"Asimov, Isaac - Anniversary" - читать интересную книгу автора (Asimov Isaac)

compensation check. You did too, I'm sure,"

Brandon said, "But why the force field? Why all the privacy?"

"I don't know."

"The wreck isn't worth anything even as scrap metal. It would
cost too much to transport it."

Shea said, "That's right. Funny thing, though; they were bringing
pieces back from space. There was a pile of it there. I could see it
and it looked like just junk, twisted pieces of frame, you know. I
asked about it and they said ships were always landing and unload-
ing more scrap, and the insurance company had a standard price for
any piece of the Silver Queen brought back, so ships in the neigh-
borhood of Vesta were always looking. Then, on my last voyage in,
I went to see the Silver Queen again and that pile was a lot bigger."

"You mean they're still looking?" Brandon's eyes glittered.

"I don't know. Maybe they've stopped. But the pile was bigger
than it was ten-eleven years ago so they were still looking then."

Brandon leaned back in his chair and crossed his legs. "Well,
now, that's very queer. A hard-headed insurance company is spend-
ing all kinds of money, sweeping space near Vesta, trying to find
pieces of a twenty-year-old wreck."

"Maybe they're trying to prove sabotage," said Moore.

"After twenty years? They won't get their money back even if they
do. It's a dead issue."

"They may have quit looking years ago."

Brandon stood up with decision. "Let's ask. There's something
funny here and I'm just Jabrified enough and anniversaried enough
to want to find out."

"Sure," said Shea, "but ask who?"

"Ask Multivac," said Brandon.

Shea's eyes opened wide. "Multivac! Say, Mr. Moore, do you
have a Multivac outlet here?"

"Yes."

"I've never seen one, and I've always wanted to."