"Timothy Zahn - Deadman Switch" - читать интересную книгу автора (Zahn Timothy)

actually be handling flights in and out of Solitaire system, at least not directly. What I've done is
simply to buy up a controlling share of HTI Transport, the company with this particular license. I
thought it might be interesting to call up HTI's chief exec and see how he reacts to the news."

Which was why he'd sent for me, of course. "Anything in particular you want me to watch for?"

"Signs of resistance, mostly. HTI's always been stiffnecked jealous about its autonomy, and I want to
know how badly they're going to resent being swallowed up. Ah—"

A decorative young woman had appeared on his desk's center display. "HTI Transport; Mr.
O'Rielly's office," she said pleasantly.

"Lord Kelsey-Ramos of the Carillon Group," Lord Kelsey-Ramos identified himself. "Mr. O'Rielly
will want to speak to me."

A flicker of uncertainty touched the secretary's face, but she was obviously knowledgeable in the
names of Portslava's business elite and she put the screen into hold without argument. A moment
later it cleared to reveal a middle-aged man wearing an expensive business capelet. "Lord Kelsey-
Ramos," he nodded in greeting. "What can I do for you, sir?"

"He doesn't know yet," I murmured from just outside the phone's range.

Lord Kelsey-Ramos's eyelids dipped briefly in acknowledgment. "Good morning, Mr. O'Rielly," he
said. "I just wanted to call and personally welcome you into the Carillon Group."

O'Rielly's face went the whole gamut—shock, disbelief, more shock, outrage—all in the space of a
second and a half. Behind him, the out-of-focus background shifted as the camera tracked his lunge
forward, and through the stunned silence I could hear the faint click of nervous fingers on control
keys. One look was really all he needed. "Spike you, anyway, Kelsey-Ramos," he snarled. "You
putrid, smert-headed—"

"Thank you, but I've heard it all before," Lord Kelsey-Ramos interjected calmly. "I'll leave it to you
to inform the HTI board of this, and I'll want a meeting scheduled to discuss any changes that'll need
to be made. In the meantime, do you have anything besides insults you'd like to say? On or off the
record, of course?"

Some of the pure fury was fading from O'Rielly's face, to be replaced by an icy bitterness and more
than a little discomfort. "What, off the record with your little pet lie detector Benedar there
somewhere?" he sneered, eyes darting around as he searched the limits of his screen for some sign of
me. The sarcasm wasn't nearly strong enough to cover his discomfort. "Or did you think I didn't
know about him?"

Lord Kelsey-Ramos had indeed thought that, but only I caught his annoyance. "I take it that means

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Deadman Switch

you'll save your statement for the board meeting, then," he told O'Rielly. "Equally fine. Have your
secretary call mine when you've scheduled the meeting. Oh, and we'll be wanting to send a rep to
Solitaire to check on your locals there. I'd appreciate it if you'd send word to Whitecliff to expect