"Frank Herbert - The GM Effect" - читать интересную книгу автора (Herbert Brian & Frank)

'Or the present United States southern senator whose grandfather was a light-skinned
Negro,' Latchley said.
Again, that air of suspenseful uneasiness came over the room. People turned and looked at
their companions, twisted in their chairs.
Sabantoce felt it and thought: We can't let them start asking the wrong questions. Maybe
this was a bad tack to take. We should've stalled them some other way ... perhaps in some
other place. Where is Mormon?
'Our problem is complicated by accuracy, strangely enough,' Latchley said. 'When you know
where to look, the corroborating evidence is easy to find. The records of that southern
senator's ancestry couldn't be disputed.'
A student at the opposite end of the table said: 'Well, if we have the evidence then
nothing can stop us.'
'Ahh ... mmmm,' Latchley said. 'Well ... ahh ... the financial base for our own school is
involv ... '
He was interrupted by a disturbance at the door. Two uniformed men pushed a tall blond
young man in a rumpled dark suit into the room. The door was closed and there came the click
of a lock. It was an ominous sound.
Sabantoce rubbed his throat.
The young man steadied himself with a hand against the wall, worked his way up the room
to a point opposite Latchley, lurched across to an empty chair and collapsed into it. A thick
odor of whisky accompanied him.
Latchley stared at him, feeling both relief and uneasiness. They were really all here now.
The newcomer stared back out of deep-set blue eyes. His mouth was a straight, in-curving
line in a long face that appeared even longer because of an extremely high forehead.
'What's going on here, Josh?' he demanded.
Latchley put on his apologetic smile, said: 'Now, Dick, I'm sorry we had to drag you away
from wherev ... '
'Drag!' The young man glanced at Sabantoce, back to Latchley. 'Who are those guys? Said
they were campus police, but I never saw 'em before. Said I had to come with them ... vital
importance!'
'I told you this was an important meeting tonight,' Sabantoce said. 'You've ...'
'Important meeting,' the young man sneered.
'We must decide tonight about abandoning the project,' Latchley said.
A gasp sounded around the table.
That was clever, Sabantoce thought. He looked down the table at the others, said: 'Now
that Dr Marmon is here, we can bring the thing out and examine it.'
'Aband ... ' Marmon said and sat up straight in his chair.
A long moment of silence passed. Abruptly, the table erupted to discord - everyone trying
to talk at once. The noise subsided only when Sabantoce overrode it, slamming a palm against
the table and shouting: 'Please!'
Into the sudden silence, Latchley said: 'You have no idea how painful this disclosure is to
those of us who've already faced the realities of it.'
'Realities?' Marmon demanded. He shook his head and the effort he made to overcome the
effects of drink was apparent to everyone around the table.
'Let me point out to ail of you just one little part of our total problem,' Sabantoce said. 'The
inheritance of several major fortunes in this country could be legally attacked - with excellent
chances of success - on the basis or knowledge we've uncovered.'
Sabantoce gave them a moment to absorb this, then: 'We're boat rockers in a world whose
motto is 'Don't give up the ship.' And we could tip over quite a few ships.'
'Let us face it,' Latchley said, picking up his cue from Sabantoce.