"John Varley - Picnic On Nearside" - читать интересную книгу автора (Varley John)

"Ah," Birkson said, flashing a grin with an impossible number of square teeth. "A panic
evacuation, no doubt. You didn't have the tube system closed down, I suppose?"
 "No," she said. "I... well, I thought there might be a chance to get a large number of people away
from the area in case this thing does go off."

He shook his head, and grinned again. He put this grin after every sentence he spoke, like
punctuation.

"You'd better seal off the city. If it's a hoax, you're going to have hundreds of dead and injured
from the panic. It's a lost cause trying to evacuate. At most, you might save a few thousand."

"But..."

"Keep them stationary. If it goes off, it's no use anyway. You'll lose the whole city. And no one's
going to question your judgment because you'll be dead. If it doesn't go off, you'll be sitting pretty for
having prevented a panic. Do it. I know."

Bach began to really dislike this man right then, but decided to follow his advice. And his thinking
did have a certain cold logic. She phoned the station and had the lid clamped on the city. Now the
cars in the cross-tube ahead would be cleared, leaving only her priority capsule moving.

They used the few minutes delay while the order was implemented to size each other up. Bach
saw a blonde, square-jawed young man in a checkered sweater and gold knickers. He had a friendly
face, and that was what puzzled her. There was no trace of worry on his smooth features. His hands
were steady, clasped calmly around the steel shaft of his putter. She wouldn't have called his manner
cocky or assured, but he did manage to look cheerful.

She had just realized that he was looking her over, and was wondering what he saw, when he put
his hand on her knee. He might as well have slapped her. She was stunned.

"What are you... get your hand off me you... you groundhog."

Birkson's hand had been moving upward. He was apparently unfazed by the insult. He turned in
his seat and reached for her hand. His smile was dazzling.

"I just thought that since we're stalled here with nothing else to do, we might start getting to know
each other. No harm in that, is there? I just hate to waste any time, that's all."

She wrenched free of his grasp and assumed a defensive posture, feeling trapped in a nightmare.
But he relented, having no interest in pursuing the matter when he had been rebuffed.

"All right. We'll wait. But I'd like to have a drink with you, or maybe dinner. After this thing's
wrapped up, of course."

" 'This thing...' How can you think of something like that...?"

"At a time like this. I know. I've heard it. Bombs get me horny, is all. So okay, so I'll leave you
alone." He grinned again. "But maybe you'll feel different when this is over."

For a moment she thought she was going to throw up from a combination of revulsion and fear.