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

Ronny Bronston said desperately, “But, captain, Miss Tog and
I simply have to land.” He reached for his badge. “High priority,
Bureau of Investigations.”
The captain shrugged his hefty shoulders. “Sorry, I have no
instructions that allow me to risk tying up my ship. Here’s a
possibility. Can you pilot a landing craft? I could spare you
one—then you and your assistant would be the only ones involved.
You could turn it over to whatever Space Forces base we have
here.”
Ronny said miserably, “No, I’m not a space pilot.”
“I am,” Tog said softly. “The idea sounds excellent.”
 “We shall expect you,” the Sub-Bishop said. The screen went
blank.
Tog Lee Chang Chu piloted a landing craft with the same
verve that she seemed to be able to handle any other responsibility.
As he sat in the seat next to her, Ronny Bronston took in her
practiced flicking of the controls from the side of his eyes. He
wondered vaguely at the efficiency of such Section G officials as
Metaxa and Jakes that they would assign an unknown quality such
as himself to a task as important as running down Tommy Paine,
and then as an assistant provide him with an experienced operative
such as Tog. The bureaucratic mind could be a dilly, he decided.
Was the fact that she was a rather delicately constructed girl a
factor? He felt the weight of the Model-H gun nestled under his
left armpit. Perhaps in the clutch Section G preferred men as
agents.
They swooped into a landing that brought them as close to
the control tower as was practical. In a matter of moments there
was a guard of twenty or more sloppily uniformed men about their
small craft.
Tog made a moue. “Welcoming committee,” she said.
They climbed out the circular port, and Ronny flashed his
United Planets Bureau of Investigation badge at the youngish
looking soldier who seemed in command. He was indecisive.
“United Planets?” he said. “All I know is I’m supposed to
arrest anybody landing.”
Ronny snapped, “We’re to be taken immediately to United
Planets headquarters.”
“Well, I don’t know about that. I don’t take orders from
foreigners.”
One of his men was nervously fingering the trigger of his
submachine gun.
 Ronny’s mouth went dry. He had the feeling of being high,
high on a rock face, inadequately belayed from above.
Tog said smoothly, “But major, I’m sure whoever issued your
orders had no expectation of a special delegation from the United
Planets coming to congratulate your new authorities on their
success. Of course, it’s unknown to arrest a delegation from United
Planets.”
“It is?” he frowned at her. “I mean, you are?”