"Robin Wilson - To the Vector Belong..." - читать интересную книгу автора (Wilson Robin)

United States Attorney has the power, and that makes the Deputy U.S. Attorney on
the case everybodyтАЩs superior and McCatters wants to make sure Lindstrom knows
the score. She cautions him as they walk up Market: тАЬWord I get is Washington
wants out of this business. Like all the way. TheyтАЩd like someone тАФ anyone тАФ to
get a habeas and take the guy off our hands.тАЭ

тАЬMaybe,тАЭ says Lindstrom, eyes locked straight ahead, тАЬsomeoneтАЩd like to pry
Al out of Turk Street even before we get him moved and thatтАЩs why we got three
guys doing an ABC tail on us.тАЭ

McCatters, who is not without street experience, does not look back, does
not search for reflections in store fronts. тАЬAfter all that TV, they got you made,тАЭ she
says. тАЬCould be another bureau or one of the networks or for GodтАЩs sake the
people from Disney or the Chinese or McCann Erickson or . . . Who doesnтАЩt want
to get their little paws on our guy?тАЭ

тАЬYeah. Whoever. ItтАЩs big bucks for the Movie of the Week bunch and big
reputations for all the cut-and-sew guys in the labs. I guess after yesterday IтАЩm a
celebrity, get my fifteen minutes of fame.тАЭ
 They pass a line of newspaper racks. тАЬThird Alien Lands in East Bay,тАЭ reads
the San Francisco Chronicle headline. USA TodayтАЩs is тАЬCaliforniaтАЩs Mystery Alien:
Army Mobilizes.тАЭ The Enquirer promises an exclusive report on alien sex in San
Francisco.

As they cross Powell, she says: тАЬThe three questions are, whatтАЩs he here for
and why such elaborate preparation and how much of a threat does he pose, thatтАЩs
one. WhoтАЩs going to get first and maybe only crack at him, thatтАЩs two. And threeтАЩs
whatтАЩll the ones who donтАЩt get to play do about it and whoтАЩll they do it to.тАЭ

Lindstrom nods. тАЬThatтАЩs six questions, Janet. As to number one, whatever
heтАЩs up to, there isnтАЩt much covert about it. He doesnтАЩt know whyтАЩn hell heтАЩs been
so elaborately trained for what turned out to be a pretty public entrance. I think his
missionтАЩs as big a mystery to him as it is to us, and unless heтАЩs the advance guy for
the invasion of the body snatchers or carrying some kind of virus that turns us all
into the killer tomatoes that eat Chicago, IтАЩm damned if I can see much threat.тАЭ

тАЬYeah, well, I guess IтАЩll worry about the other questions,тАЭ says McCatters.
тАЬItтАЩs C.Y.A. time and I donтАЩt want the Service to take the fall when everybody who
owns a pint of printerтАЩs ink tells everybody else what the U.S.G. did wrong.тАЭ

Lindstrom takes her arm as they skirt a noisy raghead protest at Taylor and
Eddy. She does not object to his hand and what others might take as chauvinism,
which is one reason why Lindstrom likes her, enjoys working with her.

тАЬWhat I donтАЩt understand, Janet,тАЭ he says, тАЬis why youтАЩre so worried about
weight. You look really fine to me.тАЭ She is a substantial woman in her early-forties,
big but not fat, a comer who has steadily progressed in the bureaucracy without
excessive dishonesty. Lindstrom trusts her and she him.

тАЬThanks, Jake,тАЭ she says. тАЬYouтАЩre probably just horny like the rest of the