"Robert A. Heinlein - Between Planets" - читать интересную книгу автора (Heinlein Robert A)

long since his family had last visited Venus that the place had grown unreal
in his mind. On the other hand he had been eleven years old before he had ever
rested his eyes on the lovely hills of Earth.
"I'm a citizen of the System," he said harshly.
"Mmmm -- " said the headmaster. "That's a fine phrase and perhaps someday it
will mean something. In the meantime, speaking as a friend, I agree with your
parents. Mars is likely to be neutral territory; you'll be safe there. Again,
speaking as your friend-things may get a little rough here for anyone whose
loyalty is not perfectly clear."
"Nobody has any business questioning my loyalty under the law, I count as
native born!"
The man did not answer. Don burst out, "The whole thing is silly! If the
Federation wasn't trying to bleed Venus white there wouldn't be any war talk."
Reeves stood up. "That will be all, Don. I'm not going to argue politics with
you."
"It's true! Read Chamberlain's Theory of Colonial Expansion!"
Reeves seemed startled. "Where did you lay hands on that book? Not in the
school library."
Don did not answer. His father had sent it to him but had cautioned him not to
let it be seen; it was one of the suppressed books-on Earth, at least. Reeves
went on, "Don, have you been dealing with a booklegger?"
Don remained silent. "Answer me!"
Presently Reeves took a deep breath and said, "Never mind. Go up to your room
and pack. The copter will take you to Albuquerque at one o'clock."
"Yes, sir." He had started to leave when the headmaster called him back.
"Just a moment. In the heat of our, uh, discussion I almost forgot that there
was a second message for you."
"Oh?" Don accepted the slip; it said: DEAR SON, BE SURE TO SAY GOODBYE TO
UNCLE DUDLEY BEFORE YOU LEAVE -- MOTHER.
This second message surprised him in some ways even more than the first; he
had trouble realizing that his mother must mean Dr. Dudley Jefferson-a friend
of his parents but no relation, and a person of no importance in his own life.
But Reeves seemed not to see anything odd in the message, so he stuck it in
his Levis and left the room.
Long as he had been earthbound he approached packing with a true spaceman's
spirit. He knew that his passage would entitle him to only fifty pounds of
free lift; he started discarding right and left. Shortly he had two piles, a
very small one on his own bed-indispensable clothing, a few capsules of
microfilm, his slide rule, a stylus, and a vreetha, a flutelike Martian
instrument which he had not played in a long time as his schoolmates had
objected. On his roommate's bed was a much larger pile of discards.
He picked up the vreetha, tried a couple of runs, and put it on the larger
pile. Taking a Martian product to Mars was coal to Newcastle. His roommate,
Jack Moreau, came in as he did so. "What in time goes on? House cleaning?"
"Leaving."
Jack dug a finger into his ear. "I must be getting deaf. I could have sworn
you said you were leaving."
"I am." Don stopped and explained, showing Jack the message from his parents.
Jack looked distressed. "I don't like this. Of course I knew this was our last
year, but I didn't figure on you jumping the gun. I probably won't sleep