vogt A E)

took one look now at ClugyтАЩs face, and realized he had handled the other in a wrong fashion.
Clugy hunched himself forward angrily. And it was the stupendousness of the emotional jump he made
then that startled Marenson--from mildness, without any gradations, to unqualified anger.
тАЬEasy talk,тАЭ he said now in a harsh, steely voice, тАЬfrom a man in the penguin division of the service.тАЭ
Marenson blinked. He parted his lips to speak, then closed them tight. He started to smile, but
changed his mind. He had such a long space career behind him that he had never thought of himself as
being in the armchair brigade. He cleared his throat.
тАЬMr. Clugy,тАЭ he said mildly, тАЬIтАЩm surprised that you introduce personalities into this purely
governmental affair.тАЭ
ClugyтАЩs stare was unflinching. тАЬMr. Marenson,тАЭ he said with chilling politeness, тАЬa man who sends
others into dangerous situations on a mere whim has already introduced the personal element. YouтАЩre
making a life-and-death decision involving several thousand brave men. What you donтАЩt seem to
understand is that the Mira planet forest is a green hell. ThereтАЩs nothing else like it in the universe we
know--unless the Yevd have something similar in their section of the galaxy. The year round it swarms
with the progeny of the lymph beast. What puzzles me is why donтАЩt I get up and punch you one right in
that handsome face of yours?тАЭ

It was the reference to the Yevd that gave Marenson the opening heтАЩd been looking for. тАЬIf you donтАЩt
mind,тАЭ he said coldly, тАЬIтАЩm going to have you tested for light illusion. IтАЩm having endless trouble on all our
supply lines from Yevd interference. ThereтАЩs something funny about a man whoтАЩs fighting as hard as you
are to prevent lymph juice from being delivered to the navy.тАЭ
Clugy smiled, showing his teeth. тАЬThatтАЩs right,тАЭ he said. тАЬAttack is the best defense, isnтАЩt it? So now
IтАЩm a Yevd using my mastery of light and illusion to make you believe IтАЩm a human being.тАЭ
He stood up. Before he could continue, Marenson said in a savage voice: тАЬItтАЩs a good thing that there
are men like me in the background. Field people have a tendency to slack on the job, and take all the
easy ways. My job is to deliver lymph juice to The Yards. Deliver it, understand. No excuses. No
explaining that the hunters find it more convenient to commute from the mountains. I have to get the juice
to the factories, or resign in favor of someone who can. Mr. Clugy, I make a hundred thousand a year
because I know what decisions to make.тАЭ
Clugy said: тАЬWeтАЩll get the juice.тАЭ
тАЬYou havenтАЩt been.тАЭ
тАЬWeтАЩre just starting.тАЭ He leaned over the desk. His gray eyes were steely. тАЬMy penguin friend,тАЭ he
said softly, тАЬyouтАЩve got yourself into a little neurotic corner, fancying the hard decision is always the right
one. Well, I donтАЩt give a care about your job conditioning. IтАЩm telling you this: When the order comes to
me, it had better read, тАШMountain campтАЩ, or youтАЩll know the reason why.тАЭ
тАЬThen IтАЩll know the reason why.тАЭ
тАЬIs that final?тАЭ
тАЬThatтАЩs final.тАЭ
Without a word, Clugy turned and headed for the door. It closed behind him with a crash.
Marenson hesitated, then called his wife. She came on the visiplate in her jaunty fashion, a slim, healthy
young woman of thirty-five. She smiled when she saw who it was. Maren-son explained what had
happened, finished:
тАЬSo you see IтАЩve got to stay down here and figure out ways and means to prevent him from getting
back at me. IтАЩll be late, I expect.тАЭ
тАЬAll right. тАЬBye.тАЭ

Marenson worked fast. In the early, friendly part of his conversation with Clugy he had mentioned his
vacation. Now, he called Government Messenger Service, and sent the spaceship tickets for the trip to
the Paradise Planet offices for validation. While he waited for the messenger to return, he checked on
Clugy.