"Mack Reynolds - Planetary Agent X" - читать интересную книгу автора (Reynolds Mack)

of averages. In the late twenties. Average height, weight and
breadth. Pleasant of face in an average sort of way, but not
handsome. Less than sharp in dress, hair inclined to be on the
undisciplined side. Brown hair, dark eyes. In a crowd,
inconspicuous.
The personnel officer grunted. He pushed a button, said
something into his order box. A card slid into the slot and he took
it out and stared gloomily at it.
“What’re your politics?” he said.
“Politics?” Ronny Bronston said. “I haven’t any politics. My
father and grandfather before me have been citizens of United
Planets. There hasn’t been any politics in our family for three
generations.”
“Family?”
“None.”
The other grunted and marked the card. “Racial prejudices?”
“I beg your pardon?”
“Do you have any racial prejudices? Any at all.”
“No.”
The personnel officer said, “Most people answer that way at
first, these days, but some don’t at second. For instance, suppose
you had to have a blood transfusion. Would you have any objection
to it being blood donated by, say, a Negro, a Chinese, or, say, a
Jew?”
Ronny ticked it off on his fingers. “One of my
great-grandfathers was a French colon who married a Moroccan girl.
The Moors are a blend of Berber, Arab, Jew and Negro. Another of
my great-grandfathers was a Hawaiian. They’re largely a blend of
Polynesians, Japanese, Chinese and Caucasians, especially
Portuguese. Another of my great-grandfathers was Irish, English,
and Scotch. He married a girl who was half Latvian, half Russian.
Believe me, if I had a blood transfusion from just anybody at all,
the blood would feel right at home.”
The interviewer snorted, even as he marked the card. “That
accounts for three great-grandfathers,” he said lightly. “What was
the other one?”
Ronny said expressionlessly, “A Texan.”
The secretary shrugged and looked at the car again.
“Religion?”
“Reformed Agnostic,” Ronny said. This one was possibly
where he ran into a brick wall. Many of the planets had strong
religious beliefs of one sort or another. Some of them had state
religions and you either belonged or else.
The personnel officer frowned. “Is there any such church?”
“No. I’m a one-man member. I’m of the opinion that if there
are any greater-powers-that-be. They’re keeping the fact from us.
And if that’s the way They want it, it’s Their business. If and when
They want to contact me, then I suppose They’ll do it. Meanwhile,
I’ll wait.”
The other said interestedly, “You think that if there is a