"Harry Harrison - SSR 03 - The Stainless Steel Rat Saves The " - читать интересную книгу автора (Harrison Harry)

had a metal button on the end. He touched the button to the back of my neck
where it stuck.
"You're Professor Coypu, aren't you?"
"I am." The teeth moved up and down like piano keys.
"Would you think me rude if I asked for an explanation?"
"Not at all. Only natural under the circumstances. Terribly sorry we had
to rough you up. Only way. Get you off-balance, keep you angry. The angry mind
exists only for itself and can survive by itself. If we had tried to reason,
to tell you the problem, we would have defeated our own purpose. So we
attacked. Gave you the anger gas as well as breathed it ourselves. Only thing
to do. Oh blast, there goes Magistero. It's getting stronger even in here."
One of the white-coated men shimmered and grew transparent, then vanished.
"Inskipp went that way," I said.
"He would. First to go, you know."
 "Why?" I asked, smiling warmly, thinking that this was the most idiotic
conversation I had ever had.
"They are after the Corps. Pick off the top people first."
"Who?"
"Don't know."
I heard my teeth grating together but managed to keep my temper. "Would
you kindly explain in greater detail or find someone who can make more sense
of this affair than you have been doing."
"Sorry. My fault entirely." He dabbed at a heading of sweat on his
forehead, and a whisk of red tongue dampened the dry ends of his teeth. "It
all came about so fast, you know. Emergency measures, everything. Time war, I
imagine one might call it. Someone, somewhere, somewhen, is tampering with
time. Naturally they had to pick the Special Corps as their first target, no
matter what other ambitions they might have. Since the Corps is the most
effective, most widespread supranational and supraplanetal law enforcement
organization in the history of the galaxy, we automatically become the main
obstacle in their path. Sooner or later in any ambitious time-changing plan
they run against the Corps. They have therefore elected to do it soonest. If
they can eliminate Inskipp and the other top people, the probability of the
Corps' existence will be lowered and we'll all snuff out, as poor Magistero
did just then."
I blinked rapidly. "Do you think we could have a drink that might act as a
bit of lubricant to my thoughts?"
"Splendid idea, join you myself."
The dispenser produced a sickly sort of green liquid that he favored, but
I dialed for a large Syrian Panther Sweat, most of which I drained with the
first swallow. This frightening beverage--whose hideous aftereffects forbade
its sale on most civilized worlds--did me nothing but good at this moment. I
finished the glass, and a sudden memory popped up out of the tangled jumble of
my subconscious.
"Stop me if I'm wrong, but didn't I hear you lecture once about the
impossibility of time travel?"
"Of course. My specialty. Smoke screen that talk, I think you might call
it. We've had time travel for years here. Afraid to use it, though. Alter time
tracks and all that sort of trouble. Just the kind of thing that is happening
now. But we have had a continuing project of research and time investigation.