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The Stars My Destination ( Tiger! Tiger! ) :: Bester Alfred
Страница: 138 из 164«About property rights,» Y'ang-Yeovil murmured. «May I suggest to Presteign that Central Intelligence will guarantee full payment to him for his right, title, and interest in PyrE?»
«Don't coddle him, Yeovil.»
«This conference is being recorded,» Presteign said, coldly. «The Captain's offer is now on file.» He turned his basilisk face to Dagenham. «You are in my employ, Mr. Dagenham. Please control your references to myself.»
«And to your property?» Dagenham inquired with a deadly smile. «You and your damned property. All of you and all of your damned property have put us in this hole. The system's on the edge of total annihilation for the sake of your property. I'm not exaggerating. It will be a shooting war to end all wars if we can't stop it.»
«We can always surrender,» Presteign answered.
«No,» Y'ang-Yeovil said. «That's already been discussed and discarded at HQ. We know the post-victory plans of the Outer Satellites. They involve total exploitation of the Inner Planets. We're to be gutted and worked until nothing's left. Surrender would be as disastrous as defeat.»
«But not for Presteign,» Dagenham added.
«Shall we say .. . present company excluded?» Y'ang-Yeovil replied gracefully.
«All right, Presteign,» Dagenham swiveled in his chair. «Give.»
«I beg your pardon, sir?»
«Let's hear all about PyrE. I've got an idea how we can bring Foyle out into the open and locate the stuff, but I've got to know all about it first. Make your contribution.»
«No,» Presteign answered.
«No, what?»
«I have decided to withdraw from this information pool. I will reveal nothing about PyrE.»
«For God's sake, Presteign! Are you insane? What's got into you? Are you fighting Regis Sheffield's Liberal party again?»
«It's quite simple, Dagenham,» Y'ang-Yeovil interposed. «My information about the surrender-defeat situation has shown Presteign a way to better his position. No doubt he intends negotiating a sale to the enemy in return for. . . property advantages.»
«Can nothing move you?» Dagenham asked Presteign scornfully. «Can nothing touch you? Are you all property and nothing else? Go away, Jiz! The whole thing's fallen apart.»
Jisbella had jaunted into the Star Chamber again. «Commando Brigade's reported,» she said. «We know what happened to Foyle.»
«What?»
«Presteign's got him.»
«What!» Both Dagenham and Y'ang-Yeovil started to their feet.