"Connie Willis - Blued Moon" - читать интересную книгу автора (Willis Connie)

"No, sir," Janice said. "Research says they've already started the temperature-differentia
kilns, and you should be seeing something in a few minutes. They say they couldn't wait any
longer.''

Mr. Mowen whipped back around in his chair to look out the window. The picture of Sa
teetered again, and Mr. Mowen wondered if she were home from college yet. Noth-ing was
coming out of the smokestacks. He couldn't see the candlestick-base kilns through the maze
fast-food places and trailer parks. A McDonald's sign directly in front of the smokestacks
blinked on suddenly, and Mr. Mowen jumped. The smokestacks themselves remained silen
and still except for their blinding strobe aircraft lights. He could see sagebrush-covered hil
the space between the stacks, and the whole scene, except for the McDonald's sign, looked
unbelievably serene and harmless.

"Research says the kilns are fired to full capacity," Janice said, holding the phone agains
her chest.

Mr. Mowen braced himself for the coming explosion. There was a low rumbling like dis
fire, then a puff of whitish smoke, and finally a deep, whooshing sound like one of Janice's
sighs, and two columns of blue shot straight up into the darkening sky.

"Why is it blue?" Mr. Mowen said.

"I already asked," Janice said. "Research says visible spectrum diffraction is occurring
because of the point eight micron radü of the hydrocarbons being propelled…"

"That sounds like that damned press release," Mr. Mowen said. "Tell them to speak
English."

After a minute of talking into the phone, she said, "It's the same effect that causes the sun
after a volcanic eruption. Scattering. Research wants to know what staff members you'd lik
have at the press conference tomorrow."

"The directors of the project," Mr. Mowen said grumpily, "and anyone over at Research
who can speak English."

Janice looked at the press release. "Bradley McAfee and Lynn Saunders are the director
she said.
 "Why does the name McAfee sound familiar?"

"He's Ulric Henry's roommate. The company linguist you hired to…"

"I know why I hired him. Invite Henry, too. And try to get Sally as soon as she gets home
Tell her that I expect her there; and tell her to dress up." He looked at his watch. "Well," he
said. "It's been going five minutes, and there haven't been any harmful side effects yet."

The phone rang. Mr. Mowen jumped. "I knew it was too good to last," he said. "Who is
The EPA?"

"No," Janice said, and sighed. "It's your ex-wife."