"Джон Варли. Платежное поручение(engl) " - читать интересную книгу автора

"They have no reason to assume I'd be coming into the city."
"I didn't think of that." Kelly sat down across from him. "Now, what
comes next? Now that you have got away with the material, what are you going
to do?"
"Next I meet Rethrick and spring the news on him. The news that the
person who escaped from the Plant was myself. He knows that someone got
away, but he doesn't know who it was. Undoubtedly, he assumes it was an SP
man."
"Couldn't he use the time mirror to find out?"
A shadow crossed Jennings' face. "That's so. I didn't think of that."
He rubbed his jaw, frowning. "In any case, I have the material. Or, you have
the material."
Kelly nodded.
"All right. We'll go ahead with our plans. Tomorrow we'll see Rethrick.
We'll see him here, in New York. Can you get him down to the Office? Will he
come if you send for him?"
"Yes. We have a code. If I ask him to come, he'll come."
"Fine. I'll meet him there. When he realizes that we have the picture
and schematics he'll have to agree to my demands. He'll have to let me into
Rethrick Construction, on my own terms. It's either that, or face the
possibility of having the material turned over to the Security Police."
"And once you're in? Once Rethrick agrees to your demands?"
"I saw enough at the Plant to convince me that Rethrick is far bigger
than I had realized. How big, I don't know. No wonder he was so interested!"
"You're going to demand equal control of the Company?"
Jennings nodded.
"You would never be satisfied to go back as a mechanic, would you? The
way you were before."
"No. To get booted out again?" Jennings smiled. "Anyhow, I know he
intended better things than that. He laid careful plans. The trinkets. He
must have planned everything long in advance. No, I'm not going back as a
mechanic. I saw a lot there, level after level of machines and men. They're
doing something. And I want to be in on it."
Kelly was silent.
"See?" Jennings said.
"I see."
He left the apartment, hurrying along the dark street. He had stayed
there too long. If the SP found the two of them together it would be all up
with Rethrick Construction. He could take no chances, with the end almost in
sight.
He looked at his watch. It was past midnight. He would meet Rethrick
this morning, and present him with the proposition. His spirits rose as he
walked. He would be safe. More than safe. Rethrick Construction was aiming
at something far larger than mere industrial power. What he had seen had
convinced him that a revolution was brewing. Down in the many levels below
the ground, down under the fortress of concrete, guarded by guns and armed
men, Rethrick was planning a war. Machines were being turned out. The time
scoop and the mirror were hard at work, watching, dipping, extracting.
No wonder he had worked out such careful plans. He had seen all this
and understood, begun to ponder. The problem of the mind cleaning. His