"Mack Reynolds - Ability Quotient" - читать интересную книгу автора (Reynolds Mack)

corridor. Bert hissed appreciatively through his teeth, picked up his bags
again and followed the leader. Evidently, the door screen on Suite G. was
attuned to Professor Marsh. The door swung open at their approach.

Bert followed on through, down a short hall, and put his bags on the
living room floor and looked around. One whole wall was glass and looked
out over the valley and the mountains beyond in such a manner that none
of the other buildings of the ultra-large university could be seen without
coming very near to the window and the terrace beyond.

In his time, Bert Alshuler, on leave in some of the cities of the Far East,
and with his pockets heavy with accumulated pay that he had never
expected to live to spend, had stopped in some of the most luxurious
hostelries in the world, and some of the most expensive. However, he had
never witnessed an apartment such as this, no matter what the tariff.

Marsh said, his voice condescending and a smirk on his face, "There
are four of these. The university reserves them for V.I.P.s who visit us. The
last occupant of this suite was the President."

"The president of what?"

"The President of the United States of the Americas," Marsh said,
pompishness there. "And now, if you'll follow me."

He led the way to a side room, saying, "We've made some alterations to
convert this former bedroom into a study for you. As you've probably
become aware, it is sometimes preferable, particularly if you are
consulting more than one reference at a time, to have your reference
works in the old book form, when you are working on a screen connected
with the National Data Banks, as a library booster."

He gestured with his hand.

Bert said, "Jesus."

The decor of the room was that of an English mansion's library of the
17th or 18th centuries, up to and including a small, old-fashioned bar in a
corner. It had been a long time since Bert Alshuler had made a drink
himself, or had one other than that supplied by an auto-bar.

The only thing off-beat, due to its modern quality, was set in the very
center of the room. It was an auto-teacher.

Marsh said, "I'll instruct you on the mechanics of that."

"You won't have to. The army gave me some courses."

"All right, but this is a bit updated."