"Robert A. Heinlein - Job, A Comedy of Justice" - читать интересную книгу автора (Heinlein Robert A)

As it was, it was too new, too much, too fast. I could appreciate it only in
retrospect.
Our tropical Rolls-Royce crunched to a stop with the aid of hand brake, foot
brake, and first-gear compression; I looked up from bemused euphoria. My
driver announced, ‚Okay, Chief!’
I said, ‚That’s not my ship.’
‚Okay, Chief?’
‚You’ve taken me to the wrong dock. Uh, it looks like the right dock but it’s the
wrong ship.’ Of that I was certain. M.V. Konge Knut has white sides and
superstructure and a rakish false funnel. This ship was mostly red with four
tall black stacks. Steam, it had to be - not a motor vessel. As well as years
out of date. ‚No. No!’

‚Okay, Chief. Votre vapeur! Voila!’
‚Non!’
‚Okay, Chief.’ He got out, came around and opened the door on the
passenger Side, grabbed my arm, and pulled.
I’m in fairly good shape, but his arm had been toughened by swimming,
climbing for coconuts, hauling in fishnets, and pulling tourists who don’t want
to go out of cars. I got out.
He jumped back in, called out, ‚Okay, Chief! Merci bien! Au ‚voir!’ and was
gone.
I went, Hobson’s choice, up the gangway of the strange vessel to learn, if
possible, what had become of the Konge Knut. As I stepped aboard, the
petty officer on gangway watch saluted and said, ‚Afternoon, sir. Mr Graham,
Mr Nielsen left a package for you. One moment -‚He lifted the lid of his watch
desk, took out a large manila envelope. ‚Here you are, sir.’
The package had written on it: A. L. Graham, cabin C109. I opened it, found
a well-worn wallet.
‚Is everything in order, Mr Graham?’
‚Yes, thank you. Will you tell Mr Nielsen that I received it? And give him my
thanks.’
‚Certainly, sir.’
I noted that this was D deck, went up one flight to find cabin C109.
All was not quite in order. My name is not ‚Graham’.

Chapter 2

The thing that hath been, it is that which
shall be, and that which is done is that
which shall be done, and there is
no new thing under the sun.
Ecclesiastes 1:9

THANK HEAVEN ships use a consistent numbering system. Stateroom C109
was where it should be: on C deck, starboard side forward, between C107
and C111; I reached it without having to speak to anyone. I tried the door; it
was locked - Mr Graham apparently believed the warnings pursers give
about locking doors, especially in port.
The key, I thought glumly, is in Mr Graham’s pants pocket. But where is Mr