"Tubb,.E.C.-.1956.Space.Born" - читать интересную книгу автора (Tubb E. C)

The Space-Born
By E.C.Tubb

CAST OF CHARACTERS
THE SPACE-BORN
JAY WEST
He was on the horns of a dilemma-and they were dangerously sharp.
SUSAN CURTWAY
She wanted children, but she loved a man-and she couldn't have both.
GEORGE CURTWAY
He knew enough to kill him-but knew too little to save himself.
GREGSON
The price of his life was the death of another.
MERRILL
He was a dangerous tool-with a double edge.
QUENTIN
One thing they couldn't forgive him-his age.

CHAPTER ONE
JAY WEST, psych-policeman, arrived at headquarters just in time to see a case brought for trial at Ship's Court. As usual Gregson, his chief, was acting as judge and, aside from Kennedy and the communications man, the office was empty. Jay grinned at the operator, nudged his fellow officer to make room on the bench, and nodded towards the sheet of one-way glass separating them from the courtroom.
"What goes on?"
"Waste charge. " Kennedy didn't shift his gaze from the scene. "Sector four. Know him?"
"No. " Jay looked at the accused, a gardener by his green shorts, still marriageable and with the thin limbs and delicate skin of one who had spent most of his life in the low-gravity upper levels. He was nervous, his eyes wide as he stared at the starkly simple appointments of the courtroom; looking at him Jay was reminded of an animal, one of the small, brown, helpless animals of distant Earth A deer, perhaps? Or was it a rabbit? He couldn't remember, then forgot the problem as Gregson shifted in his chair
The chief of psych-police was a big, compact man with black eyes matching the gleaming slickness of his uniform. At least twice as old as the accused, he dominated the court by the sheer force of his personality, and as he leaned a little forward over his wide desk, Jay was reminded of yet another animal. A tiger-or was it a cat? He frowned as he tried to recall just when and on what tape he had seen the creatures, and made a mental note to pay more attention to the educational tapes in future. He leaned forward as Gregson's voice came over the speakers.
"Goodwin, " snapped Gregson coldly. "15-3479. Charge of criminal waste. Who accuses?"
"I do, sir. " An older man, also a gardener, shuffled forward, a large plastic bag in his hands. "My name is Johnson, sir. 14-4562. I'm head gardener of sector four. I caught young Goodwin here throwing the plant trimmings into the inorganic waste disposal chute. I wouldn't have believed it of him if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes. I'd always liked him and I never guessed that he was like that. " The old man sniffed. "I've always thought of him like my own son. I... "
"Keep to the point, " snapped Gregson impatiently. "What happened?"
"I was telling you, sir. We always put all the plant trimmings into the organic waste chute for reclamation. Goodwin here threw them into the wrong chute. If I hadn't seen what he did they'd have been incinerated and we'd have lost everything but the water content. " He glanced at Carter, the other occupant of the room. "I reported to the officer, sir, and made my charge. "
"I arrested the accused and brought them both here, " said Carter unnecessarily. Gregson nodded.
"Defense?"
"I didn't do it!" The youth licked his lips with nervous defiance as he stared from Gregson to his accuser. Gregson glanced towards the officer.
"Proof?"
"Here, sir. " Carter took the bag from Johnson, stepped forward, and emptied it on the desk. About half a kilogram of brown-edged leaves and dry stalks made a little heap of vegetation on the smooth surface. He stepped back as Gregson looked down at it.
"You found all this?"
"I did. "
"In the inorganic waste chute?"
"Yes. "
"I see. " Gregson leaned back in his chair, the tip of one finger idly stirring the heap of leaves. He didn't speak and, aside from the faint rustle of the leaves and the soft, almost imperceptible vibration of the metal walls and floor, so soft and familiar as to be unnoticed, silence filled the courtroom.
"Waste, " said Kennedy disgustedly. "Gregson should send him straight to the converter. "
"You think that he's guilty?" Jay narrowed his eyes as he stared at the pale, sweating face of the accused. Kennedy shrugged.
"What... " He broke off as sound came over the speakers.
"I didn't do it, " insisted Goodwin desperately. "I swear that I didn't do it. "
"How do you account for this vital material being found in the wrong chute?" Gregson's voice was very soft and Jay suddenly remembered what he was reminded of. Not a tiger, but a cat-and the gardener was a mouse. He smiled in quiet pride at his retentive memory. Not bad considering that he had never seen either of the animals except as pictures on a screen. He wanted to tell Kennedy but Goodwin was speaking again so he listened instead.
"I can't account for it, sir. Unless... "
"Unless what?"
"Johnson's getting to be an old man, sir, " blurted Goodwin. "He's afraid that I'll take over his job and he's trying to get rid of me. "
"I wouldn't throw vegetation in the inorganic chute, " said Johnson hastily. "I know how valuable the material is too well for that. I've been a gardener all my life, sir, and I just couldn't do it. " He shook his head in apparent despair. "It's these youngsters-they just don't stop to think, and if they aren't stopped they'll ruin us with their constant waste. "
"This is a serious charge, " said Gregson heavily; he didn't seem to have heard the counter accusation and defense. "You know that waste, aside from mutiny, is the most heinous crime there is. Both are punishable by death. " He paused. "Is there anything you wish to say before I pass sentence?"
"I didn't do it, " repeated Goodwin desperately. "I'm innocent of the charge. "