"Joe Haldeman - Tricentennial (2)" - читать интересную книгу автора (Haldeman Joe)

His secretary said that Dr. Leventhal was waiting to see him. "Keep
answering me for thirty seconds," the Senator said. "Then hang it and
send him right in."

He cradled the phone and went to a wall mirror. Straightened his tie
and cape; then with a fingernail evened out the bottom line of his lip
pomade. Ran a hand through long, thinning white hair and returned to
stand by the desk, one hand on the phone.

The heavy door whispered open. A short thin man bowed slightly. "Sire."

The Senator crossed to him with both hands out. "Oh, blow that,
Charlie. Give ten." The man took both his hands, only for an instant.
"When was I ever `Sire' to you, he fool?"

"Since last week," Leventhal said, "Guild members have been calling you
worse names than 'Sire."'

The Senator bobbed his head twice. "True, and true. And I sympathize.
Will of the people, though."

"Sure." Leventhal pronounced it as one word: "Willathapeeble."

Connors went to the bookcase and opened a chased panel. "Drink?" .

"Yeah, Bo." Charlie sighed and lowered himself into a deep sofa. "Hit
me. Sherry or something."

The Senator brought the drinks and sat down beside Charlie. "You should
of listened to me. Shoulda got the Ad Guild to write your proposal."

"We have good writers."

"Begging to differ. Less than two percent of the electorate bothered to
vote: most of them for the administration advocate. Now you take the
Engineering Guild-"

"You take the engineers. And-"

"They used the Ad Guild." Connors shrugged. "They got their budget."

"It's easy to sell bridges and power plants and shuttles. Hard to sell
pure science."

"The more reason for you to-"

"Yeah, sure. Ask for double and give half to the Ad

boys. Maybe next year. That's-not what I came to talk about."