"Arcady And Boris Strugatsky. Prisoners of Power" - читать интересную книгу автора

are rather odd. Where were these taken? On the defendants' bench. Well, look
at that! Fresh and fit, cheerful, clear-eyed, relaxed. Where did you learn
such poise? Such posture? That defendants' bench is no more comfortable than
the visitor's chair in my office; impossible to relax on it. But all this is
trivial. There's got to be something bigger here."
The prosecutor left his desk and paced the floor. Something tantalizing
tickled his brain, something prodded and excited him. "Damn it, I've
stumbled on something in that folder. Something important, something very,
very important. Fank? Yes, that's important because Strannik uses Fank only
for the most important matters. But Fank just confirms my intuition. Now,
what is the essential thing here? The pants? Nonsense. Ah, I know what it
is. But it's not in the folder." He switched on the intercom.
"Kokh, give me the details of the attack on the convoy."
"Fourteen days ago," began his assistant's rustling voice, as if he
were reading from a prepared text, "at eighteen hours and thirty-three
minutes, an armed attack was made on police cars transporting defendants in
Case Six-nine-eight-one-eight-four from the courtroom to the city jail. The
attack was repulsed, and one of the attackers was badly wounded in the
crossfire and never regained consciousness. The body was not identified. The
investigation has been closed."
"Whose work was this attack?"
"That has not been clarified, Your Honor. The official underground had
nothing to do with it."
"Any ideas?"
"It could have been the work of terrorists attempting to free defendant
Dek Pottu, alias the General, known for his close connections with the left
wing."
The prosecutor slammed down the receiver. Maybe it was true, and maybe
it wasn't. Well, we'll go through the folder again. Southern border, idiot
captain. Trousers. Escapes, carrying man on shoulders. Radioactive fish -
seventy-seven units. Reaction to A-radiation. Chemical treatment of
ganglions. Wait! Reaction to A-radiation: "Zero reaction to A-radiation in
both senses." Zero, in both senses. The prosecutor pressed his hand to his
chest. Idiot! Zero in both senses!
Zero in both senses!
He grabbed the receiver again.
"Kokh! Prepare a special messenger and security guard at once. A
private train to the south. No! Use my electric truck. Massaraksh!" He
thrust his hand into a drawer and switched off all the recording devices.
"Make it snappy!"
Still pressing his left hand to his chest, he took out a personal order
form from the desk and wrote rapidly but carefully: "State business. Top
secret. To the Commanding General of the Special Southern District. You are
personally responsible for the immediate execution of this order. Transfer
to the custody of the bearer, convict Mac Sim, Case 6983. From the moment of
transfer, consider rehab Mac Sim missing, and retain appropriate supportive
documentation in your files. By order of the State Prosecutor."
He grabbed another form: "Order. I hereby order all personnel in the
military, civil, and railroad administrations to render assistance to the
bearer of this order, the State Prosecutor's special courier and security