"Murray Leinster - Talents,Incorporated" - читать интересную книгу автора (Leinster Murray)

Copyright, ©, 1962, by Murray Leinster. All rights reserved.
Published by arrangement with the author. Printed in the
U.S.A.
Transcriber's Note:
Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the
U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed. Minor
spelling and typographical errors have been corrected
without note. Subscript characters are shown within
{braces}.


TALENTS, INCORPORATED


Part One

Chapter 1
Young Captain Bors--who impatiently refused to be called
anything else--was strangely occupied when the
communicator buzzed. He'd ripped away the cord about a
thick parcel of documents and heaved them into the
fireplace of the office of the Minister for Diplomatic Affairs.
A fire burned there, and already there were many ashes.
The carpet and the chairs of the cabinet officer's sanctum
were coated with fine white dust. As the communicator
buzzed again, Captain Bors took a fireplace tool and
stirred the close-packed papers to looseness. They caught
and burned instead of only smouldering.
The communicator buzzed yet again. He brushed off his
hands and pressed the answer-stud.
He said bleakly: "Diplomatic Affairs. Bors speaking."
The communicator relayed a voice from somewhere else
with an astonishing fidelity of tone.
"Spaceport, sir. A ship just broke out of overdrive. We don't
identify its type. One ship only, sir. "

Bors said grimly;
"You'd recognize a liner. If it's a ship from the Mekinese
fleet and stays alone, it could be coming to receive our
surrender. In that case play for time and notify me."

"Yes, sir.--One moment! It's calling, sir! Here it is--. "
There was a clicking, and then there came a voice which
had the curious quality of a loudspeaker sound picked up
and relayed through another loudspeaker.

"Calling ground! Calling ground! Space-yacht Sylva reports
arrival and asks coordinates for landing. Our mass is two