"Ludlum, Robert - The Parcifal Mosaic" - читать интересную книгу автора (Ludlum Robert)

"Harry? Harry Lewis?"
'You!ve got it. How are you, MR.?"
Lewis was one of the few people he ever saw-and he rarely saw Harry-who
called him by his initials. It was a minor legacy from graduate school,
where he and Lewis bad been classmates at Princeton. Michael bad gone into
government, Lewis into academia. Dr. Harry Lewis was chairman of the
political science department at a small, prestigious university in New
England, traveling down to D.C. now and then for consultation chores at
State. They bad run into each other several times when both were in
Washington.
"Fine. Still picking up per diems, Harry?"
"A lot fewer than before. Someone taught you people how to read evaluation
reports from our more esoteric graduate schools."
"Good Christ, rm being replaced by a beard in blue jeans with funny
cigarettes."
The bespectacled professor was stunned. "Yoifre kidding. You're out? I
thought you were in for lifel"
"The opposite, Harry. Life began between five and seven minutes ago when I
wrote out my final signature. And in a couple of hours rm going to be faced
with the first dinner check in years I can't take out of contingency
funds."
"What are you going to do, Michael?"
"No thoughts. Don't want any for a while."
The academician paused, taking his change from the ta3d driver, then spoke
rapidly. "Listen, rm late for upstairs, but rm hi town overnight. Since rm
on per diem, let me pay for the dinner. Where are you staying? I may have
an idea."
No government per them in the civilized world could have paid for the
dinner that night two months and five days ago, but Harry Lewis did have an
idea. They had been friends once; they became friends again, and Havelock
found it easier to talk with a person who was at least vaguely aware of the
work he had done for the government rather than
 THE PARsiFAL MosAic13

with someone who knew nothing about it. It wag always diff1cult to explain
that something could not be explained; Lewis understood. One thing led to
another, which in turn led to Harrys idea.
"Have you ever given any thought to getting back to a campus?"
Michael smiled. "How would 'constantly' soundp"
"I know, I know," Lewis pressed, inferring sarcasm. "You fellows-'spooks,'
I assume, is the term-get all kinds of offers from the multinationals at
damn good money, I'm aware of that. But, M.H., you were one of the best.
Your dissertation was picked up by a dozen university presses; you even had
your own seminars. Your academic record coupled with your years at
State-most of which I realize you can't go into speciflcally~could make you
very attractive to a university administration. Wre always saying, 'Lees
find someone whos been there, not just a theoretician.' Damn it, Michael,
I think yoere it. Now, I know the moneys not--"
"Harry, you misunderstood. I meant it. I constantly think about getting
back."