"Murray Leinster - The Nameless Something" - читать интересную книгу автора (Leinster Murray)

work for millions—or even for a more comprehensible hundred and fifty. He was simply impervious.
Then the beefy, squint-eyed man loomed up beside the table. He looked definitely unpleasant now.
With him were two other men who looked more unpleasant still. They approached the table.
"How's your car?" asked the squint-eyed man, snarling. "Got it fixed yet?" To the others he said, "He
told me his motor was froze!"
Bud Gregory looked up.
"Howdy, gentlemen!" he said cordially. "Mr. Murfree, here, he's a old friend of mine. He's a gov'ment
man from the East. I done some work for him back there and he hunted me up. Set down and have some
beer!"
The two newcomers' faces went expressionless. The squinty-eyed man looked murderous. Then the
three of them glanced at each other. One leaned close to Murfree.
"Don't start anything, Mr. Government man," he said softly. "Me and my friend got guns on you.
Buttin' into our affairs, huh?"
He moved suddenly. Murfree felt a horrible impact. Then he felt nothing whatever. . . .
The European Power sent a very pained note to the Government of the United States. The American
Government had told its people of previous diplomatic correspondence, thus causing hostility toward the
European Power among Americans. And the European Power was devoutly desirous of peace, yet it
could not but be alarmed at the increasing belligerency of American public opinion.
Then there was the evacuation of American cities. That suggested nationwide preparation for war.
Would the American Government give some convincing guarantee that it did not plan an unwarned
attack? Such as the grounding and dismantling of all aircraft, and the decommissioning of its navy?
The European Power was waging a war of nerves. Its purpose was the harassment of the American
public—from disorganization, unemployment, and ultimate famine—to the point where it would welcome
any possible change. Its plan was to make the American people themselves demand the changes in its
social system that the European Power desired.
In Washington, it began to look as if that end might be achieved. Hunger was beginning to show up.
Privation was appearing. Looting in the cities had begun. So far a certain amount of holiday spirit still
existed, to be sure, but the future looked black.
And Murfree woke up in the back of a speeding car. He had a splitting headache. Bud Gregory sat
uneasily beside him. There were three men in the front seat—of whom one was the squint-eyed
man—and when Murfree moved one of them turned around. "Don't try nothin'," he said amiably. "We
ain't got any use for you government guys."

HE DISPLAYED a blued-metal weapon and turned back. Murfree's head throbbed agonizedly. He
felt nauseated and ill. Bud Gregory rolled unhappy eyes at him. "Honest, Mr. Murfree, I didn't know they
was goin' to act like this," he said miserably. "They offered me a hundred dollars and ten dollars a day to
soup up their sedan."
The car sped along the incredibly populated roadside. There were people everywhere. When cities
empty, people have to go somewhere. Small towns swarmed. Villages overflowed. Even the highways
were lined with groups of people with picnic-blankets and blanket shelters. Murfree rubbed his head to
clear it, and closed his eyes at the anguish which came of the movement
"What happened?" he asked thickly. "Why didn't they kill me?"
The man in front turned around again.
"We wouldn't think of it, fella," he said, grinning. "It was tricky enough crashin' you in a crowded
room and draggin' you out as a drunk, without nobody gettin' wise. If we'd shot you we mighta had some
trouble gettin' away ourselves."
"What's the idea?" asked Murfree drearily. "Are you spies, or just plain traitors?"
"Huh!" scoffed the man in front. "You talk like the movies! We're just honest guys pickin' up a livin'
how we can. Your friend there, has got a little trick that'll be useful to us. He can fix up a car to go faster,
stop shorter, turn sharper and have more pickup—"