"David Brin - Fourth Vacation of George Gustaf" - читать интересную книгу автора (Brin David)

"At which point," Ing growled, "the pros in sociology, politics, and the
police--along with a healthy number of our amateurs--will rebel! Some of us still
remember the ideals that led to the World State. We have no intention of allowing an
imposition of rampant feudalism!"
Through the window came the sounds of ecstatic cheering.
Hamilton felt dazed. "But... what do you want from me? I can't un-publish my
work, or take him out of the spotlight!"
The woman held up her hand. "Okay, you see the problem. Now, are you sure
you don't see a possible solution?" She looked at Hamilton archly. The three
androids also stared. Hamilton felt certain they were testing him, somehow. He
thought furiously.
"Uh... maybe we can work out some sort of compromise?"
Ing sighed. The androids buzzed happily.
"You're the man for the job, then. You'll talk to him, help mediate the sides. If
he's as reasonable a fellow as you say, we can work out some sort of constitutional
arrangement that will satisfy the people, the AnMen, and the social pros."
"But why me?"
"Because you brought it all up! You opened the door for him! Besides, he seems
to like you."
Ing swallowed as she visibly made an effort to adapt her habits of speech. She
paused, then resumed, "I mean, it seems you are in favor with His Majesty."
Outside, one hundred and fifty thousand cheering voices shook the stadium.



Epilogue

Dr. George Gustaf sat back behind his desk, after the last negotiators had left and
Farrell Cooper had shut the door.
"Will there be anything else, Your Majesty?" Cooper smiled.
"What more could there be, Farrell? I'm now constitutional monarch of the world.
They've thrown in the rest of the solar system too, in exchange for my giving up any
unilateral right to declare war when we discover aliens... if ever."
"Quite an accomplishment, Your Majesty. We'll all be very busy, getting ready for
the coronation."
"Yah." Gustaf grimaced. "It's going to be a hard five years before the
experiment's over, and we can publish the results."
"They won't like it if you do as you plan and suddenly abdicate then--especially
if you've been a good king."
"Oh, I'll be a good king, for five years. But maybe you're right. We should figure
out a way to go incognito when we publish and let the world know that a bunch of
pro actors, amateur historians and artists pulled off the biggest sociological
experiment in history... and right under the professionals' noses!"
Cooper grinned. "Whatever Your Majesty says."
Gustaf sighed. "There's only one thing that bothers me."
"What's that?"
"It's the AnMen. My whole procedure depended on a careful manipulation of
android psychology, making them believe that my experiment would benefit mankind
in the long run, even if it results in a little short-term disruption. Their help was
necessary, to clean up my pedigree a bit and make me seem totally legitimate as