"Raymond, Hugh - Power" - читать интересную книгу автора (Raymond Hugh)

"Don't know anybody," she said archly, and we both laughed.
I looked up at Tiffins.
"Send him over. But be sure that you call us both to the telephone if he stays
more than ten minutes."
Presently, the figure began to move in our direction. Although he was wearing a
dinner jacket, he had obviously been heavily clad and but recently, as thick
snow still clustered in the nooks and crannies of his heavy shoes.
"I'm Bittsworth," he announced, looming up beside our table. "You're Miss Anna
Campbell. And you're Karl Brecker. Good evening. May I sit down?"
Slightly startled at this sudden access of information, I reached over to an
unoccupied table and yanked a chair closer.
He had a business-like face with a small moustache and a ruddy complexion. I
guessed him to be habitually well-to-do. He wore his clothes like a veteran.
"And now that we've been introduced, Mr. Bittsworth, before we go into
business--whatever it is--will you join us at supper? We were just about to
eat." Turning my head, I winked at Tiffins who was watching anxiously from the
kitchen doorway. That meant that he was to disregard all previous instructions.
Bittsworth declined. He asked if we might permit a cigar.
Anna smiled at him sweetly.
"Oh, do, Mr. Bittsworth, I just love the smell of a good cigar."
Behind my face, I laughed outright. Anna, for all her being a good sport,
couldn't even stand my pipe.
He folded his hands on the table and drew his face into a serious mien.
"I suppose you know who I am. No? Well, I'd better begin by telling you that I
am George Bittsworth, the Bittsworth, head of the Conservative Party. Now don't
get frightened. I'm not here to solicit votes. I'm here for something infinitely
more important." He paused a bit and shifted his cigar. "I suppose," he
continued, "that you're both patriotic citizens. I take that for granted. And
you want to see your country at peace. You want to see the people happy and
well-fed. You want to see that," he looked significantly to the window,"
stopped. Do you not?"
We both waggled our heads in assent.
Just then, Tiffins came up with dinner. Bittsworth leaned back while we partook
of the food.
I'M A POLITICIAN Miss Campbell," he began, "I know things. I control a large
party--the largest in the country. It's a good solid party and it knows what it
is doing. But things are getting a little out of hand," again he indicated the
window, "we'd like to stop all that. We'd like to put food into the mouths of
those hungry people and take murder out of their hearts. But we can't do it now.
We're not in power. Most of us were turned out at the last election." He paused.
"But what has that to do with Karl and me?" Anna asked. "Certainly we are as
helpless as you. We cannot stop that rioting just as you have no power to stop
it."
"Bittsworth interrupted her with a gesture.
"You have that power, Miss Campbell. I think you know what I mean. Possibly I'm
wrong, but I believed you when you claimed to have discovered the control of
atomic energy. The newspaper ridiculed your claim, but certain information I
possess leads me to believe that you had something. I know, furthermore, that
this new power of yours is cheap, portable and infinite...."
Anna put her fork down with a bang. "How do you know?" she interrupted sharply.